[SIDDAGNI]

It was a long-planned journey and a much-awaited one also. Me and my friends wanted to have a bike trip together and there was a new biker in our gang who wanted to test his endurance as well. Tthe trip was of 3 days and would cover a stretch of almost 700km.
We started searching for the places, route and options to stay over there. So, finally we planned to visit Chakrata - Deoban (U.K.) on our bikes.
Chakrata and Deoban have their own historical significance stringing from the time of Mahabharat. It is believed that Draupadi, the wife of the Pandav princes and daughter of King Draupad belonged to this place.
Chakrata has a cantonment area built by Britishers and that is still used by Indian Army for training and as a base for many battalions. The market of Chakrata is small but is a must visit. There are lot of Momo shops out there and we tried the fried momos (keeping our diet plan aside) and its worth trying.
Deoban is a typical forest area with spectacular view of Himalayan range covered with snow and one can easily spot0 beautiful birds over there.
There are basically two routes from Delhi to Chakrata - one is via Muzaffarnagar and other one goes vie Panipath. We choose the Panipath one.
The route goes as - Gurugram -> Delhi -> Sonipath-> Panipath -> Karnal -> Ladwa -> Yamuna nagar -> Paonta Sahib -> HerbertPur ->Chakrata-> Deoban
The main reason for choosing this highway is to avoid heavy traffic and it is in good condition as compared to the other one. The other reason was that his highway has lots of Dhabas and restaurant.

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Day 1
We started on 30/March/2019 at 7:00 a.m. from Gurugram on 4 bikes

1 KTM Duke 390
1 TVS Apache 180
2 Bajaj Dominar 400


Pic 5: Getting ready for trip
The traffic was less as it was a Saturday morning and we crossed Delhi easily. It was hassle free and we joined the Highway towards karnal in less than an hour on the famous GT Karnal Road.
We got fuel from Delhi as they had started selling BSVI fuel for testing and the rates were also less.
We drew some cash before leaving Delhi. The road was still in construction stage and many overbridges were not yet completed but NHAI had given a proper sideways and diversions with enough space to counter any traffic jam.
We were revving between 3K-4K rpm and bikes were giving their best. When you are on highways and the roads have less traffic then it should be your mature call to limit the speed to enjoy the machine and avoid any mishap.
We covered the distance from home to Neelkanth Star Dhabha (Karnal) in 3.5 hours, accommodating all halts and fuel break. We had our breakfast at Nilkanth Star Dhabha and had parathas with lot of fresh white butter and Tea. Parathas were tasty and crispy with good stuffing.
We called some of our local friends also staying in Karnal for Breakfast and they agreed to accompany us. In my experience Punjabi people are always welcoming and jolly in nature.


We chose this restaurant as the highway after that was diverting towards Yamuna Nagar and we were not sure whether we will be getting good restaurants on that route or not and our decision of having breakfast there proved right as there were not many good restaurants on the Yamuna Nagar - Chakrata route.
We resumed our journey for Chakrata and just after the Karnal bypass there is a diversion which is well shown by GPS (google Maps) following which we were on Yamuna Nagar road.
The road after Karnal till Yamuna Nagar was in construction phase and traffic diversions were there. We kept the speed low as there was a lot of traffic and villages through which the highway is passing. On both sides of the highway you can see farms and at that time of year the crop was ready to be shredded so the fields were looking golden in sunshine.
We opted Yamuna Nagar bypass but that too was having a significant traffic of local vehicles. After Yamuna Nagar the road till Paonta Sahib was in bumpy condition with lots of pot holes and roads in construction phase. There were plenty of Fueling stations on the whole route. You may find people riding bike with 3 people sitting on it.
We left Haryana and entered Himachal Pradesh and the first big town was Paonta Sahib.

Paonta Sahib in Himachal Pradesh is very famous Gurudwara. One can stop there and take a dip in the holy pond and can taste the famous mouth watering Langar (Prasad) and can then head towards the next destination. Ponta Sahib is an industrial town of Himachal Pradesh with cement plants & Hydro power plant as major industry.
After leaving Ponta Sahib we entered Uttarakhand crossing a bridge over Yamuna River.
If you are visiting the region in winters then there will be street side vendors selling Strawberries which is a must have as it is fresh and farm picked.


We enjoyed the fresh and juicy berries; the rate was very nominal and you can find back to back vendors selling strawberries and some were offering juice and shakes as well. We ensured to get some berries packed. One can also try freshly made strawberry shakes or strawberry chaat offered by the street side vendors in the strawberry season.




