Dhumdhar Kandi Pass Trek
Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand
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- Max altitude
- 5,490 m
- Days
- 12 days
- Distance
- 75 km
- Difficulty
- Challenging
A glaciated pass of about 5,490 m with a camp near 5,000 m, crevassed glacier, hard ice and snow fields; operators require prior high-altitude trek experience and ice-axe, microspike and rope skills, and the crossing day runs 9-10 hours.
Photos
On the trail
The route
Day by day
Day 1
Dehradun → Sankri
640 m → 1,920 m
Day 2
Sankri (drive to Taluka) → Seema
1,920 m → 2,560 m
Day 3
Seema → Devsu Bugyal
2,560 m → 3,000 m
Day 4
Devsu Bugyal → Ruinsara Tal
3,000 m → 3,500 m
Day 5
Ruinsara Tal → Kyarkoti Base Camp (below Kalanag)
3,500 m → 3,900 m
Day 6
Kyarkoti Base Camp → Dharon Odari
3,900 m → 4,500 m
Day 7
Dharon Odari → Camp 2
4,500 m → 5,000 m
Day 8 · highest point
Camp 2 → Ratiya Camp (via Dhumdhar Kandi Pass)
5,000 m → 5,490 m → 4,700 m
Day 9
Ratiya Camp → Kiarkoti (Bhagirathi side)
4,700 m → 3,525 m
Day 10
Kiarkoti → Dharian Gharat (Dorangatto)
3,525 m → 3,050 m
Day 11
Dharian Gharat → Jhala
3,050 m → 2,100 m
Day 12
Jhala → Dehradun
2,100 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 · Sankri
at 1,920 mLoading forecast…
High point · Dhumdhar Kandi Pass
at 5,490 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
- Sankri
- Nearest railway
- Dehradun
- Nearest airport
- Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun
- By road
- Dehradun to Sankri (about 200 km via Mussoorie, Purola and Mori); Return from Jhala to Dehradun (about 220 km via Harsil road, Uttarkashi)
- Drive
- About 8 h from Dehradun
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
₹35,000–60,000
With an operator
₹65,000–84,000
Per person, ex-Dehradun. Guided prices published October 2026: Himalaya Shelter ₹65,000 + 5% GST (Dehradun pickup, shared vehicle extra); Bikat Adventures ₹70,000 + 5% GST from Sankri, shared Dehradun transport paid on the spot; Trekup India ₹79,450 + 5% GST. White Magic Adventure lists a private departure at ₹1,56,000 per person (twin sharing, Dehradun to Dehradun). Self-guided is an estimate only for experienced glacier trekkers: shared transport to Sankri and back from Jhala, a local guide who knows the glacier, porters, tents, rope and ice gear hire, food for 10 trekking days and forest 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 35
Nights near 5,490 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
- Only BSNL and Jio work in Sankri; no mobile reception beyond Sankri or Taluka until you are back on the Bhagirathi side near Gangnani.
- Last ATM
- Sankri, according to operators; the trail has no ATMs or card payment, so carry enough cash from Purola or Dehradun.
- Nearest hospital
- Mori and Purola for first care on the Tons side; Uttarkashi district hospital on the Jhala side; AIIMS Rishikesh for serious cases
- Water
- Streams and glacial melt along the Ruinsara and Jhala valleys; above Dharon Odari water often has to be melted from snow. Boil or treat all water.
Highlights
- A true valley-to-valley crossing from the Tons (Supin-Ruinsara) valley to the Bhagirathi valley at Jhala, near Harsil
- Camping beside Ruinsara Tal under Kalanag (Black Peak) and Bandarpoonch
- Glacier travel and a camp near 5,000 m before the 5,490 m pass
- A far quieter and more technical route than the neighbouring Bali Pass, which crosses at about 4,950 m
Risks
- Crevassed glacier, hard ice and steep snow on the pass; rope, ice axe, microspikes and helmets are needed and the crossing day is 9-10 hours.
- Altitude: camps at about 4,500 m and 5,000 m with no quick descent route; operators require prior experience at 4,700-5,000 m.
- July-August monsoon brings landslides, washed-out trails and poor visibility (Himalaya Shelter advises against it).
- Rescue from the upper glacier is slow and costly and is not covered in trek fees; carry insurance that covers high-altitude rescue.
Know before you go
Questions
How difficult is the Dhumdhar Kandi Pass trek?
It is a challenging, technical trek. Bikat grades it Difficult (BRS 6) and asks for a previous BRS 5 trek; Himalayan High calls it Challenging with glacier crossings, crevasses, snow fields and hard ice. You need to be comfortable with an ice axe, microspikes and roping up, and sleeping near 5,000 m.
When is the best time for Dhumdhar Kandi Pass?
May, June, September and October, according to Bikat, Himalaya Shelter and Himalayan High. July and August bring monsoon landslides and poor visibility, and winter snow makes the glacier approach impractical.
Where does the trek start and end?
Most operators start at Sankri, trek up the Supin valley to Ruinsara Tal, cross the pass and finish at Jhala on the Gangotri road, then drive back to Dehradun. Some, such as White Magic Adventure, run it in reverse from Jhala to Sankri. It takes 12-13 days from Dehradun and covers about 75-78 km on foot.
How is Dhumdhar Kandi different from Bali Pass?
Both start from Sankri and pass Ruinsara Tal, but Bali Pass (about 4,950 m) turns south to Yamunotri, while Dhumdhar Kandi climbs the Kyarkoti valley over a glacier to about 5,490 m and descends east to Jhala in the Bhagirathi valley. It is longer, higher and more technical.
Is there mobile network on the route?
Only BSNL and Jio work in Sankri, with no reception beyond Sankri or Taluka. On the far side, BSNL, Airtel and Vodafone work again from Gangnani.
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: UttarkashiUttarakhand
- Nearest hospital
- Mori and Purola for first care on the Tons side; Uttarkashi district hospital on the Jhala side; AIIMS Rishikesh for serious cases
- Last ATM
- Sankri, according to operators; the trail has no ATMs or card payment, so carry enough cash from Purola or Dehradun.
- Phone network
- Only BSNL and Jio work in Sankri; no mobile reception beyond Sankri or Taluka until you are back on the Bhagirathi side near Gangnani.
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 Dhumdhar Kandi Pass
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Where this comes from
Sources
Last reviewed:
- Dhumdhar Kandi Pass Trek — Bikat Adventures
- Dhumdhar Kandi Trek — Himalaya Shelter
- Dhumdhar Kandi Pass Trek — Trekup India
- Dhumdhar Kandi Pass (5490m) — White Magic Adventure Travel
- Dhumdhar Kandi Pass Trekking Expedition — Himalayan High
Photos: Biswajit Majumdar, CC BY-SA 3.0; Biswajit Majumdar, CC BY-SA 3.0; Biswajit Majumdar, CC BY-SA 3.0
