Snow update from Shimla, Himachal Pradesh on 2019-12-12 at 5pm

Update 12/12/19 5:00 pm

Snow season update: 

Shimla district is experiencing heavy snowfall mainly in upper reaches like Narkanda, Khadapathar, Chopal, Dodra-Kawar area and rainfall in other parts of the District.

Important advisory for tourists: 

Please venture into Shimla and snow bound areas with abundant caution. Please ensure travelling only with experienced drivers and try to travel in 4 X 4 vehicles as far as possible. Please bear with us in cases where passage of vehicles in certain locations are being stopped. This is being done only to ensure your safety and to avoid putting anyone in danger.

All tourists are requested to park their vehicles at the Tutikandi parking once the parkings within the town are full. Please check the parking information board installed at Tourist Information Centre Tutikandi to know the capacity and occupancy status of various parkings within Shimla.

Status of Connectivity-Road connectivity: 

Shimla (Urban)

All the main as well as the arterial roads within the Shimla Town are clear and open for traffic. Electricity and Water supply is also normal.

Shimla (Rural)
All main roads in the Shimla Rural sub division are open.

Theog

Main road from Shimla to Theog is open. Some link roads in Kotkhai area are blocked and 01 JCB is clearing the road.

Chopal

The main road from Shimla to Chopal is closed at Khidki area.Several link roads like Khidki-Madaog, Pujarli-Matal, Dhabas-Sarahan etc. are closed. 04 machines including JCBs, Snow cutter and  Dozers have been deployed at various locations to open these roads and work is going on at war footing to restore them.

Rohru

Main road from Shimla-Rohru via Kharapathar road is blocked at Khadapathar. No traffic is being allowed beyond Kotkhai due to heavy snowfall.Several link roads like Kharapather-Mandhol, Kharapather- Patsari, Kharapather-Tahu,etc. are closed. 07 machines including JCBs and tippers are deployed at different locations to clear the snow and restore these roads for smooth movement of traffic.

Rampur

Main road from Shimla to Rampur is blocked beyond Narkanda.Buses are being diverted from Dhalli towards Rampur and Kinnaur via Basantpur.Link roads Nankhari-Khamadi, Nakhari-Tutupani etc. 02 machines including JCB and tippers are deployed.

Kumarsain

The main road from Shimla-Kumarsain via Narkanda is closed. 04 machines including JCBs and Dozers are deployed at different locations to clear the snow and open these roads for traffic soon.
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Travellers are advised not to travel on roads which have been closed due to snow. we have deployed police to guide travellers.

Status of Buses 
HRTC buses are plying within Shimla Urban and Rural areas and to Kumarsain and Rampur, via Basantpur.

Contact details: 
In case of any emergency, citizens are encouraged to call on the helpline number 1077 (District disaster management cell)

DC SHIMLA

Road trip to Lahaul and Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh in October 2019 in Hyundai Creta by Soumala Ghosh

Road trip to Lahaul and Spiti Valley in  Himachal Pradesh:

I (Soumala Ghosh) with husband (Batsayan Das) and son started on 2/10/2019 from Kolkata in own  Hyundai Creta (Diesel) SUV.
Total distance covered:  5000 km+

