KAILASH MOTORCYCLE YATRA : RIDE TO SHIVA’S ABODE

TOTAL DURATION : 10 Days.

ROUTE / CIRCUIT : Jaipur – Delhi – Haldwani – Bhowali – Almora – Pithoragarh – Dharchula – Gunji – Jolingkong (Adi Kailash) – Kalapani – Nabidhang (Om Parvat) – Lipulekh – Gunji – Dharchula – Jauljibi – Munsyari – Thal – Chaukori – Berinag – Patal Bhuvneshwar – Almora – Nainital – Kaladhungi – Corbett – Delhi

TOTAL DISTANCE COVERED – 2350 Kms.

TOTAL EXPENDITURE : Rs 15,000 – 18,000 (Per Head).

HIGHLIGHTS OF TRIP :

• Explored complete Kumaon region, incl few local Kumaoni villages of Bhowali, Bharechhina, Dhankhet, Berinag, Thal, Madkot etc. 
• Reaching road-head end points of both Nepal & Tibet borders in Uttarakhand – Lipulekh & Jolingkong. 
• The very FIRST Biker Group to touch both OM PARVAT & ADI KAILASH. 
• Rare glimpses of Unexplored Darma Valley and Sacred high-altitude lakes of Gauri Kund & Parvati Sarovar. 
• Northernmost Hill-Station of Kumaon – Munsyari & Across Nepal Border – Darchula. 
• Few Very Unique Religious Places such as Patal Bhuvneshwar, Chittai Golu Devta Mandir, Nanda Devi Mandir, Dandeshwar & Jageshwar Dham etc. 
• Highest Inhabited locations of Uttarakhand – Nabidhang & Jolingkong. 
• Longest stretch of ‘Non-Existent’ roads of mud, slush, rubble & streams – Dharchula – Gunji & Beyond (More than 260-270 Kms of complete Off-Roading). 

Prelude to Divine Spectacle

Ours is a mad, mad world. It breeds the idea that we need to constantly keep up with our tedious work lives, with who’s doing what on our social media feeds, with the latest everything. With India’s population nearly at a fifth of the world’s headcount, squeezed into two & a half percent of its land mass, it is rare to get a true sense of ‘wilderness’ even in the remotest of our part of Himalaya. The Upper Kumaon region towards Nepal & Tibet borders on the Kailash Mansarovar route is an exception – a spectacular getaway, with the assurance that it is just you, your machine and your companions (hopefully well-chosen) in the region. The journey is absolutely mesmerizing, through alpine forests, giving way to high-altitude scrub and vast mountain views, then scree and moraine – all in the span of few days. This is definitely one of the most isolated and scenic routes I have traversed in my so many years of travelling and biking.

The complete Kailash Mansarovar Yatra route can be broadly divided into three stretches. The first stretch is a 115 km-long road from Pithoragarh to Tawaghat via Dharchula that has been black-topped and is in good condition, the second is from Tawaghat to Garbhyang on a 50-km non-existent, only formation cutting stretch in extremely rugged steep terrain, and the third stretch is the 50 kms from Garbhyang to Lipulekh Pass at the Tibet border, which is a mix of raw compressed dirt track and trekking trail in the last stretch. Then there’s also the detour trail of 45-odd kms from Gunji to Jolingkong. The BRO has converted the first stretch into a double lane road, and is building a new road on the third stretch to allow vehicles right till the pass. However, it’s the middle stretch that is of concern and is in worst possible condition, which gets washed out at the slightest of rains.

I had already chosen my means of transport – my swanking new Snow-White Royal Enfield Himalayan which I affectionately call as “The Yeti”. This is a comfortable adventure motorcycle, designed specifically for the mountainous terrain. My past experiences in mountainous region were with my old Thunderbird 350, which was a cruiser and was more appropriate for highways. Notwithstanding that, I did have very good experience with that too in hilly roads. But it was time for me to establish my relationship with the new ‘Beast’ and the mountains of Kumaon were the ideal location for establishing this new friendship and bond with my ‘new partner’.

