Nanda Devi East Base Camp Trek: Height, Route and Best Time

What the Nanda Devi East Base Camp trek is

Nanda Devi East, known locally as Sunanda Devi, is 7,434 m, the lower twin of Nanda Devi. The usual climbing approach comes up the Milam valley and goes through the Lawan glacier to Longstaff Col. (en.wikipedia.org)

• Amar Ujala (June 2026), quoting operator Jagdish Bhatt, says the base camp is about a 7 km walk from Ghunghar (Ganghar) village and is known for its views of Nanda Devi East. (amarujala.com, 28 Jun 2026)
• Heights disagree. Himalayan High puts the base camp at Pachu Glacier at 4,000 m and Ganghar at 3,385 m; Trek The Thrills gives the base camp about 4,150 m; Himalayan Dream Treks says about 4,000 m in one place and about 4,300 m in another. (himalayanhigh.in)
• Per Aquaterra, the day from Ganghar to the Pachu (it writes 'Panchu') glacier and back is 9 km, 3 km steep then 6 km gentle, and reaches 4,150 m. It puts Ganghar at 3,450 m. (aquaterra.in)
• Climbers use a different base camp in the Lwan valley, reached from Martoli. A 2015 expedition camped near the Bhital Gwar shepherd huts there at 4,275 m. OpenStreetMap marks a 'Nanda Devi base camp' in the Lwan valley at 30.3421, 80.0326. Do not mix it up with the trekkers' camp above Ganghar. (himalayanclub.org)

The route, stage by stage

From Dhapa the trail goes by Lilam, Bugdiyar, Martoli and Ganghar to Nanda Devi East Base Camp: 54 km one way. The km are the sources' own, each linked; trails shift with landslides and new road, so treat them as close, not exact.

1. Dhapa to Lilam6 km

   per Aquaterra; Munsiyari to Dhapa is a 12 km, 30 minute drive (aquaterra.in)

2. Lilam to Bugdiyar13 km

   (kumaon.gov.in)

3. Bugdiyar to Martoli16 km

   per Aquaterra; it puts Martoli at 3,385 m (aquaterra.in)

4. Martoli to Ganghar12 km

   per Aquaterra; Himalayan High gives 13 km (aquaterra.in)

5. Ganghar to Nanda Devi East Base Camp7 km

   per a local operator quoted by Amar Ujala; Himalayan High and Trek The Thrills give 8 km (amarujala.com)

When to go

Per Himalayan Dream Treks, go in May to June or September to October. Avoid July to August for monsoon slides and slippery trails, and November to April when snow blocks the higher parts. (himalayandreamtreks.in)

Permits and fees

• The route runs up the Milam valley, so the Milam checks apply. Per Trek The Thrills (2026 update), Indians show a government photo ID at the ITBP checkposts at Bogdiyar and Milam, and foreigners need an Inner Line Permit from the SDM office in Munsiyari. (trekthethrills.com)
• Pithoragarh's 2026 pre-registration rule names Nanda Devi East Base Camp among the covered routes. Trekkers email their name, address, mobile number, age and Aadhaar number to the district tourism office before starting. (haldwanilive.com, 22 May 2026)
• In October 2023 the ITBP stopped asking for an Inner Line permit to go up to the Milam Glacier, which removed the old stop at Lilam on this route. (traveltradejournal.com, 5 Oct 2023)

How hard it is

• Per Himalayan Dream Treks, the trek is moderate but suits people with earlier high-altitude experience and good fitness. Days run 7 to 19 km and 6 to 8 hours. (himalayandreamtreks.in)
• Himalayan High grades it Moderate+, with a top altitude of 4,000 m and 8 nights of camping in an 11 day trip. (himalayanhigh.in)

Where you sleep, food and water

• Per Trek The Thrills, only a handful of families live in Ganghar, and the base camp is tents only. (trekthethrills.com)
• Per Himalayan Dream Treks, Bugdiyar has a campsite and simple tea shops, and Rilkot has a campsite with an ITBP post and tea stalls. (himalayandreamtreks.in)
• Per Himalayan Dream Treks, streams and rivers run along the route, and its packing list includes water purification tablets. (himalayandreamtreks.in)

Getting to the start

The trek starts at Dhapa. By road it is 124 km from Bageshwar, 125 km from Pithoragarh, 192 km from Almora, 278 km from Kathgodam, 285 km from Haldwani to Munsiyari, measured on OpenStreetMap.

• Ganghar village in the Johar valley. Per Trek The Thrills (2026 update), vehicles on the new Munsiyari-Milam road now get walkers to Ganghar via Burfu. The old walking start was Dhapa or Lilam near Munsiyari. (openstreetmap.org)
• Per Trek The Thrills (2026 update), the writer took a taxi from Milam back to Burfu, then another vehicle to Ganghar. The 8 km walk to base camp took about 3.5 hours with 15 kg packs. (trekthethrills.com)

The nearest railway station is Tanakpur (275 km by road); the nearest airport, Pithoragarh Airport (124 km). The road to Munsiyari, town by town: from Dehradun, from Lucknow, from Rishikesh, from Bareilly, from Haridwar, from Moradabad, from Tanakpur and from Delhi, Kathgodam and Haldwani.

Stays near the start

• Mount Kailash Homestay, homestay, 0.1 km from the start as the crow flies
• Milam Inn, hotel, 0.2 km from the start as the crow flies
• Pangtey Home Stay, homestay, 0.2 km from the start as the crow flies
• Monal Inn, hotel, 0.2 km from the start as the crow flies
• Hotel Chandra Paradise, hotel, 0.2 km from the start as the crow flies
• Tholing by Panchachuli Earth, homestay, 0.2 km from the start as the crow flies
• Tulsi Homestay, homestay, 0.3 km from the start as the crow flies
• Hotel Mansarovar Inn, hotel, 0.3 km from the start as the crow flies

All 62 stays in Munsiyari, each on the map with the peaks in view and a link to book.

Good to know

• No source gives the trekkers' camp its own coordinates. On OpenStreetMap the Pachu Glacier outline ends on its lower, east side near 30.3892, 80.1025, about 5 km west of Ganghar (30.3996, 80.1543); operators call the base camp day 'Ganghar to Pachu Glacier'. (openstreetmap.org)
• Per Himalayan Dream Treks, the risks are altitude sickness, sudden weather at base camp, loose rock, snow patches, steep narrow sections, river crossings and remoteness. It advises an experienced guide. (himalayandreamtreks.in)
• Per Trek The Thrills, there is no mobile signal or electricity beyond Munsiyari, and everything is paid in cash. (trekthethrills.com)

What changed in 2025 and 2026

• On 27 July 2026 a hillside collapse near Bugdiyar shut the Munsiyari-Milam road all day and cut off the whole Malla Johar valley. (amarujala.com, 27 Jul 2026)
• The June 2025 boulder fall between Railgadi and Lilam cut off Ganghar and Pachhu along with the other Johar villages until the road reopened on 28 June. (amarujala.com, 21 Jun 2025)
• In early June 2025 a Bolero with 11 people fell about 500 m into the Gori river near Rilkot and Burfu, on the road this trek now uses. Six died. (garhwalpost.in, 9 Jun 2025)