Bhyundar Khal Trek

Following the track of Frank Smythe's discovery of the Valley of Flowers

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Duration
11 Da
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Highest Altitude:
5100m
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Grade:
Strenuous
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Best Time:
May End - June, Sep - Early October
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Temperatures:
-5 to 18 degree Celcius
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Starts From:
Joshimath
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Airport:
Jolly Grant Airport, Dehraoon, Uttrakhand
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Railway:
Rishikesh, Uttrakhand

Key Geographical Highlights

8 Popular Peaks:

Deoban ( 6855m ), Gauri Parbat ( 6708m ), Hathi Parbat ( 6727m ), Kamet ( 7756m ), Mana Peak ( 7272m ), Mandir Parbat ( 6559m ), Nilgiri Parbat ( 6474m ), Nilkantha ( 6596m )

1 High Passes:

Bhyunder Khal ( 5100m )

4 Glaciers:

Gauri Glacier, Rataban Glacier, Tipra Bamak, Rataban Glacier N

2 Rivers:

Bhyunder Ganga, Dhauli Ganga

2 Villages:

Ghamsali, Ghangharia

1 National Parks Or Forest Reserve:

Valley of Flowers National Park

Reach Joshimath find other treks

Daywise Itinerary For Bhyundar Khal Trek

(click to read detailed route briefing, elevation graph, altitude time info and photos from the day)

