Trekking permits and guides required?

Hi there!

Can you tell me please if permits and officially guides are needed for the following treks:

1. Valley of Flowers
2. Gangotri- Tapovan
3. Kedar tal
4. Dodi tal
5. Kuari pass
6. Rup kund

If so, can you tell me please where can I obtain the permits and arrange the guides?

Many thanks.

Anyone may trek to ALL these places without an official guide or permit. They are all open areas.

Kuari Pass and Rup Kund not advised without guide... unless you want to get lost in the area and never come back.

Hi AvidTrekker,

What make Kuari pass and Rup Kund, treks that is advised to take a guide with you?

Where can I find a guide? And how can I know if he is a good guide? And how much do you think it should cost?

Thanks!

Its a wild trek, esp the path leading up to Rup kund... and the jiuri gali crossing to hom kund.

If you do the Kuari pass ONLY... then you can go alone... follow the directions from your written guide. I assume you are a veteran in the Himalaya, [at least the nepal himalaya]. I also assume thay you will be able to carry a tent and gas and food and your everything if your alone... [ average 18 to 22 kg load even if you have superlight everything]

Guides available at Joshimath or Gwaldam.

Hi AvidTrekker,

My trekking experience is mainly in the New-Zealand Alps. I don’t have any experience in the Nepal and India Himalayan.

Do you think is safe to go only the Kuari Pass by yourself? And do you think it’s safe to go alone with local guide?

B.T.W- I don’t have any written guide for the treks; I’ve only got Leomann’s maps. Do you think it’s enough?

Thanks.

99 % of your answers are already posted. Search IM in the trekking forum and extend the date at the bottom to "the beginning". Excellent investment. After this, I shall gladly answer additional answers. Also search on "Roop kund" in ALL the forums [some TV related stuff is not in the trekking column, ....]

I understand you may be even a crack mountain n ice climber or something like that. If you get lost in the mountains even on a flat meadow, there is no rescue in normal circs by chopper or such things... unless you're the son of an embassy staffer or sum'in like that. Just be cautious.

You can do Kuari Pass by yourself MOST CERTAINLY.... but carry a good map [ leo's is OK] and always ask and greet ppl on the way... your way is populated thinly... but populated. LP's Trekking in the Indian Himalaya would be a "must read" for DIY trekkers.

Thanks for the information.

Don’t start your pursue into Himalayas with Roop Kund Trek. Its also a high altitude trek.

Better start with gangotri tapovan (too common though); or valley of flowers; or Har-ki-doon; or pindari kafni sunderdoonga glaciers. Panch kedar trek is also a nice option.

Search this very forum….it is a store of vast and almost all information u can possibly have.

Let himalaya unfold itself slowly. Instead of Rup kund you can try for
a) Doditaal
b) Lata- Kush kalyan- Buda kedar (dense jungle trek local person recommended)
c) Gnagotri- Tapovan (guide recommended beyond Gomukh)
d) Har-ki-doon
Best place to hire guide or other crew is through local agencies in Uttarkashi or GMVN. HAP and trained guides can be hired from NIM, campus ( canteen).
Attacks on trekker by unregistered guides/ crew is not uncommon now.
-ajoy

Avid !

I would add that he should not go without guide. Even KEDAR TAL should be added in this list.
Trails are changing and so is mountain life. Roaming alone in jungles of KUARI PASS is not a good idea.
Roop Kund does need a guide-unless someone is pro in reading contours and maps !