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The Nanda Devi Sanctuary in the Garhwal Himalayas of India is a unique geographical feature. A concentration of peaks connected by massive rock walls which dip no lower than 17,000ft/ 5200 meters form an enormous amphitheatre. The only exception is the point where the river Rishi Ganga which drains this great basin emerges to the west in one of the most spectacular gorges in the world. In this ring of mountains are at least twelve peaks over 6500 meters including several famous names such as Changabang and Dunagiri to the North and Trishuli and Nanda Kot to the West and South.
| Details | |
| Duration | 23 Nights/ 24 Days (Actual trekking 13 days) |
| Grade | Strenuous |
| Best Time | April-Mid June & Mid Sep-Oct-Nov. |
| Route Chart | New Delhi - Rishikesh - Joshimath - Lata - Dribugheta - Deodi - Ramni - Patalkakhan - Nanda Devi South Base Camp - Bholgara - Deodi - Dharansi - Lata - Joshimath - Rishikesh - New Delhi. |
Day 01 : Arrival Delhi : On arrival meet to our representative, drive to hotel for overnight.
Day 02 : Delhi - Rishikesh : Early in the morning take train to Haridwar, on arrival meet to our rep cum local guide, visit Har ki Parui and another temples, later drive to 30 km to Rishikesh, on arrival check in hotel for overnight. Late evening witness the Ganga Aarti at Triveni Ghat.
Day 03: Rishikesh - Joshimath (1890 mts) 250km/ 7-8 hrs drive : We start early for the long drive upwards of the Ganges and Alaknanda rivers to Joshimath. We travel along an asphalt road that takes the pilgrims in buses and cars but many holy men still walk this route as a pilgrimage. The road is often tortuous but you get spectacular views of the Ganges and Alaknanda rivers and their steep banks and hillsides. We will stop at a convenient place on the banks of the river for our lunch before we reach Joshimath. Overnight stay in hotel.
Day 04 : Joshimath : After our long drive yesterday we will take it easy today and give ourselves time to acclimatize and explore this town. Joshimath is an interesting little town. Really a pilgrimage staging post, it is perched on a steep slope several hundred metres above the river and is usually teeming with pilgrims preparing to go on the last stage up the Alaknanda gorge to Badrinath higher up. But there are important shrines here too, especially the Na Sing temple complex, and the temple and ancient tree under which the great Hindu philosopher Shankara gained enlightenment. Overnight in hotel.
Day 05 : Joshimath - Lata (2437 mts/ 45 minutes drive) : While the pilgrims head up the Alaknanda gorge, we take the road leading east following the Dhauli Ganga River to Lata - a small village just past where the Rishi Ganga River meets the larger Dhauli Ganga. After a five hour drive we pass the village of Tapovan, just beyond which a hot spring erupts across the road. We are now heading where few travellers have been allowed for many years. Lata is our trail head and the dirt road continues north along the Dhauli Ganga to Malari and the mountains bordering Tibet. Shipton too camped here and in light shoes sprinted up Lata Mountain (3848 metres), a wooded peak above the village to get his first view of the gorge ahead! The camp at Lata is on the road side in an abandoned potato field. Camp at Lata.
Day 06 : Lata - Lata Kharak (3850 mts/ 7 hours trekking) : Our first day's trek is a hard climb above Lata village to Lata Kharak. A Kharak is a summer pasture and often an area of grazing just above the tree line. The stiff climb will take us up through Rhododendron, Oak and "Chir" pine forest, emerging onto the grassland at just under 13,000 ft/ 4000 metres. As we start at around 8,200 ft/ 2500 metres this is a considerable gain in altitude and will be a test of fitness of the group. However, an early start and a slow steady pace will make it an enjoyable climb through Himalayan forests and our first opportunity to observe its diverse flora and fauna. Overnight in tents.
Day 07 : Rest and Acclimatization : The gain in height to that of a major alpine peak will be noticeable by all of us so today we will spend the day enjoying the views from the Kharak, and acclimatizing ourselves. When Shipton and Tilman first came in the spring the ground was thick with melting winter snow. To acclimatize ourselves we will go on a two hour trek to Seni Kharak from where we get our first views of Nanda Devi and the formidable Rishi Gorge. Return to Lata Kharak for the night. Overnight in tents.
Day 08 : Lata Kharak - Debrugheta (3300 mts/ 8 hours trek) : After breakfast we cross our first pass - Dharansi Khal at 4250 metres. It is part of a ridge coming down from the great Dunagiri range above and a watershed between the Dhauli and Rishi Ganga rivers. From here we contour round to reach the meadows of the Dharansi plateau. Due to scarcity of water we will not camp here. We walk across the Dharansi plateau and descend steeply to a beautiful grazing pasture at Debrugheta. It is a long descent of about 3 hours which ends at a stream. We cross over and a short climb brings us to our campsite. Overnight in tents.
