Planethimalayas

• Drive distance: ~200 km (7–8 hours).
• Reaching Kafnu feels like slipping quietly into a hidden corner of Kinnaur. Even though it lies deep in the valley, the journey is surprisingly smooth — the Bhaba River guides you almost the entire way, flowing confidently through the mountains as if escorting you to the start of your adventure. The hydel power project built along its course has brought steady roads, working routes, and constant movement of locals, trucks, and buses. Because of this, Kafnu — despite its remoteness — remains well connected to Kalpa, Reckong Peo, Karcham, Rampur, and even Shimla.
The final stretch into the village is unforgettable. The road climbs rapidly above the river, hugging steep mountain walls, twisting through narrow bends where every turn opens up a fresh perspective of the valley. It’s the kind of drive where the landscape keeps shifting — thick forests, cliff edges, sudden views of the river far below. For first-timers, the ride can feel thrilling; for mountain lovers, it feels like home.
Kafnu itself is a quiet settlement surrounded by forests, apple orchards, and the calm of the lower Himalayas. Wooden houses sit clustered on gentle slopes, with prayer flags fluttering on rooftops and the sound of the river echoing softly in the background. This is the last point of comfort before the wilderness begins.
You’ll check into a local lodge or homestay for the night — simple, warm, and welcoming. Use this day to rest your legs, settle into the altitude, and let the long journey fade out of your system.

• Trek distance: ~11 km | Duration: 6–7 hours | Altitude gain: ~2,900 ft.
• The first day on the trail feels like slipping into a world that has been quietly waiting for you. As you leave Kafnu behind, the path rises gently through forests that seem untouched by time. Pines tower above you, silver birch trees sway in the morning light, and the Bhaba River rushes beside you with a steady, comforting presence. This is one of those rare Himalayan routes where the forest itself becomes the highlight — dense, aromatic, and filled with birdsong that follows you for hours.
Within the first stretch, the trail leads you past the Bhaba Hydel Project — India’s first underground dam hidden deep within the valley. It’s a reminder of how modern engineering coexists with raw nature here, though photography is strictly restricted. A little ahead, a bridge appears across the river; once you cross it, the forest begins to close in from all sides.
The real ascent begins when you spot a faint path rising away from the motor road — a narrow trail, almost secret, that leads you into the heart of the woods. For the next few kilometres, the canopy thickens, the air cools noticeably, and the forest floor turns soft with fallen leaves and needles. Every turn reveals a new frame — tall oaks, birches glowing white against the green, and patches of sunlight dancing between branches. It’s the kind of forest that makes you slow down simply because you don’t want it to end.
A short walk ahead opens unexpectedly into a clearing — a quiet patch of earth textured with grass, mud, and scattered stones. It feels like a natural rest point before the climb deepens. Soon after, you reach Champoria, a serene riverside zone wrapped in trees. Here, a sturdy log bridge helps you cross to the other side of the Bhaba River, marking the beginning of the steeper sections.
Beyond this point, the trail starts rising with purpose. The valley narrows, the sound of the river echoes louder between the walls, and the air grows colder with every step. A smaller tributary joins the main river here, signalling that you’re on the right track. Pace yourself — this is where the altitude begins to speak.
Around the 10 km mark, you emerge onto Jhandi Top, a natural ledge that offers your first wide, sweeping view of the upper valley. From here, the landscape opens dramatically, and far ahead — almost glowing in the afternoon light — you can spot the Mulling campsite tucked beneath vast green slopes. The final stretch to Mulling is short but beautiful, a gentle walk through meadows and soft earth.
When you finally arrive, the forest gives way to an expansive grassland framed by tall ridges. The Mulling hut stands quietly at the edge, offering two bare rooms for those trekking independently, though most prefer to pitch tents beside the river. The breeze here is cool, the meadows enormous, and the silence unforgettable.
This is where the Pin Bhaba trek truly begins to reveal its magic — a perfect first chapter in a journey that grows more dramatic with every passing day.

