Brief Itinerary

Day 1 :- Mandi to Shangarh

• Altitude 7,200 ft.

• Pick up time .

• Drive .

• Network is available.

• Stay in a guest house.

• Route:- Mandi - Pandoh Lake - Hanogi Temple - Diversion before Aut Tunnel - Sainj -Shangarh.

Day 2 :- Shangarh to Lapah Camp

• Trek 9 km.

• 8,500 ft.

• Reach Camp before lunch.

• No local market, no network is available.

• Till Lapah level walk on the well-marked trail, frequently used by villagers (6.5 km).

• Cross Barshangarh village.

• Waterfall on the way to refill water bottles.

• Gradual ascent 2.5 km from Lapah Village till campsite.

• Camp in between mixed forest of pine and other broad-leaved trees

Day 3 :- Lapah Camp to Sara Lake

• Trek 6.5 km.

• 10,500 ft.

• No water point on the trail so fill bottles at Camp.

• Keep your wind and waterproof handy.

• The first half of is through pin, fir and spruce forest having gradual to a steep ascent.

• The second half of the trek is through rhododendron forest (Steep ascent).

• Walk along the ridge named Saradhar.

• Reach Sara Lake by late noon.

• Stay in tents beside the lake.

Day 4 :- Sara Lake to Shumga Thach and Back to Sara Lake

• Trek 8 km up and down from the summit.

• 11,800 ft.

• Start after Breakfast, lunch at Summit.

• Sara to Shumga Summit gradual ascent 4 km.

• Pheasants Monal, Thragopan, Koklash can be spotted.

• Spend some time at Shumga Summit.

• Sliding can be enjoyed while coming down in winter.

• Fun day of the trek.

• Reach Campsite in the late evening.

• Peaks of Gushu, Pishu in Tirth, Shupakuni, Kingkullen, Snow Peak in Rakti, Vasuki Nag are visible.

Day 5 :- Sara Lake Camp to Nihari Road head via Lapah

• Trek 12.5 km.

• 5,500 ft.

• Descend is gradual along Saradhar Ridge till Lapah.

• Mind the diversion at Lapah towards Niharni.

• Niharni is gradual descend till Baha bridge on Sainj River then a level walk till the road appears.

• (first 1 km is gradual ascent and rest 1.5 km is steep ascent).

• Reach Campsite by lunch.

• Accommodation in tent/Homestay.

Day 6 :- Nihari to Mandi

• drive of 4 hours (126 km).

Who can go

• First timer can apply, should have some interest in trekking and mountaineering.

• The climber must be fit and have sufficient stamina to cover 5 km of distance in 30 minutes without a stress.

• The climber should be able to carry a 10-15 kg backpack.

• Heart problem, high blood pressure, asthma, and epilepsy cannot be reconciled on this mission. The climber must not have the conditions mentioned above.

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 : Mandi to Shangarh

After you reach Mandi the beautiful mountain journey begins. The first major sight will be of Pandoh Dam built in 1977 as hydroelectric power station. It is an attractive tourist spot in Manali.

You will follow the Mandi – Aut Tunnel route. If you wish you can halt at the Hanogi Mata temple, perfectly balancing on the edge of a cliff forming a divine picture. Taking steep turns, the view gets greener as you get closer to the Sainj River and vast meadows come to visibility. The first thing that will capture your heart will be the tower temples. ShangchulMahadev Temple is newly built temple after the old was destroyed in fire. The temple will remind of you Chinese constructions.

You will instantly fall in love with the entire setup of pleasing green grassland with Snow Mountains and tiny village houses. Sip a cup of tea and enjoy your night in a homestay. Permissions are required to step into the wonderland of Great Himalayan National Park.

Day 2 : Shangarh to Lapah camp

Wake up in the morning getting immersed in the wonderful scenery. You would want to relax on the grass and feel the sun rays. But get packed to experience more. The height gain up to the next campsite, Lapah is from 2200 meters to 2700 meters. You will be covering 9 km distance in 5 hours trek.

After 1 km walk through the forests, you will arrive at Barshangarh village. The path henceforth is a level walk between Pine trees. During winter these trees are layered with snow forming a perfect winter picture. You will cross the Lapah village to reach the campsite. It will be a steep ascent of 2 km until campsite. Your eyes will be filled withmindblowing views of Greater Himalayan peaks. Though the peaks are not clearly visible, it is enough to rejuvenate you. If you are lucky you might have an encounter with Black deer, Goral or Musk deer.

