Latest News from treks in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu & Kashmir

July 21, 12.00 p.m.: Indiahikes conducts safety and experience training to upskill guides in Himachal Pradesh

Our team conducted a special Training for Guides in Manali on July 18-19. The objective was to train the guides on the safety and medical practices of Indiahikes.

18 guides from Himachal Pradesh who will be on the Hampta Pass and Chandrakhani Pass attended this training at the Indiahikes Manali Campus. They do not work full-time with Indiahikes; only during the monsoon season.

But this training had an impact on their overall growth.

During the training, the guides were introduced to various safety and medical practices at Indiahikes by our Trek Leaders Vignesh and Sanjay Mistry.

“They learned how to handle the oxygen cylinder and how to provide oxygen to someone in case of an emergency. They also learned to take Blood Pressure readings,” says Slope Manager Abhishek Kumar, who was present at the training.

Learning such skills gave them the confidence to tackle any emergency situation.

“All guides responded very positively to the training,” Abhishek adds.

A final part of the training—regarding sustainability practices—is scheduled in a day or two. Post which, all guides will receive a certificate from Indiahikes acknowledging the completion of the training. Such certification opens up a lot of career opportunities in the world of outdoors. Our guides recognised this.

The training was also an opportunity for the guides to understand Indiahikes better. It enabled them to contribute effectively to building the Indiahikes Experience with the trek leader.

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July 20, 4.00 p.m.: The Valley of Flowers trek is running on schedule with intermittent rain

Four teams of Valley of Flowers are presently on the trail. While they are experiencing light rainfall intermittently, it has not disrupted the treks.

“As we’re trekking in the monsoon, some amount of rainfall is natural and expected on the trek. Trekkers and our team are prepared for it,” shares Slope Manager Areeb Parvez from Karchhi—the basecamp of Valley of Flowers.

Here are the group-wise updates from the Valley of Flowers:

July 14th: This was among our special Seniors Treks. All of them completed the trek and had a successful visit to valley of flowers!

July 15th: Driving back from Dhak to Rishikesh after the trek.

July 16th: Trekking back from Ghangria to Dhak.

July 17th: Trekking from Ghangria to Hemkund Sahib

July 18th: Trekking from Ghangria to Valley of Flowers

July 19th: They started their trek from Karchhi to Ghangria.

Traffic is comfortably moving from Rishikesh to Karchhi. We’re constantly in touch with our teams in the Valley of Flowers. You’ll find all future updates about the trek here.

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July 19, 4.00 p.m.: Buses have started running between Delhi/Chandigarh to Mandi

Transport between Delhi/Chandigrah and Mandi is returning to normalcy. Most transport operators have started running their buses on these routes.

To reach Manali for your upcoming treks, follow this suggested time of departure:

From Delhi: Leave by 8.00 p.m.

From Chandigarh: Leave by 11.30 p.m.

Please note that heavy vehicles are still not allowed between Mandi and Manali. In such a scenario, to help you get to Manali quicker, Indiahikes will arrange for SUVs to be present at Mandi. These smaller vehicles are in better condition to navigate the rough roads between Mandi and Manali.

We’re constantly monitoring the situation by being in touch with our team at the Indiahikes Manali Campus. We’ll keep posting travel-related updates here.

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July 19, 10 a.m.: First group to Warwan Valley successfully completes the trek in good weather

The first group of Warwan Valley, which started the trek on July 10, has successfully completed one of our most difficult treks.

As per Trek Leader Vivek Saini, crossing the Lomvilad Pass at 14,495 feet was the most difficult part of the trek.

“On that day, we started our trek at 5.30 a.m. and reached our next campsite only by 6 p.m. It was a long day. And the terrain was filled with loose rocks and scree. It’s one of the most challenging days of the trek. Luckily, the weather was favourable on that day,” he says.

After this challenging day, the team took a buffer day at Humpet. This campsite, situated at a river delta, is one of the most scenic places to camp.

“We took that day to pause, to reflect on our journey till now. To think about the journey ahead. It’s my most memorable day from the trek,” Vivek says.

After spending more than nine days in the remotest part of Kashmir, traversing rugged terrain, thein, trekkers of the first group of Warwan Valley are now on their way back home from Srinagar.

