Here’s a quick view of how to plan your travel:

Book your air/train ticket to Delhi . From Delhi book a night bus/  Train to Kathgodam.  Our pickup service will pick you up from the railway station in Kathgodam.

There are two options for your flight booking.

Option 1: Fly directly to Pantnagar.

We recommend this. It gives you an added rest day at Haldwani. If the cost of the flight ticket too high, book to Delhi and connect to Haldwani by bus.

Next, book yourself on a UTC/UPSRTC bus to Haldwani. They are fully AC Volvo buses that leave between 21.00 to 23.00 hrs from ISBT Anand Vihar and get toHaldwani between 3:00 to 5:00 am.

At Haldwani, wait for BNK Himalayan pick up at 6.00 am. Contact your driver by 5:30 am. The number of your transport coordinator will be shared with you a week before your departure.

3. Planning your return flight/train booking

Next, if your onward flight departs from Delhi, then book flight tickets for Day 7 or Day 8. Depending on the day you leave Haldwani.

Sometimes trekkers worry if they can book an early morning flight out of Delhi on Day 7. Yes, you can. But book flights that depart only after 8 am. Do not book any flight between 6.00 and 8 am. You may not reach Delhi in time.

How to get to Delhi on time for an early morning flight.

If your flight is early, say between 8.00 and 9.00 am, then there are two options.

Train: Take the Ranikhet express (15014) that leaves haldwani (20.30 hrs) to get to Old Delhi Railway Station at 4.50 in the morning. From Old Delhi, you get airport buses from outside the station as well as taxis.  

Bus: The other option is to take a bus from Haldwani. It is about a 5½ – 6 hrs journey to Delhi. . So if you take a bus that leaves around 9.00 pm, then expect to reach Delhi at around 3.00 am (ISBT Anand Vihar). A bus that leaves at 10 pm will reach Delhi around 4.00 am. AC Volvo buses are the fastest, so opt for them. Non AC buses can take up to 7-8 hrs for the journey.

From Anand Vihar ISBT you get Airport buses or taxis.

Note: Metro trains in Delhi do not start before 6.00 am.

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Essential Items

1. Trekking Shoes

Pindari Glacier trek requires sturdy trekking shoes, good grip, ankle support, and can handle snow.

Buying Tip: The Trek series and MH series are good options by Decathlon. They are tried and tested. There isn’t any necessity to buy the higher-priced models.

2. Backpack

For a trek like Pindari Glacier trek, you need a 50-60 litre backpack. Make sure your backpack has good hip support, shoulder support, and quick access pockets.

Buying Tip: Wildcraft, Decathlon, and Adventure Worx usually make good backpacks. While Wildcraft has more expensive ones, the other two brands have budget-friendly backpacks to choose from.

3. Clothes

Wearing layers is the mantra in the mountains. Layers give you maximum protection from all elements. And when the weather changes in the mountains (as it happens every few hours), you take off or put on layers as required.

Base Layer: 3 T-shirts

Wear one T-shirt and carry two. Carry full-sleeve dry-fit T-shirts (preferably collared). These prevent your arms and neck from getting sunburnt. In the rarified air on the trek, especially at high altitudes, UV rays can burn you in no time.

Dry-fit T-shirts quickly dry your sweat, they are easy to wash, and in case of a rainy day, they dry quicker. Round neck T-shirts are ok, but collared ones are better.

Cotton or Synthetic? When the heat is blistering at 40°C, it makes sense to wear cotton. But it takes a long time to dry when it gets wet. In the mountains, where it is cooler, synthetic is what you wear. They wick sweat rapidly and keep you dry. (carry a roll-on deodorant with you.)

Buying Tip: You can get dry-fit T-shirts from Decathlon. Also, stores like Reliance Trends and Max have dry-fit T-shirts. They don’t usually cost much.

Pro Tip: If you are extra susceptible to cold, you could get a set of thermal inners. In our experience, wearing two T-shirts over another works as a better thermal. And they save you weight and space since you’re already carrying them.

You will need 1 pair of inner thermals, 2 light fleece layers, 1  light sweater, and 1  padded jacket. Do not get your grandma-stitched sweaters, which can be very heavy. You need sweaters and fleece jackets that can fold into compact rolls.

