Behind the wheel & Contributor

Vinod Kumar...know more about me

Travelogue What to see in Jalori & Prashar

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On road to Prashar lake & Jalori pass

A driving trip was planned by group of Safari friends for Good Friday weekend. Hotel booking and other logistics was planned by MilesAhead Adventure Solutions owned by one of the group member.

Day-1

Delhi - Mandi kms 470 kms

Delhi - Ambala - Dharampur - (Sh9) - Sabathu - Arki - Piplughat - Bilaspur - Sundarnagar - Mandi

Pit stops

Zhilmil Dhaba - Break fast

Hotel Sagar View, Bilaspur - Lunch

Night Stay

Hotel River Bank , Mandi ....It is an average hotel with parking for 8 to 10 cars. Ok for one night stays or budget stay.

Road Condition

Delhi - Dharampur - Good and fast

Dharampur - Bilaspur - Patchy , Winding & Slow but very less traffic. Very scenic drive.

Bilaspur - Mandi - Very bad. Road widening in progress. It was worst due to rain.

We started by 0630 am on Friday. It was raining and progress was slow. Reached Karnal by 9am. Zhilmil was as usual awesome. Zirakpur to Dharampur had high traffic and reached by 1230pm. After Dharampur detour the progress was slow, every one enjoying the serene drive and reached Bilaspur by 4 pm and Mandi by 830 post lunch break.

Breakfast at Zhilmil dhaba


Our team ....me at extreme right


Route to Mandi....


Night stay - Hotel River bank in Mandi

Day-2

Mandi - Sainj via Jalori pass is 140 kms

Mandi -Baghi- Prashar Lake - Aut - Banjar- chhet - Jibhi - Jalori pass - Khanag- Aani - Sainj

Drive started by 830. The drive to Prashar lake is very scenic himalayan view on the left. Light traffic till Baghhi village and after that absolutely nil. The last 15 kms is only a mud track and was slushy at many places. Also there is river cross too. The bridge is incomplete. I think Prashar might get cutoff during rains.

Reached Prashar by 11.30. Distance about 50 kms. It a very good spot for camping. FRH property looks good for stay. Now there are couple of shops and people around so stay and food should not be an issue.

Some pics of our drive to Prashar lake







Pictures of Parashar lake and temple




By 1.30 we left for Aut via Bajura. Lunch stop was at Bajura. Here we came to know that Jalori Pass is closed since Thursday due to rain and snow fall. Group unanimously decision to scale Jalori. Every one was pumped up for the drive.

So we started our ascend by 5 pm. After Aut the NH305 is narrow and little traffic till Banjaar Village. Last 20 kms the gradient changes quickly and road turned into a mud n slush track. Last 5 kms was hell.

Got stuck at couple of places due to slush but managed to ascent by 9.30 pm. There was lot of snow and temperature was around 2 deg. After a break of 20 min we continue our descent to Sainj. Reached by 11.30 pm.

Jalori pass night drive was an experience. Would rate in in one of the difficult drives.

Hotel Banjara retreat is at a strategic location about 5-7 kms before the final Jalori pass ascend. Well planned location...

Night stay : Atul Regency, Sainj

Enroute Jalori pass

Day 3

Sainj - Delhi is 490 kms

Sainj - Kingal - Narkhanda - Theog - Shimla - Chandigarh - Karnal - Delhi

Day 3 started leisurely. All were ready by 10. But still more surprises were stocked the team. One of the Strome didn't start. Tried all possible diagnostics. A good 2 hrs was lost then decided to tow the beast till Theog where the flat bed will reach from Solan TASS.

By 1200 hrs the convoy started and reached Narkhanda by 2.30 pm. Had our lunch at Himalayan Dhaba and continued to Theog. By 4.30 we reached Theog. After loading the beast on Flat bed, we all left for Solan TASS by 5 pm.

The drive from Theog to Solan was boring and tiring. Heavy traffic and congested bypass was a pain. By 830 pm we were at Solan. Dropped 2 members as they planned to stay back. We continued our drive. Quick coffee break at McDonald and Dinner at Neelkanth Star at 12.30 am. Reached Delhi by 4 am.

Extreme endurance test of man and the machine...

Breakdown news : Later we came to know , the Crack position sensor had conked off.. Just a 15 min Job in the morning.

Lunch break at Narkhanda


Some awesome views enroute.....


And the drive back home.....