Darma Valley Trail (Panchachuli Base Camp)

Legend has it the lord Shiva himself took the route through the Darma valley, as he made his way to the holy Kailash mountain. Till the turn of the last century it was indeed the original pilgrimage route to the Kailash Mansarovar. The Panchachuli peaks, also represent the five “chulhas”, of the Pandavas, when they visited the region during their travels. The valley is inhabited by the “Bhotia” shepherd tribes, who still follow the migratory way of life, coming down with their flocks to the bustling town of Dharchula in the winters and moving back at the start of each summer, to occupy their stone built villages in the upper reaches.

The Field Team on the cultural Trek: Partnering with Deep Dive India is a tribe of highly trained and experienced mountain men and women, who since 1993 have been involved in running, one of India’s oldest and the most successful community owned Eco-tourism enterprise in the Kumaon Himalayas.

Who can participate: Anyone who is comfortable walking 5 kms per day over a gradual incline and, is deeply interested in enjoying local culture and cuisine, including staying in stone houses in the village, camping out in the Himalayan wilderness of stunning beauty and wishing to experience the shepherds way of life. We also visit a string of smaller glaciers which feed into the Dhauli Ganga, which itself originates at the magnificent Panchachuli glacier at the base of Panchachuli peaks. Age no bar. This is an ideal beginners trek, suitable both for young children, and senior citizens. The new road allows us to provide vehicle support throughout the trek, providing a unique opportunity of experiencing the upper Himalayas for anyone willing to endure moderate levels of physical challenge and discomfort.

About Deep Dive India: We create immersive travel experiences across parts of North India (Uttarakhand Himalayas, Avadh, & Bundelkhand), which focus on topics related to ‘Land & People’; such as Geology & Nature, History & Culture, Architecture & Archaeology, and People & Arts of India.