National Himalayan Gulabi Kantha Snow Trekking cum Training Expedition 2026

Gulabi Kantha was named Trek of the Year 2025 by the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board. Each year the state picks one trek to showcase its adventure tourism, and the first team under the new title was flagged off in September 2025. Gulabi means pink. The meadows here turn pinkish-purple in the blooming season and glow at dawn and dusk. In winter the same slopes lie under snow, and the trail climbs from a small Garhwali village through forest and high meadows to a 13,200 ft summit in the Yamunotri valley.

The trail is still quiet and uncrowded, one of Uttarakhand's best-kept secrets. Along the way you pass village farmland and camp in open meadows, and the summit gives a 360-degree view of Swargarohini, Bandarpunch, Mt. Jaonli and the Gangotri massif. YHAI's winter batches start every day from 25 December 2026 to 2 January 2027.

Highlights

• Snowfields and a snow-covered summit in winter. In other seasons the same trail has wildflowers in spring and green meadows in summer.
• Nishni, a Garhwali village of wooden houses, where the walking begins
• Oak and rhododendron forest along the trail
• Traditional farmland and seasonal huts at Kandola Chhani, where potatoes, kidney beans and millets are grown
• A night at Seema Thatch, a high meadow with grazing cattle and wide-open skies
• Darshan at Kharsali, the village where Goddess Yamuna is worshipped through the winter after the Yamunotri shrine closes
• Sunrises and sunsets over quiet meadows and mountain ridgelines

At a Glance

• Region: Rana Chatti, near Hanuman Chatti, Yamunotri range, Uttarkashi district, Garhwal Himalaya, Uttarakhand
• Grade: easy to moderate, ideal for beginners and nature lovers
• Trek type: forest trails, ridge walk, alpine meadows and a snow summit
• Maximum altitude: 13,200 ft
• Duration: 6 nights / 7 days
• Batches: one starting each day from 25 December 2026 to 2 January 2027
• Fee: Rs. 9,900 per person
• Age: 18 to 65 years, YHAI members only

The Fee Includes

• Food
• Insurance
• Local transport after reporting
• Guide
• Forest entry permit

Program Coordinator

• Mr. Navin Tiwari, Senior Program Officer: 88023 12807 (also WhatsApp)
• Program office: 011 4599 9013
• Help desk: 011 4599 9000 / 78279 99000 / 011 4599 9015

Who Can Join

• YHAI members aged 18 to 65 years only. No exceptions are made for underage or overage participants.
• A Trekking Medical Certificate is mandatory. It must be signed by a registered doctor (MBBS/MD) and is valid for 30 days.

How to Join

• Online: register at www.yhaindia.org and pay the program fee by UPI, net banking, debit card or credit card. Your Admit Card is generated automatically once payment succeeds.
• Offline: send a duly filled Trekking Registration Form, a Trekking Medical Certificate issued within the last 30 days, and a Demand Draft for the program fee in favour of "Youth Hostels Association of India", payable at New Delhi. Offline booking is subject to seat availability. The National Office emails the Admit Card to the address given on your form.
• Bank transfer (if required): Punjab National Bank. Account name: Youth Hostels Association of India. Account no. 1736000100169954. IFSC PUNB0173600.
• Email documents to trekking@yhaindia.org, or post them to the Trekking Department, National Office, Youth Hostels Association of India, 5 Nyaya Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi 110021. You can also submit forms through your YHAI State Branch or Unit.

Mandatory at Reporting

• Printed Admit Card
• Original Trekking Medical Certificate, issued within 30 days
• Valid YHAI membership card (a printout is fine)
• Two recent passport-size photographs and a printout of your Aadhaar card

Keep all documents ready for verification at the base camp to avoid inconvenience.

How to Reach Rana Chatti

• By air: the nearest airport is Jolly Grant, Dehradun. Take a taxi or shared cab to Rana Chatti via Mussoorie, or via the Naugaon-Barkot road.
• By train: the nearest railway station is Dehradun. From there, hire a cab, take a local bus or join a trekking group heading towards Yamunotri. The road journey takes about 6 to 7 hours.
• By road: regular buses connect Dehradun with Delhi, Rishikesh and Haridwar. Dehradun to Barkot / Rana Chatti is about 175 km, or 6 to 7 hours by taxi or car. The route runs via Mussoorie, Kempty Falls, Nainbagh, Damta, Naugaon, Barkot and Syana Chatti, and is scenic, with mountain views all the way.

Stay and Food

• At Rana Chatti: hotel, home stay or guest house on a sharing basis, with mobile network and a cloakroom at the base camp.
• On the trek: camps at Kandola Thatch and Seema Thatch.
• Food is included in the fee.

What to Bring

• Rucksack
• Woollens, cotton shirts, slacks and cotton trousers
• Sun cap, shoes and four pairs of socks
• Plate, mug, lunch box and spoon
• Water purifying tablets and a penknife
• Needle, thread and spare buttons
• Goggles, cold cream and soap
• Toilet paper, towel and a rain sheet
• Personal medicines such as band-aids and paracetamol
• Camera with spare batteries (optional)

Safety

• Routes are planned for safety, and field staff and camp leaders look after your well-being.
• YHAI group insurance covers accidental death or permanent disability only.
• YHAI is not responsible for accidents or illness.

Camp Rules

• No smoking, alcohol or narcotics
• Stay only at the YHAI camp
• Be eco-friendly and carry any litter back to the base camp
• No wood burning for campfires

Good to Know

• Central Government employees can apply for Special Casual Leave.
• A certificate is given on completing the trek successfully and with good discipline.

Online Bookings

• Participants who have booked online must cancel their booking online through the website at least 5 days before the reporting date.

Offline Bookings

• Participants who have booked offline must send a cancellation request by email to trekking@yhaindia.org at least 5 days before the reporting date.

Eligibility for Cancellation

• Only cancellations made within the above timeline are eligible for a credit shell or refund.
• Cancellation requests received less than 5 days before the reporting date will not be entertained and are not eligible for a credit shell or refund.

Refund

• Participants opting for a refund will get 50% of the paid program fee.
• The refund is processed only after completion of the program.

Credit Shell

• Participants opting for a credit shell receive 100% of the paid participation fee as credit, valid until 31 December 2027.
• The credit shell may be used for any program organised by the YHAI National Office, or by YHAI State Branches and Units that operate a credit shell policy on their programs.
• The credit shell can only be used against treks and programs. It cannot be adjusted against membership fees or hostel bookings.

Adjustment of Credit Shell

• If the new program costs less than the available credit, the balance may be used for another eligible trek or program until 31 December 2027.
• If the new program costs more, the difference must be paid by the participant.

No Further Cancellation

• A program booked using a credit shell cannot be cancelled, or converted into another credit shell or refund, under any circumstances.

Transfer of Seats

• A confirmed seat may be transferred to a family member or friend. Once transferred, the seat cannot be transferred again or cancelled.