Our trek, negotiating six passes, traverses through mixed sub-tropical coniferous forests, high grasslands, Juniper, Rhododendrons and desolate high Himalayan pastures while providing breathtaking views of the great peaks on the Tibet frontier. We also see quaint Monpa villages and the Tawang Monastery while interacting with locals there.

Tour Profile

Our tour starts from Guwahati Airport in Assam. The modern highway which connects the Brahmaputra Valley to Tawang (3048m) encounters three ridges, all of them running roughly West to East. Of these the most formidable is the Sela Ridge rising up to 4900 meters and crossed by the highway via the Sela pass at 4267 meters, Towards the North and the East beyond Tawang the mountains ridges rise up to the Himalayan watershed enclosing Tawang in a horseshoe, marked by the peaks of Gori Chen at 6500 meters from one side and Kangdo at 7090 meters from the other.In ancient days to cross over the Himalayan watershed from Tibet over the Tukung-la pass the traders traveled along a different route. Descending down the head waters of the Tawang Chhu River they crossed the Sela ridge along a yak trail, with their caravans of wool, skins, precious stones and yak butter to reach the barter markets in Assam. Here they exchanged their loads for salt, tea, cloth, and other commodities. This route was first explored by British surveyors led by F.M. Bailey in 1913 - and came to be called ‘The Bailey Trail’. In 1962 the Chinese army used this route to strike deep into Arunachal Pradesh.
Our trek starts from the Dirang River Valley at Chander at an elevation of 2530m. Over seven days it follows the “Bailey trail” to cross the 4550 high Tse la Pass and then diverts along the general alignment of the massive Sela Ridge, making its way through a series of interlocking valleys connected through several passes to reach the highway at the Sela pass. The route traverses through river valleys, quaint Monpa villages and desolate high Himalayan pastures, passing through a fascinating mix of terrain - mixed sub-tropical forests, coniferous forests of pine, fir, oak, and chestnut grasslands, Juniper and Rhododendrons.
There are lovely Alpine lakes and breathtaking views of Gori Chen and Kangdo peaks. From the Se la pass we drive to Tawang for a two- nights visit taking in the Tawang Monastery and to spend time exploring other sights around Tawang. Thereafter, we drive back over the Sela pass to the lovely Dirang Valley to stay for 2 nights, allowing us one full day to see the sights. Finally we take two days to return to Guwahati, driving along the highway crossing over Bomdi la pass with an overnight halt at Tezpur.