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July 18, 1.00 p.m.: Students of Delhi Public School move towards zero-waste on the Skandagiri trek

The tenth group of students from the Delhi Public School (Bengaluru North) generated the bare minimum waste on the trail. They trekked to Skandagiri today.

We have been taking students at DPS North on day treks as part of their curriculum. This is in line with the values of the school. The school encourages students to learn from the outdoors. They have been doing so for several years.

One of their objectives is to lead a more sustainable life. A big challenge here was to remove packaged food from their daily lives. This objective was beautifully met on today’s trek to Skandagiri.

“It was heartening to see that no student opened a chip packet on the trek!” says Trek Leader Gautam Singh.

The other objective was to step-up as a team. On the trek, students also worked in teams and collected 5.8 kg of trash from the trail. 

At the end of this experiential learning trek, students took back solid learnings, reports Dushyant Sharma, who was the Assistant Trek Leader on this trek. 

“They learned how to face challenges as a team. In the challenging sections, they stepped up to help each other. Students were also curious about how they could become more sustainable in their daily lives. For this, they asked many questions. For example, about how to leave minimal impact while eating out,” shares Dushyant. 

These are huge shifts. 

We’ve often seen that on such experiential learning treks, students step out of their comfort zones and become responsible towards their team-mates, and towards nature. 

We’ll keep you updated on more such treks in the coming days.

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July 18, 8.00 a.m.: Indiahikes team sets out to build the bridge at Chikha on Hampta Pass

Our team, in collaboration with some other organisations and local people, is all set to build the bridge at Chikha. This bridge is important for mules to cross the Rani Naala on the Hampta Pass trek.

But building the bridge is not easy. It needs a manpower of at least 30–35 people who will cut logs for the bridge and secure them on boulders for stability. Doing it at 10,000 feet over a freezing stream is challenging.

Trek Leader Nishant Kumar reports that the process will begin by 10 a.m. and we're anticipating the bridge to be ready by 4.00 p.m. We’ll keep posting updates about further developments here.

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July 17, 6.00 p.m.: 22nd July Group of Pin Bhaba Pass trek called off

We have called off the upcoming group (July 22nd) of Pin Bhaba Pass trek as the rivers and streams across the trek are overflowing. With rising water levels, it is not safe to cross these rivers, even with the presence of a technical team. We will have to wait until the river subsides.

As an alternative, we have opened special slots to accommodate trekkers of Pin Bhaba Pass trek July 22nd group in our existing groups to Hampta Pass, Bhrigu Lake, and Chandrakhani Pass.

We’re keeping a close eye on the situation and will keep you updated about any change in the situation.

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July 17, 4.00 p.m.: 20th July Group of Miyar Valley trek called off

We have called off the upcoming group of Miyar Valley (July 20th) because the road to Shukto (base camp of Miyar Valley) is damaged in multiple sections. The repair work is still on between Udaipur and Shukto.

It could take about a week for the road to be rebuilt again.

As an alternative, we have opened special slots to accommodate trekkers in the Miyar Valley trek of July 20th in our existing groups to Hampta Pass, Bhrigu Lake, and Chandrakhani Pass.

We are assessing the road and weather conditions every day. We will keep you posted about any changes in future trek itineraries.

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July 17, 2.00 p.m.: Hampta Pass itinerary changed until July 24th

There is a change in the itinerary of the Hampta Pass trek. The upcoming groups will return from the same side. This is because the exit route from the other side of the pass (Chhatru side) is cut off due to the devastating cloudbursts and flash floods that happened in Himachal Pradesh last week.

This is how the new itinerary till July 24th looks like:

Day 1: Arrive in Manali by 8 a.m. Drive to Jobra Road Head, and Trek to Jobra

Day 2: Trek from Jobra to Jwara

Day 3: Trek from Jwara to Balu Ka Ghera

Day 4: Trek from Balu ka Ghera to Hampta Pass and return to Jwara

Day 5: Trek from Jwara to Jobra

Day 6: Drive back from Jobra to Manali

This itinerary is specific to Hampta Pass trekkers going before July 24th.

We are assessing the road and weather conditions every day. We will keep you posted about any changes in future trek itineraries.

