Sach Pass in Pangi Valley, the big daddy of all mountain passes and we say that the name is JUST enough to give you shivers down the spine 😀 D… Yes, you guessed it right; I just came back from a f***** amazing adventure of my entire life last week only.
The journey to Sach Pass, Pangi Valley in Himachal Pradesh was something that I cannot put into words, something that I cannot recall to live it again, something that will go down as the most unforgettable experience of my lifetime, something that I can barely realize I made it through. If you are planning a trip to this region, do not forget to refer my article on the most common itinerary of Pangi Valley.
Let's quickly dive into the details:
Why plan a Sach Pass trip?
Numerous water crossings, endless waterfalls, snow walls as high as 40 feet, roads as if the pathway to hell, picking up an XUV to cross the landslide, clearing the landslide on your own, driving through the ever violent gushing streams and waterfalls, running through the live landslides, taking an open wild waterfall bath, getting stuck in no mans land, crossing over mighty passes of Rohtang Pass and Jalori Pass in the middle of night…
Uff… Can you ask for anything more?? 😀 :D…
All in all an F-amazing drive to the daddy of all the mountain passes – Sach Pass in Pangi Valley which concluded with an exhilarating WTF kind of experience last week…
How was my experience?
Well, overall, the road conditions lived up to the expectations though we were just lucky to save ourselves from heavy rains as predicted at the start of the journey. The weather just kept itself to offer optimum beauty with light rains and ever-refreshing green colors.
Chandrabhagha river accompanied us throughout in Pangi Valley to keep us interested in the routes with some majestic infinite number of waterfalls pouring down into it. Some were just breathtakingly beautiful with multi-story falls right from the top of the mountains. All these things were WORTH the effort we had put into the trip 🙂 :)… The road conditions in most of the region of Pangi Valley were just horrendous to say at least 😉 ;)…
Though the detailed travel tale will take some time to write, in this article I would like to share what Sach Pass trip itinerary I followed, the route I took and the updates on road conditions of this mega-adventure in trans-Himalayas, that is, Sach Pass – Pangi Valley.
Trip Suggestion: Are you looking for an offbeat place to travel in Himachal Pradesh?
About Sach Pass – Pangi Valley
Before I dive into the trip details, for those who do not have much idea about Sach Pass and Pangi Valley, I will give brief details of it and then will move on to the trip details.
Sach Pass is situated at an altitude of 4,420 meters or 14500 feet lying on the Pir Panjal Range of the Himalayas. It connects Chamba Valley / Churah Valley with Pangi Valley in Himachal Pradesh. The distance of Sach Pass to Chamba is about 127 km, and Sach Pass to Dalhousie is about 175 km. Every year the pass gets open from late June or early July to mid-October, and then the road closes for winters after heavy snowfall. It is the shortest route from Chamba to the Killar, with a distance of about 160 km.
Hence, once open, this route is preferred by the locals too. The other routes to Killar are Chamba – Manali – Udaipur – Killar, about 680 km, and Chamba – Jammu – Doda – Gulabgarh – Kishtwar – Killar about 570 km. It is the shortest route for Pathankot to Leh over Manali – Leh Highway as well.
Route Breakdown
The breakup of route direction and distance to Sach Pass from Chamba is as Chamba – Tissa (63 km) – Bairagarh (90 km) – Satrundi (106 km) – Sach Pass (120 km) – Bagotu (130 km) – Killar (166 km).
The altitude graph from Chamba to Sach Pass to Killar goes like Tissa (1570 Mtrs) – Bairagarh (2800 Mtrs) – Satrundi (3400 Mtrs) – Sach Pass (4420 Mtrs) – Bagotu (3600 Mtrs) – Killar (2590 Mtrs)
Once you enter Pangi Valley, you unlock yourself some of the most beautiful and amazing places to explore in the Himalayas. You will need at least 4-5 days to explore Pangi Valley after reaching Killar and then can head towards Udaipur – Tandi – Manali for going back home.
Some of the beautiful places to explore in Pangi Valley around Killar are Dharwas, Luj, Sural, Hundan, Findroo, Findar, Mindhal, Parmar, etc.. to name a few. The entire Pangi Valley offers many picturesque villages, and there is a PWD rest house in Cherry where you can stay in peace too along with hotels or guest houses in Killar.
My Sach Pass Trip in July – 5 Day Itinerary
Well, we had 5 days in hand for my Sach Pass trip including one buffer day and we followed the itinerary as mentioned below.
Day 1: Delhi – Dalhousie – Bairagarh
We started around 3.30 AM from my house, got together by 4.30 AM at Delhi bypass and left from Delhi. We had breakfast at Zhilmil, Karnal, with stuffed paranthas and then continued in heavy + light rains to Pathankot. There we took the road towards Dalhousie – Chamba and went on to reach Bairagarh at 7.30 PM. Half of the group stayed at Mannat homestay, and the other half stayed at hotel Chamunda just near it. Delhi to Bairagarh came out to be 686 km with a wrong detour towards Amritsar road for about 12-13 km on one side.
Day 2: Bairagarh – Sach Pass – Killar
This was supposed to be the D-Day, the day when we crossed the Sach Pass driving going through Kalaban – Satrundi and reaching Killar in Himachal by evening with ample of stops on the way. We started at 7.20 AM from Bairagarh to cross the pass early in the morning before the Nallahs gets flooded on the route and traveled around 76 KMs that day to reach Killar in evening passing through Bagotu nallah. We stayed at Chamunda Hotel in Killar too :)…
Day 3: Killar – Udaipur – Sissu – Manali
There was quite an anxiety on this day because a lot of was heard about Madgran Nallah which could swallow the big buses to afternoon or towards evening. The bridge wasn’t there, and hence, our only option was to cross it as early as possible. So, we started at 5.45 AM from Killar, and it was raining that day. Passing through various beautiful villages of Pangi Valley, witnessing loads of waterfalls and water crossings.
