Kishtwar-Killar: A Road To Test Your Spirit of

Adventure
The Himalayas have some of the greatest roads on Earth, and there is little that compares for adrenalin
rush drives. Come early summer the snow bound high-altitude passes begin to open for access, until
around October.

Returning from the western border at Kaman post in Kashmir, we headed east across the valleys to
home near Uttarkashi in Garhwal. Passing Srinagar we turned towards Anantnag and Kishtwar, instead
of going towards the normal route of Banihal and Jawahar Tunnel into Jammu. At Achabal, we stopped
at the excellent pleasure garden retreat of Noor Jehan in the shade of majestic Chinar trees.

We stayed the night at a CPRF camp at Kokernag, famous for the largest freshwater spring in Kashmir
which irrigates the lovely botanical gardens. A dawn’ish start kept us on NH1B up to Sinthan top at
3748m. We had the black top road to ourselves. The road was good all the way upto the top where it
finally petered out into a muddy descent with mist swirling before a stiff wind. There was plenty of snow
in evidence even in the end of July. After 15 kilometers we reached an ITBP manned check post with a
few smattering of Dhabas collectively called Sinthan maidan. A man was baking fresh buns and bread in
a tandoor. Lavassa, Girda and Bakarhani are baked breads found across Kashmir. Seemingly a bakery in
every hamlet and village. We enjoyed a typical Kashmiri breakfast of tea with girda. We bought some
girda and lavassa for our journey ahead and travelled on to Kishtwar.

The scenery along the beautiful Chatroo River to Bandarkoot impresses, light traffic further diminishes,
and the mood uplifts. Kishtwar is 83 kms from Sinthan on a mostly decent road. The Chenab turns south
to Jammu at Kishtwar which lies in the Padder valley, bounded by Kashmir and Zanskar in the North. The
region abounds in absorbing natural beauty with off-roading tracks, or treks from day outs to longer
adventures. Overnight at Hotel Snow Valley on the less busy Paddar road.

Kishtwar town (1634m) is not too pretty, We entered the town and skirted around a maidan littered
with burnt vehicles, the aftermath of an incident a few years ago. A light breakfast at a wayside
restaurant, a quick check of the route, and we set off on a legendary Himalayan route. Following Chenab
70 kms upstream to Gulabgarh, on a decent surface which makes progress rapid and leaves much of the
day for the road far less travelled, on the notorious kaccha rock cut to Killar.

This stretch of road is barely used because the route has no provision for error; it is not up kept and is
used mainly during the Machhel Yatra, when pilgrims from HP and Kashmir come to pay obeisance to
Machhel Devi. The road is cut in a sheer rock face and appears as a thin gash traversing the mountain
high above the gorge with the mighty Chenab flowing at the bottom several hundred feet below. There
is no provision for error. All the while one carefully picks the path of least resistant force. One
momentary lapse of concentration, a wheel slip, a misjudged nallah crossing, a protruding smooth rock,
means a potential slide over a sheer drop into a raging Chenab way below. It is remote for most of the
year. If you get stuck or break down, you could be there a long time.

From Gulabgarh to Tiyari (Tiari) is 20 kms. At Tiyari a steep trek goes up to the village of Ishtyari. It is
after Tiyari that the treacherous sections of track properly begin. You will not find food, chai or snacks
readily available along here, stock up and be prepared. The last tea we had was at Tiyari, courtesy of a
home owner who made it when he saw how desperate we were. The man warned that we were taking a
risk in this journey, but who cared when the adventure of travelling a stunning track to Killar beckoned.

This is one of the world’s most dangerous roads, most certainly for those people that hewed this marvel
of labour from the solid rock face. In several long sections it’s a breathtaking cliffhanger which snakes
along by being slotted into the mountain. It is mostly wide enough for only one vehicle, with hardly any
room to spare on either side. We met only two oncoming vehicles, luckily on the last few kms where the
narrowest sections end. If we had met anywhere else, we could have been stuck in a Mexican stand-off,
where one vehicle has to reverse. Inside could be a scraping on the cliff, and outside a drop of a bloody
long way indeed to one of the fastest flowing rivers in India.

Yet the fun is intense in this mid-Himalayan region known as Pangi range. We drive beneath several
great waterfalls for an excellent car wash as water smacks the vehicle with such force! Pictures do not
do justice nor can words adequately convey the thrill along the 'Almost Killar' Road. Many sections after
Tiyari are nothing but waterways, and we drive along nallahs that are halfway covering the wheels.

The next landmark was Sansari Nallah, it being the last post of J&K, or the first post at the crossover into
HP. The Pangi Valley kaccha is slow going for now it’s like corrugated rock and the corrugations are so
bad at times that crawling along in first gear for a long time is the only way to proceed. Many of the
hairpin turns are so steep that you need a three or four point turn. A high ground clearance is beneficial
and post trip a wheel alignment is probably essential for all but the toughest vehicle. Despite our
excellent ground clearance, the distance of 15 kms took us almost 3 hours to complete. Some of us
preferred to walk along the car for a large part of this section as it was more comfortable than being in
the car. We were sorry for the person who was driving, it was a grueling and painful drive!

However rough, kaccha, and steep the uphill rock-sand-gravel mix track may be, the scenery completely
impresses. Sheer cliffs, waterfalls, and nullah fording, all necessitating plenty of photo stops, and to
relieve the rattle and roll. Just before Killar a junction goes south for Sach pass (38 kms), it’s visible on
the opposite bank and reached across a Bailey spanning the river. Sach is one of the toughest Himachal
passes. From this side the road descends an incredible 130km and some 3400m to Chamba (1000m).
Certainly one of the great downhill runs.

There were two hotels in Killar that we found, doubtfully there may be another. As we had arrived into
the evening after being shaken and stirred all day, and we were keen to eat, drink a beer and sleep
ASAP. Killar PWD GH is a must stay, we heard later. Next morning the 73 km crawl to Udaipur began.

The Pangi valley contracts to a narrow gorge and precipitous cliffs where begin more sections of road
deftly excavated into the mountain. Some 12 Km after Killar is the village of Mindhal where the nearby
‘Madgram Nallah’ is very wide indeed. In monsoon it is often impossible to cross. Nor is it advisable to
cross after Mid-June. Stupidity in July. Suicidal after that.

What to do:

 Get a tough all-terrain vehicle or an SUV to travel this road. Two Wheelers would be better.
 Keep plenty of food and water.
 Carry spares and make sure your vehicle has had a full checkup and service before you embark
on this trip.
  Do it only if the spirit of adventure is too hard to resist.
 Do not travel with kids.

Distance From Delhi to Kishtwar: 775 kms

Kishtwar to Killar: 118 Kms Time taken in Hours : 9 hours

Nearest Airport: Satwari in Jammu via Srinagar

Best time to Travel: June – October

Other places of interest around Kishtwar: Achabal, Kokernag, Sinthan Pass.

Places of Interest around Killar: Udaipur, Kibber, Kangla Zanskar, Sach Pass,