Panchachuli Base Camp Trek – Camping in the Rain
Panchachuli Base Camp Trek – A journey to the end of Uttarakhand, camping in the rain and living in a mudhouse.
About Panchachuli Peaks
Panchachuli, derived from Pandava’s ‘five cooking hearths’, is a string of five snow-peaked mountains in the Eastern Kumaon region of Uttarakhand. Panchachuli Base Camp Trek is a remote journey. Panchachuli Peaks are omnipresent from most of Pithoragarh district, a scenic status quo beheld from Munsyari, and of course, the base of it all, Darma Valley. Years back, the trek used to take nine days on foot and there was no provision for vehicle-friendly roads connecting a traveller all the way up to Dugtu. But now, one can reach as far as Darma Valley on a vehicle and trek for only 2 km to plaque on the base.
In this Panchachuli Base Camp Guide, you will find the itinerary, tips for the trek, and how to reach the base from Munsyari.
Panchachuli Base Camp Itinerary – A Seven-Day Trek in Uttarakhand
Day 1: Delhi to Kathgodam
If you are coming from Delhi or any other city for Panchachuli Base Camp Trek, the most convenient mode of transportation is the railways. Kathgodam, being the nearest railway station, is situated 5 km prior to Haldwani, and is the foremost connecting thread amid the Kumaoni regions of Uttarakhand.
Day 2: Kathgodam to Dharchula (268 km)
Two modes of travelling generally go hand-in-hand with my way of backpacking – hitchhiking and boarding local buses. Even though all parts of Uttarakhand are tightly connected by state-run local buses, no public transport can reach as far as the last village near the base of Panchachuli Base Camp Trek (except for Jeepers). It’s better to take the journey in your own vehicle unless you want to hitchhike.
Travelling took an unprecedented turn with my first proper bike trip with my partner (a twelve-day-long road trip all over Pithoragarh district). The more you will move towards Dharchula and further, the remotest parts of Eastern Uttarakhand will more and more seclude themselves. Camping and riding your own vehicle – are two of the most convenient ways to explore this pristine no man’s land.
Or, even better, Kathgodam to Munsyari (270 km)
The 268-km-long-drive from Kathgodam to Dharchula for Panchachuli Base Camp Trek can be broken down into two consecutive days: the drive from Kathgodam to Munsyari and Munsyari to Dharchula. Munsyari is an alluring delicacy for sore eyes. The route generally takes you through the Almora-Kausani-Bageshwar-Munsyari baseline. From the end of Bageshwar district to the perennial spell of Pithoragarh district, the road is a concrete struggle and the view is a nomad’s paradise. Stay the night in Munsyari and cover the further Munsyari-Dharchula stretch the next day for Panchachuli Base Camp Trek.
Where to Stay in Munsyari: Pandey Lodge for Rs. 300 per night (7248433365), Snow View Inn for Rs. 500 per night (9456543592).
Also read – The Loveliest Valley of Flowers Trek in the Himalayas
Next Day: Munsyari to Dharchula (94 km)
Leaving the majestic Munsyari behind and getting soaked up in the dripping water lines flowing down a cliff on the Munsyari-Madkot road, we set off keeping up with the constant rhythm of the changing landscape on both sides as well as the road dangerously precarious at times. Yet the stretch from Munsyari to Dharchula is still bearable, the further stretch is only a skilled rider’s fortitude.
With 35 kg luggage and my added presence on the back of the Himalayan and against the locals’ caution, there we were. On our way to Darma Valley. To begin our Panchachuli Base Camp Trek.
Dharchula is a quintessential town with its designated share of shops and markets. This is also one of the getaways to Nepal. Kali River, originating from Kalapani, bifurcates India and Nepal through a bridge, the narrow bridge being the connecting link between India and Nepal.
Another Indo-Nepal crossing can be done in Lohaghat, a serene and offbeat town 149 km away from Dharchula and 60 km away from the main Pithoragarh town.
