Bali Pass Trek
also Bali Pass Trek, Ruinsara–Bali Pass–Yamunotri
Bali Pass is a 8-day trek in Govind Pashu Vihar → Yamunotri, Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, topping out at 4,950 m. On TrekBaba's normalized scale — the same formula applied to every trek in this catalogue — it scores 71.4/100, which puts it in the Difficult band: this is for trekkers with prior high-altitude experience; the grade comes from altitude and long days, not just distance. With a high point of 4,950 m, AMS risk is high; plan the acclimatization days in, and do not push through a headache that is getting worse.
Operator says Difficult — normalized grade: Difficult.
Photo: Biswajit Majumdar · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Explore the route
Scrub the trail — satellite view, live altitude. 38.1 km
Approximate route. No surveyed track exists for this trek yet, so the line joins its real waypoint coordinates directly — treat it as a shape, not a trail. Imagery © Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics | Route data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
Bali Pass route, point by point
6 recorded points from Sankri to Yamunotri over about 38 km. Operators' day splits vary — compare them below.
- Day 1SankriRoadhead · 1,950 m
- Day 2Seema (Osla)Camp · 2,560 m
- Day 3Ruinsara TalLake · 3,600 m
- Day 5OdariCamp · 4,000 m
- Day 6Bali PassPass · 4,950 m8 peaks in view
- Day 7YamunotriRoadhead · 3,290 m
Why Bali Pass is graded Difficult
- Max altitude 4,950 m — altitude is weighted 35% and non-linearly, because AMS risk climbs steeply above ~3,500 m.
- Total ascent 3,200 m over 8 days — how much climbing your legs actually do.
- Longest day 14 km (about 10 h) — one brutal day makes a trek harder than the average does.
- Trail type: snow — exposure (snow, scree, ice, pass crossings) is weighted 35%, the same as altitude.
Score 71.4/100. Bands: Easy <40 · Moderate <64 · Difficult <85 · Very Difficult ≥85. How the formula works. Easier alternative: Pangarchulla Peak. Next step up: Roopkund.
What you'll see from Bali Pass
From Bali Pass, a line-of-sight computation over the terrain model proves Swargarohini II (6,247 m), Swargarohini III (6,209 m), Swargarohini (6,252 m), Bandarpunch II (6,102 m), Bandarpunch I (6,316 m) and Kalanag (6,387 m) are actually visible — not merely nearby. The model looks 40 km out, so a famous giant further away (Kangchenjunga from the Singalila ridge, say) is not listed even where it is visible.
Only peaks proven visible by line-of-sight over the terrain — not nearby-but-blocked ones — placed by true bearing and sized by how much they fill the view.
Dawn & dusk from Bali Pass
In November, sunrise breaks right behind Bandarpunch II at 06:43 — from Bali Pass.
- Bandarpunch II2°
- Bandarpunch I5°
Nothing lines up this month.
Nothing lines up this month.
- Kalanag24°
- Swargarohini25°
- Swargarohini II28°
- Swargarohini III31°
Sun times and azimuths come from the NOAA solar-position equations for this viewpoint's GPS; the peak bearings are our own viewshed moat. Times assume a flat horizon — a ridge to your east delays real first light on the ground, often by 20–60 minutes, while a high summit opposite catches it a few minutes early. The 12° and 35° bands are editorial choices, not physics: a peak 90° from the sun is side-lit, which is often the better photograph.
Best time to do Bali Pass
The best months for Bali Pass are May–June and September–October. July–August are risky (Jul–Aug: pass slopes turn to slush, Ruinsara meadows waterlogged, landslides on the Yamunotri road out). The route is effectively closed in November–April. Expect snow on the trail in November–May. Reanalysis climate data for the route's own altitude puts the coldest camp night at about -22 °C in January, and the warmest daytime high near 6 °C in July.
Jul–Aug: pass slopes turn to slush, Ruinsara meadows waterlogged, landslides on the Yamunotri road out
What the thermometer actually does up there
Computed from 10 years of Open-Meteo ERA5 reanalysis (2016–2025), with every sample point lapse-rate-downscaled to its true altitude — this is Bali Pass at 4,950 m, not the valley town. Temperatures are downscaled to the point; wet and snow days come back at the reanalysis grid scale (~10 km), so read them as weather over the area. A climate estimate, not a forecast.
Bali Pass trek cost — operators compared
Bali Pass costs ₹17,000–₹28,000 per person with an organised operator (11 of 16 listed operators publish a price; the cheapest captured is Moxtain). That works out to roughly ₹2,438 per trek day. Fees typically cover meals, tents and guides from the base village; transport from the railhead, gear rental and permits vary — see the inclusion grid below. Prices are read from each operator's own page (latest capture 2026-09-22) and link straight to it.
