Expedition to Mt Shetidhar |
Difficulty level: While it can be done by anyone, we recommend a high level of fitness. The trek is steep and you are in very high altitude. Training prior to the trek is also recommended along with willingness to exert yourself. It requires use of mountaineering equipment including Snow Boots, ropes etc, our team will give you the necessary training during the expedition for this
Suitable for children? No, we do not recommend this for small children as it is steep with significant height gain No of Days: We recommend 8-9 days. Can be done in 6-7 days if you are really fit, but leaving adequate time for acclamatization and with a moderate schedule you should plan for 9 days ex Manali Is it a good option for first time trekkers and families?: You need to be quite fit to do this. There are other treks that we recommend that will more enjoyable for families looking at a relaxing trek. It is suitable for beginners but you need to have a good fitness level or work hard on your fitness and you should be up for a challenge. Cover photo: Looking down from the summit camp of Mt Shetidhar. Copyright: My Himalayan Adventure
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Our expedition to Mt Shetidhar gets you the first taste of snow boots and feather jackets, climbing ropes and ice-axes in this adventurous Himalayan expedition
for fit trekkers and less experienced mountaineers
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Our thoughts & pics
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Trek advice
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Facts about Shetdhar:
Region: Himachal Pradesh Maximum height during the trek: Approx 18,000 ft Distance you need to travel by road in hilly areas: Around 300 km one way but the road conditions are quite good Price range for a fixed departure/custom group with 4+ people: Around 2,600-2800 per person per day with premium facilities recommended by us-typically more enjoyable. Expeditions turn out more expensive than treks because we have to take porters instead of ponies, technical equipment etc which increases the cost. Do get in touch with us to discuss what is more suitable and enjoyable for you. This price will come down if there are more than 10 people in a group Our thoughts on Shetidhar: Trekking in Himachal Pradesh is another experience in itself. While treks in Uttaranchal are known for their beautiful glaciers, Himachal treks are known for their unbroken greenery and vast valleys. The terrain makes it easier to build roads deep into the Himalayas therefore it is easier to reach high altitude mountains in significantly lesser time. We use this benefit to climb a 18,000 ft peak- use snow boots, climbing ropes and ice-axes. A full fledged climb in just over one week. Shetidhar is perfect for those who want a taste of true adventure without straining themselves too much on a more technical expedition and since the height gain is fairly gradual, high altitude is less of a hinderance. The experience of using technical equipment, negotiating a mountain alpine style, the tremendous view from the summit along with the satisfaction of being at a place where very few dare to go or will ever be able to go in their entire life will take you to absolutely another high.. Trekking starts from a place called Dhundi which is about 25 km ahead of Manali. We trek up via Bhakartaj then to the source of Beas- Beas Kund and the real climb starts from there. The trek goes through untouched and unending green onto spectacular white offering up close views of peaks like Hanuman Tibba, Mt Laddakhi, and the Chandra Bhaga range. Not to forget the charming bars and bakeries in old Manali.. Perfect for some post climb celebration.. From Manali to Manali this climb can be done in 8 days. Add an overnight bus journey if you are from Delhi and another 2-3 hour flight if you are from Mumbai/ Bangalore or another city and you have an experience on your hands.. When combined with your weekend holidays, you need to take not more than 5-6 days off from your workplace for this experience. From Manali to Manali this climb can be done in 8-9 days. Add an overnight bus journey if you are from Delhi and another 2-3 hour flight if you are from Mumbai/ Bangalore or another city and you have an experience on your hands.. When combined with your weekend holidays, you need to take not more than 5-6 days off from your workplace for this experience. Trekking starts from a place called Dhundi which is about 25 km ahead of Manali. We trek up via Bhakartaj then to the source of Beas- Beas Kund and the real climb starts from there. The trek goes through untouched and unending green onto spectacular white offering up close views of peaks like Hanuman Tibba, Mt Laddakhi, and the Chandra Bhaga range. Not to forget the charming bars and bakeries in old Manali.. Perfect for some post climb celebration.. From Manali to Manali this climb can be done in 8 days. Add an overnight bus journey if you are from Delhi and another 2-3 hour flight if you are from Mumbai/ Bangalore or another city and you have an experience on your hands.. When combined with your weekend holidays, you need to take not more than 5-6 days off from your workplace for this experience. From Manali to Manali this climb can be done in 8-9 days. Add an overnight bus journey if you are from Delhi and another 2-3 hour flight if you are from Mumbai/ Bangalore or another city and you have an experience on your hands.. When combined with your weekend holidays, you need to take not more than 5-6 days off from your workplace for this experience. Your convenience and quality is our priority. We offer a door to door service if you are the laid back types and need that dose of luxury. Here you just need to let us know and we will assist in all the planning for you to reach the base. Including optimizing your time to reach, cost to reach etc. We have also built links in the travel industry to help you get the best prices and have personally vetted a number of transporters and stay options for quality. All planning we do for you to reach the trek base is done at a pass on cost by us and we do not make any profit on it Interested? Chat with us live using the tab at the bottom right, leave a message, call us or fill up the form below and we will revert to you asap to give you an idea of what it is going to be like along with the pricing and convenience options.. |
Sounds like a great trek, but what are the things I should consider before going for this trek?
