[ast.ggn]

Munsiyari



Plan

It was back again, the itch to go on a bike trip. Several places were discussed and it turns out that Munsiyari can be accommodated in 5 days. Munsiyari has been covered several times in detailed on T-BHP, so I would like to keep introduction short. It is a small town located remotely in Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand. Total distance from Gurgaon is around 650 kms each side. It is located close to Nepal/ China Border and last major town on that route. It is known for view of Panch Chuli peaks from the village and is a sight to behold. Nandadevi National Park and Dharchula are some of the well known areas nearby and it is an origin of several treks in the region.

Route:

Gurgaon-Delhi-Moradabad-Nainital-Almora-Berinag-Chaukori-Tejam-Munsiyari.

Alternatively, you can avoid Nainital and proceed via Bheemtal and Dhanachuli also.

No hotels were pre-booked throughout the journey.

Start of the trip.



The Steeds.


Journey from Gurgaon was exhausting due to June heat and though we started off early, we were tired by the time we exited Ghaziabad. Took a short break near Hapur.





By the time we were nearing Nainital, all of the excitement had worn off due to peak summer temperature.

Took a detour from Nainital as it would be crowded and proceeded via Haldwani to Almora.

Finally some relief from heat starting to show up.



Before Almora



Lunch near Almora:



Somewhere between Almora and Binsar



More Curves



It was almost 5 pm when we reached Binsar. Our plan was to stay at KMVN Guest House inside the Binsar sanctuary. Turns out that the guest house is almost 10 kms inside from the main road and entry is provided only if the booking is done at the check post on the main road. We tried to check out a Club Mahindra resort nearby but it was all booked and no room was available.


Binsar forest checkpost



Flora around the check post







Shade of Orange



Notice different colours



There were only a couple of rooms available in the guest house so we said yes without any further delay. Few things to note about the guest house:

There is no provision of electricity inside the sanctuary area. The power back up via generator is available only for 2 hours in evening 7 pm to 9 pm. This may be a deal breaker for many people but we decided to give it a go. Charges are around 35xx per night all inclusive including dinner and breakfast. The room we got was pretty basic without any amenities. Evenings are pitch dark post power cut off and you can spend your evening in peace. For some one who is looking forward to stay away from city hustle, it is a good place to go. Payment is done via cash mostly as mobile signal strength is quite weak, card payment machine rarely works. Food was little bland for my taste but given the surroundings I would hardly complain.

Dinner






Friend came to say Hi next morning at breakfast

[ast.ggn]

Day 2

Binsar to Munsiyari

Started our day at leisure, woke up late and left KMVN post breakfast.



Some pics of the trail en route to the KMVN:





Some posing:











This was outside the forest area:



Enroute Tejam:



It was raining like anything near Tejam, had to take shelter at a fruit stall.



Birthi Waterfalls are a famous site 30 kms before Munsiyari. Here it doesn't look too big in the picture but can be seen from more than 10 kms away. We took a small break here, took some pictures and had a cup of tea at a stall nearby.



Just before Munsiyari:



Around 5-7 kms before Munsiyari is the highest point of the area and it is a splendid view around. Clouds all over, you will feel a slight drizzle. Beware of rough drivers on the way who think they own the road, had a couple of close calls.

Rest of the journey was uneventful and tiring on RC. Binsar to Munsiyari is about 185 kms but roads are not too good in that area and it takes lot of time covering the stretch. By the time we reached Munsiyari it was almost dark. Checked into first hotel we came across. June end is off season supposedly due to onset of rains, hence we got decent room tariff without much negotiation.

[ast.ggn]

Day 3

Day 3 was planned for exploring the town and nearby areas. Left our bikes at Hotel and set out on foot. I will let the pictures do the talking now.

View from our hotel.







Munsiyari Town






Little stream nearby. Beware of leeches in the area. They stick to your feet in no time and it is quite a task to get rid off. We had 4 incidents of leech sticking to our feet and they left quite a bloody mess.





Landscape.









Panchchuli peaks. Unfortunately it was quite cloudy and all five peaks were visible only intermittently. We had a clear view at 4AM next day in the moonlight which was sight to observe, but unfortunately pictures didn't turn out ok.





View from other side of the town.