▼ Day 1Arrival DayJoshimath 1850m
Arrive In Joshimath
Overnight In: Joshimath (1850m )
Accommodation: Hotel In Joshimath
Meals Included: Evening Snacks, Dinner
Cost Of Transport Included: NO
Where and How To Reach Joshimath
It's a long drive from Rishikesh to Joshimath. So be prepared. The roads are nice apart from a few bad patches and very scenic too. We expect you by evening. Our team awaits you in your hotel. if required, we can arrange a comfortable private car for the travel from Rishikesh to Joshimath.
Day 1
375 - Rishikesh
Day 1
1450 - Karn Prayag
Day 1
1400 - Chamoli
Day 1
1850 - Joshimath
260Km, 8hrs.
▼ Day 2Trekking DayGhangaria 3094m
From Joshimath (1850m ) To Ghangaria (3094m ), Via - Govind Ghat (1815m ), Bhyundar (2458m ) - 5 - 6 Hrs. 10 Kms
Overnight In: Ghangaria (3094m )
Accommodation: Hotel In Ghangaria
Meals Included: All Meals
In the morning we take a car to drop us at Govind Ghat from where we start our trek. It's a simple trek on a well-maintained pilgrimage and village route.
Day 2
1850 - Joshimath
Day 2
1815 - Govind Ghat
Day 2
2460 - Bhyundar
Day 2
3095 - Ghangaria
10Km, 5 - 6hrs.
▼ Day 3Exploration DayGhangaria 3094m
Excursion to Hemkund Sahib & Nearby.. Return To Ghangaria - 6 Hrs. 12 Kms
Overnight In: Ghangaria (3094m )
Accommodation: Hotel In Ghangaria
Meals Included: All meals
Today we are destined for Sri Hemkund Sahib and the pious lake of Hemkund. It's a pilgrim route but a tough one as compared to the previous day. It's steep and climbs up higher above 4000 meters to take us to one of the most pious places for the Hindus and especially the Sikhs. This trek will definitely help us in the difficult zones we will be venturing in coming days.
Day 3
3095 - Ghangaria
Day 3
3095 - Ghangaria
Day 3
4165 - Hemkund Sahib
Day 3
3095 - Ghangaria
12Km, 6hrs.
▼ Day 4Trekking DayTipra Kharak 3700m
From Ghangaria (3094m ) To Tipra Kharak (3700m ) - 5 - 6 Hrs. 10 Kms
Overnight In: Tipra Kharak (3700m )
Accommodation: Tents In Tipra Kharak
Meals Included: All Meals
The trek passes through the very famous Valley of Flowers National Park. We follow the Bhyundar Ganga and camp at Tipra Bamak where the glacier from Gouri Parvat meet another small glacier from the neighbourhood unknown peek. Both these glaciers along with Rataban glacier contribute to Bhyundar Ganga and finally the Pushwati Ganga. The entire trek is amazingly scenic and the magnanimous presence of Hathi and Gauri Parvat allures us throughout the day.
Day 4
3095 - Ghangaria
Day 4
3700 - Tipra Kharak
10Km, 5 - 6hrs.
▼ Day 5Trekking DayBhyundar Ice Fall Camp 4320m
From Tipra Kharak (3700m ) To Bhyundar Ice Fall Camp (4320m ) - 4 - 5 Hrs. 7 Kms
Overnight In: Bhyundar Ice Fall Camp (4320m )
Accommodation: Tents
Meals Included: All meals
As the altitude increases the terrain starts to get difficult too. We start negotiating the glacial moraine from today and with every increase in altitude, negotiating the moraine needs cautious steps and good acclimatization. We camp at t=one of the most scenic campsite in the Garhwal Himalayas. This is the meeting point of the Rataban Glacier and Gauri Glacier. The huge ice fall of Rataban glacier blows off your mind. At the same time the Gauri peak along with its glacier offers a ultimate Himalayan High
Day 5
3700 - Tipra Kharak
Day 5
4320 - Bhyundar Ice Fall Camp
7Km, 4 - 5hrs.
▼ Day 6Trekking DayBhyundar Khal BC 4600m
From Bhyundar Ice Fall Camp (4320m ) To Bhyundar Khal BC (4600m ) - 4 - 5 Hrs. 6 Kms
Overnight In: Bhyundar Khal BC (4600m )
Accommodation: Tents
Meals Included: All Meals
A short but arduous walk negotiating the lateral moraine created by the Rataban glacier
Day 6
4320 - Bhyundar Ice Fall Camp
Day 6
4600 - Bhyundar Khal BC
6Km, 4 - 5hrs.
▼ Day 7Pass Crossing DayRataban Glacier Moraine Camp 4500m
Cross And Reach Rataban Glacier Moraine Camp - 6 - 7 Hrs. 10 Kms
Overnight In: Rataban Glacier Moraine Camp (4500m )
Accommodation: Tents
Meals Included: All Meals
Today is the ultimate day when we cross the Bhyundar Pass and cross over to the other side of the valley. It will be a challenging day and we start early in the morning to negotiate the crevasse laden track over hard snow. Trekking with proper gears and knowledge of the mountains will make our task easier. Once we summit the Bhyundar Khal, we are greeted by some of the most elegant peaks of the Garhwal Himalayas. We need to carefully descend down to safety as soon as possible and that would require negotiating moraines and crevasses as well.
Day 7
4600 - Bhyundar Khal BC
Day 7
4500 - Rataban Glacier Moraine Camp
10Km, 6 - 7hrs.
▼ Day 8Trekking DayThur Udiyar 4000m
From Rataban Glacier Moraine Camp (4500m ) To Thur Udiyar (4000m ), Via - Eri Udiyar (4300m ) - 6 - 7 Hrs. 14 Kms
Overnight In: Thur Udiyar (4000m )
Accommodation: Tents
Meals Included: All Meals
We descend down to Thur Udiyar given good weather, else we will camp at a suitable place either in Eri Udiyar or in between.
Day 8
4500 - Rataban Glacier Moraine Camp
Day 8
4300 - Eri Udiyar
Day 8
4000 - Thur Udiyar
14Km, 6 - 7hrs.
▼ Day 9Trekking DayGhamsali 3300m
From Thur Udiyar (4000m ) To Ghamsali (3300m ), Via - Raj Shim (3900m ), Dal Dungi (3800m ) - 5 - 6 Hrs. 14 Kms
Overnight In: Ghamsali (3300m )
Accommodation: Camp or Homestay
Meals Included: All Meals
Continuous descend through the green pasture land gets us to the beautiful village of Ghamshali where we stay for a night.
Day 9
4000 - Thur Udiyar
Day 9
3900 - Raj Shim
Day 9
3800 - Dal Dungi
Day 9
3300 - Ghamsali
14Km, 5 - 6hrs.
▼ Day 10Trekking DayJoshimath 1850m
From Ghamsali (3300m ) To Joshimath (1850m ) - 4 - 5 Hrs. 90 Kms
Overnight In: Joshimath (1850m )
Accommodation: Hotel In Joshimath
Meals Included: All Meals
Our trek just got over. We now no longer need to walk to move distance. Ghamsali is a beautiful village. If we want, we can visit Niti village which stands at the Tibet border. We take the road to return to Joshimath afterwards.
Day 10
3300 - Ghamsali
Day 10
1850 - Joshimath
90Km, 4 - 5hrs.
▼ Day 11Trekking DayRishikesh 370m
From Joshimath (1850m ) To Rishikesh (370m ) - 8 - 9 Hrs. 260 Kms
Overnight In: Rishikesh (370m )
Accommodation: None
Meals Included: Breakfast
We return to Rishikesh
Day 11
1850 - Joshimath
Day 11
370 - Rishikesh
260Km, 8 - 9hrs.

