Tours · Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh
Young Trekkers on a Ridge above Dharamsala
A school group rests on a grassy ridge above Dharamsala, with the Kangra valley spread out below. Where the trails go, how high they climb, and the rules every group now has to follow.
A group of schoolchildren with backpacks has stopped to rest on a rocky, grassy ridge above Dharamsala. Below them the slope drops into a deep forested valley, and beyond it the Kangra valley spreads out flat and hazy under a clear June sky. The trails start at the upper edge of the town, and the best-known of them, to the meadow at Triund, is about 9 km long.
How high above the Kangra valley are the trails?
The floor of the Kangra valley lies at about 610 m, and the Dhauladhar range rises roughly 13,000 ft (about 4,000 m) above it with no low foothills in between. Seen from the valley, the range appears to rise almost vertically. Lower Dharamshala sits at around 1,380 m, McLeod Ganj at about 2,080 m and the Triund ridge at around 2,850 m, so a walker who sets out from the town has already climbed well above the valley before the trail even begins. The plains under the haze in this panorama are farmland, irrigated by many perennial streams, and known for Kangra tea grown around Dharamshala and Palampur.
The trails above McLeod Ganj
Most walks from McLeod Ganj head north towards the Dhauladhar. Paths from Rawa, Dal Lake and Bhagsunag meet at Galu temple (2,130 m) above the village of Dharamkot, and from there a well-marked trail climbs to Triund. The Kangra district puts the whole walk from McLeod Ganj at about 9 km. The route goes through dense forest of rhododendron and ban oak, climbs gradually for most of the way and then turns steep, with many zigzags, in the last stretch before the meadow.
Triund itself is a grassy spur at the foot of the main range, with views south over the Kangra valley and north to the snow. Gaddi shepherds have long used it as a halting point on their way to the Indrahar Pass, and the British built a forest rest house there in 1899–1900. The 1905 Kangra earthquake destroyed it, a rebuilt rest house burned in the late 1920s, and lightning set off a major fire there in May 2011. There is no water on the ridge itself; the nearest source is about 2 km away.
Above Triund the trail continues to Ilaqa, a grazing ground about 5 km further on where the snow line starts (3,350 m), and then to Lahesh Cave and the Indrahar Pass. Since January 2026 trekking above 3,000 m has been banned in Kangra district, which puts these upper sections off limits for now. The panorama does not show which trail these children are on, only that they are on one of the ridges above the town.
Rules for trekking groups in Kangra district
The rules for the Dhauladhar have changed several times since 2024, and every group leader should check them before setting out.
- In December 2024 the Kangra administration closed the Triund, Kareri and Himani Chamunda routes, citing the risk of sudden snowfall, and allowed trekking only with permission from the Superintendent of Police.
- In November 2025 it set up check posts at the start of 10 routes, including one at Gallu temple on the Triund path. Every trekker has to register there, and walking these routes unregistered is an offence under the Disaster Management Act.
- In January 2026 it banned all trekking above 3,000 m in the district. The Triund, Kareri and Adi Himani Chamunda routes need prior permission from the SP, Kangra, and those permissions lapse whenever the Meteorological Centre in Shimla issues a warning or alert.
The Regional Mountaineering Centre in McLeod Ganj gives route advice and maps and rents out equipment at a nominal charge.
Weather and safety on the Dhauladhar
June, when this photograph was taken, is the start of the monsoon in Dharamsala. The rains run until mid-September and bring up to 3,000 mm. The trekking season on the range is usually given as April to October.
The mountains near the town have seen real accidents, and the check posts were set up after trekkers went missing in the high reaches. In January 2022 four boys from villages near Dharamsala were caught in heavy snowfall on a trail in the Dhauladhar; two of them, aged 16 and 18, died of hypothermia. In June 2025 a foreign trekker went missing near the Triund trail and was found alive after ten days with a broken leg and arm. For school groups the practical lessons are simple: register at the check post, walk with someone who knows the route, carry enough water for a ridge without a spring, and turn back when a weather warning is out.
What young walkers see along the way
The forest on the way up is home to black bears, leopards and the Himalayan monal, and Triund is a favourite spot for bird-watchers and, at night, star-gazers. On the higher stretches children may also meet Gaddi shepherds and their flocks, who have long used the Triund meadow as a halt on the way to the Indrahar Pass. For the high meadows themselves, with the snow close above, see Trekking above Dharamsala.
Questions
How long is the Triund trek from McLeod Ganj?
The Kangra district administration gives about 9 km on foot from McLeod Ganj to Triund, at around 2,850 m. Walkers can shorten it by starting from Galu temple above Dharamkot, where trails from Rawa, Dal Lake and Bhagsunag meet. The last stretch below the ridge is steep, with many zigzags.
Do you need permission to trek to Triund?
Rules have tightened since 2024. In January 2026 the Kangra district authorities banned trekking above 3,000 m and required prior permission from the Superintendent of Police, Kangra, for the Triund, Kareri and Adi Himani Chamunda routes. Registration at check posts, including one at Gallu temple, has been compulsory since November 2025. Check the current orders before setting out.
What is the best season for a school trek near Dharamsala?
The trekking season in the Dhauladhar runs from about April to October. The monsoon in Dharamsala lasts from June to mid-September and brings up to 3,000 mm of rain, and permissions for the main routes are cancelled whenever the Meteorological Centre in Shimla issues a weather warning.
Is Triund safe for children?
Thousands of visitors walk the trail, but it is a mountain path with a steep final section, and weather on the Dhauladhar changes fast. Two teenagers from the Dharamsala area died of hypothermia after being caught in heavy snowfall on a Dhauladhar trail in January 2022. Groups should register, walk with an experienced guide and turn back when a warning is issued.
