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Sara Umga Pass Trek

Kullu (start) and Lahaul and Spiti (finish), Himachal Pradesh

Challenging7 daysBest Jul–Sep

Green, pine-covered Tosh valley with snow peaks at its head, where the trek begins (not the pass itself)4,800 mhighest point3 Photos
Max altitude
4,800 m
Satellite terrain suggests about 5,024 m
Days
7 days
Distance
61 km
Difficulty
Challenging

Best months Jul–Sep

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

A remote, little-used crossing from the Parvati valley to Lahaul: long days over moraine, boulders and scree, a steep snow-and-scree climb to a pass of about 4,800 m that must be crossed before noon, and a crevassed glacier that operators cross with rope, harness and carabiners. Operators say it is for experienced trekkers only.

Photos

On the trail

Green, pine-covered Tosh valley with snow peaks at its head, where the trek begins (not the pass itself)
Green, pine-covered Tosh valley with snow peaks at its head, where the trek begins (not the pass itself)Photo: Bishu Naik · CC BY-SA 4.0

1 / 3

The route

Day by day

  1. Day 1

    Tosh (drive from Kasol) → Buddhaban

    8 km · 5 h · Camp

    2,400 m → 3,020 m

  2. Day 2

    Buddhaban → Sharam Thach

    8 km · 6 h · Camp

    3,020 m → 3,500 m

  3. Day 3

    Sharam Thach → Shamshi Thach

    8 km · 5 h · Camp

    3,500 m → 3,800 m

  4. Day 4

    Shamshi Thach → Kuta Thach

    10 km · 7 h · Camp

    3,800 m → 4,100 m

  5. Day 5 · highest point

    Kuta Thach → Putiruni (via Sara Umga La)

    11 km · 8 h · Camp

    4,100 m → 4,800 m → 3,800 m

  6. Day 6

    Putiruni → Chhota Dara

    16 km · 6 h · Camp

    3,800 m → 3,700 m

  7. Day 7

    Chhota Dara → Manali (drive)

    By road · 7 h · No overnight

    3,700 m → 2,050 m

Ups and downs

Altitude profile

2,0003,0004,0005,000Tosh (drive from Kasol): 2,400 m, 0 kmBuddhaban: 3,020 m, 8 kmSharam Thach: 3,500 m, 16 kmShamshi Thach: 3,800 m, 24 kmKuta Thach: 4,100 m, 34 kmDay 5 high point: 4,800 m, 39.5 kmPutiruni (via Sara Umga La): 3,800 m, 45 kmChhota Dara: 3,700 m, 61 km
Metres above sea level · distance 61 km

Where it is

Map

Download GPX waypoints

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.

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
Tosh (nearest town: Manikaran)
Nearest railway
Chandigarh (Joginder Nagar narrow-gauge station is nearer but has few trains)
Nearest airport
Bhuntar Airport (Kullu-Manali), about 35 km from Kasol
By road
Delhi or Chandigarh by overnight bus to Bhuntar, then bus or taxi via Kasol and Manikaran to Barshaini and Tosh; Return from Chhota Dara on the Manali-Kaza road to Manali by jeep
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

₹15,000–25,000

With an operator

₹24,000–32,000

Per person, ex-Kasol (finishing in Manali). Only one current guided price was found: Mountaineerz Leisure and Adventure lists ₹26,000 including tax for an 8-day Kasol-Manali departure. Bikat Adventures quotes 'on request + 5% GST'. The range is therefore an estimate around that one published price. Self-guided is an estimate for a small group: a local guide who knows the glacier, porters, tent and stove hire, food for 6 days, the jeep to Tosh and the jeep from Chhota Dara to Manali. Walking it without a guide is not advised.

Gear

Top picks for this trek

The gear that matters most on this route, chosen from its altitude, season and risks.

See the full packing checklist

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Packing checklist

Matched to this trek: altitude, season, days and the risks on the route.

Packed 0 of 34

Nights near 4,800 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.

What to wear
Pack and gear
Sleeping

Many trek operators provide tents and sleeping bags. Ask before you buy.

Safety
Water and food
Documents and money
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Know before you go

Good to know

Mobile network
Mobile signal in Tosh village; expect none on the trail or at Chhota Dara on the Lahaul side (not confirmed by a source).
Last ATM
Kasol or Manikaran; carry cash for the whole trek and the return jeep.
Nearest hospital
Health centres at Manikaran and Kasol and the Regional Hospital Kullu on the start side; Manali on the finish side
Water
The Tosh river and side streams up to Kuta Thach; on the Lahaul side, glacier streams down to the Chandra river. Treat all water.