Day 3 : Lapah Camp to Sara Lake

After peaceful sleep under forests, it is time to encounter how the forests change its colour. The trail starts from Lapah along the Saradhar ridge. The trail starts with a moderate ascent of 2 km, followed by a steep ascent of 2 km. Notice the change in vegetation from thick Pine, Fir and Spruce forests to Rhododendron and Junipers scrubs.

Towards the end of the trail you will come across Raila village. Walking a little ahead you can spot the next camp site besides Sara Lake. The lake is a tiny lake surrounded by Kharsu oak trees on the sides. The lake is dark coloured and mostly covered by leaves. Towards the northeast side you will get views of never-ending Greater Himalayan ranges. You will get enough time to roam around and capture memorable moments with the nature.

Day 4 : Sara Lake to Shumga Summit Point

This is one of the easy treks having a summit day covering a total of 8 km. The trail is of moderate type so relax and just engulf the peacefulness. On this trail too you will observe the variation of greenery filled with Rhododendron and Junipers scrubs. Just as you move up the tree line ends and lavish meadows of Shumga incept. Also, you will find alpine scrubs lying everywhere. These scrubs are breeding grounds for pheasants like Monal, Tragopan, Koklash etc. After establishment of National Park Shumga attracts wildlife watchers.

Shumga summit point is obvious by prayer flags and a shrine of Jogni deity. The Goddess is believed to guide and protect the mountains. What makes the summit unique is that it lies on a ridge separating Sainj and Tirthan Valley. A 360 degree theatre opens as soon you reach the summit. Towards southwest lower hills of Banjar, Thachi, and Mandi are visible at a distance. On the other hand, Northeast side has Great Himalayan range peaks. On a clear autumn morning high peaks of Kinnaur and Spiti regions can be noticed. Look towards North for distant mesmerizing views of PirPanjal range. You will also find Beas River meandering through Kullu Valley towards West. Major Peaks seen are Gushu, Pishu in Tirth, Shupakuni, Kingkullen, Snow Peak in Rakti, Vasuki Nag, in Lahulibati.

Day 5 : Shumga to Nihari (12km, 5 hours trek)a

Wake up with all the memories fresh in your mind, promising to never forget them. Another chance to relive those is on the return trail. The route to Lapah is the same as you came up. This will be the longest route of the entire trek. After 6 km of retracing your steps to Lapah, take a diversion to Nihari.

Another 6 km descend until Sainjriverand you will reach a bridge over the river at Baha. Walk the final steps on the bridge and say the end to the Shumga trek.

Day 6 : Nihari to Mandi

Just look back and try to relive the entire trek as the time to say Goodbye, has come. With a big smile get ready to miss the trek while you drive back to Mandi.

How to Reach

By Air :- 
Bhuntar, which is 52 km away from Manali, is the nearest airport. Taxi services are available from Bhuntar to Manali, which costs about Rs. 700- Rs1000. Bhuntar is well connected to Delhi by air. The airliners that take you to this Airport are Indian Airlines, Kingfisher airlines, MDLR Airlines and Jagson Airlines, operating flights from Delhi and Chandigarh to Kullu.

By Road:- 
Mandi is well connected to Delhi. Take an overnight bus from Delhi to Mandi (Manali). Tickets can be booked online at www.redbus.in or www.hrtc.gov.in, Tip: Since Delhi Manali is a long journey most Volvo private buses leave Delhi between 5 pm and 6 pm. The last govt bus leaves at 8.30 pm from ISBT Kashmere Gate. Manali to Delhi Like the onward journey, buses leave from Manali to Delhi between 4 and 5 p.m. Your tentative arrival at Delhi may be anywhere between 6 a.m and 10 a.m. Plan your onward journeys only post noon giving enough buffer for bus delays.

Note:- Trekkers need to take only those VOVO buses which reach Mandi till 10.00am on first day. Our reporting time is 11.00am at Manadi but in-case you will not able to reach at meeting /briefing time, either we will transfer your seat to our any next batch or we will cancel your trek, so please double check your bus time with your bus transporter.