[WheelWake]

Hi guys!
I just completed my trip del-rishikesh-dehradun-mussorie.

Meerut bypass road seems to be in a mess and was forced to take Ganga canal road for forward and return journey. While going to Rishikesh I got stuck in for 45 mins on Ganga canal road due to a bottleneck at junction. Nobody was willing to give an inch to others, very poor sense of driving.
On return trip I tried avoiding canal road but gmaps was showing +1hr on Meerut bypass due to road closure. So took NH 334 and then 334b to get to Ganga canal road and then had to take village road towards Rawli road in the end to get to bypass after the canal-Meerut bypass junction. There were traffic police trying to manage the traffic but it was too much for them to handle. Thankfully one of them suggested me to take the village road. I hardly lost anytime due to this. I will suggest all to actively use gmaps and take canal road and then 334b to nh334 main highway for route towards Dehradun and vice versa for return.

In Rishikesh i was heading to parmartha niketan where gmaps suggested me through jungle route instead of the regular ram jhula parking. Although this is only for residents, they somehow allowed me the access as I was running very close to Aarti time.

Rest of the road was a breeze through Dehradun and Mussourie. However, please note driving within Mussourie and Landour is very tricky. Landour last bit stretch is too narrow and one can just hope to not get much opposite side traffic. I was stuck at a decent incline for 30 mins and there wasn't more than .5 inch between the cars from the opposite side. With valley on the other side, not for the newbies for sure.

Btw, It snowed a bit in Mussourie the night before we checked in.

[SS-Traveller]

Since I've quit my daily trip to Modinagar / Meerut in 2016, I haven't been on this stretch at all. End of this month, I might need to go to Dehradun, and the road updates on this thread seem a little worrisome.

Originally Posted by WheelWake

Meerut bypass road seems to be in a mess...

Why so? Some kind of roadwork in progress? Where? What time of the day was this, when you were travelling?

Originally Posted by WheelWake

...and was forced to take Ganga canal road for forward and return journey.

Used to be a not-so-nice road to take, in comparison to the regular highway, although I had regularly used it for years from muradnagar to Modinagar, just because it avoided the traffic through Modinagar town. How is the surfacing on the Ganga Canal Road nowadays?

Originally Posted by WheelWake

While going to Rishikesh I got stuck in for 45 mins on Ganga canal road due to a bottleneck at junction.

Which junction?

Originally Posted by WheelWake

However, please note driving within Mussourie and Landour is very tricky. Landour last bit stretch is too narrow and one can just hope to not get much opposite side traffic.

Wider the car, more the trouble! Have faced this while heading towards the Landour clock tower a couple of times.

On the way back from Mussoorie / Dehradun, on the Delhradun-Chhutmalpur Road, there was supposed to be a new tunnel recently inaugurated, to ease the congestion near the Hanuman Mandir. How is the traffic situation there now?

[WheelWake]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

Why so? Some kind of roadwork in progress? Where? What time of the day was this, when you were travelling?
Used to be a not-so-nice road to take, in comparison to the regular highway, although I had regularly used it for years from muradnagar to Modinagar, just because it avoided the traffic through Modinagar town. How is the surfacing on the Ganga Canal Road nowadays?
Which junction?
On the way back from Mussoorie / Dehradun, on the Delhradun-Chhutmalpur Road, there was supposed to be a new tunnel recently inaugurated, to ease the congestion near the Hanuman Mandir. How is the traffic situation there now?

GMaps suggested avoiding road closure, so i believe there is a WIP on road.
Onward journey I would be there around 12 noon and return i was there in evening around 7PM. Evening as expected was the worst (GMaps said 1hr+).

Ganga canal road i found quite sorted with few speedbreakers and pot holed junctions (acceptable). If you are driving in the dark do note that there are unmarked bottlenecks and one has to be careful.

I remember crossing one tunnel which was part of the jungle area towards Saharnpur from Dehradun. I saw pedestrians walking on road inside the dark tunnel! Also, this road is totally cratered in other stretches and lot of diversions and work going on. Roorkee route in comparison was better, barring the traffic.

[jalsa777]

I will be doing this trip next week. Will be driving from Mumbai to Dhanolti - Haridwar and back.

