[mountaineer]

Great Journey and lovely Travelogue.

The photography is mesmerizing and i was spellbound at times. I feel that many locations and vistas in Himachal are so beautiful that it is impossible to capture on a camera roll. But i can tell for sure you have done a great job, there are so many pictures which really must have been reproduced as such.
Congrats on your endeavor.

I am confused if you are more of a traveler or a photographer.

The one you have shot on the narrow road to sangla is great. On that road is the point just next to the temple which i don't like to negotiate and with a Bus/Truck on other side and i being on the deep gorge side.

[Vivek VS]

Nice trip, lovely pics. Nicely written too, Sir.

We crossed Kinnear Valley on our way to Kaza on 3rd October, reaching Kaza on 4th. When stayed overnight at Reckong Peo, didn't have time to visit Kalpa or Chitkul which would have taken an extra day, which we didn't have.

We didn't get the clear weather you guys had in Kalpa, the morning in Reckong Peo was cloudy and misty. We could barely see the Kinnaur Kailash. You guys had better luck than we did.

We planned to return from Kaza via Kinnaur itself, as I didn't want to do the Kaza Gramphoo stretch in my car, a Civic. But we went through with it anyway, wanting to cover the full circuit and returned via Manali. As a result, my plans of visiting Chitkul & Sangla Valley didn't materialise. Still, something to cover on the next trip!

[ARAY]

A great blog with lots of great images and valuable information Sourodipda
Would like to meet the gang at some trip some time soon. Left the fiat stable with lots of sadness but the red avventura owner seems super happy with his red fiat. Eagerly waiting to see more such wonderful blog from you guys. All of you make a great team.

[gearhead_mait]

Amazing travel and nice documentation. Kalpa-Kinnaur has been on my wishlist for some time now, but don't know when would it materialize!
Sad that you had to cancel Kashmir plan this year!

Kudos to the group, again!

[BlackPearl]

Originally Posted by kdp95

I am planning to visit Himachal in February. I have posted about the same for advice/suggestions at http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ml#post4079368

As you had visited Chitkul in January, if you could advise me whether the road to Chitkul will be open or closed due to snow? I am taking XUV5OO FWD for the trip.

Any other suggestions/advice/places are welcome. Thanks in advance

Hi kdp95, heard that this year chances of snowfall is higher in Himachal. Usually the road till Sangla is cleared up, but Chitkul may be a bit dicey if snowfall is heavy. When we went there in January, there were several places with snow and black ice that were not cleared. Our vehicle skidded a bit even near Kufri early in the morning due to thin layer of ice on the road. So if you want to give it a try, please be careful.
You may frequently encounter road condition like shown in the pic below. Though it does not look that bad in picture, in reality it is difficult specially for RWD vehicles. With FWDs, it should still be fine if you tread cautiously.

[kdp95]

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

Though it does not look that bad in picture, in reality it is difficult specially for RWD vehicles. With FWDs, it should still be fine if you tread cautiously.

I was a bit worried whether FWD vehicle will be able to negotiate this kind of roads as I have no experience of driving in such conditions. Now i am a bit relaxed that XUV can negotiate it. Thanks.

[Samba]

Excellent travelogue with amazing pics. I missed on this trip, so a bit jealous on you guys but still rated the duly deserved 5*! The details you shared on the route and a post dedicated to the hotels will really help the future travelers.
I have done this same circuit few years back, though not self driven but i can very well relate to all the places from your pics. Thanks a lot for sharing. I traveled virtually with you guys through this travelogue.

Originally Posted by SouraC

Team Avventura
Mr Rana Adhikary with his wife and kid

Since Mr.Rana Adhikary (Rana Da) is not a member of Team Bhp, am sharing few pics on behalf of him which he took during this trip.













Will wait for the pics from Bhpian avrendu (Avrendu Da) and Bhpian ArindamXeta (Arindam da).

[BlackPearl]

Originally Posted by Samba

Since Mr.Rana Adhikary (Rana Da) is not a member of Team Bhp, am sharing few pics on behalf of him which he took during this trip.

Superb pics from Rana! That red Avventura is smoking hot. Took a ride in the Avventura today, it must have decimated the bad roads Rakcham onwards.

[ssambyal1980]

Originally Posted by SouraC

The best part of being a Team-BHP member is to relieve a trip again while writing the Travelogue but every good thing comes with its own set of challenges. Coming back from a long trip means you have lot of pending work at office and on top of that you have the biggest challenge of selecting pictures and writing the TL.

