Mural Danda Trek

After a short briefing and breakfast, start on the trek from Dumrera. Walk past apple orchards into the pine forest at the edges of Dumrera. Trek during early summer or post-monsoon, and you are greeted by a vibrant display of wildflowers.

Continue along the muddy trail that zigzags through the forest. Around the 500 m mark, pass by a forest stream. Fill your bottles here.

Beyond this point, the ascent gets really steep. You also cross a small boulder section which can get really slippery after rains.

As you gain altitude, notice green oaks appear amidst the pines. Among these towering trees, you will also find thuners and wild berry trees in this stretch.

At 1.8 km, a small clearing appears. You are well above the 10,000 ft mark now. Take a break here and get ready for the next stretch. The climb gets steeper from here.

After resting, continue past the twin trees of spruce and chir pine. Around the 3 km mark, you enter a beautiful forest of golden oaks. There is a water source, just 300 m ahead.

This water source marks the edge of the forest. Walk past it onto the expansive open meadows of Tangnu. The ascent also gets gradual at this point. Trek along the meadows for about 1.5 km to arrive at the Tangnu Bai campsite.

From Tangnu Bai, you begin to see famous peaks like Bandarpoonch, Kalanag and Swargarohini peeping in the distance. On a clear day, you can even see the famous Lamkhaga Pass.

Have hot lunch and relax at the campsite. Take a small walk to a nearby vantage, which offers an incredible view of the Ransaar valley. Catch a stunning sunset and unwind as you wrap up the day.

The day begins with a gentle, level walk through Tangnu’s open expanse. You trek just above the tree line, skirting the edge of the forest. Last of the tall trees stay close to you, on your left.

Then, after a brief climb, you arrive on a ledge on the sun-shadow side of the slope. About 300 m into the ledge walk, you arrive at a really narrow section.

While the trail gets a little tricky, beautiful views also open up. An incredible array of faraway summits crop up at the horizon. Major peaks of Himachal Pradesh, including Shrikhand Mahadev and Mani Mahesh Kailash, come into view.

The meadowy ledge is beautiful in itself. Mural Danda rises right in front, as if you could touch it. But with every step forward, the peak moves farther away.

Towards the end of this ledge, you arrive at a challenging section. Here you need to navigate steep descents through two deep gullies in a span of just 200 m. At the end of this gully section, you arrive on a ridge.

This ridge continues all the way to Mural Danda. But, we take a left turn and re-enter the forests.

From this diversion point, you see the Shrikhand Mahadev peak right in front of you. Hansabeshan peeps beside the big hump of Jalainda behind you.

Below, you can see the Mansrad Gad and Devi Dhar. On a clear day, you can even see Rohru from here.

The trail winds through a forest of pines and oaks just past the diversion. After 600 m, you’ll reach a clearing—but this is not Mural. Walk another 100 m to reach the campsite.

Mural camp sits in a beautiful clearing, with towering forests surrounding it. Two wooden cabins rest beside a man-made lake, but the water isn’t potable. The nearest usable water is 500 m ahead.

Take some time to rest or explore the surrounding forests of Mural. Be sure to return to camp by nightfall.

On a clear, starry night, Mural is the perfect setting for an incredible stargazing session.

The summit day begins before daybreak. Climb back to the diversion point, where you had turned left into the forest the day before.

From the diversion point, continue straight along the ridge leading to Mural Danda. This ridge runs through the Daranghati Wildlife Sanctuary. But you stay above the tree line throughout. Forests line the ridge on both sides.

Along the ridge, the trail ascends continuously. You are constantly surrounded by mountains. On your right, are Shrikhand Mahadev, Chaki, Kokshane and Hansabeshan. Kalanag and Chansal rise on your left.

The ascent gets more and more grueling as you approach the summit. This 3 km ridge walk is challenging.

But the feeling when you finally stand on top of Mural Danda is incredible. You watch as night slowly fades into day. As dawn breaks, the first rays light up the snow-capped peaks around you.

The green meadowy top is bathed in soft sunlight. The ridge leading to your next campsite, Ropra slowly becomes visible.

Hanuman Tibba, Hansabeshan, Kinnaur Kailash, Shrikhand Mahadev, and Chansal—the towering giants of Himachal stand tall all around you. To your East stand the legendary peaks of Uttarakhand’s Yamunotri region-- Bandar Poonch, Kalanag, and the legendary Swargarohini peak.

The summit of Mural Danda is a highlight in itself. It feels like a vast green carpet. In the center of these meadows stands a stone temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. All these elements come together to create an unforgettable summit experience.

Take your time to soak in the views. Then, begin your descent to the Ropra campsite.

The descent to Ropra is another whole kilometer of ridgewalk amongst panoramic mountain views. They stay with you even at the Ropra campsite.

The descent from Ropra starts along the same ridge you took while descending from Mural Danda. In 600 m, the trail enters a beautiful, dense oak forest. Occasional clearings opening up along the way.

Navigate a steep descent until the 1.5 km mark. Ahead of this point, the route ascends gradually to a small summit. Then, it descends steeply again.

Around 3 km from Ropra, the trail turns left. Keep following the boulder-paved trail through the forest. The descent is steady, with only a few small climbs to break it up.