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July 16, 12.00 p.m.: Indiahikes trekkers join the global movement of 'Plastic Free July'

On the Indiahikes Instagram, trekkers have started sharing their stories about 'Plastic Free July'. It is a global movement that helps millions of people be part of the solution to plastic pollution – so we can have cleaner streets, oceans, and beautiful communities.

Those of you who have trekked with Indiahikes are familiar with Our Green Trails project – a project that has revolutionized how to conserve trekking trails in India and keep them pristine and plastic free.

Green Trails has inspired many of our trekkers to live a Plastic Free, sustainable life. It has impacted not only trekkers but also the lives of people working at Indiahikes, who have gone on to eliminate plastic from their everyday lives as well!

You can share your story by tagging us or using #IHPlasticFreeJuly. We would love to feature your story!

July 15, 6.00 p.m.: New video: Beas Kund - Himachal Floods - How trekkers were rescued by an excavater!

36 trekkers were stuck on the Beas Kund trek due to the violent flow of the river.

Nithyam Nachappa, Trek Leader with Indiahikes, was stationed at our base camp in Manali when the rains began.

When we realised that trekkers could not move from their campsites because of the swollen Beas river, Nithyam, along with a rescue team from Indiahikes, headed out to bring trekkers down.

This video shows how two teams of trekkers were evacuated from the Beas Kund trek.

July 15, 3.00 p.m.: New video: Pin Bhaba Pass - Where Trekkers Were Stuck For 4 Days

This is the story of how trekkers were stuck at Mulling campsite on the Pin Bhaba Pass trek and how they were rescued.

For four long, gruelling days trekkers stayed put. And then they crossed three dangerous sections to return back to Kafnu.

There are no fanciful airlifts or heli-rescues in their stories. No airdropping of supplies. No rescue forces rushed to their aid. It's the story of the hard realities of mountain rescues in our country, where the geography of the Himalayas does not allow the luxuries of filmy style rescue missions.

It's a video that shows the ground realities of what happened on the Pin Bhaba Pass trek during those four treks.

July 15, 12.00 p.m.: Just Published: 3 Heroic Rescue Stories From Himachal Pradesh

The past few days have been some of the most harrowing at Indiahikes. Not just at Indiahikes, but for everyone affected by the heavy rains, floods, and landslides in Himachal Pradesh.

Over one hundred fifty of our trekkers were stranded on treks. Roaring rivers had torn apart bridges and eaten into connecting roads. Without crossing these rivers, there was no way for our trekkers to return. 

This is the story of how these trekkers were rescued from three such treks -- Beas Kund, Pin Bhaba Pass and Hampta Pass.

Our team members have been narrating extraordinary stories to us ever since they returned. 

July 14, 12.00 p.m.: 15 Seniors on the way to the Valley of Flowers trek

15 Seniors are presently travelling to the Vally of Flowers base (Karchhi) from Rishikesh.

They left early morning today in high spirits and are expected to reach Karchhi by today evening.

As of now their journey has been smooth. They have crossed Karna Prayag. The traffic is comfortably moving and they haven’t encountered any landslides yet.

We’re constantly in touch with the group and will keep posting the updates here.

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July 14, 10.00 a.m.: 22 trekkers start their trek to Kashmir Great Lakes from Shitkadi

The fourth team of the season, with 22 trekkers, started trekking to Kashmir Great Lakes today morning.

The team had breakfast at our base Gagangir, then drove down to Shitkadi (10 km away) and started their trek at 9.20 a.m. They’re expected to reach the first campsite, Nichnai, by early evening today.

Today’s trek is a challenging one. It starts with a relentless 3-hour ascent. In total, the team will trek close to 11.6 km today to reach Nichnai.

Fortunately, the weather is clear, with lone clouds drifting across the blue sky.

The next group is scheduled to leave for KGL tomorrow.

We’re getting regular updates from the group and will keep updating here.

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July 13, 6.00 p.m.: Pre-trek recce report: Tulian Lake looks stunning!

A couple of hours ago, trek leaders Amit Fatnani and Rishivar Mukherjee returned from a very successful pre-trek recce of the Tulian Lake trek in Jammu and Kashmir. The trek looks stunning, they said.

They shared photos from the recce. And honestly, we've never seen such beautiful pictures of this iconic lake nestled between the Pir Panjal and Zanskar ranges. (View pictures)

Fortunately, the weather remained favourable throughout the recce.