Bhyundar Khal Trek - An Elaborate Description

What lies beyond the popular Valley Of Flowers? It must be beautiful, isn't it? Can we explore further and exit to the other side of the valley? Where would it take us to?

These are a few questions that hit my imagination when I read about the discovery of the Bhyundar Valley and Valley of Flowers by an elite British Explorer - Frank Smythe. That's how perhaps every exploration begins. So did mine. Merely reaching the Valley of Flowers and returning back never satisfied my soul. The simple thought of walking on the trails deep in the Himalayas where very few people venture is what gives a perfect Himalayan High. So is the trek to Bhyundar.

Approach March For The Bhyundar Khal Trek - Route Details

The trek to Bhyundar Khal involves negotiating a huge amount of glacial moraines in steep sections and a few crevasse laden zones. All these require a high amount of cautiousness and alertness not just on the trail, but also while camping. The campsites are limited and might not be comfortable to your desires, but then if you want comfort you did rather return from Valley Of Flowers itself and sleep in a hotel!

Approaching the Bhyundar Khal from the Valley of Flowers side rather makes better sense, though it can be approached from Ghamsali side as well. We favour this route as the ascend on moraines from this side appears safer than that of the opposite side. Though on paper it could not look very different from the other side as well, but on such treks, we should plan to bring things into our favour as much as possible. especially keeping the weather contingencies and grade of ascent in mind, approaching from this side has a little upper edge.

Extending Bhyundar Khal Trek With Gupt Khal

The Bhyundar Khal trek can be extended to go further via the Gupt Khal to exit ion Badrinath rather than Ghamsali. This definitely makes the trek longer but adds to a lot of thrill and exploration satisfaction. The route is done by only a very few trekkers in our Country and hence has an excellent Himalayan High in it.

When you approach the Bhyundar Khal from the VOF side, after crossing the pass, the route intersects the Bankund Glacier which feeds the Dhauli Ganga on the other side of the valley. The route to Gupt Khal takes a left turn from here and wanders through some of the most exquisite campsites and mountainscapes before opening up near Badrinath.

Bhyundar Khal Trek - Why Its A Must-Do

The Bhyundar Khal Trek proposes an ultimate challenge for the Himalayan High Seeker in the lap of the Garhwal Himalayas. The trek is worth all the effort it takes to cross the highly glaciated and crevasse laden route, though it might require a great support crew and an adventure-seeking mind to complete it successfully.
The trek offers awe-inspiring views of some of the beautiful peaks of the Garhwal Himalayas, namely Nar, Neelkanth, Hathi, Gauri, Rataban, etc.
The Bhyundar Khal trek involves negotiating glacier zones, moraine walks topped up by close views of mighty peaks and finally crossing a High Altitude Pass which rises above 5100 Meters definitely presents a thrilling adventure.
The Bhyundar Khal trek offers an opportunity to walk on Frank Smythe's path, an English Mountaineer who first explored this valley and discovered today's UNESCO World Heritage Site of Valley Of Flowers National Park. It was he who names it so. His explorations in the mountains of Garhwal are worth a read and to be able to walk on the same route as he will feel awesome.
The trek ends in the village of Ghamsali which is one of the remotest villages on the borders of Uttrakhand and Tibet. Very few of the Rongpa tribes live there. Other nearby villages are worth a visit, namely Bampa, Malari and Niti - the last village before Tibet Border.
Bhyundar Khal is not a pass to be crossed by the weak-hearted. For those who are motivated by the remoteness of the Himalayas and are ready to accept the challenges, this region can offer them a good exploration thrill. More so if it is clubbed together with Gupt Khal.

