The Sunderdhunga trek goes where Kumaon runs out of roads and almost out of trails. Sunderdhunga means 'the valley of beautiful stones', and the name undersells it: this is the wildest and least-walked of the region's three glacier valleys — a waterfall-laced gorge climbing to a 13,120 ft glacier basin where the walls of Maiktoli and Mrigthuni rise a mile above camp. Nine days, no exit roads, no crowds.
What is the Sunderdhunga trek route?
Days 1-2 follow the familiar Kumaon start: drive 165 km from Kathgodam to Loharkhet, then cross the Dhakuri ridge to Khati (7,250 ft). Day 3 leaves the Pindari highway for the Sunderdhunga gorge and the stone lanes of Jatoli (8,000 ft), the valley's last village.
Day 4 is a tough, glorious 9 km up the narrowing gorge — waterfalls, log bridges, boulder fields — to the meadow camp of Kathaliya (10,660 ft). Day 5 climbs moraine ridges to the glacier basin at 13,120 ft beneath Maiktoli's mile-high wall. Day 6 explores the ice-scoured basin and, conditions permitting, the sacred waters of Devi Kund, before returning to Kathaliya. Days 7-9 descend through Jatoli and Khati, cross Dhakuri one last time, and drive back to Kathgodam.
When does it run?
May-June and September-October. The gorge sections demand dry trails, so we do not run this valley in the monsoon or deep winter.
How hard is Sunderdhunga?
Rated Difficult, and remoteness is the multiplier: this is a valley with no exit roads, so prior Himalayan trek experience is required. Days are long (up to 15 km) and the terrain above Jatoli is rough. Our team carries ropes and safety gear for the moraine sections and runs twice-daily health checks.
What does the trek cost?
₹17,999 + 5% GST per person: all meals, expedition tents with -15 degree C sleeping bags and mats, ropes and safety gear for moraine sections, trek leader plus technical guide team, forest permits and camping charges, and twice-daily health checks. The Kathgodam-Loharkhet shareable cab, offloading and insurance are extra.
How to reach the trailhead?
Overnight train to Kathgodam railway station, then the 7-hour drive through Almora and Bageshwar into the Saryu valley to Loharkhet.
Permits
Bageshwar forest division permits for the Sunderdhunga valley are arranged by us and included. Carry two photos and a government photo ID.
For the wild at heart
If you have earned your stripes on other Himalayan trails, the valley of beautiful stones is waiting. Small-batch dates are on our Sunderdhunga Glacier page.
