Thursday 5 July 2012

HIdden Jewels of the Himalayas - Part 1 "Road trip to Malari & Niti in the Dhauliganga Valley"


Almost everyone whose fond of mountain travel would have heard of Auli and Badrinath in Uttarakhand but Just a couple of hours away, hidden in the remote valleys of Dhauliganga river which meets Alaknanda river at Vishnuprayag are the forgotten border villages of Malari, Bampa, Ghamsali and Niti, surely not to be found on the tourist map of India 

There are various factors which make this area so interesting. Remoteness and the fact that there aren’t too many who have visited this area is one. Adding an intriguing flavor is that China is close by and also trying to get closer by the day. Locals who were witness to the old trade practices between the villages of Tibet and this region contribute with their stories of days gone by. The landscape is unique and ever changing along the 90 kms drive from Joshimath till Niti (3500 mts), the last village on Indian side of the border. One gets to see the typical big mountains and narrow river gorges of Garhwal but what make the terrain special is the cold desert look of Spiti & Ladakh interspersed with the Garhwal scenery. Also the size and fury of the Dhauliganga river comes as a pleasant surprise

There are numerous spots in this valley you would want to just pitch your tents and stay put, one such spectacular location is Reolbaggad.  On the banks of Dhauliganga, this oasis has dense Deodar forest in the background and expansive views of the surrounding mountains and the wide open valley. Even the mighty river goes at an easy pace while crossing this area lending in to the serenity. Trip this side would be half the fun without interacting with the local people who are ever welcoming and in no short supply of time, so find your opportunity and ‘get in’

To get a feel of the area one can do a day trip from and back to Joshimath (which is about 8 hours from Rishikesh). It’s about a 3 hours drive one way but to really enjoy and soak in the energy of the region I would recommend a minimum of one night stay at a spot of your choice. Some villages might be able to accommodate a few in their houses but to be on the safer side I will recommend that one carry tents for the night. There aren’t too many eating places on the route so one should carry some back up food though the few that exist can give any restaurant a run for their money. These couple of very small eating places serve heavenly mutton curry and rice for breakfast, lunch, dinner and mid meals and on some prodding the local brew.
    
There are many more pleasures to be discovered in this region so if you have the explorer spirit in you this is where you should be headed. You can drive, ride, cycle or trek to your heart’s content while in this area….. 

Travelling to Garhwal Himalayas has never been easier

Over the past Year, the Uttarakhand government along with the help from the centre has been quietly revolutionizing the travel options, speed and efficiency to the perptually transport starved, Garhwal region of the Himalayas. Here is what has happened over the past couple of years.

BY ROAD:

What was for a long time a pipe dream, an express highway to Haridwar/Rishikesh/Dehradun, is finally taking shape. The 220 Kms to Haridwar used to take a mind numbing 6-10 hours depending upon your luck, the alignment of the stars, Sugarcane season, Yatra Season, Kavad season, Kumbh season, Summer season and so on. It now takes a respectable 4-6 hours depending upon the time of the day, and is bound to improve when the express way, which is completed till Muzzaffar nagar reaches Dehradun. This will reduce travel times, increase tourist comfort, travel options and break many mental blocks and barriers.

VOLVO SERVICE IS BACK!

The Volvo service ( The generic for deluxe bus travel between citties) was started a few years ago with much fanfare has stopped thanks the heavy toll the buses used to take on the bad roads filled with Sugarcane laden bullock carts and tractors who didn't give a damn about the other vehicles on the road.
Thanks to the improved Highway from Delhi to Dehradun ( work completed till Roorkee) this service is back, much to the relief and comfort of uttarakhandis going back home or tourists heading out to the mountains or places of pilgirmage.
Go to www.upsrtc.com for book bus tickets online. It is a great option for plans made in a hurry and a good alternative to Trains.

BY TRAIN

With the introduction of the super fast New Delhi Dehradun A/C Express a new chapter in comfortable travel to the Uttarakhand has opened. Earlier the only option was the Mussoorie express which must have broken all records for the railways in terms of how to reach from point A to Point B by the longest route possible in the slowest time.

Apart from this, there are several new trains from all parts of the country now, direct to Haridwar & Dehradun making it by far the most well connected rail head into the Himalayas in the country.

BY FLIGHT

Dehradun & Pantnagar have borught in a completely new dimension to travel and access for people, especially from other cities ( than Delhi) to the Mountains. Dehradun with its new airport and 4 flights a day from Delhi and now a direct flight from Mumbai as well has now made it so easy for people to get to this parts that people are making extended weekend plans for either tourism, spiritual or religious visits and so on by completely skipping Delhi which saves them enormous amount of time and money. Recently a few friends of mine joined me for a "bike hike raft" trip in the HImalayas from Singapore and HOngkong. Each left their home early one morning and were sipping chai and hogging on Pakoras with me late afternoon in one of our mountain lodges by just taking a hoping flight to Dehradun. This is truly disruptive.

I now only hope the decade old air strips at Gauchar ( nearly Rudraprayag) and Naini Saini ( near Pithoragarh) are opened up soon to make this truly remarkable landacape accesible to all to enjoy.

Ony request, please take your pet bottles and chips packets back with you!!