Hampta Pass is one of those rare trails that feels like two treks stitched together. You begin among the pine forests, waterfalls and flower meadows of the Kullu valley, and four days later you are standing in the cold, rust-and-grey desert of Lahaul - the same landscape that flows on into Spiti. No other crossover in the Indian Himalaya delivers that ecological transformation entirely on foot.
The trail starts at Jobra, reached by a famous run of 42 hairpin bends above Manali. From the campsites at Chika and Balu Ka Ghera, the climb builds to the 14,100 ft pass, often through a corridor of snow even in summer. The descent into Shea Goru is steep and exhilarating, and the journey is usually capped with a vehicle ride to Chandratal - the "Moon Lake" - a crescent of impossibly blue water ringed by scree and snow.
Trail highlights
- The complete Kullu-to-Lahaul transition - green forest on one side of the ridge, cold desert on the other
- A genuine high-pass crossing at 14,100 ft with river crossings and snow walking
- The surreal blue of Chandratal Lake at the end
- Around 26 km on foot over five to six days
The YHAI way
YHAI has run Hampta Pass and Chandratal as a national programme for years, prized for being affordable, well-organised and genuinely community-driven. Trekkers carry their own packs, wash their own utensils and share camp duties - and a valid medical certificate from an MBBS doctor is mandatory for the altitude. September offers the most stable weather of the season.
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