Hamta Pass is a corridor in the

Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya ( ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the Earth's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest. More than list of h ...

, between the Chandra Valley in

Lahaul The Lahaul and Spiti district is a high-altitude district in Himachal Pradesh, north India. This entirely mountainous district consists of two geographically distinct as well as formerly separate political-administrative units, called Lahaul ( ...

and the

Kullu Kullu () is a municipal council town that serves as the administrative headquarters of the Kullu district of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is located on the banks of the Beas River in the Kullu Valley about north of the airport ...

valley of

Himachal Pradesh Himachal Pradesh (; Sanskrit: ''himācāl prādes;'' "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a States and union territories of India, state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen Indian Himalayan ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. The pass is named after Hamta Village, below Sethan village. Lower Himalayan shepherds use the pass in summer for its high altitude grasslands in the summer, when the desert of Lahaul is barren.

Description

The pass includes vertical rock walls, waterfalls, hanging glaciers, pinewoods, rhododendron forests, open meadows, and small lakes, as well as 6000 metre tall peaks such as Mt. Deo Tibba and Mount Indrasan. Wildflowers and herbs grow between 3000 meters to 3800 meters.

Treks

Hikers travel from the Kullu valley through Hamta Pass, and into the region of Lahaul. The route includes glaciers and fast-flowing rivers, making it challenging but doable for some beginners. Some hikers continue to Chandrataal lake. The nearest hub is Manali, in

. Most itineraries include transport from Manali to Jobri, from where the trek begins. Depending on the trek itinerary, it typically takes 3 to 4 days to complete the trek. Hikers may stop at Chika, Balu ka Gera, or Chatru.

Gallery

File:Hamta Pass corridor.jpg, Hamta Pass corridor File:Chatru Settlement in the Spiti Valley from Shia Goru.jpg, Chhatru Settlement in the Spiti Valley from Shia Goru File:Enroute Balu ka Ghera.jpg, Valley File:Chandrabaga or Chenab River.jpg, River ;Panorama view (3777m)

References

{{Reflist Mountain passes of Himachal Pradesh Geography of Lahaul and Spiti district Geography of Kullu district