Hampta Pass is often described as two treks in one: on the Kullu side, the trail climbs through green birch forest and wildflower meadow typical of Himachal’s monsoon-fed valleys; cross the pass itself, and the landscape flips almost immediately into the barren, high-desert terrain of Lahaul, more reminiscent of Ladakh or Spiti than anything a day’s walk away.
That contrast, compressed into a single crossing, is what makes Hampta one of the most popular short treks in Himachal Pradesh. The trail is moderately challenging rather than technical — the main tests are a cold river crossing near Balu ka Ghera and the pass crossing itself, both very manageable with a guide and the right gear.
Most itineraries extend the trek by a day to include Chandratal, the “Moon Lake,” reached by road from the trek’s endpoint at Chatru — a natural pairing that turns a five-day trek into a broader introduction to the high-altitude landscapes of Lahaul and Spiti.