The most enthralling moments got well-expanded with our footsteps on the bridge summoning us to Nepal. Let it be only for an hour. Let it be only the border area. The long walk along Kali River, approached from the other side, another country, the taste of crossing the border for the first time and mostly, apprehending the actuality of hanging so close to the dividing notion – Nepal lasted for an hour, but it was Nepal! Yak hair was hanging from the pole in shops and the river, in its yellow-grey avatar, letting us be quiet on the huge rocks.
Lockdown alert: You can cross the border only if you return on the same day, in case you don’t have a COVID-negative report. You can cross the border from Dharchula with a report, but not from Lohaghat, with or without a report. The Lohaghat border is closed to tourists.
Day 3: From Dharchula to Darma Valley
Dharchula is the last point of contact where you can find an ATM on Panchachuli Base Camp Trek. From Dharchula onwards, the long line of remote villages would instigate the pure, unadulterated flavour of East Uttarakhand. The road itself is one of the most difficult roads to ride on, especially in the rain (as it was with us). Two beautiful villages you can stop midway for tea or coffee can be Dar and Urthin. Again, the road connecting Dar to Darma Valley was, not to exasperate, nothing but rough razor-sharp patches under construction. Military trucks were also hitting the same patchy road, with camping gear. We thought of asking them for food in case it gets darker and we don’t get to reach Darma Valley. But nature forbid, we didn’t have to.
We borrowed utensils from a local shop in Urthin and bought some veggies to cook for the night. Dugtu Village, being the base of the Panchachuli Base Camp Trek, is generally considered the night’s stay. But, we went a bit further and decided to pitch the tent in Dantu. The view of Panchachuli Peaks on one side and Rajrambha and Bramha Peaks revealed in fog and clouds confronting the same on the other – that’s Dugtu for you. We found a secluded corner away from the only shop and mudhouses there were, camped overnight and as the clouds conspired into relentless rain in a neurotic frenzy, three consecutive nights skated their slimy ways through our tent-life like the last share of its frozen wind. That night we cooked overcooked Maggi with undercooked veggies on the firewood already burning at the shop. It saved us from the agony of chopping wood in the rain.
Imagine a morning of mules and a night of stars. Imagine a morning of mules grazing around the tent you pitched last night on the carpet of greenery and a night of spectacles guised in stars. Imagine living it, and pour in an insane flush of rain in one of the faraway villages in Uttarakhand.
Shivering in the cold without blankets, shivering less (were we?) upon borrowing blankets from a local family, living in a traditional mudhouse on our last night (the fourth night) – the spectrum of daily adventures we went through on Panchachuli Base Camp Trek only opened up the raw and green culture of Uttarakhand to us. Some days the only adventure was to sit around and wait for the incessant rain to come to a halt. Even then we were so close to ourselves!
Day 4: From Darma Valley to Panchachuli Base Camp
Camping should be your first choice on Panchachuli Base Camp Trek, believe me, you will be in for a lifetime experience. If not, there are two-three mudhouses in both Dantu and Dugtu. They charge Rs. 1000 for a room including three meals a day per person. There’s no need for prior booking. You can easily find a mudhouse upon arrival. This too is an exceptional experience.
There are two trails for Panchachuli Base Camp Trek, one being more conspicuous than the other. The prominent trail starts from Dugtu, contrary to the trail less embarked on from Dantu.
From Dugtu, Panchachuli Base Camp is a 2-km hike away. The trail is well-marked and a one-directional path to the glacier frozen during wintertime. The melted strands of water form narrow water bodies alongside the trail. From mountains surrounding the hushed valleys, melted glaciers trickle down impersonating a white border and marking the territorial divergence between both sides of a mountain. We hit this trail on our way back. There’re a few igloo-shaped structures (commercial campsites) on the trail, in case you want to spend the night near the base camp.
