Rupin Pass Trek

A surprise in scenery every hour

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TREK DIFFICULTY

Moderate-Difficult

TREK DURATION

7 days

HIGHEST ALTITUDE

15,279 ft

A surprise in scenery every hour

If there is a trek in India that surprises you at every turn, it has to be the Rupin Pass trek. This trek is like an orchestra, building momentum with surprises in scenery every hour. You’ll never see it coming. Allow us to take you through the trek.

To begin with, Rupin Pass is a high altitude mountain pass, climbing to 15,250 feet. The adventure and thrill of ascending to such an altitude in the Indian Himalayas makes it a terrific trek on its own. And then come the surprises.  

The surprises begin even before the trek, on your drive from Rohru over the Chainsheel Pass. Unpaved roads wind uphill through forests, changing views by the minute. The forest is so unique that you will want to step out of your vehicle now and then to admire it. At around 11,000 feet, you burst out of the forests into grasslands. These grasslands stretch far and wide. They last until you reach the Chainsheel Pass. 

This is just a precursor to the trek. 

On the first day of your trek, the hanging village of Jakha, perched on a ridge, takes you by surprise. The next day, the sudden appearance of the tall and dark coniferous forest about an hour outside Jakha is jaw-dropping. The abrupt end of the forest and the sudden appearance of a snow bridge below you (if early in the season) are equally mind-boggling. 

We are yet to get to Day 2, where the islands of Saruwas Thatch and a sudden view of the famous Rupin Waterfall catch you by surprise. Even though you have heard the waterfall is tall, its sheer 1,500 ft drop takes you by surprise. 

The perfectly “U” shaped glacial valley of Dhanderas Thatch, with hundreds of waterfalls streaming down, make you marvel at how such formations naturally exist. The following day, climbing to the top of the Rupin waterfall over its numerous snow bridges is unexpected. Then, out of the blue, you get to the upper waterfall campsite, with the Rupin river calmly gliding alongside your camp. 

After a long climb from the upper waterfall camp, you step into the vast snowfields of Rata Pheri. It is an alpine setting that is least expected. 

From the edges of Rata Pheri, the first sight of the Rupin gully leaves you in awe, accompanied by an adrenaline rush. When you realise you have to climb the gully to get to the pass, it is an adventure that trekkers least expect. 

The climb to the knife-edged Rupin Pass, the vast slides on the snow after that, and the long grassy descent to the last Ronti Gad campsite are new surprises on the other side. 

The Rupin Pass trek is so full of quick scenery changes that it leaves trekkers breathless until the end. Only when you reach the road at Sangla, do the surprises finally end. 

Count the sudden scenery changes as you do the Rupin Pass trek. It is a unique combination of high-altitude adventure with stunning changes in scenery —a combination so rare that it makes the Rupin Pass one of the top treks to do in India. 

If there is a trek in India that surprises you at every turn, it has to be the Rupin Pass trek. This trek is like an orchestra, building momentum with surprises in scenery every hour. You’ll never see it coming. Allow us to take you through the trek.

To begin with, Rupin Pass is a high altitude mountain pass, climbing to 15,250 feet. The adventure and thrill of ascending to such an altitude in the Indian Himalayas makes it a terrific trek on its own. And then come the surprises.  

Rupin Pass Videos

About Rupin Pass trek
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How to prepare for your trek
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Videos by Indiahikes trekkers
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Rupin 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 Rupin 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.

Surprises on the Rupin Pass Trek

10 Surprising Twists on the Rupin Pass Trek

A change in scenery at every turn

1. Drive through Chainsheel Valley

The surprises on the Rupin Pass start even before the trek starts. The drive from Rohru to Jiskun passes through the Chainsheel Valley. Not many understand how unique and mind-boggling this drive is. It’s like a trek in fast-forward. You drive past dense rhododendron forests and then into the lush meadows that stretch for miles in front of you. Imagine driving right in the middle of such a landscape.

To add to this, you drive almost at 11,000 feet, at the height of Dhanderas Thatch (11,700 ft) on Rupin Pass trail. In fact, you can even see Dhanderas Thatch from a point on this drive!

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A glimpse of how picturous the drive through Chainsheel Valley is. Photo by Jothiranjan

2. The Hanging Village of Jakha 

Stepping past the post office of the Jiskun village, peer straight ahead and high up in the horizon. A cluster of houses, marking a village hangs out of the mountainside – so incredulous, that it takes time for you to fathom how a village can hang from the walls of a mountain. The village is Jakha, also commonly called the hanging village.

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If there is a trek in Himachal so rich in the ancient culture of the place, it has to be Rupin Pass. Photo by Jothiranjan

3. Fir forests after Jakha

Half hour outside Jakha village, the trail flattens out and plunges into a fir forest, so sudden that it is almost like a gate has opened up. Pine trees over 100 feet tall tower over the trail. And within the enchanting forest Maple trees play hide and seek. The forest ends as suddenly as it starts over a confluence of the Rupin with a tributary.

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The dark, deep fir forest of Rupin Valley is one to cherish. Photo by Vishwas Krishnamurthy

4. Buras Kandi and Saruwas Thatch

Later, past Udaknal and just past Buras Kandi, around a bend in the trail a sight leaves you gaping. Rhododendrons bloom everywhere and climb a thousand feet into the slope. It is a riot of colours: pink, violet and white Rhododendrons – all of the dwarf kind. Some of the Rhododendrons even swoop over the clear waters of the Rupin, their flowers falling into the river to be carried downstream forever. After Buras Kandi you enter Saruwas Thatch, which is another sight in itself. With bursts of yellow flowers and bees buzzing around them, it i a sight to behold!

