Kali Cho Pass Trek
Chamba (Bharmour) and Lahaul and Spiti, Himachal Pradesh
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- Max altitude
- 4,950 m
- Days
- 6 days
- Distance
- 56 km
- Difficulty
- Challenging
A remote, little-marked Gaddi shepherd crossing of the Pir Panjal to about 4,950 m. The climb from the Alyas (Lahesh) camp is steep and risky, crosses a snow patch above a gorge and a crevassed glacier zone the Gaddis call Kali Khappar, and the pass day runs 12 hours or more. Indiahikes says the trail is easily lost without an expert guide and quotes Harish Kapadia that it should not be crossed without rope and ice axe.
Photos
On the trail
The route
Day by day
Day 1
Bharmour (drive about 28 km to Badgran / Tundah) → Bhadra village
2,350 m → 2,300 m
Day 2
Bhadra village → Leundi
2,300 m → 2,900 m
Day 3
Leundi → Bansar Goth
2,900 m → 3,300 m
Day 4
Bansar Goth (via the Diggu Wazir temple) → Alyas / Lahesh (Chamba side base camp)
3,300 m → 3,900 m
Day 5 · highest point
Alyas (Chamba side) → Alyas (Lahaul side) via Kali Cho Pass
3,900 m → 4,950 m → 3,800 m
Day 6
Alyas (Lahaul side) → Trilokinath / Hinsa (drive to Udaipur)
3,800 m → 2,800 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 · Tundah / Badgran road-head below Bhadra village
at 2,350 mLoading forecast…
High point · Kali Cho Pass
at 4,950 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
- Tundah / Badgran road-head below Bhadra village (nearest town: Bharmour)
- Nearest railway
- Pathankot (then bus or taxi via Chamba to Bharmour)
- Nearest airport
- Kangra (Gaggal) Airport near Dharamshala; Pathankot has a few flights
- By road
- Pathankot to Chamba and on to Bharmour by HRTC bus or taxi; Bharmour back down the Chamba road about 20 km to the Dhakog (Banni Mata) bridge, then a steep link road to Tundah and Badgran by shared or hired jeep; Exit: from Trilokinath about 14 km by taxi to Udaipur, then by bus or taxi via Keylong to Manali
- Drive
- About 7 h from Pathankot
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
₹10,000–18,000
With an operator
₹20,000–30,000
Per person, ex-Bharmour. Estimates only: no operator published a price for this trek in October 2026 (Himalayan Hikers and TrekUp India list it without a fare). The guided range is set against comparable Chamba-Lahaul pass crossings such as Kugti Pass (about ₹20,000-23,000 with GST in 2026) plus an extra day. Self-guided covers jeep Bharmour-Tundah, a local Gaddi guide (essential) and porters for six days, tent and stove hire, food bought in Bharmour, and the taxi or bus from Trilokinath to Udaipur and Manali.
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 37
Nights near 4,950 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
- Signal in Bharmour and on the Chamba road; operators describe the trail beyond the last villages as having no mobile connectivity until Trilokinath and Udaipur in Lahaul.
- Last ATM
- Bharmour. Buy all supplies there and carry cash; Bhadra is the last village on the Chamba side.
- Nearest hospital
- The government health centre in Bharmour on the Chamba side; on the Lahaul side the PHC at Hinsa near Trilokinath, then the hospital at Keylong.
- Water
- Streams and rivulets between Bhadra, Leundi, Bansar Goth and Alyas; snowmelt on the pass day. Treat all water.
Highlights
- One of the three great Pir Panjal passes linking Chamba with Lahaul (with Kugti and Chobia), crossed for centuries by Gaddi shepherds taking flocks to Lahaul's summer pastures
- The Banni Mata temple, one of the most revered shrines of Bhagwati in Chamba, where by Gaddi custom permission and the dates for the crossing are given
- Green pastures and Gaddi shepherd huts at Bansar Goth, and the small temple of Diggu Wazir, whom Gaddis honour as the first to cross the pass
- The pass itself, honoured as the abode of Adishakti Bhagwati (Bhadrakali), with red flags and a small Kali Mata shrine on top, then the descent into colourful Lahaul and darshan at the Trilokinath temple
Risks
- Route-finding: the trail from Alyas to the pass has no visible marks in places; Indiahikes and TrekUp India both say an expert local guide is essential. A hired guide who had never crossed the pass left one party stranded.