• Trek distance: ~6 km | Duration: 4–5 hours | Altitude gain: ~900 ft.
• The day begins with the mountains easing you gently out of Mulling. As you leave the wide grasslands behind, the trail shifts into a rocky stretch where the Bhaba Valley narrows again. The ascent is steady and calm, giving your legs enough time to warm up while the morning sun lights up the ridges above.
Barely 1.5 km into the day, the landscape opens into a long, soft meadow — a sudden burst of green set against dark cliffs. A waterfall tumbles down the slope to your right, its sound echoing across the valley like a constant reminder of the river running somewhere below you. It’s a refreshing, postcard-perfect spot that sets the tone for the beauty that lies ahead.
The trail continues to rise gradually from here, weaving through stones, tufts of grass, and tiny patches of wildflowers. After another short stretch, you experience one of the most fascinating features of this trek — a river that you can hear loudly but cannot see, flowing deep under layers of rock and soil, carving its own secret pathways beneath the surface. The sound grows stronger as you approach, vibrating through the earth beneath your boots, yet the water remains hidden. It's rare to encounter such a phenomenon on a Himalayan trek.
Beyond this mystical spot, the trail stiffens. A sharp ascent begins, lifting you quickly above the valley floor. As you climb, the world opens up once again, and soon you find yourself entering one of the most enchanting meadows of the entire trek — a sweeping, green expanse sprinkled with delicate alpine flowers. The colours change with the season: soft whites and yellows early on, deeper purples and reds as summer peaks. This meadow feels alive, almost glowing under the afternoon sun.
A gentle walk of just over a kilometre brings you to the Karah campsite — a serene setting beside a clear mountain stream, with ridges rising sharply on all sides. The sound of running water fills the air, this is one of those places where time feels slow.
Karah is where the trek truly begins to feel Himalayan — vast, quiet, and framed by towering walls of rock. You reach here by early afternoon, giving you enough time to rest, explore the stream, or simply lie back in the grass and gather strength for the long, high-altitude climb that awaits.

• Trek distance: ~5 km | Duration: 4–5 hours | Altitude gain: ~1,800 ft.
• Today may be the shortest walking day of the trek, but it is far from the easiest. With only 5 km to cover, the trail wastes no time in climbing sharply into higher terrain. The Bhaba Valley now sheds most of its softness — the meadows thin out, the slopes sharpen, and the air grows noticeably cooler as you gain altitude.
The day begins with a crossing of a lively tributary flowing down from the upper reaches of Phutsirang. The stream approaches from the left side of the valley, pouring down over boulders with a volume that depends entirely on the season. Once you cross it, the trail rises immediately, entering a landscape shaped by water and stone.
The ascent from here is steep and demands patience. The terrain is a blend of loose mud, scattered rocks, and narrow humps carved by streams over time. Mountain water accompanies you almost throughout the day — trickling, splitting, merging, and cutting through the slopes in multiple channels. These crossings, combined with the incline, make the day feel more taxing than the distance suggests, so pacing becomes essential.
Roughly 4 km into the climb, the valley widens just enough to reveal the lower Phutsirang campsite — a rugged but scenic patch surrounded by high ridgelines. It’s a brief but welcome visual breather after the relentless ascent.
From here, a final push of about 700 metres takes you higher into the upper basin. The moment you step into Phutsirang, the entire personality of the trek transforms. You stand inside a massive high-altitude amphitheatre — a wild, open cirque surrounded by dark, imposing mountains. The air feels thinner, the silence deeper, and the scale of the landscape almost overwhelming.
Phutsirang is not just a campsite; it’s a vantage point. From here, you can see three great passes of the region lined up like distant gateways:
Nimish Khango (16,185 ft)
Tari Khango (17,318 ft)
Pin Bhaba Pass (Wang Khango) (16,105 ft) — your objective for tomorrow
Watching the evening light fall across these ridges is an experience in itself. As the sun drops behind the mountains, temperatures dip quickly, and the sky fills with stars sharper and brighter than anything you might have seen before.
Rest well — tomorrow is the big day, the climb to the pass.

