04 Nights & 05 Days
Bir is a small Himachali town located at the height of 5003 feet in the Joginder Nagar Valley. Primarily a Tibetan refugee settlement, Bir is a tasteful melange of ecotourism, spiritualism, and adventure. Asia’s highest paragliding take off site Billing is a mere ride away from the main town of Bir. The town also houses scores of tea estates, artistic monasteries, and a wide landing site peppered with homely and bohemian cafes. Rajgundha is a valley situated some 80 km away from Bir. The scenic Rajgundha village is located at an elevation of 8900 feet and is surrounded by majestic mountains. It is not connected by any vehicular roads. The lifestyle there is of self-sustenance as every resident has farms of their own. The trek is called 360 because instead of taking the usual route of Bir-Billing-Rajgundha, it follows the offbeat and exquisite Bir-Barot-Rajgundha-Billing route.
Himachali town
Bohemian cafes
Asia’s highest paragliding take off-site
Rajgundha trek
Reach RK Ashram/ Majnu ka tilla bus stand around 5:30 pm. Board the bus at 6pm and depart for an overnight journey to Bir.
Check-in to The Hosteller Bir around 1 pm. Chill out with your friends in the hammocks. After check-in have an awesome cycling tour of Bir and its surrounding places. Hop on the bikes and let the clean mountain air refresh you from that long bus ride. You will also be checking out the Gunehar waterfalls. Famous for its picturesque quality, the sound of the rushing falls is sure to soothe you. And if you are a little on the adventurous side, you can even take a long calming dip in it. Make your way back to The Hosteller Bir paddling along the Tibetan colony and passing the colourful markets. A delicious vegetarian dinner will be served (courtesy of our master chef) around a roaring bonfire. Overnight stay at hostel.
Rise and shine! Day 3 is here. Wake up early to snap some amazing photos of the hazy clouds and mountains. Grab some yummy breakfast before this day-long expedition. Your trip coordinator will now tell you guys all about where you will be going and how. He/she shall also share some tips and tricks of being safe and secure while doing this trek, so make sure you listen with rapt attention. Time to start this journey. Hop into the jeeps and head to Barot Valley. A 54 km route from Bir, this entire leg of the trip is filled with exquisite views of passing towns, long winding mountain roads, and plenty of locals grazing their cattle. Reach Barot Valley, which falls on the banks of the great river Uhl. There is a hydroelectric dam on this river which is said to be India’s oldest, which started during British times. Trout fish are a famous delicacy here. Definitely try some for lunch (depends upon availability and incurs extra costs) before heading forward once again to Baragaon. That is where your trek will start. Start climbing from Baragaon to Rajgundha. You will pass big expanses of forests; several fields of paddy, cabbage, etc. Several glistening meadows and many wooden bridges on the Uhl river. Reach Rajgundha in a couple of hours and settle into your camps. Cook dinner together and indulge in some freshly made delicious food. You’re going to be in one of the most spectacular places to do some serious stargazing, so make sure you do not miss out on that. Sleep under the stars.
An early breakfast commences on the fourth day of this trek. Ensure you get a good night’s sleep because you certainly do not want to be drowsy on this part of the trip. You will now begin to trek toward the Billing take off-site. Walking amidst a lush and verdant forest and passing by numerous flocks of clouds, you will reach Channa Pass. Packed refreshments shall be served here. But the best part of this stop is the 360-degree view of the grand Thamsar Pass. Take it all in while you can and also click a lot of photos for the ‘gram. After some time, you shall finally reach Billing. Now this is the place where you get to experience an adventurous paragliding session (Paragliding costs are extra). Check out some local cafes before heading back home.
Reach Delhi early in the morning around 6 am and head back to your final onward destinations with some memories to be cherished for life.