- The pass day is 12-14 hours: slippery rock, a snow patch hanging over a deep gorge, a crevassed glacier zone and frequent avalanche sounds. Harish Kapadia (quoted by Indiahikes) said it should not be crossed without rope and ice axe.
- Big height gain from about 3,900 m at Alyas to about 4,950 m in one day; altitude sickness is a real risk and evacuation from either side is slow.
- Weather: temperatures near -5 °C and rain or snow even in August; TrekUp India advises against the July-August monsoon for rain and landslides.
- Local custom is strict: only a few batches may cross each season and each batch must cross within its fixed time window. Respect the rules and rituals at Banni Mata; Indiahikes advises camping on the Lahaul side rather than pushing on to Hinsa in one day.
- Since June 2026 the Lahaul-Spiti DDMA requires trekkers to register their route and team with an authorised officer before starting and to check out on return; the route ends in Lahaul, so register before you go. Solo trekking is discouraged.
- The route passes the Tundah area near the Tundah Wildlife Sanctuary; check forest permission locally in Bharmour.
Know before you go
Questions
How difficult is the Kali Cho Pass trek?
It is one of the hardest pass crossings in Chamba. Indiahikes rates it difficult: the climb from Alyas (Lahesh) to the top is steep, tricky and risky, with a snow patch and a crevassed glacier, and the pass day takes 12-14 hours. It needs prior high-altitude experience, an expert local guide, and rope and ice axe.
Do I need permission to cross Kali Cho Pass?
By Gaddi tradition, yes: permission and the dates of crossing are given at the Banni Mata temple, and only a few batches cross each season within a fixed window. Indiahikes says no government permit is needed for the pass itself, but because the trek ends in Lahaul you must register with the Lahaul-Spiti DDMA under its June 2026 order. Check forest permission locally in Bharmour.
What is the best time for the Kali Cho Pass trek?
Late July to early September according to Indiahikes and TourMyIndia, when the Gaddi batches cross. TrekUp India prefers early June or September to early October to avoid monsoon rain. The pass is snowbound from late autumn to late spring, and Lahaul bans winter trekking.
How high is Kali Cho Pass?
About 4,950 m (Indiahikes); Himalayan Hikers gives 4,990 m and TourMyIndia 15,840 ft (about 4,830 m).
Where does the Kali Cho Pass trek start and end?
It starts from Bharmour in Chamba: a jeep goes to Tundah or Badgran, and the walk begins to Bhadra village, then Leundi, Bansar Goth and Alyas. After the pass it ends at Trilokinath (Hinsa) in Lahaul, about 14 km from Udaipur, with road connections to Keylong and Manali.
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: Chamba (Bharmour) and Lahaul and SpitiHimachal Pradesh
- Nearest hospital
- The government health centre in Bharmour on the Chamba side; on the Lahaul side the PHC at Hinsa near Trilokinath, then the hospital at Keylong.
- Last ATM
- Bharmour. Buy all supplies there and carry cash; Bhadra is the last village on the Chamba side.
- Phone network
- Signal in Bharmour and on the Chamba road; operators describe the trail beyond the last villages as having no mobile connectivity until Trilokinath and Udaipur in Lahaul.
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 Kali Cho Pass
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Where this comes from
Sources
Last reviewed:
- Kali-Cho Pass Trek (documented trek by Tarun Goel) — Indiahikes
- Kali Cho Pass Trek — TrekUp India
- Kali Cho Pass Trek - Abode of Bhadrakali — Himalayan Hikers
- Offbeat treks in the Himalayas - Kalicho Pass — TourMyIndia
- Trekkers must register before hitting Lahaul-Spiti trails now (25 Jun 2026) — The Tribune
- Winter sets in, trekking, climbing banned in Lahaul-Spiti dist (27 Nov 2024) — The Tribune
Photos: Trek Himachal, CC0; Rohitm0015, CC BY-SA 4.0; Ms Sarah Welch, CC0
