Uttaranchal Mountain Bike Journey

Tall Rock

Uttaranchal offers excellent cycling, possibly closer to Delhi than Kasauli. We left Delhi at 3:30 a.m. on a Saturday and we were at the starting point just past Laxman Jhula (Rishikesh) before 8:30. The route I took was a small tentative sample of what could be done with some knowledge and planning. For example, there is a road from Hardiwar to Rishikesh through the Chila Sanctuary and the Rajaji National Park that has very little traffic. With a good bike bag, then, one could book bicycles on the 4.5 hour Shatabdi to Rishikesh and avoid driving altogether, arranging to leave bike bags in Hardiwar for return.


Rishikesh – Devoprayag – Pauri – Devoprayag -- Rishikesh


Laxman Jhula (Rishikesh) – Devoprayag (76 kms)

The road gently rises and falls following the river until Kaudiyala 38 kms. Many stunning views of the Ganges that you cannot see from a car, or are rushing past so fast you just get a peek.

At the Gular bridge, past the Ganga Banks and HRR resorts, but before the Glass House Resort, there is an excellent side trip, a climb that I have described in an earlier posting. It wouldn’t be appropriate for the summer, but if you are staying on the Ganges river during rafting season it would be a great half day trip.

In Kaudiyala itself is a GMVN tourist camp hugs the river, 900 deluxe and 600 basic, pleasant enough spot to rest and decent restaurants in town. If it is hot, and you’ve arrived in Rishikesh late, it might not be a bad idea to rest here, as the 12 km plus steep climb that follows up to Saurpani has no shade and the sun is absolutely pitiless. I did it mid day and fought heat stroke. There are no pumps on the way up to dunk your head under!

At Saurpani, the road summit between Kaudiyala and Devoprayag, there is a cellphone transmitter and drinking water (and stores). Its a 8 km drop down to a small town with a large Shiva statue. From there it is gentle up and down until Devoprayag, which is on a stunning location at the confluence of the Ganges and the Alakananda rivers. Just before Devoprayag itself, there is a turnoff to Pauri, down the hill, over the bridge and up a bit to the left is the Ramkund resort which is the best place to stay in Devoprayag 1500 double in season (which I think is the Indian pilgrim season, early summer, not the rafting/winter season). Anyway I had a very nice room, full modern bathroom, for 800 rupees including simple Indian dinner, with a view over the Ganges. A/C was not working but wasn’t needed, with the breeze from the river. Devoprayag proper is a 10 minute walk over a pedestrian hanging bridge. The Devoprayag GMVH guest house is about 1.5 kms climb past Devoprayag on the Srinagar road, pleasant location, room with European bath 350, dinner about 100 rp.

Devoprayag is perched on the rocks above the rivers – squint your eyes and you’d see a Tuscan hill town. It was very quiet, although earlier in the summer it may be crowded with pilgrims. It has none of the foreigner scene of Rishikesh (in fact I saw no foreigners nor noticed any business that caters to them). You can get right down to the rivers at a temple perched right at the confluence, where the rivers roar past. A pedestrian suspension bridge connects Devoprayag with the Ramkund side across the Alakananda mentioned earlier; in the evening men gather on the bridge to smoke, children play, school girls cross in packs, cows chew their cuds, all on the hanging bridge; cooled by the breeze moving down river, with a hanglider’s view of the confluence. At the time I was there, the Ganges was snarling, the Alakananda in a raging flood, both full of debris, and much too dangerous to swim.

Swimming is possible down the Vyasghat road (see side trip below) there is another smaller river that flows under the first bridge (with disused pedestrian bridge below it), a trail goes down to the banks near some rusting road equipment, and the water is much quieter and cleaner and very swimmable.

