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Bhubhu Pass Trek Overview
Quick Facts of Bhubhu Pass Trek
Maximum altitude - 9,800 feet
Duration- 5 days and 4 nights
Trekking distance- 47 km
Trail type- Easy to Moderate
Rail head- Jogindernagar railway station
Airport- Bhuntar Airport, Kullu.
Snow Season- Winter, usually starting in December end and continuing till January
Service available (months)- throughout the year
Base camp - Old Manali
Best season- April to early June and September to mid-December
Region- The trek would begin at Dhalighat, where you’d reach by a car/taxi from Manali. The trek would take you up to the region of Kangra Valley and Jhingbhan via Bhubhu Pass.
Who can participate- The minimum age required to embark on the thrilling trek is 7 years.
Why to Go for Bhubhu Pass Trek ?
Short Itinerary for Bhubhu Pass Trek
Bhubhu Pass Trek Detailed Itinerary
Start in Manali
You would arrive in the town of Manali in Himachal Pradesh.
The first day would be a leisure day when you’d get to spend some time in the scenic environment of the stunnings hill station and brace yourself up for further trek.
Manali to Dak Bungalow via Kullu Valley
After spending a night in the peaceful valley of the hill station of Manali you’d wake up and head to Saba Restaurant in Mall Road to enjoy some nourishing delicacies.
At about 8:30 AM, then you would take a downhill drive to Dhalpur, crossing the peaceful and lavish green beauty of the Kullu Valley. You haven’t reached your trekking destination yet, on further driving you’d pass through the narrow valleys of Lug, the sudden changes in the landscapes and scenery
Following the Lug Valley you’d be finally landed into Dhalighat, the point where the Bhubhu Pass Trek would begin.
From Dhalighat, on a 3 hour long trek, passing through the scenic beauty of Deodar, Oak, Walnut, Horse chestnut, Cedar and the colourful Western Tragopan at last you would reach the Dak Bungalow.
Trek from Dak Bungalow to Jinghbhan
After a nourishing breakfast, you would resume trekking on the relatively easy and smooth trail through the Deodar forests.
It would be a long trek of 7 hours when on gaining altitudes you would be able to see the peaks of Indrasan and Deo Tibba.
Marking your day at the summit you’d finally reach the Bhubhu Pass, situated over a height of 3,000 metres. You’d be welcomed by your arrival at the sacred Ganesha shrine, across the pass you’d see the amazing views of the Kangra Valley.
Here onwards the trail through a ridge of mountains and verdant grasslands would take you to the final destination of the day at Jhingbhan.
Trek from Jhingbhan to Dentbhial via Dentibhal
The next in the itinerary of Bhubhu Pass trek is reaching the campsite of Dentbhial through a ridge and other natural marvels. You’d pass through the Kangra Valley, where you can rest a while in its small settlements during your 6 hours long trek. Take a glance through the terraced farmlands which have adorned the valley and have multiplied its beauty.
Drive to Manali
This would be the last day of trek, the challenging and soul stirring journey of Bhubhu Pass trek would be completed after ascending a distance of 16 Km.
You would cross the scenic and alpine meadows, high altitude streams and some of the villages in the Kangra Valley.
It would be a beautiful journey on which you’d also get some exposure to the rustic valley culture and lifestyle.
After descending to Mulling and Barot, you’d finally conclude your trek. On your way, you can even explore the little settlements at Barot and Bir-Billing which is a paragliding site.
You’d be derived upto Dharamshala where the exciting and fun-filled journey through the Bhubhu Pass trek would come to an end.
What to Pack For Your Trek?
The preparations for an outing in the mountains have to start with finding a suitable pair of trekking shoes and a backpack with a capacity of 5-6 litres with good hip and shoulder support.
You must pack extra clothes, choose synthetic clothes over cotton shirts/tops and it's advisable to keep a pair of thermal inner clothes if you’re prone to cold. Choose a padded jacket as your outer layer, make sure it has a hood as well.
Keep one or two extra pairs of trekking pants for minimum, pants with zip-off thighs and quick drying would be ideal for treks.
The other must-have items are (especially if you're trekking during winter seasons)- sunglasses, suncap to protect yourself from the sun’s harsh rays during the day, Hand gloves while handling snow , a woollen cap to keep yourself warm, at least 3 to 4 pairs of socks for cushioning and warmth.
The daypack you carry must be stuffed with water bottles, rainwear and emergency medicines.
Additional Essentials
Keep a light toilet kit handy with you consisting of a toothbrush, a roll on deodorant, moisturiser for skin, lip balm, toilet roll and toothpaste. Make sure that you carry miniature size products and don’t overload on shampoos or soaps.
A personal medical kit is advisable to be carried by the trekkers, it should contain the most readily available medicines like Dolo 650 mg, Avomine, Combiflam, Digene, ORS, Knee brace. Take advice from your trek leader before taking any medicines.
Don’t forget to put essential documents- original photo identity card like aadhar, voter id, etc. At the camp all foreign nationals are required to share their passport and visa details during registration as well as upon arrival.
Know Before You go to Bhubhu Pass Trek
It is advisable to the trekkers to not bring any non-biodegradable material along and contribute to sustainable tourism.
While following the difficult Bhubhu Pass trek, all the participants must follow the instructions of the trek leader and guide for their own safety.
Keep some buffer days in hand to acclimate yourself to the higher altitudinal weather conditions of the trek through Manali.
All the participants are required to carry enough money at hand because you won’t find ATMs during your trek through the remote villages at higher altitudes.
Tea is a warm beverage and is usually consumed in hilly areas, but it gets very expensive on moving upwards. Therefore, you are suggested to carry tea bags to use during the trek.