Originally Posted by WheelWake

Hi guys!
I just completed my trip del-rishikesh-dehradun-mussorie.

In Rishikesh i was heading to parmartha niketan where gmaps suggested me through jungle route instead of the regular ram jhula parking. Although this is only for residents, they somehow allowed me the access as I was running very close to Aarti time.

Did you use gMaps throughout? Should one follow through on the village roads it sometimes shows? Can you elaborate more on this jungle route that you're talking about?

Are the roads and the area in general safe overall ? (in terms of personal safety, i'm travelling with 5 ladies and just 2 guys and the folks are worried)

Originally Posted by WheelWake

Rest of the road was a breeze through Dehradun and Mussourie. However, please note driving within Mussourie and Landour is very tricky. Landour last bit stretch is too narrow and one can just hope to not get much opposite side traffic. I was stuck at a decent incline for 30 mins and there wasn't more than .5 inch between the cars from the opposite side. With valley on the other side, not for the newbies for sure.

Which car were you driving?

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

Wider the car, more the trouble! Have faced this while heading towards the Landour clock tower a couple of times.

I'll be travelling in a Tata Hexa, is that too wide to be comfortable? Travelling to Dhanolti and maybe even further.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by jalsa777

I'll be travelling in a Tata Hexa, is that too wide to be comfortable? Travelling to Dhanolti and maybe even further.

Not really. Even Tata 407s take that road. It's only a matter of anticipation on a couple of narrow switchbacks. Once one halts completely, a not-used-to-steep-roads kind of driver often has difficulty moving away, without leaving a heady fragrance of clutch burn!

[desiaztec]

Folks, any latest updates for the Delhi- Dehradun road condition? I'm leaving for Dehradun on 22nd March (a day after Holi) with my Wife and son. On our way back to Delhi, we plan to visit Paonta Sahib Gurudwara. Please suggest me the appropriate routes.

[shobhit.shri]

Originally Posted by jalsa777

Are the roads and the area in general safe overall ? (in terms of personal safety, i'm travelling with 5 ladies and just 2 guys and the folks are worried)

I am also in the same boat. Did you take the trip, how was it? Any major concerns?

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

Not really. Even Tata 407s take that road. It's only a matter of anticipation on a couple of narrow switchbacks. Once one halts completely, a not-used-to-steep-roads kind of driver often has difficulty moving away, without leaving a heady fragrance of clutch burn!

I am going only till Mussorrie, should I still be worried about narrow passages and steep climbs?

Originally Posted by desiaztec

Folks, any latest updates for the Delhi- Dehradun road condition? I'm leaving for Dehradun on 22nd March (a day after Holi) with my Wife and son.

How was your trip? I am also planning the same trip and would want to know the preferred route, road conditions, and any other information you think would be useful.

[desiaztec]

Originally Posted by shobhit.shri

I am also in the same boat. Did you take the trip, how was it? Any major concerns?



I am going only till Mussorrie, should I still be worried about narrow passages and steep climbs?



How was your trip? I am also planning the same trip and would want to know the preferred route, road conditions, and any other information you think would be useful.

Shobhit, I took the Delhi-Meerut elevated highway to the Upper Ganga Canal road which is about 62 Km till one of the popular highway joints of the area 'Cheetal' which is also located on the highway near Khatauli. Avoid this road is you are travelling post sun set, during day light you should be fine. There are no resting stops in this stretch of 62ish Km.

From Khatauli, you can take the highway into Deoband through Muzafar Nagar which is a fabulous highway with near empty stretches. Be aware there are no resting areas for another 100 Km or so. I took this route while coming back from Dehradun. Owing to the fact that the area is notorious, I avoided stopping in between, but then this is West Uttar Pradesh, you need to be careful all throughout. This is the route recommended. While going to Dehradun, I took the route via Roorkee, and that my friend is in terrible terrible condition, AVOID.

Regarding Mussoorie, I tried going there twice, but each time I got traffic congestion, hence I avoided. Sahastradhara too was avoided, traffic congestion while entering the spot made me feel nauseated, I feel claustrophobic in such situations.

