- Photo: Biswarup Ganguly · CC BY 3.0
Friendship Peak + Yunam Peak Expedition
Hosted by The Crazy Mountaineers
A twelve-day alpine-style expedition from Manali climbing Friendship Peak (5,289 m) and Yunam Peak (6,111 m) back to back, with two buffer days.
Trip details
A single twelve-day expedition that climbs two Himachal summits back to back: Friendship Peak at 5,289 m above the Beas Kund cirque, then Yunam at 6,111 m off the Baralacha La. The order is the point. Friendship is climbed first from Manali, which puts several nights between 3,300 m and 4,700 m into your legs before the expedition drives north over Rohtang and Baralacha La to Bharatpur at roughly 4,700 m. That acclimatisation is what makes a 6,000 m summit bid realistic on a twelve-day schedule; attempted cold, the Bharatpur drive alone gains around 1,500 m of sleeping altitude in a day. Neither summit is a walk-up. Friendship's summit day crosses a crevassed glacier to a corniced ridge and is roped, with crampons and ice axe; a climber died there in November 2022 when an avalanche swept him 20 m below the summit and the search was abandoned because of hidden crevasses. Yunam is technically more straightforward but physiologically far more serious — the danger is the altitude and the speed at which you reach it, not the climbing. Two buffer days are built in for weather and route conditions, and summit success on either peak is never guaranteed.
What's included
- Accommodation in Manali on twin/triple sharing basis
- Accommodation and camping during the expedition
- All meals during the trekking/expedition period
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Hot tea/coffee at camps
- Manali to Dhundhi transportation
- Solang/Dhundhi to Manali transportation
- Manali to Bharatpur transportation
- Bharatpur to Manali transportation
- All required local transportation as mentioned in the itinerary
- Experienced Expedition Leader / Mountaineering Guide
- High-altitude support staff
- Technical climbing support
- Cook and support staff
- Camping equipment: high-altitude tents
- Dining tent
- Kitchen tent
- Toilet tent
- Sleeping mats
- Common technical expedition equipment
- Ropes and essential climbing equipment
- Ice axe and crampon support, wherever required
- Load ferry support
- Trekking/expedition permits and local forest charges
- Camping and campsite charges
- Porter/mule support for common expedition equipment
- First-aid and basic medical kit
- Emergency communication support
- Expedition briefing and technical orientation
- 2 buffer days for weather/route delays
Safety details & FAQ
Why climb Friendship before Yunam?
Acclimatisation. Friendship's camps put several nights between roughly 3,300 m and 4,700 m into you before the expedition drives to Bharatpur at about 4,700 m. Reaching Bharatpur cold means gaining around 1,500 m of sleeping altitude in a single day by road, which is three to five times the rate normally considered safe above 2,500 m.
Is this suitable as a first Himalayan climb?
No. Both peaks are widely marketed as beginner-friendly and the sources do not support that for either. Friendship needs roped glacier travel, crampons and an ice axe on a corniced summit ridge; Yunam is a 6,000 m expedition where altitude alone is the hazard. Independent sources ask for prior treks above 4,500 m and at least one above 5,000 m.
What happens if we miss a summit?
Two buffer days are built in for weather and route conditions. Beyond that, the expedition leader's safety call is final and summit success is not guaranteed on either peak. Turnaround times exist because the upper slopes of both mountains are broad and featureless, and route-finding failure in poor visibility is a documented cause of trouble on Yunam.
Do I need my own technical gear?
Yes for personal items. The operator supplies common expedition equipment, ropes, and ice axe and crampon support where required, but personal mountaineering and technical equipment, personal clothing, and a sleeping bag unless specifically provided are excluded and remain yours to bring.
What permits does this expedition need?
Friendship Peak requires an Indian Mountaineering Foundation trekking-peak booking plus an HP Forest Department permit from the Kullu division. Yunam's authority is unresolved — it is on the Himachal state peak register but absent from all four IMF registers. Free e-Aagman registration is separately mandatory for vehicles entering Lahaul-Spiti.
When is the road to Bharatpur open?
The Manali-Leh highway over Baralacha La is seasonal, generally open from May until the first heavy snow between mid-October and November. Independent sources put Yunam's climbing window at July to September. A departure outside that window depends on the pass remaining open and on the operator's assessment of conditions.
How fit do I need to be?
Fit enough for consecutive long days at altitude, including a summit day on Friendship of eight to fourteen hours and a Yunam summit day starting before dawn. Both peaks have documented cases of climbers turning back at or below base camp with altitude sickness before the climbing began.
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Free per spot · 9 spots left