How We Grade Our Treks and Expeditions

Easy

Usual daily walks of 4 - 5 hours in altitude below 4000 meters. The sleeping altitude on these treks are below 4000 meter and the trails are gradual involving no steep ascent or descent. Sometimes, the trail may be longer, but on level trails. The duration of trek may be a week or lesser than it. The trek is not too remote and evacuation might be possible from almost any point of the trek

Moderate

The trek duration each day may span from 4 - 5 hours, but on some days, it may push up to 8 - 9 days. The trail might involve steep ascents or descents on occasions This kind of treks demand good fitness, and trekkers must involve themselves in cardio exercises regularly to do these treks comfortably. Sleeping altitude are below 4000 meters or little above it, but the trail might go as high as 4500 - 5000 meters. The trek is bit remote and evacuation might be possible from almost all, but not all campsites

Moderate +

This type of treks are bit more demanding than the moderate ones. It might involve few days of very long walks at higher altitude, or serious gradients, exposures, more remote or involves sleeping at higher altitudes for more days.

Strenuous

The trek duration each day may span from 5 - 8 hours, and may go up to to 8 - 9 on few days. The trail involves steep ascents and descents. Good fitness are demand of these treks, and trekkers must involve themselves in cardio exercises regularly to do these treks comfortably. Sleeping altitude may go above 4000 meters or little above it on couple of days, but not more than that. The trail might go as high as 4500 - 5200 meters. These trek are remote and evacuation might not be possible from all the campsites

Challenging

The trek duration each day may span from 5 - 8 hours, and may go up to to 8 - 9 or even more than that on few days. The trail involves steep ascents and descents. Crossing a glacier or a scree zone might be a feature of these treks. You might on some occasions, require technical equipment like rope, ice axe and snow stacks etc to complete these treks. Good fitness are demand of any treks, but these treks demands strong character. Sleeping altitude may goes well above 5000 meters on some days. The trail might go as high as 5000 - 6000 meters. These trek are high or remote or both. The trek usually might be a week long.

Sometimes irrespective of altitude and distance, a trek may ge graded Challenging if the route is treacherous, which might demand some footing skills or assistance of ropes and other equipment

Challenging +

The trek duration each day may span from 5 - 8 hours, and may go up to to 8 - 9 or even more than that on few days. The trail involves steep ascents and descents. Negotiating glacial moraines, scree zones, crossing them, camping on them etc are features of these treks. You might also require technical equipment like rope, ice axe and snow stacks etc to complete these treks. Good fitness are demand of any treks, but these treks demands strong character. Sleeping altitude may goes well above 5000 meters on some days. The trail might go as high as 5000 - 6000 meters. These trek are high and remote. A good technical support team and knowledgeable local guide is a must. Only experienced trekkers are advised to do these treks. The trek goes over 2 week and may be longer than that.

Sometimes irrespective of altitude and distance, a trek may ge graded Challenging if the route is treacherous, which might demand some footing skills or assistance of ropes and other equipment

Page Cost Inclusions and Exclusions For The Bhyundar Khal Trek

WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THE PRICE

Duration: 11 Days / 10 nights of the trek cost from Joshimath to Joshimath
Accommodation In Base Village (Joshimath): 2 nights in a good hotel in Joshimath
Accommodation On Trek: Spacious, sturdy and High-Quality Dome Tents will be provided on twin sharing basis.
Sleeping In Tents: Thick Waterproof Mattress complemented with Sub Zero Sleeping bags supported with Warm Fleece Sleeping Bag Inners For Extra Hygiene and Warmth will be provided by us
Dining On Trek: We will provide Dining and Kitchen Tents with camping stools and table for extra hygiene and comfort.
Toilet On Treks: Dry eco-toilet will be set up with a toilet tent and toilet seat.
Meals: All meals starting Evening Tea in Joshimath on Day 1 till Breakfast in Joshimath on Day 9 morning. 3 meals (B,L,D) suited for high altitude with evening snacks, soup, hot drinks and extra energizers/juice for summit days
Trail Safety: Gaiters, Anti Slip Crampons and Ice Axe depending upon snow conditions.
Communication: For efficient management of the trek, the team will be communicating with each other and trek base with the help of long-range wireless sets.
Medical Safety: Oxygen cylinder, Pulse Oximeter, Thermal temperature scanner and Emergency Medical Kit accompanied with a trek leader knowledgeable on high altitude medicine and physiology
Trek Leader and Guide: Experienced and Well Equipped English/ Hindi Speaking Trek Leader maintaining guide to trekker ratio of 1:6. That is 1 guide for every 6 trekkers.
Local Support Staff: Expert and Knowledgeable local guide with cooks, helpers, porters, mules, etc
Permits: All required forest entry permits and camping fees as per the rules of Valley Of Flowers National Park
Transfers: 2-way transfers from Joshimath to Govindghat and from Ghamsali to Joshimath for the trekking team and support crew.
Max Team Size: Small group of not more than 12 members. You can make any batch a private batch by paying a little extra over the base trek fees.

