Maximum Altitude: 9278 ft (2828 m)
Grade: Easy to Moderate
Duration: 2 days and one night
Trekking Distance: Approx. 11 km
Trail Type: Well-defined trails with 22 curves and steep trek
Railhead: Pathankot Railway Station is the nearest railhead to the trek from where trekkers can access McLeodganj by bus or shared cab
Airport: Gaggal airport is located 10 km from nearby Dharamshala
Snow Season: January to March
Service From: Dharamkot, McLeodganj, Bhagsu, or Gallu
Base Camp: Dharamkot, 2 km from McLeod Ganj
Best Season: The best months to trek are the spring and summer months of April to June, and the post-monsoon months of September to November.
Region: Dharamkot, Himachal Pradesh
Who can Participate: Anyone who enjoys nature, adventure, and birds, as well as novice to experienced trekkers
Dharamkot to Triund
Trek Distance: 5.45 km
Trek Duration: 4 hours
Begin your Triund Trek journey early in the morning near Dharamkot's water tank and continue the trek for about 30 minutes to the Galu Temple clearing. From the tea shop, walk past the shrine. The trail ascends gradually, passing through dense oak woodland and climbing the steep slope of the Laka Ridge. As you travel farther down the valley, you will see spectacular views of the Dhauladhar mountain as well as exotic songbirds. The road includes around 22 curves and becomes steeper after halfway. The trail climbs to the Triund ridge via a series of switchbacks taking you out of the rhododendrons onto the grassy field of the Triund ridge. It is the location of your Triund camping, where you will spend your delightful evening and night under the twinkling stars.
Although the Triund hike may be completed in a single day, stopping overnight is strongly recommended. While camping at Triund, you can enjoy sunrise and sunset vistas, a magnificent dinner and breakfast, a starry sky, a bonfire, and a comfortable night's sleep under the dazzling stars. Seeing the snow-capped mountains from the top is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
However, the Triund trek route is easy; there are some challenging sections that require a steady stroll. The Triund trek distance has 22 steep twists, giving it the nickname "22 Curves" trek.The Triund trek doesn't need special authorization, but there is a forest checkpoint at the starting point near the Gallu Mandir temple. They check your id and backpack for the plastic you are carrying. Make sure you are trekking responsibly and don't dump any trash into the mountains. Take your rubbish back to the cities with you, leaving the mountains in a better state than you found them.
You can extend your hike through Laka to Lahesh cave from Triund if you have the time. Lahesh cave is the starting point for the Indrahar pass trek located at an elevation of 14,250 ft. It is possible to ascend to Lahesh Cave and return to Dharamkot on the same day.
Route 1: Dharamkot to Triund and back to Dharamkot
- Dharamkot to Gallu Checkpoint: 800 m
- Gallu Checkpoint to Magic View Cafe: 2.70 km
- Magic View Cafe to Triund Top: 2.10km
- Total distance: 5.60 km
- Total Time: 4-5 hours to reach the top and 2 to 3 hours to return to Dharamkot
Route 2: Bhagsu Nag to Triund and back to BhagsuNag Village
- Bhagsu Nag to Triund: 9 km, 5 hours walk
- Triund to Khabrotu to Bhagsu waterfall to Bhagsu Nag village: 9 km, 5 hours walk
- Total distance: 18.0 km
- Total Time: 5 hours to reach the top and 5 hours to return to village