Highlights

  • One of Himachal's least-used passes, linking Tosh in the Parvati valley with Chhota Dara in Lahaul, with almost no other trekkers
  • Views of Papsura, Dharamsura (White Sail), Indrasan and Deo Tibba, and of the Bara Shigri glacier on the Lahaul side
  • A sharp change of landscape in one crossing: green pine forest and meadows of the Tosh valley to the bare, high desert of the Chandra valley
  • An old trade route: the Himalayan Club's journal records that Kinnauri traders once crossed the Sara Umga La to barter with Tibetan traders near Phuti Runi

Risks

  • The approach to the pass crosses a crevassed glacier; operators carry static rope, seat harnesses and carabiners, and hidden crevasses under soft snow are a real danger.
  • The pass is about 4,800 m (terrain data reads about 5,000 m); acute mountain sickness is a real risk, so do not skip acclimatisation at Shamshi Thach and Kuta Thach.
  • The climb from Kuta Thach is steep over snow and scree and the pass must be crossed before noon; afternoon snow softens and weather turns.
  • In September 2022 the Himachal disaster management directorate advised that treks above 15,000 ft be done only between 1 May and 15 September and asked deputy commissioners to restrict them after 15 September. Check with the Kullu and Lahaul-Spiti district administrations before a late-season crossing.
  • Very remote: no villages, no mobile signal and no quick evacuation between Tosh and the Manali-Kaza road.

Know before you go

Questions

How difficult is the Sara Umga Pass trek?

It is a hard trek for experienced trekkers. Operators describe long days over moraine, boulders and scree, a steep snow-and-scree climb to a pass of about 4,800 m and a crossing of a crevassed glacier, for which they carry rope and harnesses. Bikat Adventures calls it a much more difficult alternative to Hampta Pass.

When is the best time to cross Sara Umga Pass?

July to September. Bikat Adventures gives July to October, TrekUp India and Himalayan Ecotourism give mid-June to mid-September. Early in the season there is more snow on the pass; a 2022 Himachal advisory asks that treks above 15,000 ft end by 15 September.

Where does the trek start and end?

It starts at Tosh village above Barshaini in the Parvati valley (a drive from Kasol) and ends at Chhota Dara on the Manali-Kaza road in Lahaul, from where a jeep takes you to Manali.

How long is the Sara Umga Pass trek?

Usually 7 days from Kasol to Manali, with about 6 days of walking. Bikat Adventures gives the distance as 61 km. Some operators add a rest or exploration day at Shamshi Thach, making it 8 days.

Do I need a permit for Sara Umga Pass?

We found no current official permit fee for this route. Guided operators include forest and camping charges in their price. Self-guided trekkers should check with the forest office in Kullu and the Lahaul-Spiti district administration before setting out.

Your 8-week plan for this trekChallenging grade. Start about 12 weeks before you travel.
SOS

In an emergency

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You are in

District: Kullu (start) and Lahaul and Spiti (finish)Himachal Pradesh

Nearest hospital
Health centres at Manikaran and Kasol and the Regional Hospital Kullu on the start side; Manali on the finish side
Last ATM
Kasol or Manikaran; carry cash for the whole trek and the return jeep.
Phone network
Mobile signal in Tosh village; expect none on the trail or at Chhota Dara on the Lahaul side (not confirmed by a source).

Before you set off

  1. Tell someone your route and when you will be back.
  2. Carry a charged phone and a power bank.
  3. Download an offline map of the route.
  4. Turn back if the weather turns bad — the mountain will wait.
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Where this comes from

Sources

Last reviewed:

  1. Sara Umga Pass Trek - Bikat Adventures — Bikat Adventures
  2. Sara Umga Pass Trek — TrekUp India
  3. Saraumga Pass Trek: Challenging trek from Kasol to Spiti — Mountaineerz Leisure and Adventure
  4. Sara Umga Pass Trek Tour — Kshatra Adventure
  5. Parvati Saraumga Trek Himachal Pradesh — Himalayan Ecotourism
  6. Across the Sara Umga La (Himalayan Journal 27) — The Himalayan Club
  7. Himachal Government restricts trekking in high-altitude tracks from September 15 — The Tribune (PTI)

Photos: Bishu Naik, CC BY-SA 4.0; Sanchitgarg888, CC BY-SA 4.0; Timothy Gonsalves, CC BY-SA 4.0

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