Cycling is addictive. Ask a cyclist and they will definitely agree. An addiction that can not only help you become fitter but also explore new places at the same time. Double Dhamaka!. Specifically, in cycling, bike touring is my favorite activity. The satisfaction of exploring the landscape that this world has to offer on my humble bicycle is on the next level. Especially because I know that I am not causing any pollution doing it. Meeting the locals along the way and cycling up and down those mountains makes us humble and a much better person in general. Someone who is grateful for whatever he/she has in their life.
Now, as I am writing this, it is the month of March. My cycling mind was itching for yet another bike touring adventure. After exploring Goa and the majestic Leh-Ladakh terrain, I was thinking about where to go next. All of a sudden I remembered one cyclist on our group ride talking about his Uttarakhand cycling tour. The picturesque roads, awesome weather, mighty mountains, and delicious food, all started filling up my mind. Next thing you know, I was on my task of planning and getting ready for our Uttarakhand cycling tour. Once again “CyclinginIndia” helped us with all the planning stuff.
Day 1: Nainital to Ranikhet (56km)
Our trip was planned for April, which turns out to be the perfect season for traveling to Uttarakhand. The moment we landed in Nainital that early morning all three of us could feel the scented mountain breeze. Super excited we collected our bags, assembled our cycles and here we were pedaling on the streets of Uttarakhand. So, the plan was that we will be starting off un-supported and then will hire a car in some sections.
Today the route was pretty much flat. Our destination Ranikhet was at an elevation of 1829m. But the route we were cycling through was enough to pacify the nerves for city dwellers like us. The lush green forests, mesmerizing mountain breeze, and smooth roads were simply amazing. We reached Ranikhet at around 12 pm in about 4 hours. Checked into our hotel and had delicious Kumaoni dishes for lunch. Later in the evening, our feet marched towards exploring the Bhalu dam in this beautiful city also known as “Queen’s meadows”
Day2: Ranikhet to Almora (46km)
After a fulfilling north Indian breakfast, we were fully fueled to cycle to the cultural capital of the Kumaon dynasty – Almora. Here is where we were going to start seeing the snow-capped Himalayas in all their glory. Today’s distance was yet again not very challenging but full marks for the scenery it offered. On the way, we passed through Binsar wildlife sanctuary which is famous among bird watchers. We were also fortunate enough to see some amazing birds chirping and flying all around us among the pine and oak trees.
It was around 1:00 pm and we stopped by to ask a local for lunch options nearby as we didn’t want to eat the same hotel food. To our surprise, the local invited us to her some for lunch. We refused initially but eventually agreed to accept her kindness. We had Gahat dal, and Sisunak Saag which was delicious and a mouth-watering sweet called Choklate. Not Chocolate, this one is different and tasty. We noticed that they were using Kilmora to wash the utensils which is derived from a plant found in abundance here. The name Almora is derived from this plant itself. After such a satisfying meal, we had to take a short afternoon nap, in our hotel of course. Later in the evening, we set out to explore the famous Chitai and Nanda Devi temples. Followed by a shopping tour at the 200-year old Lal Bazaar. That night we slept early because from tomorrow we were entering the real mountainous Himalayan region with a lot of climbing.
Day 3: Almora to Binsar to Kausani (75km)
Our destination for today, Kausani is a quaint hill station. You must have heard that Mahatma Gandhi visited here and coined it the name Switzerland of India. Excited for the day we set out for our first climb of the trip up to Binsar. Cycling up the gradual 800m elevation gain we were passing through the majestic views of the Himalayan peaks towards our left side. The mumbling streams and the sound of our own breath were easily noticeable. This clearly explains the quietness of the area.
At Binsar zero point we were delighted to see a panoramic view of the Himalayan peaks 300km away. Upon asking a local he said that those are Nanda Devi, Chaukhamba, and Nanda Kot peaks. It was around 12 pm and we stopped by for lunch at a local Dhaba along the road just ahead of Binsar. From here on it was all downhill till Kausani, at least theoretically. We reached Kausani at around 4 pm, freshened up, and got out to catch the sunset in the Himalayan ranges. Later we booked our car and driver for the next few days of our adventure and went to sleep.
Day 4: Kausani to Chopta (160km)
The next morning melodious chirping of birds woke me and I could feel the clean air sound me. We were exploring places that were pretty less explored in Uttarakhand. Today’s plan was the explore Kausani a bit and reach Chopta by car. The reason being mainly to avoid fatigue and explore more places. After breakfast, we visited the Anashakti Ashram followed by the well-known Kausani shawl factory. It’s amazing to see how things work here. I observed that eco-tourism is prompted a lot here. But, well, Kausani is truly a nature lover’s paradise.
