Niti, Mana and Darma Valley - photos and info

Hi,
If anyone is going to visit Darma in August, please go to Dantu village. There is a fair from 18th to 24th in Gabladev temple. That will be a wonderful opportunity to see the culture of Darma, as the people of all 14 villages gather to celebrate and worship at Dantu. And the mountains and valleys will all be covered with lush greenary. Streams gush forth with gurgling sounds. There will be abundant wild flowers in all hues and shades. And the plants in the cultivated fields ( "palti" crop ) blossom in this season painting the landscape stripes of red and magenta . All this with the backdrop of magnificient Panchachuli peaks. So don't miss these sights, if are around inthat region around that time.

But a word of caution: The monsoon has n't spent itself. There might be road blocks and landslips on the way. Don't venture if there are heavy rains. Confirm the sutuation from KMVN, Dharchula.

This year, in Kuti village also there is going to a special fair in July/Aug(??).
If you are visiting these areas around that time, don't miss these colorful events.

happy trekking!!

hi raj,

wonderful photos!

i agree with rangss!! really worried of not being able to make it there!!

Hi raj,
If you can post these pics in photo gallery, it would be great.
I would like to enjoy a slide show

Amarnath, the holy abode of lord shiva, is famous for it's natural ice shivling. Recently I have seen a program on TV about a similar shivling formation in Niti valley. When i was there I heard people talking about it. And some people were desparate to bring large number of pilgrim crowds to boost the local economy of the valley.
Only a fraction of the people who go to Badrinath and Valley of flowers visit the valley. And that is the reason why Niti valley is an unspoit place so far i have seen in the Himalaya. No grungy backpackers and rave parties.
Those who are willing to trek the arduous paths will be rewarded with magnificient views of Dronagiri, Changabang, Kamet...
the village Niti is well preserved. ( Cameras are officially not allowed in this Inner line area). It was just like as it was in a 19th century painting I had seen earlier. The retired native people are coming back in summer and rainy season to their ancestral villages in the valley, unlike the natives of other valleys like Johar and darma. The locals claim that the Niti pass is the easist of all the passes to Tibet.

u know guys these r d photos shown 2 us on our HYD meet up...really there r a lot of snaps..but very very few r uploaded...guess he wld b doin tat nxt time..once again..ur pics r damn cool....tat pic of old woman is very awesome...

hi
just I want to share this info with you.As you may be carrying digital cameras and other devices which need recharging the batteries, you may find this useful.

In darma valley beyond Sobla, there is no electricity. So you have to charge your devices in Dharchula itself. All along the trek route, there is no power. So you shuold use the batteries sparingly. So plan for minimum 5 days without power supply.

In Niti valley, there is power supply in Lata village, but very erratic, power goes off for a few days also. So charge the batteries in Joshimath only.
What I have noticed in the villages when I visited in May, 2005 is that the people are busy installing low power micro hydral electric generators, as there is no dearh of streams and water falls in the region. Probably by 2006 season some of the villages like Gamsali, Malari and Niti should 'see the light'.

In Mana power supply is available in the season. again erratic. So is in Badrinath. Power is officially available only from 6-00PM to10-00 PM.

In Johar valley, you shoulg get your batteries charged in Munsiary only.
Lilam onwards there is no power available.

Hope this helps.

beautiful pictures!!, thanx for sharing

Kashyap

Rajkumar,

I just read the whole thread. but still couldnt find out how to reach Niti village. I beleive this is on the malari side (perhaps beyond that).. I am aware of the road till malari.. Some jeeps and even there is a mail jeep (which carries posts for the army from joshimath to malari(its also a cheaper option od reaching malari, compared to private jeep who charge Rs 600 ex-joshimath..).

Now what I am not aware of is whether its possible to go beyond malari.. and do we at all have roads to reach there, or is it plain trekking..

Is it this region that you have mentioned as Darma valley??

Pl. note that there are two rivers by name Dhauli ganga.

The one that flows past Niti, Pharkiya, Bampa, Malari, Juma, Surai thota, Lata, Tapovan villages in Chamoli district in Garhwal is DHAULI GANGA ( WEST).