• Trek distance: ~12 km | Duration: 9–10 hours | Altitude gain: ~2,600 ft ascent and ~3,100 ft descent.
• You wake up knowing that today is the day — the day you step from one world into another. Crossing a high mountain pass isn’t just a climb; it’s a pilgrimage of sorts, one the mountains make you earn with every breath, every step, every quiet moment where you gather your strength. The excitement begins right from camp as the first light spills over the ridges above Phutsirang.
The ascent is steep from the very beginning. The trail twists through stony slopes and loose mud, rising steadily toward the saddle of the Pin Bhaba Pass. Your pace naturally slows as oxygen thins and the valley floor drops away behind you. Each pause rewards you with the sight of Bhaba Valley opening in full — green, lush, and impossibly gentle compared to where you’re heading.
Reaching the saddle is surreal. One moment you are climbing through familiar grassy ridges, and the next you’re standing on a knife-edge gateway between two completely different worlds. This is where the crossover becomes real. Behind you lies the soft, green embrace of Bhaba Valley. Ahead of you spreads the raw, wind-carved expanse of Pin — a canvas of browns, pinks, and pale earth stretching into the cold desert of Spiti. The contrast is so sudden, so dramatic, it almost feels staged by nature.
Below, far in the distance, a thin silver ribbon glints — the Pin River.
The descent begins sharply from the pass, dropping onto a terrain made of moraine fields, loose scree, and bits of old glacier. Every step demands focus. Move slow, plant each foot carefully, and stay patient — this is the part that tests your control more than your stamina.
Two kilometres down, you finally reach the Pin River. It crashes past you in icy torrents, fed by the snowfields above. You’ll need to remove your footwear to cross it — the water is freezing, but the moment your feet touch the stones on the other side, you know you’ve officially entered Spiti.
From here, the valley widens. The descent becomes more relaxed, though the ground is still scattered with moraine and scree. The colours around you shift constantly — dusty pinks, pale yellows, oxidized reds — the signature palette of the Pin Valley.
About 6 km after the river crossing, the trail reveals the Mangrungtse campsite far below. It rests quietly on the valley floor, surrounded by the vast emptiness that defines this region. It’s a wide, quiet patch of land beside the river, nestled between towering desert slopes. The wind here carries the dry, crisp air of Spiti, and the sky feels closer, clearer, almost overwhelming in its scale.
Tonight, as you rest in Mangruntse, you’ll feel the magnitude of what you’ve accomplished. The crossover is complete — you’ve walked from dense forests and glowing meadows into one of the highest cold deserts in the world.
And tomorrow, the trail will carry you deeper into Spiti’s awe-inspiring emptiness.

• Trek distance: ~16 km | Duration: 6–8 hours | Altitude gain: ~1000 ft descent.
• Your final morning on the Pin Bhaba Pass trek begins in the stark quiet of Mangruntse. The valley wakes slowly — cold winds brushing across the desert slopes, early light glinting off the Pin River, and a vastness so deep it feels like the world has paused around you. This is the day you exit the wilderness and walk back into human settlements. It’s long, around 16 km, so you start early while the valley is still cool.
The trail climbs gently out of Mangruntse and soon merges with the main route near Bwalder. Once you’re on the higher trail, Spiti’s famous palette of soft reds and browns begins to dominate the landscape. Ahead lies a long, sweeping valley that guides you toward Mudh — the first village of Spiti and the symbolic end of your journey.
A steady 2 km push brings you to Bara Boulder, a well-known rest point surrounded by moraine fields. The descent here is gradual, but the terrain is rough with scattered stones and loose earth. There’s a water source nearby, but it’s not the cleanest — the last good refill is always back at Bwalder or Mangruntse.
Just 300 metres beyond Bara Boulder, you cross a lively tributary of the Pin River using a log bridge, the kind of rustic crossing that marks the signature of Spiti’s trekking trails. Once you’re across, the scenery shifts dramatically.
The trail turns into a vast, flat stretch coated with red soil and tiny crimson stones — a landscape so unique that it feels as though you’ve stepped onto another planet. Winds blow freely here, carving ripples into the dust and sending sand brushing against your boots.
A long, flat walk of about 1.5 km brings you to another small mountain stream. You cross it via another simple log bridge, and just after this point, the reward of the entire day arrives:
The first distant view of Mudh Village: Even from 5 km away, Mudh looks like a painting — white houses clustered together, barley fields glowing green and gold, and a line of colourful prayer flags fluttering in the wind. The moment you spot it, something shifts inside you — fatigue eases, your pace steadies, and the heart picks up in excitement. After days in raw wilderness, the sight of this tiny settlement feels unreal.
The final stretch, though long, is gentle. The Pin River accompanies you for much of this section, carving a deep channel through the barren valley. Eventually, you reach the last river crossing of the trek — a suspension bridge swaying slightly in the wind, hanging above the wide, roaring Pin.
Crossing that bridge is an unforgettable moment. It’s the symbolic gateway into Spiti and the confirmation that your journey — this massive crossover from Kinnaur to Spiti — is nearly complete.
Once across, a short climb on a dusty path leads you straight into Mudh Village, the end point of your trek. Prayer flags welcome you, children often wave from rooftops, and the warm, dry wind of Spiti greets you like an old friend.
After a brief rest at Mudh, we drive back to Kaza, the cultural and commercial hub of Spiti, for an overnight stay in a guest house.
You’ve done it — six days, two contrasting valleys, one dramatic pass, and an experience that stays with you long after you’ve left these mountains.