“The weather was partly cloudy when we started. But it remained favourable throughout the trek. After witnessing the breathtaking Tulian Lake we camped in Tulian Valley. We went back to Tulian Lake early today morning to capture it in the morning light,” Amit reports.

Amit and Rishivar took the shorter 2-day route to Tulian Lake. It cuts through the forest.

But Indiahikes trekkers will take a different route, one which meanders through the mixed forest of the trail. You don't get such forest on any other trek in Jammu and Kashmir.

We have opened three groups to the Tulian Lake trek in Jammu and Kashmir. These groups are starting on August 20th, August 27th and September 3rd.

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July 13, 4.00 p.m.: 9 Miyar Valley trekkers wait at Shukto. Roads to Udaipur (in Himachal Pradesh) are likely to open by tomorrow

Out of 21, 9 trekkers who were at Khanjer have come down to Shukto, which is the base camp for Miyar Valley trek. From here, they will travel to Udaipur and then to Manali. But the roads between Shukto and Udaipur are not open yet.

The latest update from our team suggests that efforts are underway to clear boulders that are blocking the road to Udaipur. This is likely to clear the roads between Shukto and Udaipur by tomorrow.

All trekkers at Shukto are safe and the Indiahikes team is present with them.

Meanwhile, 12 trekkers from the same Miyar Valley group left for Udaipur on foot yesterday. They reached Manali yesterday evening. And five of them managed to reach Chandigarh today morning by 9.00 a.m.

These updates indicate that roads are slowly opening up.

We’re in touch with our trekkers and we’ll keep posting all relevant updates here.

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July 13, 2.00 p.m.: Trekkers report: Traffic comfortably moving from Mandi to Chandigarh

Trekkers who started from Manali yesterday have started reaching Chandigarh.

“Roads after Mandi are smooth, barring one diversion in between. But there were many bottlenecks and diversions through village roads between Manali and Mandi,” shares trekker Charu Grover, who travelled back from Manali to Chandigarh with 5 other trekkers.

Most trekkers are sharing that the traffic is slow-moving. “Started from Manali at 11.00 a.m. by a shared Tempo Traveller. After 2 hrs, Kullu is still 15 km away,” reports trekker Muralidharan Subbarathnam.

We’re constantly receiving updates from our trekkers about their whereabouts in and around Manali. We’ll keep posting the relevant ones right here.

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July 13, 12.00 p.m.: Pin Bhaba Pass trekkers travelling back from Kafnu. Expect to reach Shimla by 6 pm

Our team of 15 trekkers and 3 Indiahikes members is presently travelling from Kafnu to Shimla. They have crossed Wangtoo.

They started from Kafnu by 9.00 a.m. today. “The road was not good till Wangtoo. There were multiple rockfall sections. Due to this, we had to halt in between for about 45 minutes. We reached Wangtoo around 11 am. From there we are travelling together in a private bus. Presently we are on the National Highway from Wangtoo to Shimla, “ reports Trek Leader Lay Naik who is presently travelling with the trekkers.

The team is expected to reach Shimla latest by 6 pm. They have covered 30 km till now and they have more 175 km to go.

We’re in touch with our team. And will keep posting updates regarding their travel here.

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July 13, 10.00 a.m.: Avoid the route from Dhak to Badrinath. Instead, travel directly to Rishikesh.

Out of 20, 16 trekkers who travelled from Dhak to Badrinath after their Valley of Flowers trek got stuck in Badrinath yesterday. The Badrinath National Highway was blocked due to landslides.

As per the latest update, the highway is slowly opening up. But due to the massive bottle-neck of vehicles, the traffic is excruciatingly slow moving.

Our trekkers have also started on their way back from Badrinath to Rishikesh. They’re hoping to reach Rishikesh by today evening.

In view of the frequent landslides, we strongly advise trekkers to avoid travelling from Dhak to Badrinath. Instead, it is wiser to travel directly to Rishikesh to avoid delays that may disrupt your travel bookings.

We’re constantly in touch with the trekkers who are travelling back to Rishikesh from Badrinath. We’ll keep posting the latest updates here.