Add Ons: Make A Comfortable Trek

Single Tent Supplement: Rs 10000
Personal Baggage Porterage: Rs. 6000, up to 11 Kgs

Add Ons: Personal Equipment On Rent

High Ankle Waterproof Trekking Shoes (Quechua): Rs 1000
-20 degrees Down Jackets: Rs. 1200
Windproof/Waterproof Jackets: Rs. 500
Windproof/Waterproof pants: Rs. 500
Headlamps: 200
Poncho: 200
Trek Pole: 200
Rucksack: 200
Waterproof Gloves: 200

WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED

BAGGAGE OFFLOAD: ( optional at extra cost at Rs. 6000 per bag weighing not more than 10 Kgs)
TRANSPORT From Dehradun/Rishikesh to Joshimath: This can be arranged on request.
Personal Travel Insurance
Personal Purchases
Bottled Water and Food Purchased Outside Our Menu
Personal Gears
Anything not mentioned in the inclusion list

Cost Terms For The Bhyundar Khal Trek

Cost Terms

The above-mentioned cost is in the range of minimum to maximum per-person cost for this trek as per 1 - 12 people team.PackageInclusions as per this cost can be read below.
5% GST (goods and service tax) is applicable for all our purchases.
We follow dynamic pricing as per the actual team size on the trek. Going by our standardized service, appropriate safety measures, quality equipment, and ecologically sustainable - small group commitment, a higher team size will lower the cost whereas a lower team size will significantly increase the cost.
Group segmented pricing if not provided here, please write to us using the contact page or text us on Whatsapp number +918017216725.
You may choose to keep the trek open or make it private depending upon your requirements or choice. The actual per-person cost of the trek is subject to the actual team size joining the trek. If you make any customizations that drastically change the itinerary and cost as mentioned here, then it will mandatorily have to be a private group only.
If we have dates listed on our website on Our Upcoming Treks and it is not marked as private, it means other people have booked this trek for that date and have opened it up for other members to join to lower the cost. If your dates and choices match, you may join these treks
You may join an existing open group listed on our website or create your own group as per your convenient dates and choose to either keep it private or open it up to lower the cost if other members join the trek.
At any point, the team size cannot be more than 12 members ( 10 for challenging treks) unless there is a unique exception requested or agreed upon by all the team members.

International Guests

Trek cost for foreigners is slightly higher than the cost for our Indian guests, mainly due to the higher permit fee applicable for admission to National Parks or protected forest areas. Sometimes, it may be higher due to higher local crew wages and other specific arrangements we make to ensure a safe, comfortable and enriching travel experience in India. However, we absolutely DO NOT 'hyper-charge' our International Guests ever and at the same time, ensure that we meet all the standards for highly qualified trek leaders and guides, safety, medical preparation, evacuation strategy, rescue arrangements, eco-sensitive travel, high-value knowledge sharing about the area and customs of the locals.

Extra Cost For International Trekkers Rs. 5000 per person.

Booking Process

Booking can only be done after multiple communication via email / Whatsapp / Calls. After connecting with us and discussing your needs, we finalize the trek and its requirements. After finalization, partial booking fees can be paid online or through direct bank transfers after which we trigger our preparations and arrangements for your trek. International Trekkers can pay the partial booking fees using PayPal, Wise, Western Union or Direct Wire Transfer.

Customized Private Group For Bhyundar Khal Trek

Trekking is a very personal activity and is perhaps one of the very few activities that give you enough time to indulge with yourself or your beloved people, a group of special friends, or close family members. It helps you transform personal bonds to the next level as it brings out everyone's best and truest self. Trekking is most enjoyed when it is done in a small private group, personalized to serve your specific needs. The Himalayas are best experienced when there is silence and solitude around and when you are surrounded only by your best people. Your trek is most enjoyable when all the pain of arranging a smooth trek is taken care of by us, and you focus just on your trek and yourself. Most importantly, a small private trekking group is very flexible, personalized, and more enjoyable, is the safest, and follows the principles of Sustainable and Responsible Tourism. Most trekkers book us for arranging personalized private treks catering to their specific and unique requirements - Customize This Trek

Must Read - Important Pre-Booking Information