Latest updates from Manali: Treks to run as scheduled- August 24, 2019

Here are the latest updates from Himachal and Uttarakhand. The weather has been good for the past couple of days and the updates look positive!

To begin with- all our Hampta Pass, Pin Bhabha and Bhrigu Lake batches this week are running as scheduled. Our staff on the slopes have been working round the clock to ensure that batches run smoothly.  Further, we have taken several measures to ensure complete safety of our trekkers on the slopes.

Hope you are as excited as we are to begin the trek!

Secondly, after several days of landslides and rain, the weather is looking fairly clear. Roads to Manali from Delhi and Spiti are in a much better condition. Cabs have been running as usual and now buses have resumed plying as well.

One of our trekkers from the 24th August batch of Hampta pass reports-

“Reached Manali by an overnight bus in about 13 hours from Delhi. Roads were not that good but open. Currently, the weather here is pleasant too.”

With the Border Road Organisation (BRO) clearing up most of the landslides, travel time should return to normal by the end of this week.

That’s all from us for now. The next update will be published on Monday, 26th August, 2019.

Older updates from August 23, 2019

We just got some good news from Pin Bhaba Pass. The teams that left on August 17 and 19 successfully crossed the Pin Bhaba Pass and reached the Mangrungse Camp!

Since the Rohtang Pass road is still uncertain, they will be leaving from Mudh and driving back to Manali through Reckong Peo. They should be back by tomorrow.

The weather has largely cleared up too. Take a look at this video that our Senior Trek Leader Devang Thapliyal sent. He shot this on August 21st, a day before the team crossed the pass.

Trekkers who are headed to Pin Bhaba Pass later this month can rest assured that the trek is open and will run as scheduled. 

Older updates from August 21, 2019

Here are the latest updates from Himachal and Uttarakhand. While the weather has cleared up for the time being, several landslides are yet to be cleared.

Hampta Pass

Today, we have a team reaching Balu Ka Ghera, the campsite just before attempting Hampta Pass. The team is going to be attempting to cross the pass tomorrow.

The weather has given trekkers respite over the past two days. It has cleared up all over Himachal.

The only problem is that the road to Manali has become an obstacle course. It is ridden with landslides that are yet to be cleared. The Beas river has also breached the bank at several sections. The entire section from Mandi to Manali via Kullu is open, but it’s time consuming to get through. Just prepare yourself. 

Further, Rohtang Pass is closed, with  landslides blocking the road.

The local authorities are well-equipped to manage these incidents. We expect it to take another day or two. These are normal during monsoon months, so don’t be too alarmed.

We will keep you posted about whether the Hampta Pass team crosses the pass.

Pin Bhaba Pass

Our Trek Leader Gurkirat called us from the Karah campsite. The report is that the Pin Bhaba Pass is accessible and the teams of August 17 and August 19 will be attempting to cross the pass. They will reach the Mangrungse campsite tomorrow.

Beas Kund

With the sun out and the rain quelled, the Beas Kund trek looks accessible. The river is not in full spate anymore and can be crossed comfortably. As of now, we will be taking the August 24th team as scheduled.

Bhrigu Lake and Valley of Flowers

The Bhrigu Lake and Valley of Flowers treks are running as scheduled. The road situation is still bad with traffic pile-ups. Some trekkers to Valley of Flowers are still halting at Chamoli instead of travelling all the way to Govind Ghat in one shot. But trekkers are not facing issues while on the trek.

We’ll have more reports as and when they come in. Bookmark this page!

Older Updates from August 19, 2019

We have an important update regarding our treks in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. There have been continuous rains for the past week in both the regions, coupled with landslides, traffic jams and rivers in full spate.

We are sharing some detailed updates here, and also a plan of action for treks in the near future. We have updates about five treks in this post.

• Valley of Flowers
• Hampta Pass
• Beas Kund
• Bhrigu Lake
• Pin Bhaba Pass

We’ll go through the updates trek by trek. 

Before we get into detailed updates of all our treks, we’d like to ensure you that all our trekkers are safe with our teams. Whether they are at the base camps or at campsites, they are all doing fine. 

Valley of Flowers

Affected by: Traffic pile up on the highway

Status:

The Valley of Flowers trek is the safest of all our treks at the moment. The trek from Govindghat to Valley of Flowers, Hemkund Sahib and back to Govindghat is running as scheduled.

However, there have been long delays on the road journey to the base camp, thanks to landslides and traffic pile up.

Inbound teams

The team that started their trek on August 17th has reached Ghangria. They are currently on the trek, and will be visiting the Valley of Flowers as scheduled.

The team of trekkers who left yesterday (August 18), stayed at Chamoli last night. They could not make it all the way to Govindghat because of traffic jams. We organised stay for them at a hotel in Chamoli. Today, the team left to Govindghat at 6 am and have started their trek.

