Overview
Kalihani Pass — The Forgotten Crossover into Bara Bhangal
Kalihani Pass at 15,748 ft (4,800 m) is one of the least-trodden technical crossovers in the Indian Himalayas — a nine-day, double-pass walk that begins on the well-known meadows of Solang above Manali, crosses the main Pir Panjal axis at the Kalihani col, descends into the isolated Ravi-source village of Bara Bhangal, and exits over a second 15,150 ft pass (Thamsar) to the Kangra valley at Bir. There is no road in or out of Bara Bhangal — the village's 250 Gaddi inhabitants reach the rest of India only on foot or by occasional helicopter — and the only way to traverse this corridor is the same way Gaddi pastoralists have done it for at least three centuries: with a backpack, a tent, and a willingness to commit to a route that has no escape options once you are past the Manali Peak ridge.
Why this trek is unique
Most Himachali treks happen on one side of the Pir Panjal or the other. Kalihani is one of the very few that takes you across the range — and it does it twice in a single trek, with two technical passes and a full day in a roadless village in between. The ecological transition is striking: the Solang side is wet, forested, and monsoon-fed; the Bara Bhangal basin is a high alpine bowl drained by the infant Ravi river; and the Thamsar descent into Kangra drops you into the tea-and-deodar belt that is the cultural heartland of the Gaddi people. Few Indian treks pack this much geographical range into nine days.
The Manali approach
The trek begins at Solang Nala (8,400 ft) — a familiar staging point for Friendship Peak, Beas Kund, and Hampta Pass — and works north-west into a side valley that most trekkers ignore. Days 1 to 5 climb steadily through Dhundi, Bakkar Thach, Lama Dugh, Riyali Thach, and Kalihani Base Camp, crossing through pine and birch forest, alpine meadows, and finally onto windswept moraine at 15,000 ft. The route is well-worn by Gaddi shepherds moving sheep between Bara Bhangal and the Kullu summer pastures but sees fewer than 200 trekkers a year — a rounding error compared to the 50,000 who do Hampta Pass each season.
The pass crossing
Day 6 is summit day. We wake at 1 AM and start a 750 ft snow climb under headlamp, reaching the col by 6:30-7:00 AM. The final 100 metres is a 50° snow ramp where we deploy fixed ropes and trekkers ascend with jumars and harnesses. From the pass the entire upper Kullu valley sweeps south behind you while the Bara Bhangal basin and the sharp pyramid of Mukar Beh (19,910 ft) open to the north. The descent is steeper than the ascent — a rappel-and-glissade combination drops 1,500 ft of moraine before the snow ends — and the day ends at Devi ki Marhi camp at 12,500 ft after 14-15 hours on the move. This is the longest single day of any HeyHikers crossover trek.
Bara Bhangal village
Bara Bhangal (8,200 ft) is the centrepiece of the cultural experience. The village sits on a high terrace above the source of the Ravi and is home to roughly 250 Gaddi pastoralists who migrate to lower altitudes (Kangra and Chamba) for the winter and return in May. The houses are stone-and-wood, the school is a single-room primary, and the village helipad is the only state-government infrastructure visible. We spend a full afternoon and evening here, hosted by the Bhangahli family in a homestay, eating traditional Gaddi madra (yoghurt-and-chickpea curry) and siddu (steamed buckwheat dumpling). Conversations with the village elders, many of whom remember when the only outsiders coming here were British forest officials, are the trip's quietest highlight.
The walk-out via Thamsar
Days 8 and 9 reverse the cultural direction — out of the Ravi basin, over Thamsar Pass (15,150 ft), and down into the Kangra valley to Bir. The Thamsar crossing is technically easier than Kalihani (no fixed ropes required) but is a long, sustained ascent. The descent is on a well-graded shepherd path that drops through Plachak, Rajgundha, and Billing — the world-famous paragliding take-off — before reaching the Tibetan colony at Bir. The final drive back to Manali (5 hours via Mandi) closes a roughly 110 km loop that took eight days of walking.
Difficulty and prerequisites
Kalihani is a graded difficult trek — we only enrol trekkers who have completed at least one trek above 14,000 ft (Hampta Pass, Rupin Pass, Goecha La, Buran Ghati, etc.) and can demonstrate cardiovascular fitness equivalent to running 8 km in 50 minutes. The trek requires basic technical skills (rope work, ice axe arrest, crampon use) which we cover in two Day-3 and Day-4 briefings on snow patches above camp. Anyone with a history of pulmonary issues, untreated hypertension, or knee instability should not attempt this trek — the cumulative descent on Day 9 is 10,000 ft.
