The Hampta Pass trek crosses a geological fault line that also happens to be one of the most dramatic landscape transitions you can walk through in the Indian Himalayas. On one side: the lush, forested Kullu Valley, green and dense with pine and birch, the Rani Nala river threading through it. On the other side: Spiti. Bare rock, dust, cold wind, and a silence that feels geological. The crossing takes one morning. The contrast never stops being astonishing.
Getting to the start
The trek begins at Jobra, a small village about 14 kilometres from Manali. Most trekkers hire a taxi or join an organised group departing from Manali. The drive takes about 45 minutes and the road climbs steadily through pine forest before reaching the trailhead at approximately 3,150 metres. Spend a day in Manali before the trek starts — not high enough to fully acclimatise, but the rest day is useful for gear checks and sleeping well before four days on the trail.
Day by day
Day 1: Jobra to Chika — 4 km, 3 hours
The first day is deliberately short. The trail climbs from Jobra through birch and pine forest following the Rani Nala stream. Chika campsite sits at 3,350 metres in a wide meadow beside the river. The short distance is intentional — altitude gain on day one should be conservative. The afternoon is better spent walking around the campsite, eating well, and sleeping early.
Day 2: Chika to Balu Ka Ghera — 6 km, 5 hours
The trail leaves the forest behind and climbs into open alpine terrain through a series of rocky switchbacks. Balu Ka Ghera sits at 3,900 metres in a broad glacial valley with the Hampta Pass visible above. This is the campsite where most trekkers feel the altitude most acutely. Drink water, eat if you can, and sleep as early as possible. The Deo Tibba peak at 6,001 metres fills the skyline to the north. At sunrise the snow on its upper slopes turns a colour that has no useful name.
Day 3: Balu Ka Ghera over the pass to Shea Goru — 8 km, 7 hours
The crossing day. Start before six in the morning. The pass is more stable in the early hours and the snow on the approach is firmer before the sun softens it. The climb from camp to the pass takes about three hours of steady uphill work across snowfields and loose rock. You reach the top and turn around, and the green valley you have been walking through for three days is simply gone. In front of you is Spiti — brown, vast, and completely silent.
The Spiti side drops steeply down loose scree and boulder fields into a wide, brown, arid valley. The vegetation is gone. The colour palette reduces to grey, brown, and the vivid blue of the sky at altitude. The campsite at Shea Goru, at 3,800 metres on the floor of the Spiti Valley, feels like a different planet from where you woke up that morning.
Day 4: Shea Goru to Chatru — 8 km, 4 hours
The final day is a long, gradual descent along the Chandra River to Chatru — the road head on the Manali-Leh highway. The walking is easy and the scenery is stark and beautiful in the way that Spiti always is. From Chatru, vehicles run back to Manali (about 3 hours) or onward into Spiti Valley if you have the time and permit. The Spiti Valley road trip guide covers everything from Chatru onward.
Altitude — take this seriously
Hampta Pass reaches 4,270 metres. At that altitude, altitude sickness is a real possibility for anyone who has not spent time at height before. The standard advice applies: ascend slowly, drink three to four litres of water per day, avoid alcohol, and descend immediately if symptoms worsen. The itinerary above is deliberately paced for safe acclimatisation. Do not compress it to three days by combining Day 1 and Day 2. The short first day is not laziness — it is how you avoid being sick on the most important day of the trek.
What to carry
- Waterproof trekking boots with ankle support. Non-negotiable.
- Moisture-wicking base layers, a mid-weight fleece, a down jacket, and a waterproof outer shell.
- Sleeping bag rated to at least minus five degrees Celsius.
- Trekking poles — strongly recommended. The descent on the Spiti side is steep and long.
- Sunscreen and sunglasses rated for glacier conditions — UV intensity on snowfields at 4,000 metres is extreme.