Returning teams

The team that started on August 14th are on their way back to Dehradun today. They are at Karanprayag as we type this. They will be back by 7 – 8 pm if there aren’t too many delays. They had a successful albeit rainy trek.

The team of August 15th has returned to Ghangria after a successful trek. They will be returning to Govindghat today and leaving to Dehradun tomorrow (August 20).

A note on the weather in Uttarakhand

It has been raining incessantly in Uttarakhand. Much like other rivers in the region, the Pushpavati River on the Valley of Flowers trail is swollen too. But the trek has been running as scheduled. Most trekkers are making it to Valley of Flowers, Hemkund Sahib and back.

Just make sure you carry proper rainwear before heading out on this trek. Pack everything in your backpack in separate plastics too.

Hampta Pass

Affected by: Blocked roads to Manali; flooding rivers; landslides; continuous rains;

Status:

It has been raining continuously in Himachal for the past 5 days. It even snowed yesterday! If you’re headed to Hampta Pass in the next few days, expect snow from Balu Ka Ghera, Hampta Pass, Shea Goru and even Chhatru. There’s as much as one foot of snow at Hampta Pass. Nothing to hamper the trek though.

The biggest problem area on the Hampta Pass trek is the river crossing from Jobra to Jwara. The river is swollen and turbulent. This section is usually crossed with a human chain technique. But now, to make it safer, our teams are using a temporary wooden bridge to cross the river.

Our teams are doing the trek with slightly altered itineraries, specific to each batch, depending on the weather.

Teams currently on the trek

The team of August 16 was struck by heavy rains at Jwara. They turned around to Manali. We have redirected them to the Bhrigu Lake trek instead. They will be back in Manali by tomorrow evening (August 20).

The trekkers from the August 17 and 18 teams (who could make it to Manali), are going ahead and doing the trek. The two teams will be trekking together.

Inbound teams

Trekkers who are part of today’s team (August 19) are on their way to Manali and will be proceeding on the trek as scheduled tomorrow.

Several trekkers have not been able to make it to Manali because of heavy traffic jams and landslides on the roads from Delhi and Chandigarh. They have turned around. They will come back to trek another time, when the weather is clearer. They are getting a voucher of the entire trek fee, which they can use any time in the next year.

If you have a trek coming up soon, your Trek Coordinator will be in constant touch with you on your Whatsapp Group.

We’re taking it one day at a time. We might alter your itinerary too, according to the weather. Our effort is to take you on the trek, as long as it is safe. We’ll try our best to fit the trek into your travel plan.

Beas Kund

Affected by: Turbulent river that cannot be crossed;

Status:

The Beas Kund trek involves a river crossing, which has become impossible now. We have reports that the army had to rescue a team of 25 trekkers from this trail (they were not trekking with Indiahikes).

We redirected the August 17 team of Beas Kund to Bhrigu Lake, its neighbouring 4 day trek.

The next team leaves on August 24th. We hope the river would have calmed down by then. The weather forecast seems sunny for the next few days. We expect to go on the trek as scheduled.

If you have signed up with us, your Trek Coordinator will be in touch with you over Whatsapp with any updates.

Bhrigu Lake

Affected by: Heavy rains;

Status:

The Bhrigu Lake trek is running as scheduled without any hiccups.

It is raining heavily. There are some delays in reaching Manali, with the roads chock-a-block with landslides and JCBs clearing the landslides.

But if you’re headed to Bhrigu Lake, go ahead as planned.

Pin Bhaba Pass

Affected by: Landslide near the pass; heavy rains

Status:

We have been putting out regular updates on Pin Bhaba Pass. Hope you have followed them. There was a landslide on the trek (near the Phutsirang campsite) last Friday, which blocked the route to the pass.

So trekkers have not been able to crossover to Spiti across the Pin Bhaba Pass.

However, we have an alternate itinerary for the trek. You’ll find it here.

We have two teams that are on their way to the trek now. The August 17th team took their buffer day yesterday, while still at Kafnu, because of heavy rains. They have started the trek today.

The team of August 19 will be reaching Kafnu this evening and going on the trek as scheduled.

There is a possibility that the two teams might be able to cross the pass. They will attempt it, and if it isn’t possible, they will follow the alternate itinerary.

What to expect in the next few days

The weather forecast for Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand over the next 7 days is favourable and we expect the trail conditions to improve today onwards. However, be mentally prepared for rain. Carry good rainwear and have a good rain cover for your backpack.

Our next update about Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand treks will be out on 23rd August 2019.

If you have signed up with us, your Trek Coordinator will be in touch with you directly on WhatsApp.

If you have any questions, drop in a comment. We’ll get right back to you!