Trekking is a very good exercise, especially for working-class people. The problem is that in today’s tightly packed working schedules, people are unable to spare time to plan a trek because normally a trek needs 5-6 days to complete. But there are few treks which are meant for such people. One such trek is the Nag Tibba trek which is easily completed in two days.
Location
Nag Tibba is situated in the hinterland of the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand. It is located at an elevation of 9,915 feet. The trek level is easy to moderate making it feasible for beginners and children.
Journey
The journey starts with a drive from Dehradun to Pantwari. Pantwari is a small village near Mussoorie (the queen of hills) in Dhanaulty tehsil in Tehri Garhwal district. On the way, trekkers can enjoy the views of some famous tourist attractions in Mussoorie such as Kempty Fall, and the graceful Yamuna River flowing onto Nainbagh. Pantwari is the only layover point of this small trek. This village has many things to offer like the main bazaar where mostly all required stuff is available, local dhabas to relish some authentic ‘Pahadi’ food, and ATM. This village also offers untouched natural beauty with lots of Rhododendrons or Buransh, which is the state tree of Uttarakhand. During spring the crimson flowers of this tree are spread everywhere around the tree making it look like nature’s red carpet. These flowers have medicinal uses and also the juice of these flowers is served as a welcome drink almost everywhere in the region. The trek distance to Nag Tibba is around 16 Km. During the trail, there is an eco-tourism resort on the way known as ‘Goat Village’. After passing a section of rocky terrain, you enter the avenue of Rhododendrons and Oak trees. After resting for the night in the makeshift campsite, the trail is restarted and continued till Nag Tibba. As you reach Nag Tibba, you will find the famous Nag temple (dedicated to the God of serpents). The temple is the perfect example of ancient architecture. The temple is surrounded by forests mainly composed of deodars. The temple is visited by trekkers and it is looked after by the locals nearby. Wait! This is not the final destination because it is the Nag Tibba top, which is covered by walking some more distance. The Nag Tibba top gives a splendid view of the Gangotri peaks, Bandarpoonch peaks, Kedarkantha peaks, and the peaks of Chanabang. Looking downwards one gets a panoramic view of the doon valley.
Fact about Nag Tibba
The Nag Tibba Range is amongst the three principal ranges of the lesser Himalayas, which includes the Dhauladhar in Himachal Pradesh and the Pir Panjal in Jammu and Kashmir. Another fact about it is that it’s the highest peak in the lower Himalayan range of Uttarakhand.