27 Chandrakhani Pass Photos That Show You Why We Opened The Trek

The Chandrakhani Pass trek has one of the most enchanting first days. You trek through dense woods throughout the day, starting with pine, deodar, and walnut trees. The trees are so tall that you really cannot see the treetops, even if you crane your neck.

During this pleasurable trek through the forest, the trees suddenly burst open to show you lovely views.

Even without the views, these clearings are so charming that you cannot help but spend a few minutes sitting in the velvety grass.

You slowly leave behind civilization, inching further and further away from the villages below. 

This is among the best highlights of the trek: “Within hours, you feel like you’re on a different trek because the pine thins down to make way for bright maples, green and golden oaks, and chestnut trees. The forest environment completely changes,” says Jothiranjan. 

The forests slowly thin down, making way for your first camp, the Naya Tapru camp. This is a vast clearing surrounded by oaks. On a clear day, you’re treated to wonderful views of snow-clad peaks from your tent. 

Go exploring a little ahead of Naya Tapru and you’ll notice the trees becoming sparse, making way for lovely grasslands. 

The next day’s trek takes you through lovely maples while swiftly gaining altitude. It’s just a 2.5 hour trek to the next camp, but it's full of scenery changes.

The trail weaves in and out of the forest until you say goodbye to it altogether. The trek gets very interesting after this, especially in the summer, because the snowline is just a few hours away. The trek transitions from green to white within a matter of a few footsteps. The Chaklani campsite is hardly 2.5 hours away, making the day’s trek a pleasurable stroll. 

Just turn back, and you’ll see a drastic contrast between where you came from and where you’re headed. 

Below you, the valley is bedecked with towering conifers. You could easily mistake this for a slice of land in the Swiss Alps. These are the same forests that you walked through the previous day.  

Further ahead, you spot the Chaklani campsite, a clearing just above the treeline. You can expect it to be greener in the second half of June, when the trekking season begins. In the distance, you see the Chandrakhani Pass, your next day’s destination. 

With excessive snow, our photographer and team could not make it to the pass, but they climbed up to Chaklani Top, which is around three hours away from the pass. 

A magnified view of Chandrakhani Pass from Chaklani Top, shot using a 600mm lens. 

A panoramic view from Chandrakhani Pass of the Pir Panjal and Dhauladhar ranges. 

A clear view of Deo Tibba from the trek 

This is among the few treks where the view on the other side of the pass gets even better than the first few days. Trekkers will especially love the Nagruni campsite, which has turned out to be a favourite at Indiahikes. 

On the last day, as you approach Malana, the views are incredibly grand, with the vase Pin Valley opening up by your side. “It was reminiscent of the valley at Buran Ghati,” says Jothiranjan.

The trek comes full circle as you complete your final descent. You trek through a few of the most fragrant oak forests before you spot a dam, which announces your arrival at Malana.