You could visit Rajaji National park, Rolling monastery, Robber's cave and the Dehradun Zoo (Malsi Deer Park). There is not much to do in Dehradun other than going to these places. If you are keen on driving in the hills, you could go towards Mal Devta and beyond, negligible traffic here and about 40 minutes from Dehradun.

My only wise suggestion to you is to travel during day while going and coming back from Dehradun, avoid night journey. You would be fine.

Enjoy your trip.

[Wanderer]

Hello everyone. This being my first post on the forum would request you to excuse and pinpoint any mistakes made.
I did a trip to Mussoorie and Dhanaulti from Gurgaon this Good Friday weekend. From Delhi, I crossed through Hauz Khas, turned left from DND flyover and then turned right over Yamuna river for the Delhi-Meerut Expressway, then switched to Raj Nagar Extension Elevated Road until the National Highway crossing, took a left onto the NH and drove till the next culvert over the canal, where I took a left for the Upper Ganges Canal Road. Crossed Khatauli and then came the tricky crossing (Rampur Tiraha) of Muzaffarnagar, where you need to take a little left and then right to come up on the Saharanpur Road.
There is a Rs.130 toll (non-Fastag) to be paid near Deoband. This road goes straight to Gagalheri, which is a T-junction and I took right for Dehradun and onwards to Mussoorie. One major suggestion is that, if you want to enter Mussoorie on a weekend, please do so before 9 in the morning or after 8 in the evening because of the HUGE traffic. There is an ongoing construction for a car-park just before Mussoorie town along with the round-about in front of Mussoorie Library is a nightmare for motorists and their respective clutch plates but fun for onlookers. I was lucky to reach by 9.30 in the morning on a holiday and face minimal traffic.
Roads till Gagalhedi from Delhi are in top-notch condition, including Upper Ganges Canal Road, which I crossed at 4-4.30 in the morning with no sunlight but saw police outposts and patrolling vehicles at every crossing.
Gagalheri to Rajaji National Park is under construction at many places and takes a toll on the suspension. Roads inside Rajaji National Park which I had to cross before entering Dehradun was pretty scenic but bone-jarring. Dehradun to Mussoorie is quite wide with very few narrow strips but full of potholes and uneven surfaces. From Mussoorie to Kempty Falls and to Dhanaulti, the roads are 90% smooth but narrow and I had to be especially careful of the notorious cars (mainly non-UK) which even try to overtake on bends and are driven by hugging both the up and down lanes. Also, I saw vehicles being parked just on the crest of a hairpin bend or on a blindspot of a turn.
On the return journey, it was the same route except that there was a blockage on the Upper Ganges Canal Road, and I had to take the Meerut highway, where the traffic was pathetic. There is an underconstruction flyover just before Meerut Bypass which holds up the traffic. Then there was Muradnagar and Modinagar thoroughfares which added salt to the wound. So much so that, I had covered last 60 Kms in 3-3.5 hours. Also a point to note, the Toll Plaza before Meerut informed me that my Fastag was blacklisted and took cash from me, minutes after which I received an SMS from HDFC Bank (my Fastag provider) that the same amount has been deducted. So please be aware of such careless practices of the toll operators (probably I shouldn't generalise but still it is safe to be aware).
Food joints are a plenty between Gagalheri to Chhutmalpur and Muzaffarnagar and Deoband. Can't say so about any well established petrol pump until Dehradun. I filled up from a BPCL pump at Mussoorie located at the crossing of Chamba-Mussoorie Road and Ram Krishan Marg (way to Dhanaulti)
Oh! and my chariot was a 5.4 years and 74000 Kms old companion of mine, one VW Shadow Blue Polo 1.2 TDI - CL.

[jalsa777]

Originally Posted by shobhit.shri

I am also in the same boat. Did you take the trip, how was it? Any major concerns?



I am going only till Mussorrie, should I still be worried about narrow passages and steep climbs?



How was your trip? I am also planning the same trip and would want to know the preferred route, road conditions, and any other information you think would be useful.

The roads in the hills are safe, no worries. As per SS traveller's advice, we didn't venture on the plains during sun down hours. So, plan accordingly.

