[wanderernomad]

@fine69 There are about 3 different trekking trails leading upto Hatu depending upon your staging point for the climb. One can go up from Narkanda and then descend either towards Thanadhar side or Pujarli side which then continues towards the main Rohru Road.

[fine69]

Originally Posted by wanderernomad

@fine69 There are about 3 different trekking trails leading upto Hatu depending upon your staging point for the climb. One can go up from Narkanda and then descend either towards Thanadhar side or Pujarli side which then continues towards the main Rohru Road.

If one wishes to start from where the road to Hatu peak starts, the fork where the middle road is the one for Hatu peak. Any idea how long it would take for someone on foot to the top and what is the approx distance of the trek?

[dinesha]

(Cont..Day 2)
..
Destination for the day was Sarahan.
Apart from NH22 there are other two routes to reach Sarahan.
a)Narkanda-Baggi-Khadrala-Sungri-Taklech-Dharanghati-Mashnoo-Sarahan
b)Narkanda-Thanedar-Kotghar-Bithal-Rampur

The first route passes through one of the most scenic region in entire Himachal. Somebody who took this road last year has this to say about the route and the view.
“I chose the route that British people started using to avoid hot Sutlej Valley and later established as a preferred alternative as part of Old Hindustan Tibet Road. The route was from Narkanda to take Baggi, Khadrala, Sungri, Taklech, Dharanghati, Mashnoo to reach Sarahan. The Baggi to Sungri Stretch was extremely rough and surely didn't get any kind of maintenance for atleast a year though buses ply in the section. From Sungri road becomes suddenly better and it was quite good road till 10km ahead of Dharanghati. Dharangahti - Mashnoo was complete offroading through dense forest region, an amazingly charming journey though and from Mashnoo to Sarahan again it's a well tarred road. The whole section all along goes through higher ridges and utterly devoid of any traffic. You would get awesome vistas with aweful roads.”

For somebody starting from Narkanda heading toward Sarahan for the day, this route would be an excellent option. Our route for the day was going to be via Thanedar and Kotghar which meets HN22 at Bithal (between Sainj and Nirath) and about 25 Kms before Rampur.

The approach road to Hatu peak forks out from the Narkanda-Thanedar road. After the descent from the peak we turn right and proceed towards Thanedar.


We stopped at a isolated place before Thanedar and enjoyed our lunch.


A piece of advice if you want to take this route better carry packed meals (or have it at Narkanda) as there are no decent eatery on this route. Well we did have foresight of the packed lunch but thankfully my wife had packed some Parathas from home a day before.


We proceed towards Thanedar –Kothgar road. The drive through this road is excellent. PWD is almost done with the bitumen work on this stretch. Smooth and wide road covered with pine forest all alone.






Thanedar and Kothgar is famous for its apple orchards, we are greeted by them as we approach the area.


Fruit bearing apple trees are covered with the net to protect the produce from the hailstones.


Small, raw apples little bit bigger then full grown cherries at the time of the year. Come August-spetember the whole landscape and will have red hue.



This building at Kothgar belonged to Satyanand Stokes born “Samuel Evans Strokes Jr. ”

Strokes storey is quite an interesting one. Samuel Evans Stokes was son of a very successful businessman who pioneered elevators in USA. He landed in Kotgarh in 1904 as an American Missionary to spread Christianity in the area. However the beauty and the culture of the region had an profound effect on him and he converted to Hinduism and took a Hindu name Satyanand Stokes. He found the climate and soil conducive for apple cultivation and in 1919 he planted trees on his 200 acres estate and they began bearing apples in 1925.The natives took to growing apples soon and today it has spread all over the Shimla hills. The Apple boom has improved the economy of the entire place.

View across the Sutlaj river.


NH22 towards Rampur meandering along with Sutlaj, soon we will be on it..


We descend down the mountains toward Rampur.


The last stretch is quite narrow but in good shape. There is very little traffic in this road.


This road meets NH-22 at a small village called Bithal located between Sainj and Nirath about 25 Kms before Rampur (Elev. 880 mtrs). This stretch between Bithal and Jeori is very hot and humid.

We cross our first of many Hydel power project tunnels as we pass Rampur.



The days trip has taken its toll on all of us. Heat and around Rampur made it worst.We took a break at Mahalakshmi Temple near Rampur before moving towards Jeori.



NH22 beyond Jeori towads Karchham we head that way tomorrow, today we climb towards Sarahan.


We reached Jeori around 5:45PM. It looks like some local festivle was going on there and they were taking out procession of local gods.



View from the road as we climb towards Sarahan.


By the time we reached Sarahan it was 7:00 PM. My GPS navigator says we are at 2200 Meters.The fist view of Bhimkali Temple is quite impressive.


We checked into Hotel Srikhand , this HPTDC hotel is located in excellent location.




