A versatile trek close to Manali
The Bhubhu Pass Trek (2,900 metres) is an ancient trail connecting the Chuhar Valley (Mandi) to the Lagh Valley (Kullu) in the state of Himachal Pradesh. The trek is a rejuvenating one, through a thick forest on one side and rocky terrain on the other. And if you happen to be one of those adventurous wanderers, you can always continue your walk across the Himri Pass from lagh Valley over to the Manali town. Although these passes are not on the principal axis of the Dhauladhars, they give all the feel and thrill of the Dhauladhars.
Just before taking off on this trek, I had walked to Triund and the Himalayan spirit was really kicking in. Being a newbie trekker, I chose Bhubhu, a lower mountain pass, and imagined it to be an easy walk. It was not. Dhauladhars are never easy. The backbreaking hike from Mandi side is too much for a newbie. Secondly, the road connectivity has rendered these passes obsolete. The trail marks are nowhere to be seen on the Kullu side and often, you have to be on your fours to negotiate tricky terrains.
Trek Facts
Altitude: 2,900 metres (9,280 feet approx.)
Trail Type: Moderate Trail. Steep gradient during the last one kilometre from both sides. Steep slope towards Lagg Valley. Few trail marks towards Lagg Valley. Stay options available at Devgarh, Dharmed, Hurang Village, and Silh FRH.
Rail head: Pathankot is the nearest rail-head (175 km approx.).
Road head: Buses are available from Jogindernagar/Palampur/Mandi bus stand. Buses going towards Barot from J’Nagar /Mandi drop you at Tikken Bridge and the trek starts from there.
Day 1: Tikken Bridge to Silh-Budhani FRH – 10-12 km on foot, 5km by bus/cab – 8-10 hours
Day 2: FRH to Hurang to Lagg Valley – 15-16 km – 8-10 hours
Best Season: Early May to July to late September.
How to do this Trek:
Guides and Porters: Guides/Porters available at Barot.
Maximum Elevation: 2900 meter – Bhubhu Pass Top
Weather: Moderately cold weather. Rainfall highly likely. Might as well snow during April or September.
Permits: No permits to be obtained. Only police registration to be done at Tindi Police Post for Non-Himachali’s.
Author: Tarun Goel
Alternative Indiahikes treks you can do.
Bhubhu Pass is a great trek. No doubt about it. But if you’re a first time trekker, the process of organizing a trek by yourself might get a bit overwhelming. If you want to trek with your family or friend then you might not want the hassle of doing it. In such cases, we have a couple of great treks for you.
If you have a couple of days more in hand, Beas Kund is great option. The starting point of the trek is Solang, just an hour’s drive from Manali. That makes it very easy to accessible. If you’re a beginner, it is the perfect trek with great views of biggest mountains of Manali. Moreover, you get to stand right at the base of the Pir Panjal Range.
Read more about Beas Kund Trek here
If you don’t have as much time though, the Pundrik Lake trek is just perfect for the weekend.
Surrounded by giant pine and fir trees, Pundrik lake is a hidden treasure in Himachal Pradesh. The thick forests through which the trail winds are a bird watcher’s paradise
The dense forests on this trek are filled with pine, fir, spruce and a variety of other trees. Pundrik lake, covered by tall grasses runs for 400 metres and is surrounded by forests on three sides.
A versatile trek close to Manali
- The Bhubhu Pass (2,900 metres) is an ancient trail connecting the Chuhar Valley (Mandi) to the Lagh Valley (Kullu) in the state of Himachal Pradesh.
- The trek is a rejuvenating one, through a thick forest on one side and rocky terrain on the other. And if you happen to be one of those adventurous wanderers, you can always continue your walk across the Himri Pass from lagh Valley over to the Manali town.
- Although these passes are not on the principal axis of the Dhauladhars, they give all the feel and thrill of the Dhauladhars.
A versatile trek close to Manali
The Bhubhu Pass Trek (2,900 metres) is an ancient trail connecting the Chuhar Valley (Mandi) to the Lagh Valley (Kullu) in the state of Himachal Pradesh. The trek is a rejuvenating one, through a thick forest on one side and rocky terrain on the other. And if you happen to be one of those adventurous wanderers, you can always continue your walk across the Himri Pass from lagh Valley over to the Manali town. Although these passes are not on the principal axis of the Dhauladhars, they give all the feel and thrill of the Dhauladhars.
