Trekking to Grahan Village


This was my 26th trekk in the Himalayas and as always i was waiting for some more adventure. So now came the time to gather fellow adventure seekers and this time me and my friend (Amulya) was completely sure about this hidden gem in Parvati Valley.
Personally, I feel that trekking is less about physical strength and more about mental toughness. You have to condition your mind like a soldier who never gives up if you are going for a trek. Trekking is all about enjoying yourself in the wild. It reminds me of the quote, “Some live to climb mountains, some climb mountains to live.” So climb mountains to live your life to the fullest!
While Chandigarh is on peak of melting away in mid July it’s almost 40 degrees and counting, what could be better than a short and sweet break!!!
Grahan, situated at an altitude of 2567 meters in the Parvati Valley, is a 10km trek from Kasol.
Beyond the hustle and bustle of the most happening town of Kasol lies hidden among the hills, an ancient village of Grahan. The local claims it to be as old as the historic town of Malana. The beauty of this place is untouched by the tourists and trekkers and thus is in its purest form. Unlike Malana, the people of Grahan are very friendly and the village is way much cleaner than Malana. Till 2015, when I visited in Malana for the first time, village didn’t have any guest house or hotels. And just within the time span of 2 years, proper guest houses with modern amenities have come up, which caters the basic needs of a traveler. Though I feel it will make the village to lose its original charm and now same is happening in Grahan.
This place falls 290 kms away from Chandigarh and was travelled by us in rain with Classic 500 Royal Enfield. This place is a hidden gem which is filled with greenery, roaring waterfalls and deadly rivers in Himachal Pradesh.
Kasol has always been synonymous with a super chilled out scene as far as a getaway is concerned, and for those visiting the place, Grahan which is just a 10 km trek away from it, is barely explored.
Note: It is not a tourist spot. Don’t read on to find fancy attractions at this place.
So, now the question is why should you head to Grahan?
Here are a few appealing experiences for which you must take some effort to hike up till this village.
The beautiful Route passing to the Great Himalayan Forest
You will have to hike through the trail passing through the forest. The most advisable way to reach the village is to join any villager moving up to the village in the morning from Kasol. The forest will certainly charm you as the sunbeams dance on the ground through the net of the leaves of the age-old trees. Devour the beauty peacefully and don’t be in hurry of reaching your destination. You may be lucky to find some mysterious symbols on the way. It is unknown whether the symbols have any meaning or had any use in the ancient time. But, the typical symbols showing the natural elements certainly create curiosity in the onlookers’ mind.
So let’s walk you through this hidden gem!
The trek starts from the bridge near Old Kasol and you won’t get lost thanks to the green and red signage pointed on the rocks directed towards Grahan. Be cautious to take the trail pointing towards right while going ahead. With changing terrains and sounds of the water all along, it is an amazing walk through nature, one should spend sufficient time to chill and enjoy the views that the nature has to offer. There were only one resting camp on the way. Towards the end the trail bifurcates into two parts- The easy way which leads to the end of the village-Pulgi part and the difficult way that leaves you directly at the starting of the Grahan village. On an average trek should take about 4–5 hours.
We (me and Amulya) were ready with our backpack and only one bottle of mineral water as it’s a 5 hour long trek but we thought there were many shops to buy and eat some energetic stuff and yes don’t worry you won’t feel exhausted, thanks to the beauty and freshness of the Parvati river. The end of the trail, bifurcates into Pulgi village and Grahan village and it won’t be much of a hassle to figure out which path to climb, as the more difficult climb leads you to Grahan.
The waterfalls are an hour long trek from the village. The path is quite slippery and one must be careful. There are 2 other waterfalls before the main waterfall. One must definitely chill at all 3 waterfalls. The main waterfall has water gushing from 3 directions through a rock and is a mesmerizing view. Try Maggi and Butter toast (Local Bread) at Inder’s shop at the Waterfall.
The climb was steeper from there on, but we continued on this last leg together.
Finally, after imagining it around so many corners, Grahan appeared, the evasive village called “eclipse.” The relief, hot tea and Butter Toast all merged into one hurried jumble of feelings and flavors. I made friends with a lovely German and Indian mixed couple on the way to village.
I enquired about getting a room on rent. There were many guest houses. But we planed to stay in house where we have fantastic view from our room. Finally we got stay in house . The house made in the front of the Sar Pass. There talked with one old lady about this village and she told me she hated going down into town “The people are not nice”, she said. “They stare weirdly.”
Grahan is the base camp to Sar Pass and overall this place has trekkers from all around the globe! After reaching the village, one can enjoy the serenity of the lush greens and cannabis farming whilst indulging in raw honey tea & Maggi!
In the limited time I had there I made a bunch of new travelers friends and got to spend some undistracted time with nature.
There wasn’t that much to see at Grahan but I found more than what I expected at Kasol. We left at 11 am the next morning as we had to get back to work on Monday, spending exactly 13 hours in the village. I got to spend enough time in the wilderness and make friends with people from other walks of life. The villagers of Grahan are trusting and simple. They have faith in people. That’s more than what I can say for a lot of us. I’ve realized that the farther away from cities I travel, the more likely I am to find the meaning of humanity. Stripped of all luxuries and desires. That is a reality check I want to have every so often.