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Highlights Of Sar Pass Trek

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Highlights Of Sar Pass Trek

Written by

Aparna Rastogi

12 Jul 2024

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From the freshness of the forests, the movement of the river breaking the silence of the jungle to reaching a land dominated by the stillness of white snow, Sar Pass is a short journey of 5 days but an amply satisfying one. If you thought the beauty of Kasol is worth a visit, you are going to love what lies beyond.

We took it upon ourselves to sift through our experience of this trail and find the key highpoints which make it a must-have on your list of experiences.

1. Starting from Kasol, it is a vacation within a vacation

If you have been frequenting the mountains, there’s a high likelihood you have been to or at least heard of Kasol. Tucked between Manikaran and Bhuntar, Kasol is a hot favourite amongst backpackers. This tiny mountain town standing next to the vivacious Parvati River is also sometimes called Mini Israel of India for the large number of Israeli tourists in the town across the year. Kasol is known for its breathtaking landscapes, a place for the merging of cultures as it sees solo travellers from across the globe – a place for the free so to speak.

Going on the Sar Pass trek is like extending an already good vacation. Starting from Kasol, through the Paravati Valley, the trek takes you to a height of 4,223M across the pass and brings you back to Kasol. In a short span of 5-days it takes you across all that is beautiful about the Parvati Valley.

2. Grahan: A Fairytale Village

Of the many things that are great about the Sar Pass trek, one that is seldom talked about is Grahan village. The old wooden houses with stone roofs jutting out of the mountain side, the view of apple farms and snow-capped mountains in one frame and the welcoming villagers of this village which is 60 houses big, are what will make you want to come back here for an extended stay. Most houses here are turned into homestays which welcome travellers all throughout the year. The pleasant weather of the village adds to its appeal as does the simple lifestyle of the people living so close in proximity to the bustling town of Kasol.

Apple orchards and wooden houses against the last light of the sun

Image by: Neeti Singhal

3. The campsites here are par excellence

There are few treks with campsites and sunsets as beautiful as on the Sar Pass trek. And what's even better is that you get to spend a lot of time at each one since you reach each new campsite by early afternoon. Each campsite has something enticing to offer. First, of course, is Grahan Village. A night here is a delight in itself – engage with the local community, ask them stories about their very interesting lives, why alcohol is banned in the village and why only women are porters here. For each question, you will get a response that’s bound to surprise and fascinate.

Our porter peering down from her house

Image by: Neeti Singhal

Then comes Min Thatch, a massive meadow after walking endlessly under the closed canopy of a thick forest. Being witness to the wide-open sky after the jungle walk in itself is amply refreshing. The view from this open ground surrounded by forests, is not one you will forget soon. Remember to poke your head out during sundown and we guarantee you will not be disappointed.

The vast meadows of Min Thatch

Image by: Neeti Singhal

Nagaru is a campsite only a few hundred meters below the Pass. The winds on this open ground unobstructed by any tall structures can be quite menacing. You might want to spend the afternoon soaking in the sun and the evenings picking out as many peaks as you can name from the layers of mountains lined one behind the other.

Nagaru campsite at dusk

Image by: Neeti Singhal

Our last campsite, Biskeri Thatch, is also a meadow surrounded by rhododendrons. Back to warmer lands, the greens and the grazing horses placed against the glow of the sun are the things to cherish at this campsite.

Biskeri Thatch against the bright orange of a dying sunlight

Image by: Neeti Singhal

4. The terrain that transforms every day

Sar Pass is open for a short period of 2.5 months in a year. Within these months, the landscape changes drastically from April to May to June. If you want a landscape fully covered in snow, April is the best time to visit Sar Pass. If you like your snowy whites meshed with sprinkles of green, May may be the right time for you. If too much snow overwhelms you but you also don't want to give it a miss, June has just the right amount of snow stored for you on the trail. There are few trekking trails in the Himalayas which changes so constantly and quickly.

What’s even better is that this is one trail on which you get to engage with the local community all throughout the trek – all while indulging in your mid-mountain cravings of pahadon waali maggi, buransh ka ras and siddu (local Himachali dish).

One of the many dhabas on the trail

Image by: Neeti Singhal

5. An expedition-style midnight ascent on a trek, anyone?

There’s something about waking up in the middle of the night, suited with all your gears, and lined up with a white trail of head torches in the light of the moon in freezing temperature that gives you the feeling of a professional mountaineer and hence all the drive of one too. Crossing the Pass is not just exciting for its height and views but also for the experience of a night climb. You’ll realise climbing in the night feels so very different from climbing under the sun!

Climbing towards the Pass at 3 AM

Image by: Neeti Singhal

6. Female porters: Let’s hear it for these women in power

Here's a fun fact: On the Sar Pass Trek, only women carry loads. On inquiring why this is a norm on this trail, Sunitaji (our porter) informed us that this is mutually decided between the men and women of Grahan village. Women earn money this way and call it their own. They use it for all kinds of self-care and indulging in their fancies without having to worry about answering to anybody. How COOL is that!? This is the only trail where we’ve seen this happening. If you know of any more treks with similarly pleasant aberrations, we’d love to know 😊 These Himalayan microcultures are why we love the mountains and its people – we are forever curious and fascinated by them.

Our female porters: They sure know how to get a party started at 4,000M

Image by: Neeti Singhal

7. Go to Sar Pass for the view from the top

Have you ever heard, it is about the journey and not the destination? Well, that may be true but on Sar Pass, it is hard to trump the views from the destination at the top. The continuously steep climb which brings you to Sar Pass at 4,223M is worth every breath it takes to get here. Revealing the snow-capped mountains of the Parvati Valley, the dawn colours masking the peaks with a dull haze of blue make for a perfect morning. Go to Sar Pass for the beauty along the way but definitely go there for the view from the top! There's nothing better than biggies like Hanuman Tibba and Deo Tibba gracing your morning after a vertical climb.