After a quick rest we go out to explore.
These night shots are taken without the tripods so excuse the camera shake during long exposures. None of us had energy to run back to hotel and climb the stairs to fetch it..



Entrance to the main temple.


Mata Bhimkali temple lodge.


After a while We returned to our Hotel, took our dinner and retired in our room for the night. my wife and Kids were fast asleep as soon as they hit the bed. I woke up in the middle of night because of loud noise from rain hitting the corrugated roof of the hotel. It was raining cats and dogs outside and the light went out at around 1:30 AM. My son is very scared of darkness so I pulled out and switched on the Chinese rechargeable torch that Bhagwan Singh (famous Sleeping-bag guy in Chirag Dilli, Delhi) has arranged for me for 200/-. I hoped the torch will work for five hours as promised. Thankfully power supply was back around 3:00 AM.

I tried to go to sleep for few hours before my alarm goes off at 5:30 AM.

Leave Shimla at 8:00 AM
Arrive Sarahan at 7:00 PM

Stayed at HPTDC Hotel Srikhand (My Rating 4/5)

Other Staying options
--------------------
Sarahan
• HPTDC Hotel Srikhand: Online Booking at Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation
• Bhimkali temple -Sarahan Temple lodge-01782274248


Narkanda
• Harsh Villa, (Home Stay) booked by HPTDC Site. Contact: 9817555777 / 9882147045
• Hotel Hatu (HPTDC)
• Hotel Mahamaya Palace -Narkanda 01782-242448, -242648 , 09418042448, 09816948668

Thanedar
• Banjara Orchard Retreat, Banjara Camps: 941807180, 01782-222265

--------
(Cont... Day 3)

[Irish]

Hi Dinesh,

EXCELLENT Writeup! Very detailed information. Nothing can be better than this for Narkanda, Thanedar, Kinnaur & Spiti.

Rated this thread as Excellent!

No one can say that this is your first thread. May be you are hiding your skills form us.

Hope to read an excellent detailed information with good photographs in the coming week also.

All the best! Please keep it up!

Cheers!
Irish

[wanderernomad]

Excellent one for sure. Any special reason for descending down and going to Jeori and then climbing up again? There is a small road connecting Rampur to Sarahan, I believe and I was hoping that you would be taking that stretch.
Fine69: If you take off from that Fork to Hatu you would should be at the peak in about an hour or so depending upon your fitness and ascending ability. About a km or so from around bend you can leave the road and continue up the mountain trail.

[ankurv]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

I guess the Basantpur route is more scenic? I have done only the NH22 route via Narkhanda. Has the condition of the road via Luhri improved? Any stay facilities at Basantpur?

on the direct road from Basantpur to Kingal, there is a government rest house at Jalog - about 35 kms from Basantpur. They do welcome tourists and is a great place to stay - the food options are sparse but there is a small market about a km from the guest house.

I visit the guest house often to oversee the construction of my farmhouse in the area - it will definitely be open to all t-bhp members once its completed this winter.

Ankur

[akaush]

Excellent log of event and great information. Bookmarking your travelogue for information about this circuit to use in future.

Was the Taxi driver experienced with roads and maps? How did the Innova perform on the whole stretch?

[dinesha]

Originally Posted by Irish

Hi Dinesh,

EXCELLENT Writeup! Very detailed information. Nothing can be better than this for Narkanda, Thanedar, Kinnaur & Spiti.

Rated this thread as Excellent!

No one can say that this is your first thread. May be you are hiding your skills form us.

Hope to read an excellent detailed information with good photographs in the coming week also.

All the best! Please keep it up!

Cheers!
Irish

Thanks a lot.

Originally Posted by wanderernomad

Excellent one for sure. Any special reason for descending down and going to Jeori and then climbing up again? There is a small road connecting Rampur to Sarahan, I believe and I was hoping that you would be taking that stretch.

Unless somebody is taking Baggi-Dharangati-Sarahan route, one will have to descend to hot and humid Rampur. The only way to avoid it would be go via Dharangati.

I don't think any functional direct route exist between Rampur and Sarahan. When I was at Rampur My MMI Navigator told me turn right towards Sarahan. But the road on the right looked non-motorable and non-functional with old uncleared landslides on it.
If there is any other alternate route I am not aware of it. Please share the details if you have taken the direct route.

[dinesha]

Originally Posted by akaush

Excellent log of event and great information. Bookmarking your travelogue for information about this circuit to use in future.

Was the Taxi driver experienced with roads and maps? How did the Innova perform on the whole stretch?

Vinkal- the taxi drivel is a Shimla local, quite experienced and decent.
His does that circuit atleast 10 times a year.

Vinkal can be reached at:9459262520.

-Dinesh

[dinesha]

Originally Posted by wanderernomad

Excellent one for sure. Any special reason for descending down and going to Jeori and then climbing up again? There is a small road connecting Rampur to Sarahan, I believe and I was hoping that you would be taking that stretch.

