Mayali Pass

dooms

Hoi guys!
Just completed Mayali pass with 2 of my friends. Well i dont know what to say, its been a mix of some dificulty and some amazing views.

Here are the pics. Well my batteries died halfway onto Masartal. So the more exciting part of the trek is left out of my pics. But worry not, one of my friends has loads of photos. But it'll take some time for him to upload all pics.

Now for the trek and route update, here is what we did. We were 3 guys. Hired 1 guide, 1 cook and 3 porters. Trekked from Sep 4 to 12 - 9 days.

Day 1 - Ghuttu to Reeh 4 hours 10kms. Tough climb for a first day especially since the muscles arent toned.

Day 2 - Reeh to Gangi 4 hours 10kms. Tough climb for the first half.

Day 3 - Gangi to Kharsoli 7-8 hours 16kms. Not much climb but too much of a distance to be covered.

Day 4 - Kharsoli to Tambakund 5 hours ??kms. Relatively easy day though moderate climbs towards the end sort of becomes breathtaking because of the altitude.

Day 5 - Tambakund to Chowki and around. Reached Chowki in less than an hour and then took a stroll in the Chowki area after crossing a freezing cold stream. We went till the top of the ridge from where you can see the opening of the Khachotra glacier and a little beyond. Very pleasant walk back right across Chowki.

Day 6 - Chowki to Masartal 7kms 4 hours 40 mins! What a climb! both in terms of gradient and views. Not just views of the valley but also climbing terrain.

Day 7 - Masartal to a km before Vasuki tal 10 or 15 kms?? Around 8 hours. What a day! The day i was waiting for! The climb to Masartop took a little more than an hour. This is one of the most risky climbs i have done till date. Its sometimes more than 45 degree climb on boulders. When the sun is out, the icy surface on boulders become wet and slippery - very dangerous. Advice others to start very early for this stretch. Top of the world, thats what you feel standing on Masartop. The glacier view at Mayali is what this trek is all about. The next half hour was spent getting to the snowline through landslide area. The next 2 hours went from heaven to near hell and back to heaven at last on top of the pass. Its was hell again all the way down to Vasuki tal.

Day 8 - Vasuki Tal to Kedarnath 9 Kms 4 hours. Vasuki Tal is just amazing. It feels so spiritual here. They say falling in love is hard on the knees. Well falling in love of heights is definitely very hard on the knees. No views from here on with total cloud cover and my knees just getting hammered in getting down.

Day 9 - Kearnath to Gourikund 14kms 3.5 hours. Knee hell continues amidst horse shit.

Well this was my 2nd trek in Himalayas after Tapovan and was worried if i can take the strain (I am a typical go-office-sit kind of guy). Some trekking experience in western ghats certainly helped. In the end everything went well but i would have liked to be a little bit more fit. Preparing before the trek is very important and i screwed up with an un-necessary ankle strain a month before the trek which kind of persisted through the trek. Overall the trek was done right around the edge of my enjoyable effort limits, except ofcourse the descents . But the view from Masar top is worth any kind of effort.

Outdoor Adventure

D/Sriniwas,

Only three can cross Mayali Pass successfully. Well just kidding, as we were also three when we crossed it in May last week this year.

Masar Tal is Gadget guzzler, my Digital just went out of memory n in changng the battery I lost some of my most valuable pics.

From Ghuttu to Kharsoli, the route is quite geeky. I found Chowky is one of he best campsite in Indian Himalaya.

From Chowki to Masartal to Mayali Pass to Vasuki Tal to half way towards Kedarnath - there was deep bound snow on the entire route, when we crossed it. Only on descend from Mayali Pass to Vasuki Tal, there were some strenuous patches of boulders on the way. The 45 degree climb to MasarTop in 3-4 feet snow was experience of lifetime for us, we could do it only because our guide just did Raikee climb day before we attempted it.

View snaps of the trek.

http://in.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/hap...ippy/my_photos

Happy outdoor,

dooms

OA,
Yours might have been even tougher! We had snow only after the masartop climb and pobably till a couple of kms after the pass. The masar top climb had a few patches of snow but we could comfortably avoid them. The more risky one was the slippery boulders.