1) Are you comfortable with road travel in the mountains?
Mountain roads are normally quite windy and twisty, occasionally bumpy and for those who are not used to mountains roads, drives may be uncomfortable. Keep this in mind while choosing your trek and while planning your itinerary. If you are uncomfortable with long drives and think you may get motion sickness, then you could plan a trek with a short travel time in the mountains, or you could look at splitting your travel time into extra days, if not then there are certain suggestions such as taking a car with a low body-roll, homemade remedies that have worked for us such as keeping a candy in your mouth etc.
If you choose to drive, you will be driving about 270 km in hilly roads which is on the longer side. You could also look at flying into Bhuntar and cut down your road travel to about an hour. If not then you could look at some of the suggestions we have mentioned or contact us for more guidance
2) Are you looking at something leisurely or something challenging?
Leisurely treks have well marked trails, have between 2-4 hours of trekking a day and can be managed without much difficulty. These are better for beginners or those who come with the intention of enjoying themselves more than exerting. Challenging treks can have difficult terrain, 6-7 hours of walking a day, go to high altitude an therefore have to plan their itinerary very well so that their body is well acclamatized. They not only require a high fitness level but high mental endurance.
On less challenging treks we are also able to offer better facilities because carrying things up is easier and less expensive. Facilities get more basic as the trek challenge levels go up because carrying additions gets harder.
Typically, if you want your first taste of the mountains and Himalayan wilderness, then we recommend a more leisurely trek and you will enjoy that trek much more. Too much challenge first time may put you or your family off. Take is slow is what we suggest. Start with a leisurely trek where you aren't that exposed to the extremes, can spend more time at camp with your loved ones, enjoy the great food, the scenery, walk around, click photographs, play some games etc so that you soak in the experience. On challenging treks you are likely to be too tired to do most of this stuff.
The expedition to Mt Shetidhar is definitely challenging. You will be trekking for long hours, you will get tired, there will be effects of high altitude that make it harder to walk, you could also feel the effects of altitude.
Are you coming with a family/young kids who you want to initiate to the Himalayas?
On similar lines with our previous point. If you are coming with family/trying to initiate your children to the Himalayas, the first experience should not be to difficult that puts them off. Keep the first experience light which gives them limited exposure where they are spending more time enjoying their surroundings.
Given the level of challenge you will face during the expedition to Mt Shetidhar, we will not recommend this to families/young kids as their first experience to the Himalayas for the reasons mentioned above
What sort of terrain do you like? Glaciers/meadows/forests/villages?
This is a personal choice without any right or wrong answers. Some may prefer glaciers and base of mountains with permanent snow, others may want meadows and forests, others will want to spend time in local villages.
This expedition has lots of meadows during the initial bit and then glaciers and lots of snow
How many days do you have?
While there are companies that are doing this in 5-6 days, we do not recommend this as you will be gaining altitude way faster than your body can take. This not only affects your chances of summitting but also can be dangerous for your health. We recommend doing this in atleast 8-9 days and spend atleast 1 to 2 extra days in Manali before you begin the expedition to Stok Kangri. So you will require about 10 days for this at the minimum. Combined with your weekend holidays, you require 8-9 days off.
Time of the year?
The best time to do Shetidhar is May and October. We do not recommend it during other times as it may have too much snow/too cold or rainy during other times.
Budget?
Trekking can be expensive. You are paying for your flights, booking a taxi to get to the trek base and then the trek. Because everything needs to carried up, because we have highly trained staff and include all facilities to make your experience enjoyable, there is a decent cost to trekking.