After Paonta Sahib, the road passes between lush green forest and there will be lot of monkeys sitting on the road side as they wait for you to give them something to eat.
The road diverges thereafter. We selected the road going to Chakrata, which take us to the Kalsi bridge


After crossing the Yamuna river, the hill road starts and there will be last Fuel station as after that there is no fuel station till Deoban! So, get your tank full!!



From this fuel station Chakrata was about 45Km only. We got our tank full, keeping the margin of hilly road and rough terrain. We were sure that it will bring us back without any hassle.
We enjoyed the hill roads as the view was spectacular and road condition is very good. There was much less traffic as compared to what we had experience on GT Karnal road and Yamuna Nagar bypass.
As we climbed up, the mercury started falling. Temperature was soothing and wind was cooler than what we had experienced in Delhi NCR. We were wearing biking jacket and we attached the thermal liner to it.
The excitement of group riding is switching positions and friendly overtakes during the rides and informing other riders about the hurdles and road condition. Group riding give you motivation and somewhere pushes your limit as well.



We had a pre-booking at Green Canvas Eco village at Deoban and they have one more facility before Chakrata. So we halted for lunch at Blue Canvas resort before Chakrata and had lunch and lemonade there and then we started for Deoban. We crossed the Chakrata town and grabbed some snacks for night and reached 'Luhari'. We had snacks and tea there. Mobile network is good till Luhari after which it was less accessible in Deoban as you have to search for it and can get it on some specific place only. So after tea we called our near once and then proceeded for 'Green Canvas Eco village' which is inside the Undawa forest range. The route to this resort is a bit tricky and you will need some local assistance to find it out as there is no road shown on google map for the same. But there exists a small trail of forest road which is suitable for bikes or 4x4 cars. The performance by Dominar 400 was remarkably good on hilly terrains as the gearshift is not much required and a range of torque is given very linearly and we can have a smooth ride on all terrains. KTM was also a monster on hill and was passing smoothly over every turn and corner. The TVS guy was riding at his own pace and enjoying the beauty of the valley



The performance of both KTM 390 & Dominar 400 was neck to neck although the Dominar proved to be more comfortable for long rides and KTM 390 was a bit better on curves and turns. The Apache guy was simply following the trail and was cautious as it was his first long bike trip
While heading towards the Green Canvas we encountered snow on the road side and that was a bit unusual as it was end of march and starting of April and Delhi NCR was at boiling temerature. So we stopped there and played a bit on the snow.


Pic 13: The road was wet
The road was wet due to melting of snow, which makes it slippery and dangerous for bikers but the local people know that and respect the outsiders by giving them side and space considering their experience over the terrain
We shifted from the tarmac road to the forest road (for which you will require a local person as there is no signboard present over there) and after a ride of approx 2-3 Km on that purely forest trail which we enjoyed, we reached the Green canvas resort and stayed there, the view was very beautiful and there was no electricity on the camp site. It was cold there and we encountered some ice on the roads while coming from Luhari to Green canvas as well.





Pic 15: The path shown by Google Maps is not correct.
The path shown by google maps is not correct, its recommended to ask the locals about the path as only they can tell you the right route.
The staff there was welcoming and they asked us the food choice beforehand so that they could arrange the ration from Luhari village. We asked them to prepare chicken for us.
As we reached on time and there was still plenty of time for sunset so we enjoyed volleyball and clicked some shots of snow-covered mountain ranges visible from the resort





After sunset the temperature started dropping suddenly and we rushed to rooms to put on extra layers of thermals. The resort staff prepared chicken pakoras for us and hot soup and they manged to get bonfire for us.
We enjoyed sitting beside the bonfire, relaxing without any mobile network and all we had was stars among which we can trace constellation and can spot many satellites as well. The sky was among the clearest that we can find in India. Life is different without gadgets. We had our dinner it was super delicious and well cooked. Then we went for a walk but the resort care taker warned us of not going too far as sometimes a wild animal may attack.
We were tired of biking whole day. So, we went to sleep. The stay was very peaceful.

Day 2_31/March/2019

We woke up at around 8 and had tea and after which they asked for breakfast choice we asked for Paratha, by the time we clicked some photographs of the resort and nature












The breakfast was ready and after a long time we were enjoying our meal under the sunlight and sitting conversing with each other. We packed our luggage and mounted all our things on bikes.
We started for Luhari village. We reached the village and then decided to trek till Budher caves. The route was full of snow and the trail was really beautiful. The route shown by Google Maps to Budher caves is wrong and there is a route from Luhari Village only which any of the local people will guide you.


