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- Kathgodam/Pantnagar to Binsar
- Binsar-Kahrkia-Jatoli (04 hour drive and 05 hour trek)
- Jatoli-Kathaliya (07 hours of trekking)
- Kathaliya-Sukhram Caves (05 hour trek)
- Devikund Lakes (05 hour tek)
- Sukhram Caves- Balooni Top-Kathaliya (07 hour trek)
- Kathaliya-Jatoli (05 hours of trekking)
- Jatoli-Kahrkia-Kathgodam (04 hours of trekking)
- Departure
Day 1 : Kathgodam/Pantnagar to Binsar
The first day of the Sunderdhunga Valley Trek. The nearest airport to the trek is Pantnagar and the nearest train station is Kathgodam. There are regular flights and trains from Delhi. As you arrive, an Adventure-Pulse representative will be there to receive you and they’ll drive you to Binsar. The first night of the trek will be spent in swiss tents at the Binsar Adventure Camp, where you’ll get a chance to learn about Kumaon culture. The camp is on the periphery of the Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary.
Day 2 : Binsar-Kahrkia-Jatoli (04 hour drive and 05 hour trek)
The trekking starts from the moment you reach Kahrkia. After a scrumptious meal at a restaurant at the road end, you start our journey following the route to the village of Jatoli. The trail follows lush forest, streams as it makes its way up to Jatoli. On the way, we cross numerous smaller villages and a couple of suspension bridges. The locals here grow a variety of crops such as lentils, hemp and much more. It’s a good idea to stop en route and interact with the locals to learn about life in the mountains. The trek to Jatoli should take close to 5 hours and is on the easier end. The trail starts going uphill after we cross the second suspension bridge over the confluence of the Sunderdhunga and Pindar river and continues till Jatoli. The village of Jatoli is spectacular. Nestled between the mountains, Jatoli is picturesque.
Day 3 : Jatoli-Kathaliya (07 hours of trekking)
Day two takes you to Kathaliya. This is one of the harder days of the trek and it is best to start early to avoid reaching late in the evening as the route passes through a lush forest known for leopards and black bears. The trail for day 2 begins by moving deeper into the forest for about 3 hours. There are many streams on the way make sure you take a moment to refill your bottles with fresh glacial water. The trail then disappears as we hit the riverbed. The moraine filled area follows the river as it bobs and weaves through the valley. The Last section involves a steep hike to the Kathaliya. Kathaliya has a small hut by the forest department that you will stay in.
Day 4 : Kathaliya-Sukhram Caves (05 hour trek)
The third day of the Sunderdhunga Valley trek is where you cross the forest and tree line and make your way to Sukhram Caves. The trek to the cave has two routes, one following the riverbed and the other involving a steep ascent followed by a gradual walk traversing a ridge. Today’s trek is on the harder side as the altitude gain is quite significant. While going up, you will take the riverbed route. The trail involves a short descent to the riverbed which is marked by the scattered moraine brought down by a glacier many hundreds of years ago. As you make your way crisscrossing through the moraine, you get a chance to see the majestic mountains of Maiktoli, Panwalidwar, Baljouri and Nanda Kot. These 6000m peaks stand tall towering above the valley and is a true testament to the architecture of mother nature. The faces of Maiktoli and Panwalidwar are the most treacherous faces that we have seen. Once you reach the bottleneck, where the valley narrows, you cross the stream and begin a steep ascent up to Sukhram Caves. The ascent takes around 2 hours and from Sukhram caves, you’ll get a chance to see the Sunderdhunga Glacier. The camp will be set just above the caves under the protection of Tharkot, Tent Peak and many ice-laden peaks.
Day 5 : Devikund Lakes (05 hour tek)
Today, you will journey to Devikund, a high-altitude lake. The trek involves a steep ascent to the lake and combined with the altitude, the day’s trek is difficult. But we’ll break the climb up and go slowly which will make it doable. There are two main routes to the lake, and both get you up close and personal with the mammoth mountains that stand guard watching you closely. The climb takes close to 4 hours and once you reach Devikund Lake, you can have a bite next to the lake. Once you make your way back, we will shift the campsite below the caves as it makes the next day’s trek easier.
Day 6 : Sukhram Caves- Balooni Top-Kathaliya (07 hour trek)
The last day in the high-altitude lands of Uttarakhand. You start our journey back, using the second route to Kathaliya. The route involves a steep ascent of about 20 minutes and then is a flat traverse to Balooni Top. Keep your eyes open as you may spot some Thar and foxes. If we are lucky, we might find some snow leopard pugmarks. From Balooni top, we’ll get a panoramic view of the outer sanctum of Nanda Devi. After saying goodbye to the majestic mountains, you start your steep descent to Kathaliya back to the rhododendron forests and the comfort of the hut.