- ₹17,000as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 8
- They grade it
- Moderate to Difficult
- ·Transport
- ·Meals
- ·Stay
- ·Permits
- ·Gear
- ₹17,900as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 9
- They grade it
- —
- ✗Transport
- ·Meals
- ✓Stay
- ✗Permits
- ✓Gear
- ₹18,999as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 8
- They grade it
- —
- ✓Transport
- ✓Meals
- ✓Stay
- ✓Permits
- ·Gear
- ₹19,450as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 8
- They grade it
- —
- ·Transport
- ·Meals
- ·Stay
- ·Permits
- ·Gear
- ₹19,500as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 8
- They grade it
- Difficult
- ·Transport
- ·Meals
- ·Stay
- ·Permits
- ·Gear
- ₹21,450as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 9
- They grade it
- —
- ·Transport
- ·Meals
- ·Stay
- ·Permits
- ·Gear
Show 10 more operators
- ₹21,500as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 8
- They grade it
- Difficult
- ·Transport
- ·Meals
- ·Stay
- ·Permits
- ·Gear
- ₹22,000as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 8
- They grade it
- Difficult
- ·Transport
- ✓Meals
- ✓Stay
- ✓Permits
- ·Gear
- ₹23,500as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 8
- They grade it
- —
- ·Transport
- ·Meals
- ·Stay
- ·Permits
- ·Gear
- ₹26,500as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 8
- They grade it
- Moderate
- ·Transport
- ·Meals
- ✓Stay
- ✓Permits
- ·Gear
- ₹28,000as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 8
- They grade it
- Difficult
- ✓Transport
- ·Meals
- ✓Stay
- ✓Permits
- ·Gear
- Days
- 10
- They grade it
- Strenuous
- ·Transport
- ·Meals
- ·Stay
- ·Permits
- ·Gear
- Days
- 8
- They grade it
- Difficult
- ·Transport
- ✓Meals
- ✓Stay
- ·Permits
- ✓Gear
- Days
- 13
- They grade it
- Easy
- ·Transport
- ·Meals
- ·Stay
- ·Permits
- ·Gear
- Days
- 8
- They grade it
- Moderate
- ·Transport
- ·Meals
- ·Stay
- ·Permits
- ·Gear
- Days
- 8
- They grade it
- Difficult
- ·Transport
- ·Meals
- ·Stay
- ·Permits
- ·Gear
Operators self-declare difficulty. TrekBaba grades every trek by one formula — normalized: Difficult. We link out to each operator; we never copy their words or photos. Prices were read from each operator's own page on the date shown — confirm with the operator before booking. Where we have read a price more than once, the sparkline is our own dated capture log, not the operator's.
Not affiliated with any operator. Prices are dated facts read from each operator's own page; confirm before paying. See every operator on the operators index.
How to reach Bali Pass & staying safe
To reach Bali Pass, the nearest railhead is Dehradun and the nearest airport is Dehradun (Jolly Grant). The road ends at Sankri / Taluka (start) · Janki Chatti (end), near Sankri, which is where the walking starts. Withdraw cash before Purola — it is the last dependable ATM. The last reliable shop is at Sankri.
Plan 1 acclimatization day into the itinerary. At its most remote point the route is about 6.2 hours from the nearest drivable road (near Bali Pass) — a floor for any evacuation, not a promise. The nearest hospital is CHC Purola / District Hospital Uttarkashi (Barkot on the exit), 55 km from the trailhead. Water: Supin and Ruinsara streams to Odari; melt only on pass day.
How far you are from a road
Computed against our own route line and the OpenStreetMap drivable road network over Copernicus GLO-30 elevations: hours = (crowfly_km x 1.4) / 4.0 + max(0, elev_point - elev_road) / 600 [terrain factor 1.4, 4 km/h walking, 600 m/h descent]. It is a floor, not a promise — a real evacuation with a casualty is slower, and a crow-fly line ignores what stands between you and the road. Read it as relative remoteness: which part of this trek commits you. Nearest drivable ways: unnamed unclassified, unnamed trunk, unnamed unclassified.
Estimated, not measured. Remoteness is computed from our own route geometry against the OpenStreetMap drivable road network (motorway-track) and Copernicus GLO-30 elevations; mobile coverage is a terrain line-of-sight estimate, not a carrier guarantee. Treat both as planning aids.