Another lesser-known trail starts from Dantu Village, encircling the cluster of mudhouses all the way along the river to Panchachuli Base Camp. Only the locals can truly guide you through the trail. Even then you will have to figure it out as you are, for sure, to lose your way. Beware that the trail goes through a heavy jungle area. We discovered bear paw-marks cramping down the slushy mud. It would be exasperating to label it as a trail, it’s mostly hiding behind bushes and landing on open-ended contradictions: should we go this way or that way? For there’s no way. But with the growing contrasts would come the point that would merge the unsettled trail to the main Dugtu trail.
There’s a makeshift tent serving the succulent needs of the trekkers (FOOD!) It is run by a local villager living high alone near Panchachuli Base Camp. He offered us tea in his cave-like hideout. I say ‘offered’ as he refused to take money from us, even though we were to be the only customers in the short-sighted future, as it seemed. The hospitality of these mountain men never ceased to implement a sense of direction in me. In the end, it’s the people who make up for the bigger truth. Sometimes it appears to be bigger than, say even nature. Sometimes it doesn’t. The only thing I learnt is that nature doesn’t always triumph.
Day 5: From Darma Valley to Dharchula
Day 6: From Dharchula to Kathgodam
Day 7: From Kathgodam to Delhi
Congratulations, you have successfully completed the Panchachuli Base Camp Trek.
Also read – Khaliya Top Trek – The Best One-Day Solo Trek in Munsyari
Tips for Panchachuli Base Camp Trek
- Camping. You will be missing out on a lot if you don’t camp in Darma Valley on Panchachuli Base Camp Trek. In between Dugtu and Dantu, there are uncountable grounds to camp out for the night. My personal advice would be to pitch your tent in Dantu. Your morning would be seized by the facets of snow-covered peaks.
- Riding your own vehicle. As mentioned earlier, the local transport does not reach as far as Darma Valley. Local buses run till Dharchula. From there on, only shared jeeps run on the stretch till Darma Valley. Yet, a bike trip (only if you have full confidence in your riding abilities) can wholeheartedly vindicate the spectacular ride you will be on.
- Take out cash in Dharchula. There would be no more ATMs after Dharchula. Make sure that you have enough cash on you for Panchachuli Base Camp Trek.
- Explore Pithoragarh on your way back. If you have a couple of days in hand, take a detour and stop by Pithoragarh. Despite being the headquarters of Pithoragarh district, Pithoragarh, if explored in an offbeat convention, can lure you to hidden trails and way-out ends. Pithoragarh was not up our sleeves, particularly after spending more than a week being acclimatized to the silence of nature. Yet we were obstructed near Champawat due to roadblocks from landslides. ‘Stuck’ in Pithoragarh, our two days slid in morning hikes chasing random trails and being invited by a local family for tea and cookies.
- Support the locals. Reclining heavily on agricultural resources, some of the locals’ seasonal earnings depend on harvesting ‘Keera Jadi’, an expensive Himalayan herb (Rs. 10 lakhs per kg in the global black market) meant to boost energy (the notorious Himalayan Viagra). Villagers in these remote areas climb up further to look for the herb, leading to the successive vacant contour of these villages. The villages get stripped of their young inhabitants for months on end. Another source of income is generated from the tourism and hospitality ‘sector’, which mostly means the mudhouses for guests. In Dugtu and Dantu, near Panchachuli Base Camp, for Rs. 1000 per person (stay and three meals a day), you get to snuggle in a traditional Uttarakhandi house modeled in mud. On wintry days, the mudhouse keeps itself warm and during summertime, it remains cool and pleasant.
Also read – Tungnath Trek – Surviving A Snowstorm at Chandrashila
How to Reach Panchachuli Base Camp from Munsyari
This is the only part of Uttarakhand where you should not rely too much on local buses. The most convenient way to reach Panchachuli Base Camp from Munsyari is through Dharchula (shared jeeps can take you there). From Dharchula, another shared jeep will leave you in Darma Valley, the base of the Panchachuli Base Camp trek.
With that, get out there and weave your own story on the edge of Uttarakhand.
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