Project Miyar

The Indian Yosemite

Miyar Valley | Himachal Pradesh

Alpine Rock Climbing | Mountaineering
Big Wall Climbing | Ski Touring | Backpacking

Miyar Valley, also known as Indian Yosemite, is a very remote and fairly inaccessible valley at the extreme western corner of the large district of Lahaul and Spiti, in the state of Himachal Pradesh, India. Popularly known as Valley of flowers among the locals, Miyar is also religiously historical. This glacier stretches a further 24 km up to the high Kang La Jot (5468m) and beyond it to the Zanskar valley in Ladakh. It’s an infrequent area similar to Zanskar and local people in the area follow Buddhist customs and are mainly shepherds and farmers. Miyar Valley trek is of moderate difficulty. The Miyar valley is comparatively easy to

reach by road and there are plenty of interesting things to explore which are still hidden to the outside world. A place full of huge rock faces and countless routes and a hardly crowded region. Our project is to explore and build a guide book, which can be accessible to the community with all the required details that can possibly be acquired there. We have been into the valley quite a few times now but the weather in this area is unpredictable and it leaves us with only a couple of days for exploration. The Miyar Valley has had a legendary status in climbers’ imaginations for decades. On all the sides of the river, there are snow-covered peaks abound, many of them remain unclimbed. There are more than 100+ peaks located in the whole region, most of them are virgin & waiting for their first ascent. Out of these around, 40+ peaks have been documented as summited or repeated via multiple routes in past years. Some of the most beautiful and most jagged ones are in Chhudong valley. You can only see these after a stiff hike up the side valley above Phalpu to the base of dominant Castle Peak and then perhaps up the incredible Chhudong/Tawa Glacier to Neverseen Tower at nearly 6,000m. For many of the peaks in the Miyar valley, there are no records of prior ascents. We also oftentimes find no evidence of other humans visiting the summits of peaks before.

Phase I - Exploration of the Area

Walking into the vast valley

Since 2016, we’ve ventured into the valley five times, both with clients and for exploratory purposes. Each trip has been a meticulous effort to identify and record potential peaks and routes for future expeditions. Our comprehensive understanding of the valley’s terrain and associated expedition timelines is now robust and detailed.

Phase ii - Further exploring the Area

Exploring the sub valleys

During our exploration of the Miyaar Valley’s sub-valley, we discovered a plethora of intriguing peaks and climbing routes that piqued our interest. The landscape’s unique topography offered a stimulating challenge, drawing us in with its promise of further discoveries. The richness of this uncharted territory has inspired us to schedule another visit. In our upcoming exploration, we aim to delve deeper into this fascinating sub-valley, charting out more areas, further detailing intriguing peaks, and planning potential climbing lines. Our objective is to unlock its full potential and broaden the scope of our future expeditions.

We are Currently working on a exploration expedition to complete Phase 2 of this very project. We will update this page about the progression of the project in a timely manner.

Phase iiI - Attempting multiple peaks in the region

Climbing Expedition - Targeting multiple peaks in one go

Once we have thoroughly documented the terrain and gathered all the necessary data about the Miyaar Valley, our plan is to attempt a multi-peak ascent in a single approach. This ambitious endeavor relies on our in-depth understanding of the valley and efficient planning, allowing us to capitalize on our resources and time effectively. Our knowledge of potential climbing lines and peak sequences will be instrumental in this unprecedented adventure, promising an exciting blend of challenge and discovery. Anyone interested in joining us in this expedition is more then welcome.

Know Before you Go

Approach to Miyar Valley might look very easy and somewhat accessible, in reality the long walk to the village during the emergency requires a long There are not many backup options available so you are suggested to plan your expedition accordingly, and if not seek for some professional help. There are only two locals (One in Udaipur & One in Khanjar) who provides guiding and logistics service. Since you are not required to accquire permit for climbing

in this region, you are suggested to notify someone reliable or local authority or even Indian Mountaineering Foundation. Apart from the main valley all the sub valleys are full of scree & boulders, which requires careful navigation. Choose your objectives according to your technical Level, remember “A good climber is one who is alive”. Locals are very sensitive about the exploration of the region, they don’t support any kind of exploitation. For the very same reason, Miyar remains the undeterred beauty. We would like to keep it as is.

We warmly welcome experienced, team-oriented climbers to join our expeditions. If you're interested in joining us on this exciting journey (projected for September 2024), please feel free to reach out to us.

project miyar