Starts the journey from Delhi to Dalhousie, It was August 2019 when DJ decided to embark on an ambitious solo trip towards Kashmir. However, it was that time of the year when Article 370 had been removed from Jammu & Kashmir, removing its special status, and making it a unique time to travel. The only problem was that all roads in Kashmir had been blocked during this time. Clearly, not amongst those who back out at the last minute, DJ reworked his plan at the last minute to include a ride to the Sach Pass via the dangerous Killer Kishtwar road.
Both the Killar-Kishtwar road and the Sach Pass are certainly not places for the faint-hearted. While the Sach Pass is a 14500-foot-high pass located between the Chamba Valley (district headquarters) and the tribal Pangi valley in Himachal Pradesh, the Killar-Kishtwar Road ranks at #2 in the list of top 5 dangerous roads of India. Just to give you an idea of the extent of the danger, 2,500 riders have covered the Sach Pass to date, but none of them did it alone (This audacity itself deserves at least a few claps, don’t you think?)
DJ began his ride on 9th August 2019 at 12 am, after a hectic day at the office (as usual!) The man did not sleep a wink, and he started feeling the pinch just before Ludhiana (may have even caught a few winks on the bike). On reaching Hoshiarpur, he placed an order for breakfast after being made to sit on khat. The waiter couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw DJ sleeping like a baby on the khat.
Now with a solid 2-hour power nap, the man felt armed to take on the worst roads in the world. He made it to Pathankot at around 10 a.m. While moving towards Dalhousie, DJ encountered the gorgeous Chamera Dam bridge, which has been built on the Chamera Lake (part of the Ravi River). This dam is massive, and it is nice to walk over the bridge where public vehicles are not allowed. Spending some quality time at the dam, DJ rode for another 40-50 km before reaching his hotel in Dalhousie. The complete journey took him a total of 13-14 hours, with the roads being very good till the bridge.
Having reached the perfect time for lunch, DJ chose to have a homely meal (without onion garlic) and then crashed into bed for a good 3 hours. After getting freshened up for an evening out at 5 p.m., he decided to venture towards Panchpula waterfall, which was 5-6 km away from the Dalhousie Mall Road. Those expecting a lot of water may be disappointed as this was quite small. However, DJ found the place to be very scenic and the water extremely cold. People familiar with Mussoorie can equate the area to Kempty Falls. After a small trek of 100-150 steps, DJ was happy to see the complete beauty of this waterfall. After having dinner and spending some time at the Mall Road, he returned to his room, had dinner there (without onion garlic), and slept for the night.
