Chandratal to Baralachla Trek - Sep 2024

YouTube link :

 https://youtu.be/zBIqXtAfyJM?si=46Hg4mdYB-7FYzhH

We choose this trek for Jayant Bhai to assess his knees strength. 

It ticked off our requirement for a trail which is not popular and hence not many venture. 

Even though not many people walk on these trails other than Shepard's, few who do usually follow Chandra river down stream. 

We choose to do upstream, which is comfortable for Jayant Bhai knees. 

We found little information online. Most recommended itinerary is 2 camps & 3 days. We stuck to this itinerary while planning & decided to add 2 more days of trek nearby Sarchu. As going so far just for 3 days trek doesn't make sense.

Since we were at Sarchu, we thought why not add few more days and visit Tso Morriri & take flight back from Leh. 

So that's how we had a plan of totally 10 days including travel and acclimatization day. 

For Himachal Pradesh we don't have to think twice as to who our trek organiser would be. It's always Khemji Thakur & Co. 

We started early from Chandigarh around 9 AM and on the way stopped every now and then to savor hot panjabi food. We reached around 6 PM. Settled down with our rooms at Hotel Iceland, had our dinner and after long day out travelling we closed our eyes for the day. 

Morning we were delighted seeing Friendship peak from our hotel room. Post breakfast we decided to walk towards Anjani Mahadev temple to get our legs used to walking these hills & streams. 

Evening we wanted to walk towards Patalusu village but due to overcast sky & light rain we decided against going there but instead went till beas river just behind the hotel. 

Before sleeping we arranged our bags for the upcoming camping days. 

We knew this trek starts from 14000ft and hence it will need acclimatization but thought it wouldn't be a hard trek. 

16th September 

We started towards Chandratal around 9 AM via Atal Tunnel. At the tunnel security personnel stopped us for regular checks, all cleared. 

We took the road towards Kaza & at Chatru we remembered our 2016 Hampta Pass trek which ends at Chatru. On the way we could see road widening work being done. We had to wait till they cleared few boulders. We stopped at Batal at Chacha Chachi Dhabha for tea. By 3 PM we reached Chandratal Camping ground. Our team prepared hot lunch. Ended the day just getting used to dry cold air little under 14000ft. 

17th September 

Acclimatization day! 

We need to walk around to get used to this rarified atmosphere. Post breakfast we walked towards Chandratal which took us 1 & half hours around 3 kms. Sun was bright it wasn't easy walking suddenly at 14000ft. We were surrounded by Chandra Bhaga mountains. We could see Samudra Tapu glacier melt lake. We then walked few meters down to reach Chandratal. It was as we had seen back in 2016. We spent some time here & came back to camping ground by 1 PM. Some of us felt different degrees of AMS (Headache / appetite loss) today post the walk in scorching sun. We decided to take it easy for the rest of the day. 

18th September 

All of us were feeling good & as per plan started our walk towards our first camp site which is Topko Gongma either before river crossing or after river crossing depending on the river flow.

It was overcast sky today.

Terrain is tree less with few patches of grass & mostly loose rocks with regular dip & up the slope. It felt like a long march and campsite nowhere in sight. We realised around 2 PM or so that our first campsite Topko Gongma is 22 kms from the lake! This we were not aware hence not mentally or physically prepared. We informed our guide to arrange to stop for the day by 5 PM wherever we find water source. So without much height gain & after walking 18 kms (10 hours) we called it a day at 6:20 PM, 14160ft. As we approached this campsite it started raining. 

19th September 

It rained all night last night. Hoping the rain might stop we waited till 9:30 AM to start our journey, it was drizzling when we started and slowly wind & rain picked up. We wore our rain gear to keep ourselves dry & warm. None of us had major AMS except Mahesh who was showing 65% O2 and with appetite loss. It's miserable to walk in rain with no views. We found a large boulder to take shelter to have our lunch & crossed Topko Gongma river which was ankle length deep. On the way we saw Topko Gongma campsite. After walking 5 hours, 8 Kms & at 14400ft we called it a day. 

20th September 

We got up to see clear sky. All of us energised by sun shine. We started around 8:30 AM. Terrain is typically black slate & loose rocks up & down slope. By around 12 noon we were walking around huge wind carved structures. It was unbelievable! I had seen them from far off during Manali to Leh cycling trip in 2016 between Sarchu to Pang. Now I was able to walk just beside them. 

 Couldn't hold back tears of joy taking in the view. Crossed several bolder sections on the way. We crossed Topko Yongma river which was just ankle deep. Had our lunch beside the river & had to climb steep up before reaching Topko Yongma Camp site which was like a meadow. Sun was still bright at 2:30PM. We walked for 6 hours, 9kms & at 15200ft. We enjoyed this beautiful campsite.

21st September 

With clear sky giving us company. One of our guide decided to go ahead of us & see if a vehicle can be arranged for pickup at Baralachla today as we were one day late by now & our planned vehicle might not be available. 

With that in the background & Sun shining behind us we started our journey towards Baralachla. Initial green meadow camp with brook gave way to barran landscape of boulders. We were walking around 16000ft at a plateau we could see 360 degrees of snow capped mountains. 

We could see KoaRang mountains & glacier. CB mountains behind us. Around 200ft up hill we were at Paralatse La South at 16200ft. There are Cairn marked at this pass and on the way towards it. From here we could see Manali to Leh highway with trucks movement. Still we couldn't find our guide who had gone before us. By 1 PM we decided we should camp here as Mahesh was unable to walk any further. Our guide was trying to find water source to camp. Till then we had our light lunch. Mahesh took ORS as he wasn't eating well. By then we were told to walk ahead & on the way we saw our trek organiser Khemji himself walking towards us. All of us got spring in our legs! He had come with pick up truck yesterday itself but since we didn't turn up, he was contemplating next move to arrange rescue mission if required. To his relief we walked on our own & he drove us towards Baralachla on dry river bed. BRO has constructed new road below old one. 

Took our photos near the pass. Headed straight to Sarchu. On the way our mobile network got connected after 5-6 days. We camped beside the highway at Sarchu. 

Re-planned our itinerary as we took additional day to complete this trek, we had to abandon our second trek starting from Sarchu & preponed our Tso Morriri trip. Today we walked 5 hours, 10 kms & at 16000ft. 

This trek tested our stamina & we had to give one additional day to complete the trek. It was harsh and rugged terrain with mesmerizing view's which took our breath away (literally and figuratively). 

Totally 45 kms of walking from Chandratal parking lot.

Not much height gain but the trek itself starts at 14000ft hence would recommend acclimatization before reaching Chandratal lake itself. Be it a walk at Rohtang La or at Chatru.

It's important to note even though there isn't much height gain on day 1, the designated first campsite is 22 kms from Chandratal lake. 

Due to low snow fall in the winter this year, glacier melt river flow was low too. 

Review of CTR Rub 50 ankle length shoe worked well even on rainy day. 

Also Jayant Bhai could walk pain free with functional knee support band. This has given him confidence to plan next trek.