Nandi Kund - Ghiya Vinayak Pass Trek

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A mystical walk through serene lakes, beautiful waterfalls, tranquil streams beneath the snowy mountain seeking peace

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📅
Duration
10 Days, 9 Nights
🔼
Altitude:
5250
🛑
Grade:
Strenuous
how we grade
👍
Best Time:
May End - June, Sep - Early October
🌞
Temperatures:
-5 to 15 deg C
🚩
Starts From:
Ransi
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Airport:
Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun, Uttrakhand
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Railway:
Rishikesh, Uttrakhand

Key Geographical Highlights

22 Popular Peaks: Bhartekunta ( 6578m ), Chaukhamba I ( 7138m ), Chaukhamba II ( 7058m ), Chaukhamba III ( 6974m ), Chaukhamba IV ( 6854m ), Dunagiri ( 7066m ), Mandani Parvat ( 6193m ), Nanda Devi ( 7816m ), Nanda Kot ( 6861m ), Nilkantha ( 6596m ), Sumeru Parbat ( 6350m ), Trisul I ( 7120m ), Trisul II ( 6690m ), Bethattoli Himal ( 6352m ), Latu Dhura ( 6392m ), Rishi Kot ( 6236m ), Devistan ( 6678m ), Devistan 2 ( 6529m ), Bethattoli South ( 6318m ), Devi Mukut ( 6648m ), Jaonli ( 6632m ), Gangotri 2 ( 6590m )

2 High Passes: Ghiya Vinayak Pass ( 5250m ), Kachni Khal ( 4400m )

1 Lakes: Nandi Kund ( 4371m )

1 Glaciers: Panpatia Glacier

3 Rivers: Markanda Ganga, Kalpa Ganga, Madhyamaheshwar Ganga

4 Villages: Urgum, Ransi, Gaundhar, Bantoli

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Nandi Kund - Ghiya Vinayak Pass Trek - Itinerary & Route Details

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

▲ Day 1Arrival Day
Arrive In Ransi
Overnight In: Ransi (2100m )
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Evening Tea Snacks, Soup, Dinner, Dessert, Hot Drinks
Cost Of Transport Included: YES
Where and How To Reach Ransi
Get ready to take the scenic mountainous drive to Ransi on the famous pilgrimage route of Madhyamaheshwar. The drive is very interesting and offers you a display of various colours of the Himalayan State of Uttrakhand.

Stop by in between to have your breakfast and lunch before you reach Ransi, the starting point of the trek
Day 1
545 - Rishikesh
Day 1
1320 - Guptkashi
Day 1
1310 - Ukhimath
Day 1
2100 - Ransi
197Km, 7 - 8hrs.
▲ Day 2Trekking Day
From Ransi (2100m ) To Bantoli (2700m ), Via - Gaundhar (2850m ) - 4 - 5 Hrs. 8 Kms
Overnight In: Bantoli (2700m )
Accommodation: Camping
Meals Included: Morning Tea, Breakfast, Lunch, Evening Tea Snacks, Soup, Dinner, Dessert, Hot Drinks
Today is the starting day of our Nandi Kund - Ghiya Vinayak Pass Trek. We head towards Bantoli from Ransi and its a very scenic trek. The village and religious life of the high altitude villages of Uttrakhand is on display throughout the trek route. Being a popular pilgrimage route, the route is chirpy as well with full of vivid colours and life.

The trek is more or less easier getting steeper at times. We get enough option to have our lunch and little snacks enroute Bantoli. Gaundhar is a point we come across on the route very near to Bantoli on the Nandi Kund - Ghiya Vinayak Pass Trek. It is here where the Madhyamaheshwar Ganga and Markanda Ganga meets, with a lovely looking small bridge over it. Little more on the route and we reach Bantoli, our halt for the night.

