Kinnaur surrounded by the Tibet to the east, in the northeast corner of Himachal Pradesh, about 235 kms from Shimla is a tremendously beautiful district having the three high mountains ranges i.e. Zanskar, Greater Himalayas and Dhauladhar, enclosing valleys of Sutlej, Spiti, Baspa and their tributaries. All the valleys are strikingly beautiful. The slopes are covered with thick wood, orchards, fields and picturesque hamlets. The apples, chilgoza and other dry fruits are grown here are world famous. The high terrain here give way to great adventures sports of all kinds. Beautiful trekking routes includes the ‘Parikarma of Kinner Kailash’at the peak of Kinner Kailash mountain. And it is not only the scenic beauty which appeals to the young and old alike but also the life styles of the people, their culture, heritage, customs and traditions.
Route: Delhi – Narkanda – Sarahan – Sangla / Chitkul – Kalpa
Started off from Delhi, as I had booked a train to Kalka and had initially planned to take a direct bus from Kalka to Narkanda in the morning. But during my time at Delhi station I happened to meet one uncle from Shimla and he was also going to be travelling in the same train. As the train was already running late around 3 hours, we had exchanged a talk and he advised that instead of taking a bus directly to Narkanda, I should go via Shimla, as the buses to Narkanda would be coming from Chandigarh and I would not get a seat. So ended up taking a toy train to Shimla (not a very good option if you have limited time for your travel) and from Shimla to Narkanda by bus. The bus driver and conductor were kind enough to let me sit on the conductor seat!!! Hurray..! Started feeling more excited about my another solo travel! I do it a lot but every time the excitement of exploring “the unknown” gives me adrenaline rush!!!
Narkanda
I reached Narkanda at around 4.30 pm and checked into a hotel. I was starving hungry and first thing I did was to get freshened up and run to the only dhaba available, which was just opposite from my hotel. Food was good and the staff as well. After feeding my hungry stomach, my brain started working and realized need to figure out the options to visit the Hatu Peak. If one has time then hiking is a good option, but I didn’t want to spend more time in Narkanda, so I just booked the cab for the next morning, decided to do my morning yoga practice on the top and return back.
There is a small temple and a guest house on the top. On a clear day, it has a 360 degree view of snow-capped mountains. Though I was not able to see them because it was one of the cloudy mornings, but I had a peaceful time doing my self-practice at this beautiful place! I returned back and had the brunch at the same dhaba.
Sarahan
Left for Sarahan by 11:00 am. There is no direct bus to Sarahan, one has to get down at Jeori and take another bus to Sarahan (distance between Jeori and Sarahan is around 17km). I happened to meet a police man who was sitting next me, travelling from Shimla to Sarahan. We got down at Jeori at around 2:00 pm, and we were waiting for a next bus. During this waiting period he could not hold his curiosity and asked me if I am travelling alone and if it is for work… I said I am travelling solo and will be exploring different parts of Kinnaur for few more days. He was so surprised and giving me smile at all times when I happened to look at him, no idea why!!! Anyways the buses to Sarahan were so packed and it had started raining as well so, Ajit (police man) asked if I would like to share a cab with him to Sarahan. I agreed and we were on the way to Sarahan. It took around 40 mins to reach. I checked into Hotel Srikhand, one of the best place in Sarahan offering the bestest of view of Sarahan, located just next to the ancient Bhimakali Temple. During this travel, made friends with this police man and he accompanied me to the temple, followed by a walk around the village & delicious dinner! At dinner we decided to go running next morning at the army training ground if it wouldn’t be raining!
