Now that the Solang Valley trip is over, I am preparing to go to Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. While returning from Solang, I went to Beed-Billing for two days which is an adventure valley and this place is very famous for paragliding in the country and abroad. Every year paragliding competitions are held here where competitions like long distance and accuracy take place.
From Solang, I reach Beed directly which is located in the Kangra district of the state of Himachal Pradesh, India. The height here is 1350 meters and apart from paragliding, this place is also known for tea gardens, the shining Dhauladhar mountain range, Hindu temples and Buddhist monasteries. I came to Beed for the first time in 2012 and since then I come here at least twice a year.
The purpose of coming to Beed is to hike to Rajgunda village. According to the first plan, I was going to summit Hanumangarh Peak but later due to lack of time, I finalized the plan of hiking till Rajgunda village. I stayed at Surya Classic Hotel where I reached late in the evening. The next morning after breakfast, I go to Billing by a taxi.
Billing is the take off site for paragliding which is 2450 meters high. From here onwards, the road reaches Rajgunda directly via Chhaina Pass. This track is 14 km long, I think I will reach my destination by 1 pm after starting at 9 o'clock. A jeep track has been made from Billing to the village but it has not been made into a proper road yet, it will take time to be made.
After crossing Billing, I am moving ahead alone on the jeep track. I reach Chhaina Pass which is situated at 2850 meters in an hour and a quarter. Now the climb is over and the entire path ahead is downhill which should not take much time to cover. The Chhaina Pass separates Billing from Chota Bhangal. This mountain pass has been the base of Shepherds for centuries to reach Chota Bhangal.
After hiking the next 5 km, I start seeing the Dhauladhar mountain range. Dhauladhar starts from Jammu in India and merges with the Pir Panjal range in Solang Valley. The weather is so beautiful and clear in this part of the valley. I can clearly see the base Badagram village and Kohthikodh village above the Uhal river. Not only this, the view of the first snowfall of this season recently is very beautiful.
If I could have come here a few days earlier, I would have been able to witness the fresh snowfall. But even after so many days, the energy of the snow is at its peak, each peak of Dhauladhar has covered itself with a silver sheet. Makodi Pass, Nohar Pass, Thamsar Pass and Sari Pass had made their presence felt at a certain distance. The view is so beautiful that I do not feel like going back from here.
After spending 2 hours in Rajgunda valley, I start my return journey. I hiked 28 kms to and fro and saw the huge Dhauladhar mountains covered with snow. It was a unique experience to see the Thamsar pass after a long time. This pass is the highest mountain pass in this range with a height of 4750 meters. And behind this pass is a wonderful village of the world named Bad Bhangal, to reach this village one has to hike for 6-7 days.
Sometime in the future I would definitely like to visit this village. On the way back I cross the Chhena pass without stopping. Hanumangarh peak is visible at a short distance which is waiting for the first snowfall of this season. This is my favorite peak which I have summited more than 15 times. After reaching Billing I take a taxi for Beed. So in this way I go to and fro Rajgunda village in a day and after hiking 28 kms I end my day at Surya Classic Hotel.
Disclaimer: This post is originally written in Hindi and I have used Google Translator to translate the Hindi text in English. All the photos have been clicked by me from Canon 77D (55-250m) and edited in deskstop software adobe lightroom. Thumbnail created in dekstop adobe photoshop.