From Chowki onwards we were joined by 12 people from an Adventure club from Wester Railway, Bombay. There was a lot of traffic jam/bottleneck while crossing the pass and i kind of got exhausted just merely standing on those high snow inclines. It was 15 people that day who crossed the pass, so probably a multiple of 3 will do the trick

Had a look at your pics before i went there. Sorry about your batteries. I had put in a new battery(lithium) at chowki and it just died an hour into masartal climb. Quite inexplicable .

Chowki is definitely very beautiful. Walking across Chowki around the lake area was defnitely one of the high points of the trek.

Amitava343

This was one pass which I could complete on the forth attenpt. The third attemp was an inovative one, the trek to Mawali pass begins from Ghuttu nad ends at Kedarnath. Its a tough trek with altitude as height as 17500 feet and a very wide streach of Glacier which is to be crossed.
On my firt attempt, my guide fell sick, trek abondoned. On my second attempt I was able to go upto to Khatling Glacier from where the Bhilang or Bhil Ganga emerges.
The third attempt was abondaned as my friend who was not a trek lost his courage. All these attempts were from the regular side. It was after the third attempt I decided that I should attempt from the other side I was successful.
This is very popular trek amongthe Bengali trekkers but most do not know that it is actually easy from the Kedarnath side. There are several reasons for this. On the actual route you do not gain height till weel after the forth day into trekking. Whereas fromthe Kedarnath side you gain height on the first day itself. Trek to Kedarnath, take rest do Puja and start the actula trek the next day. Aclamatizing problem is over. The only problem is you do not get guides or porters fromn the Kedarnath side, You have to ask the Guide and porter to come to Gourikund from Ghuttu
Amitava343

lakshit

Correction:It's MAYALI PASS

Indojingai

Mawali ...

Next could be Bewadapuri

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ashutosh69

Did that in 2004 ...but from the Kedarnath side. We did get a massive snow field on the last 300 mtrs descent from the ridgeline to Vasuki taal and of course three large snowfields on the way up from Vasuki Taal. Amazing stuff!! But I guess Amitav would have done the longer route with Khatling Glacier and Masartal thrown in

Amitava343

Correction accepted its just how we Bengalis pronounce it
Amitava343

mantri1234

Can anybody give me the details about the Mawali pass trekking?
Thanks

ashutosh69

First of all...the place is called Mayali Pass NOT Mawali pass

Its the pass that connects Khatling- Masartaal region with Vasuki Taal and onwards to kedarnath


People go there either from Kedarnath-Vasuki Taal side or from the Khatling-Masar Taal side. You can travel from Khatling Glacier to Kedarnath via this route or just go vist and come back from either side.

Best time to do is June to September...however in June we had to cross significant amount of snow.
what specific detail would you need?

roy_supratim05

I want to trek to Mayali Pass with 4/5 of my friends in the month of June 2009. I know June 2009 is hell of 8 months later and also my Goecha La trek in October 2008 is very closer but still I can't resist myself of collecting information about Mayali Pass .

My itinerary is:

05-Jun-09/Friday/Day 1 - Home -> Howrah -> Board Doon Express
06-Jun-09/Saturday/Day 2 - On train
07-Jun-09/Sunday/Day 3 - Reach Haridwar -> Hrishikesh -> Tehri -> Ghuttu
08-Jun-09/Monday/Day 4 - Ghuttu -> Reeh
09-Jun-09/Tuesday/Day 5 - Reeh -> Gangi
10-Jun-09/Wednesday/Day 6 - Gangi -> Kharsoli
11-Jun-09/Thursday/Day 7 - Kharsoli -> Tambakund
12-Jun-09/Friday/Day 8 - Tambakund -> Chowki
13-Jun-09/Saturday/Day 9 - Chowki -> Masar Tal
14-Jun-09/Sunday/Day 10 - Masar Tal -> Masar Top -> Mayali Pass -> Vasuki Tal
15-Jun-09/Monday/Day 11 - Vasuki Tal -> Kedarnath
16-Jun-09/Tuesday/Day 12 - Reserve day
17-Jun-09/Wednesday/Day 13 - Kedarnath -> Gaurikund -> Rudra Prayag
18-Jun-09/Thursday/Day 14 - Rudra Prayag -> Hrishikesh -> Haridwar
19-Jun-09/Friday/Day 15 - Haridwar -> Board Doon Express
20-Jun-09/Saturday/Day 16 - On train
21-Jun-09/Sunday/Day 17 - Reach Howrah -> Home

as we are camping on average 2500/3000 meters for about 3 days, so I think we don't need any extra acclimatization day. Isn't it??

