White Magic Adventure Travel

PANPATIA COL

India, Uttarakhand

13 DAYS
12 MAX GROUP SIZE
5260m
MAX ALTITUDE
6 Technical Trek

TBA
Trip leader default

18 May - 30 May 2024

145000 / 2220

Trip cost

145000 / 2220

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Between two of the most haloed pilgrimage sites in the Himalayas lies a land that nurtures a legend worthy of difficult discovery and extreme exploration. A tale that has drawn feted explorers of the likes of Meade, Shipton and Tilman, Martin Moran, Harish Kapadia, and countless other intrepid souls.They were all drawn by the lore that a priest from Badrinath would trek to Kedarnath in a day. The explorations, which began as early as 1934, have mostly come a cropper, with weather, terrain and nerves beating each party back. The prize of the exploration is the crossing of the Panpatia col, a pass that hides its approach within drifts of moraines, crevasses and massive icefalls. But a route across it exists, and we know that from the many reports submitted by the mountaineers, and the final successful crossing by a duo from West Bengal, in 2007. After extensive research and reading, we made the crossing of this legendary pass for the first time in 2012 (it was the first time ever when the trip was run commercially by any operator). Join us in the upcoming summer as we unravel the mythical "Panpatia Col Trek" bit by alluring bit.

This would be our 10th crossing of Panpatia Col.

Itinerary

Show Detailed Itinerary

Day 01: Arrive Dehradun airport by the afternoon and transfer to Rudraprayag (5hrs)

Arrive Dehradun airport latest by noon and drive to Rudraprayag. One could take the morning Shatabdi train to Haridwar and then a taxi to the Dehradun airport too. We load our stuff and hit the road; it is a fairly long drive in the mountains. We have lunch enroute and stay overnight at the hotel in Rudraprayag.

Day 02: Drive to Khirao road head (5hrs) and trek 3hrs to Khirao village.

We drive to Khirao road head (5 hrs) and trek for another 3 hours to reach to our campsite. Overnight in Camp

Day 03: Trek to Shepherd camp (3480m) (4-5hrs)

We gain altitude to reach Khirao village. From the village it is a steep climb up to the tree line, which is marked by some flags on the boulders. Our campsite — a little above that offers views of splendid snowcapped peaks in the distance. Overnight in Camp

Day 04: Trek to Snout camp (3790m) (3-4hrs)

A short day where we tackle a combination of terrain — from gentle uphill walks to steep inclines — all the way to the snout of the Panpatia glacier. Overnight in Camp

Day 05: Trek to Moraine Camp (4300m) (8-9hrs)

This will be a relatively long day of gradual height-gain — ideal to spruce up the lungs for the days ahead. We cross never-ending moraines and weave across patches of snow to ease our march but then will be rewarded by magnificent views of mountains. Overnight in Camp

Day 06: Rest & acclimatize (4300m)

We take it easy though. High altitudes are tricky places, and we rest a day to prime ourselves physically and also try out our snow boots. Overnight in Camp

Day 07: Trek to the base of Parvati Col (4680m) (2-3hrs)

A day short on time and steep on inclines brings us closer to the Panpatia snow field. We camp just below the Parvati Col. Overnight in Camp

Day 08: Trek to Panpatia Snowfield (5200m) (6-7hrs)

A steep climb from our camp brings us to the edge of the terrace from where the only way up is through a steep gully encase in snow and rock. We see Chaukhamba in all its glory and, with some luck, may also be treated to a different view of the mesmerizing Nanda Devi. Our campsite is in the snowfield. For those willing to put up with a little more of the bracing cold, the night sky offers a grand view of stars. Overnight in Camp

Day 09: Across Panpatia Col (5260m), camp at Sujal Sarovar (4750m) (6-7hrs)

We traverse the snow plateau and a short climb from the camp brings us to the col. Ahead is a steep downhill descent that leads to the Madhyamaheshwar watershed. We camp near the small lake of Sujal Sarovar. Overnight in Camp

Day 10: Trek to Kachni (4110m) (6-7hrs)

A few metres above Sujal Sarovar is a small pass from where it is a steep descent through snowy slopes and boulder zones to Kachni. The camp overlooks the Madhmaheshwar Ganga, and one can see the temple below and the lights of Guptkashi far below. Overnight in Camp

Day 11: Trek to Nanu chatti (3100m) (6-7hrs)

It takes about 3-4 hrs to get to Madhmaheshwar temple. We visit the temple and have hot lunch at a nearby tea-shops. Post lunch we walk lazily through the forests to camp at Nanu chatti which is a small settlement of summer homes for people from the villages of Gaundhar. Overnight in Camp

Day 12: Trek to Ransi & drive to Rudraprayag (4hrs)

On the last leg of the trek we descend through the pine forests to get to the floor of Madhmaheshwar Ganga. We finish the trek at Ransi and drive to a hotel in Rudraprayag. Overnight in Hotel

Day 13: Drive to Dehradun airport & fly back home.

We have 5 hours drive to airport and one could board any flight leaving after 4PM. People can also consider boarding the Shatabdi Express from Haridwar (6:10PM) to reach Delhi by 10:45 PM

Trip Cost

145000 / 2220

DELHI TO DELHI , TWIN SHARING

Payment Schedule

₹40000 / $500 - Booking Amount

TRIP COST INCLUDES

- All travel from Dehradun airport and back (by SUV cars or tempo traveller)
- All arrangements for overnight stay while on the trip
- Accommodation on twin share basis in tents / rest houses / hotels
- All group climbing gear like ropes, anchors, slings etc. and any individual climbing kit - crampons, gaiters, ice axe etc
- Professional guide fees, permit fees, sanctuary fee / royalty where applicable
- All trekking arrangements with India’s most experienced guiding team, camp staff, cook etc.
- All meals, tea/coffee and snacks
- GST as applicable (Subject to change as per govt rules).

TRIP COST EXCLUDES

- Sleeping bag (can be provided on rent) & items of personal clothing etc
- Expenses of a personal nature such as beverages, insurance, any tips for guides and support staff
- Any costs arising out of unforeseen circumstances such as bad weather, landslides, road conditions and any other circumstances beyond our control.

Cancellation terms

If it becomes necessary to cancel your trip, you must notify the office immediately in writing. The following terms would be applicable.

- More than 60 days prior to departure - we will refund the entire amount received by us minus a processing fee.
- Less than 60 days prior to departure - 25% of the Trip Cost as the cancellation charges and we will refund the balance.
- Less than 45 days prior to departure - 50% of the Trip Cost as the cancellation charges and we will refund the balance.
- Less than 30 days prior to departure - 50% of the Trip Cost as cancellation charges and the balance amount would be held as a credit towards a future trip taken within 1 year from the date of cancellation.
- Less than 21 days - the entire amount would be forfeited.

What to expect

On a Technical Trek the average day could involve more than 7 hrs of walking. These trips might cover difficult and glaciated terrain where use of ropes and technical mountaineering equipment like crampons, harness, carabiners, descenders etc could come into play. On these trips one is required to stay at high altitudes for lengthy periods of time and hence acclimatization is always a big concern. These treks can also throw a bit of surprise largely because of unpredictable nature of the terrain and the snow/ ice conditions in the high mountains and hence we always have a contingency day of two built into the plan.

These trips would last more than two weeks and go to wild, remote places completely cut off from civilization. Trekking peaks also come under the same category as the level of technicality required to climb a trekking peak is similar.