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July 12, 6.30 p.m.: Manali Update: No rains. Mobile networks working. Roads still jammed

The situation is better in Manali as the weather has cleared up. Most mobile networks have also resumed. Electricity is back at our Manali campus. But there is a heavy traffic jam on routes between Manali and Kullu.

At this point, thousands of travellers are stuck in traffic jams between Manali and Kullu. Partly due to the heavy traffic and partly due to landslides.

Our trekkers who started their journey back from Manali at 11.30 am today are reporting that it took them more than 7 hours to reach Kullu.

Presently the traffic is excruciatingly slow-moving. We’ll keep you posted about the latest developments right here.

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July 12, 4.00 p.m.: 12 Miyar Valley trekkers reach Udaipur (in Himachal Pradesh) after walking 35 km

Out of 21 trekkers from the 8th July group of Miyar Valley, 12 have reached Udaipur. Since no vehicles were plying between Khanjer and Udaipur due to landslides, they walked 35 km to cover the distance.

They started walking towards Udaipur early morning today. And they were accompanied by Trek Leader Deepak Danu to ensure their safety on the road.

Meanwhile, remaining 9 trekkers from the 8th July group of Miyar Valley are still at Khanjer. They are waiting with the Indiahikes team for the road to open up.

As per our local coordinator, roads are likely to open up by tomorrow. As soon as that happens, trekkers would drive down to Udaipur and continue on their journey back home.

We’re constantly in touch with our Miyar Valley team. And we’ll soon post more updates about the road condition here.

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July 12, 2.30 p.m.: Brammah Valley trekkers returning to base camp after a beautiful 3-day trek

Trekkers in the 7th July group on the Brammah Valley trek in Jammu and Kashmir are on their way back to the base camp after completing a 3-day trek above Sounder village. While they were unable to do the Brammah Valley trek due to heavy rains, they enjoyed an alternate trek from where they got a glimpse of the Brammah Valley.

“It rained continuously for 72-hours during the first three days of the trek. So we stayed put at Sounder village, which is the base. After that, once the weather cleared up, Trek Leader Bijju Shekar, took the team on a beautiful 3-day trek right above Sounder.

Trekkers are now on their way back. They are expected to reach the base camp by 4 pm,” reports Slope Manager Nitesh Kumar from Sounder.

Due to heavy rains and landslides, the route leading out of Sounder was reportedly blocked. But the blockages have been cleared now. And trekkers will be able to travel back to Jammu after their trek.

Our teams are constantly updating us about the latest developments. We’ll keep sharing them here.

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July 12, 1.00 p.m.: Pin Bhaba Pass group finally reaches Kafnu. All trekkers safe!

Great news coming in! Our Pin Bhaba Pass team of 15 trekkers safely reached Kafnu. They navigated two tricky sections on their way back where they had to cross over the Bhaba river.

It was a long trek of over 8 hours, but all trekkers did really well. Right now they are at Kafnu, having lunch.

Meanwhile, our teams are assessing the road situation to reach Shimla/Chandigarh. If all looks well, trekkers will start moving towards Shimla/Chandigarh later in the day today.

It’s raining at Kafnu. But we are in touch with our teams. We’ll soon update about their journey back from Kafnu to Shimla/Chandigarh. Stay tuned.

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July 12, 10 a.m.: Valley of Flowers groups resume trekking. Weather is clear.

Two groups on the Valley of Flowers trek who were stationed at Ghangria resumed their trek early today morning.

As per the latest update from our teams, the weather has cleared up. "It did not rain last night," reports Nayana Jambhe, Operations Manager at Indiahikes.

Here are the group-wise update:

July 7th group: Reached Rishikesh

July 8th group: 4 trekkers travelling back to Rishikesh. Others travelling to Badrinath keeping a turn-around-time in mind.

July 9th group: Trekking further ahead from Ghangria to Hemkund Sahib.

July 10th group: Trekking further ahead from Ghangria to Valley of Flowers

Traffic has started moving on the Badrinath National Highway. Trekkers of July 6th group to VOF, who stayed overnight at Pipalkoti, started their journey back to Rishikesh today morning at 6.30 a.m. They have reached Rishikesh.

We’re constantly in touch with our teams in Uttarakhand. All future updates will be posted here.