We were able to reach Udaipur by 12.55 PM after crossing Madgran, though it was one of the longest I ever crossed but was doable without much trouble at that time. We had our brunch at Udaipur – Bhandari Bhojnalya, which served us amazing vegetarian food. Then, we went to Trilokinath Ji for darshan and cruised to Tandi – Sissu – Khoksar. We reached Rohtang Pass at 7.40 PM and old Manali at 9.20 PM. We called off this never-ending day in Old Manali at Dontell Mama Guest House.
Route of the day was like Killar – Cherry (14 km) – Purthi (28 km) – Tindi (54 km) – Madgran (70 km) – Udaipur (79 km) – Trilokinath (96 km) – Khoksar (175 km) – Rohtang Pass (194 km) – Manali (245 km)
Day 4: Manali – Jalori Pass
We killed half of this day in Manali, and then we realized we have to move to Narkanda via Jalori Pass 😀 :D… A series of events held us on the road up to 2.00 PM, and we could not make much progress ahead.
Finally, around 4.30 PM we crossed Aut tunnel and then started the ascend towards Jalori Pass passing through Banjar Valley – Jibhi. Spared out 2.30 Hrs at Shringi Vatika as some of us wanted to have chicken made up there as a specialty. Hence, we could end our day in dhabha at Jalori Pass at 10.40 PM. Amit, Anshul, and Nitin went on to sleep in camps at Jalori Pass.
Day 5: Jalori Pass – Narkanda – Delhi
Started from Jalori Pass at 7.15 AM, passed through Ani – Khanag – Sainj – Kingal – Narkanda – Shimla – Ambala – Delhi. We had our brunch at Narkanda at Himalayan Restaurant this time, skipping my favorite Negi Dhabha, which is just the opposite of it. On the way home, we had our dinner+lunch at McD, Zirakpur and then drove non-stop to Delhi from there to reach home by 10.00 PM which concluded the trip.
The total drive over the trip was about 1610 KM done in a budget of around Rs 5600 per head, including all, and it had a couple of very costly meals for about 1000 per person at Manali that just got wasted 🙁 🙁 … As I said, words fall short to explain this f-amazing mega-adventure of my lifetime…
Road Conditions for Sach Pass in July
Following is the breakdown of road conditions for my Sach Pass trip:
- Delhi – Ambala – Ludhiana – Jalandhar – Pathankot: Mostly Excellent, smooth sailing toll road.
- Pathankot – Bungal – Bhatwan – Dunera – Nainikhad – Banikhet: Mostly good and some sections were average and very few bad patches with potholes.
- Banikhet – Chamera Lake Reservoir – Larog – Koti: Mix of good and average roads.
- Koti – Tissa – Bairagarh: Roads are mostly bad with few average patches Between Tissa and Bhairagarh, there are some landslide points and tricky sections along with few water crossings. Drive with care here.
- Bairagarh – Satrundi – Sach Pass: Mostly non-existent roads, rocks, boulders on road, multiple gushing water crossings, landslide points, slush near the pass and some very very tricky sections. Quite difficult I will say.
- Sach Pass – Bagotu – Killar: Again mostly non-existent road especially till Bagotu nallah which was totally flooded. The road on the other side of Sach Pass was extremely pathetic, I mean no words for it. Might kill sedan totally. Both XUV and Terrano struggled a lot in water crossings, big boulders, snow, and slush.
- Killar – Cherry – Purthi – Tindi: No roads, dirt track but is OK to drive with average conditions and a couple of water crossings.
- Tindi – Madgran – Udaipur: Again no roads, dirt track, slush, couple of very heavy/violent water crossings including Madgran.
- Udaipur – Trilokinath – Tandi: Many patches of good tarred roads and smooth sailing. A couple of places have average and bad sections.
- Tandi – Sissu – Khoksar: The majority of sections are good but there are few sections which are narrow, with slush and very bad especially for small cars.
- Khoksar – Gramphu – Rohtang Pass: Quite bad roads, some sections are very pathetic again especially almost up to few KMs before Rohtang Pass.
- Rohtang Pass – Marhi – Manali – Kullu – Aut: Mostly very good roads except for Rohtang Pass to Marhi which has a couple of bad sections.
- Aut – Banjar – Ghiyaji/Jibhi – Shoja: Narrow road with a mix of good and average roads.
- Shoja – Jalori Pass – Ani: Quite bad at places with slush on the road which made it more difficult. On the other side of Jalori Pass towards Ani, still fine with few bad sections.
- Ani – Khanag – Sainj – Kingal: Mostly good roads.
- Kingal – Narkanda – Shimla – Zirakpur – Ambala – Delhi: Smooth sailing with no issues while passing through the regular route of Shimla – Mashobra to Delhi.
Phone Signals & Data Connectivity in Pangi Valley – Sach Pass Trip
I was carrying Airtel Postpaid, BSNL Postpaid connection while Vodafone Postpaid connection was with some friends. Following was the signal status:
- All three were working mostly through all the routes up to Bairgarh. Then, there was no signal of Airtel or Vodafone up to Tandi. In Killar, by evening, BSNL started to work, but the connection is erratic. Udaipur had signals but then in between no signals.
- Beyond Bairagarh, only BSNL connection worked, so do carry it else be ready for out of family connection for a couple of days till you reach Tandi – Sissu area in Lahaul. Jalori Pass too had signals though a bit week for all the connections.
- Data Connectivity was almost always available wherever the signals were present, mostly limited to 2G and at places, even 3G was running.
