Hamta Pass, Manali (4270M), June – Oct

Hamta Pass is a crossover trek situated at an altitude of 4270 m on the Pir Panjal range in the Himalayas. It is a small passage between Lahaul’s Chandra Valley and the Kullu valley of Himachal Pradesh, India. where the scenery keeps changing as it starts from the lush greenery of Kullu region and ends in the parched desert of Spiti. This is an all-in-one trek where you go through alpine forests of (Maple, Brich, Oak, Deodar) and enter the wide meadows, trekking next to the streams and once you reach the start of the snowline it’s a steep ascend all the way to the pass. This pass is frequently used by shepherds of the lower Himalayan region, seeking high altitude grasslands in the summer, when the dry cold desert of Lahaul is barren. The trek begins in the green Kullu valley and crosses over, through Hamta Pass, into the drier region of Lahaul. The trek takes climbers over glaciers, fast-flowing rivers, and challenging terrain, but is nevertheless regarded as suitable for fit beginners.

Beyond Hamta Pass, trekkers can choose to extend their trek towards the beautiful Chandrataal lake. The sheer beauty of this lake mesmerizes everyone. Pristine blue water keeps changing its hues throughout the day. The crystal-clear turquoise waters of the lake radiate and paints a new picture.

The lake is situated on the Samudra Tapu Plateau, which overlooks the Chandra river. The mountains overlook the lake on one side and a cirque closes it on the other. Interesting fact about this lake is that there is no visible source of water to this lake but there is a visible outlet which means the water of this lake comes from the underground, which is unusual. The legend goes like that god Indra’s chariot picked up Yudhistra from here and as a result, it draws a lot of devotees to this beautiful lake.