Nice travelogue Sir with engrossing narrative and beautiful photographs. While reading I virtually relived the travel experience as it reminded me of my maiden trip to Kinnaur Valley which I undertook in 2011 in a Maruti 800. Since joining Team BHP I was thinking of sharing my old travel experiences but couldn't make up my mind but your travelogue has motivated me to go ahead as it is never too late to share travel stories with like minded enthusiasts on Team BHP.

[SouraC]

Originally Posted by Samfromindia

Your last thread on Vizag
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...zag-araku.html
helped me a lot to chalk out routes and get all the info needed for my recent trip there few weeks back. This one coincidentally is also on my bucket list Lovely write up and beautiful pictures. Rated 5 stars !

Thanks Samfromindia, I am happy to know that my earlier TL is serving its purpose. I try to narrate my situation and feelings in my travelogues, I am happy to know that you all are liking it.
Plan your trip as early as possible and share your experience with us here.

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

Excellent travelogue and pictures SouraC. Rated 5 stars. Feeling nostalgic going through the pics as it was last January that we were there. Not posting the link again as people would say I am advertising my travelogue
Would love to see a few more pics of the lovely red Avventura.

Thanks BlackPearl, Requesting you to dig up some unpublished photographs of your trip and share with us again. Expecting more snaps of the Avventura from Rana.

Originally Posted by avrendu

Thanks a lot SouraC for the very crisp and lovely travelogue adequately accentuated by photographs and videos at apt intervals. Although this is the "n" th trip with you all, I could not manage a travelogue. Quite some patience, perseverance and orderliness one needs for that. Hats off to you and anyone for that matter who manages to pen one down.
I myself relived Himachal the trip once more and also identified few snaps which seemed new to me which means that aspect of landscape may have gone completely unnoticed at my end. Thanks for the same.

In my opinion to those reading this TL, we needed at least 2 more days to evenly space out the trip, more so when the families with 6-8 years kids tagging along. We had to drive every day except one and at times great distances compared to hills. Again next day we are up and about to DRIVE some more.
In short, we could have caught up more with the local serenity of Himachal had we had some more time to spare. That's my advice to the ones who intend to follow this itinerary, please add 2 more days.

I do agree with you Avrendu, this time also we tried to maximize our trip and was forced to fit it inside the puja holidays of our offspring.
Thanks for your complements regarding the TL and after going through your comment I can feel that we have missed a lot of Himachal due to our speedy schedule.

Originally Posted by GhostRider28

Splendid pictures and a very crisp travelogue - thanks for sharing SouraC!.
Chitkul and Fagu pictures were just amazing. I never knew that we could have a view of Mt. Kailash from Kalpa!
Thanks for the pointers to great accomodation as well - really helpful in planning trips.

Thanks GhostRider28, It will be a success for this travelogue if other people gets inspired by this TL and plans a successful trip to Himachal.

Originally Posted by mi2n

Excellent trip and some super amazing photographs with very crisp and engaging narration. The travelers and their steeds looking chic in the mesmerizing himalayan backdrops.
Thanks for sharing the experience.

P.S. : The Thar looks menacing!

Thanks mi2n for praising our steeds, it’s a pleasure that you all are liking the TL. Hopefully we will get more pictures of the Thar soon.

Originally Posted by AJ-got-BHP

The Men in Red did a fantastic trip I must say !! Good to see the Cars and a lot of happy faces enjoying each and every bit of your time together. Your travelogue made me nostalgic by making me relive the memories of a road trip that I did from Jaipur to Himachal sometime back in 2010 covering Shimla, Chail, Kufri, Manali etc. with my better half. Though a lot remains to be explored in Himachal and your travelogue will be a useful reference indeed.

It was pleasure catching up at Khalsa's @ Govindpur, Dhanbad :

Oh, I had to really gun the ETIOS to catch up with you guys !! You guys were 142 Kms ahead from my location. I wished you had taken the decision to stay at Varanasi that night instead of going through the dead lock traffic at Benares Toll and sleeping the morning at a Petrol Pump with family which was definitely not desirable. I hope BHPian Avrendu did not have such an adventurous Solo return from Delhi to Kolkata. Missed his presence where we met. The drive back together would have been a pleasure for me as well after a 15 day Road Trip to Rajasthan. I guess we'll have more opportunities to do so in the future !!

Lovely Travelogue once again !! Rated a well deserved 5*

It was a pleasure to have you with us at Dhanbad while having our lunch. As you know, we had a plan to stay at Varanasi but thing don’t always turn up as we desire. We all missed Avrendu in our return journey and specially me as we started the journey together.

Good to know that, you have liked our TL and like to request you to share some of your older memories here with us.

