Lansdowne 2012

 

Finally, the most awaited Friday night had arrived. Four teammates, working night shift, unable to work, checking time... time & again… & all we could think of was he Innova that was waiting outside. As soon as the clock struck 5:00 am, it was time to break free from the monotonous daily grind, even though it was just for 2 days. With our bag packed, ready to go... me, Anil, Himanshu & Vandana were all set to hit the road, now it was time to pick up Ratee; my wife. Everything as planned & on time... by 6:00 am we were on the NH 709B Meerut – Pauri Highway. “Lansdowne” was the only name we could talk about.

 

About Lansdowne

 

A quiet town with old-world colonial charm, Lansdowne is an unspoiled expanse of lush greenery nestled in the Garwhal hills of mighty Himalayas. Lansdowne was established in 1887 as a cantonment of the British, who were drawn to its climate, and is named after the then Viceroy of India, Lord Lansdowne. Today, it is the headquarters of the Garhwal Rifles of the Indian Army.  It can be reached by road, rail & airways, however road or rail are recommended. Best Time to Visit is during April, May, June, and September.

The Best Route to Take

Noida – Meerut – Bijnore – Kotdwar – Lansdowne

 

Ok... coming back to the trip. Around 90 mins down the road, we had reached Meerut. It was time for breakfast, I suggested to take my friends to local breakfast joint, which has been there since my father’s college days & is still functional with its old school charm.

 

All you have in the menu... Chai, Bread Pakora & Bun Makkhan. After a heavy breakfast, it was time to be on the road again. From Meerut we started off for Bijnore. A busy highway & exhausted from the previous day at work; it was time for quick nap.

 After crossing Kotdwar the landscape changes & there is strange feeling in your ears & I knew it was time to wake up; as we were in the mountains.

 

After check in; it was time to explore Lansdowne.  Being just 6 Sq Kms, the town is easily accessible by foot. We started off from Bhulla Tal; it is an artificial lake built by the Garhwal Rifles. An ideal pastime is to go for boating in this lake. Sparse crowd and the relaxing ambiance convince one to spend some time on the lake side shades. There is a small handicraft showroom by the lake & the coffee shop selling varieties of snacks is a plus point. After a quick coffee & sandwich, it was time to move on & next on the list was...

 

St. Mary’s Church

A Gothic Style church surrounded by Pine and Deodar forests, St. Mary’s is truly a symbol of utmost peace and tranquility. The church is located almost at the edge of a mountain top and the sitting space next to it offers enigmatic views of the valleys and Himalayan Mountain ranges. We spent lost 2 hours there just gazing at the skies that changed like canvas. The white cloud, dark green forest and distant human habitats appear like a canvas painted by God himself…

 

In no mood to move from this place, it was time to move ahead… We started for Tip in Top…

 

Tip in Top

 

The trek from the St. Mary’s to this Tip n Top, also referred to as Tiffin Top; is full of lush green trees. This is also known as the snow view point of Lansdowne. The view of the Himalayas from this spot is breath taking. All 5 of us were lost for a moment in the scenic beauty of this point. By now, it was almost evening & we could feel the winds go chilly. Right on time Ratee suggest that we should have some Chai & Pakora; who could have missed that.  

 

I am not sure how much distance we covered within this short span. But we were feeling tired and slightly hungry as well. It was time to go back to our accommodation & call it a day… rather what a day it was…

 

On the Way Back to Kotdwar

 

After a heavy breakfast we were set to get back to our mundane life. It was time for check-out & saying Adios to Lansdowne, it was time to be back on the road. But by the time the mountain roads came to an end the beautiful Kho River travelling along the road, was a sight that couldn’t have been missed. We decided to take a quick river side break, however we could not find a way to reach the river. Finally, we could see a small track going down from the main highway. We could see a few cars parked, nearby & there were people enjoying the crystal clear water rolling over the rocky riverbed was making rhythmic noises. After cooling down & having fun, it was time for some highway clicks & back to the usual life…