Bali Pass Trek

We start the day with a short, scenic & adventurous drive to Taluka, starting point of our trek. The hike today is through beautiful mixed forest sections and along the Supin River. The gradient is moderate throughout with an odd steep patch in between. This region is blessed with a very old & unique culture which thankfully is still preserved. You will get a very up close & personal experience of it today. On the trail you will meet locals from the nearby villages and get to see rare architectural beauty of local dwellings. We will cross a few villages en route to reach Seema, a small market place. We will camp ahead of Seema in the beautiful fields by the riverside. Overnight stay in tents.

Today is a short day of hike as we will climb to Debsu bugyal and camp there which is not very far away. The trail is a combination of rocky patches and river bound soil that gets washed down the slope. Walk along the meadow and proceed the east, as the clearing widens you will be able to see the mountains to the north and east both. Debsu is a truly pretty camping site. Debsu bugyal is a great place for birders! I spotted Himalayan Woodpecker, Himalayan Blue-tail pair, flocks of rose finches, a lone Red billed blue Magpie, Blue whistling thrush and many more in a very short timespan. Overnight stay at Debsu Bugyal campsite.

Today we start a bit early.  Take the trail that goes downhill to the north through the dark and dense forest to the river. The trail goes up pretty gradually. Small up and down sections will keep coming but nowhere they are very steep for the first 3-4 hours of your hike. The trail winds its way up to higher altitudes but never leaves the river. Gradually as the conifer forests on the slopes of north and south cease to exist, the majestic peak of Ruinsara and sister peaks come to view. Slowly the river valley widens and at last you enter a Birch grove. This flattish and lush valley presents an outlandish setting sure to touch your heart and soothe your eyes. This place however will indicate that the Ruinsara tal is just an hour away. We camp today in this grove. River flows nearby, so there is no dearth of water for cooking and drinking.

Hike to the end of the birch grove through a series of twisting pathways, crossing small streams and boulders. Start climbing steep sections through bare rocky patchs with dark brownish soil. In an hour we will reach in front of the the grassy ridge that runs in the middle of the gorge separating Ruinsara Tal and Ruinsara river. From here take the trail to the right that goes down to the river. View of the massive massif of Ruinsara peak dwarfs all the others things here. This is a place with stunning views of Swargarohini massif. Water is no problem here in summer. Pitch your tent, cook, finish dinner and hit the sleeping bag early, as tomorrow we’ll have an early start. Tomorrow will be a strenuous and long day!

We will start early, preferably by 6 in the morning. Hike up slowly but steadily, aiming the distant white ridge line to the south. As you hike up, the Bali pass gap and Bali top in the distance becomes visible. This is a region with a ghostly white surrounding. Nothing moves. Only the sound of your own breath and breaking of snow under your boots is all that is heard. This day trekkers will have to put some real effort here, as the altitude will reach to 4950m at the summit. After reaching the summit, one can get a panoramic view of snow capped swargarohini, bandarpoonch and kalanag(black peak) ranges. After clicking photos and spending some quality time on summit, the trekkers will move down towards damini forest for camping.

After breakfast we walk through the generally steep forest trail for an hour and hit the concrete made secondary pilgrim trail coming down from Yamunori temple. We descend for another half an hour and the concrete trail meets the bigger and busy primary trail that comes from the temple. Continue to descend along the flowing Yamuna for another 45 minutes to reach Janki Chatti, a busy small town during Char-dham yatra season. Arrive at Janki chatti and get check into the guest house. Get a well-deserved rest. Overnight stay in a guest house.

This is the last day of your adventure trip. After morning breakfast, we drive back to Dehradun with unforgettable memories of Bali Pass Trek.