PAPSURA PEAK

Mt. Papsura (6451m) - ‘The Peak of Evil’

Papsura Peak (6451m), which is called ‘The Peak of Evil’ . Dharamsura and Papsura are neighbouring peaks in famous Manikaran region of Parvati Valley in Himachal Pradesh. These two striking twin peaks are also known as the ‘Peaks of Good and Evil’. Papsura is only a few metres higher than Dharamsura. A ridge of about 1.9 km separates the two peaks. Ideally a total of about 2200 metres of rope is required to climb the summits. People usually attempt both the peaks at one go. The peaks are generally climbed by the S-E ridge and S-W ridge. The approach to base camp consists a tiring walk on the lateral moraines of the Tosh glacier. The ridge connecting Papsura and Dharamsura also extends to the west to the famous Sara Umga Pass, which connects the Kullu and Lahaul valleys. 3 to 4 transit camps need to be set up before reaching the basecamp. The trek starts from the beautiful village of Tosh, near Manikaran in Kullu district. Three more high camps are needed for a possible summit attempt. This area is sanctuary of peaks like Devachan, Indrasan, etc.

Rough Plan:

Day 1: Manali->Tosh Village (2400m)

Day 2: Tosh->Bhudaban Trek (3020m)

Day 3: Bhudaban->Saran Thach trek (3505m)

Day 4: Saram->Samshi (3800m)

Day 5: Samshi->Kutla (4100m)

Day 6: Kuta->Base camp

Day 7: Base Camp->Camp 1 (acclimatization and load ferry)->Base camp

Day 8: Base Camp->Camp1 (acclimatization and load ferry)->Base camp

Day 9: Rest Day

Day 10: Base Camp->Camp 1 (via Sara Umga Pass)

Day 11: Camp 1->Camp 2

Day 12: Camp 2->Summit attempt (6446m)->Camp 2

Day 13: Reserve Day for Summit

Day 14: Reserve Day for Summit

Day 15: Summit->Camp 1

Day 16: Camp 1->Base camp

Day 17: Rest Day

Day 18: Base camp->Shamshi

Day 19: Shamshi->Budhaban

Day 20: Budhaban->Tosh village->Manali

Tosh (2400m)

Tosh, a village turned hippie colony, in Himachal Pradesh located at about 2400m in elevation on a hill near Kasol in the Pravati valley, surrounded by mountains. Alongside the village is the Tosh river, which begins at the Tosh Glacier within Tosh valley. The peaks surrounding the it include, Dharamsura, Papsura, Angduri, Pinnacle and Devachan. Manali to Kosh is a 3 hour 22 minutes ride (95.2km) via NH3 and Manikaran Road.

Tosh->Bhudaban Trek (3020m) 3/4 hours

Tosh to Bhudaban is a 3 hours easy hike of 4 kms. This phase of the trek is extremely scenic with full of Pine trees.

Bhudaban->Saran Thach (3505m) 5/6 hours

The trek from Bhudaban passes along the Pulga Nullah and this glacier is the source of this Nullah. One can have the close view of the Ali Ratna Tibba, located on the Pir Panjal Range from Losha Thatch. A long day’s walk as the path climbs from Budhaban to cross the treeline. It then continues over meadows and rhododendron clusters to the high altitude meadow at Sharan Thatch.

Sharan Thatch->Shamshi Thatch (3800m) 4/5 hours

An initial steep climb moves towards narrow path over patches of snow. The Tosh river continues its noisy course throughout. After a short descent, you arrive at Shamshi Thatch, beautifully set in a little bowl at the base of the valley. To the north is the Tosh glacier, to the east the massive face of Kullu Makalu Peak.

Shamshi->Kutla (4100m) 3/4 hours

Climb to the snout of the Tosh Glacier and continue up on the path near the glacier to the small meadow at Kuta Thatch

Kutla->Base camp (4480m) 4/5 hours

Kutla to the base camp is a 4 hours long steep walk at around 55 degree inclination. A lot of technicality and climbing is involved specially because of the huge crevasses.

Base camp-> camp 1 (4830m) 6/7 hours

You need to acclimatize your body at such an extreme altitude and prepare it for further heights. Ferry your loads to camp 1 and return back to base camp. This will help you get acclimatized and also prepare you for trying summit

Sara Umga Pass: (4900m)

The Sara Umga Pass or Sara Umga La, lies on the historic Indo-Tibetan trade route. The pass lying at an height of about 4900m, is a challenging trek, meant only for experienced trekkers. Though a tough trek, the views of the central Lahaul and many impressive six-thousanders of the Chandra Bhaga range, makes the effort worthwhile.

Summit Attempt:

It involves more than 360m of steep climbing on the rock face. You have to fix ropes on difficult patches which will consume a lot of your time. Therefore, start for the summit as early as possible because the weather becomes rough and windy by midday. Snow avalanches are common in this region and thus, this is considered a difficult expedition and not everyone’s cup of tea!

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