Kugti Pass Trek
Chamba (Bharmour) and Lahaul and Spiti, Himachal Pradesh
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- Max altitude
- 5,050 m
- Days
- 5 days
- Distance
- 32.5 km
- Difficulty
- Challenging
A 5,050 m pass crossing on an old Gaddi shepherd route: an 11-hour summit day over moraine, a snowfield and icefall with crevasses, then an almost vertical 300 m boulder climb to the pass and a long, steep descent of scree and moraine into Lahaul. Indiahikes says an ice axe is invaluable and a rope helps; operators ask for previous high-altitude experience.
Photos
On the trail
The route
Day by day
Day 1
Bharmour (drive about 19 km via Hadsar to Dharol) → Kugti village
2,316 m → 2,591 m
Day 2
Kugti village → Duggi (via Kelang, the Kartik Swami temple)
2,591 m → 3,200 m
Day 3
Duggi → Alyas (Chamba side)
3,200 m → 4,237 m
Day 4 · highest point
Alyas → Kodlu Alyas (Lahaul side) via Kugti Pass
4,237 m → 5,050 m → 3,810 m
Day 5
Kodlu Alyas → Rappe / Jobrang roadhead on the Chandrabhaga (drive to Udaipur, Keylong or Manali)
3,810 m → 2,896 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 · Dharol (roadhead on the Bharmour-Kugti road)
at 2,316 mLoading forecast…
High point · Kugti Pass
at 5,050 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
- Dharol (roadhead on the Bharmour-Kugti road)
- 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 (about 180 km) and on to Bharmour (65 km from Chamba) by HRTC bus or taxi; Bharmour to Dharol (about 19 km via Hadsar) by hired jeep; OpenStreetMap now shows the Bharmour-Kugti road running on to Kugti village; Exit: from Jobrang or Rappe cross the Chandrabhaga to the Udaipur-Keylong road; HRTC buses and shared taxis run to Keylong and 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
₹8,000–15,000
With an operator
₹19,950–22,890
Per person, ex-Bharmour. Guided prices published October 2026: Himalaya Shelter ₹19,000 + 5% GST (5 days, Bharmour to Rappe); Himtrek ₹21,799 + 5% GST (8 days, reporting at Bharmour, ending in Manali, transport extra). Self-guided is an estimate: jeep Bharmour-Dharol, a local guide and porters or mules for five days, tent and stove hire, food bought in Bharmour, and the bus or taxi from the Lahaul side back to 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 36
Nights near 5,050 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; operators describe the route beyond Kugti as remote with no reliable mobile signal until the Udaipur-Keylong road in Lahaul.
- Last ATM
- Bharmour (Indiahikes advises buying all supplies there; Kugti sells only basic rice, dal and flour). Carry cash.
- Nearest hospital
- The government health centre in Bharmour for first care on the Chamba side, Chamba town for more; on the Lahaul side the hospital at Keylong (a sick trekker on this pass was taken to Keylong and then Manali in a past rescue).
- Water
- Streams at Dharol, Kugti, Kelang temple, Duggi and Alyas. On the pass day, fill up at the glacier channels below the Lahaul side of the pass: Indiahikes says there is no other water until Kodlu Alyas. Treat all water.
Highlights
- Crossing the Pir Panjal from green Chamba into stark, dry Lahaul on a route Gaddi shepherds have used for centuries to take their flocks to Lahaul's summer pastures
- Kugti, a remote Gaddi village of two-storey wooden houses above the Budhil gorge, and the Kelang temple of Bhagwan Kartikeya (Kartik Swami) at about 3,200 m with its rows of iron trishuls offered by shepherds
- Alyas, a table-top meadow ringed by snow peaks below the pass, and the small shrine with prayer flags on the narrow pass top
- Views of the Dhauladhar and Pir Panjal ranges and Manimahesh Kailash from the pass, and of the Chandrabhaga valley and first Lahauli villages on the way down
Risks
- The pass day is about 11 hours: moraine, a snowfield and icefall with crevasses on the Chamba side, an almost vertical boulder climb to 5,050 m, and a steep scree or roped snow descent on the Lahaul side. Indiahikes says an ice axe is invaluable and a rope helps; Himtrek may require microspikes, crampons and an ice axe depending on snow.
- Fast height gain from about 3,200 m at Duggi to 4,237 m at Alyas and 5,050 m the next day; altitude sickness is a real risk. A trekker with AMS on this route had to be rescued by a Keylong sub-division team (The Tribune).
- Landslide traverses and a log bridge over the Kodlu Nala on the last day that can be washed away by flash floods; slippery trails and landslides in the July-August monsoon.
- Very remote with no shops or help beyond Kugti; evacuation from the upper valley is slow on either side.
- 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.
- Bharmour fills with Manimahesh Yatra pilgrims for about 15 days between Janmashtami and Radhashtami (late August or early September); Indiahikes advises avoiding that period for the drive and stay.
Know before you go
Questions
How difficult is the Kugti Pass trek?
It is a hard, high pass crossing. Operators rate it from moderate-to-difficult to challenging and recommend previous Himalayan trekking experience. The fourth day crosses a snowfield and icefall with crevasses, climbs almost vertically over boulders to about 5,050 m and descends steeply into Lahaul in about 11 hours. Carry an ice axe and microspikes or crampons if there is snow.
What is the best time for the Kugti Pass trek?
June to September. Operators sell departures from mid or late June to early October; July to September is the main window, with heavy rain on the Chamba side in July and early August and clear skies from late August. Snow closes the pass from October-November until late spring.
Do I need a permit for Kugti Pass?
Operators include forest permits in their packages, but we found no official fee schedule for the Kugti Wildlife Sanctuary route, so check locally with the forest office in Bharmour (DFO Wildlife, Chamba). Because the trek ends in Lahaul, the Lahaul-Spiti DDMA's June 2026 order also requires you to register your route and team before starting and to check out on return.
Where does the Kugti Pass trek start and end?
It starts at Bharmour in Chamba district. A jeep takes you about 19 km via Hadsar to Dharol, where the walk to Kugti village (5.5 km) begins. It ends at Rappe or Jobrang on the Chandrabhaga in Lahaul, from where buses and taxis run to Keylong and Manali.
How high is Kugti Pass?
About 5,050 m (16,500-16,600 ft). Himtrek and OpenStreetMap give 5,050 m, Indiahikes 16,600 ft (about 5,060 m) and Himalayan Hikers 5,090 m.
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 for first care on the Chamba side, Chamba town for more; on the Lahaul side the hospital at Keylong (a sick trekker on this pass was taken to Keylong and then Manali in a past rescue).
- Last ATM
- Bharmour (Indiahikes advises buying all supplies there; Kugti sells only basic rice, dal and flour). Carry cash.
- Phone network
- Signal in Bharmour; operators describe the route beyond Kugti as remote with no reliable mobile signal until the Udaipur-Keylong road 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 Kugti Pass
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Where this comes from
Sources
Last reviewed:
- Kugti Pass Trek - A high altitude pass in the Chamba region — Indiahikes
- Kugti Pass Trek — Himalaya Shelter
- Kugti Pass Trek — Himtrek
- Kugti Pass Trek — Himalayan Hikers
- Three trekkers to Kugti Pass rescued — The Tribune
- 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: Kalitgautam, CC BY-SA 4.0; Himachalcompass, CC BY-SA 4.0
