Hampta Pass Trek Guide: Have you seen the magical door of the Himalayas? At an altitude of 14,100 feet, where green mountains meet the desert

If you dream of a journey where the magic of nature is scattered at every step, then this magical world exists in reality. ‘Hampta Pass’ situated at an altitude of 14,100 feet is one of the most beautiful and exciting tracks of India. This unique track connects the lush green, velvety valleys of Kullu in Himachal Pradesh with the cold, rocky and sandy desert of Lahaul and Spiti. In this journey, you get to see a wonderful combination of dense forests, blankets of flowers, snowy peaks and desert together. Let us know how you can complete this miraculous journey of nature. Manali to Jobra: Beginning of the magical journey To embark on an exciting journey to Hampta Pass, first of all you will have to reach Manali, the famous tourist destination of Himachal. ‘Jobra village’, located at a distance of about 20 kilometers from Manali, is the starting point of this track. The paved road ends at Jobra and the real trekking begins from here. First stop: Jobara to Cheeka Base Camp The aim of the first day of trekking is to reach the Cheeka campsite from Jobara. This distance is about 3 kilometers, which takes 4 to 5 hours to complete. Crossing wooden bridges over the river and dense forests, you reach a height where the trees end and lush green grasslands begin. Cheeka Campsite is built on the banks of the river ‘Rani Nala’, where a beautiful waterfall adds to its beauty. The weather here remains pleasant during the day, but as the sun sets, the mercury drops rapidly. Biggest Challenge: Cheeka to Balu Ka Ghera The journey on the second day is from Cheeka to ‘Balu Ka Ghera’, which is considered to be one of the toughest challenges of this entire track. Even very fit people lose their courage on this steep 10 kilometer long route. On the way there comes a very beautiful place named ‘Jwara’. Before reaching the sandbank you have to wade knee-deep into cold, bone-chilling river water and cross a strong current. After about 7 to 8 hours of hard work, the trackers reach the sand circle by evening. Specialties of Sand Circle: 0 degree temperature and blanket of stars. Sand Circle is such a unique ground where only sand is visible all around. Rani Nala river flows on its banks and hard icy glaciers are present. The night temperature here goes below 0 degree Celsius. Due to being at a very high altitude, the night here is very beautiful, where the bright sheet of millions of stars is clearly visible in the pollution-free sky. Day 3: Hampta Pass Fatah and Sheya Goru Camp The third day of the trek is the most testing one. On this day, you slide carefully on the snow and reach the highest peak of 14,100 feet ‘Hampta Pass’. Due to low air pressure here, some people may have difficulty in breathing, hence it is mandatory to have trekking shoes and hiking stick with a good grip. After reaching Hampta Pass, amazing views of the Himalayas are visible. After this, the very dangerous slope towards Sheya Goru Camp begins. Descending the mountains is more risky than climbing them, hence one has to step very carefully here. Last stop: Chataru Camp and visit of the sacred ‘Chandratal Lake’. Leaving Sheya Goru Camp in the morning, you travel 5 kilometers and reach Chataru, from where the sandy and rocky desert of Lahaul-Spiti begins. From Chataru, one leaves for the world famous ‘Chandratal Lake’ located about 70-75 kilometers away by vehicle (SUV). This beautiful lake has also been mentioned in the Bollywood movie ‘Lootera’. Situated at an altitude of 4,300 meters, this lake is crescent shaped. The biggest feature of this lake is that its color keeps changing from blue to green at different times of the day. This magical track of Hampta Pass is considered incomplete without the darshan of Chandratal. After spending time here, the trekkers return to Manali via Chataru.