Pangarchulla Trek

Months – November to February 

Temperature – Day: 5℃ to 10℃ | Night: -5℃ or below 

The best time to experience a snow-covered adventure. During these months, you’ll find thick snow sheets with chilly winds and freezing temperatures waiting for you. Though you’ll find snow on summit climbs throughout the year during winters, the feel is different. 

For adventure enthusiasts, winter is the perfect season as the snow becomes hard, making the challenging and heavy snowfalls closing down paths and forcing you to trek in deep snow adds more challenges.

Tip –  Rent proper gear like crampons, headlamps, water-repellent shoes, gaiters and appropriate clothing. 

Months – April to June

Temperature – Day: 10℃ to 12℃ | Night: -2℃ to 5℃

In spring, the snow starts to melt as the increasing temperature makes snow soft and easy to walk. Trek during this time still remains challenging enough for adventure seekers without the freezing temperatures. 

After harsh winters, springs bring back the colour in the region. With melting snow, life returns with the excitement of a new beginning. Beaming colourful flowers, vibrant meadows, and forest greenery with a white backdrop of the Himalayas create a beautiful live image.

The trek difficulty dictates your level of fitness and preparation for it. As mentioned above, it is moderate level trek, so prepare accordingly. 

We take acclimatisation seriously and make sure that our trekkers get proper time to acclimatise and rest in between. This is neither a very long trek nor at a higher altitude, so we will only trek for a short number of kilometers every day, giving your body the time it needs.

• An easy level and weekend treks require a basic fitness level, where you should focus on building your stamina and strength. Start with walking/running and include a 45-minute to 1-hour workout (cardio + strength training).
• A level-up in a fitness routine is required for an easy to moderate level trek like start aiming to run 5 km in under 40 mins, and strength training is a must. 

Mental preparation includes thorough research of the trek you want to do or decide to. Understand the terrain, difficulty level, and the ways to get fit for it, look up for sudden situations that may happen, and how to tackle them. Being prepared gives you an edge to keep calm & handle a difficult situation.

1. Exercises to achieve the goal 

• Cardiovascular Training: Running, cycling, and swimming to boost stamina.
• Strength Training: Focus on leg exercises like squats, lunges, and step-ups for endurance.
• Core Strength: Planks, mountain climbers, and Russian twists to maintain balance on uneven trails.
• Flexibility Exercises: Stretching, yoga, and dynamic warm-ups to prevent injuries.
• Mental Conditioning: Visualisation techniques, breathing exercises, and meditation to strengthen focus and manage stress on difficult days. 

Tip: For moderate to difficult-level treks, practise exercises with weights. Seek professional advice accordingly. 

2. Extra Tips related to the diet, muscle recovery, and healthy lifestyle routine

Diet: Incorporate proteins like lentils, chicken, eggs, tofu, etc for fast recovery after a strenuous trek. Whole grains like wheat, quinoa, barley, etc for sustained energy, and leafy greens like spinach, bitter guard, and any seasonal veggie for those extra nutrients and building the immunity system.

Muscle Recovery: Plan rest days and add stretching, relaxing yoga poses or foam rolling after every workout.

3. Lifestyle Routine: 

Stay hydrated – drink 2 to 3 liters of water. To incorporate more nutrients, including coconut water, fruit, and vegetable juices. 

Limit alcohol and caffeine consumption.

Start sleeping up to 8 hours. 

Altitude Sickness happens when your body cannot adjust to lower oxygen levels at higher altitudes. This happens mainly because your body didn’t have enough time to acclimatise to a higher altitude or not enough time to get used to lower oxygen levels. 

How to Prevent

• Gradual Ascent: Climb slowly to give your body time to adjust.
• Hydration: Drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration.
• Rest and Sleep: Ensure ample rest, especially as you reach higher camps.
• Avoid Alcohol: Limit alcohol and caffeine, which can lead to dehydration.

What to do

• Most Important – Inform your trek leader as well-trained leaders and experience they can assess the situation better and find solutions faster.  

What trek leader may suggest. Trekkers without agency should also know these instructions

Seek Medical Help: After descending our team will take you to the nearest hospitals if needed. If solo, then descend and seek the closest medical help. 

Stop and Rest: Pause your trek to recover.

Descend if Necessary: Descend immediately to Raithal Basecamp, our team with the vehicle and necessary help will be there for further action. 

Stay Hydrated: Drink water and avoid strenuous activity.

Mythology of Dronagiri Parvat 

According to Ramayana, when Lord Ram’s younger brother was severely injured during the battle with Demon King Ravan’s son Meghnad, a rare herb “Sanjeevni” was the only cure. 

Hanumanji was tasked with fetching Sanjeevni, which can only be found in the Himalayas. 

It was believed that Sanjeeevni was found on  Mt. Dronagiri/Dunagiri or Gandhamardhan. But Hanuman could not identify the herb, so he took the whole mountain to the battlefield. 

After this incident, the locals stopped worshipping Lord Hanuman. This ritual is still followed in present times. Even during the Ram-Leela performance in the festival of Dussehra, the Hanumanji part is skipped entirely. 

Nanda Devi Raj Jaat Yatra Festival 

Nanda Devi is believed to be Goddess Parvati, so when she married Lord Shiva, she moved to Kailash Parvat, leaving behind her maternal place. 

This three-week-long festival is organized once every 12 years, which signifies that Maa Nanda Devi visits her hometown every 12 years. Other than 12 years Raaj Jaat, there is Lok Jaat which is celebrated every year. The festival is celebrated with enthusiasm in nearby villages of Joshimath and Chamoli. 

Uttarakhand is blessed with diverse flora and fauna. You can spot animals like Himalayan Brown bears, Langurs, Himalayan Musk Deers and, during winters, even a Snow leopard.  

During the trek, you will come across a diverse range of trees and flowers, such as Silver Birch, Oak, and Pine. Pink and White flower Rhododendrons, also known as “Buransh ke Phool”, welcome you when in bloom. 

The magical properties of Thuner’s tea will vanish your cough & cold in minutes. 

If luck is in your favour, you may spot birds like the Himalayan Monal (State bird of Uttarakhand) and the Himalayan Griffon Vulture.

Badrinath Temple- One of the pilgrims in Char-Dham Yatra, the Badrinath Temple is just 40.5 km away from Joshimath. Situated at an elevation of 10,171 ft, the trek to the temple is filled with devotion, joy and beautiful views of the Himalayas. 

Joshimath – Our base village of Trek provides many sites and temples, like Narsingh Devta temple, Adi Shankaracharya Math, Auli Ropeway, Jogidhara Waterfalls etc, for you to explore. 

Valley of Flowers – Recognised as a prestigious UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002, this valley is home to more than 600 species of flowers. One of India’s oldest treks, accidentally found in  1931, is a must-visit.

Bagini Glacier Trek – Enjoy a trek to the glacier without crowd and hassle, just an hour’s drive away from Joshimath to Jumma base village. Peaks like Changa Banga and Kalanka add to the beauty of this glacier.