Beas Kund

Beas Kund — Source of the Beas River

Beas Kund is a high-altitude glacial lake at 11,900 ft (3,627 m) that marks the true source of the Beas River — one of the five rivers of Punjab, flowing 470 km from this cirque below Shitidhar peak to the plains. The trek begins at Dhundhi at the top of Solang Valley, just 15 km from Manali, and climbs through moraines and boulders to a lake cupped in one of the most dramatic cirques in the Kullu Himalaya. The surrounding ring of peaks — Friendship Peak (17,352 ft), Shitidhar (16,093 ft), and Hanuman Tibba (19,672 ft) — towers over 5,000 ft above the lake surface.

The glacial landscape

Above Bakarthach camp (10,200 ft), the trail crosses lateral moraine — the rubble left by the retreating Beas Kund glacier as it has pulled back over the past century. The moraine walk is rugged and beautiful: massive boulders, meltwater channels, and the first view of the lake appearing suddenly in a bowl at the moraine crest. The lake itself is emerald-green, deep, and very cold (surface temperature rarely exceeds 4°C even in August). The Beas Kund glacier, still active, feeds the lake from the north face of Friendship Peak.

The Solang Valley backdrop

The approach through Solang Valley is scenic — the valley is one of the main ski and adventure sport areas of Himachal Pradesh (Solang ski resort is 2 km below Dhundhi). In summer the valley floor is a carpet of wildflowers and the cable car above the resort provides an optional alternative approach to the upper section. Paragliders are often visible from the moraine above Bakarthach.

Who it's for

Graded easy. Perfect first glacier-lake trek — short (3 days), close to Manali, no altitude issues above 12,000 ft, and the glacial lake payoff is world-class. Families with children above 10, beginners, and photographers all enjoy Beas Kund.

Fly or drive to Manali. Manali is connected by overnight Volvo buses from Delhi (12 hours, Rs 800–1,500) or by flight to Bhuntar (Kullu) airport (1 hour from Delhi) followed by a 1.5-hour cab to Manali. Our team meets at the Old Manali bus stop and drives to Dhundhi (30 minutes up Solang Valley). The return is a cab from Dhundhi back to Manali on Day 3.

Cancellations must be requested in writing.

- More than 30 days before the trek start date: 90% refund. - 21–30 days before: 50% refund. - 11–20 days before: 25% refund. - 10 days or fewer: no refund, but you may transfer your slot to another trekker or to any future batch within 12 months at no extra charge.

Refunds are processed to the original payment method within 7-10 working days. Trip cancellations triggered by us (weather, force majeure, government restrictions) are refunded in full or moved to an alternate batch at your option.