CHURAH VALLEY on bike

2007-01-13T05:29:00.000-08:00

CHURAH VALLEY

the unxplored Himachal

It was a long time to see HIMALAYAS... My last trip in Himalayas was the Bike trip to CHOUKODI in Uttarachal (1100kms) last December. so it was nearly 4 months to see a glimpse of mountains. I asked my boss for Chutti n yessss...i got it...4 full days in hand..i started planning the whole trip. Decided to explore PANGI VALLEY. There was not mch info available on this side of Himachal. I tried to gather it from all sorts of sources available and known to me,, but as expected it was all useless. Not even the HIMACHAL GOVT. or the TOURISM dept. had any official info on this valley or the adjascent area. So i decided that jaha tak bhi rasta le jaega,, jarur jaunga....**(refer last line) As this was going to be a bike trip, I started gathering necessary things fr the trip like Cramster saddle bag, electronic pump, bungie cords n all..

It was 23 april, sunday.. but not off for me, somehow managed to return early frm office. Got my tank full. Rushed towards home and packed all the things in my 4 small bags. And finally at 1925hrs I started for CHANDIGARH.
after catching NH-1 once, i took my nxt halt after 140 kms (approx.) after KARNAL checkpost..i.e. at SAMANA. Took some rest on a "manji" laid in frnt of a dhaba. After spending sm 15-20 min. there at the dhaba, started ripping again, now the speedo was touching 108kmph, first time in this trip. Reached CHANDIGARH (Panchkula) at 2310 hrs.

This way managed to reach PANCHKULA frm DELHI in less than 4 hrs, taking a single break.

day 0
trip meter - 252 kms

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DAY 1
24 apr 06, monday

PANCHKULA to CHOWARI (Himachal)

via Chandigarh, Ropar, Anandpur sahib, Nangal, BHAKRA DAM, Una, Talwada, Pong dam,

got up at 700hrs and started for CHAMBA at 900 hrs. Crossed Chandigarh, Ropar and reached Anandpur sahib.

this was a canal smwhere btween Chd and Ropar. the scenery around this canal forced me to stop on the bridge.

Gurudwara ANANDPUR SAHIB.

reached Nangal dam near abt 1200 hrs. BHAKRA DAM was sm 20 kms away frm here. Now road to CHAMBA was on left and Bhakra on my right.. As i was alone, jst turned towards Bhakra. after abt 15 kms there was a barrier, border of PUNJAB n HIMACHAL. Police wala stopped me and started quering. I said bhaiyya Bhakara dekhne ja raha hu..wats the prob.? Actuall, i was supposed to take permission frm the PRO office, which i left 2 kms back. Went back, got the permission very easily and then crossed the barrier. After crossing the border of PUNJAB n HIMACHAL Hills started,

My frst meet wid Himalayas. took sm pix on the way.

this is one of The Temple of Modern India, as said by Pt. JL Nehru - Bhakra dam,
the highest dam in India, built on R. Satluj

(not its not Pangong Tso........Its Govind sagar lake, on the other side of Bhakra and ne the way to Naina devi temple)

it was 1330 hrs..feeling hungry. I was in 'Sikh land', how can i forget Gurudwaraz . So started asking abt any gurudwara near by. And reached Gurudwara Bhabour sahib at 1400 hrs, its in between Nangal & Una.

(ettho guru da langar chaka - Gurudwara Bhabour sahib)

Trip meter - 416 kms

Now crossed TALWADA and then PONG DAM. petrol was abt to finish. sm ppl guided to go at any new petrol pump, they give unmixed fuel relatively then the old ones. Reached at a petrol pump (surpried to see Assam oil's dealer in HP) near a place called Raja ka Talab. It was 1800 hrs. getting dark, i decided to stay at CHOWARI 2 hrs before Chamba. this route was short cut.I left NH1 frm Chandigarh itself. this way avoided Jullundhar and Pathankot.
Reached Chowari at 2000hrs and got a rest house. Called up some ppl in Chamba and discussed abt nxt days plan.

day 1
trip meter - 602 kms

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DAY 2
24 apr 06, monday

CHOWARI to BAIRAGARH

via Jot, Khajjiar, Chamba, Tissa, Tarela, .............Kalaban

got up at 0530 hrs and started at 600 hrs for Chamba. Crossed Jot, a small village.
JOT - ppl said sm scenes of sunny deol's GADAR- were shot here

jot means a pass. so i heard of many Jots in my whole trip.

here comes KHAJJIAR

(KHAJJIAR - 2412mts. i reached here at 0820 hrs)

savere savere....school chalein hum

now its CHAMBA(an ancient town)

(CHAMBA - 995 mts, Distt. HQ., low alt. so hot place)

chamba to bairagarh via tissa

(the road frm Chamba till Bairagarh is OK. the distance is abt 90 kms.)

took lunch at a dhaba,

(snow capped mountains. CHURAH VALLEY started smwhere near Koti, a village frm where one road goes to Bhandal valley and other towards Pangi)

Reached Bairagarh at 1630 hrs. This is the last village on this road towards KILAAD till Sach pass, KILAAD is the admn HQ. of Pangi Valley.
jst after u cross Bairagarh, the metalled road vanishes. Road is coverd wid forest.

