[ramkya1]

Hai Friends,

During Nov- 4-20, Diwali holidays, my drive to Bhutan / Sikkim was set, suddenly realized driving through Bihar is not a risk to be taken with family during election time. So evaluating the following HP plan.

4-6th, Ahmedabad to Delhi& Chandigarh with relatives.

7 - Chandigarh - Macleogangh - Stay at Surya resorts.
Thro. Mandi - 320 KMs?
Thru. Hamirpur - Jwalaji -Kangra - 270 Kms ? Which route is better .
8 - In and around there
9 - In and around there
10-Macleogangh - Dalhousie - 125 kms - Better Route?

Stay at Grand View Hotel - Reviews say car park to the room is a steep walk up? Anybody been there?

11- Local Sights
12- Khajjiar - Chamba - drive up and come back. Suggestions for sight seeing here please.

I see from the map that the road from Dalhousie goes to Koti, Tisa, Sach Pass (Pangi Valley) Killar, Purthi, Tindi and to Udaipur on the other side. I heard that road from Sach Pass onwards is bad, not drivable in November??

Would the roads be drivable in November? Anyone has done this in November? Is this route drivable on a Scorpio 2x4, I can even spend one week here and drop the Amritsir circuit.

Will it snow ususally around higher regions for e.g. Sach Pass is 14480 feets.

13- Dalhousie - Amritsir - 190 Kms.
14 - 15 - Amritsir
16 - Amritsir - Jodhpur. Route I think could be - Karnal - Jind - Hisar - Raigarh - Ratangarh - Diwwana - Nagur - Jodhpur - About 500 KMs? Blind here, need information on road conditions, distances and timings...... Help!!

17 - Jodhpur - Not decided hotel, any sugggestions for a hotel around 2 K per day?
18 - Jodhpur
19 - Jodhpur -
20 - Jodhpur - Ahmedabad

Thanks in advance for your inputs.

--Ramky

[hvkumar]

Preferred route to Dharamsala is via Ropar, Kiratpur, Andpur Saheb and Amb.

You do not have to go to Mandi, you can take the NH88 from after Bilaspur town to Hamirpur.

The preferred route from Dharamsala to Dalhousie is via Lahru and Tunuhatti.

I found the HPTDC the best hotel in Dalhousie, great VFM, a view from every room. And good car parking.

From Dalhousie, you can also walk to Kala top (after parking the car nearby, on the road to Khajjiar).

Even if you do manage to go via Sach Pass to Udeypur and Keylong, Rohtang Pass will already be closed due to winter snows, so you will not be able to exit through Manali.

Amritsar to Jodhpur, the best route is Amritsar-Taran Taran-Faridkot-Bhatinda-Sriganganagar-Suratgarh-Bikaner-Nagaur-Jodhpur. Knowing your driving style, you can do it in a day. First you go through some lovely stretches of Punjab, then you go through the sand dunes of the India-Pak border.

Check out the routes for Dalhousie-Dharmasala-Amritsar in this link:
http://groups.google.com/group/hvkum...th-Dec2007.xls

and for the Amritsar-Jodhpur in these 2 links:
http://hvkumar.googlegroups.com/web/...uSYvgTF5re8aIA

http://hvkumar.googlegroups.com/web/...uSYvgTF5re8aIA

Jodhpur - Hotel Centre Point, High Court Road - 0291-5105522, 2547516

[ramkya1]

Thanks a lot, I was counting on your post

Sach Pass seems to be remote, it would be snowed in in November, the best I can do is to drive as far as possible, touch snow and turn back, which is why I have kept one day extra in Dalhouse.

Will check out the hotel in Jodihpur.

Also evaluating, Bikanir after seeing some tempting posts here, so thinking of Amritsir - Bikanir (one day)- Jodhpur (2 days) and Ahmedabad.

------

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Preferred route to Dharamsala is via Ropar, Kiratpur, Andpur Saheb and Amb.

You do not have to go to Mandi, you can take the NH88 from after Bilaspur town to Hamirpur.

The preferred route from Dharamsala to Dalhousie is via Lahru and Tunuhatti.

I found the HPTDC the best hotel in Dalhousie, great VFM, a view from every room. And good car parking.

From Dalhousie, you can also walk to Kala top (after parking the car nearby, on the road to Khajjiar).

Even if you do manage to go via Sach Pass to Udeypur and Keylong, Rohtang Pass will already be closed due to winter snows, so you will not be able to exit through Manali.

Amritsar to Jodhpur, the best route is Amritsar-Taran Taran-Faridkot-Bhatinda-Sriganganagar-Suratgarh-Bikaner-Nagaur-Jodhpur. Knowing your driving style, you can do it in a day. First you go through some lovely stretches of Punjab, then you go through the sand dunes of the India-Pak border.

Check out the routes for Dalhousie-Dharmasala-Amritsar in this link:
http://groups.google.com/group/hvkum...th-Dec2007.xls

and for the Amritsar-Jodhpur in these 2 links:
http://hvkumar.googlegroups.com/web/...uSYvgTF5re8aIA

http://hvkumar.googlegroups.com/web/...uSYvgTF5re8aIA

Jodhpur - Hotel Centre Point, High Court Road - 0291-5105522, 2547516

[wanderernomad]

Sach goes out of bounds by Mid October in normal conditions. You may be able to go upto Tissa if there are no freak snows and that too I would say before 15th Nov.

[ramkya1]

Thanks for the info. Will try to go as far as possible and hope it does not snow me out around Dalhousie / Chamba regions around Noveber 15th.