My queries are:

1. Haridwar -> Hrishikesh -> Tehri -> Ghuttu is transportable in one day?? What is the share jeep cost per head??

2. What are the rates of Guides and Porters?? Can I find them in Ghuttu?? I have to pay their return bus fare from Kedarnath -> Ghuttu??

3. What ice gears should I need? I will carry ice boot, gaiter, light crampon, ice axe, ropes, clothing & sleeping bag that can manage -15 degree C. Anything else should I need??

4. Generally how much will be the snow amount in June??

Thanks in advance.

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dooms

Roy,
Some answers,

1. Its possible in one day if you start very early say 7am. It'll be late evening by the time you reach Ghuttu.
2. You can find Guides and Porters in Ghuttu. Usual Garhwal rates apply (Guide 300-350Rs Porter 200Rs). It was even slightly lesser when i went there. You have to pay them the return fare from Gaurikund to Ghuttu. You also need to reach Ghuttu one day in advance if you want to arrange porters from there. Carry fuel if possible. We had some difficulty in finding the right quantity at Ghuttu.
3. That should be enough for Mayali in June.
4. June, its very difficult. Chances of making the pass are less. If possible do it in September.

See if you can plan for a rest day at Chowki. It'll help acclimatizing and provide proper rest before the very hard climb to the pass.

Dilliwala

1) You will have to go to Rishikesh, that's where the Ghuttu jeeps start from. Also 1 or 2 buses. It's 157 km/5-5.5 hours driving.
2) Here's the name of a guide at Ghuttu. You will also get porters there.

Amitava343

Suprotim
I have crossed the Mayali Pass fromthe opposite side Kedarnath to Ghuttu after three failed attempts from the regular side.
Busses for Ghuttu start from Rishikesh, alternatively you will get a bus from Haridwar at 6.00 am which goes till Ghanshali from there you can get a jeep to Ghuttu, sorry I do not know the rates.

All guides and porters for Mayali pass are available from Ghuttu however there is a question of reputation as anyone who has crossed the pass once becomes a guide!!!

I would recomend 1. Jaipal Singh he has crossed with a big group from Asansol during the month of June 2. Bhim Singh (the one that I crossed with from the other side). Please remember there are two Jaipal Singhs there one has a sweet shop (not recomended). I may still be remembered there at Ghuttu after all I have been to that place 7 times!!!!

Your days 7 8 9 and 10.

Gangi to Kharsoli is a good 16 kilometers downhill though but through dense jungle. Breakup to Birogh or a little further I do not know about June but in September you can camp at any place water is available everywhere. from Birodh to Khatling cave the next day.

Chowki to Masar tal is a very very steep climb over grassy plain and then over a landslide zone. I would recomend Khatling cave to Kundalia Bugiyal.

Masar tal to over pass to Vasukital may not be possible the same day. The Mayali pass is a half kilometer long glacier field which you have to cross and then climb up a snow wall on top of the pass (from the other side I slid down this wall)if you cross better to camp at Paniya tal.

Your snow gear is ok I did not have crampon.

June will be a difficult time to cross as most people try it in Sept-Oct I know of a person who has crossed in Nov begining also.
If you can find Bhim Singh tell about me and the reverse crossing he will remember.

Guides can be fixed before hand, the guide fixes the porters the rates should in between 250-400 for guides ans a little less for porters.

Write to then in advance Jaipal Singh Address (always send answear postcardsd or atamped self addressed envelopes)
Jaipal Singh (Guide)
Ghuttu
PO New Tehri
Utaranchal get the PIN from the net. If you want Bhim Singh replace his name
Good Luck and Happy trekking

roy_supratim05

Hi guys,

Thanks a lot for your inputs.

Actually I was in Goecha La route from 4th to 16th Oct. and after returning back I just lost this thread .

Anyway, the problem is, previously I decided for Mayali pass for June, but considering the snow factor I decided for Chandratal-Baralacha La. But again I found that there is chances of road/pass block and also the greenish land with blue water beauty can't be seen in the month of June.

So I'm a bit confused where to go for a good trek in June. Mayali is very attractive, but you know, reality is the most considerable factor in mountains. Can anyone give me any contact number of any guide in Ghuttu?? I recently have send a letter to Jaipal as mentioned by Amitava, but yet not received any reply. Please help me out.