Originally Posted by dinesha

If there is any other alternate route I am not aware of it. Please share the details if you have taken the direct route.

I did some checking. Looks like there is an alternate route that directly takes to Sarahan from Rampur. This route is: Rampur-Kinnu-Mashnu-Gaura-Sarahan about 46 Kms between Rampur and Sarahan. Somebody tells me the route is longer but quite scenic. I did not know about this route, looks like another route to explore.

Anyways lot many options for HV Kumar.

Thanks
Dinesh

[Dry Ice]

Awesome log dinesha, wonderful pics! Thanks for sharing all the information, would sure be helpful for guys heading that way in future.

[dinesha]

Originally Posted by Dry Ice

Awesome log dinesha, wonderful pics! Thanks for sharing all the information, would sure be helpful for guys heading that way in future.

Thanks a lot. I do hope it help others.

[dinesha]

Day 3: 6-June-2011
Sarahan-Jeori-Powari-Rekong Peo-Kalpa

I wake up around 5:00AM ahead of my alarm. My gaze falls on the beautiful snow covered mountains through the curtain gaps on the window. I grab my Camera and walk out to the balcony.


My wife and kids are sound asleep, temporal solitude for me for next two hours.
Blissfully Peaceful


The entire mountain range from East to west was clearly visible..








..except for a small cluster of cloud hovering over one of the peak.



This peak happened to be Srikhand Mahadev, my luck was not with me. Hopefully these clouds will clear later in the morning.


I came out of hotel and hiked uphill on the right fork as you come out of the road leading from the temple. Excellent view of the Himalayas..


..and mata Bhimakali temple from this road.





I spend some quite time at a nice spot.




I try my luck and point my camera towards Shrikhand Mahadev but the lingam is still behind the clouds.



[HPTDC Srikhand on foreground]


After spending few peaceful moments I came back to the hotel woke up the family, got ready and all of us headed towards the temple of the deity of the Bhushyr kings, Mata Bhimakali temple. The main structure at the Mata Bhimakali temple complex consist of two triple storied wooden temples with spectacular carvings situated side by side, one is newer construction built in 1927.






No camera or leather is allowed inside the temples. Temple lodge in situated on the right hand side of this courtyard past the beautifully carved main gates. The entry gate to the shrine is towards left on the raised platform. Legend has it that head of the defeated king Banasur is buried under this entry gate. Within the complex there are three other temples for guardian gods- Lord Ragunath, Narsingh and Patal Bhairva. Goddess Parvati is enshrined a storey below the top storey of the new building where Mata Bhimakali (of pure Gold and depicted as killing the demon) is enshrined behind the prison like iron cage. The priest and the devotees sits outside the cage and performs the puja (ritual).

When we went there inside the shrine, the priest was busy performing puja for a local couple and another tourist couple were waiting for their turn. Towards the end of the ritual the local gentleman reached inside his ‘Jhola’ and took out the bottle of Royal Steg whiskey and handed it over to the priest. The priest opened the bottle, went inside the cage and poured the whiskey brimful in a small bowl. After the ritual the priest gave spoonful of this whisky bhog to the couple. My eye shines up bright looked like some divine spirit is on my way, but when our turn came the priest offered us some holy water (Chandramrit) instead.

We headed back to our hotel after the darshan. I try my luck for the to the last time, head to the balcony and try to view Srikhand Madadev but no luck today, looked like gods are unhappy with me.




We have our breakfast at the Hotel restaurant and heads towards our next destination Kalpa at about 9:30 AM.


(Cont..Day 3)

[dinesha]

(Cont..Day 3)

We start from Sarahan at around 9:30 AM..


..and meander down the valley towards Jeori on the banks of Sutlaj


Across the road from Jeori, view of 22Mv Ganvi Hydel Power Project.. can you make out the tunnel entrance apart from the water fall..


well If not, here it is ..


and the water fall across the road..


Somewhere before Chora, Shimla Distt. (one of my favorite photos)


We reach Kinnaur Duar at Chora. It is about an hour drive from Sarahan..


we drive ahead toward Bhawa nagar.


the drive has suddenly become enchanting


one of the village on the hill top..loved that slate roofed house on the tip of the hill


..and soon pass through I of the most photographed god created gates to Kinnaur..



(Cont.. Day 3)

[dinesha]

(Cont.. Day 3)

We move ahead towards Bhawa Nagar


and soon reaches the Taranda Mata Temple. Vinkal stops here for the blessings from the goddess. It is an unspoken rule, every local driver stops here for safe and accident free journey ahead, those who don't stop risks accidents. So travelers please stop and bow here for the safe journey.




The road ahead..


again one of the most photographed stretch.




I need to stop here because..

(Cont.. Day 3)