The valley is valled NITI named after the last village nearer to Tibet. And the pass into Tibet is also known as Niti pass.

The other one DHAULIGANGA ( EAST ) is in Pithoragarh district, Kumaon. It originates some where near Dawe and flows thru DARMA valley ie. Bidang, Tedang, Duktu- Dantu, Baling, Sela, Bungling, Dhar, Sobla, Kanchaouti, Khet Villages and finally meets Kali ganga at Tawaghat near Dharchula on India- Nepal border. And along Kali ganga goes the famous Kailash- Mansarovar yatra thru Lipulekh pass.

To reach Niti, First go to Joshimath.Then hire a jeep to Gamsali. The route is via Malari. From Malari , Gamsali is 16 KM. And from there Niti village is just 4 km on foot. The road is being constructed from Gamsali to Niti. Personally I dislike the whole idea. Beyond, Gamsali, photography is prohibited. Permits required to visit Niti village and beyond.

You can go even beyond Niti village towards the base camp of Kamet via Goting...But the Niti pass is completely restricted.

Does this info clarify the matters?

Rajkumar,

Thanks for the clarification..
It also corrected the misinformation with me that Malari is the last village on the roadhead towards Niti Pass..

Where do the army folks check the permit.. is it in Malari or beyond that??

One more question.. Any ideas whether its possible to visit the army controlled road at Bhaironghati near gangotri which takes us all the way to the china border?

Thanks,..
JP

Earlier there used to be army check points at Juma itself. Later it movedto Malari. Now the check point is at Gamsali.
Regarding the Bairoghatti place, I am sure you have heard about Henrich Harrer's legendary crossing into Tibet. There are two summer villages Nelang and Jadang home to Jadh Bhotias. They usedto crossthe pass intoTibet for trade. But after1962, the pass was closed and the villages evacuated. Even to visit the area you need permitsfrom DM Uttarkashi or MinistryofHome/Defence. I too would love to visit that area. never heard of any trekker of recent past went to that area. I think Harish kapadia visited the Tibetan border in that area sometime in 70s.

HI Rajkumar,

I am a new member. Just became member today.
I had been to Uttaranchal during Feb - Mar 05.
visited Munsyari, Pithorgarh, Joshimath, Auli, etc.,
Never new about places visited by you. Any ways visiting this places would have not been possible during the time I visted there.
Truly great pics.
Keep posting suc great pcis & info.

Ronak.

hi shahronakm

Some suggestions for your next trips:

1. If you are visiting a new place, do some research on the area. In this age of Internet it's not at all a problem. Try to gather as much information as possible. Get decent maps of the area. Understand the terrain.

2. Contact the people who had gone there before, if possible. India Mike is one such forum to met them.

3. If you can, spend as much time as possible in the new places...your vacation permitting. And go beyond the touristy towns into villages away from the main roads...the real beuauty is in the back country.

4. Probably you may have to sacrifice the comforts of towns like Joshimath, Auli, Pithoragarh, Munsiary and the likes. But just explore the country beyound the towns. You can have great relaxing walks in these areas.

5. If you can engage a knowledeable local person as a companion cum guide, that will be enhance and enrich your experiences. He/she can will provide more info. than any book. The geography, the people and their culture etc. and he will be like your interface with people in the region. Many times I was benifitted by my guides who talked to the villagers and arranged my stay and food. Generally hill people are friendly and hospitable. Respect their way of life and be polite and it pays. and they can become your friends for life or more than friends... The relationships can be everlasting...
( In my case I ended up marrying a nice girl from Darma valley.)
6. If you are a nature lover, and there is a latent artist in you, there are very few palces in the world that can equal the beauty of the Himalaya. You are bound to enjoy the sights, smell and sounds.

Happy journeys !

great collection rajkumar.. way to go
keep up the gud work

visit me at
http://idiot.profusehost.net

Hi
I am back from 1 month long trip to Darma valley. The highlight of the journey is that I explored the upper valleys of Dhauli Ganga and Laser Yangti rivers. Please wait for the photos to be posted in a few days
Rajkumar