Best season and weather
Kalihani has a narrow window: July to mid-September. June still has too much unstable snow on both passes; mid-September onwards the weather window closes as the first winter storms arrive on the Pir Panjal. The Solang side gets monsoon rain (we hike in raincoats for several days); the Bara Bhangal basin sits in a partial rain shadow and stays drier. Daytime temperatures range from 12°C in the lower forests to -8°C at Kalihani Base Camp. We track weather windows carefully via satellite communicator and may delay the pass crossing by 24 hours if conditions warrant.
Cultural and historical context
The Kalihani-Bara Bhangal-Thamsar route was a working Gaddi migration corridor for at least three centuries. Sheep, goats, wool, and ghee moved between the Kullu summer pastures and the Kangra winter villages along this path twice a year. The ritual stops at Devi ki Marhi (the goddess shrine before the pass) and the small Hanuman temple at Bara Bhangal are part of an unbroken pastoral religious tradition. Walking this trail is the closest most outsiders will come to the rhythm of a Gaddi year.
Itinerary
Map

What trekkers say
"I'd never camped in snow before. The HeyHikers team made me feel safe every single step. The summit sunrise — standing at 12,500 ft watching peaks turn gold — I cried. Not from the cold. From the beauty."
PS
Priya Sharma
Kedarkantha, Dec 2025
"Seven lakes, each more unreal than the last. The logistics were flawless — the food at 13,000 ft was better than most restaurants I know. Our guide Farooq knew every stone on the trail. Doing Goechala with them next."
AM
Arjun Mehta
Kashmir Great Lakes, Aug 2025
Inclusion
- All meals during the trek (vegetarian, freshly cooked)
- Camping gear — tents, sleeping bags, mats
- Certified trek leader and support guides
- Forest department permits and entry fees
- First-aid kit and supplemental oxygen
- Basecamp accommodation on twin/triple sharing
Exclusion
- Travel to and from the basecamp pickup point
- Personal trekking gear and clothing
- Travel insurance covering high-altitude trekking
- Tips, personal expenses, and meals during travel days
- Anything not explicitly listed under inclusions
Things to Carry
- Trekking shoes (high-ankle, broken-in)
- 40-50L backpack with rain cover
- Two pairs of trek pants
- Three full-sleeve t-shirts (synthetic, not cotton)
- Fleece jacket and a heavier down/insulated jacket
- Thermal innerwear (top + bottom)
- Waterproof outer shell (jacket + pants)
- Woollen cap, sun cap, balaclava
- Two pairs of warm gloves (inner liner + outer)
- UV-rated sunglasses
- Headlamp with spare batteries
- Reusable water bottles (2L total) or hydration bladder
- Personal medical kit and prescription medicines
- Sunscreen (SPF 50+) and lip balm
- Toiletries and quick-dry towel
- Original photo ID (mandatory at forest checkposts)
How to Reach
Reach Manali by overnight Volvo from Delhi or by air to Bhuntar. The trek begins from Solang (30 min from Manali) and ends 9 days later at Bir, from where we drive back to Manali (5 hours via Mandi) or onward to Pathankot for departure.
Safety & Security
- Acclimatize properly — never skip rest days at altitude.
- Drink at least 4 litres of water per day above 9,000 ft.
- Tell your trek leader immediately if you feel headache, nausea, or breathlessness — early AMS signs are treatable, ignored ones are not.
- Stay close to the group; do not take shortcuts off the marked trail.
- Avoid alcohol and smoking for the entire duration of the trek.
- Keep a buffer day for travel — Himalayan roads can close without notice.
- Carry travel insurance that explicitly covers high-altitude trekking and helicopter evacuation.
Cancellation Policy
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.
Meet your trek leader

Akhil Deruwan
NIM Uttarkashi certified · 9 yrs experience
Akhil grew up in the foothills of the Garhwal Himalayas and has spent nearly a decade navigating its most demanding trails. He has led over 150 batches across Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, with a strong focus on technical high-altitude routes and safety management. His calm under pressure and deep knowledge of local terrain make him a trusted leader for both beginner and advanced trekkers.
- Wilderness First Responder
- High Altitude Medicine
- Technical Route Navigation
- Search & Rescue
FAQ
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