For your outer layer, a padded jacket serves the purpose here. You don’t need a water-resistant material. But you need an outer padded jacket that keeps the wind and cold out. Ensure your padded jacket has a hood as well.

Trek Pants

A minimum of one pair and a maximum of two pairs of trek pants should suffice for this trek. Wear one pair and carry one just in case it rains/snows. Trek pants with zippered cut-offs at the thighs are very suitable for treks. Also, choose quick-dry pants over cotton. They dry up soon, even in the cold climate.

Buying Tip: Go for pants with zippered pockets. They come in handy to keep your phone, handkerchief, or pocket snacks.

Track pants or trek pants? Stretchable track pants make a good backup and can double up as your thermal bottoms. But track pants are not trekking pants — so don’t use them as your main outerwear. Keep them only as a backup.

Mandatory Accessories

These accessories are mandatory. Don’t go to Pindari Glacier trek without them. Trekkers generally put off purchasing / borrowing the accessories for the last minute. We suggest the opposite. Start gathering these accessories first.

1. Sunglasses

Sunglasses are to prevent snow blindness. On a winter trek like Pindari Glacier trek, expect to walk on long stretches of snow. A small overexposure to direct sunlight on snow can lead to snow blindness (about a half hour’s exposure). That’s because fallen snow is like thousands of mirrors that reflect direct UV rays. So you need sunglasses with UV protection.

Wearing tip: Wear sunglasses if the trekking day is bright and sunny (on open sections, meadows). On a snowy section, you must never take off your sunglasses until the section has been fully crossed.

Buying Tip: Try getting sunglasses that wrap around instead of those that have openings on the side. Even peripheral UV ray exposure is not a good idea.

If you wear spectacles: If you wear spectacles, you can get oversized sunglasses that you wear over your regular glasses (available at Decathlon). If that is cumbersome, photochromic lenses work equally well.

Contact lens users: If you use contact lenses, you can use them on the trek too. The lens solution will not freeze. You will also not face any problems in changing your lens in your tent. Just carry enough cleaning solution with you to clean your fingers well. Wear your sunglasses over your contact lens.

 2. Suncap

A sun cap is mandatory. Trekking without a sun cap can lead to headaches, sunstrokes, quick dehydration, and a sharp drop in trekking performance.

Tip: In the mountains, the general rule is to keep your head covered at all times. During the day a sun cap protects you from the harsh rays of the sun (it is doubly stronger with naked UV rays). A sun cap keeps your body temperature in balance. In the evening/early morning, the reverse is true. Your head loses your body heat quickly. A woolen cap prevents heat from dissipating from your head.

Pro Tip: Sun caps with flaps are a blessing for trekkers. They cut out almost all UV leaks. They prevent sunburns in every possible way. They are a lot more effective than sunscreen lotion. A wide-brimmed sports hat also helps to prevent sunburn in a big way.

3. Synthetic Hand Gloves

On a trek like Pindari Glacier trek, you are going to be handling snow quite a bit. You’ll need gloves to grip something or to steady yourself in snow. You also want the gloves to keep you warm. Get synthetic hand gloves that have waterproofing on the outside and a padded lining on the inside. If you find the combination difficult to get (not likely), wear a tight-fitting fleece hand glove inside a synthetic hand glove. Hand gloves are mandatory on this trek.

4. Woollen Cap or Balaclava

Ensure these cover your head. In the cold mountains, you lose maximum heat from your head, not from your hands, feet or the rest of your body. This is why you need to keep your head protected, especially when the sun is down. Early mornings, late evenings, and a cold trekking day are when you must use your woolen cap.

Your ears are sensitive too, so a woolen head cap that covers your ears is essential. A balaclava is a modern version of the woolen cap. It covers your ears, neck, and parts of your face as well. If you get a woolen cap that only covers your head, you will need a neck warmer or a woolen scarf.

5. Socks (4 pairs)

Apart from three to four pairs of sports socks, take a pair of woolen socks. Sports socks give you cushioning plus warmth. Again the mantra is to wear synthetic socks or at least a synthetic blend. Cotton socks soak in water and sweat. They are very hard to dry.

As for woolen socks, they help you to keep warm and snug at the night. If you cannot get woolen socks, wearing two sports socks serves the purpose as well.