Day 09 : Debrugheta : This is our rest camp. Debrugheta is perched above the great gorge which Shipton described as "one of the loveliest spots it had ever been his good fortune to behold" and Tilman described it more graphically as "a horizontal oasis in a vertical desert". The pasture was used by shepherds but beyond this point locals never ventured before 1934. Overnight in tents.
Day 10 : Debrugheta - Deodi (2500 mts/ 6 hrs trek) : We now make our way up the great gorge of the Rishi Ganga itself. Today is fairly easy trekking with plenty of ups and downs as the trail makes its way into the gorge. We cross the Rishi Ganga at Deodi on what Hamish Brown in the seventies described as a 'doddery bridge'!. This is our next campsite. In reality we have actually lost altitude going down the gorge. Shipton and Tilman crossed further up making their own bridge by cutting down trees with the assistance of their porters. Overnight in tents.
Day 11 : Deodi – Ramni (3660m/ 6 hrs trek) : After an early breakfast commence trek to Ramni, our way up and contouring up the gorge on the southern bank, we reach Ramni and our campsite which is a small level area between the cliffs and the raging torrent of the Rishi Ganga. The camp is named after the Ramni River that joins the Rishi Ganga from the North from the Ramni Glacier flowing from Changabang. Just beyond our camp on the northern bank were Long staff's final camp and the furthest point reached by man until Shipton and Tilman. Overnight in tents.
Day 12 : Ramni – Patalkakhan (4500m/ 6-7 hrs trek) : This is the crucial stage of entry into the Sanctuary. Depending on the weather conditions we could camp at a slab platform now known as Tilchaunani but if time permits a better camp a little higher and over some more rock slabs is at Patalkakhan. We are now almost at, entered the Inner Sanctuary. Overnight in tents.
Day 13 : Patalkakhan - Nanda Devi Base Camp (3000mts/ 6-7 hrs trek) : From our camp Nanda Devi herself towers 3000 mts immediately above us. Near the camp is the junction of two rivers that join to form the Rishi Ganga. One heads to the north of Nanda Devi, and up into the northern half of the Sanctuary. This is the direction Shipton and Tilman took on their first entrance. When they came back after the monsoon of 1934 they explored the southern half. Following the southern river that Tilman's 1936 expedition took we shall follow this route to our camp at Nanda Devi south base. Overnight in tents.
Day 14, 15, 16 : Exploration of the Inner Sanctuary : We now have three days to explore the Sanctuary. We have several options and hopefully the weather will be good. We can explore the glaciers to the south of Nanda Devi or head south to where Shipton and Tilman made their dramatic exit in 1934. Alternatively, we could cross the Rishi River and explore the Northern Sanctuary and view the tremendous North face of Nanda Devi. Overnights in tents.
Day 17 : Inner Sanctuary - Bhojgara : After our three days of exploration of the Inner Sanctuary today we begin our thrilling descent. We will make use of a small campsite we passed on our ascent at a place where tent spaces have been cut out of the slope. This is a spectacular setting looking out across the sheer cliffs of hundreds of mts on the northern side of the gorge. Overnight in tents.
Day 18 : Bhojgara - Deodi : Today we negotiate on our way down the now familiar but no less exhilarating slabs of rock to regain our more normal trekking ground at Ramni. We continue past our old camp back to Deodi where we crossed the gorge on our way up. Overnight in tents.
Day 19 : Deodi - Dharansi : After having crossed the Rishi Ganga we retrace our steps contouring the gorge on the northern bank. Passing the alpine meadows at Dribugheta again, we make the steep climb up to Dharansi. Overnight in tents.
Day 20 : Dharansi - Lata : Today once again we make our way over the pass and with the Dhauli Ganga again in view far below us we pass through Lata Kharak. Descending through the forest we will camp again at Lata. Overnight in tents.
Day 21 : Lata - Joshimath (Drive) : Early commence trek to road head take vehicle to Joshimath on arrival check in hotel for overnight.
Day 22 : Joshimath - Rishikesh (Drive) : Today we have the long drive back to Rishikesh but the hard journey is made pleasurable by the increasing warmth as we descend again into the foothills. On arrival check in hotel for overnight.
Day 23 : Rikesh-Delhi : Early in the morning drive to 210 km/ 6hrs to Delhi on arrival check in hotel.
Day 24 : Delhi Dep. : Full day Delhi sight seeing visit Old Delhi as Red Fort, Jama Masjid, Gandhi Memorial and Chandni Chowck, after lunch visit Qutab Minar, Humayu's Tomb, and Government building, farewell dinner later drive to International airport. End Tour.
