Auli to Tapovan via Kuari pass

I remember our conversations with our guide Sohan Singh Bisht and he did mention someone getting very uncomfortable capming in October. Would you like to talk to him? I can pass on his number to you.

If camping in October is terrible..then I guess..December is ruled out...except for a day trek from Auli..

I guess,,the best bet is you getup early and go far as you go from Auli..but better be back before night..

Auli - Gorson bugyal - Auli will be the best choice..

But do pass on the Number. thanks.

Sriram.B

Dear All,

Is this possible in december end 2009 and will the cold be manageable.

Day 1 - Auli-Gorsonbugyal-tali ( Camp near lake)
Day 2 - Tali-Auli

Regards
Sriram.B

Hi everyone..

Is kuari pass trek doable in 1st week of April?

Its doable if your experienced trekker and have right equipments. There would still be melting snow on route hence its not advisable.

Thanx dontstop99 for your quick reply..

I am quite new to trekking.I did couple of treks before this....

Do we need crampon and gaitors ?

I did the Kuari Pass trek in April'2009 and it was perfectly ok. There was no snow and no special equipment was needed. The daytime temperatures was warm, but nights were cold but manageable. Even in the Kuari Pass I was just wearing a sweat-shirt.

Thanks funny_in...

But due to some reason our plan has been postponed to September...
Thanks anyways....

hello all,

thanks for a great and very informative thread. i and a friend wanted to do a trek end of march (21-29) and wanted to the nanda devi sanctuary, but were told it will be closed due to snow. a local trekking operator suggested kuari pass (auli-tapovan) instead. we were almost decided on it until yesterday when another popular trekking operator said kuari pass will be snowed in as well and is suggesting har-ki-dun.

any suggestions/advice/pointers/experiences you can provide/share? is kuari pass doable during this time? har-ki-dun we are told is slightly easier. we don't have a lot of experience trekking in this region but have done some challenging hikes in the US.

thanks in advance.

Hi Anand,

I haven't been to Kuari-Pass but last year was planning same so had gathered info on it, It generally is doable from March end - April 1st week onwards (you should keep ice axe, that's it) but for past year or 2, there has been increasing trend of late snowfall in the Himalayas, like last year Har-Ki-Dun had single snowfall in Dec, almost nil in Jan-Feb and heavy in March - April, similar was situation at Manali and almost throughout the Himalayas. This year too, snowfall hasn't been that good till now, so can't really say, it's better that you checkout the snow forecasts just before you leave. Tungnath-Deoria taal is one trek, which is almost always doable.

I have done the Kuari Pass in April, and was not difficult. But you have to be physically fit to walk 5-6 hours a day in very steep mountains. As far as I know, it might be difficult to do the Kuari Pass in March.

Hi there
We are planning to trek the Kuari pass in late may. As it will be just the two uf us, do you recommend to book something with an agency? Or will it be sufficient or even needed to hire a local guide? If so, can you recommend a guide?
thanks!

Alex,

It will be appropriate if you pre-plan your trip with some experts. As foreign nationals I am almost sure that the forest dept would NOT allow you a Trek through these passes on your own. You will have to hire a guide and porter/s to get your permit approved. I did a reccee of this Trek 10 days ago it took us a lot of convincing from our side to let us go through the pass without porters. Despite the fact that we r professional trekkers and with several successful attempts through Gaursen/Kuari/Loha Jang passes. Forest dept aint very friendly in many ways.

*Unless you are a professional mountaineer with sizable numbers of expedition under your belt, you will find it difficult to enter those nasty passes on your own.*

Mod Note:
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Alex, you can turn up at Joshimath (the base for the trek) and decide which agency to use if you wish to use one. It does requires getting some permits and I did it via an agency but then I am sure there are souls on this board who would not do so.

We anyway turned at Joshimath, talked to a few agencies and then decided to go with what we thought was the best.

Mridula is quite right. As for the Travel agencies - they all operate on common terms (pricing, facility etc). And as far as obtaining permits are concerned then you would need a local assistance since you have to get Porter/guide etc. The forest dept - as I always quip - can be dodgy.