=====

[rkavthekar]

I stayed at Grand View Dalhousie in March10. Your query was related to how steep is the climb from car park to the hotel. Well, its a gradual climb for no more than 2 minutes if that answers your query. Actually, I do not see it a issue at all, unless one is an extreme heart patient.

As for the Hotel, excellent views, very cozy and comfortable colonial style. Very good views and importantly - good service and good food.

Enjoy your tour!!

takecare and drive safely

[wanderernomad]

Dont worry Nov 15 will not snow bound you from any major place in Himachal except where you need to cross a pass above 12K. There are a lot of places in Chamba for you to be happy.

[ramkya1]

Thanks, that does answer my query.

Fortunately my heart is holding up good and I hope it would in the forseeable future too. I know my wife and son have pretty strong ones, they give a lot of work for mine and relax theirs

Originally Posted by rkavthekar

I stayed at Grand View Dalhousie in March10. Your query was related to how steep is the climb from car park to the hotel. Well, its a gradual climb for no more than 2 minutes if that answers your query. Actually, I do not see it a issue at all, unless one is an extreme heart patient.

As for the Hotel, excellent views, very cozy and comfortable colonial style. Very good views and importantly - good service and good food.

Enjoy your tour!!

takecare and drive safely

[Ushuaia]

Ramky Sir, D'shala to Dalhousie is wonderful drive, reliving old memories.

I remember doing it it in November 1999 on a scooter (Vespa), only mode of transport me and friend could afford at that time.

We did Delhi - Chd - Hamirpur - D'shala - Chamba - Dalhousie (Since my friend's sister was getting married and he was from D'shala, his father was Director HPTDC, Dhauladhar Circuit) lovely home-stay overlooking Dhauladhar Range. We carried Loi (a Sort of Large Shawl) prevalent in Haryana/Punjab as our defence against Northern winds on top of jacket and gloves.

Worst was Kalatop, we reached early morning and since there was no guard at the entry point we kept a Rs 50 note at his seat and rode past till the top, snow and scooter are a lethal combo, we swayed like twigs in storm but reached kalatop, on our way back we saw guard winking at us, we went there twice again.


HVK and Wanderernomad would agree if you do it in November its a different feeling. Also if it snows then Dalhousie looks heavenly! Try to see if you can get Kalatop Circuit house to stay, but the track is one-way.
Not a lot of rush!

@Wanderernomad whats the take on Kalatop Circuit House in November/December, heard sometimes there is wildlife! We ourselves saw bear pug-marks! Also if you could suggest if Ramky sir and family could do Triund trek (Moderate Difficulty), takes 4-5 hrs but the view is splendid, from his last trip with family to Tribal circuit, I guess if weathers permit it is doable.

BTW for any big dog lover its a time to get best of Gaddi pups (Variant of Tibetan Mastiff), these dogs help Shepherds guard their sheeps from bear/leopard attacks, native of the hills, these are working dogs, I got 2 pups one from Gaddi's in Palampur and one from a Shepherd near Dharamkot. Amazingly resilient animals

[hvkumar]

Ramky, you could PM rishikapoor - he has stayed at the Kalatop Circuit House/FRH that Ushuaia mentions, apparently a lovely place to stay.

[neo45007]

You can go to Mcleodganj to Chamba 1st.
There are two routes and the one goes via a dam on Ravi River. I guess the route is Chamba-Kharamukh). Pls check about the route, as I dont remember it exactly.

If you leave Mcleodganj in the morning by 7 AM, you can be at Chamba by lunch and then visit temples within the town & market.

Next day morning, you can go to Chamundi Temple on top of hill and proceed to Khajjiar. Spend some time in Khajjiar & on way to Dalhousi - cover Kalatop. By night, you should be at Dalhousi.

Next day, spend time in Dalhousi (local sightseeing) and proceed to Amritsar.

[hvkumar]

neo45007, maybe I can fill in the details of the routes you suggested:

Dalhousie-Banikhet 5 kms-Batheri 9-Chimera Dam/Reservoir View 7-Drada 7-Chaned 11-Parel 10-Chamba 2-Gajnoi 12-Khajjiar 10-Kalatop 10-Lakkar Mandi-Dalhousie 11

The road to Chamba via Banikhet has some lovely views of River Ravi and Chimera Dam, and deodars on the return via Khajjiar, this is a lovely circuit to take.

Some photos from my album:

River Ravi view on the Banikhet-Chamba road


Valley views at Chamba


Snow on the Dalhousie-Khajjiar road, April 2000


Kalatop

[neo45007]

Thanks HVK. I never remembered the route with such details.

[ramkya1]

Hai People,

Neo, HVK (great photos) , Ushuaia, rkavthekar, Wander & rkavthekar: Thanks for all the inputs, surely will be useful for my drive.

I've booked at Bhagsu, HPTDC 3 nights finally and also extended one day at Dalhouse, possibly at Khajjar Swiss Resorts, will know in a couple of days. I will have lots of time to explore Chamba and all areas around with almost 5 days there.

The Grand View people told me, I can try to drive as near to Sach Pass as possible in Noveber, probablity is that it would be closed and snowed in. Will have to see.

========

[phamilyman]

You can pm apne bapu (amdavadi only) regarding sach pass. He did it first week of oct a couple of years or 3 ... back.

It was well snowed out for non 4WD vehicles or atleast looked so. You can try your luck though - but beware in this season!

PS: Bhutan would still be killer. How about a longer drive via WB or so. am sure our friend hvk can work out a route for you