Don't worry about narrow roads. You should be fine on the main roads. On side roads, as long as you have a good judgement, you should be fine. I took the Hexa onto some very interior roads and was more or less fine except this one time when i obviously ventured onto a road which was only meant for bikes (from which i had to reverse out obviously).

I used a mix of google maps, here maps (HereWeGo) and good old fashioned asking the locals. Google maps was showing some closed roads which in-fact were open and Here maps took me on the bike route mentioned above. Network is very bad up in the hills so i recommend downloading offline maps on HereWeGo. Was very useful.

[h3mnzu]

Here I will talk a little more about moving beyond Mussoorie. Everytime I park in Mussoorie, I think about people who are driving beyond in the hills, in fact, I find myself praying for their safe journey!

We all have done this. Going further and exploring is natural to humans, and I post this with an intention to do it with safety and joy.

The monsoons are here since a fortnight, and this puts additional pressure on the driving part. Newer drivers are advised to talk to fellow drivers to get a better sense of the hill circuit, which is getting better day by day. It's not impossible to cross Mussoorie and end up in nearby hills, totally soaking up the nature and the chilling fresh air.

Petrol or Diesel, CNG or Electric; planning is key. Even if you know the routes, you still have to plan stops for fuel or food. There are plans to add permanent EV charging stations enroute once the Meerut Highway is completely built end to end.

From Delhi, it's a joyride if you don't travel on a weekend. Also, please note that approaching Uttarakhand, you will get tired and disoriented due to a slight change in altitude. A common feeling is ears popping, and if you experience this more than 2 times, make sure you come to a complete halt, engine switched off (to cool it) and your body rested for a little while (to cool it too).

It takes more time than a chai break to adjust, so make sure you are not drowsy or disoriented when the roads are on an incline. There are many entry points to Uttarakhand, each with varying level of difficulty. The road to Mussoorie is technically not a highway, and neither does it have any scientific alignment. You are bound to get tired on this 32 kilometer stretch. Take breaks, if you don't, the last 5 kilometers will be too mechanical and you'll experience fatigue and leg pain.

Maintain proper distance if you drive an automatic. Some cars with delayed response to automatic gearbox can make it dangerous to get away from parking or to take an unplanned u-turn. Remember, if you frequently change the driving mode in an automatic, even hill-assist or launch-assist needs a second to adjust. Too rapid shifting to R, D or Neutral in an automatic while taking u-turn or parking parallel on inclines/slopes needs practice. It's advised if you have an automatic, to practice a u-turn in an empty slope of a mall/basement before you're confident of the capability of your vehicle.

First timers may need additional rest (and there is nothing wrong about knowing your own endurance limits), in order to have a safe and enjoyable journey.

The monsoons are taking a huge hit on the All-Weather Road Project/Char-Dham Road Project in Uttarakhand since early July 2019. Soon we will be moving beyond Mussoorie, and it will take equal time to move beyond Rishikesh with these roads.

There are plans to upgrade the Mussoorie-Dhanolti-Tehri route too, yet it won't be four-laned The tarmac is already good, so let's just expect better signages, curbs and upgradation to night-driving here.

As you may know, the four-laning/road widening work involved cutting of the rocky side of the roads and building of checks/bunds where required. The rock blasting resulted in piles of debris which were managed during the peak tourist season on hourly basis. During monsoons, do not expect much machinery to proactively help fellow road users. Too much debris removal may also result in additional landslides/muck due to simple physics and wonders of rain, so it's advised that you understand the piles of exposed rocks, muck and rocky shards are left on the sandy flats for a reason. And there's a schedule the contractor sticks to per their experience and as per the availability of materials and manpower to quickly lay the tarmac before the underlying surface is further degraded by natural forces and decay.

However, we all may benefit from reduced dust and the serene greenery on the route. The Char Dham pilgrimage sites are open till November, after which the Gods themselves are known to retreat before the onset of winters to alternate temples. This retreat happens with much pomp and fanfare, although the routes are still through villages and not main highways, this retreat is a hidden gem, taking one through meadows and hamlets on foot (there's no other way) for a couple of days. I'm sure this retreat procession will get many attendees once the highway roads themselves give the tourists a chance to stay longer and enjoy the local ways of life.

As a caution, short trips commencing 120 kilometers before the pilgrimage sites are very welcoming for long drives and those who just want (need) to escape the city.