July 12, 8.00 a.m.: Pin Bhaba Pass group starts the descent to Kafnu amidst light drizzle

Our Pin Bhaba team of 15 trekkers stationed at Mulling started descending to Kafnu today early morning.

The decision to descend was taken as soon as the rain ceased and the weather cleared up.

“We saw a sky filled with stars along with the Milky Way. The Bhaba River has also become quieter and the water level has gone down,” reported Trek Leader Diptarka Gupta last night. "We are having mild rainfall at Kafnu," he reported today morning.

We’re expecting the team to reach Kafnu by today afternoon. Stay tuned to this space for further updates from the Pin Bhaba Pass group.

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July 11, 6.30 p.m.: Great news: Hampta Pass and Beas Kund trekkers safely back to Manali!

We have great news! We have heard from Manali and have information that all trekkers are safe and in good spirits. Most of the trekkers who were stuck at campsites are back in Manali. The rest are expected to return by late evening.

Here are the group-wise updates:

Hampta Pass: Trekkers who started on July 8th are all safely back at Manali. Trekkers who left on the 6th and 7th are on their way back to Manali. They are all safe and doing well.

Beas Kund: Trekkers from the July 7th and 8th groups who were stuck at the two campsites are back down in Manali. They are all safe and in good spirits.

The weather is clearing up and the mobile network slowly returning. You should be able to get in touch with your family members soon. But rest assured that all trekkers are safe.

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July 11, 6.30 p.m.: Kashmir groups start the trek on schedule. Weather looks promising.

The weather has cleared up in Kashmir Valley. And our groups to Kashmir Great Lakes, Tarsar Marsar, Bodpathri Lakes and even the first group to Warwan Valley started trekking on schedule.

As per the Indian Meteorological Department website, the weather looks promising for these treks in the coming week.

To stay updated, check this section for future updates on these groups.

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July 11, 6.00 p.m.: Pin Bhaba Pass trekkers are safe, stationed at Mulling campsite

Our 7th July group of Pin Bhaba Pass trek is safe. They are staying at the Mulling campsite till tomorrow in a concrete hut with a tin roof.

At this moment, trekkers are unable to return from Mulling to Kafnu because the Bhaba river en route is swollen, and the bridge over it is washed away.

We are planning to bring the trekkers back to Kafnu by tomorrow. For this, Trek Leader Lay Naik is presently on a recce to re-assess the situation and to chart out a safe passage for the trekkers.

Additionally, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is on the Pin Bhaba trek. They are expected to return from Karah to Kafnu tomorrow. In case the recce highlights any risks, our trekkers would descend to Kafnu with the NDRF.

We’re monitoring the situation closely and will keep you posted on the plan to get trekkers back to Kafnu.

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July 11, 2.00 p.m.: Mobile Network Down in Manali Due to Heavy Rainfall

Manali is facing a severe outage of electricity. As a result, the mobile network is down since July 9 (Sunday). This is due to the severe rainfall that’s caused widespread damage in the region.

But now, the weather in Manali is clearing up. And although government officials have not provided any concrete timelines, they have confirmed that efforts are underway to restore the network.

We are constantly monitoring the situation. Any further updates will be shared here.

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July 11, 12.00 p.m.: Bhrigu Lake trekkers of July 8th group safe in Manali

Trekkers from the Bhrigu Lake (group of July 8th) got back to Manali from the first camp. They have been in Manali since July 9th.

As of now, there is no electricity or network in the Manali region. This is why trekkers are unable to get in touch with their family and friends. But the weather is clearing up. And we are hoping for the connectivity to be back soon.

Please note that due to unprecedented heavy rains, we have suspended the July 14th and July 15th groups of Bhrigu Lake.

We are constantly monitoring the weather and will be posting updates about the ongoing and future groups in this section.

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July 11, 11.00 a.m.: Himachal Treks Until July 17th suspended

We have suspended all Himachal Pradesh treks until 17th July, 2023. This is in light of the cloud bursts in Himachal Pradesh and the current road and bridge conditions.

The treks that are suspended are Hampta Pass, Beas Kund, Bhrigu Lake, Miyar Valley, Chandrakhani Pass, and Pin Bhaba Pass.

We will take a call on the treks starting after July 17th based on the weather.

