Delhi – Sangla ... journey through the verdant valleys of Himachal
Delhi – Sangla ... journey through the verdant valleys of Himachal
13 Jul 2014. Three members of the team have
joined us in Delhi as has the fourth vehicle. They have driven in from Jaipur
to rendezvous with us here before setting off for the next leg of the trip.
Post a sumptuous and elaborate breakfast and reorganising the vehicles with the
additional members, we’re off to Kasauli. The journey is pretty much uneventful
on the Delhi Chandigarh highway. The last tranche of members is picked up in
Zirakpur, short of Chandigarh which enables us to bypass Chandigarh and head
straight for Kasauli. The roads are very good though the traffic is fairly
heavy. Progress is pretty quick till Kalka. After Kalka and all the way till we
turn off the main highway to Kasauli, it is chock-o-block traffic...! Seems
like Shimla and/or the other destinations nearby are super popular with the
plains folks! We finally reach Kasauli Resorts at dusk after a short ‘chai’
break enroute. Needless to say, all the cameras have come out soon as we hit
the hills.
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| Chai break |
Kasauli Resorts is a fairly well kept property
with nice views. Flowering trees, bushes and creepers and the general greenery
are a sight for sore eyes in the middle of a hot and dry July in the plains.
The first real get together for the team is organised here. The evening is fun
and the dinner delicious!
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| Kasauli Resorts |
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| Kasauli, shrouded in fog! |
14 Jul 2014. The morning dawns foggy and the
visibility is down to just 7-8 mtrs or so. We leave rather later than we want
to. Positive... the weather clears somewhat making for slightly easier driving.
Negative... we waste valuable time which we regret later.
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| Enroute Shimla |
The route
through the hills offers beautiful views of clouds drifting through the valleys
and orchards laden with apples and pears, plums and apricots though most of
them under ripe. It is still just the beginning of the season and most of the
fruit is at least a couple of weeks away from picking.
Shimla is
crowded but eventually we are on our way towards Narkanda and onwards to
Rampur. Ahead of Narkanda, we stop at a roadside cafe so all of us can come
together for the packed breakfast we are carrying. It is a feast! This is where
our Doc decides to start on the AIDS awareness programme. The cafe staff as
well as a few others are given a small awareness talk and some material and
requested to spread the message along.
Shortly
hereafter we have our first view of the Sutlej.
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| First view of the Sutlej |
A distant muddy
meandering torrent with terraced fields near the numerous settlements along its
banks, the Sutlej is a mighty river and the lifeline in these parts. Here and
there are glimpses of the road snaking its way down to the river. At this point,
the highway descends to the river and goes alongside for a long while.
Driving
along these surging waters, one feels a healthy respect for nature and its
forces which are so wild and untamed. They are life givers when valued and
respected; abuse or disrespect them long enough and we do it at our own peril
for it takes just a moment for complete obliteration! We’ve seen the Himalayan
Tsunami last year and the Kashmir floods now...
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| Surging Sutlej |
The fact that we
are travelling on the old 'Hindustan Tibet highway' keeps drifting through my
consciousness. The present highway runs along the old alignment for a fair way.
The old route hugs the higher reaches and almost does not descend down to the
valley. Many a man and beast have tumbled down to their deaths from those perilous
heights. Even today this route is counted amongst the most treacherous roads in
the world to travel on.
A
little farther up, we come to a small waterfall with access for the Scorpio to
go near it. No time is lost in utilizing the opportunity to wash the dusty car.
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| Car wash time! |
As we go
further, this road climbs higher till it reaches sheer cliffs of stark,
unadorned rock where the road is but a scooped out C-shaped tunnel embedded in the
vertical cliff side. While we enjoy the drive along the banks of the Sutlej in
all its moods, I am almost willing the road to start climbing to this, one of
the most celebrated and recognised sections of this route. And when we do hit
that stretch, we are all spellbound! Such is the precarious nature of the road
that there are precipitous drops on the only open side and encased in solid
rock on the other three sides.
A
much awaited and protracted photo session later, we are off....
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| Hindustan Tibet highway |
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| Hindustan Tibet highway |
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| Hindustan Tibet highway |
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| Hindustan Tibet highway |
Just two odd
hours away from Sangla is what I calculate and it is about 1530, so plenty of
time to reach and enjoy the campsite along the Baspa River before sundown. I
look forward to seeing the celebrated Baspa Valley and the famed birding that
the area has to offer. We cross Wangtoo and reach Tapri. Across the river we see a large township proclaiming JP
Karcham Wangtoo Hydroelectric Project and we come to a halt behind a long queue
of vehicles all seemingly waiting for a barrier across the road to open.
On
enquiry, we learn that due to landslides ahead, this road is closed and an
alternative route through a place called Urni is being used which is a one way
gate system owing to a very steep and extremely narrow passage. The gate opens
at 1700 hrs and that 29 km detour for those 2 kms lost in landslides is a
nightmare! In fact, the GPS is all at sea while we are on this route and
initially keeps telling us to turn back, and go via Manali and Kaza to reach
Karcham! Finally it gives up and shows us out to pasture...:-)
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| JP Hydro Project township |
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| Urni detour |
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| Urni detour |
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| The GPS... all at sea!! |
Over an hour
later we hit the original route having lost many hours in the process! Passing
Karcham, we turn right across the Sutlej and enter the Baspa valley. The very
first sight is the sprawling JP Baspa hydroelectric project. By the time we
reach Banjara Camps (which is 8 kms ahead of Sangla) over bouncy, dusty and
almost nonexistent roads with plenty of short and sharp switchbacks and blind
turns, it is 2130 hrs and completely dark! The camp has a parking about 6-700
mtr away from the main site. An army of helpers with wheelbarrows is waiting to
help us get our luggage in. A bonfire has been arranged for us and the staff is
very hospitable. Dinner seems to be a rather lavish affair but we are
exhausted. The two of us haul our weary selves in, have dinner and crash out.
The journey
continues...
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