Discover the Best Countries with Pristine Air Quality for Your Next Adventure

Why Mcleodganj is becoming trekker’s paradise?

McLeodganj, often known as Little Lhasa, is a Dharamshala neighbourhood in Himachal Pradesh's Kangra district. In recent years, this location has grown in appeal among Indians. Previously, it was primarily travelled by Israelis.

Dharamkot hamlet, also known as Himachal Pradesh's mini-Israel, is the state's only settlement with a Jewish community centre, Chabad home. This area was known for its dimly lit restaurants and low-cost homestays. However, as the area has grown in popularity, we can now find excellent dining restaurants and bars, as well as a spiritual atmosphere.

 

 

Now answer to the question why trekker’s paradise?

Here you can find out various trekking options with varying duration, level of difficulties, day hikes, etc. here are the few most famous treks:

Triund Trek (as per latest update camping is totally banned on triund top)

Triund is a base camp in the Dhauladhar mountains with a perfect view of the Dhauladhar mountains on one side and Kangra valley on the other.

What is the best way to get there?
You can take a bus to McLeodganj (price is INR 12) or a shared taxi (fee is INR 15) or rent a taxi from the Dharamshala bus station (Might cost INR 450)

The Trek

Start your hike from McLeodganj's Main Square and travel for around 45 minutes to the Office of Regional Mountaineering Centre, Dharamshala, via a steep and rigorous upward walk to your left. Dharamkot is reached by turning left at a three-way crossroads. You can alternatively take a rickshaw or a cab to Dharamkot Primary School (INR 60 and INR 300, respectively). A trail leading to the Gallu Devi Temple can be found on the left side of the school and takes about an hour to walk through the forests.
Cafeterias and guest homes can be found here. Rest for a moment because the journey from here to Triund is strenuous and includes several sharp curves.The climb to the top of Triund Hill takes roughly three to four hours.
The walk passes through a lovely oak, deodar, and rhododendron mixed forest. The first five kilometres of the Mcleodganj Triund walk are easy and accessible to people of all ages. The last kilometre, on the other hand, is exhausting. Along the walk, there are numerous stores that sell snacks.

Accommodation

Carry your own tent and set up a camp in Triund. There are small shops where you can get to Tea and Maggi refreshment.

There is a Guesthouse by the forest department of Dharamshala, however, make sure to book it in advance.

Best time to go

Any time of the year except January- February due to heavy snowfall

Difficulty level

Easy to moderate

2. Kareri Lake Trek

The large and magnificent Kareri Lake is located in the south of the Dhauladhar range, approximately 9 kilometres from Dharamshala city. Kareri Lake takes its name from the hamlet of Kareri, which is about 9 kilometres south of the lake. It lies at a high altitude of 9629 feet above sea level and is frozen from the end of November, early December, through the beginning of April or early May.

How to get there?

Regular buses are ply from Dharamshala to Ghera village, starting from 8:00 AM in the morning. The distance between the two is around 20 km. You can also take a taxi from Dharamshala to Ghera. The trekkers begin their trekking from the market in Ghera village.

The Trek

The village has a road that can be navigated. Walking along this trail, crossing a bridge along the way, and trekking along the Khauli River are all options. After around 30 minutes on the trail, you will pass through Sari village. The Kareri village is 2 kilometres away from here. The trail that leads there is densely forested with rhododendrons. From there, look for a wooden bridge crossing the Kareri creek; the walk will take another 30 minutes to reach the Kareri village. Another ten minutes will get you to the camping sites and Forest Guest House.
There is a route on the left side of the woodland guest house that goes to the entrance to a narrow valley.

After crossing the wooden bridge and ascending 200 metres and crossing another temporary bridge, you will arrive at Harote, a camping area. There will be a short funnel-like valley on your right that leads to Kareri Lake.

 
Accommodation

The meadow by the creek, 10 minutes from Kareri village, is where most campers set up camp. A Forest Guest House is also available. If you want to stay in the guest house, you should talk with the forest ranger ahead of time. It is also feasible to stay in the village and stay at home.

Best time to go

The best time to go on a trek to Kareri Lake is anytime from May to June and September to October. This is because from December to April end the lake is frozen, and one must exercise extra caution while trekking over the frozen lake.

