Kullu & Parvati Valleys--Safety

I was thinking about doing a two day treck from Jari-Malana. Is it possible to do this in late February? Aslo according to Lonely Planet there have been safety issues in the past because of some kind of drug trafficking there (charas??? I have no clue what this is). Is it relitively safe to be trecking and visiting this area?

aaron

For charas read Hashish,,,,,,,
It grows both naturally & under cultivetion all over the area which you plan on visiting.
Hashish can also mean money, gangs, dealers etc etc, I'm sure you can see where safety issues could arise.
Of course as you don't know anything about this scene you'll have no problem at all. You probably won't even see it,,,,,,,,,,,
Go enjoy your trek, enjoy the beautiful scenery, villages & people,,,,,,,,,,

Malana : A lost Utopia in the Himalayas


For more details about Malana

http://www.ignca.nic.in/ex_0055.htm

Malana (Kulu), October 1
An anti-cannabis joint operation launched in this village by a 230-strong contingent of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and a Kulu police team has triggered an exodus of tourists, mainly foreigners and an odd group of sadhus, from the Malana valley.

They feared police action as they came scouting for Malana’s high-quality charas and to get a feel of Malana’s unique culture.

Over a dozen of tourists from Israel and Sweden, who came to the valley a day before the anti-cannabis khaki team went on the rampage destroying the cannabis contraband crop being cultivated deep in the upper reaches of the valley near the timberline, packed off the backpacks and fled from the Malana village back to safer havens in Manikaran and Kasol in the Parbati valley.

Read full report

Source - The Tribune, Chandigarh.

I would urge a bit of caution in this area - at least to the extent of not trekking alone - always a good rule in mountainous areas that you are not familiar with.

There have been a lot of unexplained disappearances of foreign tourists, the most recent being a young Italian man in July of this year. You may have seen the appeal for information about him by his family and friends on this website.

One of our members, Neoncarrot, is based in the Kullu Valley and has written about previous happenings in his blog of October 2003

First the legend, then the movie...

Bollyvista.com says... "Charas is an action thriller and is set in a place near Kulu Manali... One sees more foreigners than locals in the village. But the locals are said to be making money by growing 'charas' instead of vegetables and are assisted by the foreigners...

the backdrop of the place gives the film an authentic feel. The viewer is completely hooked on to a world that he may have heard about, but not witnessed."

It's an average movie (released in May 2004) with the usual filmi hyperbole, but the reviews right - you get a strong sense of place. It's interesting to see these firangi areas / subjects on film.

Safety - You may not find hordes of AK-47 totting Afghanis (as in the movie) but it's been one of the "relatively" more dangerous places for travellers over the years, though it would require some pretty bad luck for anything to happen.

It'll still be pretty cold then, might be better a month or so later.

.

Malana is not good choice if you are a clean tourist-clean i mean not intended for drugs.

If you are interested in SMOKE...be aware you may land up in trouble!

Moreover-In Feb. this route is not open through RASHOL PASS. But as this is million dollar trail...may be they have trail.....( U know !! )

I just read the Valley of Shadows story in the 20 April 2002 edition of The Guardian.

< http://www.guardian.co.uk/weekend/st...686381,00.html >

I had been under the impression that the August 2000 attack on a trekking threesome (a 32 year old British man survived, his 34 year old Spanish girlfriend and her 14 year old son were killed) occurred about 10 kilometers above Khir Ganga. In May 2001 I took a horse trek over Chanderkhani Pass into Malana Valley and continued on to Manikaran, Khir Ganga, and Mantalai. We retraced our route and finished at Manikaran. There is nothing like a hot spring to celebrate your trail end's party at!

On our way back down the valley we camped at the site marked 3285 meters on the Leomann Map sheet 5. I leapt to the conclusion that this was where the campsite of Martin Young, Maria Girones, and Cristobal Girones was attacked. Two shepherds in the vicinity on separate occasions claimed that the robbery/murder was committed by Nepalis who had worked as laborers on a concrete helicopter landing site near the Taunti Thach hydroelectric dam site. Hearing that account twice does not make it fact.

I reserve the right to be wrong! The 20 April 2002 story in The Guardian states that this robbery/murder actually took place between Khir Ganga and Pulga. I could see portions of that trail while on trekking above Pulga on the approach to Phangchi Gali pass in May 2000.

Caution is the word for any solo hikers in this area. I was trekking in a party of 5 people. I did see solo hikers and one twosome in the upper Parvati Valley and between Khir Ganga and the Tos Nala. I chose this area for trekking in 2000 and 2001 because it will change drastically when the road from Bursheni to Taunti Thach is completed. Tragedy on the trail behooves one to be aware of their alternative futures.

You are right.

This area has seen lot of disappearances of overseas tourist/trekkers.
Nepalese have earbed bad name in whole Indian Himalayas due to incidents like these in other areas also.

Incidentaly- I was also solo trekker before 2000 and had been trekking in these areas a lot. I found that full mafia was operating here due to open use and availability of CHARAS -the smoking grass.

This could not happen without patronage of politics and big shots police people involvement.

Malana and Pulga came to light when TV channels in India shows how openly and easily this business was going on.

Still-this business is going on but in covert way and mafia is more vigil on people who are visiting these areas and type of cemras they have. ( They suspect that you might be some press or journlist )

I would say-AVOID MALANA !

* SOLO trekking in Himalayas require very good experience of contour,maps and little bit of HINDI. It should always be avoided. If you are on tight budget and can not hire a agency-better make a group at road head or walk with local families.

* Hiring someone at roadhead is again not a safe idea as TV and Tourists has given very rosy picture of people from "W". And all fair colored people are thought to be 'walking dollars'

You may land up in problems in no time. Crime in Himalayas is increasing and sorry to say-much of them is against trekkers and tourist from overseas.

* Pindari Glacier trail had seen disappearance of 2 people ( in Sunderdunga Region) and rape of two girls.

No LAW and NOTHING had been done as civil authorities also knows about it.

You could first arrive at Kullu, then take a bus to Jari ( an hour's drive ) and then walk up to Malana - a five hours uphill walk to Malana. On reaching Malana, you could stay at a Guest house run by a local family. And if you do not indulge, there should never be a problem !

The disappearence stories have only one or two cases where the travelers were actually attacked, the rest of the disappearences took place because the travelers were looking for free guides and free drugs ! so the free offering community tried to look for some cash or kind at the end of every drug trip ! Though the total disappearences do not exceed 30 people in the last 20 years.

Cheers

Antrek !

I beg to differ about suggesting Jari-Malana trail in February ( Late )

1. This area is not good for a single /solo guy to visit. Although you are right that danger and trouble is for drug people only but now a days you never know when you land up in trouble when you are in a area which has soo bad reputation as MALANA has.

2. Snowfall cuts this region from Jari and you won't be able to reach Malana without risk of being trapped somewhere.

ive been trekking to different parts of the parvati valley extensively for the last 7-8 years, solo and in groups, and i have never found it unsafe!
its one of the most chilled out and fascinating places in himachal!

Interesting ,any updates on these disappearances in Parvati etc....any recent ones?

You are right HORSELATITUDE ! life is peaceful in the Parbati area. No untoward incidents reported. More jeep tracks and roads coming up to Malana, Pulga etc. More traffic, more pot holes and bad roads, many more guest houses - some of them are quite nice. Was in Kasol yesterday, cool chill out place.

Happy Traveling

naushad