Do note a few things:
1. Do not depend on your wifi when you enter the state. We just don't have much wifi connectivity. Not even in major towns. Cellular Data is fine, if you get network.

2. Having 2/3 different carrier sim cards helps if you need to be in touch with folks back at office/home. Well everyone these days has dual sims, so it's okay. Make sure your data and roaming-data is on at all times, and be double sure to have a recharge that lasts additional 5 days, for those on postpaid, get additional data pack because of poor/no wifi except at big hotels. And there are not many big hotel/branded chains of hotels providing wifi to update your windows 10 laptop! Yes, if you carry a laptop to plan/upload photos/surf while you stay, turn on data saver mode by any means.

3. Make sure your car battery is in good condition. If older than 3 years, consider getting it thoroughly checked/cleaning contacts and having vaseline/battery grease and if you have additional devices/wiring, check their earthing and just ask your local FNG assistant to open fuse box and simply remove every fuse and reattach them if your car is regularly dusty and rattling. If you have had any problem with lights in the past, consider having them replaced. It's important because the hills don't come with street lighting. If you are stuck somewhere at night, expect moonlight to help you. If you ask what I do in such situations; I carry a reflector tape roll in my dash. Also at night drives in emergency situations, I may consider driving with the reflector triangle in the front cabin, rather than in the back of the car (especially during rainy weather). Some people get their suspension checked before such trips. It's a good habit, but also make sure to use the proper phrase such as 're-torque my suspension,' 'check-only,' 'left front, right front, left rear, right rear.' The idea is not to un-necessarily replace something which is not faulty. A little rattle here and there won't need immediate replacement, let it endure another ride unless you plan to go to China border! If you still suspect some fault with the vehicle and insist on replacement, do ride it atleast 30 kilometers as a test/daily drive before embarking on a long trip. It's a regular occurrence that after replacing/repairing for one thing, some other part is disturbed by the mechanics and sometimes they simple open things up and forget to properly secure the other parts which had to be removed to access the troubled part of the vehicle. Make sure you drive your vehicle for atleast 30 kilometers after any major repair, since driving home may not cover a good distance.

4. Please don't get fooled by nice photos, videos of hills by random people and unverified sources. Tour operators (i have nothing against them) often circulate such videos and photos and when they eventually reach us, we decide to go on a holiday trip. It's such a waste of human effort to only rely on some photo or driving video and embark on a multi-day excursion. What you may do instead is to plan for a shorter trip (since mountains are irresistible) and not push yourself to do an additional 50 kilometers. In plains, you might do another 250 kms and yet have a good long drive. In mountains, the terrain takes it's toll on you and you put other road users at risk if you're too tired and unable to manage disorientation. I really pity such people, and even if I find such stranded tourists, I find them unable to seek help and just make fools of themselves. Please understand that it's your responsibility to drive in the best of your health and have a joyful return journey too. Overtime, even local folks may turn unhelpful if every third person on the road is pushing themselves beyond their limit and always confused and abusive of lack of facilities in the hills. The locals are already put off by a few number-plates, and I think people can be good to others and earn back their respect so much that the locals can again praise the tourists, it's something money can't buy.

Repeat good behaviour can earn respect and humans don't form opinions if they don't repeatedly notice ill manners from fellow tourists. Again, I emphasise that it's not about money, but respecting the local folks.

5. So that brings us to the question: Where in Uttarakhand can I go, if I follow the good practices, be mindful of respecting locals and need to go on a long excursion apart from Mussoorie?

You may do Mussoorie any day, but be careful on night drives. Many roads simply do not have street lights once you escape Delhi! It's a surprise to many young drivers, just out of college and needing a quick getaway. Google maps can suggest routes which are sparsely used, so make sure you add 'waypoints' to your map route and save the map or add/save it to home-screen before commencing journey. If you add waypoints (add stop option in burger menu>add stop), google maps will not re-route you. For example, I add modinagar, sardhana, deoband, gagalheri, dehradun, rajpur to the mussoorie route. It keeps me on the better alternative of a dual carriageway highway (which is in construction at many points) upto Saharanpur and keeps me alert and at a nearly constant speed. If you take alternate routes, you're most welcome to add your comments on the overall connectivity and lower toll charges. If you discover newer fooding options, that input will immensely help.

