Chaurasi Pass
District Chamba, Himachal Pradesh
Position - N32 35.746 E76 24.560
Altitude – 4508 metres above MSL
Trail Orientation – South - North
Closest Settlement(s) – Tundah (South), Datuin (North)
For once, I know for sure why this pass was named as it was and by whom. Thats because the honours belong to Jango and myself and it was named after the 84 springs (84 is Chaurasi in Hindi) just south of the pass. The pass does not even exist on trekking maps, just the lake North of it does. We went to find the lake and we found the pass as well. We cant claim to have been the only people to have ever crossed the pass but we can definitely lay claim to be amongst a handful. It is not part of the main Pir Panjal range but the pass is still higher than some of those which lie on the main range. Situated as it is above a high ridge, the entire trail and the pass itself has a selection of probably the best views of Pir Panjals, Dhauladhars and the Manimahesh range from a single point.
The entire Mumbardhar ridge is worth a trek in itself. The green meadows with all sorts of flowers matting the trail and the fantastic views of the higher ranges can make you feel like camping for a week on the ridge. From the pass, Pir Panjals are a stone's throw away. You can see the Dumgol twins (circa 6000 mts) and many other 5000+ peaks a stone's throw away. Finally, after you cross the pass, there is Chaurasi ka Dal, a 3800 metre lake fed by melting snow from many Pir Panjal peaks. Finally finally, on a trail that almost does not exist, watch out for wild life. We managed a couple of large brown bears, a herd each of Ibex and Himalayan Tahr. More than anything else, this pass deserves a shot for the immeasurable pleasure of exploration.
Trekking to Chaurasi Pass:
The word trek is practically unheard of with regard to this pass. We were probably the first trekkers in the modern era to have gone here. A trail does not exist. Neither does accurate and reliable information in the nearby villages. Lack of water on the Mumbardhar ridge makes it even more difficult. If you are trekking purely for pleasure of outdoors and dont want uncertainities, a bit of risk, excitement, dont even attempt this pass. Even with the route details I have provided on this page and the trek summary, this will take some doing.
The best time to attempt this would be May and June with no uncertainities expect on the weather part. Start at Tundah and dont miss the Mumbardhar ridge for anything. If you die of thirst there, at least it would be a sweet death with beautiful views. Finding the route to the base camp at 4000 metres (I still dont know the name of the place) is easy, its just a walk along the top of the Mumbardhar ridge. There are 2 trick points. The first one a few minutes after the base camp and the second one after Chaurasi Chali (The 84 springs). The other minor issue could be at the pass because old ice forms a 10-15 feet high vertical wall on the other side of the pass. So, you either need to rope down or find a chink in the ice to slide down.
The lake is quite a distance from the pass and is visible only once you get very close to it. Once you reach the lake, the exploration factor reduces to 0 and there is a clear trail down to some villages in the Chanju area. If you need more information on this one, drop me an email or a comment.
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