Pack an efficient daypack with all the essentials like warm clothes, sunglasses, trekking boots, gloves, socks, woollen caps, medicines, rainwear, water bottles and other essentials.
The weather conditions are the most unpredictable on the mountains, on a sunny day it can be very sweaty to follow trails and soon the clouds might get heavy to pour down. Therefore, embrace yourself for frequent weather changes and don clothes accordingly.
Take a note that sunburn at higher altitude might happen quicker, so keep your skin and eyes safe with moisturiser and sunglasses.
Keep extra batteries for torches and other electronics handy as the batteries in cold might die quicker than at home.
Don’t forget to carry water bottles along and keep yourself hydrated throughout the trek.
In order to reach Bhubhu Pass, one can explore the various routes available. All the routes are unique, and adventurous in their own ways and ready to welcome you in their pleasant beauty while offering challenges simultaneously. However, here is explained the shortest route from Manali to the camp via Dak Bungalow .
Manali to Dhalighat - The intriguing trek begins from Dhalighat which would take you to Bhubhu Pass. In order to reach Dhalighat, you'd require to reach Manali first from there you’d reach the destination from a taxi.
Dhalighat to Dak Bungalow- After the commencement of the iconic trekking, you can choose from various trekking routes available from Dhalighat to the camp but the most extensive and full of challenges is traced through Dak Bungalow. It has a great scenic beauty, you’d pass through various ridges and might spot some colourful Western Tragopans on your way as well.
Dak Bungalow to Bhubhu Pass- To reach the destination of camp, on moving out of Dak Bungalow trekkers would ascend to the villages of Kangra Valley, Jhingbhan and Dentbhial. The trail would continue for a minimum of 5days.
By Air: You can book direct flights to Manali from Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bangalore.
By Road: There is a direct route via Delhi (540 km), Chandigarh (305 km), Ambala (370km) and Dhedradun (227 km). You can drive upto destination by yourself or can catch a bus which runs regularly to Manali from the mentioned cities.
By Train: Jogindernagar railway station is the nearest railway station to Manali. The intersection stations from where the train reaches to the aforementioned station are Chandigarh and Ambala. Manali Town, is further 50 kms aways from the railway station you can take a taxi or bus for the journey further.
The best time to go for Bhubhu Pass trek is from April through June and September to mid-December. A trek at Bhubhu Pass is the most cherishing and thrilling journey for all the trekkers. There are certain months in which the trek would allow you to explore most bewildering natural scenes. Mostly, the months of spring and autumn are mostly the suggested months to plan a trek to the camp but the winters throw a challenge testing the skills of trekkers.
Winter Season:In the winter season of December, January and February the atmosphere is quite chilly, the mountains are covered in deep snow. Cover yourself in warm layers and you will enjoy the trek but as you move upwards due to excessive snow it would get highly difficult.
Spring Season:As spring falls over during early March you will enjoy clear and magnificent skies while trailing the tough terrains. Towards late March and April, at the Bhubhu Pass trek you would see a lot of crowd garnering in the camp due to a significantly warmer weather and bloom of rhododendrons which turns the beautiful Kangra Valley pink and red.
Summer Season:In May, just before the monsoon arrives you can still stay at the camp but during the months between late May and early September all the routes are filled with mud making it a bit inconvenient to trek. Climbing upto a height of 3,000 metres through a rocky trail and slippery meadows would make the trail challenging but on reaching at the top you get to witness the most beautiful scenery of Kangra Valley.
Autumn Season:The autumn trekking season in late September, October and early November welcomes the inflow of enthusiastic climbers. The months of late November and December get a bit cold but those who enjoy trekking in less crowded spaces would surely like to trek in such an atmosphere.
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FAQs of Bhubhu Pass Trek
How many days does the Bhubhu Pass trek take?
The level of difficulty of the trek is moderate and it takes around 4 to 5 days to complete it via the route from Dhalighat where you reach from a road route via Manali.
What is the total length of the Bhubhu Pass trek?
The total length of the trek is around 47 Km, with almost 23 km falling on each side. This distance can usually be covered between 4 to 5 days at ease.
Do you need any special training for the Bhubhu Pass trek?
Bhubhu Pass trek is considered moderately difficult, but you won’t require a special training to participate in the trek. The trek doesn't involve a very steep mountainous trail, it also has smooth and shaded pathways which makes the passage pleasant to tread. You may still include a basic set of exercises in your daily schedule like walking, cycling, swimming and other such cardiovascular activities.
How much heavy backpack should you pack for trek?
Your backpack should have the capacity to carry at least 6 Litres of weight. Don’t worry if you have packed extra stuff, you can also hire potters to accompany you and carry at least 10 kg of your load.
How Difficult is the Bhubhu Pass Trek?
The trek to the Bhubhu Pass is amongst the moderately difficult treks in Asia. The trail of the trek passes through the villages of Kangra Valley, which is a peaceful haven located at an altitude of 2,000 feet from the sea level. The passage is diverse, sometimes quite harsh but other times smooth, therefore the trekker won’t require any expertise and past experiences in trekking for joining in. You would be walking 5 to 6 hours on an average per day for a continuous 4 days to finally mark your summit at the Bhubhu Pass. Therefore, it’s advisable to add a good exercise schedule in your daily routine as well, to keep yourself in physically good shape to not face any problem while on the trek like cramps and fatigue. he basics like walking, jogging, squats and stair climbing would be sufficient though you may add other exercises as per your bodily requirements. Try to be consistent with the exercise schedule and keep repeating the exercises for longer duration.
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