2/10/2019: Kolkata - Night halt near Varanasi.
3/10/2019: Varanasi - Night halt at Agra.
4/10/2019: Agra - Delhi - Chandigarh - Chail (575km). Road condition is extremely good upto Himalayan Expressway toll plaza. Thereafter it becomes worse. Put up at Koti Forest Rest House, 10 km from Chail towards Kufri.
5/10/2019: Koti - Kufri - Narkanda (62 km). Road condition is quite good. Put up at Gahan Forest Rest House, 20 km from Narkanda.
6/10/2019: Gahan - Rampur - Nichar (129 km). It took more than 6 hours for us as we stopped on the way several times appreciating the lush greenery and snow capped mountains. Roads have been carved out of rocks and  mountains. Put up at Nichar Forest Rest House.
7/10/2019: Nichar - Sangla - Chitkul village (100 km). Chitkul is in Kinnaur district. Road is extremely rough and narrow particularly after Sangla. Put up at final destination, by the River Baspa.
8/10/2019: Chitkul - Kalpa (61km).  In the morning we found thin sheet of snow on the windscreen of the car. Put up at Kalpa Forest Rest House.
9/10/2019: Entered Lahaul and Spiti Valley. The terrain completely changed. From lush greenery it became desert with River Spiti flowing nourishing the growth of cacti and a few plants and trees. We drove past Nako, Tabo and arrived at Dhankar Monastery Guest House (179 km). Extremely helpful caretaker who served with  refreshing honey ginger lemon tea on our arrival. Next morning we  tried to trek upto Dhankar Lake, but it was too difficult for us because of extreme cold and I was having a bit oxygen problem.
10,11,12/10/2019: Kaza.  Dhankar - Kaza (33 km). Kaza is a small town in Lahaul Spiti district. An elderly lama suggested us to take the route via Lallung village, Lingti valley,  Demul village upto Kaza. We followed his advice and really enjoyed our drive through small villages, gossiping with local people over cups of tea, taking a glimpse of their lifestyle. From Kaza we visited several small villages like Langza with a statue of gautama Buddha, Komic, Hikkim villages. We also visited Kye Monastery which is a must visit. We drove upto Chicham bridge constructed at an altitude of 13000 ft, Kibber village,  Gete but could not reach Tashi Gong as we lost the trace of road. There were no human being to ask for direction. Only yaks and more yaks were there.
13/10/2019 - 15/10/2019: Kaza - Manali via Lossar - Kunzum Pass - Batal - Chhotedhara - Chhatru - Gramphu - Leh Manali Highway - Rohtang Pass (202 km). It took 10 hours. There is no road after Lossar. Kunzam Pass was breathtakingly beautiful. The most difficult portion was crossing Chhotedhara. The road is full of rocks and we had to drive on the riverbed with Chandra River accompanying us. At last after Gramphu we took Leh Manali Highway and arrived at Rohtang Pass. But here also in some stretches road condition is very bad upto Manali.
16/10/2019: Manali - Panipat (453 km).
17/10/2019: Panipat - Lucknow (647 km).
18/10/2019: Lucknow - Mohania (Hotel Kaimur Vihar) (372 km).
19/10/2019: I am expected to reach Kolkata.

Road trip to Spiti, Kaza, Chandratal, Manali starting in June 2018 by Sukla Chaki

Travelogue of a road trip in early June 2018 by Indian Roadie Sukla Chaki and five other male friends and a driver in a rented Toyota Innova.

The route was as follows:
New Delhi - Chandigarh - Shimla - Narkanda - Sangla - Chitkul - Kalpa - Mud - Kaza - Kibber - Komik - Hikkim - Langza - Chicham Bridge - Chandratal - Batal - Gramphoo - Rohtang Pass - Manali - Chandigarh - New Delhi.

The itinerary .......
Day 1:
Vadodara 7.10am to Delhi 8.00am by flight.
By rented full-time Toyota Innova, Delhi (3pm) to Chandigarh (9pm), 6 hrs including one lunch break for 45 minutes and a short tea break.

Day 2:
Chandigarh to Sangla (312 km/ 10 hrs including breaks for breakfast, lunch, 4 tea breaks) via Shimla, Narkanda, Rampur.
Stayed in Hotel Madhu in Sangla.

Day 3:
Sangla to Kalpa (47 kms) via Chitkul.
Stayed in Chini Bungalow, Kalpa.

Day 4:
Kalpa to Tabo (159 km/ 7 hrs, including breaks for lunch and tea) via Geu Village.
Stay in Namsy Homestay in Tabo.

Day 5:
Tabo to Mud via  Dhankar Monastery and Dhankar Lake.
Visit to the Monastery and back involved a 2 kms trek.

