Brij Ganga Pass Trek
Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand
Opens without signal on this phone, with the map file and checklist. Saved for offline →
- Max altitude
- 4,666 m
- Days
- 12 days
- Distance
- 105 km
- Difficulty
- Challenging
A remote high-pass crossing of about 4,666 m between the Milam (Gori Ganga) and Ralam valleys, reached only after five days up the rocky Gori Ganga gorge; the pass day is long, the descent to Ralam is steep, and there is no road evacuation or mobile signal for most of the loop.
Photos
On the trail
The route
Day by day
Day 1
Kathgodam → Munsiyari
554 m → 2,290 m
Day 2
Munsiyari → Lilam (via Jimighat)
2,290 m → 1,850 m
Day 3
Lilam → Bugdiyar
1,850 m → 2,500 m
Day 4
Bugdiyar → Rilkot
2,500 m → 3,130 m
Day 5
Rilkot → Milam village (via Martoli)
3,130 m → 3,430 m
Day 6
Milam village → Burphu
3,430 m → 3,350 m
Day 7
Burphu → Brij Ganga Pass high camp (via Tola)
3,350 m → 3,800 m
Day 8 · highest point
Brij Ganga Pass high camp → Marjhali (Ralam valley)
3,800 m → 4,666 m → 3,400 m
Day 9
Marjhali → Lingurani
3,400 m → 2,100 m
Day 10
Lingurani → Paton (Panto)
2,100 m → 1,800 m
Day 11
Paton → Munsiyari (walk to road head, then jeep)
1,800 m → 2,290 m
Day 12
Munsiyari → Kathgodam
2,290 m → 554 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 · Munsiyari (Munsyari, Munsiari)
at 2,290 mLoading forecast…
High point · Brij Ganga Pass (approximate position, on the ridge between Tola in the Milam valley and Ralam)
at 4,666 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
- Munsiyari (Munsyari, Munsiari)
- Nearest railway
- Kathgodam
- Nearest airport
- Pantnagar Airport (about 250 km from Munsiyari)
- By road
- Kathgodam (about 275 km via Almora and Bageshwar, 9-11 hours)
- Drive
- About 10 h from Kathgodam
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
₹18,000–30,000
With an operator
₹45,000–80,000
Per person, ex-Kathgodam. Both ranges are our estimates: Trek The Himalayas lists the trek without a price and Travelderness quotes on request, so no operator price was found (October 2026). The guided range follows published prices for the neighbouring Milam Glacier trek (about ₹75,000 for a 16-day Milam package) plus the extra pass days. Self-guided assumes shared jeeps Kathgodam-Munsiyari both ways, a local guide who knows the pass, porters or mules for about 10 days, tent and stove hire and food from Munsiyari.
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 4,666 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 in Munsiyari; no published coverage beyond it, so plan for no signal on the loop.
- Last ATM
- Munsiyari
- Nearest hospital
- Health centre at Munsiyari for first care; Pithoragarh district hospital for serious cases
- Water
- The Gori Ganga, Ralam Gad and side streams; little water on the climb to the pass itself. Boil or treat all water.
Highlights
- Crossing the Brij Ganga Pass, about 4,666 m, with views across the Nanda Devi group of peaks
- Walking the old Johar valley trade route to Tibet up the Gori Ganga gorge to Milam
- Linking two valleys in one loop: the Milam (Gori Ganga) valley out, the remote Ralam valley back
- The stone villages of Martoli, Milam, Burphu and Tola, summer homes of the Johari Shauka people
Risks
- Remote high pass: no road evacuation and no mobile signal for most of the loop; go only with a local guide who has crossed the pass.
- July to early September monsoon brings landslides and floods in the Gori Ganga gorge (a risk named by Milam valley operators).
- Snow can lie on the pass well into June and returns from November; check conditions in Munsiyari before committing to the crossing.
- Border area with ITBP check posts and Inner Line rules; carry photo ID and confirm permit requirements at the SDM office in Munsiyari.
- Road building on the Munsiyari-Milam route may change road heads and bring blasting debris on the trail; ask locally.
Know before you go
Questions
How high is Brij Ganga Pass?
Trek The Himalayas gives 4,666 m (15,300 ft). One Travelderness itinerary calls the col it crosses between Burphu and Marjhali 'Ralam Pass' and gives 4,575 m, so treat the height as about 4,600-4,700 m.
Where does the Brij Ganga Pass trek start?
From Munsiyari in Pithoragarh district, about 275 km and 10 hours by road from Kathgodam. The usual route walks up the Milam valley to Burphu, crosses the pass into the Ralam valley and comes back down through Lingurani and Paton to the road near Munsiyari.
How many days does the trek take?
About 12 days Kathgodam to Kathgodam for the loop. Travelderness sells a 14-day version that adds a side trip to Nanda Devi base camp and Milam Glacier.
Do I need a permit for Brij Ganga Pass?
The route runs through a border area near Tibet with ITBP check posts. We found no current official permit notice, so carry photo ID and check with the SDM office in Munsiyari before you start.
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: PithoragarhUttarakhand
- Nearest hospital
- Health centre at Munsiyari for first care; Pithoragarh district hospital for serious cases
- Last ATM
- Munsiyari
- Phone network
- Mobile signal in Munsiyari; no published coverage beyond it, so plan for no signal on the loop.
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 Brij Ganga Pass
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Where this comes from
Sources
Last reviewed:
- Uttarakhand Treks - Brij Ganga Pass Trek — Trek The Himalayas
- Johar - Ralam Valley Trek Tour — Travelderness
- More High Passes in Kumaun (Himalayan Journal 63) — The Himalayan Club
Photos: L. Shyamal, CC BY-SA 3.0; Vikalp vikalp, CC0; Unknown author, Public domain