6. Headlamp

Trekkers are often confused about whether they need to get a headlamp or a handheld torch. You need to get a headlamp because it leaves your hands free to do other activities. On the Pindari Glacier trek, you’ll need your hands free to wash dishes, pitch tents and hold your trek poles.

Buying tip: Ensure your headlamp covers a wider area and is not too focused as a single beam. On a trek, your headlamp must help you see around you as much as ahead of you.

7. Trekking Poles (a pair)

Trekking poles give you stability and balance. They reduce your energy consumption by almost 40%. On the Valley Of Flowers trek, there are steep ascents and descents. A pair of trekking poles will make the difference between a comfortable and a strenuous trek. In India, we tend to use a single trekking pole. However, two trekking poles give you greater stability and balance. They also increase your walking pace.

8. Rainwear

On a trek, the weather can change quickly. A bright sunny day can turn into a downpour in a matter of minutes. Carry a poncho or a rain jacket to tackle this. A poncho is a big rain cover with openings for your arms and your head. It is extremely effective because it covers both you and (partially) your backpack. It is extremely light and weighs next to nothing.

Pro tip: Rain jackets are more streamlined and less cumbersome but weigh more. Rain pants are not required. Dry fit trek pants dry quickly even if soaking wet.

9. Rain cover for your backpack

Backpacks are your life. You carry all your dry clothes and your warm gear in your backpack. Your backpack must stay dry at all times. Modern backpacks usually come with built-in rain-covers. If your backpack does not have a rain cover, ensure you get a rain cover by either (a) buying a rain cover or (b) or cutting a large plastic sheet to the size of your backpack. You can roll the plastic sheet around your backpack and keep it in place with a string or elastic.

| Pro tip: It’s good practice to compartmentalise your clothes, accessories and other things in plastic covers inside your backpack. That way, even if it rains and your backpack gets wet, your things are water-proof inside the backpack.

10. Daypack (20-30 ltrs, optional)

Some trekkers opt to offload their bags to a mule on the Pindari Glacier trek. In your daypack, you carry essentials like water bottles, rainwear, emergency medicines, a headlamp, some snacks, and a warm layer. Your main backpack that carries most of your equipment is accessible only at the campsites.

A daypack is a smaller backpack that is usually of 20-30 liter capacity. Laptop bags are not daypacks. Do not get them.

Other Mandatory Requirements

1. A toilet kit

Keep your toilet kit light. Carry just the basics — toothbrush, toothpaste, small soap, toilet tissue roll, a small moisturizer, lip balm, and a roll-on deodorant. You will not be able to have a bath on the trek, so don’t overload on soaps and shampoos.

Pro Tip: Carry miniature-sized items. You will not need more than that. If you’re travelling in a group, share one toothpaste for all.

Pro Tip: Avoid getting large toilet rolls. The smallest size roll is more than enough for a trek like Valley Of Flowers.

For Women: If you are likely to have your periods on your trek date, don’t worry about it. You can use your pads, tampons or menstrual cups on the trek. There will be toilet tents where you can get changed. Make sure you carry ziplock bags to bring back your menstrual waste. Don’t leave behind any waste in the mountains.

2. Cutlery

Carry a lunch box, a mug and a spoon. Your lunch box must be leakproof. You are expected to wash your cutlery. Trekkers often expect BNK Himalayan to wash their cutlery. When you allow BNK Himalayan to wash your cutlery, your cutlery becomes part of a mass washing system. You immediately invite germs, and bacteria to settle on your cutlery. The incidence of stomach disorders rises exponentially.

Pro Tip: Carry stainless steel cutlery. Avoid fancy high-grade plastic cutlery. Stainless steel cutlery is infinitely easier to wash in cold water. Grease is easier to remove and hygiene is at its highest.

Two 1-liter bottles or a 2-liter hydration pack: Valley Of Flowers has many hours of trekking every day (approximately 6 hours). You need to carry two one-liter water bottles to keep yourself hydrated over the distance. If you are used to a hydration pack, then that is ok too. If one among the two bottles is a lightweight thermos, then that helps you to store warm water on a really cold day or for late evenings and early mornings.   

3. Plastic Covers

Carry 3-4 old plastic covers to keep your used clothes. You could use them even for wet clothes. Re-use old plastic bags for this and do not buy new ones.