pass36 min from Kasol

Sar Pass

Sar Pass is the four-to-five-day guided trek from Kasol over the ridge south of the Parvati: meadow camps, a snow crossing, a tarn on top, down to Barshaini.

What it is

The pass over the ridge south of the Parvati, above Kasol, and the four-to-five-day guided trek that crosses it. Meadow camps on the Kasol side under deodars, a long day up and over on snow to a small tarn at the top, and a descent through the meadows to the villages above Barshaini. It is the valley's expedition rather than its walk — run as scheduled departures by trekking outfits with tents, food and guides, and not something added to a Kasol weekend.

Photos: Sair18791 (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Dheeraj Dwivedi (CC BY 4.0) · Sair18791 (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.

Getting there

The trek starts from Kasol on foot; the outfits collect their groups in the market and walk out from there. There is no road-head to drive to and no point in going up alone: the route is a snow crossing, not a path, and the camps belong to the outfits that set them.

The days

A first day to the meadow camps above the valley and a second higher, to the last camp under the ridge. Then the crossing day — early, on snow, over the pass and its tarn, and a long descent to the meadows on the far side — and a last day down to the road at Barshaini and the taxi to Kasol. Outfits quote per person for the whole trek with everything included; ask what the group size is and whether the taxi at the end is in the price.

When to go

April to June and September to October. More snow and harder going in April and May, the busiest departures in June, clear cold days in October. The monsoon closes the crossing and the first snows of November close the camps.

Around it

Kasol at the start; Barshaini, Tosh and Kalga at the end; Kheerganga as the practice walk. Our treks page lists the route where we hold it.

Plans that include this

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The Parvati over its boulders at Kasol, pines on the bank

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A two-day Kasol plan for a first visit: the market and the footbridge, the pine walk to Chalal, Manikaran's gurdwara and hot springs, with measured road times.

Best Mar–Jun · Sep–Nov

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Tosh village stacked on its slope above the Parvati

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2 nights · 3 days · First visit · Classic

The classic three days in Kasol: the river and Chalal, the taxi past Barshaini and up to Tosh, Manikaran's springs on the way out, with measured times.

Best Mar–Jun · Sep–Nov

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The hot-spring pool at Kheerganga with the valley behind

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The Kheerganga trek done properly: Barshaini, Nakthan, Rudranag, a night by the spring, down via Kalga, Manikaran's tanks on the way out. Times and bands.

Best Apr–Jun · Sep–Nov

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Kasol in winter — three days with the snow at Tosh and the hot springs after

2 nights · 3 days · Couples · Snow

Kasol from December to February in three days: the half-closed town, a night in Tosh under snow with a stove and a quilt, Manikaran's hot tanks on the way down.

Best Jan–Feb · Dec

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Autumn trees below fresh snow on the Parvati range in November

Kasol in October and November — three clear days: Rasol, the harvest villages, Tosh at dawn

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Three days in Kasol in October and November: clear skies after the rains, days of about 28 °C and nights of 10 °C, the walk to Rasol, Tosh at dawn, Pulga.

Best Oct–Nov

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Nearby places

Gurudwara Sahib Manikaran

Nearby destinations

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The wide flat meadow at Shangarh with forest behind it and a few people walking

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Questions people ask

How long is the Sar Pass trek?

Four to five days from Kasol, walked as a fixed departure with an outfit: meadow camps on the Kasol side, a long day over the snow crossing, and a descent to the meadows above Barshaini. It is not a walk you add to a weekend; it is the whole trip, and it needs a booking with a trekking outfit.

Do I need a guide for Sar Pass?

Yes. The crossing is on snow in every month it runs, the camps are set up by the outfits, and the route is not a village path. Outfits in Kasol and the youth-hostel organisations run it as scheduled departures with tents, food and guides included, quoted per person for the whole trek.

When does Sar Pass run?

April to June and September to October. In April and May there is more snow and the crossing is harder; in June it is the busiest. The monsoon closes it, and from November the snow closes the camps. Fitness for six hours' walking a day with a daypack is the honest requirement.