Travel Tip: Do not forget to carry these 40 must-have things for a self-drive trip to the Himalayas.
Other Important Updates for Pangi Valley – Sach Pass Trip
- Bairagarh, Killar both have decent hotels and also liquor shops though preferred brands can be an issue.
- DO NOT go towards Chamba or Dalhousie and follow the road to Chamera Lake from Banikhet, then reach Koti from there. That is the short route; the other route is quite long via Chamba or Dalhousie. Neither Chamba nor Dalhousie should come on the route to Bairagarh from Pathankot, in case they come, you took a longer route.
- Once you cross Bairagarh, you will find Dhabha at Satrundi checkpost, but no paranthas, so pack your food from the hotel. Then after crossing Sach Pass, you get to eat around Bagotu Nallah before Killar in a dhabha. After Killar in Pangi Valley, you will find dhabhas at Purthi and then at Udaipur only.
- Killar is a big town in Pangi Valley being headquarters of it and does also has an SBI ATM.
- You can get good Rajma from Baban or Purthi villages in Pangi Valley even in Udaipur, Lahaul or Peas as well in case you want to carry them back here.
- We filled up the fuel before Bairagarh guesses near Tissa somewhere and then after that, we could spot fuel pump only at Tandi on Manali – Leh Highway.
- Whenever making a trip to Sach Pass or Pangi Valley, do leave early in the day so that water crossings have less water in them as there are numerous of them on the road with Madgran being the most violent along with Bagotu nallah.
- Bhandari Bhojnalya at Udaipur is a great place to eat homely food. We loved it a lot.
Toll Amounts on the Route
- Toll at Panipat: Rs 30
- Toll at Panipat: Rs 30
- Toll at Panipat: Rs 30
- Toll at Karnal: Rs 111
- Toll at Gharggar: Rs 67
- Toll at Ladowal: Rs 117
- Toll at Chollang: Rs 70
- Toll at Tunuhatti: Rs 30
- Toll at Harse Mansar: Rs 75
- Toll at Himachal entry: Rs 30
- Toll at Banikhet: Rs 30
- Toll at Himalayan Expressway, Panchkula: Rs 28
- Toll at Ambala – Chandigarh NH22: Rs 36
You should always carry your water bottle and refill it as many times as you need water. It will not only keep you hydrated always, but you will also help in saving the Himalayas from plastic garbage. Remember, every tiny step counts, and your step in this direction can help save the Himalayas too !! 🙂 🙂
Conclusion
I hope this Sach Pass itinerary article will help you plan a trip to this adventurous route of Himachal. I have explained the route plan, the road conditions on the Sach Pass trip, fuel availability, and phone signals. Knowing about these things will help you in planning your trip and making it memorable.
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I will start sharing the detailed Travel Tale of this Sach Pass – Pangi Valley trip, the reviews of the hotels I stayed and places at which I ate food, very soon. So, stay tuned guys 🙂
If you know your friends or family are planning a trip to Sach Pass, do share this article with them to help them make a memorable Pangi Valley trip.
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256 Comments
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Thanks dheeraj sir
Hi Dheeraj,
Hope you are doing well mate!
Planning to do Delhi – Kishtwar – Killar – Sachpass – Dalhousie Trip next month.
I have been told by someone that Patnitop – Kishtwar route is unsafe and have been asked to not to travel on that route, especially with girls. I have checked online a lot about that route but haven’t found a thing negative about that area. Can you pls confirm.
We shall be travelling in day time only. Look forward to your earliest response.
Abhishek, just check on the news updates for any disturbances in the Kashmir valley and in these regions of Kishtwar – Doda area. In case there are any, please avoid else it should be OK. Also, do not expect too much from the accommodations than basic home stays or guest houses.
Hi Dheeraj,
Thanks for your revert. One more thing I wanted to check.
Can we cover Killar to Patnitop in one day? How long will it take? What time should we start from Killar?
You can do Killar to Patnitop and it will take around 10-11 hrs, so leave by 7 AM from Killar.
yesterday my journey is complete from Delhi to sach pass in 4 days i m follow this website this is very helpful for guidelines
It is wonderful to know that, glad this website was helpful !!
Is it possible to do a return journey from Delhi to sachpass in 3 days with the following itinerary:
July 12 Night travelling From Delhi to Pathankot.
July 13 Pathankot to Bhairagarh by rented Car/Bike.
July 14 Bhairagarh To Sach Pass and Back to Bhairagarh.
July 15 Bhairagarh to Pathankot and catch night train to Delhi.
Is it recommended to go their during this time as its monsoon time?
The way you have planned it, the trip is doable however it will be hectic and with monsoon please keep buffer days or be ready to return from blockade point. Also, a rented bike will not be available in Pathankot. Have you arranged any?
Hi Dheeraj Sir,
i am thinking of doing patnitop-kishtwar-killar-sachpass-udaipur-keylong or patnitop-kishtwar-killar-dalhousie. From 15-16 of august.
i needed your opinion on the patnitop- doda route to kishtwar and also the weather, do you think it will raining a lot?
Thank you.
In general, it rains a lot during mid-August and these mountains in Pangi Valley are quite fragile for landslides. So, expect blockades and landslides.
Hello Devils,
I crossed sach pass on 2nd July on Bullet 500 with pillion. Roads are in very bad shape, Pwd may do some repairs in next 15 days. Many surprises on turns, Nallas are difficult to cross after 12, try to start as early as possible. From killar to Udaipur, again roads are challenging for riders. We crossed all nallas before 11 and didn’t faced much problem. Try to start your travel at 05 in the morning. For bikers, it is very challenging especially the descent after sach pass. It is indeed Daddy of all Mountain passes.