We have quite a few options to settle in one of the homestays on offer. If not, we pitch our small tents somewhere. Hot dinner awaits us and with this, the first day of our trek to Nandi Kund and Ghiya Vinayak Pass ends.
Day 2
2100 - Ransi
Day 2
2850 - Gaundhar
Day 2
2700 - Bantoli
8Km, 4 - 5hrs.
▲ Day 3Trekking Day
From Bantoli (2700m ) To Madhyameshwar (3500m ), Via - Nanu Chatti (2720m ), Kun Chatti (2780m ) - 4 - 5 Hrs. 8 Kms
Overnight In: Madhyameshwar (3500m )
Accommodation: Camping
Meals Included: Morning Tea, Breakfast, Lunch, Evening Tea Snacks, Soup, Dinner, Dessert, Hot Drinks
We are into the second day into our trek to Nandi Kund and Ghiya Vinayak Pass. Madhyamaheshwar is one of the panch kedars and is one of the popular and highly rated pilgrimage route for the Hindus. The trek route crosses Nanu Chatti just after some time into the trek. It the passes by Maikhamba and Kun Chatti, from where its a good walk for some 3 hours to bring us to the shrine of Madhyamaheshwar.

Post lunch, we go on for a acclimatization walk to Buda Madhyamaheshwar. If lucky, we might catch a glimpse of Chowkhambha in a small water body near Buda Madhyamaheshwar.

Our route for tomorrow to Kachni Khal is visible and inspires enough motivation in us to take the challenge. Post dinner, we wish good night to each other and get into our cozy sleeping bags.
Day 3
2700 - Bantoli
Day 3
2720 - Nanu Chatti
Day 3
2780 - Kun Chatti
Day 3
3500 - Madhyameshwar
8Km, 4 - 5hrs.
▲ Day 4Trekking Day
From Madhyamaheshwar (3500m ) To Kachni Dhar (4400m ) - 5 - 6 Hrs. 9 Kms
Overnight In: Kachni Dhar (4400m )
Accommodation: Camping
Meals Included: Morning Tea, Breakfast, Lunch, Evening Tea Snacks, Soup, Dinner, Dessert, Hot Drinks
Today our trek to Nandi Kund takes a drastic change, both in the form of difficulties of the climb, and the solitude of the trail.

After waking up to a lovely morning in the blessed site of Madhyamaheshwar, we get ready to tackle the day's trek. It involves a steep continuous climb to the Kachni Khal marked typically by 2 huge rocks forming a gateway.

An arduous climb of some 4 - 5 hours gets us to the top of Kachni Khal. From here, the trail forks and one goes left towards Kedarnath, other to Panpatia and the route on the right goes towards Nandi Kund. Our campsite is a rocky patch today with great views of Chowkhamba.

