Killar-Kishtwar Road, a thrilling ride that leads to one of the most remote valleys of India.
Situated at the eastern end of Kishtwar District in the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir, this trajectory connects Kishtwar(J&K) to Himachal Pradesh.
The road is a perilous part of Kishtwar - Tandi road, also known as Killar-Kishtwar road, running along the Chenab river exposing the traveler to trepidation and tranquility concurrently.
With its own charm, the terrain holds the threat of complete isolation during extreme weather mishaps, such as heavy snowfall or landslides.
The ride starts with the first few kilometers offering a comfortable drive and a picturesque view, it then starts narrowing down. Soon the road becomes nothing but a worn-out pathway with steep gradients coupled with the blind curves and hairpin turns.
By then your adrenaline has kicked in, and you start to realize that there’s more. Brace yourself and welcome the final Cliff Hanger, claimed as the most dangerous road by BRO(Border Road Organization).
It's a completely worn-out patch, narrowed down to the limit that makes even a single vehicle to pass with difficulty and has no guard rails.
All along the way, you wish for no oncoming vehicles. If two vehicles have to pass from "difficult-enough-for-single-vehicle" road, you wish even more to find an outcrop nearby or one must prepare himself to reverse for hundreds of meters. It will indeed test your reversing abilities at its best.
No offense to "Dar ke aage Jeet Hai" campaign, but no matter what drink you have, it’s incredibly frightening to even look over the edge where you may not even see the soil and feel that you are driving to the nowhere land.
Word of caution: you better miss it on a windy day as you are looking forward to a vertical drop of hundreds of meters and is one of the most nerve-racking and thrilling roads of the world.
Things to Consider:
1.This track can get very muddy and slippery after rains and it’s better to skip the idea of passing through it if the weather is not on your side.
2.People who are scared of heights or claustrophobic must not venture to attempt this ride.
3.This route is not recommended if you are prone to motion sickness.
4.There is a little room for error on this road, so be extremely cautious.
5.Stick to the center as the edges can sometimes simply crumble away.
6.Strongly recommended for high clearance, 4-wheel drive vehicles, or well-serviced motorbikes.
How to reach :
· If you are starting from J&K, you will have to follow NH244 to reach Kishtwar which is almost 250 km from Jammu airport/railway station.
· From Kishtwar the next stop is Gulab Garh where you will find few good options to stay. Just make sure to fuel your vehicle in Kishtwar itself as there are no petrol pumps after it and in case of emergency you might get it in black from Gulab Garh.
· Follow the same road towards the Killar region which falls under Pangi valley of Himachal Pradesh.
· If you are doing it in the summers, you can go to Chamba from Pangi valley via Sach pass or to Keylong via Udaipur making it a complete adventurous circuit.
