Rupin Pass in Reverse (2026) — Without Guide, Full Itinerary & Costs

Can you do the Rupin Pass trek in reverse — and without a guide? After finishing Buran Ghati, we were an hour's drive from Sangla, where Rupin Pass ends. So we didn't go home. We climbed back over, this time crossing the 4,650 m Rupin Pass from the Sangla side — self-supported, no guide, no porters. I first did Rupin in 2016 and 2017, when the trek started from Dhaula. The road now reaches Jiskun, cutting the trek short by two days. This video breaks down what the trek looks like today. In this video I cover: • Can you do this trek by yourself, without a guide? • The full reverse itinerary — day-wise distance & altitude gain • Traditional route vs doing it in reverse — which should you do? • The real costs of doing it self-supported (breakdown below) • A hidden waterfall near the trail that almost nobody talks about ⏱ CHAPTERS 0:00 Rupin Pass in Reverse — arriving Sangla Kanda 0:16 Who I am 0:35 Why we're doing Rupin in reverse (straight after Buran Ghati) 1:02 What this video covers 1:59 Day 1 — 4x4 to Sangla Kanda, then trek to Ronti Gad 2:47 Alone at 4,200 m - Upper Ronti Gad 3:41 Day 2 — the verglas stream crossing 4:54 The climb to Rupin Pass 5:39 The Rupin Gully — the most dangerous section 7:53 The Rupin Waterfall (three tiers) 8:13 Lower Waterfall camp — Day 2 recap 8:42 Day 3 — rest day & an icy river dip 9:08 Push to Udaknal 9:40 Verdict — Rupin vs Buran, safety & reverse vs traditional 10:32 Final day — Jakha, Jiskun & a hidden waterfall 11:32 Snowfall at Chanshal Pass 11:44 Costs + what's next (Ladakh → Spiti on foot) 🗻 TREK QUICK STATS (reverse route) Trek: Rupin Pass (done in reverse, Sangla → Jiskun) Max altitude: Rupin Pass ~4,650 m (≈15,250 ft) Days on trail: 4 Total distance: ~34 km Style: Self-supported — no guide, no porters Difficulty: Moderate–Difficult (harder than Buran Ghati) Day-wise (reverse): • Day 1 — Sangla → (4x4) Sangla Kanda (3,400 m) → Ronti Gad camp (4,200 m) | 8.2 km, +800 m • Day 2 — Ronti Gad → Rupin Pass (4,650 m) → Rupin Gully → Rati Pheri → Lower Waterfall camp (3,560 m) | ~10 km, +460 m then −1,100 m • Day 3 — Rest morning at Lower Waterfall → Udaknal camp | 6.5 km • Day 4 — Udaknal → Jakha (4 km) → Jiskun (3.5 km) → Bawta / hidden waterfall (1.5 km) → drive to Chirgaon via Chanshal Pass 🔁 REVERSE vs TRADITIONAL Reverse (from Sangla) makes sense ONLY if you club it with another trek — e.g. Buran Ghati, or Borasu Pass (which ends at Chitkul) — then drive to Sangla and cross back via Rupin. Otherwise, stick to the traditional direction: Jiskun → Jakha → over the pass → Sangla. 🎒 GEAR I USE 1. Backpack : Simond (Decathlon ₹11999) 60+10 MT500 Air : https://decathlonindia.pxf.io/GbOJy2 2. Shoes (for Beginners) : Quechua MH100 Olive (₹4999) Waterproof : https://decathlonindia.pxf.io/m4jqmO 3. Tent 2 Person MT500 (₹7999) : https://decathlonindia.pxf.io/E0O1ND or 3 Person (₹9999) : https://decathlonindia.pxf.io/WOArke 4. Butane Can Coleman with propane (Works well on High Altitude) (₹849) : https://amzn.to/4cM9rii (compatible with screw top stoves) 5. Emergency Blanket Pack of 4 (₹1600) highly recommended for emergencies : https://amzn.to/4uqhnLU 💰 COST BREAKDOWN (self-supported · 3 people) Sangla to Shimla • Shared 4x4 lift, Sangla → Sangla Kanda : ₹900 total for 3 — a pre-booked vehicle quotes ₹5,000–6,000 • Maggi ×4 + tea ×3, Ronti Gad dhaba: ₹700 • Shared ride, Jiskun → Chirgaon (via Chanshal): ₹1000 • Transport to Sangla (from Barua): ₹ 400 • Rations / food (4 days): ₹2400 • Permit / forest fee: ₹1500 • Cooking gas: ₹1600 • Stay near Chirgaon + 2 Nights at Sangla : ₹1000+ ₹1200 • Restaurant Cost : ₹2200 • Fuel (Chirgaon to Shimla) : ₹900 • TOTAL per person: ₹ 4600 (vs an organised operator at roughly ₹18000 for Jiskun to Sangla) ⚠️ SAFETY NOTE Rupin is more serious than it looks. The Rupin Gully has real rockfall and slip risk — carry micro-spikes and ideally a helmet. Snow bridges near the waterfalls can be unsafe. Do this trek with a professional trek leader unless you're a certified mountaineer. Carry more than 1 litre of water each on pass day — we ran dry. 💧 THE HIDDEN WATERFALL I've deliberately not shared the exact location — I don't want it to get crowded and ruined. If you genuinely want it, message me directly. I'm also happy to share trusted contacts in Jakha and Sangla if you want to organise this trek yourself. 👋 ABOUT ME I'm Abhishek Sohu — trekking the Himalayas for over a decade, ex-Decathlon India country product trainer, and a NIMAS-certified mountaineer (2017). This channel is about doing Himalayan treks the honest way: practical, real-cost, self-supported when possible. 📲 Instagram: @adventuringsohu ✉️ [email protected] 🔔 Subscribe — next, I'm setting out from Ladakh to Spiti on foot this month. #RupinPass #RupinPassTrek #RupinPassReverse #HimalayanTreks #TrekkingIndia #Uttarakhand #HimachalTreks #BuranGhati #AdventuringSohu #IndianHimalayas