Road to Dodra Kwar -hidden gem of Rural Shimla - Chanshal Pass - Rupin Valley - Pabbar Valley

We welcome you all to a new journey. Today we will take you to Dodra Kwar.
Do note that Dodra and Kwar are two different villages.
Dodra and Kwar - are two beautiful villages nestled in remote part of Himalayas in state of Himachal Pradesh in North India. Situated at a height of 2500 mts above sea level, both the villages of Dodra and Kwar are separated by River Rupin which is a tributary of River Yamuna.
The weather is nice and its sunny today, and a wonderful day to drive though the mountains. Also, the traffic is less, this being rainy season time. Right now we are travelling along Pabbar river and we have heard that this river is famous for trout fish, which is delicious. This valley is comparatively unexplored and there are many things to explore here and the river is also famous for trout fish, which makes it an Angling destination. Rohru is the main town in Pabbar Valley.
Today we won’t halt at this place. There are many camps which have come up along this river and there are many tourists, who visit the places around, during the tourist season, which usually is during the summers. We will try to make a stopover and a night halt during are return to the Pabbar valley.
Meanwhile we are enjoying the drive and majestic scenery around the valley.
Today we will drive up the slopes of Chanshal Pass, situated at 3784m in eastern Himachal Pradesh. We are Keen to explore the settlements and folkways of the enigmatic Dodra Kwar villages, We set out for a sojourn in the beautiful Rupin Valley. The road to the Rupin over the Chanshal is very recent and was made operational a few years back. We start our journey from Rohru. For the next 14 km, the road follows the right bank of the Pabbar upstream as the river cascades down the broad valley. Eager to get away from the traffic and noise of Rohru as quickly as possible, we rush towards the Chanshal hoping to find some accommodation at Larot, the last village on the way.
Larot is the last village before Chanshal pass is almost 60 kms away from Dodra. Earlier Larot used be the road head for Dodra and Kwar villages.
Apple season is nearly about to start and Descending from heights, we see few trucks and Mahindra pickup vehicles overloaded with apple boxes make the traffic movement onerous. We make steady progress till the narrow single street market of Chirgaon where a bottleneck had halted the traffic for a while.
Talking about the Chanshal PASS.
It is the highest mountain peak in Shimla hills, Chanshal is largely an unexplored gem that servers the nomadic appetite of travelers seeking adventure, beauty and some days of seclusion. When on the summit, it feels possible to touch snow clad peaks in the distance, and if one looks down onto the Pabbar valley, it appears like a painting of streams and mountains.
The unused Chanshal ski slopes are considered the longest in South Asia by experts.This is now expected to attract tourists in large numbers. Dodar Kwar, located in Shimla district, around 200 kilometre from here, remains covered in heavy snow for several months in a year.
However, the Chanshal top has only pastures and is devoid of trees, as the area is above the tree line.
The road condition has started to become progressively worse after Chirgaon, the last village en route to the Rupin Valley where the mountain-luxuries of supplies, fuel pump, tyre and vehicle mechanics, etcetra, are available. Meandering along the Pabbar on the same bank I reach Sandasu (1770m), a small settlement just 2 km ahead of Chirgaon and located on the opposite bank. Compared to the number of houses in the village, I am rather surprised to see an elaborate colony of government offices and a hospital on the right bank of Pabbar.
The last few years has seen an increase in the traffic to the Chanshal. The decade old road has been a boon to the residents of the Rupin Valley. The residents, especially farmers, of Dodra - Kwar could now transport their produce to Rohru in the valley of Pabbar which is fairly accessible through roads. Before the advent of the road, it took three days of hiking for the residents of Dodra - Kwar to reach the road head at Tikri. Even now the Rupin Valley remains cut-off from Rohru in winters as the road opens only for a few months after the snow is cleared off the Chanshal Pass. The near 50 km climb to the 3750m high pass is formidable. Given the remoteness of the region, reaching the Chanshal is considered as an achievement in the motor-biking and adventure lovers’ circles.