Route Taken – Jaipur – Delhi – Rampur – Haldwani – Bhimtal – Bhowali – Khairna – Almora – Jageshwar – Sidhia Khet – Pithoragarh

Total Distance – 750 Kms

No of Days – 3 Days

Road Conditions – Excellent Highway route till Haldwani (Rampur is small choke-point). Good two-lane hilly road till Almora, Then narrow but well-maintained picturesque road till Pithoragarh.

Special Tips – Multiple options exist from Haldwani to Pithoragarh, but this is the most scenic route with good roads and plenty of worthwhile stop-overs. Do not miss out on few very unique & beautiful temples enroute.

Delhi was unmolested by monsoon this time and winter had not set in yet when we headed out early Oct morning with my cousin Jayant, my Fauji coursemates Brijesh & Rohit, my dear friends Alok & Rohit, and our new acquaintances Jalaj, Raj & Ravindra Sir. On the relatively smooth National Highway 24, the Himalayan was in its element. With its 25 PS power at 6500 RPM, the bike is decently powered and overtaking vehicles is a pleasure on highways, knowing that you have a very reliable and reasonably powerful bike, it is quite reassuring both for road confidence and self-esteem. The windshield adds to the comfort, cutting out the drag one feels at high speeds. It has a comfortable riding position, but stopping and paddling through traffic is a bit of discomfort, given the weight of the beast at around 200kgs and slightly higher seat position for a ‘tall’ guy like me at just below 5 feet 7 inches. It took me a little while to get used to the bulk and height of the bike.

Over the next ten days, Kumaon revealed charming aspects of its culture, life and traditions. Our paths led us through lush forest trails, fields and pretty villages, the simple hill folk, forthcoming and shy at once. We reached our first abode of the hills – a quaint little hamlet called Bhowali in a residential B&B, where our lovely and gracious Hostess, Manisha welcomed us with hot cup of tea and snacks. Not wasting much time, we headed out to the hustle and bustle of Nainital and settled at the upper deck of Nainital Boat Club for our well-deserved evening drinks. It is in the evening that Nanital turns on its charm by the lakeside, when a light mist floats in, dusk turns the lake to gold and an array of cicadas turns up to create a symphony. We wrapped up the day with some traditional Kumaoni food at the famous Anupam Restaurant, feasting on a dinner Thali of Bhang Chutney, slow-cooked Kumaoni Bhatt Dal, delicious mutton curry, Gadera (a local yam) and some tear-inducing Mustard Raita.

At Khairna, soon after we negotiated the next day morning traffic of Bhowali, appeared a road that fell precipitously down to a parched riverbed and continued its precarious haul for about 30 kms. We pushed higher, past congested Almora, to a complete change of scenery as concrete gave way to sprawling splash of green. We made our way to the nearby Golu Devta temple at Chittai – a highly reversed shrine of the local Gad of Justice. Clusters of brass bells hand in and around the temple premises with petitions of justice, many hand-written on paper sewn onto strings alongside. Further ahead, the narrow winding road through dense oak and pine forests brought us to the gorgeous Jageshwar Temple complex, considered to be one of the 12 Jyotirlings of Lord Shiva on the ancient route to Kailash Mansarovar. The first of our motorcycle’s breakdown delayed us further, and converted what could have been a blink-and-a-miss smooth sailing of six odd hours, into a 12-hour ordeal. After riding through dense forested stretch of more than 60-odd kms in pitch darkness, we reached Pithoragarh.

Highway to Hell : Kailash Mansarovar Route

Route Taken – Pithoragarh – Kalika – Charma – Dharchula – Tawaghat – Budhi – Chhialekh – Garbhyang – Gunji

Total Distance – 190 Kms.

No of Days – 1 Day (Will take ALL DAY for these 190 Kms)

Road Conditions – Good two-lane hilly road till Dharchula (newly surfaced by BRO) having spectacular views. Limited black-topping ahead of Dharchula for 15-20 kms till Tawaghat. Post that absolutely ‘Non-Existent’ dirt-mud-rock-rubble-boulder track till Gunji (including mind-boggling ’29-Zigs’ between Budhi & Chhialekh). 60-70% of this stretch is only formation-cutting.

