Pin Parvati Pass Trek
Kullu (Parvati valley) and Lahaul-Spiti (Pin valley), Himachal Pradesh
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- Max altitude
- 5,319 m
- Days
- 11 days
- Distance
- 110 km
- Difficulty
- Challenging
A 9-10 day crossover from the Parvati valley to Spiti over a 5,319 m glacier pass: long days of 10-15 km, a crevassed glacier descent on the Parvati side, roped river and stream crossings, boulder 'bridges' over the Parvati and a 12-hour pass day. Operators take only trekkers with prior high-altitude experience and supply harness, helmet and carabiners.
Photos
On the trail
The route
Day by day
Day 1
Manali → Kalga (drive to Barshaini, short walk up)
2,050 m → 2,280 m
Day 2
Kalga → Kheerganga
2,280 m → 2,900 m
Day 3
Kheerganga → Tunda Bhuj
2,900 m → 3,200 m
Day 4
Tunda Bhuj → Thakur Kuan
3,200 m → 3,600 m
Day 5
Thakur Kuan → Odi Thach
3,600 m → 3,800 m
Day 6
Odi Thach → Mantalai Lake
3,800 m → 4,100 m
Day 7
Mantalai Lake → Parvati-side base camp
4,100 m → 4,800 m
Day 8 · highest point
Parvati-side base camp → Pin-side base camp (via Pin Parvati Pass)
4,800 m → 5,319 m → 4,800 m
Day 9
Pin-side base camp → Tiya
4,800 m → 3,900 m
Day 10
Tiya → Mudh (drive to Kaza)
3,900 m → 3,750 m
Day 11
Kaza → Manali (drive)
3,800 m → 2,050 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 · Barshaini (Barsheni)
at 2,050 mLoading forecast…
High point · Pin Parvati Pass
at 5,319 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
- Barshaini (Barsheni) (nearest town: Manikaran)
- Nearest railway
- Joginder Nagar (narrow gauge); Chandigarh for broad-gauge trains
- Nearest airport
- Kullu-Manali Airport, Bhuntar
- By road
- Bhuntar (about 50 km, 2.5 hours via Kasol and Manikaran to Barshaini); Manali (about 91 km, 5 hours to Barshaini); Kaza to Mudh at the Spiti end (about 49 km, 2 hours)
- Drive
- About 9 h from Chandigarh
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
₹30,000–45,000
With an operator
₹39,000–59,000
Per person, ex-Manali or ex-Kasol/Barshaini. Guided prices published October 2026: Himtrek ₹38,999 + 5% GST ex-Kasol (10 days); Trekup India ₹44,500 + 5% GST ex-Manali with Manali-Barshaini and Kaza-Manali shared jeeps (11 days); Himalayan Hikers ₹45,000 + 5% GST ex-Manali (12 days); Bikat Adventures ₹56,000 + 5% GST Barsheni to Kaza, transport extra (12 days incl. buffer). Self-guided is our estimate for a small group hiring a local guide, cook and porters for 9-10 trekking days, plus food, tents, glacier gear, forest/park fees and the Kaza-Manali return; this pass should not be attempted without an experienced local guide.
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 5,319 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
- Mobile signal fades after Barshaini/Kalga and there is none on the trail until Mudh and Kaza in Spiti; operators advise booking Kaza stays before you lose network.
- Last ATM
- No ATM on the trail; draw cash in Kullu, Bhuntar or Kasol before the drive to Barshaini.
- Nearest hospital
- Health centres at Manikaran and Kaza for first care; Regional Hospital Kullu for serious cases
- Water
- The Parvati river and side streams on the Parvati side, glacial meltwater near the pass and the Pin river on the Spiti side. Treat or boil all water.
