Kharapathar – The Apple Belt of Himachal enroute Chanshal Pass

What is Kharapathar?

Kharapathar or Khara Patthar is a mountain in India located in the Shimla district and state of the State of Himāchal Pradesh.

Kharapathar is truly a heavenly place which derives its name from a huge egg-shaped rock towering 8770 feet above sea level.

Khara pathar is located near the larger town of Rohru which is 14.7 km northeast of Khara Patthar.

Kharapathar is a place where you will get everything in one shell, one-in-all to say so. If you are a person who is into ancient architecture, hiking, trekking & fishing sets your mind and soul free, it is a must-visit for you.

Khara Pathar is a place that expresses the phrase of ‘time standing still’. Kharapathar is a perfect leisure destination in the heart of nature’s generous blessings to the area.

Lush forests, wide views, excellent walking and hiking trails and the charm of apple orchards make this a perfect leisure destination that is easily accessible by a short drive (85 km) from Shimla.

It’s amazing to see orchards full of fruits, and swift streams at Kharapathar. And most importantly, you will see how man and wild love together without destroying the environment.

Even we four were encouraged by the locals to camp and enjoy without dirtying the place we camped on and that’s precisely what we did.

Khara pathar is a paradise for nature lovers. The place is quiet and away from the shouting crowds.

Kharapathar is about 85km from Shimla and is connected by regular bus and taxi services.

The nearest railway station is at Shimla and the nearest airport is adjacent to Shimla at a distance of 108 km.

Road Routes to Khara Pathar?

1. The route via Oachghat (1st Map Above)
2. The Route via Kandaghat (2nd Map Above)
3. The Route via Shimla (3rd Map Above)

The roads on three routes are as good as they can be given the wear and tear in the mountains.

I had taken Route 1 (1st Map Below) to get to Chanshal Pass but it was terminated at Khara Pathar and  I camped & cooked here with my friends.

The route to Chanshal would have taken us another 4 hours and it was a rainy day so we abandoned the Chanshal plan for another time.

Camping & cooking at khara pathar

It is quite a scenic route that had us navigating with Giri Ganga River all through the Apple Belt.

The roads seemed to be newly built with some patchwork en route which means they were being maintained as well. It is also the shortest route to Khara Pathar.

The only disadvantage of Route 1 and Route 2 is that at several places the roads get quite narrow and only one vehicle can pass. However, on Route 1 there is hardly any traffic and that’s a huge advantage.

Route 2 which goes to Chail is more frequented by the traffic. Route 3 which passes through Shimla has the broadest roads and maximum traffic out of the three routes.

Being on the Apple Belt, this route (Route 1) is used mostly by Apple and other trucks taking goods to their destinations. There are adequate fuel stations and places to eat and rest on all routes for the travellers.

We stopped at Hotel Giri Ganga at Sainj Kenchi for lunch, gorged on Himachali rajma chawal and then moved onwards. The restaurant is located right at the intersection of Shimla Highway & Solan Bypass.

We arrived at Khara Pathar at 4 PM. We had stopped a few times for lunch and shopping en route and that led to the delay. Another factor was intermittent rain and fog which slowed us down.

Once we reached Khara Pathar we found the market at the trisection bustling with local activity. We parked the car & started buying a few things that we had missed en route, the most important being water for two days.

We also got the idea of Chanshal being a long drive from the local shopkeepers and drivers, and we decided to abandon Chanshal as the final destination and camp at Khara Pathar itself.

Someone also suggested that we camp at the Giri Ganga Temple around 7 km from the market. So, we decided to pay our respects at the temple and scout the camping location among the deodar forest.

This area is famous for its offbeat trek.

The Giri Ganga trek – 2500m is a 7 km easy to moderate trek in the Pabbar valley that lies in Himachal’s southeast corner. It is one of the most serene & perfect hideouts for those who wish to ditch the mundane.

It took us around 30 minutes to get to the temple through the winding, narrow road being repaired at a couple of locations. This road was incredibly narrow and only one car could pass at a time.

