Pir Ki Gali / Girjan Valley Trek

After a km of uphill on a road, there is a small clearing on the right. You immediately enter a jungle with a diverse flora - Iris, Gentiana, pine, oak, birch and several varieties of ferns.

After a km of uphill on a road, there is a small clearing on the right. You immediately enter a jungle with a diverse flora - Iris, Gentiana, pine, oak, birch and several varieties of ferns.

The trail is muddy in many parts with a gradual ascent and few scattered downhills and steep climbs. The first rest stop is a clearing 3 km from the trail start near Chai village. There are mud huts and small fields along with a pipe fitted from a mountain stream which is your water point here.

Continue upwards on the trail covered with large tree roots, loose rocks and few boulders. After around 3 more km you reach a clearing with huts made of rock and wood. This is Gali Girjan and is only 500 m from our Camp 1. There is also a small maggi point here.

Keep heading east; up a tall ridge. From the top of this ridge, a trail shoots left; edging on top of a ridge. You start to find Chrysanthemums, Poppy, Hedysarum and dandelions. There is a large clearing once you leave the tree line where there is an army camp. Turn right into the valley to get to Camp 2.

Go straight south along the valley and diagonally up the ridge on the left. The trail demands crossing a boulderous path to reach and go around a hill. The path leading through a saddle will take you to a small two body lake; Suk sar. Turn right and just a few hundred metres away is Neel sar and a little beyond that, a small lake Ding sar.

Climb up the steep ridge on the left right before the lake. Crossing this you will arrive at Kal Dachni which is surrounded by prescuria affinis or fleece flowers. Go around the lake and towards the right you will find a rocky saddle. Past this a few hundred metres more, you will arrive at Nandan sar, the largest of the lake group.

Past the lake and after a small descent is the next campsite at Jaddi marg i.e. Camp 3. The trail going upriver from here, along and up a ridge on the left will take you to the next group of lakes - Chandan sar, Handu sar, Bag sar.

Recommendation: Take buffer day here and explore the next set of lakes.

From here, climb and go around the ridge on your south-west to cross the Jaddi pass and enter Pir ki gali. There is loose rocks and gravel near and on the other side of the pass. The view is spectacular and the gravelous path opens up into a beautiful valley meadow as you head south.

Head west once through the Pir ki gali and you will reach a beautiful Dargah perched on a huge meadow.