Evening, we take a light acclimatization walk to Kachni Khal and return to our campsite
Day 4
3500 - Madhyamaheshwar
Day 4
4400 - Kachni Dhar
9Km, 5 - 6hrs.
▲ Day 5Trekking Day
From Kachni Dhar (4400m ) To Pandavsera (4100m ) - 5 - 6 Hrs. 9 Kms
Overnight In: Pandavsera (4100m )
Accommodation: Camping
Meals Included: Morning Tea, Breakfast, Lunch, Evening Tea Snacks, Soup, Dinner, Dessert, Hot Drinks
The trek for today leaves behind all signs of civilization and follows an unmarked shepherd's trail to reach Pandavsera. A very efficient local guide is much required here. We trek through bushes and cross the Madhyamaheshwar nala multiple times and pass by few small waterfalls to reach a flat meadow. This is marked as Pandavsera and we camp here for the night, by the stream.
Day 5
4400 - Kachni Dhar
Day 5
4100 - Pandavsera
9Km, 5 - 6hrs.
▲ Day 6Trekking Day
From Pandavsera (4100m ) To Nandi Kund (4800m ) - 3 Hrs. 6 Kms
Overnight In: Nandi Kund (4800m )
Accommodation: Camping
Meals Included: Morning Tea, Breakfast, Lunch, Evening Tea Snacks, Soup, Dinner, Dessert, Hot Drinks
The trail to Nandi Kund from Pandavsera follows the small stream of Madhyamaheshwar Nala emerging out from Nandi Kund. It's a gradual climb that gets steeper at times. The rough terrain presents its own challenges. We cross the Madhyamaheshwar Nala multiple times and then climb up steep for another hour to reach the serene Nandi Kund. The peaceful lake and its tranquil waves take our hearts right away and lower down our energy injecting immense peace in us and give us divine happiness and satisfaction. This is why we travel to the difficult parts of the Himalayas for!The entire view of the surrounding is so beautiful that simpler words which I know fail to do justice to the actual beauty of the place. The peaks of Chowkhamba hovers over the lake. The name of the Lake is derived from Nandi - The name of the Bull which was actually Lord Shiva in disguised avatar hiding away from the Pandavas, who were seeking mercy and moksha (liberation from the cycle of life and death as per the Hindu belief) from Lord Shiva after the war of Kurukshetra. We spend the remaining part of the day relinquishing the beautiful place that we are in with no one around to disturb. No noise, no disturbances from unwanted people around, no mobile, no internet. Just us and Mother Nature in its heavenly best.
Day 6
4100 - Pandavsera
Day 6
4800 - Nandi Kund
6Km, 3hrs.
▲ Day 7Pass Crossing Day
Cross Ghiya Vinayak Pass And Reach Barma Bugiyal - 5 - 6 Hrs. 8 Kms
Overnight In: Barma Bugiyal (4100m )
Accommodation: Camping
Meals Included: Morning Tea, Breakfast, Lunch, Evening Tea Snacks, Soup, Dinner, Dessert, Hot Drinks
Today is the highlight day of our trek as we cross the mighty Ghiya Vinayak Pass to topple over to the other side of the valley. It will be a long tiring day today. We can cut out the chances of bad weather hitting us on this hard terrain by starting the day as early as we can. A steep continuous climb for about 3 hours from Nandi Kund will take us to the top of the mighty Ghiya Vinayak Pass. The views from the top of the Ghiya Vinayak pass is just breathtaking. The coveted peaks of Chowkhamba, Neelkantha and Nanda Devi are visible on a clear day. The glacier table of the Panpatia too is visible from here.Weather permitting, we will spend a good time enjoying the views from the top of the Ghiya Vinayak Pass. After that, we will soon find ourselves negotiating the very steep descend to the lush green valley on the other side of the Ghiya Vinayak pass. It's the beautiful meadow of the Barmna Bugiyal on the other side of the pass. We lose altitude rapidly and in about an hour and a half we reach our designated campsite for the night. It will be a long rewarding day today and we will complete the 2 important missions of this trek - The Serene and Pious Lake Of Nandi Kund and Crossing the Mighty Pass Of Ghiya Vinayak. This being done, the remaining days of the trek are just about taking ourselves back to civilization. The remaining part of the trek still remains very beautiful though, as it passes through some untouched meadows and beautiful villages of the Garhwal Himalayas.
Day 7
4800 - Nandi Kund
Day 7
5250 - Ghiya Vinayak Pass
Day 7
4100 - Barma Bugiyal
8Km, 5 - 6hrs.
▲ Day 8Trekking Day
From Barma Bugiyal (4100m ) To Bansi Narayan (3500m ) - 6 - 7 Hrs. 14 Kms
Overnight In: Bansi Narayan (3500m )
Accommodation: Camping
Meals Included: Morning Tea, Breakfast, Lunch, Evening Tea Snacks, Soup, Dinner, Dessert, Hot Drinks
Today's trail is longer, but is much comfortable, easier and is also beautiful with drastic differences to the previous day's terrain. It's all about soft green meadows and a thick cover of conifers and bushes today. The route winds down easily to the Manpai Bugiyal from Barma Bugiyal before descending steeply through the forest following the river Kalpa Ganga - a tributary of the mighty Ganga. From here, it further climbs up to the greens of Bansi Narayan, marked by a small temple.
Day 8
4100 - Barma Bugiyal
Day 8
3500 - Bansi Narayan
14Km, 6 - 7hrs.
▲ Day 9Trekking Day
From Bansi Narayan (3500m ) To Urgaon (2000m ) - 6 - 7 Hrs. 12 Kms
Overnight In: Urgaon (2000m )
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Morning Tea, Breakfast, Lunch, Evening Tea Snacks, Soup, Dinner, Dessert, Hot Drinks
Today, we continue with the descend similar to yesterday on a track with multiple ups and downs to get us to the beautiful settlement of Urgum. The coveted Kalpeshwar Temple - The Fifth Panch Kedar, is just at a 2 Kilometer distance from here and we will visit and pay our homage to Lord Shiva in the evening. Panch Kedars are a group of 5 temples built by the Pandavas, mythologically believed to be of the Vedic Period, who in later stages of their life devoted their life to Lord Shiva in search of divinity and freedom from the soul.
With this, our beautiful trek to the Nandikund and Ghiya Vinayak pass has ended. What a terrific trek it was !!
Day 9
3500 - Bansi Narayan
Day 9
2000 - Urgaon
12Km, 6 - 7hrs.
▲ Day 10Departure Day
From Urgum (2000m ) To Rishikesh (552m ) - 8 Hrs. 230 Kms
Accommodation: None
Meals Included: Morning tea, Breakfast
Cost Of Transport Included: NO
Early morning, we drive back to Rishikesh and bring an end to our walking ways! We bid goodbyes with a promise to meet sooner, in the Himalayas with the same spirit but different location !
Day 10
2000 - Urgum
Day 10
555 - Rishikesh
230Km, 8hrs.

