Milam Glacier

Eight days up the Gori gorge on the old Tibet trade route — through ghost villages to the ice that feeds a river.

Highest point: 4,268 m — glacier snout
Duration: 8 days ex-Munsiyari
Grade: Challenging
Season: May–Jun · Sep–Oct
Price: Quote on request

Overview

The road the traders
left behind.

For centuries the Johar valley ran mule caravans over the passes to Tibet. When the border closed in 1962, its prosperous villages — Milam, Burfu, Rilkot — slowly emptied. Today their stone lanes stand silent under Nanda Devi East, one of trekking's great time capsules.

The trail follows the Gori Ganga from Munsiyari through a gorge that tightens to a slot of spray and cliff, then opens into high pasture. At its head: the Milam Glacier, among Kumaon's largest, calving the river you've walked beside for a week.

This is a long, honest trek — big daily distances, rocky moraine, ledge trails. You should have prior multi-day trek experience and solid fitness. We run it with full camp support.

Trekkers roped up and cramponed on the snow slopes towards Milam Glacier

Day by day

The route card

DAY1 Arrive Munsiyari 2,200 m

Road from Kathgodam (~11 hrs) or Pithoragarh. Gear check, Panchachuli sunset from the ridge. Night in guesthouse.

DAY2 Munsiyari → Lilam 1,850 m

Descend to the Gori and enter the gorge. A deceptively gentle first day into the valley's mouth.

DAY3 Lilam → Bogudiyar 2,450 m

The gorge day — waterfalls, cliff galleries and the river roaring below the trail.

DAY4 Bogudiyar → Rilkot 3,130 m

The valley widens; first big views as the trail climbs past Mapang towards old Johar country.

DAY5 Rilkot → Milam village 3,420 m

Through Burfu's abandoned lanes to Milam — once 500 households on the Tibet road, now a handful of seasonal hearths and an ITBP post.

DAY6 Glacier day 4,268 m

Morning walk over moraine to the glacier snout, where the Gori is born grey and thunderous. Nanda Devi East fills the skyline. Return to Milam.

DAY7 Milam → Bogudiyar 2,450 m

Long descent retracing the valley — knees earn their keep.

DAY8 Bogudiyar → Munsiyari 2,200 m

Out of the gorge and up to Munsiyari for hot food and a view of how far you went.

Weather buffer recommended — keep a spare day. Ralam valley and Nanda Devi East Base Camp variants available for strong teams.

Border-zone trail. The upper Johar valley requires permit formalities and ID checks at ITBP posts — we handle the paperwork. Carry government ID and passport photos.

What's covered

Inclusions & exclusions

Included

Full camping support — tents, kitchen, crew
All meals on trail
Permit formalities
ICE guide and high-altitude first-aid
Mules/porters for common equipment

Not included

Travel to/from Munsiyari
Personal gear (list provided) and personal porterage
Travel insurance

Pairs well with

Khaliya Top (acclimatisation warm-up from Munsiyari) · Chhipla Kedar · All tours & treks

Full camp support · small teams

Walk a valley
history forgot.

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