Just before taking off on this trek, I had walked to Triund and the Himalayan spirit was really kicking in. Being a newbie trekker, I chose Bhubhu, a lower mountain pass, and imagined it to be an easy walk. It was not. Dhauladhars are never easy. The backbreaking hike from Mandi side is too much for a newbie. Secondly, the road connectivity has rendered these passes obsolete. The trail marks are nowhere to be seen on the Kullu side and often, you have to be on your fours to negotiate tricky terrains.
How to get fit for the Bhubhu Pass trek
The Bhubhu Pass trek is classified as a trek of moderate difficulty.
Cardiovascular endurance
For two days, you will cover a distance of 28 km and you will be trekking up to an altitude of 9,280 feet. The secret to covering this distance comfortably lies in building your cardiovascular endurance. You can begin by jogging everyday. Ideally, you should be able to jog 4 km in 20 minutes before the start of the trek. It takes time to be able to cover this distance in the given time. Start slow and increase your pace everyday. Swimming, cycling and stair climbing without too many breaks in between can help too.
Strength
This is another area you should work on. You will need to build strength in your muscles and in your core body. You can do some squats to strengthen your leg muscles. Do around 3 sets of squats, with 8 squats in each set. Apart from this, you can add planks and crunches to your work out.
Flexibility
Another aspect that will help you trek comfortably is flexibility. For this, you can do some stretching exercises – stretch your hamstrings, quadriceps, hip flexors, lower back muscles and shoulders regularly. Carrying a backpack, however light, can become a strain after a while. These exercises will help you to be in good shape before the trek.
Working out indoors
If you can’t go out and jog because of time and space constraints, here’s a video you can use to work out indoors.
What to take on the Bhubhu Pass trek
Bare necessities
- Trekking shoes: There will be several slippery patches on the trail, and you will need trekking shoes with good grip. Sports shoes will not be comfortable enough. You can watch this video to learn to choose the right trekking shoes.
- Backpack (40-60 litres): A backpack with sturdy straps and a supporting frame. Rain cover for backpack is essential.
Clothes
- Two warm layers: At the campsites, especially the higher ones, the temperature after sundown will drop to around 2-6 degrees. You will need at least three warm layers (two lights layers such as fleece and woollen and one padded jacket) for this trek.
- Two trek pants: One pair of pants should suffice for this trek. But you can carry one spare pair in case the first one gets wet. Wear one pair and carry one pair.
- Two collared t-shirts: Carry light, full sleeved t-shirts that prevent sun burns on the neck and arms. Again, wear one and carry one.
- Thermals (Optional): Those who are more susceptible to cold can carry thermals to wear at night.
Accessories
- Sunglasses: Sunglasses are to prevent snow blindness. There might be snow closer to the lake, so carry a pair of sunglasses.
- Suncap: The sun is more
- Synthetic hand gloves: One pair of fleece or woolen hand gloves. One pair of water proof/resistant, wind proof gloves.
- Balaclava: You may use woollen scarves instead as well.
- Socks (2 pairs): Apart from two sports socks, you can take a pair of woollen socks for the night.
- Headlamp/LED torch: Mandatory
- Trekking pole: Watch this video to understand why you need a trekking pole.
Others
- Daypack (20 litres): If you are offloading your backpack, you will need a smaller backpack to carry water, medical kit and some light snacks.
- Toiletries (Sunscreen, moisturiser, light towel, lip balm, toilet paper, toothbrush, toothpaste)
- Cutlery: Carry a spoon, coffee mug and a lunch box. We insist on trekkers getting their own cutlery for hygiene reasons.
- Two water bottles: 1 litre each
- Plastic covers: While packing, use plastic bags to compartmentalise things and carry few extra plastic bags for wet clothes.
Mandatory Personal Medical Kit
- Diamox – 10 tablets (to prevent AMS)
- Crocin – 6 tablets (fever)
- Avomine – 4 tablets (motion sickness)
- Avil 25mg – 4 tablets (allergies)
- Combiflam – 4 tablets (Pain killer)
- Disprin – 6 tablets (headache)
- Norflox TZ & Lomofen– 6 tablets each (diarrhea)
- Digene – 10 tablets (acidity)
- Omez/ Rantadine – 10 tablets (antacids)
- Crepe bandage – 3 to 5 meters
- Gauze – 1 small roll
- Band aid – 10 strips
- Cotton – 1 small roll
- ORS – 10 packets
- Betadine or any antiseptic cream
- Moov spray (aches, & sprains)
Mandatory Documents
- Original and photocopy of government photo identity card- (driving license, voters ID, etc.)
- Medical Certificate and Disclaimer (to be filled by the trekker) – Download PDF
- Medical certificate (to be filled by a doctor) – Download PDF
If you’re shopping or packing for the trek, you can download this quick and simple checklist for offline use.