Special Tips – Expect complete ‘Off-Roading’ post Tawaghat, from loose sand & dust to mud & slush, from pebbles & rocks to big boulders, from numerous water crossings to multiple waterfalls, from Cliff-hangers to steep hair-pin bends of almost 45-50 degrees. Do top up at Dharchula, as it’s the last petrol pump on this stretch.

Narrow broken roads of Pithoragarh town soon transformed into comfortable wide two-lane newly black-topped hill roads with absolutely fantastic views of Himalayan ranges, which kept us company all the way to Dharchula. This stretch of 100-odd kms has some of the most scenic roads in best of the condition. We literally zoomed to Dharchula, where we stopped over to fill up both our empty stomachs and our fuel tanks (Dharchula being the last of the petrol pumps on Kailash Mansarovar route). The majority of route today between Dharchula and Gunji is unpredictable, unknown territory and non-existent at most of the stretches. The Kali river rages as the thundering demarcating line of the Indo-Nepal border all along the road, which soon loses the meaning of the term ‘road’, as just few kms ahead of Dharchula, and this so-called road turns into a trail of mud, dust, stones and rocks. This mayhem kept getting deteriorated as we progressed on this stretch and by the time Gunji village arrives after 80 odd kms of absolutely ‘No Road’, the best of the off-roaders among us would have remembered the Almighty at least a thousand times. The decision to cover about 190 odd kms from Pithoragarh to Gunji in a single day turned out to be a bad one, as the last 70 kms of ‘Off-Roading’ took us more than 8 hrs, with the last hour plus riding in darkness was absolutely ‘suicidal’ on this route. By the time scattered lights of Gunji village came into sight after almost 12-13 hrs of back-breaking ride, it was the same feeling what we get on the sight of ‘Vaishno Devi Bhawan’ after the tedious trek.

The ascent to Budhi at 2050m is extremely strenuous and tedious, and a true test of immense patience and very very deliberate riding on a route which is strewn with nothing but dust, stones, rocks and boulders. Numerous waterfalls, rock-overhangs and water streams add on to both adventure and challenge to biking. The toughest stretch of this entire journey is what’s known as “The Suicidal Zigs” – a continuous stretch of 29 highly steep and extremely difficult hair-pin bends (or Zig-Zags). Finally, like a divine light at the other end of tunnel, the scattered lights of Gunji village came into sight. In the evening, we had a delicious home-cooked meal of fresh organic home-grown vegetable, chana dal, rice and chapatti, and local Kumaoni Kheer at our homestay in Gunji, as we sat around the fire in pitch dark night.

Knocking on Heaven’s Door : Adi Kailash & Om Parvat

Route Taken – Gunji – Kunti – Jolingkong – ADI KAILASH & Back / Gunji – Kalapani – Nabidhang – OM PARVAT – Lipulekh & Back / Gunji – Garbhyang – Budhi – Askot – Dharchula

Total Distance – 240 Kms.

No of Days – 3 Days

Road Conditions – Complete Off-Roading through very tough terrain and extremely loose rubble and rocks. Steep gradients through dusty ‘Katcha Tracks’ rising all the way to more than 16500 feet.

Special Tips – This was absolute ‘Untouched’ territory and required extremely high standards of both physical & mental strength. Both the man and the machine need to be in top condition in fitness. Make sure the bike is properly inspected and maintained before taking these two high-altitude circuits.

From Gunji, which is at 3250m, one can fork out left to Kunti and Jolingkong towards Adi Kailash and Tibet border, or right, along the Nepal border to Kalapani, Om Parvat and Lipulekh Pass. Across this lies Mount Kailash, the abode of Lord Shiva and the magical Mansarovar Lake. We decided to do both the axes on two different days, to do complete justice to these mesmerising ‘Once-in-a-Lifetime’ destinations. Our first Lakshya was the Adi Kailash which bears a resemblance to the pious Mount Kailash and perhaps, this is the reason it is called Adi or Chhota Kailash. It is one of the most scared Hindu sites which is believed to be the oldest resting place of Lord Shiva. The existence of any kind of road continued to elude us, as we started our back-and-bum-breaking journey on bigger rocks and increased rubble, but the astonishing surroundings and picture-perfect views more than made it up for the otherwise painful journey. Jolingkong is the end of road on this newly opened axis in close proximity of Indo-Tibet border.

