Nanda Devi Base Camp Trek Day 1

 

Nanda Devi Base Camp Trek – Day 1: The Long Road to Munsiyari

Getting There (And Why It Matters)

Day 1 isn't technically trekking. Not even close. It's mostly sitting in a vehicle for somewhere between 10 to 14 hours, depending on where you're starting from and how the roads are behaving that day. But here's the thing – this journey is absolutely essential to the whole experience.

Most people start either from Rishikesh or Kathgodam. Rishikesh is further (about 470 km to Munsiyari), so if you're coming from there, you're looking at leaving before sunrise. Kathgodam is closer, around 275 km, which gives you slightly more breathing room. Either way, pack patience along with your trek gear.

This drive does something important though. It gradually pulls you away from the plains, from the noise and the crowds, and starts feeding you into the mountains proper. You're not just covering distance – you're transitioning into a completely different world.

The Road Itself

Let me be honest: the road conditions vary. The initial stretches are usually decent highways, but once you start climbing into the Kumaon hills, things get narrow and winding. There are sections where the road hugs cliff edges, and you'll see prayer flags fluttering at sharp turns – locals place them there for good reason.

The drive takes you through towns like Almora and Bageshwar if you're coming from Kathgodam. You'll cross the Kosi and Ramganga rivers, pass through dense pine forests that smell incredible after rain, and wind through villages where life moves at a pace that seems to belong to another century entirely.

What You'll See Along the Way

The Kumaon hills have this layered beauty. In the early stretches, you're driving through terraced fields – these impossibly neat staircases cut into hillsides where people have been growing crops for generations. Women working in fields, their bright clothes the only splash of color against the green and brown.

As you climb higher, the vegetation changes. Oak and rhododendron forests appear. During spring, those rhododendrons bloom in deep reds and pinks, and the sight is honestly stunning. Even otherwise, the forests have this quiet, ancient feel to them.

If the weather's clear – and that's a big if – you might catch your first glimpses of snow peaks. Usually, you won't see much on Day 1, but occasionally the clouds part and there they are: white summits floating above everything else. That first sight hits differently when you realize you're going to be walking toward them.

Arriving in Munsiyari or Lata Village

Munsiyari sits at about 2,200 meters (7,200 feet). It's the more common base for this trek, a small hill town that serves as the gateway to several major peaks. Some treks start from Lata Village instead, which is closer to the actual trail and sits in the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve area.

By the time you arrive, you're tired. Your back aches from the drive. Maybe you're feeling a slight headache from the altitude – that's normal. The air is noticeably thinner and cooler than where you started.

Check-in is usually straightforward. Most groups stay in guesthouses or homestays. Don't expect luxury, but the rooms are clean and the beds are actually pretty comfortable after a long drive. The important thing is to rest and let your body start adjusting.

The Village and Its People

What strikes you first is the quiet. After hours on roads with honking vehicles and busy towns, the silence in these mountain villages feels almost physical. You hear wind through trees. Dogs barking in the distance. Someone chopping wood.

The houses are traditional – stone and wood construction with sloping roofs to handle heavy snowfall in winter. Smoke curls from chimneys. The people here are primarily Kumaoni or Bhotiya communities, and they've lived in these mountains for centuries. They're friendly but not overly so, which I appreciate. They go about their work, and if you show genuine interest, they're happy to talk.

Kids stare at trekking groups with curious eyes. Old women sit in doorways, spinning wool or sorting grains. Men return from the forests carrying impossibly heavy loads of firewood on their backs, held in place by namlo straps across their foreheads.

Weather Check and Altitude Reality

At around 2,200 meters, you're not extremely high yet, but you're high enough to notice. Temperatures in Munsiyari can range quite a bit depending on the season. In summer (May-June), daytime might be 15-20°C, but it drops to 5-10°C at night. In pre-monsoon or post-monsoon seasons, expect it to be colder, possibly near freezing at night.

Some people feel completely fine at this altitude. Others get slight headaches or feel a bit off. Drink water. Avoid alcohol on the first night even if someone offers (and they might). Walk around the village a bit if you have energy, but don't overdo it.

The air quality here is remarkable if you're coming from a city. It's clean and crisp in a way that almost feels unusual to breathe.

Dinner and Evening

Dinner is usually simple but filling. Dal, rice, vegetables, chapatis. Sometimes there's local dishes – if they serve anything with bhang jeera (hemp seeds) or local greens like lingura, try it. The food is prepared fresh and tastes way better than you'd expect, probably because you're hungry and the vegetables are actually grown in these hills.

Evenings are early here. By 8 PM, most places are winding down. There's not much to do except talk with your group, maybe sit around a bukhari (the local wood-burning heater) if it's cold, and think about what's coming.

The stars, if it's clear, are incredible. City lights don't reach here, so you see the Milky Way like a brushstroke across the sky. Worth stepping outside for a few minutes before sleep.

Getting Ready for Tomorrow

Before bed, there's usually a trek briefing. Your guide will walk through the next day's route, what to pack in your daypack, and what to leave behind. Listen carefully because this is practical stuff that matters.

Check your gear. Make sure your boots are comfortable (too late to break in new ones, but check for any issues). Keep your water bottles accessible. Layer your clothing for tomorrow because mornings start cold.

Pack your daypack: water, snacks, rain jacket (always), sunscreen, basic first aid, your camera if you're bringing one. Keep it light but functional.

Set an alarm but don't stress too much about sleep. You might sleep great or terribly because of the new place and altitude. Either way, adrenaline will carry you through tomorrow.

What Day 1 Really Means

Here's the thing about this first day – it's not dramatic. You're not doing anything heroic. You're just getting from point A to point B. But it's necessary, and there's value in the transition.

You've left behind whatever life you were living down in the plains. The work emails, the traffic, the routine. By the time you reach Munsiyari or Lata, you're already somewhere completely different. The mountains are visible now, close enough that they feel real and not just pictures.

Tomorrow, you'll actually start walking toward them. But tonight, you rest in a small village at the edge of the Himalayas, with the real trek still ahead and that particular mix of nervousness and excitement that comes before something challenging and worthwhile.

That's Day 1. Long, tiring, necessary, and somehow already worth it.