Bagini Glacier Trek
Chamoli, Uttarakhand
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- Max altitude
- 4,600 m
- Days
- 8 days
- Distance
- 50 km
- Difficulty
- Difficult
A remote route with no lodges above Dronagiri: a steep landslide zone between Ruing and Dronagiri, a 10 km climb of about 900 m to Bagini Base Camp at around 4,500 m, moraine and glacier walking to Changabang Base Camp, and an 18 km descent day back to Ruing.
Photos
On the trail
The route
Day by day
Day 1
Dehradun → Joshimath (drive)
640 m → 1,875 m
Day 2
Joshimath (drive to Jumma) → Ruing
1,875 m → 2,800 m
Day 3
Ruing → Dronagiri village
2,800 m → 3,610 m
Day 4
Dronagiri village → Bagini Base Camp (via Longatulli)
3,610 m → 4,484 m
Day 5 · highest point
Bagini Base Camp → Bagini Base Camp (via Changabang Base Camp on the Bagini Glacier)
4,484 m → 4,600 m → 4,484 m
Day 6
Bagini Base Camp → Ruing (via Dronagiri)
4,484 m → 2,800 m
Day 7
Ruing → Jumma (drive to Joshimath)
2,800 m → 1,875 m
Day 8
Joshimath → Dehradun (drive)
1,875 m → 640 m
Ups and downs
Altitude profile
Where it is
Map
Trailhead and high point only — not a recorded track. Use it with a proper map.
Weather
Next 5 days on the trail
Live forecast for the trailhead and the high point. Mountain weather changes fast — check again on the morning you start.
Trailhead · Jumma
at 1,875 mLoading forecast…
High point · Changabang Base Camp, Bagini Glacier
at 4,600 mLoading forecast…
Each day: high / low °C · rain mm and chance · snow cm · wind km/h
Weather data: Open-Meteo.comModel forecast, not an official warning. For alerts follow IMD and the local administration.
Plan the trip
How to reach
- Trailhead
- Jumma (nearest town: Joshimath (Jyotirmath))
- Nearest railway
- Yog Nagari Rishikesh (Haridwar for most long-distance trains)
- Nearest airport
- Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun
- By road
- Rishikesh to Joshimath (about 270 km via Devprayag, Rudraprayag, Karnaprayag and Chamoli); Joshimath to Jumma (about 44 km on the Joshimath-Malari road along the Dhauliganga)
- Drive
- About 10 h from Rishikesh
Plan the trip
Permits and fees
We could not confirm the current permit rules and fees from an official source. Check with the local forest department or tourism office before you go.
Plan the trip
Cost
Self-guided
₹14,000–24,000
With an operator
₹20,000–40,000
Per person, ex-Rishikesh/Dehradun. Guided prices published October 2026: Trek The Himalayas ₹19,900 + 5% GST for 9 days ex-Rishikesh (permits included up to the Indian rate); Himalaya Shelter ₹38,000 + 5% GST for 8 days ex-Dehradun. Self-guided is our estimate: shared jeeps Rishikesh-Joshimath-Jumma and back, two guesthouse nights in Joshimath, a local guide and porter or mule from Jumma/Dronagiri for 6 days, tent and stove hire, food and forest entry fees.
Gear
Top picks for this trek
The gear that matters most on this route, chosen from its altitude, season and risks.
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Packing checklist
Matched to this trek: altitude, season, days and the risks on the route.
Packed 0 of 34
Nights near 4,600 m can drop close to freezing even in summer. Pack one more warm layer than you think.
Tick each item as it goes in the bag.
Know before you go
Good to know
- Mobile network
- Mobile signal is unreliable beyond the Joshimath-Malari road; Dronagiri has had a satellite phone for local calls, but trip reports say it often does not work.
- Last ATM
- Joshimath (Jyotirmath); the nearest market on the road is Suraithota, about 20 km before Jumma, and Ruing has only a small shop.
- Nearest hospital
- Joshimath (Jyotirmath) for first care; AIIMS Rishikesh for serious cases
- Water
- Streams near Ruing, below Dronagiri and at the Bagini camps; the Bagini Nala (Garud Gad) rises through the day, so cross it early in the morning. Boil or treat all water.