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Nandi Kund - Ghiya Vinayak Pass Trek introduction

Nandi Kund - Ghiya Vinayak Pass Trek - A Detailed Overview

Nandi Kund - Ghiya Vinayak Pass Trek
The pristine and holy lake of Nandi Kund

Though, it is not an easy trek, and is a bit strenuous trek, on the other hand, it is not a technical trek as well which makes it doable for any trekker who is physically fit and likes the challenges offered by the Himalayas. The trek involves steep climbs and descends, and some of the patches have no defined trail. Especially, the trek from Kachni Khal to Pandavsera is very easy to get lost without a sound local guide and an expert team. The climb up to the top of the Ghiya Vinayak Pass adds further to make the Nandikund - Ghiya Vinayak Pass trek one of the lesser-known treks in the Himalayas of Garhwal, and thankfully so.

Chowkhamba - The Guiding Light Of The Nandi Kund Trek

The Chowkhamba Massif dominates the trek to Nandikund for almost 5 days. The best view can be seen from the Buda Madhyamaheshwar where there are over 7 small lakes that reflect the beautiful peak on its surface. From Madhyamaheshwar, it's about 30 minutes climb up to the top of Buda Madhyamaheshwar. The best time to be there is during the sunrise and sunset. Even the peaks of Mandani look beautiful from here.

Nandi Kund - A Pristine Lake

The beauty of this lake cannot be expressed in words. It is not the lake that looks beautiful, but the entire ambience around the place is unforgetful. There is a positive spirit around which uplifts your soul as soon as you get a sight of it. You feel as if you should never leave this place. The turquoise green colour of the lake water with its slow waves settles your heart right into it. You could keep watching the waves and get lost in your own world. The rocky surrounding and gushing wind just add up to the feel.

Ghiya Vinayak Pass - A Thrilling Climb

The walk to the top of Ghiya Vinayak pass is not just treacherous through the moraines, but also extremely beautiful and thrilling at the same time. The trail is over the rocky moraine and keeps changing with each season. You need to be extra cautious with every step. A good support team helps a lot or else you might completely lose your way and get lost.

Nanda Devi - From The Nandi Kund Trek

Nanda Devi - The Goddess Mountain stands right in front of you when you climb up the Ghiya Vinayak Pass. Nanda Devi is the highest self-owned peak in India which was once thought to be the Worlds tallest peak until Everest was discovered. The mere sight of this Godly signature mountain is indeed a blessing. The same mountain is also seen from the village of Urgum.

Nandi Kund - Ghiya Vinayak Pass Trek highlights

Top Reasons to Choose the Nandi Kund - Ghiya Vinayak Pass Trek

Nandikund is one of the most pious and picturesque high altitude lakes in the Garhwal Himalayas. The lake is very sacred as per the Hindu faith and is named after Nandi - The Bull of Shiva, which was actually a disguised avatar of Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva had taken the avatar of the bull to hide from the Pandavas, who were seeking for him to attain Moksha (freedom from the cycle of life and death and Worldly ties ) after the cruelties of the war of Kurukshetra.
On this trek, we walk on the same paths as the mythical Pandavas and touch 2 important temples of Panch Kedars - a once in a lifetime journey of the Hindus to attain freedom from the Worldly ties. It is believed that the Pandavas who is mythologically believed to be living during the Vedic Period, built 5 temples to worship Lord Shiva after which they got freedom from their life near Swargarohini. The Bull which Bhima caught in Guptkashi vanished and fragmented into 5 parts where the Pandavas built the Panch Kedar Temples to worship Lord Shiva. These are the Face (Rudranath), Arms (Tungnath), Hair (Kalpeshwar), Navel (Madhyamaheshwar) and finally the Hump of the bull where the revered Kedarnath was built.
The Nandikund trek offers a great Himalayan journey filled with views of Marvellous high snow-covered mountains of the Garhwal Himalayas, interesting mythical stories and offcourse lovely people who live in this Land Of God. It offers one of the rarest and close-up views of the beautiful Chaukhamba, Nanda Devi and Mandani Parvat. Even the snow land of the Panpatia glacier, Neelkanth, Parvati Parvat are visible from the top of Ghiya Vinayak Pass.
Crossing the high altitude pass of Ghiya Vinayak Pass is definitely one of the interesting and challenging things to do on this trek. So it's not just a beautiful trek. It's a beautiful, mystical and challenging trek.
The lush green meadows of Barma Bugiyal, Manpai Bugiyal, Kachni Bugyal need a special mention as these are some of the least visited meadows owing to their difficult access route.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Is The Covid19 Situation In Nandi Kund - Ghiya Vinayak Pass Trek?

