Dharamsala /McLeod Ganj is one of 3 trekking hubs in Himachal Pradesh, the other two being Shimla and Manali. The towns of Dharamsala and McLeod Ganj, at about 1800 meters / 6000 feet are interesting places in themselves, exile of HH Dalai Lama and home of the exiled Tibetan government. The best description i’ve heard is that McLeod Ganj is a ” Buddhist monk zoo full of westerners engaged in losing/finding themselves/something else very significant”. However, I think you can also find the “real thing” in the spiritual department there.
As for trekking out of Dharamsala and McLeod Ganj, it’s all about the Dhauladhar Range located just north of the towns and the Pir Panjal Range a bit further north. Both these ranges are sub-ranges of the Great Himalayan Range. The treks you can do in these mountains are in the 4-5000 meter (13,000-16,500 ft) altitude range, typically takes 5 to 8 days and pose rather steep gradient trekking. If you have the time, you can combine 2 or 3 treks into one big circle, so you’ll get back to where you started via a different route.
The area (Kangra Valley south and Chamba Valley north of the Dhauladhars) literally has hundreds of interesting trails and passes you can trek. I can’t explain all of the trekking routes here, but I’ll mention some of the most popular and interesting ones, just to give you a taste and an overview of trekking around Dharamsala / McLeod Ganj. If you really want to explore the trails off the beaten track, I’ll suggest you get a copy of one of the following books, containing maps and more detailed route descriptions :
MAP TREKKING POINTS: (1) Dharamsala / McLeod Ganj, (2) Triund, (3) Inderhara Pass, (4) Minkiani Pass, (5) Chamba, (6) Chobia Pass, (7) Manimahesh Lake, (8) Kugti Pass, (9) Sari Pass. Click here to get the Google map that you can zoom and pan around on!(1 & 2) McLeod Ganj – Triund/Illaqa. An easy and popular little trek / day-walk taking you up to a 2800 meters / 9000 feet ridge below the Dhauladhar Range. Great views up there on a clear day! It’s a 9 km trail with tea-houses on the way and a campsite (and sparse accommodation) on the Triund site. If you continue going up, you’ll reach the snowline at Illaqa (3350 m, 11,000 ft) after 4 km and the Lahesh caves (3500 m, 11,500 ft) after further 2 km. The caves can “house” up to around 20 people. But most people spend a night at Triund and then go up to Illaqa and back to McLeod Ganj next day. This trek is open all year round, but be prepared for a bit of snow/ice trekking in the coldest months.
(3) Inderhara Pass (a.k.a. Laka Pass and various spelling forms, Indarhara, Indrhara…) is one of more than 10 passes crossing over the Dhauladhar Mountain Range. It’s 4350 m (14,300 ft), so out of Triund / Illaqa (see above) you should be able to make it up and down in one day (no camping gear needed). From the Lahesh caves, it’s about 3 hours up the steep trail. The beautiful Nag Dal (Lake) is a bit north-west of the pass. Crossing over into Chamba Valley will take 4-6 days. The Inderhara Pass is closed down most of the time between November and April.
(4) Minkiani Pass ( / Minikiani / Manikaran…), neighboring the Inderhara Pass (see above), but 100 meters lower (4250 m, 14,000 ft). Takes about 5 days to cross over, from Dharamsala into Chamba Valley (Donauli). On the trail up to the pass on the southern side is the Kareri Lake (previously glacial lake, now seasonal) and 5 km east of the pass (northern side) is the Lam Dal Lake (3900 m), the biggest lake in the Dhauladhar Mountains, about half a mile across! You can’t access it directly from the pass, but from the campsite below the pass (northern side), it is a beautiful little side-trip! The local Gaddi shepherds use this pass often but as late as May it can still be challenging due to snow/ice conditions. Or fun, if you have the proper gear!
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About Crossing the Dhauladhar Range:
Generally speaking, the south side trails are quite steep, the passes are closed by snow during winter and the north side has large boulders and moraine. Lots of fun! There are also several streams that become small rivers during the monsoon, making it hard to cross them at that time. There are more than 10 passes over the only 50 km long Himalayan sub-range. From west to east, they are : Belani Pass, Minkiani Pass, Gaj Pass, Inderhara Pass, Kundli Pass, Toral Pass, Talang Pass, Shinghar Pass, Waru Pass and Jalsu Pass. You are best equipped if you bring simple camping gear and, in the colder months, snow/ice trekking gear on almost all passes, although sometimes it is possible to complete a trek staying only in caves at night. Guides are recommended for beginners not familiar with trekking and the area, but not always needed. For treks in the Pir Panjal, I will recommend hiring a local guide at all times.
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(5) Chamba – main town in Chamba Valley and Chamba District. It is road connected with Dharamsala in the Kangra Valley below and serves as a road-head in and out of the Chamba Valley, with it’s many trail-head villages…
(6) Chobia Pass, just short of being a 5000 meter pass (4965 m / 16,300 ft), this trail can take you from Chamba into Lahaul and one of the world’s highest highways. The trail start around Brahmaur (road connected to Chamba) and as it steeply ascends and moves into glacier-land, there can be small crevasses to look out for. It’s a long and hard route for the experienced trekker, and you should not attempt without a local guide to show you the way.
(7) Manimahesh Lake in the Pir Panjal Range, 4080m, close to Manimahesh Kailash (5656m, virgin peak, ascents forbidden), very holy, pilgrimage tours in Aug-Sep (Jatras), motorable road goes to Hadsar (2280m), up 13 km streneous, steep trail along Manimahesh Ganga, Dhancho Village halfway has shelter all year, during pilgrimage more places. Also trail from Holi. Manimahesh = Shiva’s Jewel.
(8) Kugti Pass, 5040 m (16,500 ft) is another way of trekking from Dharamsala - Chamba Valley into Lahaul - Kullu Valley. Some trekking trail it is though! Should take you about a week, crossing the glaciers and possibly sheltering in natural rock caves… Like with the Chobia Pass (#6 above), this trail is not for newbies and requires a guide.
(9) Sari Pass, 3760 m (12,300 ft) is relatively easy (compared to #6 and #8 above). It makes an interesting alternative route between Manali and Dharamsala, through one of the most interior areas of the Western Himalayas. It’s best done with some elementary snow/ice trekking gear, as you will be going up/down along a small glacier.
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