Day 1: ARRIVE PATHANKOT DRIVE TO MCLEOD GANJ
A two and a half hour drive will take you to McLeod Ganj (6,200ft/1,890m). You break your journey to have a snack at Kotla. McLeod Ganj is home to a thriving Tibetan community, who settled here with the Dalai Lama in 1959. Halt overnight at a Hotel.
Day 2: DHARMSALA AND MCLEOD GANJ
Founded in 1855, it has one of the most spectacular settings for a Hill Station. It is built along a spur of the Dhaula-Dhar range and varies in height from 4,500ft/1,476m at the bazaar to 5,900ft/1,798m at McLeod Ganj. It is surrounded by trees and is set against a backdrop of peaks rising to over 15,600ft/4,755m on three sides. The great granite mountains almost overhang the town. Views are superb, not only of the mountains but also over the Kangra Valley and Siwaliks. There are two sections to the town, the upper part is McLeod Ganj and the lower is called Dharmsala. The distance between them is almost 10km by road from centre to centre but there is a shorter, steeper path that takes about 40 minutes to cover. In both there is a strong Tibetan influence. The Dalai Lama settled here after his flight across the Himalaya following the Chinese invasion of Tibet in October 1959. There is a monastery at McLeod Ganj, a short distance along from the Dalai Lama's residence and a library. Dharmsala was one of the 80 hill stations established by the British between 1815 and 1847 though it was not on a par with Shimla, Nainital and Mussoorie in terms of popularity and size. The Church of St John-in-the-Wilderness (1860) is a short distance below McLeod Ganj on the way to Forsythganj. Along with other buildings in the area it was destroyed by the earthquake of 1905 but has been rebuilt. The 8th Lord of Elgin, one of the few Viceroys to die in office, is buried here. Apparently, it was his wish as it reminded him of his beloved native Scotland. There are some very attractive stained glass windows.
Day 3: TREK TO TRIUND (9,027ft/2,751m)
Leave McLeod Ganj behind and begin a gradual ascent through pine and rhododendron forest until you reach Triund and camp on a meadow with views of the Dhaula-Dhar range above and the Kangra valley below. The Dhaula-Dhar rises to about 16,500ft/5,029m and many of its summits remain unclimbed to this day. Camp overnight here.
Day 4: TREK TO LAKA (11,000ft/3,353m)
Follow a forest trail, steadily ascending to Laka situated at the base of the Indra-Har pass. You may camp overnight.
Day 5: CROSS INDRA-HAR PASS , TREK TO CHHATA
An early morning start as you climb up to the Indra-Har pass, 14,501ft/4,420m, a strenuous six hour walk with a packed lunch on the way. This is the old trade route for tea, sugar, salt, and cloth and is often snow covered. It provides good views of the middle Himalaya and Kailash's pointed peak, 18,556ft/5,656m. (Please note that even though this Kailash is a holy mountain for the area, it is not the same as the famous Mount Kailash in Tibet ). Carved steps lead the last 300ft to the top of the pass where there is a shrine to the Goddess Durga. After a four hour gradual descent you camp close to a stream at Chhata, (10,500ft/3,200m). Please note that the rest day on Day 8 could be utilized at this point if required.
Day 6: TREK TO CHAMBA VALLEY , CAMP AT KUARSI
(7,000ft/2,133m)
You descend through wild country with opportunities for spotting wildlife and cross intermediate ridges and follow the path through thick forest and descend into the Chamba valley. You can camp at Kuarsi, a Gaddi village. Kuarsi is renowned by the shepherds for its Shiva temple. The temple is on a pilgrimage route and has been built into an ashram where pilgrims can rest and sleep. You will actually sleep on an elevated, wooden platform that surrounds the temple below. At the end of the day the Pujaree (village priest), holds a ceremony to put the local snake god and Shiva to rest. This involves the lighting of incense and the weird otherworldly music of the Dolki, an ancient drum-like instrument, and temple bells. Camp overnight here.
Day 7: TREK TO MACHHETAR (6,562ft/2,000m)
Following a forest trail rich in rhododendron, you cross over a ridge before descending towards the Ravi River through cultivated fields, apple orchards and village hamlets. You camp near Machhetar, along the banks of the Ravi River . A refreshing swim is recommended!
Day 8: TREK TO BRAHMOUR. (6,500ft/1,981m)
From Machhetar you cross the Ravi River and continue through pretty terraced hillsides to Brahmour. Once the capital of Chamba state, the town is noted for its many ancient temples. In the past it was regarded as second only to Kashmir as a cultural centre of the Western Himalaya . A busy and culturally interesting town, which is a main pilgrimage, centre on the route to Mount Kailash . You might camp overnight just outside the town.
Day 9: DRIVE TO DONALI, TREK TO DRAKUND. (8,000ft/2,438m)
An hour's drive down the valley takes you to Donali, 6,800ft/2,073m, where you take to your feet again. A gradual six hour walk up the banks of the Donali stream through small hamlets leads you to Drakund. Here there is a forest Rest House set in beautiful apple orchards. Built in the times of the Raj, it is now rarely used, and if you are lucky you may be able to overnight here otherwise you will camp nearby.
Day 10: TREK TO BASE OF MINKIANNI PASS
You walk through alpine forests following the trails of the Gaddi shepherds until you reach the base of the Minkianni pass, 10,800ft/3,292m. This is an important place of worship for the local shepherds because of the sacred 'wishing wells', a trio of nearby small lakes; Lam Dal, Nag Dal and Chanderkup. By now you are back into real mountain country and surrounded on three sides by peaks. Camp overnight here.
Day 11: CROSS MINKIANNI PASS. (14,200ft/4,328m)
TREK TO NOLI (7,000ft/2,133m)
It is a steady one hour ascent to the top of the Minkianni pass. You take a packed lunch on the way and enjoy the panoramic view of the Pir Panjal range of mountains. From the pass you scramble along the ridge for half an hour to gain excellent views of the higher peaks of the Greater Himalaya, 30 miles distant. The 8 hour descent takes you to Kereri meadow (10,500ft/3,200m), where there is a wooden Shiva temple and small lakes. You walk towards Kangra valley along little-known shepherd trails through oak, pine and rhododendron forests and camp at Noli, close to a Hindu village.
Day 12: TREK TO DHARAMKOT (7,200ft/2,194m)
Your final short day's trek takes you down fertile valleys with cultivated terraced fields and village hamlets until you climb up to reach Dharamkot - a protected nature reserve and home to the Butterworth family. Your night's accommodation will be in stone cottages or camping.
Day 13: AT LEISURE, VISIT DHARAMSALA
In the morning you are free to explore, or a guided tour of the Dalai Lama's Temple and the Tibetan Museum/Library may be arranged.
