Day 9 : Gushaini Jalori Narkanda Theog Kotkhai

We started in the morning from Gushaini and move towards Banjar and of course we got caught in the traffic in the Banjar market which is quite narrow. It took us some time to get out of the jam and then Kate Aarti sir had to meet somebody was waiting for us at his hotel in GB sorry just said hi and moved onto it the lorry pass there was a landslide on the way and get to stop for at least half an hour for the JCB to clear the the landslide the driver of the gallery + was a pleasant one as it always is the route to the pass in a full term AC and one actually enjoying the drive up to the Pass.

It was that the Pass that we realised that we still had a puncture in one of the rear Tyres. So we stopped for sometime at the Pass and put some air in the tyre and then slowly started making our way down to the town of Sainj. We couldnt find a proper Puncture guy at Sainj so we decided to move on and find one in Narkanda. On away from Sainj to Narkanda as we drove along the Satluj we came to a point where the road was blocked by a big landslide we had no choice but to take a long detour and this added another 2 hours to our Journey. It was very hot at one point of time why we were at the banks of the Satluj river we recorded a temperature of around 44 degree Celsius. We had to negotiate a narrow Road in order to get back to Narkanda soon we were back on the road which leads from Rampur to Narkanda on our way to Narkanda and as we climbed the temperature started coming down we had Lunch and then we decided to move.

Now the roads are wide open and very comfortable. Showing an error of judgement I decided to just speed up date and was going elected fast typing. Android send it washed Yog and after Yog the distant towards chala is very steep but in the road is very good I just kept up the speed Scott without realising how hot it was at how much style of driving was heating up the brakes it was that I got a roll like this after a long time once in a while if you like breaking free so this was me breaking free. Vineet shella and after sometime I said leave realise that we had no brakes that time you were at the valley and on a plain Road so I just move the car to the side and use the handbrake to bring it to a halt not knowing what was going on first thought it was just a mistake but then after repeatedly pushing the peddler realise that we had lost all brakes so we went to the first mechanic on the way and told you what happened at the first question you ask does are you coming from tube yes we answered and he said this often happens to cars coming down from here because people tend to go fast and break hard and as a result the brakes it up and stop working you went to another mechanic and yourself told the same thing so we decided to cool off the brakes for sometime and there was a panchawala was over there we decided to get the perfect there and then.

Day 10 : Kotkhai Chanshal Kotkhai

We had an easy morning and after a leisurely Breakfast at the Family Apple Orchards decided to leave for the Chanshal Pass, the last Pass in our quest across the Himalayan Passes. At above 12000 ft and close to the border with Uttarakhand the Chanshal Pass offers quite a different perspective on the Himalayas than the other Passes that we had done. Unlike other Passes it gives great view of the Garhwal Himalayas provided the Weather is clear and it also gives a view of the Kinnaur Kailash as well as the main Peaks of Spiti. And we had initially planned to vist the idyllic Villages of Dodra and Kwar which lay across the Pass. These Villages are a handful of Villages in himachal largely untouched by the outside world and the Villages still have a rustic charm of a Village as it existed like a hundred years old.

Here is a Video of us on what is considered one of the most Dangerous Roads in the World. Its called the Cliffhanger and it connects Kishtwar in J&K with Killar in Himachal Pradesh. To say the Road is crazy is an understatement.

The Great Himalayan Drive

The Great Himalayan Drive 2/5

Day 3 : Dalhousie - Chamba - Padri - Bhaderwah - Kishtwar

So after being well rested in Dalhousie in the beautiful place which we stayed at once again we started on the Road early morning around 8 AM but it was already starting to get hot as we descended down to the Chamera Lake which to my surprise was full of Wooden Logs and other Wooden debris. It was indeed a bizarre site seeing thousands of wooden logs just floating on the Dam. But there was some work underway to clear the Wooden Logs and slowly they were being removed. It reminded me of the time when precious Timber from the Himalayan forests were sent down the Rivers in much the same way as we saw it happening. But that way of Transportation of the Wooden logs doesnt take place anymore and also apparently much less of the Jungle is being felled nowadays.

We drove along the Lake for some time and then we started gaining elevation. It was a scenic drive the River on one side. We rose up the Valley from the Ravi and and into the higher elevations of the Salooni area. But it was pretty hot and we wanted to get across the Pass into cooler climes. We had a quick lunch at Salooni which offers great views of some of the Peaks but the early afternoon Clouds had already set in and we couldn't really get any outstanding shot.

