Kuari which means “doorway” is a Himalayan high mountain pass situated in the Garhwal region of northern India, south of the Tibetan border and on the western rim of the “Nanda Devi Sanctuary” Biosphere Reserve and falls in the Chamoli district.
The Winter Kuari Pass Trek found fame in the early 1900’s when intrepid adventurers and mountaineers such as Lord Curzon, Eric Shipton and Bill Tilman used the passage in their pioneering explorations of the region.
The Kuari Pass trek is known as The Curzon Trail (named after the former British Viceroy Of India “Lord Curzon”).
The views on the Winter Kuari Pass trek are often cited as the best in the Indian Himalayas. It is not hard to discover why. To the north of the Winter Kuari Pass trek is the Chaukhamba Range, while the summits of Mana (7,272 m), Kamet (7,756 m) and Abl Gamin (7,355 m) extend to the Tibet border.
In the middle foreground, a number of spectacular peaks including Dunagiri (7,066 m) and Changabang (6,864 m) enclose the Nanda Devi Sanctuary while to the west the snowcapped ranges extend to Gangotri.
Destinations Covered during Kuari Pass Trek : Devprayag, Rudraprayag, Srinagar, Joshimath
Here’s a short Kuari Pass Trek Itinerary
Day 1 : Drive from Haridwar – Joshimath (260 kms).
Day 2 : Drive from Joshimath to Dhak village 10 km. Then trek uphill to akhod getha 6 km.
Day 3 : Early morning after breakfast trek to Kuari Pass 5 km. and back down to camp at Akhod Getha 5 km.
Day 4 : Trek to Akhod Getha to Gulling 5 km.
Day 5 : Gulling to Auli through Gorson Bugyal 8 km. Then drive to Joshimath 15 km.
Day 6 : Joshimath – Haridwar (260 kms drive).
Today’s journey from Haridwar to Joshimath is approximately 260 kms long and takes around 10 hours. Joshimath is a hub for religious and pilgrim tourists traveling to Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib. Later, we check in to guest house /hotel at Joshimath.
To start the Kuari Pass trek, we start our drive to Dhak village. Today we start our trek to the beautiful Kuari Pass. We trek through a hemlock, oak and rhododendron forests for approximately 6 kms before a short and steep descent to the grassland and campsite at Akhod Getha.
The impressive snow-capped ridge, including Chaukhamba 1 (7138 m), can be seen beyond Joshimath. The shepherds living between here and the Kuari Pass Trek are from Rishikesh or Haridwar and graze flocks of sheep and goats throughout summer. There is a small spring line at the head of the meadow for replenishing your water supply.
We will start our day early with a few stretching exercises in the morning followed by breakfast. After this our trek leader will brief us about today’s trek schedule. Today we will trek for around 5 kms to Kuari Pass, First leg of today’s trek is a gradual ascend till Khullara top and from there traversing through the snow patch we reach Kuari Top. At Kuari Pass top winds will gush past you. Savour the unending vistas of great Himalayan peaks including the famous Nanda Devi.
In the evening, we trek back to our campsite, Akhod Getha and enjoy hot dinner at night.
Today, we start our trek to our next campsite, Gulling. After viewing the beautiful landscape of Kuari Pass a day before, you will descend down to base camp Gulling. On your arrival, you can choose to indulge in various activities or relax. Later in the evening, you can rest in your tents while you are treated with a hot dinner.
Afrer a sumptous breakfast, a mind-blowing view awaits you as today you trek from Gulling to Auli. You trek through the beautiful jungle along with the vast grasslands while you trek. After a while, the magnificient views of the great Himalayam peaks like Nanda Devi, Hathi Ghodi peak and Dronagiri will surround you. Enroute, you will encounter the awe-inspiring valleys and fascinating Himalayan villages and make your way through the beautiful grasslands of Gorson, Once you are past the Gorson grasslands, you will continue your trek through a alluring forest, after which you will arrive in the meadows of Auli.
After reaching Auli and having a hot lunch, we pack our bags and drive back to Joshimath.
Today we start driving early to reach Haridwar with a beautiful mosaic of memories to keep us company. If we reach Haridwar on time then you can take part in Ganga Aarti at Har ki Pauri. Trek ends.