Vyasghat side trip (30 kms) Side trip from Devoprayag – go on the Pauri road then branch to the right following the Ganges on the Vyasghat/Satpuli road which is mostly very well paved and has virtually no traffic (2 cars in 2 hours), delightful, shaded, past a few peaceful Gahrwali villages in bucolic decline, and right next to the Ganges, no climbs. The main road to Rishikesh has climbed away from the river and over the pass via Saurpani, so there is no sight (or sound!) of traffic to disturb this riverine paradise. This road goes for about 50 kms plus, would be a pleasant round trip day ride from Devoprayag as it is so gentle and shaded. I went as far as Vyasghat, 15 kms, which has a small dhaba and shop, here the Ganges bears right and the road goes another 38 kms to Satpuli, which goes up a tributary of the Ganges, apparently a gentle climb. From Satpuli one can go up to Pauri – that might be a good way to do a loop instead of reversing back.

Devoprayag to Pauri (45 kms)

Go back out of town towards Rishikesh about ½ km, there is a road signposted for Pauri turning down to the river and over a large modern bridge (looks like it has no railing), take this down and the road goes up and to the right (the Ramkund resort on the left). If you are staying at the GMVN guest house it will take about 15 minutes to get to this bridge. Continue on this road, taking one fork left (don’t take the Vyasghat/Satpuli road which continues to follow the Ganges).

From the modern bridge over the Ganges, you have about 4 kms of gentle up and down. Then a 18 km more or less serious climb with no breaks. There are a few water pumps. The traffic is very light, the scenery is spectacular, as you go through some of the most unspoilt forested hills I’ve seen in India. About 4-5 kms up the climb the pine trees begin, and it gets noticeably cooler as you climb until the summit ridge (just a bus shelter). From there the road is gentle up and down along the ridge for about 15 kms, then about 4 kms outside of Pauri drops steeply down.

On a clear day you have excellent views of the snow-capped Himalayas (I believe the Kedernath area) from the ridge road .

About kms from Pauri a signposted road branches right to Gondoliya (pronounced gonDOHliya) and then on to Khirsu forest), if you are planning to got to Khirsu, or Adwani you should take this road and avoid the drop down to Pauri and climb back up again.

Pauri town (pronounced Pooree) itself is not much, noisy. The Sun and Snow and Umesha hotels are grotty and right next to the bus terminus, I would avoid them. If I had known better at the time, I would have gone on to the Adwani Foresthouse (7 kms) or the Khirsu Forest (19 kms), both have guest houses.

The GMVN guest house about 0.5 kms on was in quiet location, quaint but run down as usual, but was full up because of a meeting of model plane enthusiasts. I stayed at the Mandahan hotel/multi-cuisine restaraunt about 0.5 kms back on the Devoprayag from the bus terminus (the stretch is called Mall road), a double room 300, no a/c but not necessary. The Mandahan restaraunt was actually quite good, at least the Indian food (great muglai dal).

Gondoliya, a steep km up from Pauri town, has a famous temple in the woods. Nearby about 1 km down the A forest road is a nagadev temple, past the forestry colony, and reportedly spectacular views of the Him. It is a pleasant walk in the early evening. The locals claim there are tigers in the forest, some of the cattle or man eaters are shot and burnt.


Pauri to Devoprayag (45 kms)

Sufficiently high in the mountains you can get a late start even in the summer.

Steep 3 km climb from Pauri up to the ridge road.

Many interesting side roads off the ridge road going up to ridges. Some up and over forest roads soft with pine needles. Others drop down to terraced valleys on your left, and a few roads on your right would undoubtedly would get you down to the Ganges.

30 kms from Devoprayag is the pink complex of the GB Pant Engineering college on a ridge,

The road to Srinagar from Pauri is a steep 9 km drop, looks like fun.

Devoprayag to Rishikesh (76 kms)

It took about 2 ¼ hours to go from Devoprayag to Saurpani, without a break, but taking it easy, leaving at 5 a.m. Plenty of pumps and dhabas along the way. A beautiful drop down to Kaudiyala, then gentle ups and downs following the river to Rishikesh.

Just about 0.5 km past Kaudiyala, there is a suspension pedestrian bridge that crosses the Ganges, and if you cross the bridge, walk up about .5 km on a trail, you get to a small dirt road that joins up with the Vyasghat/Devoprayag road, but this needs to be verified.


