One of the most rewarding experiences for a mountaineer is seeing the sunrise as they make it to the summit. The friendship peak summit honours with the same experience and a lot more. From making it through vast meadows to finally making it to the summit, this expedition has it all. The friendship peak altitude is about 17345 ft. The friendship peak expedition is a seven day excursion where trekkers cover a distance of about 24 km. In this trek, some of the famous Himalayan peaks await you at the summit camp - Hanuman Tibba, Priyadarshini, Indrasen and Deo Tibba.

Trekking in Himachal is on every mountaineer’s bucket list. However when it comes to trekking to climb a peak, things change a lot. As easy it is to trek in Himachal Pradesh, it is equally challenging to go for an expedition here. This guide is to prepare you with exactly that. From friendship peak trekking to climbing, by the end of this article you will have the complete picture of what it's like to go on a Friendship Peak expedition.

The Trail of the Friendship Peak Expedition

The Friendship Peak trekking group meets at Manali and stays there on the day of arrival. The first day can be utilised for sight seeing, the local spots like Hidimba Devi Temple, Vashist Kund etc.

Day 2 the group leaves Manali and drives to Dhundi, a small mountain settlement. From Dhundi starts the friendship peak trekking to Bakkarthatch. The best part about trekking in this region is that you get to walk along the banks of river Beas.

On day 3, the group treks to the Lady Leg from Bakkarthatch. Lady leg is called Advanced campsite as it’s at an altitude of 12,800 ft.

The day 4 of this expedition is the day of acclimatisation. This day, the trekkers are supposed to collect their equipment, backpacks and ration and carry it to the summit camp and then descend back to Lady leg by night. This exercise is done to not only acclimatise the body, but also to practise walking in snow boots.

And then finally on day 5, the trekkers make it to the summit of Friendship peak. The rest two days of the trek are kept to make the return journey.

Preparation Before the Friendship Peak Expedition

As straightforward as it may sound, Friendship peak expedition takes a good toll on the body, since the chances of AMS is more in this trail. It goes without saying that it does require some hardcore preparations before the trek.

- At least a month before the trek happens a Friendship peak trekker should start preparing for it. Along with having a balanced diet, the trekker should build stamina to cover 5 km distance in 30 minutes or 10 km distance by jogging in 70 minutes without stress. For cyclists, they should be able to cover 20 km of distance in 55 minutes.

- While walking, it is recommended to carry the same weight of backpack as you'll be carrying on the friendship peak trek. Such bags are normally 10 to 12 kgs in weight and if opted for an off-load service, even then the trekker should have the practice of carrying 3-5 kgs of backpack.

- The BMI range required for friendship peak trek is 18-26, if you happen to not to fall in this BMI range, then you can consult the trek coordinator of the friendship peak trek, whose contact details are mentioned on the trek page itself.

- Packing is also a major part of the friendship peak trek preparations. Here a list of absolute essentials that you must take on Friendship peak expedition:

• A good quality UV protected sunglasses to protect from double exposure.


• A normal water bottle and a flask, since drinking a lot of water is the only way to save from AMS.


• The region of friendship peak remains cold in trekking season. Staying warm is the single most important thing. A woolen cap or peak cap to cover your head, gloves, insulated jacket, 3-4 pairs of quick dry T shirt, 3-4 pair of socks, 1 pair of woolen socks, sunscreen, fleece jacket, upper and lower thermal, neck gaiter or balaclavas, rain poncho or raincoat,some personal eatable like dryfruits and of course good quality trekking shoes are some of those things that you must carry.

Friendship Peak Trekking on the Ground Preparation

Trekking with Trek The Himalayas, especially when it's a difficult trek like Friendship peak expedition, you will not have to worry about anything. From taking care of your appetite and nutrition, to settling down in the best campsite, to providing you with expedition equipment like - snow boots, ice axes, harness, helmets, ropes, boots and crampons etc, we take care of it all. All you need to do is to listen and obey the trek leader. Since the chances of AMS is high on the Friendship peak Trek, here it's important to be well-fed and follow all the acclimation activities - hiking in higher altitude and sleeping in the lower altitude. All these things will make sure that you make it to the friendship peak summit.

Conclusion

Friendship peak expedition, despite it being considered a preparatory trek for higher expedition it has everything that one would want in a wholesome trek. Camping by the river, star gazing, the thrill of walking on snow, heavenly sunrise, the spirit of team efforts and of course great food on treks. All you have to do is to make yourself ready for this trek physically and mentally. The Friendship peak expedition awaits you in the lap of the Himalayas.