If you are around Delhi and looking for a weekend trek that is entertaining and challenging at the same time, Nag Tibba is something you should look up to.
So last year around the same time we were looking for a year-end trek when Swati came as a saviour. She was planning a trip to Nag Tibba. Without thinking I got myself in and also got my friend Pankaj ready for it.
A day before the trek we drove our bike to Dehradun and stayed overnight at Dehradun where we were hosted by Gaurav. The next day early morning we started our journey from Dehradun to Pantwari which is also the base for Nag Tibba.
We reached Pantwari around 9 and started hiking. The initial trek takes you through the beautiful garwali village. 15-20 minutes further up the trail, you will cross a road. From there we took the trail going up and hiking for another 15-20 minutes we reached the water spot.
Once you reach the water spot you need to hike further and will reach a small village and again cross the road and take the trail going up on left.
The first 1 hour of the trail is very exhausting as it is quite steep and the sun is just on your head.
**You will find a lot of little Shepherd huts on the way to Nag Tibba. The trail is very steep and you need to stay hydrated. Ensure that you are carrying enough water as there are not many water points. Also while hiking keeps something handy to cover your head as you may get headaches if not covered.
We hiked for approx. 1 hour when one of our team members had a severe headache. We rested for some time till the time medicine he took can work.
While you are outdoors and especially in challenging treks like Nag Tibba you learn a lot, especially working as a team. Also, you meet new people, exchange ideas and share your thoughts. Although most of us were exhausted still almost everyone volunteered to carry the extra load and carried the bag pack he was carrying in turns. This was also the time team started interacting and knowing about each other. After hiking for another 1 hour we came across a beautiful Shepherd hut which was abandoned. The team posed there happily for photographs. Sharing one of the memory.
The trail from here is gradual and after walking for another 20-30 minutes you come across another water source. On right is the farmhouse being set by the forest department. We rested for another 5 minutes and started hiking through the rocky trail. Another 20 minutes on the trail we found some clear space which also showed like a temporary base. We were quite late as we were a bit slow. It was already approx. 4 pm by then and we agreed to set up the camp here for the day. In another 10 minutes we set up the camp, by the same time sunset happened and we witnessed one of the best sunsets.
From there we could see the complete valley and witness how fast sunset happens. The entire valley looked golden orange for some time :-). Sooner we were ready with the food and did campfire and enjoyed some music. Also discovered that we had the best of people in the group. Very good storytellers, poets and comedians as well. Ended our day after listening to some horror stories 🙂
The next day we woke up and had breakfast. Since we wanted to come back after hitting the top we dumped our backpacks in the forest and started hiking further. We were a bit fast and in 2 hours reached the top. The path above was mixed with gradual walks and steep hikes. Almost every path is covered with trees above this point. You can witness the nest of nature and it’s so entertaining that you wish you could stay for a long time there.
On the way to Nag Tibba
We were running out of time so after spending some time at the top and Nag Devata Temple we headed back to Pantwari. On the way back had delicious food just above.
Nag Tibba is one of those places which are challenging and tough trails considering the fact that on half of the trail you are walking under direct sun. Still, there are perks of being in the wild that always overcomes it. Had some awesome time there, made a lot of new friends, learned new hobbies and a lot more.
P.S.: If planning for a trek please help the community by keeping the mountains clean !!
We all are travellers on this planet. Keep exploring 🙂