Notes:

Many signposts, including those pointing to roads I’ve discussed, are in Hindi script only.

It was too hot and muggy to do any climbing on comfortably the roads along the Ganges after about 09:30 this mid-August weekend, unless there was cloud cover. To do the climb Devoprayag to Byasi I left at 05:00, and I had similar early starts whenever there was going to be a climb after mid-morning.

The Rishikesh – Devoprayag road, even with the Sikh pilgrim traffic in mid-August, is not half as bad as seems when you are driving, and there are madmen passing you and maddening slow trucks in front of you. On a bicycle, this all just flows past and there are numerous points to stop and admire the view.

For large groups and long tours, a travel agent who is friendly and reliable, who arranged a 150 member MTB trip for the BBC (who made a film of it), and does Anand Resort’s outdoor activities, is “Adventure Journeys” Anirudh Rawat, 098370 87976, office on top of a pumping station opposite the Great Ganga Ashram/Hotel.

VSK Sharma

Hi
You have written a good and detailed article. Hope many more follow in your footsteps. Thanks for the article.
Bye

himadventures

rock ! you have done a wonderful job. Good detailed report and I am sure this will encourage guys like me also...hee heee although biking is not my cup of tea. I can walk and drive but biking is tough....just little too much for me.

Good job...keep the fire on !!

Dilliwala

Great write-up, TR - and amazing accuracy in the details, as those who know the area can confirm. Did Pauri-Adwani-Vyasghat-Devprayag-Ghurdauri (engg. college)-Pauri-Khirsu myself by car in April '06.

A few points:
The high point on the road between Kaudiyala and Devprayag is Saknidhar (1020 m). Saurpani must be the village after/before (went that way in Nov and only vaguely recollect the name being en-route).
The Shiv statue must be in or close to the village of Dhaulidhar, about 7 km (not that I recall seeing the statue ).

Am a bit confused about the 76 km for Lakshmanjhula-Devprayag. I've logged it on 3 occasions as 65 km.

Vyasghat to Satpuli is around 25 km of virtually level road along the short Nayar river, which carries the confluent waters (from Satpuli) of the Purvi (eastern) Nayar and the Pashchimi (western) Nayar.
About 6 km before Satpuli is the village of Bilkhet. From here it's possible to go north to Kandoliya/Pauri as well, a distance of 42 km via Kanskhet and Adwani. Good country road, offering plenty of greenery and scenery, virtually traffic-free. Adwani is a little village and offers a 1-km uphill walk to an old temple. In days of yore a queen is supposed to have taken sanctuary there for a time to hide from the king's enemies and give birth. A narrow side road about 20 km long with virtually no traffic leads from here to the village of Dandanagraja, site of an old temple of the same name, and offers no doubt a spectacular view down onto the Ganga valley.
Adwani to Kandoliya, 15 km, is practically along the ridge-line and offers great views downward on both sides. This route is also shorter than via Satpuli, although the gradient for cyclists wud be tougher, similar to Kaudiyala-Devprayag. Satpuli to Pauri, 51 km, has a gentler gradient but plenty of traffic.

The high point of Pauri (Paw-ree), and a part of the town, is called Kandoliya (Kaan-doh-liya), where the Forest dept. complex is.
Yes, further up from Kandoliya past the stadium is Kyunkaleshwar, where the road ends. There's the temple mentioned and a small ashram flying the Austrian flag (not really - anyone noticed that there's a religious flag with red-white-red-stripes that looks exactly like the Austrian flag? ). Idyllic, great spot for a picnic (no dhabas, bring your own) and a short walk in the woods. The view north is spectacular on a clear day.

No doubt one can get from Kaudiyala to Vyasghat on dirt roads/tracks, wikimapia shows this clearly. At Vyasghat again there's only a pedestrian bridge over the Nayar to cross from left- to right-bank, about 200 m upstream from the confluence.