Rupin Pass Trek: The Most Dramatic Crossover Trek of India
Hanging villages, a river gorge, a meadow of marigolds, a 100 m waterfall and a roped snow-gully climb to 15,350 ft — a trek that never shows you the same view twice.
⏱️ 6 min readRupin Pass Trek is a high-altitude crossover trek from Himachal Pradesh to Uttarakhand, crossing at 15,350 ft (4,680 m).
It connects Dhaula village in Uttarakhand with Sangla in Himachal Pradesh — but we run it as a Shimla-to-Shimla circuit, starting from Bawta/Jiskun and ending at Sangla, then driving back to Shimla.
Trekkers call this "A Trek of Many Landscapes" — you will never see the same view for two days running.
The Hanging Villages — Jiskun & Jhaka
The first day takes you into the famous hanging village of Jiskun (7,700 ft) and on to Jhaka — the highest village on this trail.
Houses here are built of wood and stone, hanging on the edge of a cliff. This is the last village of Himachal Pradesh, and very few trekkers know about it.
The Rupin River & the 3-Stage Waterfall
From Sewa to Dhanderas Thatch, the trail follows the Rupin River, which carves a deep gorge through the valley.
The 3-stage Rupin Waterfall (Upper Waterfall) is 100 metres high, and the trek camps right below it at Upper Waterfall Camp (13,200 ft) — at night, you can hear the waterfall from your tent.
Dhanderas Thatch — the Meadow of Marigolds
This is the most beautiful campsite on the trek — a huge alpine meadow at 11,700 ft.
In June and September it turns yellow with marigold flowers, with views out to the Dhauladhar Range.
The Snow Climb & the Rupin Pass Gully
Day 6 is summit day. From Upper Waterfall to Rupin Pass Top is a steep, 3-step snow climb, including a roughly 75-degree snow gully climbed with the help of rope — this is why the trek is graded Difficult.
On top, at 15,350 ft, the reward is a 360-degree view of the Kinnaur Kailash Range (6,050 m) and Sangla Valley.
Ronti Gad & Sangla Valley
After the pass, the trail descends into the beautiful Ronti Gad valley — completely different from the Himachal side, with green meadows, pine forest and views into Sangla Valley.
A Complete Himalayan Experience
Rupin Pass was originally an old shepherd route, used by shepherds from Himachal and Uttarakhand to move their sheep across the border — the name Rupin comes from the Rupin River, which originates at the pass.
This trek is for those who want the complete Himalayan experience — villages, forests, meadows, waterfalls, rivers, a snow climb and a big pass crossing, all in one trek.
Rupin Pass Trek with Trip My Soul.