Bali Pass permits & restrictions
Permit required: Yes · Govind Pashu Vihar National Park & Wildlife Sanctuary — Uttarakhand Forest Dept (DFO / Wildlife Warden, Purola)
Same official park tariff as Kedarkantha: ₹200 Indian / ₹600 non-Indian for 3 days–2 nights, each extra day ₹50 / ₹250, refundable ₹50/day deposit (gwsandnp.in, read 2026-08-11; not re-verified 2026-09-22)
Same permit, differential tariff — 3× the Indian entry fee and 5× the extra-day rate; no separate permit type or quota
⚠ Inside Govind Pashu Vihar on the way in; the descent from the pass to Lower Dhamni is steep and exposed (rope/microspikes with most operators); exits onto the Yamunotri pilgrim trail
Bali Pass trek FAQ
How difficult is the Bali Pass trek?
Bali Pass is graded Difficult (71.4/100) on TrekBaba's normalized scale, which weighs max altitude (4,950 m), total ascent (3,200 m), the longest day (14 km) and terrain exposure identically for every trek. Operators label it "Difficult".
What is the best time to do Bali Pass?
May–June and September–October. July–August are risky (Jul–Aug: pass slopes turn to slush, Ruinsara meadows waterlogged, landslides on the Yamunotri road out). The route is effectively closed in November–April. Expect snow on the trail in November–May. Reanalysis climate data for the route's own altitude puts the coldest camp night at about -22 °C in January, and the warmest daytime high near 6 °C in July.
How much does the Bali Pass trek cost?
Between ₹17,000 and ₹28,000 per person with an operator, based on 11 published prices captured from operator pages (latest 2026-09-22). The cheapest listed is Moxtain.
How many days does Bali Pass take?
8 days is the standard itinerary; operators run it as 8/9/10/13 days including travel from the base town. The longest walking day is 14 km (~10 h).
What is the maximum altitude of Bali Pass?
4,950 m (16,240 ft), which TrekBaba rates as high AMS risk. Plan 1 acclimatization day.
Is a permit required for Bali Pass?
Yes — issued by Govind Pashu Vihar National Park & Wildlife Sanctuary — Uttarakhand Forest Dept (DFO / Wildlife Warden, Purola). Same official park tariff as Kedarkantha: ₹200 Indian / ₹600 non-Indian for 3 days–2 nights, each extra day ₹50 / ₹250, refundable ₹50/day deposit (gwsandnp.in, read 2026-08-11; not re-verified 2026-09-22). Same permit, differential tariff — 3× the Indian entry fee and 5× the extra-day rate; no separate permit type or quota.
Which operators run Bali Pass?
Moxtain, Trekveda, Trekos, Trekup India, Himalayan Hikers, Indiahikes, Bikat Adventures, Himalaya Shelter, Trek The Himalayas, Thrillophilia, Danu Adventure, Trekmunk, Himalayan High, Tour My India, Super Trekkers, Universal Adventures list Bali Pass. Each is linked to its own trek page above with the captured price, days and inclusions.
How do I reach the Bali Pass trailhead?
To reach Bali Pass, the nearest railhead is Dehradun and the nearest airport is Dehradun (Jolly Grant). The road ends at Sankri / Taluka (start) · Janki Chatti (end), near Sankri, which is where the walking starts. Withdraw cash before Purola — it is the last dependable ATM. The last reliable shop is at Sankri.
Is Bali Pass suitable for beginners?
No. Bali Pass is graded Difficult; TrekBaba recommends prior high-altitude experience.
Which peaks can you see from Bali Pass?
From Bali Pass, a line-of-sight computation over the terrain model proves Swargarohini II (6,247 m), Swargarohini III (6,209 m), Swargarohini (6,252 m), Bandarpunch II (6,102 m), Bandarpunch I (6,316 m) and Kalanag (6,387 m) are actually visible — not merely nearby. The model looks 40 km out, so a famous giant further away (Kangchenjunga from the Singalila ridge, say) is not listed even where it is visible.
Treks like Bali Pass
DifficultUttarakhandRoopkund
Trishul massif, Chamoli
8 days↑ 5,029 mfrom ₹8,800May–Jun and Sep
DifficultUttarakhandPangarchulla Peak
Nanda Devi Biosphere buffer, Joshimath (Chamoli)
6 days↑ 4,590 mfrom ₹7,300Mar–May and Sep–Oct
ModerateUttarakhandGaumukh–Tapovan
Gangotri, Uttarkashi
7 days↑ 4,463 mfrom ₹13,599May–Jun and Sep–Oct
ModerateUttarakhandKedartal
Gangotri NP, Uttarkashi
6 days↑ 4,750 mfrom ₹13,500May–Jun and Sep–Oct
Difficulty grade, peak horizon, per-camp climate, remoteness, sun alignment and the crowding index are all computed — the moats — and every one of them is an estimate, labelled as such where it appears. Found-fact and operator values are public approximations pending field + source verification, not citations. Peaks named on this page: Swargarohini II, Swargarohini III, Swargarohini, Bandarpunch II, Bandarpunch I.