Once we went to the pristine temple of Maa Giri Ganga, we could not find a place suitable to pitch the tents, so we retreated to Khara Pathar after spending around half an hour at Maa Giri Ganga temple.

What is the story of the River Giri Ganga?

The story of the Giri Ganga River is about a saint who accidentally spilt a pot of holy water from Haridwar while travelling through the dense forests of the Nagan Valley in Himachal Pradesh:

The spill of Ganga Jal

A sage and his sadhus were travelling through the forests carrying Ganga Jal in their vessels to create a place in Himachal with the same energy as Kashi.

They stopped to rest at the Kuppar Bugyal meadow on top of a peak, where the Ganga Jal spilt on the ground.

The name Giri Ganga

The sage and his companions immediately exclaimed “Giri Ganga”, which means “Ganga spilt” or “fell”. A stream of water formed at the spot, and the place was named after the stream.

The Maa Giri Ganga temple

A temple was built at the bottom of Kuppar Mountain, and the place became considered holy and full of energy.

The Giri Ganga temple is said to have been built in the 13th century, though there was no nearby civilization at the time.

The Giri Ganga River is a tributary of the Yamuna River. It originates in the Himalayan Koti Khai Mountains near the Giri Ganga Temple in the Jubbal Tehsil of Shimla district.

It then flows through the Sirmour district and joins the Yamuna River near the Uttarakhand border.

A tree fossil, appearing to be millions of years old, was found in Kharapathar in 2019. According to the curator of the Himachal Pradesh State Museum, the fossil belongs to the Mesozoic geological era.

We converged again at Kharapathar from Giri Ganga Temple and went up the mountain from the market. En route, we met a few people who guided us to a flatland location where we could pitch our tents.

We reached Deorighat in the hills and had to take a village track to our proposed campsite. And till now, we have not stocked any water for ourselves.

Driving the apple orchards, we came across an apple estate that had installed a water line for locals. As luck would have it, it was flowing when we reached and we were elated and rushed to fill our jerrycans.

Water stocking at deorighat – campers filling water

After loading the water bottles into the car, we departed to our camping site which was just under the pinnacle of the mountain. The rugged village road led us to find a flatland where we parked the vehicle.

Unloading for camping at deorighat

And, then we commenced with unloading the truck and hoisting the tents. This place at Deorighat is great. It is close to the mountain top, has great views and is a perfect setting to do nothing.

Kharapathar is a paradise for nature lovers. Our camp location is quiet and away from the crowds. You can hike here, pitch and stay in your camp or just take a stroll through the sprawling Apple orchards.

Finally, our tents were pitched and the car was a part of it. The car’s boot was a compartment with a kitchen and a bedroom with an inflatable mattress.

The kitchen came in handy in preparing dinner that night and we feasted on kadai paneer with soft rolls.

The second tent separately pitched into the ground accommodated three people in deep slumber. And that we did even after getting visits of local cows and horses.

By this time the skies were clear of the fog and was brightly starlit. You could spot the Milky Way galaxy and the gazillion stars of our universe.

The milky way galaxy

This a sight you will never see of the skies from Delhi NCR. I am already planning to hit Chanshal Pass on my next trip. And, there the view might get even better. :)

Our morning, the next day told a different story. Kharapathar had instantly transported us into the solitude of the mountains.

The hillside may see a lot of snowfall in peak winters but at this time, it has a mix of wildflowers, apples and massive pines and deodars to charm the visitor.

This morning, I watched in awe as the morning sun rose to shower the wide Himalayan valley with its golden hues.

I climbed out from that car’s air mattress and let the morning chill visit the interiors of the space. The breeze in the pines and deodars hums & moans, but in the apple orchards, it rustles & makes cheerful conversation.

The glowing green and rusty red apples make for a cheerful sight immediately below our camp. With the dusty drive of the previous day behind us, I felt rejuvenated for today.