How To Plan a Trip To Chanshal Pass In Himachal Pradesh
In my last article, I described my bike trip to Chanshal Pass and the beauty of Pabbar Valley I explored. Chanshal Pass is one of the less famous Mountain Pass and therefore there is limited information about how to plan a trip to Chanshal Pass. Most bikers and travelers in India prefer going to Sach Pass, Khardung La or Zozi La and the frequency of travelers traveling to Chanshal Pass is very low. In reality, the Chanshal Pass offers the same beauty and challenges as any other mountain pass in India can offer.
The best part of visiting Chanshal Pass is, you can explore few more hill stations which lie en-route to Chanshal Pass. Chakrata In Uttarakhand and Kufri, Shimla in Himachal Pradesh can also be visited while covering Chanshal Pass which is a golden opportunity for any traveler. In this article, I will be sharing the necessary pieces of information regarding a trip to Chanshal Pass, the condition of Roads en-route to Chanshal Pass, Availability of necessary things like fuel, Mobile networks, Hotels, etc. In case I missed any point do let me know via comment or mail and I will try to help fellow travelers as much as possible.
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Number of Days Required to Complete Chanshal Pass?
The number of days requires to complete a trip to Chanshal Pass is three. But If one is interested in exploring the Pabbar Valley or the remote villages of Dodra Kwar then the number of days can be extended to five. If your aim is only to visit the pass, then it can be done in 3 days. This is an excellent opportunity for those struggling with leaves in their office as it can be done by taking on day leave on Friday or Monday (I am assuming Saturday Sunday is off). If one has a sufficient number of leaves then he/she can extend the trip as per his/her convenience. The village of Dodra & Kwar is part of Rupin Pass Trek and therefore more leaves, more opportunity to explore nearby places. In short Chanshal Pass can be done in 3 days’ time without any issue.
Which Route Should be followed to Cover Chanshal Pass?
As I mentioned in my previous article, Chanshal Pass can be accessed via the Dehradun side(Uttarakhand) or Shimla Side (Himachal Pradesh), therefore it depends on person to person what route they want to follow. Here is a quick idea about the route map which should be followed to cover the Chanshal Pass:
From Uttarakhand
New Delhi -> Roorkee -> Dakpatthar -> Chakrata route or Koti Route -> Tiuni -> Hatkoti -> Rohru -> Chirgaon -> Larot -> Chanshal Pass -> Rohru -> Thoeg -> Solan or Shimla Route -> Chandigarh -> New Delhi.
From Himachal Pradesh
New Delhi -> Chandigarh -> Solan or Shimla Route -> Theog -> Rohru – > Chirgaon -> Larot -> Chanshal Pass -> Rohru -> Hatkoti -> Tiuni -> Chakrata or Koti Route -> Dakpatthar -> Rorkee -> New Delhi.
Google map shows an alternate route from Dausa to Dodra and then Chanshal Pass but that route is not operational one has to trek from Dausa to reach Dodra (20km). It is to be noted here that one can skip Rorkee and go to Dakpatthar directly via Muzaffarpur and vice versa. Since I have to meet my college senior in Roorkee I preferred the Roorkee route. The whole trip can be divided into three days. Day 1: New Delhi to Tiuni, Day 2: Tiuni to Chanshal Pass, return and drive till Theog, Day 3: Theog to New Delhi.
The condition of Roads on Trip to Chanshal Pass
Road condition is extremely good excluding few patches and nearly 40 Km near Chanshal Pass. If I exclude the roads near Chanshal Pass, the only stretch of bad road was the 15km from Hatal to Tiuni. Excluding this, the entire stretch has smooth roads. Also, it is to be noted that the state highway from Thoeg to Solan (not via Shimla) is also in good shape. There are numerous patches where the road is in bad shape with a lot of dust but this route will save you nearly 60km. Talking about the road from Rohru to Chanshal Pass, one has to ride nearly 48km to reach Chanshal Pass (16km from Rohru to Chirgaon, 5 Km from Chirgaon to Tikri, 12 Km from Tikri to Larot and 15km from Larot to Chanshal Pass). The road from Rohru to Tikri is neither good nor bad. There are many potholes and at many places widening of the road is going on causing a lot of dust and traffic.
The real challenge starts from Tikri (Take a right turn from Tikri, cross the bridge on Pabbar River to continue towards Chanshal Pass). From Tikri steep ascending starts and road starts degrading. By the time I reached Larot, I was riding on rock boulders and there was no sign of the road. The road from Larot to Chanshal Pass is very challenging and it increases the challenges depending on the month you are undertaking this journey. If its April or May then the water coming from melting of the snow creates a muddy mess and making it difficult to maintain the balance. The chilling water is another problem and by mistake, if you stepped into that you will face the worst nightmare of your life. I covered this route on my Avenger 220, so I can assume any bike with a similar specification or more will be able to reach until Chanshal Pass. Regarding Cars, it is preferred to use a 4Wheel Drive car rather than 2 wheels. A 2WD car can reach the road but if it gets stuck in mud or water then there is very little possibility of rescue and the route is very less used and only one or two bus ply on this route and the same is the frequency of other vehicles. Himachal Pradesh Parivahan operates bus service on this route from May to October.
Availability of Petrol Pump on Chanshal Pass Route
Petrol pumps are easily available en-route to Chanshal Pass so you don’t have to carry extra petrol or diesel. Still for precaution fill up the tank of your vehicle in Dakpatthar, Rohru, or in Thoeg. Petrol pumps are available in Tiuni (8km from Tiuni towards Hatkoti) and from Hatkoti till Rohru you will see 3-4 more petrol pumps. In short, there is no shortage of filling stations while traveling to Chanshal Pass.
Availability of Hotels, Restaurants and Mobile Network On Chanshal Pass
Hotels and restaurants are easily available on the entire route. Tiuni is a small town still it has 2-3 hotels where you can stay at night. If you want some luxurious accommodation better drive till Rohru and Rohru as all the facilities which you will see in any metro city. Car and bike mechanic are also available in Tiuni and Rohru but it is still advisable to carry necessary items like an extra tube, accelerator wire, clutch wire, toolkit. Even Chirgaon has a few decent hotels and the same can be found in Tikri so there is no issue of accommodation.
Regarding the availability of the network, almost all the network providers have their services in all the towns en route to Chanshal Pass. Airtel Signal is weak in Tiuni (rest all works perfectly) but BSNL has an advantage in remote areas of India. My Airtel Sim was showing 4G signal Tikri and 3G in Larot (with an internet connection). Once you start ascending the Chanshal Pass network fluctuates and Airtel Signal at Chanshal Pass was to and fro. The idea has better connectivity in this area so carry the sim as per our requirement.
Is any permit Required for Chanshal Pass?
The answer is no. You don’t need any permit for visiting Chanshal Pass or the village of Dodra & Kwar. Anyone can visit the Chanshal Pass without any requirement for permits. Just carry necessary ID proof and vehicle RC in case of an issue. There is no need to obtain any permit for visiting Chanshal Pass. Just take a left from Rohru T-point towards Chirgaon and drive 48Km to reach Chanshal Pass.
Thanks for reading, I have tried my best to provide all the necessary information required to cover Chanshal Pass. In case I have missed something or you need additional info, do let me know and I will try to help you out.
Cheers & Happy Journey.
Wow this is very amazing post. I am also planning to travel to the same place and this post helped me a lot.