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nice landscapes

(As u gain height temp starts decreasing rapidly..... and here is my frst encounter wid snow)

I reached very near to Kalaban, as there was no road at this time.....only snow....this area borders J&K. In 1998 30 labourers were shot dead by the 'bloody b.st..d' Militants....tab se this area of HP is under high surveilance of police and paramilitary force.

after kalaban comes SATRUNDI, which is another police post, it also cms into existence only when the road towards KILAD is through.

sm pics....

due to hard ice here,,,my bike refused to go further...i respected its decision & parked at a safe place..safe means where the road was not mch muddy,,,bike managed to stand....Aur yaha se main paidal hi chal pada.....went jst few mtrs ahead and found this Buldozer there,,The admn is trying to clear the road till KILAD, before june..

hhuoooooooooo....main bhoot hoon.....dats me on glacier's ice...haha

while comin back frm Kalaban

returned Bairagarh..and had a very warm conversation wid the police walaz there..collected info on the Churah valley and then ............sweet dreamz........

(Pangi valley starts from Sach Pass, as i the road was blocked, i was not able to reach Pangi )

day 2
trip meter - 808 kms

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DAY 3
25 apr 06, tuesday

BAIRAGARH to LANGERA...............DALHOUSIE

via Tarela, Baira syul hydel power project, Salooni, Bhandal, Langera, (back till Salooni) Sundla, Chamera hydel power project, Banikhet, Dalhousie

got up very early, took Chai biscut and started for Bhandal. From Baira syul project the road devides. Left towards Chamba and Right towards Salooni.

roads of Churah valley....

btwn Bairagarh & Baira syul

bridge on siul nallah

after Salooni the landscape changes rapidly...the valley is mch beautiful than Bairagarh's side; Although Both the routes are in Churah valley.

(this side of Churah valley is also known as Bhandal valley...)
SOME MORE ....

(there was a road connection from Bhandal valley to DODA in J&K, but due to militancy it has been closed.
people in this area look and speak like kashmiriz.Even the landscape is queit similar to Kashmir's)

khundimaral is the borderline of HP & J&K this side...no one is allowed to go beyond Langera.

the Himalyan kids

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(this is LANGERA........reached here at 1430 hrs
trip meter 931)

reknowned Bollywood Dir. Nagesh Kukunoor was shooting his nxt film - DOAR- in this valley .
starring Shreyas talpade & Gul panag....
expected to release this August...

reached Salooni and then Sundla. Frm Sundla again the road devides. one towards Chamba, other to Banikhet & Pathankot via Chamera project

lake formed bcoz of the Chamera dam..

The road is very good frm Chamera to Dalhousie .....two lanes.....so the bike was cruising now at 50-60 kmph. reached Dalhousie. Took Dinner and slept.

day 3
trip meter - 1039 kms

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DAY 4
26 apr 06, wednesday

DALHOUSIE to DELHI

via Banikhet, Pathankot, Bhogpur, Jullundhar, KHATKAD KALA, Nawashahar, Khanna, Ambala, Karnal,..... HOME

Today was going to be the most tiresome day of the trip. Delhi is more than 600 kms frm Dalhousie.
Started at 0650 hrs from Dalhousie and frst went to Panchpula 2kms ahead, to see SHAHEED AJEET SINGH's samadhi. Ajeet singh was Chacha(uncle) of Shaheed BHAGAT SINGH. Bhagat learnt many things frm his Uncle. He was also a great Krantikari in his time. He died on the very same morning when India got independence, bcoz he could not bear the Partition of INDIA & PAKISTAN.

(Shaheed Ajeet singh)

the memorial

(Punjab-Himachal border on Pathankot-Dalhousie road.)

(NH to Delhi)

the NH was being turned to 6 lanes near Pathankot region, so cud not maintain gud speed till Bhogpur, a village. After Bhogpur, i jst ripped and reached Jullandhar at 1200hrs. Took left frm NH1 towards Banga and Nawashahar to visit BHAGAT SINGH's ansectral home at Khatkad kala....

langard at Gurudwara SukhChainAana Sahib.
Trip meter - 1281 kms

Day was very hot in Punjab. I took lots of fluids.

HEREZ THE HOUSE OF A LEGEND...shaheed bhagat singh....

khatkadkala (banga, jallandhar, punjab)

(Ancestral house of the legend)

reached Ambala at 1915 .....trip meter 1455 kms... TIRED
petrolled the bike here, as the fuel is very cheap in Haryana than Punjab, i think even Chandigarh.

Break b4 Karnal 2015.......... trip 1521 kms.......VERY TIRED

rain wid wind slowed down speed to 30-40kmph...big halt at Gannaur for 30-40 min, due to Hvy rains.

HOME.........at 2340 hrs ............EXHAUSTED.......

day 3
trip meter - 1649 kms

TOTAL -
distance travelled - 1649 kms
hours on trip - 100 hrs

petrol cost - 1,585
bike misc - 450
food n stay - 330 ( plz dnt ask me how ;-) )
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Rs. 2,365
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TOP -
speed - 108 kmph
alt. - 10,000 fts at Kalaban (approx. as told by the policewalaz)

** (BST TIME FOR PANGI IS JULY-AUGUST)

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contact me : mountaintrekker@indiatimes.com

mountaintrekker.india@gmail.com

churah valley

CHURAH VALLEY on bike