But after Salooni the scenery starts to change as we enter one of the side Valleys as we start the climb towards Padri. This Part of the Trip is quite pretty as the area is totally green with fast flowing Mountain Rivers and Waterfalls. These smaller hidden Valleys get a lot of local Rain and as a result they have a much more verdant look. And the rich Forest cover makes them much cooler as well. We met a sudden hail-storm at one of the Valleys as we had been stopped by the Road construction crew.

And then there is Bhaderwah !

I have been to many places in the Mountains, personally and through Books and other Media. Read extensively. And I consider myself pretty well versed with the Western Himalayas, at least as its my home turf.

The problem is that when you are born and brought up in Kashmir, which was an act of providence, and I am sure I didnt do anything in my past, you get a certain Complex. Of course I am talking about the time when it was a calm and peaceful place back in the 80s. I call it the "Jannat E Kashmir" Complex and it develops when you constantly hear outsiders say how lucky you are to be born and to be living in Kashmir. Of course hearing it repeatedly it gets to your head. And of course this gets re-enforced when you read the works of various Westerners who happened to be so enamored with Kashmir mostly because it was off limits to most outsiders.

Anyways what this complex does is that you start to think of other places in the Mountains as being somehow lesser than "Glorious Kashmir". I still suffer from this Complex though in the years it has become less acute as I see more of the Mountains. A part of this Complex is that you consider Srinagar the most beautiful City in the Universe. And I never really found a place quite like it. Till I came to Bhaderwah. The only connection I have had with Bhaderwah was that Jagga, my Bakarwali had been brought to me by my friend from his ancestral home in Bhaderwah.

Interestingly the Gazzetter of Kashmir and Ladakh of 1890 talks of this beautiful area as well. It specifically mentions that the fruits grown in Bhaderwah can rival the best grown in the Kashmir Valley. Tobacco grown in Bhaderwah at that time was said to be of a very superior quality. And Bhaderwah Homey was also said to be very good. In today’s age we know that the Bhaderwahi Rajmah is supposed to be one of the best Rajmah carrying on the old Bhaderwah tradition of being one of the finest agricultural areas in the State.

The coincidence is both Srinagar and Bhaderwah are at almost the same altitude of around 1600 m which is puny by Himalayan standards. But i guess its a good altitude at the latitudes they are located at of course with Srinagar being North of Bhaderwah. But Bhadewah gives Srinagar a run for its money when it comes to beauty. The Houses are quite similar though the Bhaderwah Valley is much narrower than the expansive Kashmir Valley. The population also has a large Kashmiri component and the population consists of a Muslim majority with a large Hindu minority.

And the Bhaderwah area which is connected to Jammu via the Chenab Valley and connected to Chamba via the Padri Pass was always quite a bone of contention between the two powerful Dogra Rajput Kingdoms. The Chambyalis usually dominated and held Bhaderwah many times until the power of Jammu grew under Raja Gulab Singh. There is said to be a great engagement fought between the Bhaderwahis lead by General Shagtu Kotwal gave a strong fight to the Chambyalis led by General Nathu Ram were defeated. These Chambayali raids on Bhaderwah was a regular feature and after repulsing the Chambyalis the General went to Raja Gulab Singh who was very pleased with him and gave him a Jagir in Bhaderwah. A sort of truce was arranged between Jammu and Chamba and the deal was that the revenue for the Rabi crop went to Jammu while the revenue from the Kharif crop went to Chamba.

But after some kind of settlement between Jammu and Chamba, Bhaderwah as well as Doda and Kishtwar both areas also claimed by Chamba as its own, were settled and I guess the British had a role to play in that. The British I reckon got Dalhosuie of out this whole deal is the assumption I like to believe. Interestingly it is said that Gurkha soldiers posted in Bakloh used to come over to Bhaderwah to enjoy the salubrious air and the sublime Climate of this area as Bakloh also tends to get very hot in Summers with the temperature soaring to high 30s.

Anyways if you ever get a chance do visit this very pretty area. Words are not enough to do justice to the beauty of Bhaderwah. Its just magical. The Bhaderwah Fort is also a beautiful building and Houses a Temple in the inner courtyard and a small Mosque as well in the outer courtyard. Leaving you with a pic of this dreamy little town. I wish I could Post more pics of this Town but I implore you to discover this little gem for yourself.