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Buras Kandi is home to dwarf rhododendrons of almost all colours. It's a treat to your eyes! Photo by Jothiranjan.

5. The first view of the Rupin Waterfall

After a while, stepping over the roots of the Rhododendrons, the trail suddenly tunnels into a view of the U-shaped Rupin glacial valley. In the far distance, at the end of the valley, is the famous three stage Rupin waterfall. It appears to be falling from the clouds.

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The first sight of Rupin Waterfall is a stunning sight that leaves you in awe. Photo by Antara Naik

6. The Glacial Valley around the Rupin Waterfall

Soon after Saruwas Thatch, the trail climbs over a bump to suddenly stand on the lip of the glacial valley. The sight in front is straight out of a picture book. The Rupin flows gently, slowly through the middle of the greenest meadow that you have seen. On the sides of the valley, snow patches stick to the valley walls.

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The glacial U shaped valley around the Rupin Waterfall is a wonder in itself. Photo by Jothiranjan

7. Snow bridges in the valley

If you are trekking in summer, look out for the snow bridges that you have to cross on your way to the lower waterfall camp site (Dhanderas Thatch). Snow bridges are common on slopes but to see them on a wide open valley is a surprise.

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snow bridges are natural marvels that you rarely come across on any other trek. Photo by Jothiranjan

8. The Upper Waterfall Campsite

Getting to the upper water fall camp site is a series of switchback climbs over the three water falls (and many on snow bridges and patches). Climbing the final ridge, the Upper Waterfall campsite is unlike any place you have seen before. It is a large basin where icy flanks of mountains surround it. Below the flanks snow melts to form hundreds of little streams that join together to form the Rupin.

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Upper waterfall campsite where you see the origin of Rupin river. Tirth Bhatt

9. The Gully to Rupin Pass

The final climb to the Rupin pass is through a gully. In the narrow snow laden gully voices echo and reverberate through its confines – something that is new to most trekkers.

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Crossing the Rupin Gully is one of the most adventurous day on the Rupin Pass trek. Photo by Vishwas Krishnamurthy

10. The Kinner Kailash Ranges on the other side of the Pass

Getting out of the Ronti Gad campsite on the Sangla side, the trail descends harmlessly along over meadows, when a sudden bend on the trail brings you face to face with the towering summits of the Kinner Kailash ranges.

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As you get on to the other side of the Rupin Pass, you start seeing the Kinner Kailash range. Photo by Gajendra Kumar

Expert Speak

Arjun Majumdar, Founder, CEO

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Arjun Majumdar, Founder, CEO

Arjun Majumdar, the Founder of Indiahikes, went on the Rupin Pass trek much before he started Indiahikes. He is a veteran of the trekking community in India and one of the earliest to trek Rupin Pass and put it on the maps of our country. Here’s Arjun talking about the trek full of surprises.

What I Like and Don’t Like About the Rupin Pass Trek

What I Like About Rupin Pass

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Arjun Majumdar, Founder, CEO

Arjun Majumdar, the Founder of Indiahikes, went on the Rupin Pass trek much before he started Indiahikes. He is a veteran of the trekking community in India and one of the earliest to trek Rupin Pass and put it on the maps of our country. Here’s Arjun talking about the trek full of surprises.

1. The adventurous pass crossing

The Rupin gully is a half tube cut out of the mountainside. When you first see it from the trail, the sight of the near-vertical climb is enough to make your heart stop. (A sentiment even our staff and Trek Leaders attest to – despite having done this trek multiple times!).

The climb is 200 meters, on a steep snowy flank through narrow rocky confines of the mountain. As finding a foothold in this terrain is difficult, our staff will cut steps for you on the hard ice. As you climb, placing your foot on these steps – you find that voices echo and travel sharply all over the gully. This climb is as thrilling as it gets!

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The Rupin Pass crossing is one of the most adventurous pass crossings in the Himalayas. Picture by Lomesh Gururaj

2. The Lower waterfall campsite

The lower waterfall campsite is probably one of the most exquisite Himalayas have to offer. Snuggled at the bottom of a perfect “U” shaped glacial valley – it lies on the bed of a lush green meadow. From your view at the bottom of the meadow, snow-patched cliffs tower on all three sides.

In front, the Rupin cascades down from the snowy Dhauladhar range for over two thousand feet to form the famous Rupin waterfall.  Spending two days at this campsite is a luxury!

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The Lower Waterfall Campsite. Picture by Arthy

3. The grasslands on the Kinnaur side

From the snowline after the pass, the trail descends sharply through endless meadows that stretch to Sangla Kanda.  The Ronti Gad campsite is amid these grasslands. Towering, snow-capped mountains lean over the campsite and a bountiful stream flows along with the camp.

This is a gift after a long pass day! The meadows of Sangla Kanda are awe-inspiring, especially in its setting. The sharp serrated edge of the Kinnaur Kailash range, all over 20,000 ft, overlooking the meadows of Sangla Kanda is enough to make you stand still in amazement.

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The meadows of Sangla. Picture by Vivek Bagade