Now after a delicious lunch we departed to Chopta and reached there at around 4 pm. The journey was full of lush green coniferous trees like pine and deodars covering the route on both sides. I wish we had the time to do it on our bicycles. Entering Chopta and we could immediately notice the silence in this place. This hushed place and the salubrious breeze are perfect for solitude seekers. This can be a perfect place to meditate as Rishikesh can get crowded sometimes. In the evening when went for a walk up to the base of the Tunath trek and our eyes were treated by the spread of red, oink, and white buransh flowers along the route. It was a serene experience
Day 5: Chopta – Joshimath – Malari -Joshimath (140 km cycling)
Our next day started with an unobstructed view of the Trishul, Nanda Devi, Chaukhamba peaks. We were going to go closer to them today. After a wholesome North Indian breakfast and packing our bags with a lot of food we started our day early. First, our car took us to Joshimath, where we checked in our hotel by around 8:am and started cycling uphill towards Niti pass – which is the last village close to the China-Tibet border. It was going to be a long day of cycling in the Himalayas.
Cycling towards Niti pass we were going to pass through Malari which is called the mini- Tibet of India. This town had just opened after the heavy snowfall that happens here in winter. So, we were not expecting to find any food stall available here. The unique architecture and scaling roofs of the old houses here were nice to see. Passing through the Dhaluli Ganga valley we luckily found a roadside stall serving Garwali cuisine. It was enough to supplement the food we were carrying and take us back to Joshimath to our hotel. The journey was tiring today, but worth it fr the views and overall experience we got. Anyway, we had a backup option in case we could not make it back to the hotel wherein our car driver would come to pick us up in the middle of the road. A long day in the saddle ended with a much-needed heavy dinner at Joshimath.
Day 6: Joshimath – Badrinath – Mana pass – Badrinath (100km cycling)
Today, we woke up a bit early. Sleep-deprived we first got over ILP (Inner Line Permit taken from Joshimath along with NOC certificate from ITBP ((Indian Tibetan border police) and Army. This is for our trip to Mana pass for today. After a quick breakfast and a nap in the car ride to Badrinath, we started our cycling journey towards Mana Pass. It was around 12 pm, and we had climbed around 300m out of the 2000+m and took a small lunch break.
The journey ahead was tough, like very tough. After a particular point, there were practically no roads. The route surrounded by Himalayan ranges covered in snow was magnificent to look at but equally difficult to pedal through. En route, we passed through Deo Talao which is the highest freshwater lake in the world and the origin of the holy Saraswati river. The water was so clear that it felt like a natural mirror placed in the middle of nowhere. The air was getting thin and as we were at around 5500m of elevation. Just 3000m short of Mount Everest. Without wasting much time, we started our return journey by 4 pm. We realized that it won’t be possible for us to get back to Badrinath before sunset. So, we had already asked for our car driver to come up the road up to a certain point and it escorted us safely back to our hotel. All of us were super happy to have cycled to the highest motorable pass in the world.
Day 7: Badrinath to Rishikesh 385km by car
Yesterday’s extreme cycling called for a rest day. Today the journey was all the way down to Rishikesh. We reached our destination at around 4:00 pm. Visited the Ram and Laxman Jhula and attended the Ganga Arti at Triveni ghat. The energy of this place is on the next level. Our day ended with booking for an adventure activity for tomorrow morning. The activity that Rishikesh is most famous for – River rafting!
Day8: Rishikesh to Dehradun (43km)
Our day started to fulfill our adrenalin rush at the 8:am river rafting batch. It was like a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The cold water gushing through your body and making you both fear and wanting it more is an exhilarating experience. Post our rafting session and a wholesome breakfast we were off to Dehradun – the oldest city in India and the capital of Uttrakhand. It’s famous for its educational institutions. The route today was super easy especially after climbing those epic mountains in the last 2 to 3 days.
Upon reaching Dehradun at around lunchtime, we had our Jungle Safari planned to JimCorbett national park. We had seen a lot of plant diversity in our trip so far and we’re hoping to see some wild animals too. Unfortunately didn’t spot a wild cat but saw a number of other predators in the jungle.
Day 9: Dehradun – Mussorie – Dehradun (70km)
Today, was the last day of our adventure and we wanted to end it with a nice tiring workout. Today we’re going to climb 2000+m t the top of Mussoorie hill station and maybe have a nice lunch at the cozy cafes at the top. This is exactly what we did. Started early to catch the sunrise on the climb and the majestic views of the Shivalik and other Himalayan ranges for one last time. The climb was difficult but we did take a lot of breaks and reached the top at around 10 am. Visited the Happy valley housing which is the first-ever Tibetan temple in India and started the exhilarating descent back to Dehradun.
Our flight was scheduled for late evening and this ended our memorable trip to Uttarakhand. I am sure there is a lot more to be explored in this beautiful state of ours. Another reason for us to come back next time and explore more destinations. I hope you enjoyed reading this blog. If so, let me know your thoughts in the comments below
