Pin Bhaba Pass Trek
also Pin Bhaba, Bhaba Pass, Pin Bhaba La
Pin Bhaba Pass is a 8-day trek in Kinnaur → Spiti (Rupi Bhaba WLS / Pin Valley NP), Himachal Pradesh, topping out at 4,865 m. On TrekBaba's normalized scale — the same formula applied to every trek in this catalogue — it scores 69.1/100, 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 4,865 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: Mike Shaw · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Explore the route
Scrub the trail — satellite view, live altitude. 39.4 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).
Pin Bhaba Pass route, point by point
4 recorded points from Kafnu to Mud over about 39 km. Operators' day splits vary — compare them below.
- Day 1KafnuRoadhead · 2,490 m
- Day 3Phutsirang (Putling base camp)Camp · 4,150 m
- Day 4Pin Bhaba PassPass · 4,865 m
- Day 6MudRoadhead · 3,750 m
Why Pin Bhaba Pass is graded Difficult
- Max altitude 4,865 m — altitude is weighted 35% and non-linearly, because AMS risk climbs steeply above ~3,500 m.
- Total ascent 2,700 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 69.1/100. Bands: Easy <40 · Moderate <64 · Difficult <85 · Very Difficult ≥85. How the formula works. Easier alternative: Friendship Peak. Next step up: Lamkhaga Pass.
Best time to do Pin Bhaba Pass
The best months for Pin Bhaba Pass are June and September. July–August are shoulder season — doable, with more weather risk. October is risky (Jul–Aug: the Bhaba (Kinnaur) side gets monsoon rain and swollen crossings; the Pin side is rain-shadow). The route is effectively closed in November–May. 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 8 °C in August.
Jul–Aug: the Bhaba (Kinnaur) side gets monsoon rain and swollen crossings; the Pin side is rain-shadow
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 Pin Bhaba Pass at 4,865 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.
Pin Bhaba Pass trek cost — operators compared
Pin Bhaba Pass costs ₹15,999–₹21,000 per person with an organised operator (11 of 14 listed operators publish a price; the cheapest captured is Trekkers of India). That works out to roughly ₹2,625 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.
- ₹15,999as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 5
- They grade it
- —
- ·Transport
- ·Meals
- ·Stay
- ·Permits
- ·Gear
- ₹17,450as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 8
- They grade it
- —
- ·Transport
- ·Meals
- ·Stay
- ·Permits
- ·Gear
- ₹17,999as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 7
- They grade it
- Moderate to Difficult
- ·Transport
- ·Meals
- ✓Stay
- ✓Permits
- ✓Gear
- ₹18,500as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 7
- They grade it
- Difficult
- ·Transport
- ·Meals
- ·Stay
- ·Permits
- ·Gear
- ₹18,500as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 7
- They grade it
- Moderate to Difficult
- ·Transport
- ·Meals
- ·Stay
- ·Permits
- ·Gear
- ₹18,500as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 8
- They grade it
- —
- ·Transport
- ·Meals
- ·Stay
- ·Permits
- ·Gear
Show 8 more operators
- ₹19,000as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 8
- They grade it
- Difficult
- ·Transport
- ✓Meals
- ✓Stay
- ✓Permits
- ·Gear
- ₹19,500as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 7
- They grade it
- —
- ✗Transport
- ·Meals
- ✓Stay
- ·Permits
- ✓Gear
- ₹20,450as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 9
- They grade it
- —
- ·Transport
- ·Meals
- ·Stay
- ·Permits
- ·Gear
- ₹20,500as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 7
- They grade it
- Moderate to Difficult
- ·Transport
- ·Meals
- ·Stay
- ·Permits
- ·Gear
- ₹21,000as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 8
- They grade it
- Moderate to Difficult
- ·Transport
- ·Meals
- ·Stay
- ·Permits
- ·Gear
- Days
- 6
- They grade it
- Difficult
- ·Transport
- ·Meals
- ·Stay
- ·Permits
- ·Gear
- Days
- 11
- They grade it
- Easy
- ·Transport
- ·Meals
- ·Stay
- ·Permits
- ·Gear
- Days
- 8
- They grade it
- Easy to Moderate
- ·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 Pin Bhaba Pass & staying safe
To reach Pin Bhaba Pass, the nearest railhead is Shimla (narrow gauge) / Kalka and the nearest airport is Shimla (Jubbarhatti) / Chandigarh. The road ends at Kafnu (start) · Mud (end), near Kafnu (Kinnaur) / Kaza (Spiti), which is where the walking starts. Withdraw cash before Rampur Bushahr — it is the last dependable ATM. The last reliable shop is at Kafnu.