Day 6:
Mud to Kibber (46 kms/ 5 hrs) via Kaza, Tashiganj, Gette.
The highest fuel filling station, an IOC outlet is in Kaza.
Stay in Kibber homestay.

Day 7:
Kibber to Langza (approx 42 kms/ 6 hrs) via Komic Village and Hikkim.
Stayed in PhanDhey Homestay in Hikkim, Komic.
Langza is famous for the huge statue of Buddha.
Hikkim is famous for world's highest Post Office. 

Day 8:
Langza to Chandratal (approx 51 kms) via Chicham Bridge.
Stayed in Tenzing Camp (tent).
Trekked Tenzing Camp to Chandratal (3 kms each way or 6 kms in total).

Day 9:
Stayed in Chandratal.

Day 10:
Chandra Tal to Manali (approx 50 kms) via Pagla Dhara (left early morning at 6am to avoid wide and deep water-crossings, Batal (famous for Chacha Chachi's Dhaba),  Gramphoo, Rohtang Pass.
Stayed in Crazy Pad Hostel in Old Manali.

Day 11:
Stayed in Manali.

Day 12:
Manali to Delhi Airport (578 kms) via Chandigarh.
Checked out of Crazy Pad Hostel in Old Manali at 9am. Exited Manali city limits after lunch at 1pm. 

Day 13
Delhi - Vadodara by flight in the evening. 

Drive to Kalpa in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh from Shimla in June 2015

Drive to Kalpa in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh by Madan Mondal in June 2015.



Route: Shimla - Follow NH5 to a little beyond Kingal - Mashobra - Kufri - Fagu - Theog - Kadog - Narkanda - Kingal - NH305 meets NH5 from the left - Sutlej River flows parallel on the left of NH5 - Rampur Bushahr - Mahatma Gandhi Medical Services Complex - Jhakri - Molgi - Suru - Nigul Sari - Karape - Sungra - Saki Charang - Wangtoo GIS Substation Project - Joktaring - NH5 crosses over a bridge to the left of Sutlej River - Karcham - Reckong Peo - Kalpa.

Distance: Shimla to Kalpa = 238 kms

Spiti road direction/ condition (as in early June 2016)

Spiti update (road direction/ condition) by Rajiv Kumar, Founder - Yellow Peaks (as on June 4, 2016):

For those wishing to plan a drive trip to Kinnaur and Spiti on a sedan or hatchback, this is the best time in last few years.

Delhi - Shimla : Wonderful road condition.

Shimla - Narkanda : Nice drive.

Narkanda - Rampur Bushahr : Fantastic road, just couple of kms of bad stretch just after Narkanda.

Rampur Bushahr - Wangtu : Decent road with just one bad stretch.

Wangtu - Tapri : Flat track. Rajiv Kumar drove his Maruti Suzuki SX4 at 30-40 km/hr on this stretch.

Tapri - No waiting or oneway timing, just one small tight stretch, with steep ascent and descent. There are two big landslides but bypass to those are all good.

Tapri - Karcham : Road under construction, you can do 50 km/hr in a sedan.

Karcham to Sangla : Mix of good and bad, again doable by any sedan.

Sangla to Chitkul : Mostly broken but easy to drive.

Karcham - Powari : Some usual broken roads near Shongtong Bridge and Powari, rest all good. Good thing is, no slush, its absolutely dry.

Powari - Spillow : Broken under construction road.

Spillow - Nako : Mix of good and bad roads, drive to Kazig is awesome.

Malling Nalla : As of now, you will not even realize when will you cross it, completely tamed.

Nako - Tabo : Ok road.

Tabo - Lingti : Dusty, very very dusty.

Lingti - Mud : Awesome roads, some bad patches between Sagnam and Mud.

Lingti - Kaza : Bad and dusty.

Kaza - Kibber : Super smooth.

In Summary:
As of now in early June 2016, this section is in its best form, compared to last 5 years. Can be done by car with care.
Its dusty, very very dusty.

Beware of tourist rush in Kinnaur, book in advance.