A Raw High Altitude Journey into Glacier Country
The Chandrabhaga Glaciers trek is among the most remote, rawest high altitude excursions in the Indian Himalayas. Beginning in Baralacha La Pass (16,040 feet) in Lahaul, Himachal Pradesh, this trek quickly immerses you in the stunning cold desert, a surreal glaciated landscape where towering Himalayan mountain peaks collide with ancient glaciers, frozen streams, and unspoiled alpine plateaus.
As you trek through this amazing terrain, you walk through the massive silhouettes of the Chandrabhaga ranges, witnessing glaciers fall down the rock faces and the emergence of the Chandra River, a major tributary of the Indus. The trail is also a route to two high-altitude lakes, Kya Tso and Ga Tso. Kya Tso and Ga Tso, which lie in a quiet place in the snow-covered slopes of Mt. Yunam Peak with an elevation of more than 17,000 feet.
This trek is more than an enjoyable hike; it’s a glaciology display that’s moving. There are icefalls, crevasses, sinkholes, and glacial snouts at a non-technical, safe distance, which makes it a unique experience accessible for trekkers who do not have any mountaineering experience.
The trek shows the stunning, moon-like beauty of Lahaul’s harsh desert. The vast, bare landscape is ablaze with gorgeous shades of green, orange, and purple with changing light – a striking hue that can only be seen in the high Himalayas.
One of the most memorable parts of the trek includes the “Silver Moraine Campsite,” nestled in a glacial stream, and set among massive peaks like KR 5 Kullu Makalu, and Mt. Yunam.
This trek will take you close to glaciers, without the dangers of walking on the tops of them. You’ll see the formation of glaciers, moraine ridges, icefalls, along with the glacial outcrops in a manner that very few treks in india permit, providing a unique learning and visual experience.
Take a look at the snout, where you can see the Chandra River emerges from the ice. This river eventually changes into the Chenab River. It is an essential system of waterways that runs throughout Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, and eventually to the Indus in Pakistan – an event of pure nature and scale.
The climb over the ridges of a moraine littered with boulders is rewarded by the sight of Kya Tso, Kya Tso, and Ga Tso, three glacial lakes perched high up in the mountains. The lakes are not visible until the last stage of the climb, which makes their discovery amazing.
