10 reasons to fall in love with Rupin Pass

I am sure, anyone who has done a Himalayan trek will have countless favorite moments and memories from the trek. Rupin pass was my first Himalayan trek (only one so far) with Trek the Himalayas and I absolutely fell in love with everything about it. If you have a slight inclination towards this trek and are debating whether to go or not, then apart from thousands of reasons to do this I will add 10 more which might help you make that final decision 😊

1. Mighty Rupin River – Amidst the everchanging scenery, weather & surroundings, the Rupin river will be your constant companion throughout the trek. Sometimes becoming fierce in the flow and sometimes just showing a glimpse of itself it somehow always motivated me to keep going on. Every time I saw the river I would jump with joy and the excitement didn’t die down even till the last day. I miss it the most!
   

   

   

   Dhaula campsite day 1. We all couldn’t wait to dip our feet.

   
2. The shepherds route – The pass lies on a traditional shepherd route starting from Dhaula(Uttarakhand) and ending in Sangla(Himachal Pradesh). So, you will find a lot of shepherds with their herds who might be staying alongside your campsites. You get to interact with them and know more about their lives.
   

   

   

3. Different start & end points – Contrary to most of the treks, Rupin pass trek does not start and end at the same base camp. As stated earlier, it starts from Dhaula in Uttarakhand and ends at Sangla in Himachal Pradesh. This provides an opportunity to explore new places during the decent.
4. Interacting with the locals – For the first 3 days you will be walking from one village to other and will get opportunities to stay in village houses. Apart from getting amazed at how, some of the chores for which we don’t even care put any thoughts while in cities, take so much effort and time to be done in hills, you will also find immense peace and happiness in most of the people living there. It helps gain some perspective and to appreciate small things in life.
   

   

   

   

   

The landscape surprises: Anyone who knows about Rupin pass is aware of the surprises in the everchanging scenery that it offers throughout the trek. Some of these views and landscape settings that are not to be missed:

5. Meadows amidst the glacier valleys – Once you reach the upper waterfall (our campsite was right after reaching on top of the waterfall) you will be welcomed by vast area of meadows amidst glacier valleys.
6. The view of upper waterfall – As per the Trek the Himalayas itinerary, our 4^th night campsite was at Dhandharas thatch. It is hands down the best stay location on this trek (or for me, anywhere else too). You get the view of the upper waterfall in front which is nothing but majestic. Sleeping amidst the snow capped valleys below this waterfall will always be a cherishable memory.
7. Pine forests – Shade of these long trees will be nothing but bliss when you are walking with the sun right on top of your head (especially if you go in summers). Walking amidst the caves of these trees will make you sing many of those Bollywood songs!
8. The bridge b/w Uttaranchal & Shimla – Don’t miss the border b/w Uttaranchal and HP. It is marked by a bridge with the beautiful stream flowing underneath. It comes between Sewa and Bawta on Day 2 of the trek.
9. Snow bridges – Walking on the snow bridges was a thrilling experience. I kept remembering all those movie scenes where someone would just fall beneath the ice and freeze 😛 Luckily nothing like that happened.
   

   
10. Cute wooden villages – The villages on the way till Jhakha are all made up of these cute little wooden houses. In Jhakha many houses are made right on the edge of the rocks, hence many tourists call it the hanging village.
    

    The hanging village of Jhakha

    

    

These 10 points cannot cover the essence of the amazing experience that the Rupin pass trek is. Sliding on the snow, dealing with extreme cold conditions, no network for 8 days, the feeling of achievement once you reach the summit, drinking water from streams and so much more. If you are still debating, trust me & go for it!