Originally Posted by mountaineer

Great Journey and lovely Travelogue.

The photography is mesmerizing and i was spellbound at times. I feel that many locations and vistas in Himachal are so beautiful that it is impossible to capture on a camera roll. But i can tell for sure you have done a great job, there are so many pictures which really must have been reproduced as such.
Congrats on your endeavor.

I am confused if you are more of a traveler or a photographer.

The one you have shot on the narrow road to sangla is great. On that road is the point just next to the temple which i don't like to negotiate and with a Bus/Truck on other side and i being on the deep gorge side.

Thanks mountaineer for your compliment. I only try to capture the essence of the spectacles we enjoy while travelling, I am just an amateur. In this esteemed forum, there are many great photographers who can really create stories with their photographs.
Being from hills you might understand, as driver from plains what we have felt while travelling down those narrow roads with deep gorge beside us.

Originally Posted by Vivek VS

Nice trip, lovely pics. Nicely written too, Sir.

We crossed Kinnear Valley on our way to Kaza on 3rd October, reaching Kaza on 4th. When stayed overnight at Reckong Peo, didn't have time to visit Kalpa or Chitkul which would have taken an extra day, which we didn't have.

We didn't get the clear weather you guys had in Kalpa, the morning in Reckong Peo was cloudy and misty. We could barely see the Kinnaur Kailash. You guys had better luck than we did.

We planned to return from Kaza via Kinnaur itself, as I didn't want to do the Kaza Gramphoo stretch in my car, a Civic. But we went through with it anyway, wanting to cover the full circuit and returned via Manali. As a result, my plans of visiting Chitkul & Sangla Valley didn't materialise. Still, something to cover on the next trip!

Thanks Vivek for liking the TL, please share your stories with us soon. Due to time constraint we were unable to travel to Kaza and beyond, will be enjoying that part in your travelogue.

Originally Posted by ARAY

A great blog with lots of great images and valuable information Sourodipda
Would like to meet the gang at some trip some time soon. Left the fiat stable with lots of sadness but the red avventura owner seems super happy with his red fiat. Eagerly waiting to see more such wonderful blog from you guys. All of you make a great team.

Thanks ARAY for enjoying the blog, you know Rana and how he feels about Fiat. We all will be waiting for you to join us in a trip soon.

Originally Posted by gearhead_mait

Amazing travel and nice documentation. Kalpa-Kinnaur has been on my wishlist for some time now, but don't know when would it materialize!
Sad that you had to cancel Kashmir plan this year!

Kudos to the group, again!

You do know, how badly we wanted our Kashmir trip to happen.
Still all’s well that ends well and we have completed this trip. It also means, we are having another trip in hand just waiting to be executed.
I would be happy to see some day you come up with a beautiful TL of Himachal, just like your Kashmir one.

Originally Posted by kdp95

I was a bit worried whether FWD vehicle will be able to negotiate this kind of roads as I have no experience of driving in such conditions. Now i am a bit relaxed that XUV can negotiate it. Thanks.

It’s good to see, that you have found your required information. We all will be waiting for your part of the stories.

Originally Posted by Samba

Excellent travelogue with amazing pics. I missed on this trip, so a bit jealous on you guys but still rated the duly deserved 5*! The details you shared on the route and a post dedicated to the hotels will really help the future travelers.
I have done this same circuit few years back, though not self driven but i can very well relate to all the places from your pics. Thanks a lot for sharing. I traveled virtually with you guys through this travelogue.

I am overwhelmed, I am just being a stop gap writer getting praised by you is a real success for my travelogue. Thanks for your comment and like to request you to share some of your old pictures with us also.

Originally Posted by Samba

Since Mr.Rana Adhikary (Rana Da) is not a member of Team Bhp, am sharing few pics on behalf of him which he took during this trip.

Attachment 1571180
Attachment 1571181
Attachment 1571182
Attachment 1571183
Attachment 1571184
Attachment 1571185

Will wait for the pics from Bhpian avrendu (Avrendu Da) and Bhpian ArindamXeta (Arindam da).

Thanks to you Samba for sharing pictures from Rana’s camera, but looking at the numbers it seems that it is just a teaser. We will be waiting for the full story to come from his end.

Originally Posted by ssambyal1980

Nice travelogue Sir with engrossing narrative and beautiful photographs. While reading I virtually relived the travel experience as it reminded me of my maiden trip to Kinnaur Valley which I undertook in 2011 in a Maruti 800. Since joining Team BHP I was thinking of sharing my old travel experiences but couldn't make up my mind but your travelogue has motivated me to go ahead as it is never too late to share travel stories with like minded enthusiasts on Team BHP.