Cyrrently this trek route is closed due to Covid19 lockdowns and after this, it will not be an ideal time to do this trek until the monsoon gets over by the mid of September. We are looking forward to the period between the mid of September to the end of October to do this trek in 2021 hoping covid to be retained by then.

Which Is The Best Time To Do The Nandi Kund - Ghiya Vinayak Pass Trek?

The best time to do this trek is in the months of May and June till the earlier days of July before the monsoon sets in. After that, post-monsoon months between September to October is the ideal time to do this trek again. After the Spring season, the pre-monsoon period offers a terrain with lush green grassland and myriads of tiny wildflowers. In the autumn months of September, October and November the winds get drier with time turning the green grasses to a brown shade and offers stable weather for clearer views.

How Cold Is The Nandi Kund - Ghiya Vinayak Pass Trek?

Temperature on this trek may vary between -5 degrees Celcius to 18 degrees on higher altitudes depending upon the time of the year. The start and endpoints of the route are warmer and the temperature may go up to 25 degrees in the summers.

How Are The Accommodations And Toilet Facility On The Nandi Kund - Ghiya Vinayak Pass Trek?

This is a full camping trek with no sight of civilization on the trek once we leave the temple of Madhyamaheshwar and until we reach the village of Urgum. While in the starting and endpoints we offer accommodation in local homestays for experiencing the local life, on the trek, it is a full camping trek. Toilets in the homestays will be basic wet toilets with eastern seats and that on the camps will be the cat-style dry toilets. We will carry a toilet tent and a toilet seat for comfort and hygiene and ensure proper waste management causing minimal impact on the ecology

What Are The Fitness Requirement Of The Nandi Kund - Ghiya Vinayak Pass Trek?

It is a strenuous trek and requires good stamina, strength and mental endurance. Come well prepared with a well-hydrated body used to exercises as you will be pushed to extremes. Strong core muscles, shoulders, calves and good cardio health is a basic expectation from anyone who wishes to do this trek

Can Novice Trekkers Do The Nandi Kund - Ghiya Vinayak Pass Trek?

Beginners can do this trek if they are fit, strong and are supported by a good team on the ground. It is in fact one of the best treks to start your enriching and life-changing journey to the Himalayas.

What Are The Risk Of AMS On The Nandi Kund - Ghiya Vinayak Pass Trek?

This trek climbs very high and the highest sleeping altitude is 4800 meters. It is very susceptible to AMS and we need a high standard of prevention mechanism and follow all the rules of natural acclimatization. Acclimatization is the only key to beat the chances of AMS on a trek. Our itinerary takes care of the height gains each day and slow ascent. We need to stay hydrated and cater meals that focus on warmth, good blood circulation, nutrition and hydration. We go out for acclimatization walks every evening to keep AMS at a bay.

Which Is The Nearest ATMs and Cash Points On The Nandi Kund - Ghiya Vinayak Pass Trek?

There are no ATMs and cash points on the trek and villages. It is advised that you bring cash from the nearby cities before reaching Ransi.

Is Mobile Network Available On The Nandi Kund - Ghiya Vinayak Pass Trek?

Thankfuilly, there is no mobile network on those trek route making is one of the classic Himalayan treks.

Is Internet Available On The Nandi Kund - Ghiya Vinayak Pass Trek?

There will be no internet on the trek route.

Sunday, July 6, 2025 12:45:33 AM Categories:

Nandi Kund - Ghiya Vinayak Pass Trek

A mystical walk through serene lakes, beautiful waterfalls, tranquil streams beneath the snowy mountain seeking peace