off the beaten track in HP.

jennifericous

well i think i shall add Kalpa and maybe kasauli.
they seem like nice places. its going to be a bitch trying to make out an itinerary for all these little and big places i want to go to!

Dr Funkenstein

I shouldn't worry about the itinerary. Once you've sampled some of Malana's finest, you won't be going anywhere.

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SHIMLA

Once you firmly decide which places you want to visit, then it wouldn't be difficult to put up an itinerary.

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jennifericous

thats true shimla,
i dont have a lot of time, so im gonna try and stay a middle amount of time in lots of places. maybe, ill play it by ear!

caster

Has anyone heard of a place called Chindi in HP. Anybody been there? Any first hand experience would help.
Thanks

dhananjay

hi,
Shimla ... The pace at which area around Manali and Kullu is growing there would be a time when you would get and see nothing but Hotels outside your window .... yes the quiet charm is fading slowly ...... Coming to Chindi

Shimla to Tattapani is hour and a half .... from here Chindi is another one hour ... It is a quiet place with rolling hills and very near to the apple producing centre of Karsog ... worth hikes from the Chindi are The Shikari Devi Trail .... One can also do a short hike to Mahunag temple .... Chindi is quiet ... another lovely excursion or hike is from Chindi to Karsog to Jhanjheli valley from where it is possible to Hike to Gada Gushaini and continue further till you reach Banjar ... It is by far one of the least frequented places in Himachal so maintains its pristine serenity ...... The best place to stay at Chindi is the PWD rest house for which bookings have to be done a few days before from Shimla ... The other option is the Himachal Tourism's Hotel .... One can also make a day trip from Tattapani .... Base yourself at Chindi and Continue your journey to Kullu via the Ner Chowk/Chail Chowk road .... get there you would love it .....

cheers,
dhananjay

neeltje

I intend to go from Shimla to Kafnu by public transport and then trek to Gulling. From there I hope to find transport to Tabo, and from there I'd like to go to Kaza, Ki, Kibber (and afterwards to Leh). Does anyone know whether all this can be done without permit? My (Dutch) guide book says for the trek I don't need a permit, but the post earlier in this thread confuses me (as I have no idea where 'Lippa bridge' is). And is hitchhiking from Gulling to Tabo possible, I mean are there quite a few cars or trucks driving on the road from Kaza to Tabo and on the road from Gulling to the Kaza-Tabo road?
And did anyone ever arrange horse men in Kafnu?

rickshawwallah

neeltje, your plans require no permit. Lippa bridge is in the area of Jangi and Morang, on the Hindustan-Tibet road. To reach Kafnu from Shimla, you will branch off the road well before that point. The route you are proposing to take is actually a short-cut between lower Kinnaur and the Pin Valley of Spiti, and thus it cuts off a wide swath of the Hindustan-Tibet highway. This keeps you far enough from the border to avoid the "inner line", and so negates the necessity of a permit. From Guling, you can go back to Tabo and even as far as Sumdo without a permit, but to continue on to places such as Nako you will need an inner line prmit (available in Kaza). To exit the valley the way you plan to, by way of Kunzam La, no permit is required.

The Pin valley road is sparsely trafficked, but there is at least a once daily bus to Kaza if all else fails. Kaza to Tabo and back is easily arranged by bus or jeep.

I can't refer you to any Kafnu horsemen, as we always employed trusted friends from the Kullu area. Perhaps someone else can comment on the villagers' skills (and those of their livestock!)

neeltje

Thank you very much for this detailed info! If anyone has similar plans and wants to share a jeep from Kaza to Leh in the middel of July, please let me know (of course making exact plans is rather difficult, but maybe it's worth trying to work soemthing out). If no one on the forum can provide information on horsemen in Kafnu, I'll just trust the guide book which says they can be arranged there. The trek sounds too amazing not to try, going from green lush hindu area to arid orange buddhist area, it seems such a beautiful way of getting there.

dhananjay

Hi,
It is an amazing trek from Kafnu to Mud and over to Kaza.... Crossing the Tarikhango Pass does get a bit tough though ... I would recommend that You use a local guide and three porters ... Kinner Camps in Sangla is a good option to try out .... There is a great link to some photographs for the trek Dr Klaus Dierks did a few years ago .... www.klausdierks.com .... follow the link to Himalayan Trekking and Expedetions on the left side of the page ....

Cheers,
Dhananjay

neeltje

Thank you Dhananjay. I'm really looking forward to it. If I do the trek that is in my guide book I'll go over the Bhabapass, maybe that's easier. We are only two people, do you still think we need three porters and a guide? If we find horses I think two should be enough?

rickshawwallah

Tarikhango is just an alternate name for Bhaba pass (or vice versa). In season it is a fairly straightforward trek. In June, porters are more appropriate, but by July you should have no trouble with horses. While two horses should be enough, the number of horses you take may be determined by the number your horseman owns.

dhananjay

Hi,
Yes Tarikhango is another name for the Bhabha pass ... I would recommend porters as the pack animals face trouble up the pass .... I would recommend 3 porters ... your equipment ... kitchen equipment ..sleepig bags etc etc .... you may use two to save a bit however would it not be too hard on the porters .... understanding they are tough ... but things should be lil easy for them too .... I would also recommend a guide ... there could be a possibility that the time you do it there may be other people who might be doing so you tag along with your porter team ... but if not a guide is a must .... If you are leaning more towards the exploratory mode then a guide is better left out ..... It is doable as long you are focused, have no trouble with altitude and have the right equipments and a great map .....
Cheers,
Dhananjay

AvidTrekker

The govt is building a road across the Pin Bhabha Pass (mistakenly called Tari Khango, the local name is Wang Khango)(nowadays is called Pin Bhabha Pass). This road is scheduled to be completed by mid 2006 [normally things in India are delayed, but this is being done by the army .... so they might just be on schedule...]

Which is why I intend to trek this beautiful place this summer in August. Will be crossing the other way ... not from the Wangar river valley. Will start at Manikaran, cross Pin Parvati Pass, get down to Wichkurang, cross Pin Bhabha Pass, cross to Fushtiaring, ... take a detour from the wangar river valley to the shorang river valley via the Kamba Khango (khango means pass) and end the trek at Nigulsari on the HT Road. 16 or 17 days of trekking thru some of the most scenic countryside.

Kafnu/Wangtu horsemen have been mentioned in the book by Deepak Sanan. Link is given in Sangla to Harsil thread

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neeltje

I hope the Bhabha pass is not ugly at the moment because of construction of that road.

I do not intend to make porters suffer, that's one of the reasons why I would prefer to go with horses. What I was wondering is if I hire a horseman, guide, porter, anyone, do I buy and cook the food for the man (if so I hope he likes our food)? And how about sleeping bags or tent for the people you hire?