Highlights
- Crossover from the green Parvati valley of Kullu to the cold desert of the Pin valley in Spiti, with both valleys seen at once from the 5,319 m pass
- Hot spring bath at Kheerganga (Parvati Kund) and the Rudranag shrine of Bhagwan Shiv beside a waterfall on the way up
- Wildflower meadows of Odi Thach and the glacial lake of Mantalai, source of the Parvati river
- Crossing the Parvati on Pandu Pul, natural bridges of giant boulders
- Pin Valley National Park, home of snow leopard and ibex, and the whitewashed village of Mudh at the trek's end
Risks
- The descent between the pass and the Parvati glacier is crevassed, and fresh snow hides the crevasses; walk in single file behind the guide. Start the pass climb before dawn and be over by noon, when weather and snow conditions worsen.
- Several glacial river and stream crossings, especially near Pin base camp, can sweep a person away; teams rope up, and crossings are easier early in the morning before melt raises the water.
- Altitude sickness: the route stays above 3,800 m for five days and crosses 5,319 m; acclimatise and turn back at the first serious symptoms. There is no road or mobile signal for rescue between Kalga and Mudh.
- Landslide- and rockfall-prone ledges between Tunda Bhuj and Thakur Kuan, and loose scree and moraine below the pass.
- Himachal's government in September 2022 named 1 May-15 September as the suitable window for treks above 15,000 ft and asked district officials to restrict such treks after 15 September; check with the Kullu and Lahaul-Spiti administrations before a late-September crossing.
Know before you go
Questions
When is the best time for the Pin Parvati Pass trek?
Operators run it from July to September (Bikat Adventures from June). Indiahikes calls July-August the best season. Bikat Adventures notes it is one of the few Himalayan treks that can be done in the monsoon.
How difficult is Pin Parvati Pass? Can a beginner do it?
No. Every operator grades it difficult and takes only trekkers with prior high-altitude experience. It is 9-10 trekking days of 10-15 km, with a glacier crossing, crevasses on the Parvati side, roped river crossings and a pass day of about 12 hours.
Do I need a permit for Pin Parvati Pass?
The route passes through forest land and Pin Valley National Park, so forest and park fees apply, and guided packages include them. The Tribune reported in June 2025 that the forest department now charges Indian visitors ₹150 a day in Spiti's protected areas, including Pin Valley. We could not find an official fee notice, so self-guided trekkers should ask at the forest office in Kullu or Kaza.
Where does the trek start and end?
Most operators start at Barshaini, the roadhead above Manikaran in the Parvati valley, and end at Mudh in Spiti, then drive to Kaza and back to Manali over Kunzum. Indiahikes runs it in reverse, from Mudh to Barshaini, which gives a few acclimatisation days on the Spiti side first.
Is there mobile network on the trek?
No. You lose signal soon after Barshaini and Kalga and get it back only at Mudh and Kaza, so carry enough cash and book your Kaza stay in advance.
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: Kullu (Parvati valley) and Lahaul-Spiti (Pin valley)Himachal Pradesh
- Nearest hospital
- Health centres at Manikaran and Kaza for first care; Regional Hospital Kullu for serious cases
- Last ATM
- No ATM on the trail; draw cash in Kullu, Bhuntar or Kasol before the drive to Barshaini.
- Phone network
- Mobile signal fades after Barshaini/Kalga and there is none on the trail until Mudh and Kaza in Spiti; operators advise booking Kaza stays before you lose network.
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 Pin Parvati Pass
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Where this comes from
Sources
Last reviewed:
- Pin Parvati Pass Trek - The Wildest Cross-Over Trek of India — Bikat Adventures
- Pin Parvati Pass Trek - Best high altitude trek Himachal — Himalayan Hikers
- Pin Parvati Pass Trek — Himtrek
- Pin Parvati Pass Trek — Trekup India
- The Complete Guide to Pin Parvati Pass Trek — Indiahikes
- Pin Parbati Pass — Wikipedia
- Himachal government restricts trekking in high-altitude tracks from September 15 — The Tribune
- Forest dept imposes entry, activity fee in Spiti's eco-sensitive zones — The Tribune
Photos: Bharatkaistha, CC BY-SA 4.0; Bharatkaistha, CC BY-SA 4.0; Bharatkaistha, CC BY-SA 4.0; Slopetrotter, CC BY-SA 4.0
