Chandrakhani Pass Trek

Himachal's most loved pass climb for beginners

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TREK DIFFICULTY

Moderate

TREK DURATION

5 days

HIGHEST ALTITUDE

12,185 ft

Himachal's most loved pass climb for beginners

There is an interesting story about the Chandrakhani Pass. In ancient times, the presiding God of Malana, God Jamlu was carrying all the gods in a pot on this route. He opened the basket full of Gods on top of the Chandrakhani pass. A strong wind blew the gods away and they settled in various spots in the valley. Which is why even now the Kullu valley is called the valley of gods.

Our in-house photographers, Jothiranjan and Pritish Bhanushali, trekked to Chandrakhani Pass last year during the monsoon season. Check out this photo gallery to see an unedited account of what they saw!

This trek is a cultural treasure for those who want to know more about the Kullu Valley. The villages, the architecture, the people, and the culture are a living history book. The trek is also an ancient shepherd's trail. So don’t be surprised to find hundreds of sheep herded by a shepherd on your trail. The many shepherd huts on the way are good rest points. Some may even offer you tea! 

The trek is also known for the beauty of its forests on either side. It lifts trekkers spirit with joy. The forests are cool, dark and throws in a lot of variety. You start the trek staring at the tall pines. Before you know it, you are transitioning into maple and oak forests. Finally walking through a rhododendron forest. The forests have almost been crafted for whistling through them. Their sheer variety peels in front of you layer by layer. The smell of the woods is always with you.

You camp on clearings within the forest. The clearings getting bigger and bigger as you climb higher. Once outside the tree line, the grasslands of the upper Kullu valley is a delightful trek. If you have a clear sky the views of both the Pir Panjal and Dhauladhar ranges dominate the horizon. 

Finally, the 2 km ridge walk from Chaklani to the summit is rare. In none of our treks do we have a ridge walk, almost like walking on a cornice to the summit (in this case the pass). The wind on the summit ridge can be strong, yet the adventurous thrill of getting to the pass is high. The view on all sides is astounding. Flowers blooming all around. Once you reach the summit, you see the opposite side of the valley, the Pin Parvati Valley. The 180° view of the mountains is something to die for.

The Chandrakhani pass has a lot of history, culture and stories around it. Trekkers have yet another terrific trek to do in June-August in Himachal Pradesh. 

There is an interesting story about the Chandrakhani Pass. In ancient times, the presiding God of Malana, God Jamlu was carrying all the gods in a pot on this route. He opened the basket full of Gods on top of the Chandrakhani pass. A strong wind blew the gods away and they settled in various spots in the valley. Which is why even now the Kullu valley is called the valley of gods.

Our in-house photographers, Jothiranjan and Pritish Bhanushali, trekked to Chandrakhani Pass last year during the monsoon season. Check out this photo gallery to see an unedited account of what they saw!

This trek is a cultural treasure for those who want to know more about the Kullu Valley. The villages, the architecture, the people, and the culture are a living history book. The trek is also an ancient shepherd's trail. So don’t be surprised to find hundreds of sheep herded by a shepherd on your trail. The many shepherd huts on the way are good rest points. Some may even offer you tea! 

Chandrakhani Pass - Complete Trek Information

We have always wanted trekkers to be well-informed before they go on a Himalayan trek. Knowledge is the difference between a safe trek and a dangerous one. It’s also the difference between a wholesome experience and a superficial experience.

Use this section to learn about the Chandrakhani Pass trek. It has in-depth information about each day of the trek, what to expect, and how you need to prepare for it. Many years of expertise have gone into this content. Trekkers find that extremely useful.

Chandrakhani Pass Videos

About the Chandrakhani Pass trek
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How to prepare for your trek
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Videos by Indiahikes trekkers
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Highlights

What We Like About the Chandrakhani Pass Trek

1. The mixed forest trail 

The forests on this trek are out of the world. They are dense. The variety surprises you. 

You enter the forest trail as soon as you are out of the Rumsu village. You trek in the deep dense forest filled with pine, deodar and maple trees. Chirping of birds, scent of wood and rustling of leaves makes you feel like you are in a different world altogether. 

Then as you go higher, the rhododendron trees welcome you. An entire section from Naya Tapru to Chaklani dominated by rhododendron trees is a beautiful trail to trek on. 

As this was not enough, the forests on the other side of the pass are equally beautiful. And a pleasant descent under the tall dense tree cover is exactly what you need after a long summit day!

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A delightful forest section on the very first day of your trek. Picture by Jothiranjan

2. The stunning mountain views

The Chandrakhani Pass trek is known for its mountain views. 

Not just on the summit day, you start witnessing stunning snow-capped mountains from the very first campsite. You see Mt Hanuman Tibba, Friendship Peak, Indrasan Peak and many more. They play hide and seek as you navigate further through the forest section and various clearings. 

On Summit day, when you are walking on the ridge, on your left lies the Dhauladhar range and to the right is the Pir Panjal range that further extends to the Parvathi range. The grandeur of these views is mind-boggling. You may have a hard time deciding which side to look at!

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If there is a trek in Himachal for mountain views, it's the Chandrakhani Pass trek. Picture by Jothiranjan

3. The massive clearings

Chandrakhani Pass is famous for its clearings. With camping banned in the meadows of Uttarakhand, these clearings are the closest experience to camping on wide meadows.

On this trek, you come across four such vast clearings. The biggest one, the upper Naya Tapru clearing is almost 1.5 km wide.

From these clearings, you also get to see a wide expanse of snow peak mountains and villages of Himachal down below.

You might even meet some shepherds quitely going about their day with hundreds of sheep. Do not miss the chance to interact with them and learn about how they live. They are usually very kind and always eager to share local stories. If you are lucky, he might even treat you to a glass of goat's milk.

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4. The huge variety of flowers

There is a reason why this trek is unofficially called Himachal's valley of flowers trek.

Our in house photographer Pritish Bhanushali went on this trek in August on this trek. He was absolutely enthralled by the sheer volume and variety of flowers that he found on the trek.

His team of trekkers experienced cloudy weather due to which they could not experience fantastic mountain views. However, this is what he had to say "I went to Chandrakhani to capture its famous mountain views. Sadly, nature had other plans for us. But I did not have the time to be sad as the absolute greenery and wildflowers that I experienced were unbelievable. I don't know why we are not opening this as some sort of flower bouquet trek!"

To experience such amount of wildflowers, you have to time your trek right. Go during the rainy season, which is July and August.

If by chance you are worried about getting wet, don't be. It has been a common pattern that this region receives rain only in the afternoon and evening. By that time, you will have completed your trek for the day and would be resting at your cozy campsites.

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