We are anticipating the weather to settle down by this week. The government is acting swiftly to restore road and bridge connectivity to the affected areas.

For these suspended treks, Indiahikes will issue a 100% trek voucher. On your booking dashboard, you will find a trek voucher activated equivalent to the trek fee you paid. You can use this for your next trek.

July 11, 8.30 a.m.: Miyar valley trekkers safely back at the base village. All doing fine.

Our trekking team, which started to Miyar Valley on July 6th, has safely returned to the base camp at Khanjer. They are all doing fine. There is still a network outage in the region, so family members will not be able to get in touch with them. Expect some delay in their return as roads leading to the village are blocked.

On another note, sections of the Miyar Valley trail have received snowfall at the moment, making the trek difficult to access. As of now, we have to wait and watch how the weather plays out.

July 11, 9.00 a.m.: It has been raining heavily in Himachal Pradesh for 48 hours. Mobile connectivity is down across the state. This post is to reassure you that all our trekkers are safe with our teams.

Hampta Pass: Three teams (who started on July 6th, 7th and 8th) are safe at Jwara and Jobra campsites. They have instructions to stay in the safety of their campsites until the rain reduces.

Bhrigu Lake: There was just one team on this trek (who started on July 8th). They safely descended back to Manali on July 9th.

Beas Kund: There are two teams on this trek (who started on July 7th and 8th) safely at campsites: Lohali and Palchani Thatch. They will descend only when the rain reduces.

Chandrakhani Pass: Trekkers have reached the base camp of Chandrakhani Pass. But they will be staying put at the base camp until the weather improves.

Pin bhaba Pass: Trekkers to Pin Bhaba Pass (who started on July 7th) have stayed back in the safety of the Mulling campsite. They will return to base when the rain stops.

Miyar Valley: Trekkers from Miyar Valley (who started on July 6th) have safely returned to the base camp at Khanjer. They are all doing fine. There is still a network blackout in the region, so family members will not be able to get in touch with them. Expect a delay in their return as roads leading to the village are blocked.

A note on the mobile network in Himachal: Please note that the networks of Airtel, Vodafone and Jio are down in Himachal. Even our teams are finding it difficult to keep continuous contact. It's expected that you will not be able to get in touch with family members.

In times of such unprecedented rain, safety is our first priority. Our teams are on their toes to ensure that trekkers are warm, comfortable and safe. So if your family member is on the trek, don't worry about them. They are safe with our teams. 

A note on the Valley of Flowers trek in Uttarakhand: In light of the prediction of rain, trekkers who started yesterday (July 9th) will return to the basecamp tomorrow. As of now, they are all safe at their hotel in Ghangria.

Indiahikes Himachal Pradesh Treks on July 13 and 14 are suspended.

In light of the cloud bursts in Himachal Pradesh and the current road and bridge conditions, we are suspending the treks starting on July 13 and 14, 2023, across Himachal Pradesh.

The treks that are suspended are the Hampta Pass, the Beas Kund, the Bhrigu Lake, the Miyar Valley, the Chandrakhani Pass, and the Pin Bhaba Pass treks.

Our Himachal Pradesh treks starting on July 15 are running as of now. We will take a call on those groups after July 12.

We are anticipating the weather to settle down by this week. The government is acting swiftly to restore road and bridge connectivity to the affected areas.

Updates from other treks

July 11, 11.30 am: Valley of Flowers trekkers are safe. Read group-wise Updates.

Our Valley of Flowers trekkers are all safe across the trek. They are descending to safety since there's a rainfall prediction in the region.

Here’s a group-wise update:

July 6th group: Trekkers completed their trek to Valley of Flowers and Hemkund Sahib. They are en route Rishikesh but are delayed due to a landslide on the Badrinath National Highway. They'll be halting at Pipalkoti till the road clears.

July 7th group: Trekkers completed their trek to Valley of Flowers and Hemkund Sahib. On their way down from Ghangria to Dhak.

July 8th group: Completed their trek till Valley of Flowers. Trekking down from Ghangria to Dhak

July 9-10th groups: Unable to proceed due to weather prediction of heavy rains. Staying put in the safety of Ghangria until further notice.

We’re closely monitoring the weather in the region. And we’ll take any further decision based on the forecast.