Day 7 : Kathaliya-Jatoli (05 hours of trekking)
From Kathaliya, you follow the same trail through the lush forests back to Jatoli. The trek is much easier as our body is accustomed to the high altitude and walking long distances. With tall oaks, beautiful rhododendrons, the forest transports you to a different world.
Day 8 : Jatoli-Kahrkia-Kathgodam (04 hours of trekking)
The last day in the Sunderdhunga valley. We trek to the start point of Kahrkia. The trek takes close to 5 hours and is the perfect parting shot to one of the most beautiful treks. Drive to Kathgodam and stay in a comfortable hotel.
Day 9 : Departure
Adventure-Pulse representatives will usher you to the airport/railway station.
1. Where is the Sunderdhunga valley. What are the entry & exit points for this trek?
The Sunderdhunga valley is located in the Kumaun region of Uttarakhand. One has to drive through Nainital, cross Almora and towards the town of Bhageshwar to get to Sunderdhunga valley. Geographically, its situated towards the southern tip of the Nanda Devi sanctuary and towards the west of the famous Pindari glacier. The trek starts from the same place as the Pindari glacier trek, which is the village of Kharkiya . Earlier this trek used to start from the little village of Lohakhet, but now the road has been extended and the road head is Kharkiya . The nearest train station is Kathgodham railway station which is about 155 Km’s from Bhageshwar and the nearest airport is Pant Nagar Airport which is approximately about 185 Km’s . One can also drive from Delhi with an approximate 9 hours of driving time.
2. What is the difficulty level of the Sunderdhunga valley trek?
The Sunderdhunga valley trek can be categorized as medium-grade difficulty. The maximum altitude we reach on this trek is about 3500 meters to Balooni top. To draw a comparison, the Leh airport is located at 3200 meters and the famous Namche Bazaar on the Everest base camp is located at 3400 meters. A couple of days requires long days of walking and decent height gain and a few days are short and relatively easy. One requires reasonable levels of fitness, read more about the fitness plan in our fitness plan section.
3. There are so many treks in Uttrakhand, why should I do the Sunderdhunga valley trek ?
Perched deep in the Kumaon region of Uttrakhand - The Sunderdhunga valley is a less frequented, pristine trekking spot in the Kumaon, you will hardly find any trekkers here and the valley is absolutely virgin and unexplored. “ Sunderdhunga “ – literally meaning beautiful stones is home to several 5000 & 6000 mts Himalayan peaks, most of which aren’t on the commercial climbing map yet. The Sunderdhunga valley starts from 3200 mts and the glacier typically starts upwards of 4800 mts . It's an interesting geographical feature forming a trio of three glaciers – Pindari, Sunderdhunga and Kafni almost adjoining each other. Some of the famous peaks in the Sunderdhunga valley are – Mrigthuni – 6856 Mts , PanwaliDwar – 6663 meters, Maiktoli – 6803 mts , Tharkot – 6100 mts , Bhanoti – 5645 Mts , Durgakot – 5800 mts.
4. What are the staying arrangements on the trek.
The Sunderdunga valley trek is a complete camping format trek. Adventure Pulse prioritises safety and comfort for all its clients. The camp comprises of good quality weatherproof sleeping tents ( on a double sharing basis ) , a dining tent for meals, separate toilet tents for ladies and gents and a kitchen tent for preparation of meals. Comfortable mattress and sleeping bags are provided on the trek. Single tents are available at an extra cost.
5. What kind of food will I get on the trek ?
All the meals are healthy and fresh. They are prepared fresh before every meal at the camp kitchen. The meals are mostly Indian, things like eggs and porridge for breakfast, Rice – Dal, vegetables and Roti’s for lunch and similar for dinner. In addition, hot water, tea, coffee and hot chocolate are served regularly with all the meals.
6. What are the communication system on the way?
Since the Sunderdhunga valley trek is a little remote, there is no network available on the way.
7. What is the best time to do the Sunderdhunga valley trek?
The best season to do this trek is through March – April – May – June, pretty much the entire summer till the onset of the monsoon. And then post-monsoon in Oct – Nov. The trek can also be done in February as a winter trek to experience snow. The Balooni top flowering season is typically April & May.
8. What is Balooni top , will we be visiting this place?
Balooni top, located at about 12,500 feet is a beautiful meadow located in the Sunderdunga valley. It’s a 2-day trek from the village of Jatoli and a one day trek from the campsite of Katheliya. Balooni top offers some of the best views of the Sunderdunga valley with mountains like Mrigthuni – 6856 Mts, PanwaliDwar – 6663 meters, Maiktoli – 6803 mts, Tharkot – 6100 mts, Bhanoti – 5645 Mts, Durgakot – 5800 mts easily insight. The trekkers spend a night at this beautiful and unexplored meadow before heading back to Katheliya.
