Known as the trek that a rare few tread on, Mayali Pass is certainly not for the faint-hearted; But if you are planning to go for it then damn, we’re jealous.
Tucked away like a hidden gem in the state of Uttarakhand, the pass is situated at a height of around 5,300m. There are two ways to reach the summit – either via the tiny village of Ghuttu/Guttu that is an 8-9 hours drive away from Rishikesh, or via the village called Mala that is slightly above Uttarkashi. The latter is for sure the better route when it comes to scenic views but also the longer one as it'll take you two weeks to finish the trek. On the Ghuttu one, you’ll be done in nine odd days.
As per climbers who’ve conquered the Mayali Pass before – it takes intense levels of stamina, a crazy fitness, loads of willpower, and no day is easy.
From the base camp you start hiking towards Reeh, than on to Gangi where the houses are predominantly beautiful examples of Garhwali architecture, to Kalyani, and to Kharsoli, where green pastures welcome you with open arms.
Next up is Chowki valley, a place that’ll leave you spellbound in every possible manner. Post that, you cross ridges, snow boulders, lakes to reach Masar Tal from where you do an almost steep climb up till Masar Top – the USP of the trek. On one side you see the Chowki valley and Khatling glacier, and on the other, the Kedar with snow capped mountains. Can you even imagine how gorgeous the view would be?
The climb down from there is also one of the scary bits. Reach Vasuki Tal, and feel super proud of yourself for having done the most treacherous parts of this daunting trek.
From there you reach Kedarnath, and stay overnight to regain your lost energy. The descend till Gaurikund then is 14kms long but will be a cakewalk for you by now.
You cover a total of some 70 odd kilometers one way, and climb 6-7 hours daily. But as they say, the view is always worth it.
