The Plan
Rahul (From the Dharamshala trip) & I, were on the lookout to make a short trip to nature’s lap before it becomes unbearable to ride in the summer heat. This is during the start of March 2018 and while we were working on the modalities of selecting the place, route etc, a couple of office colleagues (Nabin & Pranay) overheard our conversation. Although keen on joining us on our trip neither of them had ridden a motorcycle for long distances before let alone in the mountains. Nevertheless, we were thrilled by the prospect of them being interested. Now it was upto both Rahul and myself to ensure that it was an exhilarating experience for everyone. We were considering something with a mix of highway roads, single lane roads and mountain roads, as we wanted them to get a taste of riding a motorcycle without turning them away from it. A couple of options like Mussorie, Lansdowne and Mukteshwar were explored. Since most of us had travelled to the first two places with family and friends before, Mukteshwar was shortlisted and bookings were done.
Nabin had a motorcycle whereas Pranay did not have one. After asking around among friends to lend one, we decided to rent a motorcycle for him. To get accustomed to the rented motorcycle, he rode it daily for around 50-60 kms a couple of days prior to us starting the ride. Bungee cords, riding boots, riding gloves, and other protective equipments were purchased and our kits stocked with necessary emergency medical and tools. With our families taken into confidence (the most demanding task), finally we agreed upon 03 days for the trip. with a weekend in between, it made it easier to do the bookings.
The Trip
It was a no-brainer to start early in the morning and cover maximum distance before sunrise as once the day starts and people start to trickle onto the roads (We stay in Delhi NCR, you can imagine our plight!), it would become difficult to manoeuvre through it. We decided to make frequent stops after every 40-50 kms once on the highway so that we would be fresh when we are meandering through the mountains roads later on.
We commenced on our road trip from the outskirts of Delhi at around 0530 hrs and crossed the sleepy towns bordering Delhi-NCR region. Once we entered the neighboring state of Uttar Pradesh, we headed towards Moradabad with the empty arrowhead highways a welcoming sight for us. After driving for around an hour we halted just before Moradabad and stretched ourselves. Since there were no nearby roadside dhabas open so early, we planned to take the customary tea break after we crossed Morabadad. We were maintaining a steady speed of around 80 kmph so as not to overwhelm the new joinees to the ride.
After bypassing Moradabad, we were greeted by the pot-holed filled single lane road akin to the country roads in India. Looking at the condition of the roads coupled with the hunger quelling inside our bellies, we decided to halt at a dhaba which was serving freshly prepared aloo-parathas. Moreover, it was a long ride ahead and we had to keep ourselves hydrated as well.
The condition of the potholed roads improved marginally but several small hamlets and towns till Kaladhungi reduced our average speed. We took a couple of stops to appreciate the beauty of nature coupled with the cool breeze and negligible pollution around made it worthwhile for us.
We entered the valley and started climbing through the mountains. The trickle of cars and fellow motorcycle riders was a constant sight to-and fro on the roads till Nainital. Most of the people stopping at Nainital and over-crowding the place. I just wish they go beyond it and see what they are missing! The dense deciduous and fig forests were towering above us. We crossed the hill-stations of Nainital, Ramgarh. On the way to Mukteshwar, we halted at Gaggar to buy locally prepared Jams, pickles and honey from the region. Incidentally the person was The unexpected cloud cover above us and sporadic rainfall greeted us once we crossed Gaggar. Mukteshwar was another 20 kms to go. With no respite from the rain, we somehow took shelter in makeshift sheds along the road waiting for the rainfall to subside.
After being on the road for around 7 -8 hours and no chance of the rain showers stopping anytime soon, we took a call to ride in rain for the final leg of the journey. The outskirts of Mukteshwar were full of small mountainside cafés, resorts which eked us out to keep riding indicating that the destination was not far away. With the rain pouring down heavily now, we managed to ask around and find the location of our stay (which was on the other side of the town!). Everyone cursed a bit as we were completely wet and the bone chilling wind was piercing through our layers of clothing. We soon entered Mukteshwar to see the town right out of a story book setting: a sleepy town nestled between huge fir and pine trees, with a single long street running through it. The street was lined with single stored stone structures perched over couple of footsteps which served as the local bank, post office and local administration building to name a few. The rain splattering on the tinned roof creating a euphony for the ear in the stillness of the forest brought us back to reality. The beauty of the place is not only in its natural environment but also in the sense that the place has stood still in time while everything else has moved on.
Once in our rooms, we quickly changed into fresh clothes and huddled inside the blankets while the rain made it difficult for us to venture out to explore the place. Since we had the following day for exploring we retired for the night to experience the beauty later. Personally, I was looking forward to the next day and it definitely did not disappoint.
The Place
Luckily, the rooms that we booked were a small hike away from the tourist spots of the town – huge stones jutting out from the cliff face into the chasm and the revered Lord Shiva (Mukteshwar) temple. The magnificent view from the cliff was a sight to behold. We could see the Kumaon valley spreading for miles and could even make out the Almora city in the distance. Although, the intermittent cloud cover was playing a spoilsport but we still made the most of the sunshine whenever it gleaned on us. We spent time sitting on the rocks looking into the distance, with a view that was enough to drown the problems of life, if any.
The Bonus
Next we made our way to the temple, which involved a climb on steps starting from the roadside. The place has gotten its name from this Lord Shiva temple. We paid our respects in the temple and stopped at a juice vendor on our way back down. On inquiring from him, he informed us of a waterfall nearby. The waterfall was a ride on the local roads for 35 kms one side and then trekking through the forest for another 2-3 kms. Excited by the prospect of this new development, we unanimously cleared our appointment schedules for the day ahead (as if we were busy!) and decided to visit it.
The Bhalu-gaad waterfall is a 50-ft waterfall drop between two cliffs. It gets its name as it was inhabited by bears (bhalu in hindi) and was known only to a handful of locals. Perched between two cliffs, it’s a a mountain stream which is steady but seasonal. For most part of the trek through the forest we were the only souls on the trek. The hike involved crossing dry rivulets and streams to finally reach the waterfall. We saw empty wrappers and bottles strewn on the path. This really disappointed us as the onus of keeping a place clean should always be on us.
On the way to the waterfall, we stopped at a local tea cum snack shack where we were pulled towards the invigorating smell of noodles being prepared. We each had a plate and coffee to go with it. The forest was eerily quiet even for during daylight. Soon we started our hike back.
We returned back to our guest house after a spectacular outing and relaxed through the evening. It was definitely an evening to cherish. The new memories that we were taking back with us were definitely going to remain with us for our lifetime. A simple place yet so much to offer.
On the next day we had our breakfast and started at 0800 hrs from the guest house. With no particular deadline in mind we stopped in Nainital for our lunch. We had to stop a couple of times due to intermittent showers but with a huge grin on our face we kept on riding unmindful of the delay. We reached Delhi at around 1700 hrs in the evening with a strong bond developed between us, courtesy Mukteshwar.