Little green spidey:

[ast.ggn]

Day 3: Continued

Typical Kaafi and Lovebirds pose:



On foot is the best way to explore around



Bull:



Furry friend.Stayed with us quite a bit, guiding us around the area.



Night view of the town.



Typical weather in the area. You walk through the clouds usually.



Some places stones were slippery. Algae:





Leech. Beware of it, seriously.



Some strange insect




Day 4

Plan was to start early and cover as much as distance as possible. Still we ended up checking out around 8 AM. There is a fuel pump after crossing the entire town and is open during a certain set time only. Top up as soon as you get a chance, to avoid any situation.



Some fields on the way

[ast.ggn]

The Twist

Returning back, we reached Nainital around 6 PM. In a dilemma to call it a day or continue a bit more, we decided to go ahead till Kaladhungi and take a halt near Corbett.

By the time we reached Corbett area, it was 9 PM. We realised that the resorts are quite far away from the place we were, almost 30 kms off the route. We called a few of them and all of them were booked for weekend, so decided to continue our journey forward.

Between Haldwani and Bilaspur (if I am not wrong, we were going with the signboards mostly, no google maps) there is a stretch of forest area which was quite and didn't have any traffic at that time of the night. Suddenly I notice that a motorcycle is coming up quickly in the rvm, I gestured my wife to slow down and let them pass. Two guys on the bike crossed us and then slowed down maintaining same pace as ours.

I was on 390 and mrs. was on RE. I overtook them with ease and went ahead but there is limit to what RE could do.

Now the guys had noticed that we were not from the area in all that gear and bags in the saddle, they started gesturing towards us. One of them showing middle finger multiple times and all other kinds of Hindi explicits you can think of. I really slowed down now and asked my wife to slow down to under 40 kmph and let them pass. When they disappeared from our sight, I asked mrs. what the fuss was about and she also had no idea.

We started again and half a km ahead our guys are waiting for us to show up and above scene is now repeated as it. Now I wish that I was riding solo, I could have taken off and bid them good bye in the mirror.

This drama continued for 10 minutes on the forest road and we came across a forest check post. I asked the guard for the nearest police station, he told me that it is 5 kms ahead. Those guys are still waiting for us to show up 1 km ahead of that check post.

Again same situation repeats itself but this time I speed up a bit and reached the police station which was right on that road. My wife was lagging a bit behind. Most of the policemen were around shift change, some were taking bath nearby etc. I explained the situation to them, they started asking various questions suspiciously to me: from where I am coming, where I am off to etc. Meanwhile mrs reached police station and parked the bike on opposite side of the road. Soon behind her, the guys reached there in their own wonderland, she jumped in front of the bike and tried to grab one of them by his shirt. When she shouted at them, they realised that it was a female in all that gear and they almost lost control of the bike. Before anything else could be done, they sped off.

This little action happened with policemen watching the show and now it was their turn to get surprised seeing the riding gear. They realised the situation now and immediately sent 2 constables with us for a few kms. The goons were nowhere to be seen again and we thanked the police for their support once we reached the nearest town.

Lesson learned: Avoid late night rides.

By now we were really tired and Gurgaon was still quite a bit away. Took a small tea break near Moradabad and road condition was quite bad due to rains.

With quite a few butt breaks, fuel refills, slow and steady we reached Gurgaon at 3 AM. By that time both my palms were blue in colour due to pressure on wrist from RC. It took 3 days for the numbness to go away.

It was a 650 kms return journey covered in approximately 19 hours.

Parting Shots, couple of behind the scenes:

Yours Truly, losing hair gradually.



and Mrs. Yours truly



Signing off now and thanks for reading.

PS: This trip was undertaken few years back.

[Aditya]

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

[YD14]

Splendid travelogue! Letting the picture explain the scenic view and writing only when necessary.
The photographs looks like taken by a professional.

Originally Posted by ast.ggn

Beware of rough drivers on the way who think they own the road, had a couple of close calls.

Its a sad reality of driving in Uttarakhand as a tourist. Some experienced drivers instead of becoming precautious become rash and rude as they drive. Especially if you have a DL or HR registration they are going to take extra effort while overtaking you, just to teach you how its done on the hills. This illogical ego has caused many accidents.

