Delhi - Narkanda

[KurtRules]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Please give some direct route information for the alternate route. Sometimes, Kufri gets snow bogged, and traffic jams make life hell. I know there is a Chail route, but is it open?
Then there is this other route which follows low altitude and then suddenly climbs after luri area.
Can somebody who has done this tattapani route tell about the terrain and road condition, and how much extra distance?

There are 2 routes, actually.

One is: Shimla - Naldhera - Basantpur (15 kms before Tattapaani). From here you will get a fork, turn right towards Kingel. 85 kms from there is Kingel and is 20 kms below Narkanda.

The other is Shimla - Naldhera - Basantpur - Sunni(7 kms before Tattapaani). Here you will again encounter a fork. Turn right towards Luri and then finally Sainj. Sainj is 32 kms below Narkanda and is the place where the road meets the Sutlej banks. Also the place where we start our ascend towards Jalori. Sunni - Luri is 51 kms and is mostly off-road. I do not advise taking this route during the monsoons.

Out of these two, the second one is normally used to bypass Narkanda, in a case that there is black ice on the NH-22.

Hope this helps!

[tsk1979]

Not too worried about black ice, but road closure.
About chail route, I think its good to bypass shimla during rush hours(and bypass traffic jams?)
How is the road.
If one were to go via shimla to kufri, and via chail to kufri, would driving time be similar, or is the road too bad?

[popsha]

You can bypass Shimla and go directly to Kufri ... that will save you time.

The exact time on Chail route - guys please chip in

[KurtRules]

Kandaghat - Chail : 30 kms, 1 hr
Chail - Kufri: ~28 kms 1.5 hrs

Driving time will be less if you go via Shimla as the Chail - Kufri road is narrow and not that good.

[dheerajsharma14]

It's narrow and not too good but far more scenic..about driving time I am no so sure but there were only very few vehicles...so it was very smooth also I asked few guyz regarding route and they told that this route is accessible even when it snows i.e Chail-Kufri while the highway gets closed sometimes...It was like for me...but that is what I was told by the locales there...

[Ameeth]

Originally Posted by dheerajsharma14

It's narrow and not too good but far more scenic..about driving time I am no so sure but there were only very few vehicles...so it was very smooth also I asked few guyz regarding route and they told that this route is accessible even when it snows i.e Chail-Kufri while the highway gets closed sometimes...It was like for me...but that is what I was told by the locales there...

well what they said seems to be true.. I called up the Hatu in narkanda.. they said the road from shimla is blocked off.. but the route via chail to kufri is still open and you can come through that.. They said the weather is better today compared to yesterday

Unfortunately all the rooms are booked for the whole weekend

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by Ameeth

...
Unfortunately all the rooms are booked for the whole weekend

Are you sure? The on-line booking shows the 1700/- wala rooms as still available! Of course there will be a discount on this tariff, off season as it is these days.

[Ameeth]

Originally Posted by anupmathur

Are you sure? The on-line booking shows the 1700/- wala rooms as still available! Of course there will be a discount on this tariff, off season as it is these days.

I didnt specifically ask for different types of rooms available. I asked rooms available hai kya, and he said sorry fri, sat n sunday fully booked.

Anup sir any other accomodation options available in Narkanda? any idea?

[popsha]

There are a couple of hotels bang next to the Bus stands where it would be easy to find accommodation.

And if I am not wrong there a couple of other resorts too ....

[anupmathur]

There is the Hotel Mahamaya Palace (which is quite good; we've stayed there once), a PWD rest house and a circuit house.
There are some very basic homestays/guest houses that also show up on the HPTDC on-line booking site.