Adi Kailash comes across as an ‘Awestruck Moment’ and the region around the peak is peaceful, soothing and incredibly beautiful. At the bottom of the mighty peak quietly exists a lake, known as Gauri Kund, which beautifully mirrors the Adi Kailash and can be reached by a 4-km uphill trek, Parvati Sarovar is another lake near the peak, much more easily accessible and is much smaller than its namesake, Manasarovar Lake in Tibet. One just does not get enough of these unbelievable views of Adi Kailash and the high altitude lakes on its base, but we knew that extended stay at more than 16500 feet without proper acclimatisation can be quite dangerous. So, we bid adieu to our first of the two ‘Heavenly Encounters’ and headed back with heavy hearts and unforgettable memories. We stopped over at Kunti village for lunch on our return journey, and as I entered this quaint little village, for some reason I kept feeling like Tintin in Tibet.

The bright and sunny weather next day morning declared that this was going to be yet another unforgettable journey to the next wonder of nature, the well-known Om Parvat. It is definitely one of the most miraculous sights you can ever see in your lifetime. The route condition, though a mix of rubble, dust and rocks yet again, is slightly in a better condition than the other axis of Adi Kailash, and also is much shorter in distance. It traverses through two minor Army check posts of Kalapani (which is the origin of mythical Kali River) and Nabidhang. We left Kalapani to be explored on our return journey and went full-stream towards Om Parvat which was definitely the ‘highlight’ of our entire trip. And it didn’t disappoint at all, the first views of this mystical and miraculous mountain peak cannot be described in words – it was absolutely unbelievable feeling of ‘Shock & Awe’. The white (snow) “OM” on black background was as clear as can be. It was a mix feeling of utter joy of not only getting crystal clear views of Om Parvat but also to meet my Sarvashreshth unit boys, also immense sense of pride and satisfaction of being probably the very first group of bikers to have made it to both Adi Kailash and Om Parvat in a single trip, and bit of sadness to leave all this behind, when we left the location.

I woke up the next morning with a sinking and dreaded feeling of taking the complete 80 kms of ordeal to make it back to Dharchula from Gunji. The descent through this treacherous route from Gunji to Dharchula, in specific the “29-Zigs” truly tested our patience, bike-handling and concentration. The machines were tested for road-worthiness of its each and every part, while the men were tested for their riding skills. The black-top road at Tawaghat brought a sigh of relief and a sense of achievement, after almost 250-odd kms of complete ‘Off-Roading’ in past three days. We reached Dharchula in time for some exploration of this buzzing Indo-Nepal border town. It had narrow lanes with narrower bye-lanes, and all of these jam-packed with shops, stalls, hawkers, people and more people. Nepal lies across the jacarandas and the mighty Kali river. The bridge that links Nepal to India was once a mere formality of smiling police pickets on either side, now they lock both ends past sunset for any type of cross-movement.

Stairway to Heaven : Upper Kumaon

Route Taken – Dharchula – Jauljibi – Madkot – Lilam – Munsyari – Kala Muni Top – Tejam – Thal – Berinag – Chaukori

Total Distance – 230 Kms.

No of Days – 1 Day

Road Conditions – Road till Jauljibi from Dharchula is very good, being Pithoragarh axis, post which it goes along narrow but very picturesque stretch along Gori Ganga. Road is broken at numerous places till Munsyari with water crossings and dirt tracks in between. Then it’s a good but very narrow road till Chaukori.

Special Tips – This stretch has some of the best views of snow-capped mountains of Himalayan ranges. Keep plenty of time for photo-stopovers. Few ‘Must-See’ points & locations fall on this route.