Plan 1 acclimatization day into the itinerary. At its most remote point the route is about 7.2 hours from the nearest drivable road (near Phutsirang (Putling base camp)) — a floor for any evacuation, not a promise. The nearest hospital is CHC Nichar / Civil Hospital Rampur Bushahr, 45 km from the trailhead. Water: Bhaba river to Phutsirang; melt above; Pin river on the descent.
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 unclassified, unnamed residential.
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.
Pin Bhaba Pass permits & restrictions
Permit required: Yes · HP Forest Dept — Rupi Bhaba Wildlife Sanctuary (Kafnu side) and Pin Valley National Park (Mud side)
Kafnu (via Wangtu) and the Pin valley lie outside the Kinnaur Inner Line belt — carry passport; verify at the time of travel
⚠ Crossing runs Kinnaur → Spiti; steep snow slope to the pass and loose scree on the Pin side — rope/microspikes with most operators; designated camps inside Pin Valley NP
Crowding, and where to go instead
When the interest arrives, relative to this trek's own busiest month (August).
A percentile of trailing-12-month English Wikipedia pageviews for Bhaba_Pass (44 months observed)— measured within TrekBaba's own catalogue, bots excluded. It is a proxy for attention, not headcount.
Pin Bhaba Pass trek FAQ
How difficult is the Pin Bhaba Pass trek?
Pin Bhaba Pass is graded Difficult (69.1/100) on TrekBaba's normalized scale, which weighs max altitude (4,865 m), total ascent (2,700 m), the longest day (14 km) and terrain exposure identically for every trek. Operators label it "Difficult".
What is the best time to do Pin Bhaba Pass?
June and September. July–August are shoulder season — doable, with more weather risk. October is risky (Jul–Aug: the Bhaba (Kinnaur) side gets monsoon rain and swollen crossings; the Pin side is rain-shadow). The route is effectively closed in November–May. 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 8 °C in August.
How much does the Pin Bhaba Pass trek cost?
Between ₹15,999 and ₹21,000 per person with an operator, based on 11 published prices captured from operator pages (latest 2026-09-22). The cheapest listed is Trekkers of India.
How many days does Pin Bhaba Pass take?
8 days is the standard itinerary; operators run it as 5/6/7/8/9/11 days including travel from the base town. The longest walking day is 14 km (~10 h).
What is the maximum altitude of Pin Bhaba Pass?
4,865 m (15,961 ft), which TrekBaba rates as high AMS risk. Plan 1 acclimatization day.
Is a permit required for Pin Bhaba Pass?
Yes — issued by HP Forest Dept — Rupi Bhaba Wildlife Sanctuary (Kafnu side) and Pin Valley National Park (Mud side). Kafnu (via Wangtu) and the Pin valley lie outside the Kinnaur Inner Line belt — carry passport; verify at the time of travel.
Which operators run Pin Bhaba Pass?
Trekkers of India, Trekup India, MadTrek, Bikat Adventures, Moxtain, Trek The Himalayas, Himalaya Shelter, Trekveda, Indiahikes, Himalayan Hikers, Universal Adventures, Trekmunk, Tour My India, Super Trekkers list Pin Bhaba Pass. Each is linked to its own trek page above with the captured price, days and inclusions.
How do I reach the Pin Bhaba Pass trailhead?
To reach Pin Bhaba Pass, the nearest railhead is Shimla (narrow gauge) / Kalka and the nearest airport is Shimla (Jubbarhatti) / Chandigarh. The road ends at Kafnu (start) · Mud (end), near Kafnu (Kinnaur) / Kaza (Spiti), which is where the walking starts. Withdraw cash before Rampur Bushahr — it is the last dependable ATM. The last reliable shop is at Kafnu.
Is Pin Bhaba Pass suitable for beginners?
No. Pin Bhaba Pass is graded Difficult; TrekBaba recommends prior high-altitude experience.
Treks like Pin Bhaba Pass
DifficultHimachal PradeshLamkhaga Pass
Kinnaur / Garhwal
6 days↑ 5,279 mfrom ₹28,500May–Jun and Sep–Oct
DifficultHimachal PradeshPin Parvati Pass
Kullu / Spiti
7 days↑ 5,302 mfrom ₹25,700May–Jun and Sep–Oct
ModerateHimachal PradeshBuran Ghati
Shimla
4 days↑ 4,577 mfrom ₹13,900May–Jun and Sep–Oct
DifficultHimachal PradeshKanamo Peak
Spiti
2 days↑ 5,954 mfrom ₹20,800Jun–Sep
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.