This forum welcomes stories from us and surely it helps some or other travelers. Please share your travel stories with us to enjoy.
Thanks ssambyal for liking my TL and photographs



Let me add couple of photographs also:

My Old friend who supports me in all my trips enjoying the Himachal roads:




I have tried my hand in Horizontal + Vertical Panorama for the first time. The Fairmount Inns Atrium :




Panoramas are coming soon.

[arindam_xeta]

Thanks to SouraC, for putting up all the details of this lovely drive to Kinnaur district in the state of Himachal. I started on 6th Oct after 1:30PM from my home at Kolkata and joined the team on 8th Oct at Chail, 7th Oct was my stop over at Greater Noida.

This drive to Delhi was my maiden one and unexpectedly ended up being a solo one, due to certain exigencies. I along with my entire family really enjoyed every bit of the 1526 kms that we ended up covering, with our first night stay in Greater Noida.

We met the rest of the team at Sadhupool by river Aswini, starting on 7th Oct morning from Greater Noida. The rest of the journey has been a fabulous one as already detailed by SouraC. Let me put up the pictures to do all the talking.

Yamuna Exp. way


Another shot, this being my first time I was super excited to cross it, even though I was really low on energy by this time.


After covering 1526kms, we were happily checked into Hotel Blue Bell for 7th Oct night. Pretty good rooms and food, booked through GoIbibo @1650/night incl. breakfast.


The next morning 8th Oct, we started at 8:30AM. our target was to catch up with the team.
We stopped at Amrik Sukhdev for yet another breakfast, after the one back at hotel .



Super food (all veg) and we lapped up the aloo and gobhi paranthas with the salt less white butter and a super viscous lassi to end it cool and sweet.



We met the team sometime in the late after noon and were all happy to be re-united after a deferred start. Chail was already covered by SouraC and Rana and my shots are almost similar except for this posing by Avventura.


On 9th Oct morning we were headed to Sarahan. Lunch at Narkanda our way to Sarahan from Chail.


Destination Sarahan, we called this the water powered swift, such was the super mileage of this veteran.


At the Bhima Kali Temple on 10th Oct, the next morning after reaching Sarahan. Super security for all our shoes.


Destination Kalpa, SouraC had a similar picture uploaded at the same spot, this one with a more side view of the same


The Majestic Thar


The lush valley


The swift brisking along to Kalpa


The Avventura and Swift rumbling along the dirt track


Speeding into the sunlight, Avventura


Marching along hand in hand


One of the many tight spots in this route


It started to get a bit cloudy as we reached Kalpa, day 1.


From here on these are day 2 snaps at Kalpa
The meditation room, one of its kind atop the "Grand Shangrila", you will love the tranquility inside and view of Kailash outside.

Inside


Outside


The heavenly apple orchards at Kalpa


This view is on the left side as you climb up from Rekong Peo to Kalpa on the Hospital Road.


On our way to Chitkul


The Chitkul valley as you look towards the Tibet side


As clouds paid a little visit around Chitkul


A dreamscape at Chitkul


Same shot from a different angle


The Baspa river camp


A close up of the rain clouds as they passed by

[arindam_xeta]

Our stay at Chitkul


Lastly my Zed


That actually brings me to the start of another trip, which is yet to be planned, but this one left me mesmerized in it's own way! As I look at all these pictures and recall these moments, one thought crosses my mind - My India is so damn beautiful, and enjoying this together with a group of trusted buddies is fun of a lifetime!

Thanks to all for reading! And to my buddies for sharing the roads, good or bad with me, to make it a wonderful cherish-able memory forever!

[BlackPearl]

Originally Posted by SouraC

Thanks BlackPearl, Requesting you to dig up some unpublished photographs of your trip and share with us again.

Since you insisted so much -

[PapaBravo]

Fantastic Travelogue. The pictures are surreal. I am sure everyone would have had a great time. This group of cars has seen many miles together. Will bookmark this TL for the Himachal trip. Keep traveling & keep writing.

Regards,

Pawan

[SouraC]

Originally Posted by SouraC

Panoramas are coming soon.

As said in my earlier post, please find Panorama snaps below from our trip.


The Sangla Valley




The Chitkul Valley




View of Chitkul from the River Bed




The View from our Fagu Stay




The Shimla Mall




View of Shimla from Mall





Last picture from my side is of the local inhabitants of Chitkul. A Herd of Sheep




Hope to see more and more people get bitten by this travelling bug and enjoy their life