Sach Pass – A road trip where you lose your mind and find your soul

Passon Ka Pass – Sach Pass

In September, I finally got a chance to visit one of the most beautiful places of Himachal Pradesh on my trip to Sach Pass – Pangi Valley- Sural Valley. Today I will be sharing my experiences during my 5 day road trip to this beautiful part of Himachal Pradesh but yet quite unforgiving and full of adventures.

Day 1: Kalatop Forest guest house

We started your journey from Delhi at 11 p.m. and reached Dalhousie at 9 a.m. next day. We had booked Kalatop guest house, So we took a taxi from Dalhousie to Kalatop which cost us r.s. 700.I must say that I have not seen a dense forest than I witnessed on the way to Kalatop. If you like places that are away from crowd and gives you a feeling that no one is around then you are going to love it. During night forest goes to sleep and it gets very dark as it is surrounded by dense deodar trees.It is not suggested to roam around in night because it is in wild life sanctuary which is a home to many wild animals like cheeta and brown bear.

There are many trek which can be accessed through this place like Phoolni devi and guide told me there many other treks.One tip, if you are booking forest guest house then make sure you book set 1 and set 2 because they are the best rooms they have.Guest house can be booked using below link
“https://chambawildlife.in/home/ “

Day 2: We left for Bairagadh and stayed at Mannat Homestay

From Kalatop Guest house we descend towards Chameera Lake, it is around 70 kms from the guest house.We had booked Mahindra Scorpio as we were told by the locals that road are not very good and we need a vehicle which can climb steep roads. I was completely mesmerized by the light green color and view of the lake was so soothing.After reaching at the lake, we sat down and were soaked in feeling of calmness, saw the feeling spreading across your body. We spent around one hour at lake, in that time we took a motor boat ride which was thrilling.Then we went to Bhalei mata mandir, spent some time there and then left for bairagadh.We reached bairagadh at around 6, it was already dark when we reached Mannat home stay. I was surprised to see the room interiors, they were so good that I was no longer feeling exhausted after travelling whole day .Here are some of the pics .

Day 3: Bairagadh to Pangi,Killar – A day full of dangerous roads and beautiful views

We left Bairagadh at 9 am, soon we realized that our zeep is running on the road which has only stones no tar and sand on it and the speed of the vehicle was hardly 15 km/h but views around were breathtaking.It was road inside the jungle of huge deodar trees, every turn here displayed a different glimpse of beauty and it was hard to take your eyes off .There are three or four villages with muslim dominance giving this region an intriguing feel and our driver also told as about the clashes happened between Hindu and Muslims. Then we came across the place which gave us a shock and took us back to the sad memories of Kargil. During 1998 few terrorist entered in this area and killed around thirty five people 🙁 .Since then Indian army has setup satrundi check post and they check Id’s and take details of people going to pangi.

But then again we were lost in the scenic beauty on the both sides of the road leads to Sach pass.

This is the place where condition of the road deteriorates further but the joy of mesmerizing views lets you forget every bump on the road and enter into the world where you forget all the worries in your life and surrender yourself to the beauty of mother nature . We reached Sach Pass at 12 p.m. and to my surprise locals from village were offering prayers at Maha Kali temple and had made arrangements for food (Bhandara). So we had lunch at Sach Pass which is at 4500 mtrs height and then we headed towards Pangi. There were places where I had heart in my mouth as some turns and springs very scary and Scorpio types were skidding on slipper stones . Here are the pics of the road leads to Pangi, Killar.

The moment you start descending towards Killar, you will come across Bagotu Nallah which (if fully flooded) will send a shiver down your spine. If you are in a hatchback or Sedan, your car will hate you forever for bringing it here. The road condition until Killar is extremely nightmarish and possibly the worst you ever been on. After Killar, it improves a bit but still remains a dirt trail until Udaipur. There will still be slush, a few violent water crossings including the Madgran Nallah which again will have you thinking for a minute about how to cross. From Udaipur however, until Manali via Keylong & Tandi, it will mostly be good with an exception of road around Rohtang top which will again be extremely bad.