6. Alternative to Mussoorie:
Nainital is a big caution since parking is not allowed in Main town. It's no use parking 5-10 kilometers before the town and call yourself a road-tripper. But, if you bypass Nainital, you reach Almora! It's magical and even The Beatles had their excursions and stay at mythical Neem Karoli Baba's Ashram there. Ramnagar, Mukteshwar, Almora get some of the best tourists experiences in India. It needs more days as compared to a quick Mussoorie trip, but you will be as satisfied if you do this route.

7. Alternative to Mussoorie: Pithoragarh, Kumaon. We call it the 'tutions' for Ladakh. If you do this stretch, and manage to plan an itinerary which doesn't hurt, there are more chances you will have a decent Leh/Ladakh trip. The terrain is not as tough, but the remoteness and loneliness will make you test your endurance and graceful nature at the same time. I say this because many fellow car and bike owners have gone to their Leh/Ladakh without ever having a 2 day road trip! I'm told their experience of not packing rice, having forgotten to pack a raincoat/extra pair of shoes/tool kit/ fuel/jerrycan/sunglasses or just plain old badluck and quarrels with fellow riders was only because they never ever had to go on a road trip longer than 4-6 hours. So with this route, you learn to plan, coordinate, and develop a problem solving attitude.

8. What to do if Mussoorie is jammed and there are barricades on the route?

This happens frequently during New Year Eve/ major festivals.

Read the local newspapers, search it on mobile. Notice the traffic flow, stop and ask returning taxi-wallahs and those who stop over while returning. If you notice a jam, it's best to immediately turn back 3 kilometers (since your point of return will be jammed in no time) and pack some food, plan for the delay. If the jams keep clogging the roads, you may return to Rajpur and then enquire the local folks who miraculously keep in touch with their peers stating higher up.

Notice for any discussion of local taxi drivers at small dhabas and they might pinpoint you the issue and give you a better sense of the delay. In this case, they might tell you what the traffic-police-plan is up to, or whether there is a landslide blocking the route.

A bad jam is one that lasts longer than 3 hours. Yet, you may be required to drive in 2nd gear to get out of it. So it takes a total of 4 hours to be at smooth moving traffic again.

If you see traffic barricades closed and heavy police presence, return immediately and replan your trip. There may be a medical emergency for some and ambulances may need to get through. You'll want to avoid this scenario.

Even while in Mussoorie, you'll notice traffic jams, and thus it's advised to have an extra head of 45 minutes before you become impatient.

9. Why don't I ever complete Delhi-Mussoorie stretch in the time suggested by Google Maps?

It happens to a lot of people. Google Maps can suppose your average speeds at 90 kilometers per hour on highways and at 60 kilometers per hour on the hill stretches. This is a default setting and comes from US/European standards. It can't imagine a bullock cart carrying hay or a truck moving at 12 kmph, blocking traffic. Further, Voogle Maps can only imagine to suggest a time covered by the other google map users, and adjust delays accordingly. Sometimes in the hills, there may be only 3 google map users driving for a stretch of 30 kilometers and that's an awfully less number of data points.

Thus, if you use a distance/speed calculator, you'll never make it on time. As a result, you'll be late as per your plan, and you'll drive faster, and you'll soon be labelled as a rash driver by other road users.

What was at fault here? The distance/speed calculator.

What is the loss? Many. Safety, missed office, messed up itinerary.

How do I correctly plan?

I can give a few tips as per my experience:

1. Do not plan a very tight schedule. Include 45 minutes extra for each major step.

2. Plan so that you'll have extra 9 hours after returning to base/home. You'll need to sleep after completing your trip. You should atleast look like you had a holiday trip! :banghead:

3. Calculate your speed as per this rule:
Plains: 48 km/h
Hills: 24 km/h
Rough Terrains: 12 km/h

Thus of you need to drive 100 kilometers in the hills, you need: 80 kms @ 24km/h = 3.3 HRS (198 minutes)
+
20 kms @ 12km/h =1.6 HRS (96 minutes)
= Roughly 5 hours without breaks and without any traffic on the road.

