kumaun Himalaya
Nestling snugly in the lap of the snow capped peaks of panchachuli, the Darma valley in Pithoragarh district is endowed with abundant scenic grandeur.The route to glacier abounds in exotic scenery,snowcapped mountains,gushing streams,Alpine meadows and a rich variety of flora and fauna.Esconed by the river Dhauli Ganga one can see from glacier Panchachuli Peaks in their towering glory.The peaks are numbered from NW to SE I ( 6355m / 20851ft) , II ( 6904m / 22652ft ) , III ( 6312m / 20710ft ) , IV ( 6334m / 20872ft ) , V ( 6437m / 21120ft ).Named after the pandava brothers from the Indian epic Mahabharata.The peaks represent the cooking hearths ( chulis) where they cooked their last meal before ascending to heavenDuring the sunrise the snow clad peaks simply look Magnificient!
Day-0 : Take the overnight train from Old Delhi Railway Station to Kathgodam
Day-1 : Arrive at Kathgodam 06.30 hrs. After breakfast drive to Munsyari (115 kms., 4 hrs.) along a road that winds itself up to Altitude 2748 mts. before descending into the glorious Munsyari valley. Check in at Wayfarer Mountain Resort for a good rest.
Day-2: Drive from Munsyari to Sobla (130 kms./5 hrs.) : The Jeep track from Munsyari, initially, descends to Madkot Village which is on the banks of the rapidly flowing Gori Ganga river. From this point, the two hour drive to Jauljibi is particularly scenic. On the way are small villages called Chori Bagar, and Banga Pani. At Jauljibi there is the confluence of river Gori with Kali that crosses into India from Nepal at Dharchula. The route now travels northwards past Dharchula and Tawa Ghat and divests westward into a gorge following the Dhauli Ganga river up to Sobla. Sobla (1670m) is the entry point to the Darma Valley and is the starting point of our trek. Our destination is Dar Village (2134m) which is 5 kms. from Sobla.Halt.
Day-3: Dar to Sela (2438 mts./12 kms.) 5 to 6 hrs. The mule track from Dar to Sela goes through hill sides of green pastures. The campsite is on the outskirts of Sela.Halt
Day-4 : Trek Sela to Baaling (2743 mts./11 kms.. 5 to 6 hrs.) : It is another relatively trouble free day. The trail to Baaling goes up and down hill sides but the altitude gained is moderate.Halt
Day-5 : Trek Baaling to Duktu (3048 mts./6 kms.. 3 hrs.) : Duktu and Dantu are two adjacent villages which are the last centres of human habitation in this part of Darma valley. The view of the Panch Chulli peaks from here is just magnificent. On the outskirts of Duktu is a huge meadow that provides a platform for viewing the PanchChulli glacier with the backdrop of the PanchChulli peaks. This particular spot is almost picture perfect. We pitch up here for the night.
Day-6: Trek Duktu to PanchChulli (4 kms. To and Fro; 5 hrs.) : It is memorable day when we set out to explore the PanchChulli glacier from our base camp at Duktu. The glacier projects outwards from the East face of PanchChulli and a 4 kms. trek from the campsite along the Yuli river leads to the massive glacier itself. The place itself provides an incredible scenery of a sprawling meadow bordered by tall oak and birch trees with the Panch Chulli (6904 mts./22652 ft.) Towering in the background.
Day-7 : Trek to Duktu to Nagling (2743 mts./11 kms.) : 5 hours.
Day-8 : Trek Nagling to Bungling (12 kms.) : Last day of the trek. Arrive at Bungling by afternoon. From here after lunch rest drive back back to Munsyari.
Day-9 : Munsyari to Ranikhet (240 kms.) : Bidding farewell to Munsyari and mountains. Drive to Ranikhet through Bageshwar and Kausani.Halt
Day-10 : Drive from Ranikhet to Kathgodam (90 kms.).Overnight train from Kathgodham to Delhi.
Day-11 : Reach Delhi morning.End of Package.
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