A Solo Journey on Bike To Bir-Billing: The Best Paragliding Spot In India

Everyone there knew Jogindar Nagar, so i was asking the route to there only not to BIR. Air was getting cold and cold as i was getting close to Bir, clouds were all over there. At around 12.30 i reached Jogindar Nagar, it was a big town compare to those that i had crossed. Everyone there knew of Bir-Billing. :) I took the lunch at Mirchi Masala Restaurant, food was awesome. 

Then I contacted a guy who ran paragliding business in Bir. Upon inquired i got to know, due to bad weather flying was stopped for that day. His name was Vijendra, so he suggested me to come to Barot (a place some 40kms from there) for today and would meet me there. I was very tired that time, had been riding for last 19 hours. So i decided to go there and would take a rest for whole day and would leave for paragliding on next early morning, sounded good. I asked for the direction and it was on Jogindar Nagar-Mandi road, a turn from Ghatasani would lead to Barot Valley. The route from Ghatasani to Barot was a lush green forest road, sunlight can't penetrate through it. Upon reaching, i was amazed to see such a beauty hidden in between the mountains; I had never imagined that i would witness such a beautiful place there. Surrounded by mountains from all sides, Uhl river was flowing through, dam on that river, small huts, greenery all around, a perfect place to relax. 





I took one room at a guest house, it was awesome, had a Lcd too at just 500 bucks, 3 people can stay in a single room. :) It was 5pm already, then i went for a walk, the city is very old, mainly developed by Britishers, even the Dam, Fountains of that time, place is good for trout fishing, the cottage like houses, groceries shop, dhabas etc. Then i found one beer shop there, i took 2 bottles of it, some chakhna. It was raining already, river was flowing beside so I placed the table-chair in the balcony and started enjoying my Beer. Later, three people, punjabis, who was in nearby room also joined in, they had JBL pulse speaker and a Whisky, so we exchanged some.

It was around 8pm when i took the dinner, the owner of the house who was in his 50s had himself made the dinner, Rajma-Chaawal. Hard-working man he was. Rajma is the specialty of Barot, they were locally grown. And then came the man whom I called for paragliding, Vijendra. He showed me various videos of him doing paragliding, trekking in Zanskar valley, Spiti etc, adventurous he was. He was a nice guy and very friendly. He asked me to get ready by 7am next morning. With this i turned the light off and got into the dreams. 

"When i had left from home, i didn't know whether i would be able to ride whole night or not, whether i would reach there or not, what would i do there alone. But as you progress, confidence starts building, you start venturing yourself to the unknown, you start enjoying yourself, you get to know yourself, you get to know your limits and you push them harder and harder to the extreme. That's the SOLO TRIP is all about."

I woke up at around 7am, the morning was cherish, cold breeze was blowing, birds were singing, sun was rising from behind the mountains and the weather was clean. I got up ready within half an hour. The main advantage in the solo journey is you don't need to wait till others get wake up or ready, its only you and your rule. Stop wherever you want to, do whatever you want to, sleep how much you want to, no restrictions, no limits.

After a moment, Vijendra came, we then left for Bir on my bike. He was telling me all about the valley, the places nearby etc. Few jungles trek of full day were also there, behind the mountains ranges is Manali. He was telling various stories of himself and the locality. "I have come all the way here alone and now i meet up with this guy sitting on the pillion seat accompanying me on this solo trip", i was thinking. Truly, this was something that i had never thought of when i had left for the trip.

He took me to the Power House in Joginder Nagar. That Power house was built by Britishers and it come under Punjab Govt., an agreement of 100yrs after which HP govt. can own it. For the first time i had seen any Hydroelectric power plant from inside having such huge turbine blade. The dam there in Barot used to store the water which was routed to this Power plant through pipeline. High speed water rotates the turbine blade and hence generates the electricity.

There was one trolley train which run on tracks, Haulage trolley, which goes from here to Barot, almost 11km long. Before, there were no road to Barot, this was the only means of transport. Now officials of power house use it for their purpose. I was very fortunate that i got the chance to travel on it. Actually, i requested one worker there and told him i came from Delhi, he agreed to took me with him but just for 1.5km. It was totally a different transport system, it runs on incline of almost 45 degree and without any driver and fuel. It is actually being pulled by heavy steel wires with some machine that i didn't see. It was built by Britishers too.