If you factor in heavy traffic, some time for taking photos and 2 tea breaks of 30 minutes each, it becomes 8 hours.

You'll never again miss your deadlines, never delay checking-in to a hotel and never embarrass fellow passengers who always keep asking why it took longer than 5 hours for a 300 km trip. :sly:

So make it a thumb rule, and stick a note to the co-passenger windshield: You can cover only 100 kilometers in the hills in 8 hours under actual conditions.

And that the average speed is never over 60km/h from Delhi, and never more than 36km/h in Uttarakhand.

As a result, you often require 8-12 hours for Delhi-Mussoorie trips in actual conditions.

It's up to you to comfortably take your time, or to speed it up at the cost of discomfort or fatigue.

I'd prefer to go slow and enjoy the nature, possibly with a stopover at Rajpur in Dehradun.

[ankit0903]

Hello BHPians ,

Has anybody been on the Delhi - Yamunanagar-Paontasahib route to mussoorie lately.
Which route is better? ( Road condition wise) A few kms Up and down don't matter really.
Need a less bumpy ride.

Thanks

[c_trivedi]

Originally Posted by ankit0903

Hello BHPians ,

Has anybody been on the Delhi - Yamunanagar-Paontasahib route to mussoorie lately.
Which route is better? ( Road condition wise) A few kms Up and down don't matter really.
Need a less bumpy ride.

Thanks

Hello there,

I drove down to Dehradun from Gurgaon in June 2019 and took the route via Karnal and Yamunanagar. This route is okay, albeit longer than the conventional Meerut route. National Highway upto Karnal is good, though has a few diversions till Panipat. You need to take a right turn from the highway at Kurukshetra to get onto the state roads, passing through Radaur and Ladwa before reaching Yamunanagar. These roads are fine too. Once you enter Kalesar National Park the drive becomes quite relaxing (though I remember there were quite a few annoying speed breakers on the road through the forest; I guessed the authorities thought that's the only way to slow traffic down.). Road conditions upto and after Paonta Sahib are okay. It starts getting crowded about 30-odd km before Dehradun.

One unpleasant part of the drive, I remember, appears right after you exit Yamunanagar (while going towards Dehradun). After exiting the city, there was a bridge getting constructed on the road to Kalesar National Park, due to which the traffic was being diverted through a dirt track on the side. There was a huge traffic jam due to this as everyone was trying to jostle through, making the whole situation quite messy. I ended up taking an alternate route through some villages (Google Maps helped me) and got back on the road to Kalesar National Park after 25-30 minutes. I'm not sure if the bridge is fully constructed and operational now as I haven't driven down for almost 4 months, but if I were you I'd go with the assumption that it isn't. If you do decide to take the village detour, make sure you update Google Maps before you enter the villages as the signal becomes quite weak after you leave the state highway.

[vinukm]

Hello Friends,

I will be in Haridwar from 20 Dec to 23 Dec. I was curious to know if we can do the Nag Tibba Trek in two days on 21 and 22 Dec as we have to catch a Dellhi train on 23 Dec early Morning. Is it right time to do the trek and any chance of seeing snow there?

Also please suggest a good place to stay in Haridwar.

[h3mnzu]

Originally Posted by vinukm

Hello Friends,

I will be in Haridwar from 20 Dec to 23 Dec. I was curious to know if we can do the Nag Tibba Trek in two days on 21 and 22 Dec as we have to catch a Dellhi train on 23 Dec early Morning. Is it right time to do the trek and any chance of seeing snow there?

Also please suggest a good place to stay in Haridwar.

It's absolutely the right time to do a moderately hard winter trek, if you're experienced & prepared. If you're unprepared (or have unprepared group members) you need a local trekking guide who is based at Ontad/Thatyur. If you're totally doing it for ticking a bucket list, all alone, and never trekked in frozen hail/snow, skip the trek and go for a hike in the snow on the same route without camping and you'll be safe and enjoy just as much.

The annual climatic shift has brought snowy conditions forward and around your time of trek, it'll be rainy and you'll encounter frozen hail and black ice during dusk and dawn. Just don't sue me if it doesn't snow!

