Lamkhaga Pass Trek
Lamkhaga Pass is a 6-day trek in Kinnaur / Garhwal, Himachal Pradesh, topping out at 5,279 m. On TrekBaba's normalized scale — the same formula applied to every trek in this catalogue — it scores 70.4/100, 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 5,279 m, AMS risk is severe — this altitude band demands proper acclimatization and the willingness to turn back.
Photo: Sukanya Ray · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Explore the route
Scrub the trail — satellite view, live altitude. 67.2 km
Route drawn from real OpenStreetMap geometry (1,682 sampled points simplified to 319), elevations from the Copernicus DEM. Imagery © Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics | Route data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
Why Lamkhaga Pass is graded Difficult
- Max altitude 5,279 m — altitude is weighted 35% and non-linearly, because AMS risk climbs steeply above ~3,500 m.
- Total ascent 2,331 m over 6 days — how much climbing your legs actually do.
- Longest day 15.1 km — 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 70.4/100. Bands: Easy <40 · Moderate <64 · Difficult <85 · Very Difficult ≥85. How the formula works. Easier alternative: Pin Bhaba Pass. Next step up: Kanamo Peak.
What you'll see from Lamkhaga Pass high point
From Lamkhaga Pass high point, a line-of-sight computation over the terrain model proves Dudana (5,639 m), Lamkagha (5,874 m), Swargarohini (6,252 m), Kalanag (6,387 m) and Bandarpunch I (6,316 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 Lamkhaga Pass high point
In June, first light hits Lamkagha at 05:11 — from Lamkhaga Pass high point.
Nothing lines up this month.
- Swargarohini11°
- Lamkagha24°
Nothing lines up this month.
Nothing lines up this month.
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 Lamkhaga Pass
The best months for Lamkhaga Pass are May–June and September–October. April and November are shoulder season — doable, with more weather risk. July–August are risky (The SW monsoon (Jul–Aug) brings landslides, leeches and washed-out views across the Garhwal / Kumaon / HP approaches — best avoided). The route is effectively closed in December–March. Expect snow on the trail in December–March. Reanalysis climate data for the route's own altitude puts the coldest camp night at about -21 °C in January, and the warmest daytime high near 5 °C in August.
The SW monsoon (Jul–Aug) brings landslides, leeches and washed-out views across the Garhwal / Kumaon / HP approaches — best avoided.
Best-season estimated from the trek's region and altitude — verify locally before committing to dates.
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 Lamkhaga Pass high point at 5,279 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.
Lamkhaga Pass trek cost — operators compared
Lamkhaga Pass costs ₹28,500–₹52,000 per person with an organised operator (6 of 8 listed operators publish a price; the cheapest captured is Thrillophilia). That works out to roughly ₹5,200 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.
- ₹28,500as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 7
- They grade it
- —
- ·Transport
- ·Meals
- ·Stay
- ·Permits
- ·Gear
- ₹28,999as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 7
- They grade it
- —
- ✓Transport
- ✓Meals
- ✓Stay
- ✓Permits
- ·Gear
- ₹31,400as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 8
- They grade it
- —
- ✗Transport
- ·Meals
- ✓Stay
- ·Permits
- ✓Gear
- ₹37,000as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 7
- They grade it
- Difficult
- ·Transport
- ✓Meals
- ✓Stay
- ✓Permits
- ·Gear
- ₹50,000as of 2026-09-22flat
- Days
- 9
- They grade it
- Difficult
- ·Transport
- ·Meals
- ·Stay
- ·Permits
- ·Gear
- ₹52,000as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 10
- They grade it
- Difficult
- ·Transport
- ·Meals
- ·Stay
- ·Permits
- ·Gear
Show 2 more operators
- Days
- 11
- They grade it
- Easy
- ·Transport
- ·Meals
- ·Stay
- ·Permits
- ·Gear
- Days
- 11
- They grade it
- Moderate to 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 Lamkhaga Pass & staying safe
To reach Lamkhaga Pass, the nearest railhead is Dehradun (~122 km, OSM) and the nearest airport is Maa Ganga Airport (~86 km, OSM). The road ends at Chitkul, which is where the walking starts. Withdraw cash before State bank of India (~18 km, OSM) — it is the last dependable ATM. The last reliable shop is at Dhan Singh (~26 km, OSM).