Regards,
Bhuvan Sharma
Hello Bhuvan,
was there any snow??
Also what was your complete route?
Many thanks
Hey Lokendra!!
Snow was there but not on the roads.
Pathankot- Bairagarh-Killar- Darcha-Whisky Nallah- Leh- Mahe- Tso Moriri- Sarchu- Manali- Chandigarh.
Bhuvan
Hello Deeraj , thanks a lot for all information you are sharing here. It’s really very helpful. I am also leaving to Sach pass on 17th of this month for 10 days. Delhi- Sach Pass- Manali-Delhi with family by four wheel. I mean all are adult. Have done already Delhi – Kaza by Road also with ladies and grown up Children and Delhi-Leh-Zanskar-Kashmir also by Road. So my question is?? Is it really OK to travel on this trip in this time or it’s too late?? As far as the weather concern. Do you have latest update from there. With Regards. Ashwani Rajput
Hi Ashwani,
It seems fine as you have experience with these roads. You can also follow the article: Sach Pass – Pangi Valley – Most Common Itinerary Also, below is the most recent update:
Hi Dheeraj Bai,
We r planing for a trip from Pathankot – killar – keylong on Sep 15th in 2 bikes with 3 persons is it a good time to take this trip, do you suggest riding with a pillion?
YEs Arun, September is good time to travel to Sach Pass and Killar and rains are subsided by that time of the year too.
Hi Dheeraj,
Hope you are doing great!
Planning to leave for SACH pass on 8-JUL-17 on bikes . My first stop would be Bairagrh from CHandigarh.
2. Killar via sach pass
3. Killar-dalhousie
4. Dalhousie-chandigarh
Is this feasible? I dont want it to be much hectic..if u have a better option please tell me..but i have just 4 days in hand…
Also can u suggest the route to bairagarh from pathankot? can Chamba be avoided?
Decent stay options at Bairagarh and killar?
Thanks a lot as usual 🙂
Well, yes looks feasible but yes a bit hectic as there is no rest day bhai. Yes, follow the route to Chamera lake via Banikhet. Do not go to Dalhousie and then towards Tissa. DO NOT follow any signs for Chamba as the shorter route does not goes through Chamba. Google maps also will follow the route from Chamera lake only without going to Chamba.
At Bairagarh there is Mannat Homestay and Chamunda Guest House. Then, at Killar there is a PWD rest house ahead of town at Cherry village and in Killar there is basic hotels like Raj guest house and again Chamunda Guest House
thanks bro…I just have 4 days in hand so no other option…Hope the weather will remain a bit calm..:)
Best wishes for the trip, keep us posted on road conditions and all too. In 4 days, go with the plan you have for the trip.
Hi dheeraj,
just came back from the trip.. the weather was calm..no rain at all..Roads are perfect till Bairagarh and after that its full of misery..Heavy rainbs are predicted this week though there..
thanks for your suggestions a always
Hello Piyush, I hope you are having a good time there. I m also leaving for sach pass soon, I mean in a weeks time. Just wanted to know the weather and road conditions. If possible do write please. Thanks. Ashwani Rajput
HI Ashwani,
The roads are perfect till Bairagrh, After that it is complete off-roading and tough roads. Heavy rains are predicted this week over there. So do inquire about the weather before leaving. If Sach pass gets closed due to rains, The police wont let u cross Satrundi check post and u will have to go back. Also that area is v much prone to Landslides and u wont like to be caught up over there. DO follow the same route as Dheeraj suggested. Pathankot-bankikhet-Bairagarh via Chamera lake. Do not go via dalhousie and Chamba as it is extra 60 KM approx.
Take care and have a great trip!
Hello
We are planning to go sach pass by bike in July our itinerary is :
6 th July 2017 delhi to Dalhousie
7 th July 2017 Dalhousie to killar
8 th July 2017. Killar to Kishtwar
9 th July 2017 Kishtwar to Udhampur
10 th July 2017 Udhampur to delhi
Is it fine ?
Give us your suggestions please
Hi Mohit,
It is possible to plan this trip but it will surely be hectic. I will recommend to reach Bairagarh one day 1 instead of staying at Dalhousie.
Fantastic!!!!!!!
Give me the Mighty Himalayas anytime….every time.
Not done Sach pass.
Hmmmmm…..
So, plan a next trip to Sach Pass now 🙂
Sir can some one advise the best and short route from ambala to chamera lake. I am planning to go to such pass from Delhi. Upto ambala and from chamera lake to bairagarh no problem. But from ambala to chamera lake I am not clear which route should I take which is best as far as road conditions r concerned and short.
You should take the route from Ambala – Ludhiana – Jalandhar – Pathankot – Bhatwan – Banikhet – Chamera Lake – Tissa
Just keep in mind that you do not need to go to Dalhousie or Chamba or Khajjiar
is it possible to do sach pass in baleno (diesel) during last weekend of june ??
Dina, doing Sach Pass in a hatch or sedan is mostly like beating the vehicle to the extreme. In case you have not been to such roads including Spiti or Ladakh on such a vehicle, I will not recommend taking it to Sach Pass. If you love adventure more than your own car and have good experience in such terrains, well, then you may try for it.
thank you
HI Dheeraj,
Generally what is preferred time for sach pass according to your past experience. Wwe are planning to cross sach pass from killar on approximately 24th july. is it the right time or will it be rainy at that time?
we are going in bike to sachpass .
Sharath, Sach Pass safest time is September but now Sach Pass is open this year early so anywhere from today till the time monsoon does not arrive in Norther India should be good time to travel to Sach Pass. Before leaving for the trip, do keep an eye on weather updates.
how do i book rooms with PWD guest house. i am unable to contact them
If you are talking about Cherry or Tissa PWD Guest Houses, best is to land there and ask the caretaker to accommodate.