I guess you need more of an itinerary revision because:
a) Dehradun railway station is closed for reconstruction. The British built it! It served good purpose till now. All trains operate from and to Haridwar only. Pre-booked tickets require termination/boarding at Haridwar.

Some stations between Haridwar and Dehradun where the line terminates may be suggested by press news, but they have no 24 hrs tourist/taxi/waiting room facility and no digital-signage/mobile signal either.

b) Travel between NagTibba-Haridwar will be affected by the weekend rush around Suwakholi IF it snowed 3 days prior.

c)Thatyur-Ontad (base camp) is relatively sparsely visited by vehicles. But this doesn't mean you'll find jams and delays right upto Haridwar. It can take anywhere between 2-5 hours from your base camp to Haridwar.

d) You have not mentioned any personal vehicles in your query. Hence the off topic emoticon.

Considering the train as a vehicle mentioned in the commute, it leaves you with very poor options of delays and a robust plan for moving to and fro your planned destination of the peak.

But I'm sure you can tick all the prerequisites like climb high during the day/sleep low, snow trek, good choice of location.

The first time I went to Mussoorie, the parking staff had ample time to chat with me. This person said, "You need a commute and a means to be safe and snug at night in the mountains. You can choose the commute, there are so many options, but it'll only waste your time, no matter if it's a bike or an SUV or a mini-bus." And then I asked him if I can sleep in my car and he said, "Try sleeping in the car at your own home, in your place. It's impossible. The next day, you can't even do routine things like office/commute or stay active. And if it's so hard to sleep in the car when at home and doing routine life; this is a holiday trip, and it's about the dry/wet mountain and the temperature." I took the advice and tried to limit my sightseeing, respected the time and anticipated delays while returning. I think it was the best 2 cents ever.

When I would return home, everyone would worry why I returned so early and everyone wondered if I even had taken the trip.

It's funny these days if you suceed to meticulously stick to a time schedule.

In a train, you can't make loco pilot to reach early or depart late. That's why we like and love cars so much. They move only when we want them to.

When it snows, they won't move where you point the steering, they move according to the physics.

You can check about snow from weather apps on mobile phones. Apps provide a comprehensive outlook in a comparable visualization and predictions. About snow, you can actually only decide if you can get a photo from someone on location. In the photo you can only know the conditions prevailing at the time photo was taken.
It's a fact captured at a point of time. If you actually reach the spot, that condition may have changed, become better or worse and you can then compare the weather apps and the photo/phone call data, which is valid only for that particular day.

I use the radar feature in a a reputed weather app. I then compare the temperature trends. There has been 1 spell of coarse snow at your base camp, which is melting completely in a day or two as per my estimate and prediction. This means the next heavy spell of snow will be in a window of +15-20 days and it coincides with your plans.

Do pack/carry heavy woollens and tech-inners/base layers around this month of December. In Delhi winter, I can still run around in shorts and sneakers, but not in Uttarakhand.

Also expect to be completely alone on the hilltop at this time (boarding school treks happen during summer-time). Make sure you carry 2 high quality woollen cap+thick muffler set to protect neck and chest area from an incapacitating blizzard that happens just before a snow-spell. Prefer full rise woollen socks and a +1 size trekking shoe (regular shoe/office shoe/sneakers become too tight with heavy socks). Even if you're not dressed for the weather, you can atleast walk to safety if you have a great and working pair of footwear which you have thoroughly tested beforehand (mainly by wearing it with the thick socks/two socks and making sure they'll work when you need them).

Pro-Tip: I'll invest in good leather hand gloves if I'm to be useful to others in cold weather. I'll always try to use UV protective glasses or polarized sunglasses if I plan to be outdoors for f
more than 5 hours. It helps to minimize the fatigue.

I think this will serve others too who plan similar activities or a casual drive to see snow.

As a matter of fact, a tourist doesn't experience the same fatigue as a local when it snows. It's because a local person is going through gradations of low emperatures in the hills during winter, it takes a toll on the performance too.

Compared to this, any trekker with a slow and acclimated climb rarely feels cold because they're exposed to if only for those specific days. Hence, the tourists are a appear a little extra bouncy and the locals try to bog them down with fear and precautions which the tourist report to be of no use!