Pic 29: It’s a wrong route shown by Google maps
In winter the trek is risky as the roads are fully covered with snow and no local people will be there to support you.
We parked our bikes at a local vendor shop and dropped our luggage at his shop only (people in hilly areas are very honest and helpful).
We purchased some snacks and water and started for the trek. The total trek is of 2.5km and it took us 1.5 hours to cover it one side and the view of the mountains covered with the snow from the top was magnificent and the cave was narrow so we did not dare to enter it!!
The path was covered with patches of snow and sometimes it was a risky affair to cross the same as we were not carrying crampons

[SIDDAGNI]

The trek was not tough, but we were the only group present there at that time. The trail is good and passes through dense forest. We explored the caves inside but as we were the only one present there so we avoided going deep inside as we didn’t want to disturb any creature!!




















Outside Budher Caves


We were back to Luhari village and enjoyed Chai & Maggie their. By the time there were many groups ready to go for trek and some of them were youtubers too.
We headed back to Chakrata Town and enjoyed the momos at local market. We purchased some snacks and ready-to-eat food and then headed towards the famous “Tiger Falls”
Tiger fall is almost 20Km from Chakrata and the road is good with virtually no traffic.

We reached there at around 6 p.m. and started searching for Homestay. One can hear the waterfall from a distance, finally we got a homestay. We put down our luggage and then headed to see the water fall even though it was late and there was no sunlight. The water was falling with great force and the force could be felt from certain distance. As it was pitch dark, it was looking extremely dangerous and scary due to its force and the sound it made. Although we were standing far from the fall, we were still all wet.
We came back to the homestay and enjoyed the dinner under the stars listening to the old classics. The guy prepared Chicken curry and chapatis for us (Chicken we had provided which we brought from Chakrata market), after which we headed to bed.


Day 3_ 1\April\2019
We woke up early as were supposed to reach Gurgaon by evening. Mornings in hilly areas are peaceful, No honking , no rush ..life is beautiful there. After tea we went to ‘Tiger Falls’ and asked the Homestay guy to prepare the breakfast by the time we come back.
The fall was at walking distance from the homestay and we were just excited to witness it as whole night we were listening the loud noise from water fall.
There are 2-3 tea shops near the fall and few local guys were also roaming there.
We were continuous listening the sound of fall and finally witnessed it in day light. It was beautiful, massive and clean at the same time, The water was very cold and we then were in dilemma that whether to step in or not, but we were there to enjoy the same and covered such a long distance.
So, we jumped in. The water was chilling cold and the water falling from such a height that when we were trying to go near the centre of the fall it was giving a feeling that someone is poking us.


Entry to the waterfall




The first look of the waterfall

When you are inside the water you don’t want to go out and we were really enjoying the fall.
It was lonely and only sound that you can hear is the water falling from great height.
We had a great time there and it was worth visiting. As this was the early time of year for tourist so the crowed was not there but locals confirmed that in May & June there are significant number of tourists giving a visit to the place.
.





Enjoying in waterfall

We returned to the homestay and enjoyed Parathas there, packed our luggage and got everything mounted on our bikes.
We started from there at around 11 a.m. and since it was downhill so we just put our bike in neutral gear (without switching off the engine) and enjoyed the ride.
We reached the kalsi bridge in an hour and stopped there for photo.




Kalsi Bridge

After the Kalsi bridge the canal roads start which is covered with strawberry vendors in winters, we again halted there and tried Strawberry shake this time as it was getting hot by that time.




We started from there and took only water breaks it took us 7.5 hours to reach Gurgaon via the same route which we choose to reach there and we reached Gurugram by evening.
The trip is best suited for extended weekend and for isolation from city life

Day spent :3
Distance covered: 726Km
Cost/person (except fuel): INR 2700

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[vharihar]

Originally Posted by SIDDAGNI

It was a long-planned journey and a much-awaited one also. Me and my friends wanted to have a bike trip together and there was a new biker in our gang who wanted to test his endurance as well. Tthe trip was of 3 days and would cover a stretch of almost 700km.
We started searching for the places, route and options to stay over there. So, finally we planned to visit Chakrata - Deoban (U.K.) on our bikes.
Chakrata and Deoban have their own historical significance stringing from the time of Mahabharat. It is believed that Draupadi, the wife of the Pandav princes and daughter of King Draupad belonged to this place.
Chakrata has a cantonment area built by Britishers and that is still used by Indian Army for training and as a base for many battalions. The market of Chakrata is small but is a must visit. There are lot of Momo shops out there and we tried the fried momos (keeping our diet plan aside) and its worth trying.

Nice writeup.

We've planned a trip from Noida to Chakrata in late May (Dopaara By The Brook). Any idea how the weather will be there at that time?

Roads are good?