Originally Posted by ast.ggn

Between Haldwani and Bilaspur (if I am not wrong, we were going with the signboards mostly, no google maps) there is a stretch of forest area which was quite and didn't have any traffic at that time of the night. Suddenly I notice that a motorcycle is coming up quickly in the rvm, I gestured my wife to slow down and let them pass. Two guys on the bike crossed us and then slowed down maintaining same pace as ours.

I am happy that you both are unhurt and safe. At that time of night they both were most probably intoxicated and out on the road just to race and create a scene. In their eyes a 'KTM guy' in riding gear with HR registration is also out there for the same reason. Even as a local I would avoid bike rides in late night as their are many other threats likes wild animals (elephant and leopard attacks are common near forest areas), unpredictable roads etc.
Anyway keep riding, let this incident not deter your riding plans to the hills. There are many places still left to explore.

[ast.ggn]

Originally Posted by YD14

Splendid travelogue!

Thanks a lot.

At that time of night they both were most probably intoxicated and out on the road just to race and create a scene.

Yes they were drunk, the bike was all over the road in a zig zag manner. I was worried about the guy himself, he wasn't wearing any helmet and any crash would have been disastrous. Hills are mostly safe anytime of the day, I think this was an unfortunate experience. This was more towards plains than hills actually.

[mohansrides]

Nice trip sir. The route that you have described is fantastic. Just the thing for a leasurely pace while drinking in the sights.

If it weren’t for the air quality, I would seriously consider moving to NCR just for the riding options.

Also congratulations on the riding spouse. I owe the women in my life everything. But sharing my passion for motorcycles? Well, that’s just pushing my luck.

Cheers

[amods]

Great ride, there. Photographs are equally good. I always dream of having to ride in mountains, but for now, am happy with hills of our amazing South.

I think of shifting to north for some time only because of the great destinations it offers in proximity, but lack of job options and the dreaded pollution keeps me in South for now. I am happy to keep re-exploring places here

With respect to goons, what you did was absolutely the best course of action in the night in a secluded area. Other option would be to stop at a crowded place. Stopping and trying to fight it out alone is never a good idea, specially if you are not a local.

Having a partner who rides/drives is an absolute blessing if you love road trips, you're a lucky one. I hope to teach my wife how to drive soon, although I am more of a rider. On riding front, there's no luck for me.

Thanks for the log, happy riding.

[bosem123]

Really wonderful pics. What camera and lens were you using? Secondly, which month did you go to Munsiyari (was this in the middle of COVID)?

Lastly, how do you add the quotes to your pictures? Somehow when I used Caption in my story, it did not appear as a caption

[ast.ggn]

Originally Posted by bosem123

What camera and lens were you using? Secondly, which month did you go to Munsiyari (was this in the middle of COVID)?

Lastly, how do you add the quotes to your pictures?

Nikon D750 and Samsung Note 8. All this was few years back, I guess you missed last statement in my post.

You can insert image and write above/below it, there is a tutorial for it if I am not wrong.

[Red Liner]

Lovely log AST. Anything on the Himalayas, and I am in. Add a bike or two and it’s nice to lie back in bed and enjoy the succinct commentary and crisp pictures.

I wouldn’t dare ride that 390 in the city, let alone tour!

[low_rider]

Originally Posted by ast.ggn

Beware of leeches in the area. They stick to your feet in no time and it is quite a task to get rid off. We had 4 incidents of leech sticking to our feet and they left quite a bloody mess.

For leech infested area, you should carry a small pouch of common salt. To remove a leech in a less messy way sprinkle some common salt over them and they themselves fall out. Pulling them out usually makes a mess. Also, they are thin like threads when empty (hungry), so very difficult to notice. But once they start sucking, they will inflate a lot like you showed in another pic and then only you notice them.

[ast.ggn]

Originally Posted by Red Liner

Lovely log AST. Anything on the Himalayas, and I am in. Add a bike or two and it’s nice to lie back in bed and enjoy the succinct commentary and crisp pictures.

I wouldn’t dare ride that 390 in the city, let alone tour!

COVID has made a mess of this year's plans to camp around in Himalayas. Just hoping that it all comes to an end soon.

RC is really tough to tour upon. It is still manageable on highways and upto 7-8 hours a day. Anything beyond that is killing, people going to Leh should be given bravery medals.