Bali Pass - May 2022

“It’s not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves. “ Sir Edmund Hillary

According to Ramayan mythology, Bali pass is named after the king of monkeys, Bali.

King Bali is believed to have journeyed through the Himalayan mountains and defeated a demon called Odari. To pay homage to the brave ruler, the place is known as Bali Pass [source Google]

This pass offers a panoramic view of Swargarohini, Banderpooch and Kala nag peaks

While this trek offers you stunning views of snow clad mountains, lush green trails, wild flowers, beautiful birds and if you are lucky as me you may spot a black Indian bear, Bali Pass is difficult and you have to respect it.

Day 1 – Arrive at Sankri Village

Sankri is a beautiful scenic town and well known among Trek enthusiast. It’s a base camp for Hai Ki Doon, Kedarkantha, Borasu Pass, Dev Kyara Bugyal and more. It is accessible through Dehradun. A village situated between mountains, deodar forests and rivers like Supin, Tons and Kedarganga. At the homestay I met the other 25 trekkers for Bali Pass. Unknown to each other a passionate group of trekkers from all parts of India. We were assigned 4 Trek Leads to assist us throughout the trek. In all 30 of us just had 1 mission – Bali Pass Summit. After the formal introduction and trek debriefing we were told about the mountain manners. “Though you are out in the wild you got to be civilized”

View from Sankri homestay

Day 2 – Sankri to Taluka Village

After breakfast a 1 hour drive to Taluka village is arranged, this is the actual starting point of our trek. Mules are loaded with all equipment’s, tents, rations and all necessary stuff required for the trek. You follow the trail and walk in the midst of chestnuts, walnuts and chinar trees with a few waterfalls along the way. We followed the stream and reached Gangar village [Seema Campsite] for our next night stay. After a good 6hr walk you are welcomed with hot soup and some evening snacks.

Trail pictures

Day 3 – Seema Campsite to Debshu Bugyal

Gangar village is a beautiful hamlet, we spent 2 nights here as our batch didn’t have the required number of mules to move further. The trek leads were making arrangements and this allowed us time to play team games. With the uncertainty of our trek, we were focused on winning our next game. With enough time on hand we decided to explore the village. A short walk of 15mins crossing over a wooden bridge you enter Gangar Village. This village offers you a peace of mind. The Mahadev Temple at the center of village is made of wood and stone, beautifully carved while the roof is made of slate stone. On our way we decided to stop at the river. Have you heard a river?

It whispers, it murmurs, it smiles, it chuckles, it giggles, it roars in laughter… no matter where you are with it, it will always soothe your mind reassuring you that life moves on.

Finally on the 2nd day the Trek leads had gathered enough potters who would assist us in carrying the equipment’s & we decided to carry on with our trek and reached Debshu Bugyal on the 4th day

Day 4 – Debshu Bugyal

Bugyal means meadows. Debshu Bugyal offers you a view of the ever magnificent Kala Nag or Black Peak. With the Supin River flowing on one side and dense forest on the other, this campsite energizes you with its beauty. On this trail there is one last Maggie point. You can replenish your energy reserves with some hot snacks like Maggie, omelet or just some chocolate bars. I met Sandhya a shy girl with a mischievous smile. She along with her 2 siblings was there to help her father at the Maggie point. We left this place to proceed towards our camp and had our packed lunch on the way. Sitting under the open sky, listening to the river flow at a distance with huge mountains as a view having a simple yet nutritious meal is an awesome experience. We finally reached our campsite and after the cool down exercise we all decided to stroll around the campsite. This is where I did my first rock climbing without any assistance. Happy it went all good.

Day 5 – Debshu Bugyal to Thanga campsite

Since we lost 1 day at Gangar village we collectively decided to walk an extra distance and make up for the lost time. We decided to skip Rainbasera and camp further at Thanga. A beautiful journey, though tiring but worth every step. Crossing small wooden bridges and walking along the Supin River this trail offered beautiful views. This trail offers you a variety of flowers. The view just takes away all your tiredness and soaks you into its natural beauty. Ruinsara Tal is just breath-taking, surrounded by meadows and rhododendron bushes. Mesmerising!

We set camp at Thanga site and rested for the day

Day 6 – Thanga to Base Camp

Phew ! the long walk. Walking on ridges is not easy especially when you are gaining altitude.

