Pithoragarh Tourism Guide

Pithoragarh is at a height of 5,396ft, snuggled in a small valley surrounded by mightly mountains in Kali Kumaon, the easternmost corner of Uttaranchal

The signs on the way start announcing serious mountains just after you cross Champawat. This is a serious mountain road, with a 100ft drop on one side and an equal elevation on the other, to the easternmost corner of Uttaranchal. As you leave behind the monotonous plains and enter Champawat District, the mountains lover in you is bound to wake up even if the hour is unearthyly or you have pain in the wrong part of your anatomy because of the long drive.

Kmvn has flagged Pithoragarh as a lesser known destination and they are not entirely wrong. Pithoragarh does, however command attention from two kinds of people mountain lovers and country serers. As Pithoragarh shares its border with Nepal, it serves as an important halt for those heading towards the sacred Kalash Mansarovar Lake as well as for the Indian army. It is also the undisputed HQ of the part of eastern Uttaranchal knows as Kali Kumaon through which flows the sprightly kali.

Pithoragarh is all in all a cool place no flocks of tourists, no pilgrims and no tourist guides. The men on the road keep to themselves and if you are jeans clad city person they will only elbow each other and smile politely at you.

Men and mountains apart, Pithoragarh has little in terms of entertainment. Thank god and Uttaranchal Tourism for small mercies. They have kept Pithoragarh just the way it should be for a few antisocials like me. After all how many hill stations can give you this. And if your idea of a holiday in the hills is not limited to boating on a lake, riding ponies or earning some brownie points with the almighty you can have a whale of a time in Pithoragarh.

On the outskirts of the main town is Pithoragarh fort. Set on the top of a hill, this fort was built by the Gorkhas when they took over the town in 1789. It is a bit of a climb to the top but worth it for the views of Kali Kumaon.

Chandak nearby 8 Km is a beautifull hill from where you get the best view of the Himalayan Range. The locals at chandak strongly believe in the religious strength of the Manu Temple here. A fair is held here every August.

There is a military establishment in the middle of this hill station. They also have a reserved forest here name d Pithoragarh Banya Udayn and a small folf course.

Treks and Adventure

If you carry your own equipment you can paraglide, hang glide, mountain bike, river raft and ski here. The mountainous terrain and swift rivers are ideal for these activities. However there is nothing and no one to provide you with technical emotional or any other kind of support that you might need to do all these. Uttranchal Tourism has major plans of developing Pithoragarh as a happening adventure destination in the near future. But for now you are on your own.

Otherwise just invest in a pair of good boots and trek around the mountains here. If you are really keen, you can take a long trek up to Nanda Devi and Panchchuli the range of snow clad peaks that you get to see from Pithoragarh. There are numerous small treks all around as well. You can also attempt a hike over the hills to Abbott Mount. Though hidden by the hills which cradle Pithoragarh, Abbott Mount is closer as the crow flies then the snaking road back to Champawat District.

Around Pithoragarh

Jhulaghat 33 Km

Even with my limited Hindi, it was not difficult to fathom what the sankara written on the road signs meant. In case your Hindi is even more limited than mine, it means narrow and treacherous. The road and the mountains were all very sankara on the way to Jhulaghat a nondescript town sharing its border with Nepal. There is a small little market on either side of the border. The border itself is the Kali River. There is a hanging bridge on the river the origin of the name Jhulaghat. Crossing the bridge you can enter Nepal and have a foreign trip without any extra cost or official documents such as passport a dvisa. The market here sells typical Nepali stuff like velvet blankets, slippers and numerous electronic items with cameras and calculators topping the list.

From here you can hire a cab or get on to one of the local Nepali buses to a bigger town further inside Nepal known as Baitari. Baitari has a bigger market and plenty of foreign goods. If the guards on the Indian side ask too many questions about your shopping use your charm.

There are no hotels to stay in here so you can stay parked at Pithoragarh and make Jhulaghat a day long excursion. The road is narrow and winding. Thus forced to drive slowly just enjoy the brilliant views of misty green mountains and swift flowing rivers. You can also stop by the small shacks selling tea and biscuits on the roadside and enjoy the atmosphere.

Askot Sanctuary 60 Km

Wildlife enthusiasts head for Askot while at Pithoragarh. The sanctuary is host to snow leopards, Himalayan black bears, musk deer, snow cocks, tahra, bharals, monals, chirs, koklas, pheasants an dchukors. Set in picturesquer surroundings, this sanctuary also offers magnificent mountain views from its height of 5,412ft. There are also a few temples dotting this lush green secluded forest.

Chaukori 85 Km

Chaukori at a height of 6,595ft, is a beautiful small town with great views of snow capped mountains an dextraordinary sunrises and sunsets. The entire area is covered with tea gardens and fruit orchards that are great for short walks. It is devoid of tourists, vendors or anything to see and do visit Chaukori just for its peace and quiet.

To get here from pithoragarh drive north to Dewal Thal 23 Km and then go up to Chaukori via Thal. You can trek to Berinag and Gangolihat from Chaukori. This town is also on the legendary trekking route to the Pindari Glacier which is visible from the viewpoints at Chandak near Pithoragarh.