So finally we reached Pangi, Killar at 5 p.m. Let me tell you something for which you are going to thank me forever. Forest guest house has the best views among all hotels in Pangi, room set no 1 and 2 beats any five star hotel and their booking charges are just r.s. 1000.

Day 4 : Pangi to Sural valley

Night was very cold and temprature was around 4 to 5 degrees in the month of September.Next we we woke up to the beautiful view of Chenab river.

Then the plan was to explore few places around and visit Sural valley. So we went to the Helipad which helps the people of this village during winters when this village gets disconnected to the rest of the world because of huge snowfall its receives.Its 2 kms from the Pangi and took us 5 minutes to reach there. Here are some pics

Then we left for Sural valley, the most beautiful valley here.It is around 16 kms from the Pangi and takes around 2 hrs to reach there. So we spent some time there but it was so beautiful that I would like to visit this place again and again.Its a very good place for camping. Then we went back to Pangi and spent night at Pangi.

Day 4 & 5 : Pangi to Bairagadh to Dalhousie

We let for Bairagadh next day early morning and stayed at Mannat Home Stay. While coming back our driver showed us a Mahindra Bolero zeep which fell down hill and everyone died on the spot. This is a caution that even if you are travelling by your vehicle prefer to hire a taxi from Dalhousie or Bairagadh because the roads are narrow and not maintained properly. On day 5 we left to Dalhousie and clicked few picks on the way.

How to get there?

You can catch a bus from ISBT Kashmiri Gate to Dalhousie. You can book HRTC online “https://www.hrtchp.com/hrtc_info/ “. Perfer government buses as they take lesser time and drivers are experienced .

Best time to go

Sach Pass opens in May and closes in October. You can travel between these months but prefer not to travel during monsoon season.

No matter which month you travel in, road conditions at and around Sach Pass are always terrible. As soon as the pass is declared open, there are numerous rivulets caused by melting snow. At several stretches, you will find a waterfall falling down right in middle of a road which is barely wide enough for one car. Come July; the monsoon arrives and the situations worsens. Rain not only adds to all the water streams and waterfalls but also creates a serious risk of landslides all across the route. Slush is way too common during this time. After Monsoon, September is probably the only time when the road conditions get a little better. And by better I only mean lesser water streams to cross because it is still just a dirt track you will travel on. Road between Bairagarh and Killar is the worst stretch of all.

Few tips to remember

• Wear comfortable clothes and proper shoes
• Carry your own water bottles to stay hydrated
• Carry mosquito repellent, few snacks and a small first aid kit for emergencies
• Do not litter while travelling

You can reach out to planmytrek team at 8750807666 for any assistance on itinerary and cab bookings.

Sach Pass Route

Route of the journey is as mentioned below.

Dalhousie/Chamba – Tissa – Bairagarh – Kalaban – Satrundi – Sach Pass – Killar – Udaipur – Keylong – Khoksar – Rohtang Pass – Marhi – Manali

This however is the longer route and should be taken only if you are interested in visiting Dalhousie or Chamba. If only Sach Pass is on your mind then you should avoid both Dalhousie and Chamba. Route from Pathankot then would be,

Pathankot – Banikhet – Chamera Lake/Dam – Koti – Tissa – Bairagarh – Satrundi – Sach Pass

The climb from Dalhousie towards Sach Pass is relatively easier than the climb from Udaipur and Killar. This is also one of the reasons why people chose to start from Dalhousie and end their journey at Manali.

Mentioned below are distances between Sach Pass and some of the known nearby towns that you will be crossing during your journey.

• Dalhousie to Sach Pass Distance: 150 Kilometers
• Chamba to Sach pass distance: 120 Kilometers
• Manali to Sach pass distance: 270 Kilometers
• Bairagarh to Sach pass distance: 60 Kilometers
• Killar to Sach pass distance: 40 Kilometers
• Udaipur to Sach pass distance: 110 Kilometers
• Keylong to Sach Pass distance: 155 Kilometers
• Kishtwar to Sach pass distance: 150 Kilometers
• Delhi to Sach Pass Distance: 710 Kilometers

You can get in touch with Planmytrek team on whatsapp for any assistance on itinerary and cab bookings.