Overview/Itinerary

Nag Tibba lies on the foothills of the Garhwal Himalayas, North-East of Mussoorie. The peak is at an altitude of 3100 m. It offers spectacular views of Mussoorie, Vikasnagar, the Banderpoonch range and spurs created by the Yamuna river valley. Nag Tibba is a typical ridge peak on the Nag Tibba Range of the lower Himalayas. In fact, along with the Pir Punjal and Dhauladhar, the Nag Tibba range forms one of the 3 main ranges of the lower Himalayas. It is mentioned in the very famous book '7 years in Tibet' which chronicles the escape of Austrian climber Hienrich Harrer from the British jail into Tibet.

There is a temple dedicated to Nag Devta and the range owes its name to this temple. Snakes have always held an important status in the Hindu religion. According to Hindu mythology, snakes are considered as the representation of rebirth, death and mortality, due to its casting of the skin and being symbolically "reborn". Since the days when religion and worship was a response to a way of life rather than a reason for existence; snakes have been given a cult status. In some places snake gods are associated with fertility. There are many snake god myths and iconographic symbols associated with them in the Hindu mythology like that of Sheshnag( Vishnu's resting couch),ananatnag( the endless snake), Kaliya( Krishna's dance),Vasuki (churning of the ocean), Padmanabha ( guardian snake especially in south India), Manasa devi( snake goddess) etc. For the villagers in this part of the mountains he is the protector of their cattle and sheep. Domesticated animals are their biggest assets and Nag Devta their protector.

Basic Details of Nag Tibba Trek:

  • Location: Garhwal Himalayas, Uttarakhand.
  • Duration: 2 days / 1 nights
  • Maximum altitude: Jaundhar Glacier (3000m)
  • Grade: Easy to Moderate
  • Cost: Rs. 3,150 + 5% GST. (Dehradun to Dehradun)

For booking you can make 50% payment now and 50% payment 8 days prior to the event.

How to reach Nag Tibba Trek:

By Air

Dehradun brings the closest to our base location with the airport Jolly Grant. It is well connected to all the states and city with a daily flight from Delhi.

By Train

From Delhi - DDN NZM AC EXPRESS (2205)

From Kolkata - Doon Express (13009)

From Mumbai - Dehradun Express (19019)

From Chennai - Dehradun express (12687)

By Road

Dehradun is well connected by roads across the country with NH 72 connecting regions like Panchkula, Chandigarh, and Shimla. There are ample local and private buses to Dehradun.

Nag Tibba Trek Itinerary

Day 1 - Dehradun to Pantwari (1,400 m) to Kathian Campsite (2,265 m)

We begin the day early from Dehradun so that we can avoid the traffic towards Mussoorie and Kempty falls. Mussoorie is 22 km from Dehradun and Kempty falls another 17 km ahead. The road continues downhill from here towards the Yamuna river bed and reaches the town of Nainbagh. One road continues towards Yamunotri while we take the narrower road which climbs uphill towards Pantwari village. This takes us behind the Mussoorie ridge and into shepherd territory. Gujjars with their domesticated sheep and goats are seen on hill tops. Terraced farms and hill slopes dotted with Bauhinia trees with their purple blossoms are a sight to photograph. These flowering trees are easily identified by their leaves which are in the shape of a camels' foot.

After a total of three and a half hours' journey from Dehradun, we reach Pantwari village and begin our ascent to our camping site. One can enjoy the village setting and life. Women are seen working on the wheat and green pea fields. Men are mainly employed in government jobs in the plains or work as porters and guides. Our trekking trail rises beyond the farms and enters wild territory. Flowers and birds are in plenty here. Most prominent flowers are white anemones (a flowering shrub) while among birds the jungle babbler, red vented bulbul, blue cheeked bulbul, hill myna, warblers and tits are common.

The trek begins from the main road that cuts through village Pantwari itself. The trail climbs high up across the ridge face, right behind the village Pantwari, in the eastern direction. After a walk of 5 minutes we leave the main village behind. The trail is rather steep until almost halfway today, or until we arrive at the Goat Village on our left, an initiative started to sustain the way of living in the Himalayan villages, which is increasingly threatened by migratory trends. The trail up to this section is exposed with few areas with natural shade and it can be slighlty unpleasant during sunny days.

