It is hardly an exaggeration to claim that the Bali Pass Trek in Uttarakhand’s Garhwal area is a backpacker’s paradise considering travelling on Asia’s longest and highest ropeway, taking views of some of the world’s tallest peaks, and skiing on India’s greatest ropeway.
When passing each point of the Bali Pass Trek (4800 meters above sea level), one may experience and come across steep scenery, rugged stones, dense woods with greens everywhere, smooth, silky rich green meadows, snow-clad glaciers, and ice-frozen walking road, and so on. The Ball Pass Trek begins in the Tons River Valley and concludes in the Yamuna River Valley. According to history, in the 1940s, a schoolteacher named Jack Gibson of Doon School popularised this trek.
The fantastic scenery of Himalayan Peaks such as Swargarohini, Kalanag, and Banderpunch and the magnificent panorama of Supine Valley are attractions of the Bali Pass Trek with having a holy-dip in the holy Ruinsara Lake and seeing Yamunotri Temple as add ons. The best time to go on this trek is from June to December. The journey from Dehradun to Sankri via Mussoorie, Kempty Falls, Naugaon, Purola, Mori, and Netwar is popular among backpackers. The actual route begins at Sankri and continues via Govind National Park (beautiful blooms in pine and deodar woodland), Taluka, Seema, Roiltia Waterfall Camp, Ruinsara Lake, Godari Camp (4100 meters), Upper Dhamni through Bali Pass, Yamunotri, and Hanuman Chatti.
Trekkers can go to Taluka and Seema after resting in Sankri after a 7-hour trek from Dehradun (12 km). However motorable, a trek across the forested range will be more exciting. Walking down the riverbank, passing through farmland, apple orchards, and pine forests. Seema to Roiltia is a 4 km climbing track, and as the trekkers pass this trail, they enjoy the green fields and flora and wildlife as a gift of the Tons River. People camp blissfully at Roiltia Waterfall during the night.
The path ascends again for 9 kilometres on the following lap of the journey. Your eyes enjoy the pine, fir, birch, and rhododendron shrubs and trees until you arrive at the Ruinsara valley and Ruinsara Lake. These are beautiful sights exclusively for backpackers in the Himalayan Mountains to admire. Along the banks of Ruinsara Lake, lush green meadows exist. From here, Kalanag Peak is easily visible. Locals regard this lake as holy, and having a holy dip is considered heavenly.
Travellers can relax for one more day at Ruinsara Lake Camp before heading to Kyarkoti base camp for Kalanag mountain trekking and returning to the centre. This break also serves as refuelling for the next day’s trek. Marching towards Godari (4100 meters) and sleeping in such a beautiful place high on the mountain with a breathtaking view of the valley below are genuinely unforgettable memories.
Godari to Upper Damini through Bali Pass will be interesting because you must first go to 4800 meters and then descend through the alpine zone to reach Upper Damini at 4000 meters. The breathtaking vistas of the Himalayan peaks, particularly Panchachuli, will be memorable. Following that, the downward-trek to Yamunotri and Hanumanchatti resumes. On the route, stop at the Yamunotri temple, which the locals highly admire. Then back to Dehradun from Hanumanchatti with fond recollections of the daring and gorgeous Bali Pass Trek!
