Deo Tibba Expedition — 6,001m

Day 1: Arrive Manali (1,950m) — Hotel, Briefing, Gear Check

• Arrive in Manali from Delhi or Chandigarh by road or from Bhuntar by air (nearest airport: Kullu-Manali / Bhuntar, ~50km south of Manali).
• Check in to hotel. Full expedition briefing with your Summit Routes lead guide: route overview, weather patterns, technical section briefing, team roles, and emergency protocols.
• Gear check and distribution: expedition-issue technical gear (crampons, ice axe, harness, ascenders, helmet) fitted and adjusted for each team member.
• IMF peak permit documentation reviewed. Porters and horsemen briefed for Day 3 departure.
• Evening: explore Manali’s Old Town and Hadimba Devi Temple — one of the most architecturally distinctive temples in Himachal, built in 1553 and set in a cedar forest a short walk from the town centre.
• Overnight: Hotel in Manali.

Day 2: Acclimatisation in Manali — Permit Documentation

• Full rest day at 1,950m before the climb begins. Do not attempt any significant altitude gain today.
• IMF permit formalities completed with local government offices if not pre-arranged. This is the standard procedure for all regulated peak expeditions in Himachal Pradesh and adds no stress to the programme if handled as designed.
• Final load sorting: all personal bags above 15kg handed to horses for the approach; summit-day packs prepared separately.
• Review our altitude sickness guide — the physiology of altitude becomes directly relevant from tomorrow. Understand the symptoms, the protocol, and what your guide will be watching for.
• Optional acclimatisation walk to Vashist village and its hot springs (1,990m) — same elevation, warm water, excellent way to spend an afternoon before an expedition.
• Overnight: Hotel in Manali.

Day 3: Drive Manali to Khanol (2,700m) — Trek to Chikka (3,215m)

• Drive: ~15 km | 1–1.5 hours via Jagatsukh village.
• Trek Distance: ~5 km | 2–3 hours.
• Drive south along the left bank of the Beas River to Jagatsukh — once the old capital of the Kullu kingdom, a compact village of carved timber-framed houses with Shiva and Gauri-Shankar temples that date back several centuries. Continue by vehicle up the switchback road past the Allain Duhangan hydroelectric project to the road terminus at Khanol (2,700m).
• Trek begins at Khanol. The first 20 minutes climb steeply through dense mixed forest of oak, pine, and deodar alongside the Duhangan Nala. The gradient eases and the trail follows the right bank of the stream through thinning forest, past wildflowers and berry bushes, to the campsite at Chikka.
• Chikka (3,215m) is a traditional shepherd settlement with a small temple significant to the Jagatsukh community. First clear views of Deo Tibba’s southern face appear from the meadow above the camp, alongside the flanks of Indrasan (6,221m) and Jagatsukh Peak (5,050m).
• Overnight: Camp at Chikka.

Day 4: Trek Chikka to Seri (3,935m)

• Trek Distance: ~10 km | 6–7 hours.
• The trail leaves Chikka on the right bank of the Jagatsukh Nala, climbing steadily through birch forest as the tree cover thins and the valley opens. Pass through the scattered boulders of Panduropa and a freshwater spring at Dudu Patthar before the trail enters the broad high-altitude grasslands of Seri.
• Seri (3,935m) is a former glaciated lakebed — the flat, meadow floor is evidence of the lake that once existed here, now drained by centuries of glacial retreat. The meadow is wide, green in the summer months, and ringed by cliffs and hanging glaciers. The dome of Deo Tibba looms to the north. The camp is set on the far end of the meadow plateau with running water from the Jagatsukh Nala stream throughout the season.
• Overnight: Camp at Seri.

Day 5: Trek Seri to Tenta Base Camp (4,150m) — Visit Chota Chandratal (4,480m)

• Trek Distance: ~9 km return including lake visit | 5–6 hours.
• From Seri, a stream crossing in the early morning — cold and fast in early season — leads to the boulder and moraine terrain of the upper valley. The trail climbs through rock and glacial debris, the vegetation now entirely sub-alpine, to the base camp at Tenta (4,150m).
• Tenta is surrounded on three sides by hanging glaciers and the cliffs of the Duhangan Col approach. Deo Tibba’s summit dome is directly opposite from camp — the entire south face visible, including the Duhangan Col gully that the team will climb in two days. This is a campsite that demands you look up.
• After establishing camp, continue on to Chota Chandratal (4,480m) — the glacial lake at the foot of the Deo Tibba glacier. The water is a deep emerald blue, fed by glacial meltwater from the ice fields above. This is the highest point reached without technical equipment on the expedition — take the opportunity to observe the glacier, note conditions, and let the altitude work on the body before the technical section begins.
• Return to Tenta for dinner and early sleep.
• Overnight: Camp at Tenta Base Camp.

Day 6: Rest & Acclimatisation at Base Camp — Technical Skills Practice

• Mandatory rest day at 4,150m before entering the high-altitude technical zone.
• Two things on the programme: acclimatisation and technical preparation.
• Morning: personal technical gear distribution — crampons fitted on boots, harness adjusted, ice axe assigned, ascender technique practiced on the rocky slopes above camp. Each team member walks in crampons, practices basic self-arrest with the ice axe, clips and ascends a fixed rope section, and is assessed for comfort and competence by the lead guide before moving higher.
• Afternoon: rest, hydration, equipment maintenance. Review weather conditions with the guide — the pattern of the next two days is critical for summit planning. All summit-push timing decisions are made here, not on the mountain.
• Overnight: Camp at Tenta Base Camp.

