Kuari Pass trek – Dream Mountain

Kuari Pass Trek

In 1905, Lord Curzon reached Kuari Pass (4652 m). Kuaripass means "door way”. He made the trek, and since then it is also known as the Curzon trail. The main attraction of it is the imposing view of the eastern peaks of Garhwal Himalayas, the twin peaks of Nanda Devi, Kamet, Dronagiri, Trishul, Bertholi, Hathi Ghodi Parvat, Mana, and Neelkanth peaks. The trek passes through Pristine Rhododendron, oak and deodar forest. Rarely Himalayan flora and fauna are found as plenty as on this trail.

 Kuari pass trekking is full of extensive panoramic views of the peerless Himalayas to the north-east, and the vast stretches of verdant valleys to the south-east. Nanda Devi, Dronagiri, Bethartoli, Hathi Parvat, Devasthan etc are some of the glorious peaks to be seen.  On a clear day of trekking, it is possible to sight the Nanda Devi Sanctuary and its galaxy of peaks

.Gailgarh, 5 km from Kuari pass, is a little cozy nest in wonderful, natural surroundings.  This is a good point to camp for a day. About 6 km south-east of Gailgarh, is the partially snow-covered peak, Pangarchulia, height 5183 mtr above sea-level.

Six kilometres east of Gailgarh, altitude 3354 mtr above sea-level, is a little fairy land called Delisera.  It is a vast expanse of flat land with natural terraced slopes through which a small stream ripples out. North-east of Galigarh about 6 km, contrary to its name is a lovely lake, Bore Kund, which has a perimeter of almost 2 km.  This lake is said to be very deep and is surrounded by a wealth of dense forests.The Kuari pass trek is also known as “Curzon trail” after Lord Curzon, who took this expedition in 1905. He was the Viceroy of India (1899 – 1905).

KUARI PASS TREK 1: Joshimath, Auli, Gorson, Gailgarh to Kuari Pass.

From Joshimath, there are two Kuari pass trekking routes.  One  goes through Auli, Gorson, Tali and Chitrakantha and the other goes from Mirag, Tugasi and Khulara to Gailgarh and Kuari pass. From Auli, the trekking route trails its way though the bugyals and rich green forests, with the Himalayas always in view, to Gailgarh and Kuari.  The camping grounds are an absolute delight – areas of undulating slopes, carpeted with rich, green grass and set in beautiful natural surroundings. From Tali to Chitrakantha, there is only a goat track and horses and mules cannot go along here. The best combination would be combination of the Gorson and Gailgarh  KUARI PASS TREK 2: Ghat, Ramni, Sanatoli to Kuari Pass.                 Ghat is a small friendly settlement in the Nandakini Valley and located about 19 km from Nandprayag. From Ghat, the trekking route goes via Ramni, Sarkot, Jhenjipatni, Pana, Irani, Sanatoli, and Domabhiti to the Kuari Pass.The Ramni-Kuari Road is also known as Curzon Road, because Lord Curzon, a keen trekking enthusiast, trekked from Gwaldom to Ramni and on to Kuari pass, when he was the Viceroy of the British India…This trekking route  passes through the picturesque areas around Ramni, then trails along to Sarkot and Sanatoli where from expansive view of the Himalayas can be had.  At times, the going can really be strenuous, especially in the sections Ghat to Ramni and Domabhiti to Kuari.              KUARI PASS TREK 3: Joshimath, Mirag, Tugasi and Khulara to Kuari pass. This trek from Joshimath via Mirag, Tugasi and Khulara to Gailgarh and Kuari pass is popular with those who have no interest in the bugyals of Auli and Gorson. The trek passes through jungles and small meadows. One can feel the fresh air looming all around and no noise pollution amidst trees and open fields. KUARI PASS TREK 4: Tapovan, Khulara to Kuari pass. The fourth trek starts from Tapovan, which is 16 km from Joshimath on the main road to Malari.  The trek begins and ends with a climb and takes one through the glorious Tapovan Valley. Although it is the shortest route and meets the third trek at Khulara the climb on this route is very steep and tiring.