Sir,
Could u tell me any update of opening of sach pass treck. Further from ambala to chamara lake what route should I take?
Thanks
Sir, Whether taxi etc. r available from bairagarh to sach pass.
Thanks
Yes Sanjay, some taxis will be available to Sach Pass from Bairagarh and you can connect with Hotel Chamunda who can arrange the taxi in advance to be 100% sure.
Sanjay, the Sach Pass is already open now. Follow the route to Chamera Lake from Banikhet. Do not turn to Chamba or Dalhousie. It is the shortest route to Bairagarh
Hii this is Neeraj ..u r dng a grt job..jst want to Knw spiti valley itinerary is more adventurous or Sach pass itinerary?..m a solo rider ..I want to complete the Leh belt also..so wants to Knw frm where I cn complete via Sach pas or spiti ..which is more adventurous road..also suggest me the itinerary till Leh..m leaving on July1 frm Chandigarh
If you havent done any such trips to trans-Himalayas, Spiti Valley will offer good amount of adventure. You can check a very balanced and most common itinerary for Spiti Valley followed by many travellers including me at the link here for 10-11 days: Most Common Itinerary for Spiti Valley.
Hi Dheeraj ..this is Neeraj frm indore ..m a solo rider..so is it good to travel on this kind of roads?and plz suggest me Sach pass is more adventurous of spiti valley ..as I want to go cover the Leh circuit ..so plz suggest me frm where I go Leh via Sach pass itinerary or spiti valley itinerary ..m solo rider if any1 wants to join me they r most welcome..my jrny strt frm Chandigarh 1july
Replied to you other post.
Sir what is the best and short route from Delhi to sach pass. I heard that going to chamara lake via chamba or banikhet is time consuming. Besides when the sach pass will open?
Sanjay, Sach Pass will open by end of June. But, I feel the short route is from Chamera lake and Chamba does not come in short route. Please read the article above. You need to follow directions to Bairagarh.
Hi Dheeraj,
Thanks for the detailed post , it is quite help full . I am planning the below in last week on June , to start on 24th June.
We will be 2 families ( 5 Adults and 2 kids ( 3 years + )) in 2 crossovers, Please share your thoughts and suggestions.
Day 1 – New Delhi to Chamba
Day 2 – Chamba to Killar
Day 3 – Killar to Keylong
Day 4 – Keylong to Chandar Taal ( stay in our tent )
Day 5 – Chandar Taal to Kibber ( covering key )
Day 6 – Kibber to Kaza ( Covering Langza , Koumik )
Day 7 – Kaza to Nako ( stay at Nako in our tent )
Day 8 – Nako to Sarahan
Day 9 – Sarahan to Newdelhi
Also if you could confirm about road conditions , I was going through the url shared by you but could not find any information about Sach pass and its tentative time to open . I hope it will be open by June end .
Saket, frankly speaking, the above trip does not look like a family trip to me at all. It is over ambitious and lots of traveling every day on one of the most treacherous roads of the world !! Sach Pass opens up in end June or July starting only.Though it is possible to do it but it is very hectic.
thanks for input … and sorry for a delayed response … I did the trip a per the above schedule … It was great fun and every one enjoyed it .. no major problems in way . All the kids ( 3 years , 4 years and 7 years )also enjoyed a lot and they did hot have any problem with acclimatization. in fact the mothers were quite happy to see an increased diet 🙂
Awesome to know that Saket, glad you guys had fun and this site was able to offer some help.
HI Dheeraj we are planning to saach pass on 30 june 17. We have 10 days in hand .our itineary is as below
30 Jun-Delhi -Dalhousie
1 July-Dalhousie-Chamba
2 Jul-Chamba –Sach Pass – Killar
3 Jul-Explore Killar
4 Jul-Killar – Keylong
5 Jul-Keylong-Chandartaal
6 Jul-Chandartaal – Kaaza
7 Jul-Kaaza- Reckong peo
8 Jul- Reckong peo- narkanda
9 Jul- Narkanda- Delhi
Now your expert advise needed.We had already covered spiti valley before . Pls let us know if any other off beat places we can cover during the trip with this number of days in hand & Where can we stay during the trip.Thanks in advance,
Hi Harmandeep,
Though the plan looks doable but towards the end you are just on road. It will be better to spend a day in Kaza on 7th July and then come to Manali and then do Manali to Delhi. You can visit Langza, Hikkim, Komic, Demul on Kaza rest day if you havent been there.
Hi Harmandeep,
I am doing almost the same trip a week before , My itineary is as under , I will start on 24th June from Indrapuram , GZB.
Day 1 – New Delhi to Chamba
Day 2 – Chamba to Kilar
Day 3 – Kilar to Keylong
Day 4 – Keylong to Chandar Taal ( stay in our tent )
Day 5 – Chandar Taal to Kibber ( covering key monestry )
Day 6 – Kibber to Kaza ( Covering Langza , Koumik )
Day 7 – Kaza to Nako ( stay at Nako in our tent )
Day 8 – Nako to Sarahan/kalpa
Day 9 – Sarahan/Kalpa to Newdelhi
Hi saket…now we are also leaving on 24th June from Noida..but slightly change in our itinerary..will come back from manali side instead of shimla.
Dheeraj bhai need one more suggestion from your side..we are hiring zoom car..trip can be doable by Honda jazz or will rent duster/Scorpio for the trip.
Better go for Duster or Scorpio for ease and peace of mind.
Hi Dheeraj bhai .. Duster is booked for the trip..Just want to know fuel is easily available after chamba or we have to carry fuel can.
