Chanshal Pass Trek
Shimla, Himachal Pradesh
Opens without signal on this phone, with the map file and checklist. Saved for offline →
- Max altitude
- 3,750 m
- Days
- 4 days
- Distance
- 22 km
- Difficulty
- Moderate
Bikat rates it easy (3 on its scale) and the daily distances are short, but in winter the walk to the 3,750 m pass is on snow with a steep final climb and nights of 0 to -8 °C, so some trekking experience helps.
Photos
On the trail
The route
Day by day
Day 1
Shimla → Kharshali (near Larot)
2,200 m → 2,400 m
Day 2
Kharshali → Madui Thatch
2,400 m → 3,100 m
Day 3 · highest point
Madui Thatch → Madui Thatch (via Chanshal Pass)
3,100 m → 3,750 m → 3,100 m
Day 4
Madui Thatch → Guma (drive to Shimla)
3,100 m → 2,400 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 · Larot
at 2,400 mLoading forecast…
High point · Chanshal Pass
at 3,750 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
- Larot (nearest town: Rohru)
- Nearest railway
- Shimla (Kalka on the broad gauge)
- Nearest airport
- Shimla Airport, Jubbarhatti (Chandigarh for most flights)
- By road
- Shimla via Theog, Kotkhai, Kharapathar, Hatkoti, Rohru and Larot (about 160 km); Shimla via Theog, Narkanda, Rohru and Larot (about 175 km)
- Drive
- About 7 h from Shimla
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
₹4,000–7,000
With an operator
₹7,500–12,000
Per person, ex-Shimla. Bikat Adventures publishes its 4-day Chanshal Pass trek as 'On Request + 5% GST'; Your Mountain Friend lists a 4-day Chanshal Pass and Saru Lake camping trip from Shimla at ₹7,500 (October 2026). Only one operator price was found, so the upper end is our estimate. Self-guided is an estimate: HRTC bus Shimla-Rohru, a taxi to Larot, a local guide, tent and stove hire and food for three nights.
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 31
Nights near 3,750 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
- Not confirmed by our sources; expect weak or no signal above Larot.
- Last ATM
- Rohru (the Shimla district office advises carrying extra cash)
- Nearest hospital
- No medical facility on the way to the pass (Shimla district office); Rohru for first care, Shimla for serious cases
- Water
- Streams near the thatches (high pastures) in summer; in winter water may have to be melted from snow. Boil or treat all water.
Highlights
- Chanshal Pass (about 3,750 m), the high saddle between Rohru and the remote Dodra-Kwar valley, below Chanshal Peak, the highest peak in Shimla district
- Pine and fir forest above Larot that operators run as a snow trek in December to March
- Wide high pastures with grazing horses and boulders around the pass in summer
- Views over the Pabbar valley and the snow peaks of the Chanshal range
Risks
- A motor road crosses the pass from May to November, so summer walks share the area with jeeps and bikes; the walking route is mainly sold as a winter snow trek.
- In winter the road is shut by snow and the steep final climb to the pass is on snow; nights fall to 0 to -8 °C (Bikat) and the district office warns of temperatures below -10 °C.
- July to mid-September brings monsoon landslides on the Rohru-Larot-Chanshal road; Bikat does not run the trek in July and August.
- At about 3,750 m altitude sickness is possible, especially when driving straight up from Shimla in a day.
Know before you go
Questions
Is Chanshal Pass a trek or a road?
Both. A seasonal road from Rohru (Chirgaon) via Larot crosses the pass to Dodra-Kwar and is open to vehicles from May to November. Operators sell a walking route through the forest above Larot to the pass, mainly in winter when the road is snowed in; Bikat Adventures runs it as a 4-day, 22 km trek from Shimla.
What is the height of Chanshal Pass?
About 3,750 m (the Shimla district office gives 3,755 m, Wikipedia 3,749 m and Bikat 3,750 m). The 4,520 m figure some sites quote is Chanshal Peak, the summit above the pass.
When is the best time for the Chanshal Pass trek?
For green meadows and an open road, late June, September and October (Shimla district office; Trekup India adds May). For a snow trek, Bikat recommends December to March and avoids July and August because of the monsoon.
How do I reach the start of the Chanshal Pass trek?
Drive from Shimla to Rohru and on to Larot, about 160 km via Theog, Kotkhai and Hatkoti or about 175 km via Narkanda. Public transport beyond Rohru is limited, so most trekkers use a taxi or the operator's pickup from Shimla ISBT.
Do I need a permit for Chanshal Pass?
We found no official permit or fee for this route. Himachal Pradesh runs an online trekking registration portal (trekking.hp.gov.in), which we could not reach, so check registration rules locally in Rohru before you go.
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: ShimlaHimachal Pradesh
- Nearest hospital
- No medical facility on the way to the pass (Shimla district office); Rohru for first care, Shimla for serious cases
- Last ATM
- Rohru (the Shimla district office advises carrying extra cash)
- Phone network
- Not confirmed by our sources; expect weak or no signal above Larot.
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 Chanshal Pass
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Where this comes from
Sources
Last reviewed:
- Chanshal Pass | Shimla District, Government of Himachal Pradesh — District Administration Shimla, Government of Himachal Pradesh (official)
- Chanshal Pass Trek — Bikat Adventures
- Chanshal Pass Trek — Trekup India
- Chanshal Pass — Wikipedia
- Chanshal Pass Saru Lake Tour — Your Mountain Friend (via TourTravelWorld)
Photos: Prithvijeet Singh Thakur, CC BY-SA 4.0; Abhay tanta, CC BY 4.0; Ankita Verma 357, CC BY-SA 4.0
