An excellent, beginner-friendly weekend hike out of Manali - Beas Kund is a high-altitude lake shrouded in legend and surrounded by views some of Himachal Pradesh’s most captivating peaks. Said to be the meditation site of Sage Vyas, who authored the Mahabharata epic back in the 4th century BCE, the waters of Beas Kund feed the Beas River that rages far below through the heart of Manali and on for 470 kilometers. En-route, we will pass through traditional shepherd paths, alpine meadows studded with wildflowers and catch glimpses of the 7 Sisters, Hanuman Tibba, Shitidhar, Ladakhi and Friendship Peak before visiting the shimmering lake itself.
Difficulty
SAC T3 Demanding Mountain Hiking
Paths are not always visible. Exposed sections can be safeguarded with ropes or chains. The hands might be needed for balance. Can have exposed sections with danger of falling, scree slopes, pathless craggy ground.
Duration
6 days
Delhi to Delhi
3 days travel & rest
3 days hiking & camping
Distance
26 km / 16 mi
Maximum Altitude
3700 m / 12140 ft
Price
₹42,000 $600
Fly and/or drive from Delhi to Manali. Mode of transport is subject to weather conditions and availability of flights.
You’ve had a long night’s journey to Manali, so use today to rest up and prepare for your adventure ahead. Your home for the night will be our Playground headquarters, Playground Manali, where we will meet for the first time as a team, and receive a briefing on what the upcoming journey has in store for us! For the day, take a trip into town or enjoy the hostel culture we have right here among fellow travelers. We often host cozy movie marathons, cake & coffee tastings from our cafe on the terrace, bonfires out back, game nights (we challenge you to a game of Exploding Kittens), tetherball tournaments, local Himachali cooking/handicraft classes - you name it. Tomorrow, your adventure begins.
We will wind our way up and out of town bright and early this morning for the half-hour drive to the trailhead along the Solang Valley river. From here, we follow closely along the river, crossing over several times, as we ascend gradually through the forested trail. About 8km in, we reach the tiny village of Dhundi, set amidst an open pasture and wildflowers, where we will have lunch. Continuing upward, Manali’s famous peaks begin to reveal themselves, with snowcapped views of the 7 Sisters, Deo Tibba Peak and Indrasan Peak appearing by the time we reach our meadow campsite of Bakrathatch for the night.
Get ready for some amazing views today as we leave camp with just our daypacks and begin the climb through this fertile valley. Hiking through birch forest, we rise above the treeline into alpine scrub and continue to follow the rocky riverbed nearby before cresting a final ridge to the banks of Beas Kund, said to have been the meditation point of Sage Vyas, author of the Mahabharata epic. On a sunny day, the staggering peaks of Hanuman Tibba, Shitidhar, Ladakhi and Friendship Peak can be seen above from our meadow viewpoint - an adventure for another day. We return down to Bakarthach for the night.
Wake up for some chai at sunrise, hot breakfast and pack up camp. From here, it’s time to return to civilization - but not before enjoying a few more mountain views and fresh breeze coming off the river as we descend. Once reaching Solang, our transport will bring us back to Manali. As we will be arriving late, we’ve booked one final night’s stay at Playground. Rest up, celebrate, explore Manali - you’ve earned it!
Fly and/or drive back to Delhi. Mode of transport is subject to weather conditions and availability of flights.