Difficulty level

Moderate

3. Guna Devi Temple Trek

Guna Devi is located 13 kilometres away from Dharamshala bus stand and 8 kilometres from McLeodganj bus stand. It is one of the major religious centres in the area. It is a pilgrim centre for the locals and the Gaddi shepherds. Enjoy your trek here through the beautiful trail through Deodar Forest.

How to get there?

The campers can take a cab from either McLeodganj or Dharamshala to Naddi Village.

The Trek

The trek starts from Naddi village above Dal Lake, 4 km from McLeodganj. From Naddi there is a moderate trail leading to Baal village. 2 kilometres away from Baal village is the Guna Devi temple.

Accommodation

There is no need for accommodation as it is a one day hike. You can crash in any of the hotels and home-stays in McLeodganj.

Best time to go

Throughout the year

Difficulty level

Easy

 

4.Bhagsu Hike

The trek to Bhagsu is short but a refreshing one! There are two places to be visited in Bhagsu. One being the Bhagsu temple, which is also a pilgrim centre for Hindus.  It is also referred to as the Bhagsunag temple, a temple of Lord Shiva. The other place to be visited is the Bhagsu / Bhagsunag waterfalls. They are 20 minutes away from the temple. The waterfall is mid-sized, cascading from a height of 20 meters. The waterfall is truly a phenomenal site during monsoons.

How to get there?

Bhagsu Waterfall is 3 km away from McLeodganj and one kilometre from the Bhagsu temple.

Trek

The trek from McLeodganj to Bhagsu is relatively easy. You can also take a cab to reach Bhagsu temple and start hiking from there. The temple and the waterfall are only twenty minutes from each other. For the waterfall, the trekkers need to climb half a hill, which may be difficult for some. Bhagsu has many refreshment centres as well and also houses the popular Shiva Cafe.

Accommodation

Bhagsu village has some homestays and hotel options. However, since the trek is short, people prefer going back to McLeodganj or further trek up to Triund. 

Best time to go

Throughout the year. Waterfall becomes grand during monsoons.

Difficulty level

Easy

5. Indrehar Pass Trek

Situated on the top of the Dhauladhar range is the Indrahar pass at the peak of 14160 ft. The trek to this pass is a mesmerising experience as you feel like you are on the top of the world.

How to get there?

The base camp set up for Indrahar pass is Lahesh Cave. Lahesh Cave is further uphill from Triund. Trekkers usually camp till Triund for a day and then on the next day proceed to shift to Lahesh Cave.

Trek

Lahesh cave is 9 km away from Triund. It is located at 11646 ft while Triund is at 9760 ft. From the Triund ridge, the trail goes up north past the guest house and a small Devi shrine. The trail keeps on rising throughout. You will find stone trails that are maintained by the Gaddis due to the location of various shrines in the area. The trail goes towards the east to a steep traverse to get to Laka ridge. Past this, the trail goes through many pastures to camping grounds of Laka.  There will be some boulder fields that descend the face of Laka, from here, take the trail up the north most area. The trail will pass two boulder fields. Stick close to the right of the stream and after an hour of walking, you will reach the Lahesh cave. Camp overnight. Next morning begin the trek from Lahesh cave (at 11646 ft) to Indrahar pass (at 14160 ft). Continue to follow the trail that goes over the rocks straight up North East Ridge of the cave. At some places, it will be easy to walk due to the paths created by the Gaddi shepherds. However, there are steep rises at many points so continue to trek at your pace. There may be few streams that you will cross along the way. You will know when you are getting closer and the trail becomes steeper. You will reach the pass quite suddenly. There is a shrine in the centre of the pass as well. The trek is of 6 to 7 hours from Lahesh to Indrahar pass to Chhata camp.

Accommodation

From the Indrahar pass, trekkers proceed to Chhata camp, which is downhill from the pass. (From 14160 ft. to 12729 ft)

Best time to go

The best time to go is from September to October

Difficulty

Moderate to difficult.

Trekking stuff that you may require:

1.       Trekking backpack

2.       Trekking boots

3.       Multiutility Knife

4.       Waterproof Headlamp

5.       Trekking utensils