The trail is rather level around the Goat Village and soon after we cross the forest checkpost a little further up ahead, we enter a dense forest with plenty of Rohdodenderon trees with bright crimson red flowers, found in full bloom during late winters and early springs, i.e. Feburary to April. The trail is mildly steep from here until the Kathian Campsite.

We reach our camping ground by late afternoon and enjoy the sunset over the hill spurs. The camping ground is flush with mint leaves which can be mixed to form a delightful brew of mint tea or the Kandali shrub can be washed and cooked to form a tasty saag.

The campsite at Katian is famous for the marvellous sunset views that can be seen from here and is a highlight of the Nag Tibba trek. The colors come out beautifully during the evening twilight hours.

 

Day 2 - Trek from campsite to Nagtibba top(3,020 m) and back to Pantwari; Drive back to Dehradun.

We start the second day post breakfast and climb to the Nag Devta temple. It is an ill maintained temple premise with a pujari, who is present occasionally. The locals come here frequently to pay their obeisance. There is a vast open space near the temple which is often used as a grazing ground for sheep and goats. The Nag Tibba ridge rises further up and is another 1 hour of journey ahead. There is a distinct change in vegetation from here. The forests become dense and is dominated by oaks and rhododendrons. The forest floor is also damp indicating the lack of sunlight reaching it.

This is an ideal habitat for a variety of orchids (locally called kachanar) to grow. However, with the pressure of grazing, lopping of oaks and trekking, this region is under anthropogenic pressure. A variety of birds like the niltava and flameback woodpecker are seen in the barks of oak trees. We follow the trail back to our campsite and after lunch head down to Pantwari village. The trek down is easy and fast and can be covered in a couple of hours. We then proceed onwards to Dehradun by our transport.

1 Night 2 Days Available on request
Inclusions/Exclusions
What we'll give/What we won't

What is included in the tour

  •  Transport support from and to Dehradun: starting from pickup on day 1 to drop on day 2.
  •  Guide and cook fees.
  •  Rent for camping equipment.
  •  Forest entry charges.
  •  Porter and mule support to carry camping equipment. Please note that personal luggage can be carried by mules and/or porters on chargeable basis.
  •  All veg meals starting from day 1 lunch to day 2 lunch.
  •  Tented accommodation throughout the trek.

What is NOT included in the tour

  •  Transport to reach Dehradun from hometown.
  •  Personal expenses like tips, personal medicines, phone calls etc.
  •  Any transport support during the trek apart from what is included above.
  •  Accommodation in Dehradun.
  •  Personal luggage with mass not exceeding 12 kg per bag per person can be carried by porters/mules @ Rs 300 per day per bag.
Things to Carry
Things to Carry
  • Trekking Boots: Waterproof, high ankle with good grip.
  • One Raincoat/Poncho
  • Windproof Jacket
  • Wind & waterproof pant
  • 1-2 t-shirts/shirts – preferably quick dry
  • 2 trousers (avoid shorts, fitting denims, capris)
  • Warm Fleece, Alternative: a woolen sweater
  • Extra pair of socks
  • Waterproof Rucksack or Rucksack with rain-cover
  • Water Bottle
  • Slippers/Sandals/Floaters: Non-slippery
  • Hat or sun protection cap
  • Woolen cap/scarf
  • Head Torch (hand torch would be an alternative)
  • Sunglasses (it should be UV protected.) or use Photo chromatic glasses.
  • Identitiy cards
  • Personal Toiletries (toothbrush,toothpaste etc)
  • Hand Sanitizer
  • Wet and dry tissues
  • Toilet paper roll
  • Towel
  • Personal medical kit
  • Sunscreen cream/moisturizer/lip balm
  • Thermal inner wears
  • One pair of woolen socks
  • Waterproof thick gloves
  • Hot water bag if needed
Activity
North India Treks
Destination
Uttarakhand
Duration
2 Day 1 Night
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