Highlights
- Close views of the sheer granite and ice faces of Changabang and Kalanka from the Bagini Glacier
- Dronagiri village, the high Bhotiya village below Dronagiri parvat, which the village honours as the mountain from which Hanuman ji carried the Sanjeevani to revive Lakshman ji in the Ramayana katha; in keeping with village tradition, the Ram Leela here stops at that scene
- Hathi Parvat, Ghori Parvat and Dunagiri seen along the climb from Ruing
- A quiet trail inside the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, far from the crowded Uttarakhand routes
Risks
- The trail between Ruing and Dronagiri crosses a steep landslide zone that is muddy and loose after rain.
- July-August monsoon brings landslides on the Joshimath-Malari road and the trail, and poor visibility; operators advise against trekking then (Trek The Himalayas still runs batches and asks for a buffer day).
- Himalaya Shelter says the route is inaccessible from November to April because of snow and avalanche risk; other operators do not run it then.
- Altitude: Bagini Base Camp is around 4,500 m and the climb from Dronagiri is about 900 m in a day, so acclimatise in Joshimath first.
- There are no shops, lodges or rescue services above Dronagiri, and mobile signal is unreliable.
Know before you go
Questions
How high is the Bagini Glacier trek?
Bagini Base Camp is about 4,484 m (14,711 ft). Operators give the high point as 4,500-4,600 m at Changabang Base Camp on the Bagini Glacier, reached as a day walk from Bagini Base Camp.
What is the best time to do the Bagini Glacier trek?
May-June and September-October. July-August monsoon brings landslides and poor views, and from November to April snow makes the upper route inaccessible.
How many days does the Bagini Glacier trek take, and where does it start?
The walk from Jumma to Changabang Base Camp and back takes 6 days; with the drive to Joshimath from Dehradun or Rishikesh and back, plan 8-9 days. Jumma is about 44 km from Joshimath on the Joshimath-Malari road, and Ruing village is a 3 km walk from there.
Is the Bagini Glacier trek difficult?
Operators grade it moderate to difficult. Days are long, the Ruing-Dronagiri stretch crosses a landslide zone, and the upper trail is over moraine at around 4,500 m. Prior Himalayan trekking experience helps.
Do I need a permit for the Bagini Glacier trek?
Yes. The route lies in the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve and needs forest department permission; guided groups include it. We could not confirm the current official fee, so self-guided trekkers should check at the forest office in Joshimath.
In an emergency
Save these numbers before you lose signal. Tap to call.
- 112All emergenciesIndia’s single emergency number — works in every state
- 108Ambulance
- 1077District disaster control room
You are in
District: ChamoliUttarakhand
- Nearest hospital
- Joshimath (Jyotirmath) for first care; AIIMS Rishikesh for serious cases
- Last ATM
- Joshimath (Jyotirmath); the nearest market on the road is Suraithota, about 20 km before Jumma, and Ruing has only a small shop.
- Phone network
- Mobile signal is unreliable beyond the Joshimath-Malari road; Dronagiri has had a satellite phone for local calls, but trip reports say it often does not work.
Before you set off
- Tell someone your route and when you will be back.
- Carry a charged phone and a power bank.
- Download an offline map of the route.
- Turn back if the weather turns bad — the mountain will wait.
Questions about Bagini Glacier
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Where this comes from
Sources
Last reviewed:
- Bagini Glacier Trek — Himalaya Shelter
- Bagini Glacier and Changbang Base Camp — Trek The Himalayas
- Bagini Glacier Trek — Tour My India
- Baghini Glacier Trek Details — Himalayan High
- How we trekked the Baghini Glacier — Himalayan High
- Bagini Glacier Trek (documented trek) — Indiahikes
- Bagini Glacier Trek — Trek Up India
- Bagini Glacier Trek Tour (Go Himalayas) — Go Himalayas
- Mountains of Sanjeevani — Down To Earth
Photos: Mechsourav, CC BY-SA 4.0; Charles Granville Bruce, Public domain