Plan 2 acclimatization days into the itinerary. At its most remote point the route is about 5.7 hours from the nearest drivable road — a floor for any evacuation, not a promise. The nearest hospital is clinic (~25 km, OSM), 25.4 km from the trailhead. Water: water (~26 km, OSM).
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 service.
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.
OSM-mapped masts only, carrier unknown — a mast-in-sight proxy, not a coverage guarantee. Carrier-by-carrier coverage needs a cell-tower dump; no open, no-signup one exists today, so we publish nothing rather than guess.
Lamkhaga Pass permits & restrictions
Permit required: Yes · Gangotri National Park (DFO Uttarkashi) on the Uttarakhand side; HP Forest Dept (Rakchham–Chhitkul Wildlife Sanctuary) on the Baspa side
Gangotri NP permit from the DFO Uttarkashi office or the permit office above Gangotri bus stand; the HP-side issuing office is not published
⚠ ITBP/Army posts along the route (Dumti); several operators report an army clearance step — not confirmed by an official source
Crowding, and where to go instead
When the interest arrives, relative to this trek's own busiest month (June).
A percentile of trailing-12-month English Wikipedia pageviews for Lamkhaga_Pass (44 months observed)— measured within TrekBaba's own catalogue, bots excluded. It is a proxy for attention, not headcount.
Lamkhaga Pass trek FAQ
How difficult is the Lamkhaga Pass trek?
Lamkhaga Pass is graded Difficult (70.4/100) on TrekBaba's normalized scale, which weighs max altitude (5,279 m), total ascent (2,331 m), the longest day (15.1 km) and terrain exposure identically for every trek.
What is the best time to do Lamkhaga Pass?
May–June and September–October. April and November are shoulder season — doable, with more weather risk. July–August are risky (The SW monsoon (Jul–Aug) brings landslides, leeches and washed-out views across the Garhwal / Kumaon / HP approaches — best avoided). The route is effectively closed in December–March. Expect snow on the trail in December–March. Reanalysis climate data for the route's own altitude puts the coldest camp night at about -21 °C in January, and the warmest daytime high near 5 °C in August.
How much does the Lamkhaga Pass trek cost?
Between ₹28,500 and ₹52,000 per person with an operator, based on 6 published prices captured from operator pages (latest 2026-09-22). The cheapest listed is Thrillophilia.
How many days does Lamkhaga Pass take?
6 days is the standard itinerary; operators run it as 7/8/9/10/11 days including travel from the base town. The longest walking day is 15.1 km.
What is the maximum altitude of Lamkhaga Pass?
5,279 m (17,321 ft), which TrekBaba rates as severe AMS risk. Plan 2 acclimatization days.
Is a permit required for Lamkhaga Pass?
Yes — issued by Gangotri National Park (DFO Uttarkashi) on the Uttarakhand side; HP Forest Dept (Rakchham–Chhitkul Wildlife Sanctuary) on the Baspa side.
Which operators run Lamkhaga Pass?
Thrillophilia, Trekos, Trekveda, Himalaya Shelter, Himalayan Hikers, Bikat Adventures, Trekmunk, Tour My India list Lamkhaga Pass. Each is linked to its own trek page above with the captured price, days and inclusions.
How do I reach the Lamkhaga Pass trailhead?
To reach Lamkhaga Pass, the nearest railhead is Dehradun (~122 km, OSM) and the nearest airport is Maa Ganga Airport (~86 km, OSM). The road ends at Chitkul, which is where the walking starts. Withdraw cash before State bank of India (~18 km, OSM) — it is the last dependable ATM. The last reliable shop is at Dhan Singh (~26 km, OSM).
Is Lamkhaga Pass suitable for beginners?
No. Lamkhaga Pass is graded Difficult; TrekBaba recommends prior high-altitude experience.
Which peaks can you see from Lamkhaga Pass?
From Lamkhaga Pass high point, a line-of-sight computation over the terrain model proves Dudana (5,639 m), Lamkagha (5,874 m), Swargarohini (6,252 m), Kalanag (6,387 m) and Bandarpunch I (6,316 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 Lamkhaga Pass
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This trek's altitude, ascent and exposure are computed from OpenStreetMap route data (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL) over the Copernicus DEM — its difficulty grade is provisional, pending field verification.
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: Dudana, Lamkagha, Swargarohini, Kalanag, Bandarpunch I.