3 Days Tirthan Valley Expedition: A Nature Lover's Retreat in the Himalayas

Three days in Tirthan Valley — one of the last undiscovered corners of Himachal Pradesh. The Tirthan River is one of the state's last undammed rivers: the water runs so clear you can count pebbles from the bridge ten metres above. Your guesthouse sits on the riverbank, run by a family that's lived here for eight generations. The drive to Jalori Pass (3,120m) puts you at a viewpoint where you can see the Greater Himalayan range stretching from Kinnaur to Kullu — a 200-km wall of snow. The trek to Serolsar Lake cuts through primeval oak and rhododendron forest where the canopy is so thick the floor is silent. Tirthan has no Mall Road. No traffic jams. No tourists taking selfies. It has a river, a forest, and the kind of quiet that most of India has forgotten.