Petrol Pumps on Sach Pass Trip
Couple of petrol pumps there on the way to Banikhet
Near Chamba or Banikhet Do Top Up Here
Manjir, Bhadram. There is one fuel pump at Bhadram and Manjir. Bhadram is about 40 KMs from Banikhet towards Sach Pass and Manjir is about 28 KMs ahead of it.
Churah about 8 KMs from Tissa towards Sach Pass. Do Top Up Here
Tandi near Keylong if doing the full circuit from Killar – Udaipur – Manali route
Manali
Hi Saket/Harmandeep,
I am also on the same route but till sach pass starting on 26th June from Crossings Republik. Just wanted to check if it is worth going beyond such pass being with family.
Thanks,
Sachin
Hiiii harman dear we r also planning for sach pass on 29 or 30 june so we can go togher that way
we are leaving on 24th june ..already applied for leaves can’t change my plan..if your dates are flexible..u are most welcome ..we will go together.
Hi Kirat Preet,
We will be leaving Dalhousie on 29th towards sach pass. Will be staying in Monga Dalhousie.
Hello Dheeraj, I am a regular follower of your posts. In fact your post helped me a lot in planning our trip at Ladakh region last year, particularly in taking the road from Pangong Tso to Tso Moriri via Hanle as well as Nubra to Pangong via the road thru river bed (not the usual road thru Khardung la).
Next year I am planning to take a trip covering Sach Pass, Kunzum la and Chandratal but we are a family of middle aged husband and wife with a son who is fit but not physically strong, hence we cannot afford to be adventurous too much.
I will be extremely grateful if you can provide me the following information:
1) the safest time to take the trip
2) no. of days required to cover comfortably
3) contact of a reliable driver (like Sonam for Ladakh)
Regards,
Hello Sharmila,
Thank you 🙂 🙂
Well, I will suggest to make up mind and choose between doing just Chandratal + Sach Pass Pangi Valley OR making trip to entire Spiti valley and Kinnaur Valley. Then we can discuss about rest of the things. If you have not been to Spiti, I will recommend it over Sach Pass at his moment. but let me know and we can discuss rest.
Dear Dheeraj, thank u for such an early response. We did travel to the Spiti and Kinnaur valleys earlier covering Sarahan, Kalpa, Sangla, Chitkul, Tabo, Nako, Kaza till Kibber but had to come back via the same route to Shimla and cd nt take the road to Manali via Kunzum and Rohtang bcoz it was nt open that time. Same way, we took the Srinagar- Leh road while going but cd nt come bk via Leh- Manali road due to again the same reason. Hence we want to do this time even if we hv to take the same places once more.
Regards
Hmm, that’s fine then. In that case what you can do is follow a below plan:
Day 1 | Delhi – Dalhousie/Khajjiar
Day 2 | Dalhousie/Khajjiar – Chamba
Day 3 | Chamba – Sach Pass – Killar (leave by 5-6 AM at max)
Day 4,5 | Spend in Killar going over to various surrounding/nearby villages which offer great beautiful landscapes of Pangi Valley
Day 6 | Killar – Udaipur – Tandi – Keylong (Leave by 5 am to avoid deep water crossings)
Day 7 | Keylong – Baralacha La – Keylong
Day 8 | Keylong – Gramphu – Chatru – Batal – Chandratal
Day 9 | Chandratal – Kunzum Pass (if you want) – Batal – Chatru – Gramphu – Rohtang Pass – Manali
Day 10 | LEave back home
Thank u so much for such a brilliantly planned itinerary. I hope after going thru ur posts, Sept wd b the safest bet to do it. Last one request. Can u provide contact no of a reliable driver fr the route which is extremely important in difficult hilly terrain like this? Fr Leh, we got an ex- army man as our driver cum guide that made our experience different altogether
You can check the list of taxi drivers from Shimla, Kinnaur and Lahaul, Spiti region in the link: https://devilonwheels.com/india/himalayan-travel-guides/taxi-drivers-spiti-valley-kinnaur-valley-t849.html
However I am not sure if they have done Sach Pass or not or they will be interested in doing so or not. But, they might refer you some contact.
Thank u, so much Dheeraj. U r doing such a commendable job and such a dependable friend for all the hopeless and eternal lovers of Himalaya
Thank you, feel free to post any queries you have for your trip 🙂
Hi Dheeraj,
Jus t want to know, can sach pass be considered as an alternative to Rohatnag Pass?
I have been to Leh-Ladhak this year. I did it via jammu – leh – manali. I am planning again for 2017. I dont want to go via J&K this time. I would prefer getting stranded into sach pass route than wainting in Manali for Rohtang permit.
Regards
Ajay
Yes Ajay, very much you can travel from Sach Pass. route. The plan will be like below:
Day 1 | Get off early morning and plan to reach Bairagarh by end of day
Day 2 | Bairagarh – Satrundi – Sach Pass – Killar
Day 3 | Killar – Udaipur – Tandi – Keylong / Jispa
Day 4 | Reach Leh.
Thanks Dheeraj. I will consider your suggestion. I will be planning to travel on motorcycle. I hope this route is quite suitable for motorcycles as well.
Yes, loads of people plan trip by bike as well.
Hi Dheeraj,
One more query, will the sach pass be opened in June17? first week. How to find its status?
Regards
Ajay
Hi Ajay,
Sach Pass opens by end of June first week of July, hence in early June it is very less chance that it will be open. You can stay tuned in Road Conditions forum of DoW Community: https://devilonwheels.com/india/road-status-conditions/
We will keep posting the updates up there.