Day 7: Base Camp to Duhangan Col — Establish Camp 1 (5,150m)

• Altitude gain: ~1,000m from base camp to Camp 1 | 6–8 hours.
• The most technically committed day of the approach. From Tenta, the route crosses the Deo Tibba glacier moraine and enters the base of the Duhangan Col gully — the single most demanding section of the entire expedition.
• The Duhangan Col gully is approximately 55 degrees at its steepest. Fixed ropes are installed by the Summit Routes lead guide before the team follows. Every climber ascends on ascenders clipped to the fixed line. The gully is consistently steep for 300–400 vertical metres, with sections of hard water ice in early season. This is where the expedition earns its PD rating — not a scramble, a genuine technical ice climb requiring full equipment and proper technique throughout.
• At the col, the angle eases. The glacier above the col is wide and open, with Deo Tibba’s summit dome visible directly ahead, and the long wall of the Indrasan massif to the east. Camp 1 is established at 5,150m on a flat section of the glacier. Snow anchors, tent platforms cut from the ice, and the first experience of sleeping at high altitude.
• Overnight: Camp 1 at 5,150m.

Day 8: Load Ferry — Camp 1 to Summit Camp (5,500m) — Return to Camp 1

• Distance: ~3 km return | 5–6 hours.
• A load-carry day — the team moves supplies and equipment to the Summit Camp at 5,500m, deposits them, and descends back to Camp 1 to sleep. This is standard high-altitude expedition practice: the body adapts to 5,500m by visiting it and descending, rather than sleeping at altitude before it is ready.
• The route from Camp 1 to Summit Camp follows the glacier in a gradual climb, passing the base of the Piton Ridge gully. Summit Camp is established at 5,500m on a sheltered section below the final ridge. Loads deposited. Team descends fully to Camp 1.
• On descent, assess the Piton Ridge gully from below — the guide will identify conditions and confirm the summit-day route and timing.
• Overnight: Camp 1 at 5,150m.

Day 9: Camp 1 to Summit Camp (5,500m)

• Distance: ~3 km | 3–4 hours.
• Move to Summit Camp with personal overnight gear and summit-push supplies. The short distance allows a relaxed morning departure and full afternoon rest at Summit Camp before the 2am start the following day.
• Arrive Summit Camp by early afternoon. Set up tents, eat well, hydrate aggressively, and sleep by 6–7pm. Your guide will brief the summit-day timeline in the early evening: departure time, route decision, turnaround time, emergency descent protocol.
• Weather is the decisive factor at this stage. If conditions are not suitable for the summit push on Day 10, the team holds at Summit Camp for one additional day. This is the purpose of buffer days built into the programme — summit windows must be taken when the mountain offers them, not on a calendar.
• Overnight: Summit Camp at 5,500m.

Day 10: Summit Push — Deo Tibba (6,001m) — Return to Camp 1 (5,150m)

• Summit day distance: ~4 km return from Summit Camp | 8–10 hours.
• Depart Summit Camp at 2:00am. Headtorches on, crampons tight, ice axes in hand. The pre-dawn start is mandatory — the upper gullies harden overnight and provide secure footing in the cold; the same snow softens dangerously after the sun reaches it. The summit must be reached and descent begun before 11am.
• From Summit Camp, the Piton Ridge gully is the final technical obstacle — a shorter version of the Duhangan Col gully, fixed ropes installed the previous day, requiring the same focused ascent technique on crampons. Above the gully, the angle eases onto the summit ridge and the dome comes into view.
• The Deo Tibba summit at 6,001m is a broad snow dome — not a sharp point but a wide, rounded cap of ice. There is no single step where you “arrive”; rather, you realise the mountain is flattening beneath you and you are standing on the highest ground for a long way in every direction. Indrasan (6,221m) rises immediately to the northeast, close enough to feel adjacent. The peaks of Lahaul and the Kullu valley floor 4,000 metres below fill the remainder of the panorama.
• Summit photographs, flag, rest. Begin descent no later than the turnaround time set by your guide — regardless of how the summit feels.
• Descend via Summit Camp to Camp 1. Full descent by mid-afternoon. Rest, food, and the particular silence of a completed expedition.
• Overnight: Camp 1 at 5,150m.

Day 11: Camp 1 to Base Camp (4,150m)

• Strike Camp 1. Full descent to Tenta Base Camp via the Duhangan Col gully — fixed ropes used for the descent as on ascent. The downclimb of the gully is slower and requires equal concentration to the ascent.
• Arrive base camp by midday. A full hot meal, the return of porters to collect equipment, and the first sensation of breathing at 4,150m after several days above 5,000m — the body responds with a noticeable surge.
• Overnight: Base Camp at Tenta (4,150m).

Day 12: Base Camp to Chikka (3,215m)

• Trek Distance: ~9 km | 5–6 hours.
• Full strike of base camp. The return via Seri and the Duhangan valley is faster going down and carries a different quality of attention — the expedition is behind you now, the meadows and birch forest feel lush and warm after the high glacier. Arrive Chikka by afternoon.
• Overnight: Camp at Chikka.

Day 13: Trek Chikka to Khanol — Drive to Manali

• Trek Distance: ~5 km | 2–3 hours. Drive: ~1.5 hours.
• Final morning on the trail. Descend through the forest to Khanol road head. Vehicles waiting. Drive back through Jagatsukh village — the carved wooden houses and temple feel like a full circle from the drive out eleven days ago — and into Manali.
• Hotel check-in, hot shower, expedition dinner with the full team and crew.
• Overnight: Hotel in Manali.

Day 14: Departure from Manali

• Transfer to Bhuntar Airport (50km) for onward flight, or road transfer to Chandigarh (~5–6 hours) or Delhi (~12–14 hours by Volvo overnight bus or private vehicle).
• Manali to Delhi direct Volvo buses depart in the evening and arrive Delhi by early morning — a practical option for those with late evening or next-day onward flights from Indira Gandhi International Airport.