The Pin Parvati Pass (5,319 m) links two different worlds: the wet, forested Parvati Valley of Kullu and the dry, high-altitude Pin valley of Spiti. The crossing was first recorded in 1884 by the British official Sir Louis Dane, who was looking for a shorter route into Spiti.
The full trek is around 100 km and takes ten or eleven days. It involves river crossings, long moraine stretches, a crevassed glacier and several nights above 4,000 m. It is one of the hardest standard treks in Himachal Pradesh and is not a route for independent or inexperienced walkers.
Top things to do in Pin Parvati Pass
The Parvati side
From Barshaini the route follows the Kheerganga trail, then continues up the valley past the shepherd camps of Tunda Bhuj, Thakur Kuan and Odi Thach, through birch forest and wide flower meadows.
Mantalai lake
At about 4,100 m the valley opens into a broad gravel plain and the glacial lake of Mantalai, regarded as the source of the Parvati river and sacred to Shiva. Most parties rest or acclimatise here.
The pass
From a high base camp the route climbs steep moraine and a snow-covered glacier to the pass. Parties rope up for the crevassed section. The view takes in Kullu’s green ridges on one side and Spiti’s brown ones on the other.
Down into Spiti
A long descent beside the Pin river leads to Mudh, the first village, in Pin Valley National Park — and from there by road to Kaza.
How to get to Pin Parvati Pass
- Start: Barshaini, reached by bus or taxi from Kasol. Finish: Mudh in Spiti, from where vehicles go to Kaza and on to Manali or Shimla.
- Season: a short window from about July to mid-September, when the pass is free enough of snow. That is also the monsoon on the Kullu side, so expect rain in the first days.
- Permits and logistics: go only with an experienced, registered operator who handles permissions, porters or mules, glacier equipment and evacuation. We found no Pin Parvati trek on GetYourGuide.
Insider tips
- Previous experience above 4,500 m is essential. This should not be anyone’s first trek.
- Altitude sickness is a serious risk; itineraries must include acclimatisation and a turnaround plan.
- Rivers rise in the afternoon. Crossings are done early, with ropes where needed.
- There is no mobile coverage for most of the route and no easy exit once you are past Mantalai.
Tours that include Pin Parvati Pass
These guided trips cover Pin Parvati Pass or combine easily with a visit:
Private multi-day trek 4-Day Kheerganga Trek & Kasol Riverside Tour
The only Kheerganga trek currently listed on GetYourGuide under Kasol itself: four days that pair the valley’s best-known trail — forest, waterfalls, the hot-spring pool and a night camping in the mountains — with riverside time in Kasol. It runs as a private group with pickup available and meals included.
- The 12 km forest trail from Barshaini to Kheerganga
- Hot springs at the top and a night in mountain camps
- Time by the Parvati river in Kasol, with meals included
Multi-day trip From Delhi: 3-Day Himalayan Hike, Waterfalls & Camping
Not the Parvati Valley, but the same district: a three-day trip from Delhi to the Great Himalayan National Park side of Kullu, with hiking, waterfalls and camping. Consider it if you want forest and quiet rather than Kasol’s café scene.
- Hiking in the UNESCO-listed Great Himalayan National Park
- Waterfalls and a night of camping
- Transport from Delhi, stays and meals included
