Kanamo Peak vs Parang La Trek

There are two high-altitude treks in Spiti Valley which you can plan together. One is Kanamo Peak, and the other is Parang La. The base village of both treks is very close, just a 5-6 km distance. Kanamo trek starts from Kibber Village, and the Parang La trek starts from Chicham Village. This article explains how you can do both together and helps you to choose any one trek for you.

They are both close, but geographically the two treks are very different but yes, they are in the most beautiful part of Spiti Valley. One gives 360° views of the dry Himalayas of the Spiti region, and the other shows two sides of the Trans-Himalayas, which takes to rugged to more rugged.

One is a peak trek and the other is a pass trek.

 Now understand both treks in detail:

• Kanamo Peak is a trekking peak that reaches an altitude of 5985 m. It does not require any mountaineering technique, only good fitness and an acclimatisation process are required. 

• The trek starts in Kibber Village, the world’s second-highest motorable village, and is only 180 km from Manali. 

• This trek is located inside the Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary, which gives chances to witness wildlife of the Spiti region such as Foxes, Wolves, Blue Sheep, and Ibex. 

• Kibber is a beautiful village with traditional homes that mostly look similar. They are painted with whitewash, while the doors and windows are painted in red, blue, or yellow, creating a unique contrast against the brown mountains. The people of Kibber live a simple life.

• Trekking days are only three days, and the other four days include travelling and acclimatisation. 

• On the first trekking day, you go to Kanamo Peak Base Camp, then on the second day you go to Kanamo Summit and come back to base camp and on the third you will trek back to Kibber.

• The trek starts from Kibber with a moderate ascent till the base camp. Then the trek to the peak summit is definitely challenging, after 1 km from base camp, a difficult ascent starts it goes in a zig-zag path. The terrain has small bushes as vegetation and all rocky slopes.

• You will get a 360° view of the Spiti region Himalayas, Ladakh Himalayas, Shilla Peak, and Chau Chau ka Nidan Peak. 

• The trek is moderate to difficult. It is not long or technical, but its high altitude makes it challenging. More chances of AMS. Heavy breathing while trekking makes it demanding.

• If you want to summit a 5,985 m peak with comparatively less effort, this trek is for you. 

 Explore the Kanamo Peak Trek in Detail

• Parang La is a high-altitude mountain pass located at an altitude of around 5,500 m. The trek does not require technical mountaineering skills, but good fitness, proper acclimatisation, and experience with high-altitude trekking are important.

• The trek starts from Chicham Village in Spiti Valley, one of the highest inhabited villages in the region. From Chicham, the trail enters the remote high-altitude landscapes of Spiti.

• The trek passes through the Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary, where you may get an opportunity to spot wildlife of the Spiti region, such as Himalayan foxes, wolves, blue sheep, and ibex.

• The trek takes you through the remote and rugged landscapes of Spiti, with barren mountains, high-altitude valleys, rocky terrain, and very little vegetation. The landscape changes as you move towards Parang La and further towards the Ladakh side.

• The trek involves 12 to 13 days of trekking, along with travelling and acclimatisation days. Unlike Kanamo Peak, Parang La is a long-distance high-altitude pass-crossing trek.

• The trek starts from Chicham and gradually gains altitude towards Dumla and Thaltak. From there, the trail continues towards the Parang La Base Camp before the challenging climb to the pass.

• The trail becomes more challenging as you approach Parang La. The route includes steep ascents, scree, rocky sections, narrow trails, and high-altitude terrain. The climb to the pass is demanding because of the altitude and low oxygen levels.

• In the Parang La trek, you will see more Landscapes and geography such as Deep gorges, several rivers like Parilung Bi, Pare Chu and many nallahs, and Ladakh’s Changthang Valley from the pass.

• The trek is difficult to very difficult. It is not a technical mountaineering trek, but its high altitude, long trekking days, remote terrain, steep sections, and unpredictable weather make it challenging. Proper acclimatisation and good physical fitness are essential.

• If you want to experience a remote Himalayan pass crossing and trek from Spiti towards Ladakh, Parang La is for you.

Know more about Parang La Trek

You can see the Parang La trail from Kanamo Peak and Kanamo Peak from the Parang La Trail. Now you can imagine its closeness. 
The base villages for both treks are very close to each other, and sometimes Kibber is used as the base for both treks because of its proximity. The starting point is nearby, but the trails of the two treks soon separate. The Parang La Trek continues across Parang La and ends in Ladakh. 

• The altitude of Kanamo Peak is 5985 m, while Parang La is 5500 m.

• The total distance to Kanamo Peak is 27 km, which takes 3 to 4 trekking days, while the total distance to Parang La is 105 km, it takes a total of 8 to 9 trekking days, which makes Parang La harder because of being at high altitude for 8 to 9 days, with an average 12 to 15 km walk every day, which is not easy.

• Acclimatisation is mandatory in both treks. For the Kanamo trek, the process starts before you enter Spiti, from the base camp to the summit. 

• For Parang La, it is also the same, but here, you maintain the high altitude for several days. There is also a psychological factor that comes into play. As you cross the pass, you may think that the difficult part is over and that you will now start descending. However, after crossing Parang La, you continue trekking for around three more days at a similar high altitude. Because of this, the body gets less opportunity to recover, which can lead to fatigue and increase the chances of altitude-related symptoms or feeling unwell.

• This is one of the reasons why Parang La can be harder than Kanamo Peak. In Kanamo Peak, you reach the summit and then descend back to a lower altitude, giving your body more opportunity to recover. In Parang La, you remain at high altitude for several consecutive days, so the accumulated fatigue and prolonged exposure to altitude can make the trek more demanding.

August is considered the best month to do both treks because both the trek is in Spiti region, and yes, Parang La goes to Ladakh, but both regions rain shadow area. Instead of trekking anywhere else in the monsoon, trek in Spiti and Ladakh because these regions don’t get much rain. During August, both treks don’t get much snow and temperatures are also very gentle, which makes the trek a little easier. Otherwise, Mid-July to mid-September is the best window to do both treks.

Yes, it is possible to do the Kanamo Peak and Parang La Trek together. Himalaya Shelter organises these two treks as a combined adventure, making it a good option for trekkers who want to experience both high-altitude routes in one trip.

If you are planning to do the Parang La Trek, we recommend doing the Kanamo Peak trek first. Both treks have the same base village, Kibber, so you don't have to travel to a completely different starting point. This makes it easier to combine the two treks in one itinerary.

Doing Kanamo Peak first also gives your body more time to adjust to the high altitude. Kanamo Peak takes you to around 5,970 m, making it a demanding high-altitude climb. After completing Kanamo Peak, you get valuable experience walking and camping at high altitudes before starting the Parang La Trek, where you will cross the 5,500 m Parang La Pass.