Baleni Pass Trek

Trek to Baleni pass and Kareri lake is a beginner friendly trek that is apt for children of 7 years of age and above. This trek is can be done by anyone with no prior experience of trekking or camping. It is one of best options to expose children to the wilderness and introduce them to the Himalayas and high altitude trekking.

The Baleni pass trek is a parent – child trek. We recommend that at least one parent / guardian accompanies the child on this journey. Since this trek is beginner friendly and does not require any prior trekking or camping experience, it is absolutely perfect for parents to accompany their child. The upper age limit for the trek is between the bracket of 58 – 65 years.

There are three ways to reach Dharamshala which are the following: (1) Fly from your hometown to Delhi and another flight from Delhi to Dharamshala (2) Fly from your hometown to Chandigarh and drive for 6.5 Hrs to Dharamshala. (3) Fly from your hometown to Amritsar and drive for 5 Hrs to Dharamshala
Note : Cab transport can be arranged on actuals.

The Baleni pass & Kareri Lake starts from and ends at Salli, a small village in Himachal. Salli is approximately at a distance of 45 kms from the hotel in Dharamshala where you will be staying. From your hotel to Dharamshala, our team will arrange for your travel to the start of this trek point, which will be a 1 hour 25 minutes drive.

The Baleni pass & Kareri Lake Trek is an easy trek with pleasant temperatures. There are chances of occasional rain depending on the weather conditions. Day-time temperatures can range from 15 °C to 18 °C and at night 0 °C .

Kareri Lake is located in the heart of Himachal Pradesh at an elevation of about 2,950 meters in Kangra district. The Kareri Village is about 27 km from Dharamshala and 13 km from McLeod Ganj.

Yes, the Kareri Lake Trek is perfect for beginners and children as young as 6. The trek is an easy level trek with minimal altitude gain and is the perfect opportunity to introduce your child to the wonders of nature and trekking. A prior preparation of about 5-6 weeks is required.

On Day 1, The vehicle will pick you up from your Hotel at 7:30 am. Request you to be ready with your daypack (carried by you) and your main backpack (to be loaded on mules). During the trek, the guides will brief about next days plan every evening before dinner.

The entire trek route consists of mountain trails, forest, meadows, streams and some part of boulder/rocky terrain. The trail is moreover defined and it doesn’t involve any kind of difficult sections or technical climbing using ropes or other equipment. This trek can be done round the year. In Summer (March to May), the weather is pleasant and there is a low chance of rains as the maximum altitude is close to 3000 meters. Day-time temperatures can range from 15 °C to 20 °C and at night about 02-5 degrees.

There will be freshly cooked meals; breakfast (Bread Omelet, Paratha, Puri Bhajii, Muesli, Corn Flakes etc), Lunch and Dinner provided during the trek which will be a mix of Indian food (Roti-Sabji, Tarkari, Daal Rice etc). We will also organize evening snacks and refreshments. Our cooks are very experienced and will be happy to entertain any particular requests kids may have for meals. All the meals are served in the common dining area/tent.

There will be sleeping tents on double sharing basis with a warm mattress and sleeping bag. A dining table where the meals will be served. There will be 3 toilet tents. A kitchen tent will be set up by the staff for them to cook the meals.

You need to carry your small daypack during the trek. (With your water bottle, a jacket and some trail snacks) For the main luggage (which will be offloaded onto mules), 5kg is allowed per participant. Since it’s only 3 nights of stay on the trek, we recommend that 2 people combine a bag instead of individual small small bags. A family of three can have a combined bag with weight no more than 15kg.

Mostly all network works in Dharamshala and Mcleod Ganj. However, there is no stable network available in Kareri Vilage and almost no network once you start the trek.

Our Trek Leaders and support staffs are certified in first aid as well as experienced in dealing with altitude sickness related issues. Although, it’s an easy trek and there are almost zero chance of any medical situations, in case of any emergency, we are equipped to provide first aid and medical assistance. Our team will daily monitor the fitness of the participants and give attention to safety of the kids at all times. We will be carrying a comprehensive medical kit with medicines like Diamox (for high-altitude sickness), Combiflam/Brufen (pain killer), and generic medicines for stomach ache, bandages, Dettol etc. We will also carry an Oxymeter to monitor oxygen saturation levels in case some one is not feeling well.

There will be 3 experienced guide and 1 assistant guide with the group. Apart from this there will be a cook, helpers and a mule caravan to carry the luggage.