ABOUT
Sethan is an isolated village in Kullu valley, Himachal Pradesh. There have been a few hundred developed boulder problems so far with a potential for a few thousands. Although it is more popular for bouldering, it has immense potential for sport, trad and multi-pitch climbing while only a handful bolted and trad lines have been put up. Sethan sits at the base of the well-known Hamta pass trek which connects Sethan to Chhatru thus bridging two high density bouldering areas.
LOCATION
Sethan is located 16 km from Manali, Himachal Pradesh.
https://goo.gl/maps/ksPQMU2eJWGE7NF2A
ACCESS
Sethan can be accessed by road from Manali via a village named Prini up till where the road is public. The road leading up to Sethan from Prini is private and requires a permit for private vehichles. The permits can be acquired from the SDM office in Mall road, Manali. there are only 150 permits issued per day which are on first-come-first-served basis.
Prini can also be reached by local buses, taxi or an auto and the hike to Sethan from there takes 1.5-2 hours. Taxis from Manali to Sethan can also be hired and do not need permits.
The best way to reach Manali is by road or bus. There are direct busses from major cities like Delhi and Chandigarh.
The only airport nearby is in Bhuntar which is not very active due to geographical barriers.
SEASON
May-June and October-November
It is possible to start climbing in April when the spring sets in, however, it may continue to snow in this month. The summer typically lasts till start of July which marks the onset of monsoon. The weather clears up around mid September with occasional showers leading into autumn. October and November are the best months to climb with temperatures between 0°C and 15°C that drop further in November. The start of snowfall (anywhere towards the end of November to mid December) marks the end of the climbing season.
WHERE TO STAY
There are a few small guest houses that offer simplistic accommodation and food. Since phone reception is very scarce in Sethan, it is hard to contact anyone staying there without a BSNL phone.
ROCK TYPE
Primarily a mixture of granite and gneiss
TYPE OF CLIMBING
Primarily known for bouldering with grades from V0 with potential right to the top of V-Scale. Multiple V12s established. Plenty of potential for trad climbing and multi pitch as well.
PHOTOS