Hieee..me and my husband jst had a trip from Shimla to kazzza… it zzz an amazing trip of 4 days…we were going through Alto lxi 2005 model… roads were not good..it’s like dat we r on vibration mode …sites r breathtaking from nakoo..we crossed nako after 6pm…there were no signs of people , no vechiles, I was very scared..bcoz we r only two people….by it was amazing and unforgettable…,,,nw on these holidays we both r going to explore sach pass….thnxxx for such a good tips ..
Great to know that Alka, feel free to post any queries you have for Sach Pass trip. Spiti is a wonderful place for sure.
Hi, I m planning a trip to sach pass from dalhousie side in first week of oct. It would be a short trip. Itenary is as follows
1. Gurgaon to kalatop / khajjiar
2. Khajjiar to Killar
3. Killar to manali
4. Manali to gurgaon
5. Buffer
Want an input from fellow DOWians if this is doable.
Killar to Manali is a bit long drive, we did it but I only know how. Better avoid it and halt at Sissu at max. Also, no need to go to Khajjiar, be on road towards Bairagarh or reach Chamba. Leave very early on Day 2.
Hi Dheeraj, have just been back from the trip. Yes I did want to go in the month of Oct, but it somehow happened.
There is actually no road about 60 kms before sach pass till phura. Drove approx 225 kms without any road. The climb is really treacherous. Sacrificed one of my new michellins. Driver side tyre got burst while descending from sach pass. It was 8 pm, and unfortunately the jack also broke. We actually got straded about 16 kms from Killar before a truck came and helped us. I really would not suggest anyone to even visit if he s not having a 4×4. Must visit in a big group. It took me 4 days to do gurgaon – khajjiar – sach pass – killar – keylong – manali – gurgaon circuit and 1700 kms.
Hi Dheeraj,
Can I post our pictures on this forum (and how to do that), I would like to add some to give an idea to fellow DOW’ians.
Thanks !
Yes Shivang, you can post your travel tales or any updates to the DoW Community Forum. Here is an explanatory link: https://devilonwheels.com/india/himalayan-travel-tales/how-write-travel-tale-t3.html
Also, we have apps for both Android and iOS which you can use as well to post the updates on the go. Use the links in the side bar to download them or search for Devil On Wheels in the Play Store or iOS App Store.
thanks Dheeraj, will surely update some of my memories.
Looking forward to it bro !!
Hi Dheeraj,
Thanks a lot for the info above, it was really helpful. I also frequently make trips to the himalayas. However, pangi i will be going for the first time. Would request your inputs on the following since you have already visited.
1) Firstly, i’m leaving on the 8th of october to pangi from delhi by road. Is sach pass accessible during mid October?
2) Is it also accessible from through Shimla- rampur – kinnaur , the road to spiti? Please let me all routes you know to pangi from delhi?
3) I have to be back on 16th october to delhi as i have work resuming 17th October. Are 10 days enough and please suggest routes basis the time we have which is 10 days.
4) Any special places you would want us to visit?
5) Please feel free to tell me any other inputs you think would be helpful.
thanks
Here are the answers:
1. Yes Sach Pass is accessible during that time.
2. Yes, it is also accessible from that side during that time of the year. Traveling after 15th October from MAnali – Kaza or Keylong side is not recommended though.
3. Yes, 10 days are more than enough to make a trip to Pangi Valley and Spiti Valley. Refer: Sach Pass – Pangi Valley – Most Common Itinerary
Hi Dheeraj,
Due to certain issues, i couldn’t plan my trip earlier but now planning for solo bike ride starting from Pathankot – Koti – Tissa – Sach Pass – Killar – Keylong – Manali. Is it advisable to travel solo on bike this time? Would i get any water crossings at Sach Pass?
Sach Pass shall be fine but for Manali – leh highway for a solo biker this late in the season, from my side it will be big NO.
Sir,We request for your Kind expert opinion & advise for our tour
Day 1 (Thu, 22-Sep-16) …….Chandigarh – Narkanda
Day 2…… Narkanda – Recong Peo
Day 3…. Recong Peo – Kaza
Day 4…. Kaza Tandi
Day 5…. Tandi- killar
Day 6…. killar – Khajjiar
Day 7 (Thu, 29-Sep-16)….. Khajjiar – Chandigarh
Total 1500 Km.
Thanking You,
Satish Patel, Pune (9371007737)
[email protected]
Satish, you are trying to be just on road only. Are you sure about that? You will be just sleeping and driving.
Yes Sir,
We just want to ride on the road with Innova….
& night haults for rest….
We have already made sightseeing around Kaza & Manali in 2014.
Thank You
Hi Dheeraj,
I am back with another question.
As i am unable to opt Jammu-Srinagar-Leh route, I will start my solo bike trip from 21st Sept and i am planning to go through Dalhousie-Killar-Keylong route. I have read the comment and you specified the perfect route to reach jispa. I will exactly follow that but please let me know if that route can be covered in September end. After starting from Dalhousie i am planning to take a halt at Killar and then to Jispa.
Sachendra, the road conditions are tough, so plan a day in between I will say. September you can surely plan the trip from Sach Pass – Killar route. The route remains open.
Thanks Dheeraj,
I am gonna move slowly and enjoy the every bit of scenery.
So on first day i would cover Dalhousie – Bairagarh – Sach Pass – Killar (leave early in the day)
On 2nd day i would cover Killar – Udaipur – Tandi – Keylong – Jispa (leave early in the day)
Just few more questions, Is there anything good to see in Dalhousie? So that i can stay for one day there.
Is there any beautiful spot near killar where i can spend a day enjoying the natural landscapes?
You can spend couple of days at Killar to explore the beautiful villages in Pangi Valley around Killar are Dharwas, Luj, Sural, Hundan, Findroo, Findar, Mindhal, Parmar, etc.. to name a few. The entire Pangi Valley offer many picturesque villages and there is a PWD rest house in Cherry where you can stay in peace too along with hotels or guest houses in Killar.