Bhaderwah Town as seen from a distance. June, 2019

Day 4 Kishtwar Sinthan Pass Kishtwar

On our recent long foray into the Mountains me and Tahlan Sir decided to go to the Sinthan Pass as it had opened just a day earlier. In the evening we were warned by some people that there was some Militant activity around the Pass and we should avoid.

Of course we had our own sources and being from Kashmir these thing hardly perturb me. Anyways we got our all clear and started our Journey towards Sinthan. Because of the incident which took place one day before the security personnel were on alert and the check points to the Pass were manned by the Army. The Army men were rather amused when they saw a HR registered Fortuner with two not so young men wanting to go to Sinthan Pass. We were asked why we were going there ? I told them well I am missing home and if I feel like I might go to Srinagar from there and if I m not in the mood I will come back. They obviously laughed. :)

And soon we were on our way through this beautiful pristine area which still lives in an era gone by. The Gujjars were also on the move with their livestock, Horses, Families and Dogs. The population in the area is a mixed bag, there are Hindu Kishtawaris who live in the higher Villages, Muslim Kishtawaris (some of Kashmiri) descent in the Villages along the Road and Gujjars on the move and also living in some of the Villages. This mixing gives this area a unique cultural identity and adds to the charm of the place. Mosques and Temples around each other. It almost gave a notion of Paradise but of course this area has had its share of troubles.

Anyways the drive upto the top was just amazing with a lot of Snow walls right till the top of the Pass and some more on the other side. Anyways once on top I told Ramesh Sir that lets go down to Kashmir and have a cup of tea at the first place we find in Kashmir. And it was while going down that we met these guys. And surely they looked dangerous, but they didnt bother us and to me they looked like Tourists going upto their favourite holiday destination. Have a look ;)

And of course we had Tea at a shack set up by a Gujjar boy and served Girdas with Butter and Tea. And then we met a Gentleman there. Well thats a story for another day.

We checked out of our accomodation early in the morning and making enquiries about the status of the Sinthan Pass from the people in the know. They told us to go ahead and there are no issues on the Pass and it had been opened for Civilian traffic the day before. But of course going to Sinthan or any other Road access points into Kashmir involves a lot of checking.

We were stopped after the Bridge on the Marsudar at Bandarkoot and the Security official in-charge was kinda bemused to see a Toyota Fortuner with a HR26 number plate out in these parts. They are quite rare. And then we told him about us and then he asked whether we will go to Srinagar or some back from the Sinthan Pass.

Since we were still not sure I told him that I have a House in Srinagar and was born and brought up there and once we get to the top of the Pass we would decide whether we wanted to descend this way or the other way. Actually the thing was that I had the Margan Pass on my mind, I had walked on it many years ago but hadnt visited the place ever since a rough Motorable Road was built over it. I was mulling the option of going down to the Kashmir Valley and then going up the Margan Pass again and crossing into the beautiful Valley of Wadwan which though a part of Kishtwar was accessible by Road only through Kashmir. But of course the Gentleman wanted a straight answer whether we would come back or not. So we decided to drop any plans for the Valley including the Margan Pass and told the Officer that we would come back from the top of the Margan Pass. There are other Security check-points on the way which have to be informed. And the they made us stand next to the Car and took our Photos as a security routine. And then we were told to get on our way but not before they checked our luggage as well.

Day 5 Kishtwar Gulabgarh Machail Road Cliffhanger Killar

And today was a big day as we started off from our Hotel, the newly set-up K17 Hotel in Kishtwar owned by our friend Mahesh Singh and we started as usual in the Morning. RT Sir as usual had been as usual up half the night doing the Galaxy timelapses. And I of course I was sleeping after a great Party which ended with me having Kishtwari Rishta and Rice with some Rogan Josh. And we went to the Petrol Pump as we weren't sure where we would get our next fill up. And as we filled up the Tank and I started and moved the Car disaster struck. As there was a Vehicle coming from the other side approaching the Pump I cut the Fortuner a little too sharp and as a result unknowing to me the Metal Girder guard on the sde of the Pumps rammed straight into the left hand side front Door and before I could stop the Rear Door as well. The Plastic Guard also came off and the Aluminium step Platform also got bent and the Girder stopped right at the Tyre.

