Rupin Supin Trek

Rupin Supin trek passes through some dense forests and meadows. A rarely traversed route with pit stops at some remote Garhwali villages. The trek starts from the valley of Rupin river and ends at the Supin river valley.

Day 1- Dehradun to Himri drive

We start the day early from Dehradun and travel to the Tons valley. The route is extremely beautiful and one winds up into the mountains via Nainbag and Damta. Purola is the last big village on the route with good network connectivity. It is a beautiful place with scenic farmlands. After Purola we cut into the Tons valley and cross Mori and Netwar. From Netwar we follow the Rupin river upwards. Himri is roughly half way between Netwar and Dhaula. We break for the day and camp by the river side. Rupin has clear blue water that rumbles down the hills.

Day 2- Himri to Bheetri (2,500 m) to Kurla Thach (2,600 m)

We leave Himri after breakfast. Jeeps are arranged for travel to Bheetri, which is the last motorable village on our route. Bheetri stands at roughly 2,500 m altitude from sea level. For its altitude, Bheetri is a large village with over a hundred households. The village folks are mostly agrarian. The local deity is Sherkudeya Devta, or the Whistling God, and like in all villages of the area, a big temple stands in his honor in the center of the village courtyard. From Bheetri we start the journey on foot. We cross the village and after a short distance of 2 km we come across Sarutaal, a beautiful seasonal pond at the edge of the cliff. The lake and the cliff overlook the Rupin valley below. After a short break to catch our breath and enjoy the view, we move further. Forest cover starts soon. A 6 km trek gets us to our destination for the day - Kurla Thaach (2,600 m). A thaach is a grassy opening in the middle of the forest. These grassy meadows are home for Gujjars and their herds of cattle and equines. You can easily spot cows, buffaloes, horses and mules grazing in the grassy pastures. These animals are domestic in nature and do not pose a threat but one should refrain from getting too close to them lest we frighten them. We spend the night at Kurla.

Day 3 -Kurla (2,600 m) to Rikatik Odi (3,520 m)

We start early next morning and begin our ascent upwards. We leave the forest behind after a couple of kilometers and reach the top of the mountain face. This spot is called Simon Tee and it offers a great view of the higher peaks of the vicinity. We continue along the mountain tops. There is a slight elevation as we move forward. We cross a ridge and reach Rikatik Odi which is the connecting point between the Rupin and Supin valley. On the Rupin side of the ridge we have the Bheetri and Dhaula villages. On the Supin side of the ridge we have Kasla and Fitadi villages. Rikatik Odi is fairly high in altitude (approximately 3,520 m) and lacks dense vegetation. There are no trees at this height, just shrubs and grasses. In the spring season there are many flowers to be observed on the slopes. Rikatik Odi offers a few good camping sites and we settle there for the night.

Day 4- Rikatik Odi to Phitadi village

We leave the Rupin valley behind and head towards the Supin valley. This is a lovely walk through conifer forests. The gradient is low and once we enter the tree line the walk becomes very enjoyable. We reach Phitadi village at a leisurely pace. This is another typical village in the Garhwal Himalayas with wooden house and slate stone roofs. We can visit a home stay and spend some time with the locals.

Day 5- Phitadi to Jakhol to Sankri

Today is the last day of our trek. We leave Phitadi village and walk towards Jakhol. The trail is again well-defined and there are many farms along the way. We reach Jakhol village which is the entrance to the Supin valley. This village has a large temple dedicated to the local deity. We spend some time in the village and leave for Sankri later. This is an hour′s drive and Sankri has many guesthouses to relax and spend the rest of the day amid the village environs.

Day 6- Sankri to Dehradun drive

Today we leave Sankri and head for Dehradun. We reach Dehradun by early evening.