Some places seem just too shy to announce themselves to the world, as if they are not sure exactly who they are at the moment, and would like to think things over first. Upper Kumaon region is one such region, and it consists of many hidden gems – Munsyari, Chaukori, Gwaldam, Baijnath, Berinag are few of those shining gems. The route from Jauljibi to Munsyari is the Orchid Country, and all along the blue-grey Gori Ganga keeps you company, weaving its way from the north, its winter-thin waters revealing white sandy shores at places. As we approached Munsyari town, we immediately headed to the most famous ‘must-see’ in this part of Upper Kumaon – a visit to Nanda Devi Temple, under the divine shadows of Nanda Devi & Panchachuli peaks in the horizon. We carried on our journey on Munsyari – Chaukori route which is a narrow stretch, but extremely picturesque. The Kala Muni Mandir is the highest point on this route and offers stunning views of the Gori Ganga valley. The Birthi Falls cascading a dramatic 410m down the mountainside, was a sight in itself. There are several natural hot-water sulphur springs in this region, the most popular ones being at Tejam on the banks of Ram Ganga, and Madkot on the banks of Gori Ganga.

The Berinag – Chaukori road is very good and goes through forests. With hardy any traffic on firm tarmac, I had started going faster around the bends, leaning into the corners. For all its bulk (and I must admit that the foot-pegs almost scraped the road repeatedly), the Himalayan has lovely balance. And then there was the scenery, with the clouds coming low, the hills covered in verdant apparel and the vista changing dramatically every few corners.

Coming to Aagan Homestay at Chaukori is like staying at the home of a friend or somebody personally known to you. The place has been done up artistically with wooden floors, wide picture windows and sit-out balconies framing the breath-taking views across the valley to the Panchachhuli range. We sat in the evening on wooden log stools on the patio balcony and had our Old Monk. At dinner time, we picked up the steel plates and helped ourselves with some Pahadi Mutton Curry along with ghee-drizzled rotis, Dal and Sabzi, cooked local-style for us. Each one of us had multiple helpings – of course, we had to make for all the lost calories on the route.

November Rain : God’s Wrath on Return Journey

Route Taken – Chaukori – Berinag – Patal Bhuvneshwar – Seraghat – Berichhina – Almora – Kakrighat – Bhowali – Nainital – Kaladhungi – Ramnagar (Corbett) – Garh Mukteshwar – Delhi

Total Distance – 610 Kms.

No of Days – 2 Days

Road Conditions – Hilly roads through dense forests in good condition till Nainital. Post that narrow and steep descent to Kaladhungi, prone to multiple landslides during rains. Once in plains, excellent highway till Delhi.

Special Tips – Chaukori to Nainital via Almora is narrow hilly stretch going through extremely beautiful forested area, and has very limited eating options till Almora. From Nainital, three separate axes go down till plains – make sure to check with locals regarding any blockades due to landslides during rains before undertaking the journey.

The mountain peaks lifted their veils the next day as we were about to leave Chaukori. I cannot describe the stunning feeling of joy that coursed through our veins as we just stood by roadside in a row, our eyes fixed on the Panchachhuli. We quickly pulled out our cameras and clicked away. Some distance away, and a new mesmerising view was awaiting us, as the might Nanda Devi peak showed itself in its true glory for a split-second. It was definitely a “Dhanya Bhaag Humaare” wala moment. Our first stop-over for the day was the remarkable and unbelievable caves of Patal Bhuvneshwar, which have rock formations worshipped as Gods and other mythological beliefs. The main cave is 105m long an 85-step descent and some passages are so narrow that one has to actually squat and crawl to go through them. This was truly a mind-blowing experience, at least for few of us who dared to crawl into this natural wonder.

The further route from Chaukori to Almora via Seraghat and Berichhina, criss-crosses series of paths through tiny villages, hilltop temples, terraces and fruit orchards, and it presents splendid views of slopes and dales. The small hamlets in this part of Kumaon are devoid of any usual attractions and rather promote remote excursions. Apart from some regular visitors who love their solitude, and birdwatchers and trekkers, there are only a few busloads of tourists even at the height of the ‘seejun’. Our original plan was to foray further to Ranikhet but the weather Gods had other plans for us. The valleys below were covered in clouds that occasionally strayed up and covered the road too. We rode through the mist, and turning through the corners was getting a bit tricky, but Himalayan did its job without complaint. It was a perfect ride, the sort you remember and share with other motorcyclists. And then we hit Kakrighat, half-way to Nainital from Almora, or let’s say a storm cloud hit us. It pelted down so hard that visibility dropped to near zero. There were trucks and cars all over, and I was riding a motorcycle which I had never ridden in rains till now and this was the first experience.

