Pangarchulla Peak Trek
Chamoli, Uttarakhand
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- Max altitude
- 4,590 m
- Days
- 7 days
- Distance
- 40 km
- Difficulty
- Difficult
Summit day is a 12-16 hour round trip of about 12-14 km from Khullara, starting around midnight and gaining roughly 1,200 m, with the last 4-5 hours over snow-covered boulders and a narrow, windy summit ridge where a rope may be needed.
Photos
On the trail
The route
Day by day
Day 1
Dehradun → Joshimath
640 m → 1,890 m
Day 2
Tugasi (drive from Joshimath) → Gulling
2,090 m → 2,857 m
Day 3
Gulling → Khullara
2,857 m → 3,390 m
Day 4
Khullara → Khullara (via Kuari Pass)
3,390 m → 3,814 m → 3,390 m
Day 5 · highest point
Khullara → Khullara (via Pangarchulla summit)
3,390 m → 4,590 m → 3,390 m
Day 6
Khullara → Tugasi (drive to Joshimath)
3,390 m → 2,090 m
Day 7
Joshimath → Dehradun
1,890 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 · Tugasi
at 2,090 mLoading forecast…
High point · Pangarchulla summit
at 4,590 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
- Tugasi (nearest town: Joshimath (Jyotirmath))
- Nearest railway
- Rishikesh (Yog Nagari Rishikesh); Dehradun and Haridwar for more trains
- Nearest airport
- Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun
- By road
- Dehradun to Joshimath (about 295 km); Rishikesh to Joshimath (about 250 km); Joshimath to Tugasi or Dhak (about 10-14 km, 30-45 minutes by jeep)
- Drive
- About 10 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
₹8,000–15,000
With an operator
₹10,300–32,000
Per person. Guided prices published October 2026: TrekUp India ₹9,850 + 5% GST ex-Rishikesh; Bikat Adventures ₹13,400 + 5% GST ex-Joshimath (plus ₹3,000 for Dehradun transport); Himalaya Shelter ₹32,000 ex-Dehradun. Self-guided is an estimate ex-Joshimath for 5 trek days: a local guide and porter shared by a small group (a guide is strongly advised for the summit), tent and sleeping-bag hire, food, forest entry fees and jeep transfers to Tugasi; bus fare to Joshimath extra.
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
Snow on the trail in Mar–Apr: microspikes, gaiters and a warm layer are not optional.
Tick each item as it goes in the bag.
Know before you go
Good to know
- Mobile network
- Joshimath has mobile reception; operators say there is no reliable network on the trail beyond Joshimath.
- Last ATM
- Joshimath (ATMs often run out of cash; withdraw in Rishikesh or Dehradun)
- Nearest hospital
- Primary health centre / government hospital at Joshimath, about 20 km by road from the base villages; Dehradun for serious cases (7-8 hours)
- Water
- Streams on the forest stretches below Khullara; on the summit route there is no water in winter and spring, so carry 2 litres or more from camp. Streams can freeze into slippery ice early in the season. Boil or treat all water.
Highlights
- A 4,590 m summit with views of Nanda Devi, Dronagiri, Hathi Parbat, Ghori Parbat, Chaukhamba, Neelkanth, Kamet and Mana Peak
- An acclimatisation day to Kuari Pass (about 3,800 m), with wide views of the Garhwal peaks
- Camping at Khullara, a high clearing below the Kuari Pass ridge and one of the coldest campsites on the route
- Oak and rhododendron forest above Tugasi, in the Joshimath valley close to Jyotirmath
Risks
- Summit day starts around midnight and lasts 12-16 hours; the last 4-5 hours are over snow-covered boulders, and the narrow summit ridge can be very windy, so teams may need to rope up.
- Altitude sickness: the trek gains about 1,000 m on day 2 and 1,200 m on summit day. Indiahikes asks for prior high-altitude experience and a 5 km run in 32 minutes.
- Snow and ice from December to April; microspikes, gaiters and sometimes crampons are needed, and early-season streams freeze into slippery verglas.
- Season windows are narrow: Indiahikes runs it only in spring (before April the summit holds too much snow, after it the melt exposes loose boulders), Himalaya Shelter says autumn is not generally recommended, while TrekUp also runs September-October.
- July-August monsoon rain makes the steep slopes slippery and brings landslides on the Rishikesh-Joshimath road.
Know before you go
Questions
How difficult is the Pangarchulla trek?
Operators rate it difficult (Bikat Adventures and Indiahikes) or moderate to difficult (TrekUp India, Himalaya Shelter). It is not a beginner trek: summit day is a 12-16 hour round trip over snow and boulders, and Bikat asks for experience of a similar-level trek first.
What is the best time for the Pangarchulla trek?
March and April, when snow covers the boulders on the summit route. Indiahikes runs it only in spring; Bikat also runs October-December on mostly rocky ground with hard snow, and TrekUp lists April-May and September-October.
How long and how high is the trek?
The summit is about 4,590 m (15,060-15,069 ft). Operators give 35-40 km of walking over 5 trek days, 7 days including the drives from and to Dehradun or Rishikesh.
Where does the trek start and how do I get there?
Most operators start at Tugasi or neighbouring Dhak, 10-14 km by jeep from Joshimath; Indiahikes starts from its Karchi base and walks up via Auli. Joshimath is about 295 km (10 hours) by road from Dehradun or about 250 km from Rishikesh.
Is there mobile network and an ATM on the way?
Joshimath is the last place with reliable mobile network and the last ATM, and its ATMs often run dry. Carry enough cash from Rishikesh or Dehradun.
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: ChamoliUttarakhand
- Nearest hospital
- Primary health centre / government hospital at Joshimath, about 20 km by road from the base villages; Dehradun for serious cases (7-8 hours)
- Last ATM
- Joshimath (ATMs often run out of cash; withdraw in Rishikesh or Dehradun)
- Phone network
- Joshimath has mobile reception; operators say there is no reliable network on the trail beyond Joshimath.
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 Pangarchulla Peak
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Where this comes from
Sources
Last reviewed:
- Pangarchulla Peak Trek — Bikat Adventures
- Pangarchulla Peak Trek — Indiahikes
- Pangarchulla Trek — Himalaya Shelter
- Pangarchulla Peak Trek — TrekUp India
Photos: ShwethaSulegai, CC BY-SA 4.0; Sumodm, CC BY-SA 4.0