While there are companies that are doing treks at low costs, there are certain compromises to quality that we do not make to our facilities, to the number of people we take in our fixed departures to ensure a personalized experience.
We have mentioned the price brackets for the Shetidhar expedition in the previous page, while we can do it at budget facilities, more premium facilities at a slightly higher cost are what we recommend because we have tailor made them to maximize enjoyment in the mountains.
1) Are you comfortable with road travel in the mountains?
Mountain roads are normally quite windy and twisty, occasionally bumpy and for those who are not used to mountains roads, drives may be uncomfortable. Keep this in mind while choosing your trek and while planning your itinerary. If you are uncomfortable with long drives and think you may get motion sickness, then you could plan a trek with a short travel time in the mountains, or you could look at splitting your travel time into extra days, if not then there are certain suggestions such as taking a car with a low body-roll, homemade remedies that have worked for us such as keeping a candy in your mouth etc.
If you choose to drive, you will be driving about 270 km in hilly roads which is on the longer side. You could also look at flying into Bhuntar and cut down your road travel to about an hour. If not then you could look at some of the suggestions we have mentioned or contact us for more guidance
2) Are you looking at something leisurely or something challenging?
Leisurely treks have well marked trails, have between 2-4 hours of trekking a day and can be managed without much difficulty. These are better for beginners or those who come with the intention of enjoying themselves more than exerting. Challenging treks can have difficult terrain, 6-7 hours of walking a day, go to high altitude an therefore have to plan their itinerary very well so that their body is well acclamatized. They not only require a high fitness level but high mental endurance.
On less challenging treks we are also able to offer better facilities because carrying things up is easier and less expensive. Facilities get more basic as the trek challenge levels go up because carrying additions gets harder.
Typically, if you want your first taste of the mountains and Himalayan wilderness, then we recommend a more leisurely trek and you will enjoy that trek much more. Too much challenge first time may put you or your family off. Take is slow is what we suggest. Start with a leisurely trek where you aren't that exposed to the extremes, can spend more time at camp with your loved ones, enjoy the great food, the scenery, walk around, click photographs, play some games etc so that you soak in the experience. On challenging treks you are likely to be too tired to do most of this stuff.
The expedition to Mt Shetidhar is definitely challenging. You will be trekking for long hours, you will get tired, there will be effects of high altitude that make it harder to walk, you could also feel the effects of altitude.
Are you coming with a family/young kids who you want to initiate to the Himalayas?
On similar lines with our previous point. If you are coming with family/trying to initiate your children to the Himalayas, the first experience should not be to difficult that puts them off. Keep the first experience light which gives them limited exposure where they are spending more time enjoying their surroundings.
Given the level of challenge you will face during the expedition to Mt Shetidhar, we will not recommend this to families/young kids as their first experience to the Himalayas for the reasons mentioned above
What sort of terrain do you like? Glaciers/meadows/forests/villages?
This is a personal choice without any right or wrong answers. Some may prefer glaciers and base of mountains with permanent snow, others may want meadows and forests, others will want to spend time in local villages.
This expedition has lots of meadows during the initial bit and then glaciers and lots of snow
How many days do you have?
While there are companies that are doing this in 5-6 days, we do not recommend this as you will be gaining altitude way faster than your body can take. This not only affects your chances of summitting but also can be dangerous for your health. We recommend doing this in atleast 8-9 days and spend atleast 1 to 2 extra days in Manali before you begin the expedition to Stok Kangri. So you will require about 10 days for this at the minimum. Combined with your weekend holidays, you require 8-9 days off.
Time of the year?
The best time to do Shetidhar is May and October. We do not recommend it during other times as it may have too much snow/too cold or rainy during other times.
Budget?
Trekking can be expensive. You are paying for your flights, booking a taxi to get to the trek base and then the trek. Because everything needs to carried up, because we have highly trained staff and include all facilities to make your experience enjoyable, there is a decent cost to trekking.
While there are companies that are doing treks at low costs, there are certain compromises to quality that we do not make to our facilities, to the number of people we take in our fixed departures to ensure a personalized experience.
We have mentioned the price brackets for the Shetidhar expedition in the previous page, while we can do it at budget facilities, more premium facilities at a slightly higher cost are what we recommend because we have tailor made them to maximize enjoyment in the mountains.
Interested? Do get in touch with us, we would love to hear from you
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