Descending down the Supin River through dense vegetation crossing the river through a bridge we started ascending into Odari. Odari means a naturally made rock cave and according to local beliefs King Bali stayed there for a night. With Swargarohini Mountains on our back we started ascending towards our next base camp. Swargarohini derives its name from the Hindu epic of Mahabharata. The peaks are said to be the stairway to heaven & only Yudhishthira, the eldest Pandava was able to reach heaven without dying. Small ridges and steep cliffs… you keep walking, every step takes you closer to your destiny. Our base camp was set on snow and you can feel the chill. 1 hour at the campsite and Mother Nature decided to welcome us. Strong winds and heavy snowfall. Panicked we all scrambled to hold onto our tents. The trek leads and potters ensured all tents are secured firmly in the snow. Not sure how long the welcome party went on as I decided to skip dinner and tucked myself in the sleeping bag whispering a prayer to keep us all safe.

Day 7 – Bali Summit

“When I first open my eyes upon the morning meadows and look out upon the beautiful world, I thank God I am alive.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

What a relief to wake up to a calm weather and a clear sky! I woke up around 4am and the 1st thing I saw was the half-moon right above the Bali Peak. A good omen I must say. And it did turn out good. We all were ready and set to do the summit. After breakfast we packed our belongings and gathered for the trek briefing. We were given our micro-spikes and instructed on how to use them. Clear and precise instructions. Lean towards the mountain side, if you not sure sit down where you are, keep sipping water, maintain a 4 feet distance between each other, wear your shades all the time. We were so close to the summit all we had to do is climb it one step at a time. Even after a bad night the spirits were high of the team and we decided to move on around 7am.

100mtrs into the climb and I am already tired. It’s near and yet so far. Posing for pictures is an excuse to get more rest. But you have to move on. Because of the fresh snowfall the trek lead had to dig out small steps for us to climb. It’s not an easy job bending down and digging in the snow. Slowly we inched towards the summit and then just like magic on your next step you’re standing atop Bali Pass at 16200Feet. No pain, no complaints, no worries just an exhilarating moment. This is what you wanted and this is where you are now. Jubilation! The team has done the summit. The excitement atop 16200feet is unmeasurable. The trek leads congratulated everyone for achieving this feat and offered prayers to the mountain God for a safe passage downhill.

Remembering what Ed Viesturs said “Getting to the top is optional, getting down is mandatory”

And so we began our descent to Lower Dhamini our next campsite. We have to descend down through a nearly vertical path full of scree and big stones. If the ascent was hard then the descent is tougher. All of us who were celebrating a few moments ago now had serious faces. We all had a long walk and this was not going to be easy. To make matters worse it started snowing!

Why is it snowing now?

Wasn’t it enough yesterday?

I don’t think I can get down from here!

I am scared! The jubilant team has now started murmuring.

Whether you like it or not you have to move on, the problem of descent is all the pressure falls on your knees and toes. It hurts and yet you have to keep walking.

With the snow hitting us hard right in the face it made matters worse. You slip you fall, you get up and you walk. Keep moving before the weather gets worse. Another 3hours into the walk we reached a section where we had use a rope to get down. Luckily it had stopped snowing and the sky was opening up now. It sounded very simple, wear your gloves – hold the rope in one hand and use it as a support to get down. It will be quick.

No.. it’s not when you have someone before and after you shaking the rope constantly. Slippery ground, swaying rope, weight on your shoulders and an irregular path which is 6inches or less wide in some places. Known as the goat route one needs to be mentally prepared. Slowly with every deep breath you make it down. What a relief! Get some rest because at least another 3hours of walk is remaining. The trail now is nice and you get to see Janki Chatti village at a distance. Slowly we moved ahead and at one such section I spotted a Black Bear. Lucky isn’t it. It was almost 8hrs now that we were walking and campsite was still not in sight. Tucked in a dense forest patch somewhere was my tent and I was so longing for it. We reached the forest area and it was almost 5pm. Eager to reach the campsite and just lie down we kept pushing ourselves and finally reached Lower Dhamini.

Forced myself thru the cool down exercise and then tucked into the sleeping bag. No dinner today again. Munched on some dry fruits and said goodnight to my tent mate.

Day 8 – Lower Dhamini to Janki Chatti

The final day, after breakfast we all spoke about our experiences. From an uncertainty to successfully completing the Bali Pass we all thanked our trek leads for keeping us safe and motivated throughout the journey. On the way to Janki Chatti the trail splits, to your left is Yamunotri and to your right is Janki Chatti. There is a coniferous tree there which has coins embedded into. Traveller's press coins into the trunk of the tree. We continued our walk to Janki Chatti where we had our cabs waiting to take us back to DehraDun