Yunam Peak Expedition

Arrival Manali

Manali to Keylong/Jispa

Your journey with us will begin from Manali. At 9 am, we will pick you up from the appointed place and start off on the Leh-Manali highway. Guaranteeing a sheer adventurous ride, this highway grooves through changing scenes of vast and empty mountains, passing the snow entrenched Rohtang Pass, Tandi- where the Bhaga and Chandra river meet, and the village of Sisha or Sissu where there is a magnificent temple of Raja Ghepan- the presiding deity of Lahaul valley. The Chandra and Bhaga rivers run by the line of our passage and create magnificent frames for photographing the dense mountains in the background.

At around 100 to 120 km from Manali we will reach the Keylong-Jispa area, approximately in time for lunch, i.e. 2 pm. These two towns nestling in the lap of the mountains are key areas where Lahauli ethnic culture is preserved. Our stay for the night will be tent.

A brief exploration of the site on this afternoon is mandatory for the cause of acclimatization. There are quite a number of attractive places to check out here—the Khardang and Shashur Monastery in Keylong top in our recommendation.

In Keylong, you will find working ATMs and telephone network coverage.

Keylong/Jispa to Bharatpur

The destination of Day 3 is Bharatpur, located at a driving distance 5 hour away from Keylong. At 4500m, Bharatpur is a windy cold desert rest point with a sparse locality which remains open only during season time.

We will try to make a few short stopovers on this four hour long journey—first at lakes Deepak Tal and Suraj, both mesmerizingly beautiful and of the colour sapphire, reflecting the skies and the mountains on a clear day. Suraj Tal is also recognized as the source of the Bhaga river which joins with river Chandra at Tandi, crossed earlier and becomes Chandrabhaga in the Himachal and flows as Chenab after entering J&K. On passage, we will cross Baralacha La- the highest motorable mountain pass.

We will be reaching Bharatpur at around 1:30 pm. Here, you can find stores for tenting equipment, trekking gears, and many delightful Dhabas. A special delicacy available in Bharatpur’s eateries is the flavoursome “butter tea”. This region also the starting point for Baralacha La trekking.

The night’s stay will be in tents at Bharatpur.

Acclimatization day

At this juncture, the massive altitude gain will start showing its colours. Mild headaches, nausea, and loss of appetite are common. Therefore, day 4 is kept entirely for adjusting to the climate and letting the body tune to the thinning air and temperature hitting the lows.

A lot of fluid intake is highly recommended for today, along with a little load carrying exercise (though heavy exhaustion is not advisable) and walking around in the barren landscape.

Bharatpur to Base camp

The fifth day’s trek commences early in the morning around 7 am.

Today’s trek will be a challenge with 5 km of steep climb on a gradually gaining ascent curve. Trek time can span a little over 5 hours. The boulder and moraine laden path will make inexperienced climbers prone to slipping. Today’s trek especially needs to be done with crampons as in the later half of the trek you will come by dense snow patches.

You will not need to carry 2-3 litres of water for this stretch as there will be many water points on the way. After one particular turn, the trek will continue along a water stream.

Base camp is expected to be reached by mid noon. Small lakes in this location make for a picturesque setting.

Since the next day’s journey starts at 3 in the morning, a sound sleep must be ensured for tonight.

Base camp Acclimatization

Today is an easy day for you as you will do nothing but take rest and get along with the surrounding. You will dedicate a full day to get accustomed with the place and in knowing all the routes in detail. To spend some time you can also visit some of the nearby places. Since it is just a rest day, you are not supposed to sit in your camp, and sleep all day long. Physical fitness and outside surrounding are very important to view as such views you cannot see again in the near future.

Today you will also get to know all aspects of team work and methods that are included in climbing a top of a mountain covered with snow. Your trek leader or guide will give you proper training so that you learn how to climb in such hills. He will also acknowledge you about the challenges that you may face along the way.

Base camp to Summit and back to Base camp

Our summit attempt begins at 6 in the morning on this climactic day. It is going to be an 8 hour battle against all odds, crossing a distance of 3 km of steep ascent. The terrain will be mostly moraine, sharp rock henge, and more snow covered areas than last day.

The water situation too, is going to be more critical than last day. Since there will be just one proper drinking water point on the trail, you need to come equipped with 3-4 litres per person in your day pack. The water point can be found nearly half an hour into the trek starting from base camp.

Expect numbing cold wind, the trials of advanced height, and associated breathing difficulties. The need to stay hydrated is more than ever in these hours. Though the path will be treacherous and taxing to climb, it will be palpable with ledges along the stony stretch to rest at from time to time.

After around 6 hours into the trek, the moraine cover will be replaced with thickening snow, giving another edge to the trekking experience. It is important for the group to bind up on harness at this point in the trek and move systematically. After an enduring stretch of semi technical climbing, summit would be reached.

The view from the top is out of the world, foraying into the sun struck pinnacles of Chandra Bhaga and Mulkilla Range of mountains, and the valley of Lahaul many many galaxies below, lying in a swathe of whiteness.

Base camp to Bharatpur and drive to Manali

After a goodnight’s rest at the base camp, down we go on day 8. A 5 km trek, followed by a 7 hour drive from Bharatpur will reach us in Manali between 6-7 pm.

You can schedule your further travels from here after 8.