A long Video of us hitting what is known as the one of the most dangerous stretches of Road in the Himalayas, the wild Road between Kishtwar and Udaipur. The most dangerous section lies between Gulabgarh and Killar, called the Cliffhanger it actually lies in J&K, Jammu divison to be more exact. The Road further from Killar to Udaipur is also a wild Road but with great views and its along this Route that the Chenab becomes the Chandrabhaga.

Lying hidden far inside the Himalayas lie the equally rugged and untamed Valleys called the Padar Valley and the Pangi Valley and both happen to be neighbours. As of today both are a part of different states. Padar Valley is a part of Kishtwar district of the state of Jammu and Kashmir while the Pangi Valley is a part of Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh. They are traditionally divided by the Sansari Nallah which acts now as the border between the two states now.

Both the Valleys are situated on the Chandrabhaga or the Chenab as its called once it crosses into Jammu and Kashmir. And of course there is a famous Road which runs between these two Valleys which is considered one of the most dangerous in the whole of the Himalayas. The similarities do not end there.

There are great cultural and linguistic similarities between the people of both Regions. The majority of the people are Hindus however in the upper reaches of each Valley are communities of Buddhists who are said to have come from Zanskar long back and settled there. In the Padar the area beyond the Machail Village, Villages like Hangu and Haloti have Buddhist populations. Infact the main Village/ Town of Padar, Gulabgarh is home to a very prominent Pagoda right on the Chenab. Many of the Buddhists from the higher reaches have settled in Gulabgarh as most of their Villages are still not connected by Road. Though currently a Road is being made towards Machail along the Bhot Nallah and a part is already under use and we recently drove around 8 kms on this Road.

In Pangi as well there are Buddhist communities living in villages with a suffix “Bhatori”. The word Bhatori derives from the word Bhot, which was used by the locals for the people from the Ladakh / Zanskar side and it means a place where the Bhots stay. Hudan Bhatori is probably the most famous of the "Bhot" Villages in the Pangi Valley.

Once you drive towards the Lahaul Valley, signs of Buddhism begin to emerge and in Udaipur you see the first Buddhist religious structures emerging. Lahaul is still one of the unique places in the Himalayas where a syncretic form of Hinduism and Buddhism is still practiced by the majority of the people. The famous Temple of Trilokinath is revered by the Buddhists as well as the Hindus of the region. It was originally a Buddhist Temple which became a Shiva Temple as Trilokinath was supposed to be another name for Shiva. According to most Scholars Buddhism supposedly came from Ladakh / Spiti though I have a hunch that Shaivism came to this Region from Kashmir.

But anyways coming back to the Road, you just have some time left to experience this Road as an alternate Road is being made and the Cliffhanger section will be abandoned for the simple reason that broadening the section would entail a herculean task of breaking the Rock walls so instead they are making a Road above the Cliff section which avoids the Rockface.

Video from June 2019. In the Padar Tehsil of Kishtwar District of the Jammu Division of J&K.

#amazingjammu #jammutourism #offbeatjammu

Day 6 : Killar - Udaipur - Keylong

So so we woke up in Killar and it was a cloudy day and RT Sir was already outside shooting a timelapse of the clouds. From the Forest Rest House the Pangi Valley looked very beautiful it was ass vertical as the Padar Valley and even more. It had the same kinds of flora and and of course there was the Chandrabhaga river so we got talking to one of the Gentleman over there he was very keen on starting his tourism business in Pangi Valley.

Day 11 : Kotkhai Sainj Yashwant Nagar Oonchaghat Solan Nahan

We started from Chakroth in the morning and descended down to Koku Nallah, filled up the Diesel and we were on our way towards Gumma and Chaila. We wanted to avoid the Tourist rush which we would face at Fagu / Kufri / Shimla and we wanted to avoid the Shimla Chandigarh Road altogether. And I had a meeting at Nahan with one of the Princesses of the Sirmour Royal Family as they wanted me to have a look at their Fort restoration work as well as take me around their beautiful Cottages they had built in their private Forest land.

