Tour Dates
From £ 1790
Sat 03 May, 25 – Sun 18 May, 25
Sat 18 Oct, 25 – Sun 02 Nov, 25
Across the Kuari Pass – The Lord Curzon Trail
The Kuari Pass trek is also known as the Lord Curzon Trail being first trekked by Lord Curzon in 1905. After a hill station warm-up, we follow a series of wild ridges and steep wooded valleys to reach “the finest view in the Himalayas” (Frank Smythe, 1930’s explorer). From the Kuari La (3640m), a breath-taking panorama of Himalayan peaks stretch out before us in the direction of Tibet. Beneath us the Rishi Ganga river cleaves through the rock as it roars down from the Nanda Devi Sanctuary, a few miles east.
An overnight train whisks us from Delhi to the foothills of Kuari La. Here we spend time acclimatising to the altitude and local culture before the proper trek begins. On the trail we follow the old pre-war expedition approach to Nanda Devi, Trisul and Kamet. Inquisitive langur monkeys follow our progress as we walk through wooded hillsides and colourful parakeets screech overhead. We camp for two nights in a beautiful high meadow with enchanting views of Trisul.
The Ganges, the holy river of India, rises in the mountains of the Garhwal Himalaya. It is an area of steep alpine valleys and great peaks – Nanda Devi, Kamet, Trisul. In the foothills the British built their hill stations to escape from the monsoon heat of the Indian summer and from here our early mountaineers, Longstaff, Shipton, Tilman and Smythe made their great journeys and ascents. This classic route follows the historic approach made by these early expeditions to Nanda Devi and the peaks of east Garhwal.
what clients say…
“The scenery and the change in culture was amazing, The assistant guide was a great help”
Ron Davis, Across the Kuari La
It is the client’s responsibility to obtain their visas before the intended date of departure.
View the detailed itinerary for more info on acquiring an Indian visa.
Route Map
| Trips Date | Trip Status Trip Status | Price (PP) Excluding Flights | Price (PP) Incl. Flights starts from | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat 03 May, 25 - Sun 18 May, 25 | Available | £ 1790 | — | |
| Sat 18 Oct, 25 - Sun 02 Nov, 25 | Available | £ 1790 | — |
Arrival
Arrive in Delhi and transfer to our hotel. Depending on your arrival time, there may be a chance to look around the city or to join an optional guided tour in the afternoon before our overnight train leaves in the evening for Kathgodam. Day rooms are provided in Delhi so you may prefer to rest and recover from the flight – or to arrive a day earlier. Indian trains have sleeping platforms so you don’t have to sit up all night!
Nainital
The train arrives in Kathogam at dawn and we drive the remaining 35km to Nainital, a bustling old hill station in a beautiful setting by a lake and surrounded by an amphitheatre of wooded hills (1½ hour drive). Our stay here gives us a chance to recover from the journey and to acclimatise to the culture. There is good walking nearby.
Kasauni
An early ascent of China Peak (2610m) should help us acclimatise to the altitude as well as offering a staggering first view of the Garhwal Himalayas dominated by Nanda Devi, barely 50 miles away. Afternoon drive to Kasauni.
Wan (2450m)
Heading up towards the hills, the bus will drive to Wan (5-6 hours) where the trekking begins, but we will hop out at Lohjang, a beautiful ridge top village, to stretch our legs with a walk to Wan (2-3 hours). By the time we arrive at camp, the tents should be up and the kettle on.
Bedni Bugyal (3350m)
Much of today’s walk is along a ridge with excellent views. A long zig-zag ascent reaches beyond the tree line to the high summer pastures of Bedni Bugyal, a fine campsite in the company of shepherds with fantastic views of the snowy peaks of the Nanda Devi group with Trisul (7120m) and Nanda Ghunti (6310m.) dominating. 6-7 hours.
Bedni Bugyal (3350m)
A rest and acclimatisation day with the option of an excursion to a high ridge for excellent views towards Trisul.
Kanol (2600m)
Today we cross a series of passes before we drop down through a forested area to reach our campsite near the village of Kanol. 7 hours.
Sutol (2000m)
A good traversing path through pine forest leads to a bridge over the wild Nandakini River at one of the few points on the river which is gorge free. The trail climbs easily through woodland to emerge through open fields at Sutol where we camp. 5 hours.
Guni (1950m)
After dropping to a river which we cross on a wooden bridge, there is a long steep climb to a temple followed by a gradual climb through forest to reach a ridge with excellent views of Trisul. The rising traverse continues and eventually a rocky path leads across the next ridge to our camp. 6 hours.
Jhenje (2015m)
A good zigzagging track leads to open grassy meadows and snowy peaks emerge above the forest to the north. We begin to climb more steeply through forests of rhododendron, pine and holm oak then walk through pasture past shepherds’ huts to reach our next camp. 5-6 hours.
Pana (2040m)
The trail passes small farms then enters woodland to reach the spectacular suspension bridge across the Brithi Ganga gorge. After a steep climb, the angle eases off and we walk through fine rhododendron forest before a final steeper finish leads to our next camp. 5-6 hours.
Dakwani (3000m)
This is a long but spectacular day. The route starts with a steep climb up into rhododendron forest, then descends gently to open meadows with views across to the Kuari Pass, and finally plunges down steeply to a river. From there, a final climb brings us above the tree-line to alpine pasture where we may see nomads with their sheep. We camp beneath a broad gully leading up the pass. 6 hours.
Kuari La (3640m)
Kuari La at last! A good trail zig-zags its way up to the Kuari La (3640m) and a breath-taking panorama of high peaks including Kamet (7756m), Mana Parvat (7273m), Dunagiri (6489m), Nilkanta (6596m), Trisul (7120m) and Nanda Devi (7820m) among many others. There will be time to linger on the top before we head down to the road head at Auli (2750m) where we say goodbye to the porters and crew (7-8 hours). Here we re-join our transport for the short drive to Joshimath.
Rishikesh
Down we go leaving the hills behind to reach the holy town of Rishikesh situated on the banks of the River Ganges and with many ashrams and pilgrims. In the evening we can walk by the Ganges and mingle with the pilgrims. (280km – 7-8 hour drive).
Delhi
After breakfast visit some of the Ghats at Rishikesh before we head towards Haridwar to board our train for Delhi.
Depart Delhi
Depart, or extend your trip with more time in Delhi, maybe a visit to the Taj Mahal, or continue with your own arrangements.
What is included in the price?
- Accommodation (2 Nights Delhi,1 Night Nainital, 1 Night Kasauni, 1 Night Wan 1 night Rishikesh, 9 Nights Campig)
- Meals (All meals during treks. Hotels accommodation on Bed & Breakfast basis in Delhi, Nainital, Kasauni, Rishikesh)
- English speaking guide
- Transfers (All transfers and sightseeing as per the itinerary)
What is not included in the price?
- Indian Visa Charges
- Insurance
- Tips for the local staff
Difficulty
Activity
Difficulty