Sir, one suggestion, pls donot opt for solo trip. I’ve just been back and the route is strictly no no for a solo traveller, unless you find more bikers there and you join them. One of the bikers from Bombay was sharing his own experience (@ killar). His bike got punctured and he had to leave everything there to get the tyre puncture repaired. Luckily the facility was nearby, but it still took him more than an hour. The place is completely isolated and cut from the rest of the world.
hi dheeraj,
i m planning delhi-leh trip via sach pass on rented bullets from delhi.
we have 14 days in hand… is it possible to make this trip with this duration…
we start our trip on 12 september…
our plan is
delhi-dalhousie-baigarh-killar-udaipur-keylong-leh-manali-delhi
we are planing to return via manali leh highway…
can u suggest an iternary???
how is the road condition there on september??
is it possible to travel on two wheeler in sach pass???
will we get proper acclimitation if we go through this route??
Yes Tony, replied you on the comment.
Tony, this is very much possible and you can follow the below plan:
Day 1 | Delhi – Dalhousie
Day 2 | Dalhousie – Bairagarh – Sach Pass – Killar (leave early in the day)
Day 3 | Killar – Udaipur – Tandi – Keylong – Jispa (leave early in the day)
Day 4 | Jispa – Baralacha La – Sarchu – Pang – Taglang La – Upshi – Leh (leave early in the day)
Day 5 | Leh Local Sightseeing + Acclimatization
— To know the about the places to visit check the link: Travel Guide for Local Sightseeing of Leh Town in Ladakh
— Overnight at Leh
Day 6 | Leh – Khardung La – Diskit – Hunder
— Head for Nubra Valley and stay overnight at Hunder / Diskit
— On the way enjoy a cup of soup at Highest Motorable Pass (as claimed) Khardung La
— Diskit has monasteries with tallest lord Buddha statue and Hunder has sand dunes and bacterian camel safari
Day 7 | Hunder / Diskit – Sumur – Panamik – Sumur – Khardung La – Leh
— Sumur has a famous monastery to check out and Panamik has hot water springs
— Overnight at Leh
Day 8 | Leh – Hemis Monastery – Pangong Tso Lake
— Cover either of Hemis, Thicksey and Shey on the go towards Pangong Tso
— Overnight at Pangong Tso (Spangmik or Lukung)
Day 9 | Pangong Tso Lake – Thicksey Monastery – Shey Palace – Leh
— Cover either of Hemis, Thicksey and Shey on return to Leh
— Overnight at Leh
Day 10 | Rest day at Leh to enjoy local culture and some shopping
— Overnight at Leh
Day 11 | Leh – Tso Moriri via Chumathang
— Cover Karzok Monastery
— Overnight at Karzok or Tso Moriri
Day 12 | Tso Moriri – Tso Kar – Debring (Manali – Leh Highway starts) – Moore Plains – Pang / Sarchu
— Try to start early in the day so that you reach Sarchu where the accommodation options are better than Pang
— Overnight at Sarchu or Pang
Day 13 | Pang / Sarchu – Baralacha La – Keylong – Rohtang Pass – Manali
— On the way cover Suraj Tal, Deepak Tal which are on the road sides only
— Overnight at Manali
Day 14 | Manali – Delhi
— Return
Day 15 + 16 | Buffer days to be kept incase of road closure due to landslides or snowfall or perhaps you want to enjoy more.
can we head directly from hunder to pangong tso and save one day??
Yes Tony you can do so. However, those are isolated routes and hence it is highly recommended that you travel on those routes only with convoys of at least 3-4 vehicles so that you can help each other inc ase of any need. Also, it is highly recommended to do the route in the first half of the day as later the water crossings can be swollen and impossible to cross at times.
Hi Tony, I too am starting with two cousins from Delhi on September 12 on rented bikes. Are you okay with connecting with a few more people for this trip? Thanks!
sorry mark… we changed plan… we r going on car
HI Dheeraj…. Just amazed by your journey and the snaps posted. Need an expert advice of yours, we have 3 days and are visiting Dalhousie but want to visit Sach pass too (till Killar, as we dont have much time exploring the rest). Can you put your suggestion on how to plan our Journey & from where could we get a Car hired (If you know)…??
This is what you can do:
Day 1 | Delhi – Dalhousie
Day 2 | Dalhousie – Bairagarh – Sach Pass – Killar (leave early in the day)
Day 3 | Killar – Udaipur – Tandi – Sissu
Day 4 | Sissu – Manali – Delhi, very long drive
OR
Day 1 | Delhi – Dalhousie
Day 2 | Dalhousie – Bairagarh – Sach Pass – Bairagarh (leave early in the day to complete it)
Day 3 | Bairagarh – Delhi, long drive
Thanx Dheeraj for your reply, but we are not travelling from Delhi… Kindly consider our journey from Dalhousie and Back to Dalhousie (We have 3 days in Dal here, travelling is additional). Now can you tell how to travel, we do not want to go to Manali and are planning to revert back to Dal from Killar. Where can we stay, what we can do Kindly let me know.
IN that case, you can do below:
Day 1 | Dalhousie – Sach Pass – Killar
Day 2 | Around Killar
Spend a day at Killar to explore the beautiful villages in Pangi Valley around Killar are Dharwas, Luj, Sural, Hundan, Findroo, Findar, Mindhal, Parmar, etc.. to name a few. The entire Pangi Valley offer many picturesque villages and there is a PWD rest house in Cherry where you can stay in peace too along with hotels or guest houses in Killar.
Day 3 | Killar – Sach Pass – Bairagarh
Day 4 | Bairagarh – return