So we took the Sainj Road. Sainj has a water treatment Plant which supplies a large quantity of drinking water to Shimla City which it takes from the Giri River. Sainj is also home to one of the gems of Pahadi architecture, the Sainj Durbar which used to be the Court Palace of the Rana Sahib of Theog and Sainj was a part of his Riyasat. The Road from Sainj onwards is not in the best of shape as it winds along the Giri River but the consolation is that there are not many Vehicles around so the going is slow but at least no Traffic jams. But the Road slowly starts to get better after Yashwant Nagar. After Yashwant Nagar towards Onchaghat the Road keeps getting wider and better until you hit Solan.

From Solan you take the Solan Nahan Road and this Road is literally heaven. Very scenic, with Chir Trees lined up on both sides of the Road.

Day 12 : Nahan-Simbalwara-Yamuna Nagar-Karnal-Gurugram

After enjoying the Royal Hospitality at the Bantony Cottage we finally said good bye to the foothills and started to descend. But again we wanted to have one last dance with the Himalayas and decided to hit one of the National Parks which lie just at the foot of the Himalayas. Some of these Parks which run across the foothills are quite famous like the Jim Corbett National Park and Rajaji National Park are quite famous. But having a knack for the Offbeat we decided to pay a visit to the little known and almost unheard of Col.Sher Jung National Park in Simbalwara which straddles the Border of Himachal Pradesh with Haryana.

Around the Park and before entering the Park we saw a lot of Van Gujjars who are the same as the Gujjars in the Mountains. They are spread all over the Western Himalayas right from Basohli where we started the sojourn to all the way across to very foothills here in Sirmour. And we were happy that even on our last day we were with the original Men of the Mountains. We also visited one of their permanent Villages around the Park. I assume that may of them actually lived inside the National Park till the Government relocated the Van Gujjars from the National Parks in this whole region and re-located them to Villages outside the Park. As a result there are Gujjar settlements on both sides of the Park. Infact on the side we got out there was no pucca Road, just a dirt track which went across Streams and Rivulets and all along the way we could see the settlements of these Van Gujjars. Of course most of them were quite amused to see us driving through their Lands. Do I suspect some of them were not very happy to see us. they have been in a long struggle for their land with the government so probably thought we were from some government agency.

The park itself was quite big and at thick vegetation but we entered Pak after 10:00 in the morning so it was already heart and most other animals or not to be seen. one of the park officials even guided us to the women watering hole in the park which has been created by damming the river which runs through the park we have found that place also for some time but with no luck there was also an observation Tower a little distance from the river and I even went down to that but it looked as nobody had been there in many years. some of the local court orders that there were leopards in the park and other animals but we really did not see any mammal and we just manage to see some Birds.

Day 7 : Keylong - Zanskar Sumdo - Baralacha La - Rohtang - Burua

We woke up early morning and decided to hit the passes. We had three Passes on our agenda and decided to hit the Shinku La Pass. Well as far as we could towards Shinku La on the still under construction Darcha Padam road which would connect Lahaul with Zans kar in Ladakh. This Road is a part of the ambitious NPD Road projected which is supposed to connect Nimmu, at the junction of the Indus and the Zanskar Rivers with Padam in Zanskar and there upon to Darcha in Lahaul Valley. This Road has been a long standing demand of the people of Zanskar as they want direct connectivity with Leh and Darcha as they share Religious and Cultural ties with bith these areas. Pre sently they have to take a circuitious Route all the way via Kargil to get to Leh.

after the dotted checkpost and crossing the 6 village there are two roads one road goes toward Baralachala and the other one goes to singular well actually it will go to singular and all the Bittu Padam and that should be interesting Road one day Opposite of was the was the village called Zanskar Sumdo which was one of the market places we could see in the Google Maps so we started of two words on skirts on the the road was beautiful as a noun through the mountains and we could see that this year there was a lot of snow

Day 8 : Burua Manali Naggar Tirthan Valley Gushaini

It was the day I dreaded the most as we had to go thorugh the Manali town and we heard great stories of Traffic Jams all over the place. To make matters wrose the Road leading from Barua Village to Manali along the Beas River had caved in and there was space for only one Vehicle to pass at a time. So one side of the Traffic had to be stopped to let the Traffic go from the other side and this happening during Peak Tourist season when thousands of Cars are headed up the Rohtang is a nightmare for the local Authorities. On top of that some outsiders and mostly local Taxi and Pick up operators were acting like a law unto themselves and breaking