We were intending to leave next day thinking of those lovely, smooth roads with panoramic views which have been our constant partners till now, but the next day the rains hit Bhowali with much greater fury. The heavy downpour made it impossible to even step out, let alone attempt to ride. But we were determined to leave, come rain or sunshine. The rain had intensified and we were getting panicked phone calls from home, because TV news channels were showing footage of a motorcyclist getting washed out in a deluge in the Nainital foothills nearby and cars being buried under mudslides. After turning around from all three possible exit roads from Nainital due to landslides, we decided to take the Nainital-Kaladhungi road and get out of this mayhem at the earliest.

Each corner covered in mist and clouds, each stream flowing on the road and each vehicle being passed in heavy downpour, was a challenge that could be met only with concentration and alertness. We rode through several downpours and multiple ‘Oh My God’ moments, before hitting Rampur in the plains where we took a much-deserved break for hot cup of tea and drying our clothes. After years of riding in the rains, motorcyclists in India figure out that the rainfall is ‘patchy’ – keep riding and you will soon get out of the rain. But that was not the case with us that day, it kept on getting worse as we rode ahead. By the time we finally reached back Delhi late that night, we had already got soaking wet and perfectly dry multiple times.

A Divine Adventure : Nothing Else Matters

Upper Kumaon region and far North-East part of Uttaranchal is best experienced as part of a small group of like-minded travellers, especially those who value adventurism and local flavour more than the long checklist of ‘recreational activities’. Not the ideal pit-stop for the package tourist crowds or day-trippers with noisy youngsters. When you go through the hardship together, you forge a special bond among each other. Especially when you are vulnerable, traversing through some of the toughest terrain and weather conditions, and facing the unpredictability of the Himlalayas. We were there for just ten days, but as though some celestial travel agent had decided to lay on an all-season tour, we managed to experience every climatic condition barring extreme summer season.

A word of caution : If you’re someone who enjoys the anonymous luxuries of the five-star hotel chain or comfortable hill resorts, the Kailash Mansarovar circuit is probably not for you. The electricity is rare at most of the places, surviving on few hours of generators at places, there’s no TV and hardly any mobile network in majority of locations. For some people these two facts would count against any destination or location. But if you, like me, savour the prospect of adventurous roads, uncertainty at every corner, a quiet game of Uno among each other, and just be with the nature, then just pack your rucksack, service your four/two wheels and gather your family or friends, and head for the Kumaon hills. It is a superb experience and a ‘must-do’ bike ride for any ‘Adventure Junkie’, which is completely different from ‘Run-of-the-Mills’ riding trips such as Ladakh, Lahaul-Spiti etc.

This Kailash Mansarovar circuit is definitely not for the faint-hearted, not even for a normal adventurous tourist, and if you are specifically looking for a relaxing luxury break in the hills, do look elsewhere. Up here, you should expect dramatic highs and lows, not only in the route conditions, but also in all other aspects – it is the Himalayas after all. But this is scenic beauty that is utterly worth any amount of adventure, danger and physical hardship. This is a biking experience that’s ultimately about being cosseted, and there is only a very particular audience for the ‘hard-earned’ pleasures this route of Adi Kailash and Om Parvat offers. After all, it requires extremely high levels of endurance, resilience & patience in riding thru some of the toughest terrains in the country. For a lot of people and even bikers, one or the other of these many caveats is simply going to be a non-negotiable point of objection. However, for its intended audience, it doesn’t matter a bit, as Kailash Mansarovar route offers a combination of adrenaline rush, wonderful contemporary scenic beauty, untouched and unexplored mountainous roads and staggeringly beautiful natural surroundings that is quite unique.

Ours is a mad, mad world. But thanks to magical places and warm people who convince us that our world is still many kinds of beautiful, we manage to deal just fine with the daily drudge of our lives.