Together with Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh is at the top of India’s top destination for hiking in the Himalayas. High snowy peaks, wooded mountains, glacial lakes, flowering meadows are better explored on foot, and if you’re a novice or have crossed the most difficult slopes, this state has something for everyone. This is our list of Top 7 Hikes in Himachal Pradesh for beginners. Please note that while they are labeled Easy-Moderate on a grade scale, some, albeit small, sections on the route may be difficult.
- Triund Hill Trek
This short day-trek starts from McLeodganj and takes 9 km of well-defined trails to the top of Triund Hill. You can choose from any of the routes that run from Rawa, Dal Lake, Dharamkot, and Bhagsu as they all converge at Galu Devta (2130 m). There are a small temple and a couple of guesthouses and tea shops. From here, the trail winds up over a forested ridge overlooking Dharamshala and the lush valleys of Kangra. In May-June, the rhododendrons splash the trail with crimson dollops. You cross a mountain stream, over which the gradual climb steeps suddenly and passes through a cluster of trees to the top of Triund Hill.
- Kareri Lake Trek
Kareri Lake trek is an elliptical glacial lake situated high in the Dhauladhar range and is ideal as a long weekend destination. The trek starts from McLeodganj, through thick woods and pasturelands; we enter Dal Lake-a a lovely lake surrounded by deodar and rhododendron forests-and give prayers to the temple. The annual fair takes place during the Hindu month of Bhadon (August/September). From here, we’re going on a trek to Satobheri, through a forest, and over a wooden bridge over the Gaj River to reach Ghera. Alternatively, you should travel to Ghera. A steep ascent from Ghera will take you to Kareri Village. Kareri Lake is another 13 km south-east of the village.
- Bhrigu Lake Trek
Located east of the Rohtang Pass, Bhrigu Lake has a dazzling blue under bright summer skies. The lake is named after the famous saint Bhrigu, one of the Saptarishi, who is said to have meditated on the lake as he wrote the Bhrigu Samhita. The trek begins at Gulaba, a 22 km drive from Manali. The path passes through dense forests of silver oak, cedar, and birch trees, and now and then opens into grasslands dissected by rivers. The high peaks of Hanuman Tibba and the Seven Sister peaks in the Beas Kund Valley stand in the distance.
- Beas Kund Trek
One of the ideal short treks near Manali, the Beas Kund Trek takes you to the source of the Beas River. You launch a trek from Dhundi, 8 km away from the Solang Valley. The 8.8 km Rohtang tunnel is being built here. Follow the well-trodden route to Bakar Thach, a beautiful wildflower in the meadow of the nearby Beas River. Behind you rise the magnificent peaks of Indrasen and Deo Tibba. In the summer, the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Activities, Manali is setting up a training camp here. The flat meadows gradually give way to boulder fields and moraines, and you have to take a steep path along the left side of the river and to the ridge.
- Malana Chanderkhani Pass Trek
Malana is renowned as one of the oldest democracies in the world, as it is famous for Malana cream, one of the best marijuana in the world. The village has a distinctive architecture and language, and its judicial and administrative structures are one of a kind. The Milanese consider themselves descendants of Alexander the Great’s army. If an outsider enters something here, people or houses, they have to pay a heavy fine for purification rituals. Malana can be reached via the Chanderkhani Pass. A 21 km drive from Manali will take you to Naggar, where the actual trek begins.
- Hatu Peak Trek
The Hatu Peak Trek is another day’s trek from Narkanda, 63 km from Shimla. If you try it in the first few weeks of March, you’ll come across new, undisturbed snow. From Narkanda, you will start by following the road to Thanedar until you reach a three-lane crossing in a clearing surrounded by pine forests. The path snakes around the mountain-sometimes the undergrowth is moist while mossy, and at others, the sun is filtering through the leaves. Three kilometers later, you will get your first glimpse of the snow-covered by the greater Himalayas and then on to a clearing with a few shepherd huts and a small pond representing the blue sky and snowy peaks.
- Jalsu Pass Trek
Jesus Pass Trek is considered to be one of the easiest treks in the Dhauladhars. It links the upper Ravi Valley to Kangra. The trek begins from Bharmour, weaves its way to Holi, the separate sub-valley of Bharmour, and ends at Badrinath. A 12 km drive from Holi will take you to Nayagram, where the hiking trail begins. Walk down to the village and up through the thick pine and deodar forests to the revered temple of Laka Mata (3 km), beyond which the hike descends steeply to the wooden bridge in the meadows of Channi, before heading towards the village of Surahi.
