Benog Tibba Trek

Start From Clouds End

TrailHikers organises this day trek which involves walking between 15-20 km. This means a long day, but only half a distance if you use transport to and from Cloud’s End. If you wish you can start from Library (Kitabghar), a fine victorian building maintained by Hugh and Collen Gantzer, which presides over Gandhi Chowk at the western end of Mussoorie’s Mall road. It is a 6 km walk to Cloud’s End through a well forested, mainly level ridge, west of Mussoorie.

During winter season, one can choose to start this trek right from Library to enjoy the full view of the scenic western outskirts of Mussoorie. Waverly to Park Chungi is almost a flat walk. Park Chungi to Clouds End is moderate level hike.

To get your trekking money’s worth, walk on the main road from the Library, past the Savoy Hotel. The road doubles back at Modern School and brings you to Waverley. Just beyond the gates, you get an overview of the route that lies way ahead. To the west lies the solitary peak of Benog Tibba. Also visible is your return route, culminating in the yelow roof of the Happy Valley Tibbetan Monastary. Now note the sheer plummeting of the eastern face of Benog, and hope your knees will be warmed well enough to tackle it by the time you get there. From Waverley to Park Chungi is a beautiful, level, 3 km forested road.

At Park Chungi, there is a shop and piped drinking water. The shortest way to Everest’s Park Estate- which occupies the ridge overlooking the Doon- is to follow the over-grown, quarry road uphill, taking appropriate short-cuts to cut off the corners (like all pragmatic hill people). The ridge walk to Cloud’s End from Everest’s Estate is another 3 km through the pristine jungle. At Cloud’s End, turn north, descending to a narrow saddle straddling limestone cliffs. Then, swing east to traverse a well aligned path (3km) up to the southern, bald face of the mountain known to the British as ‘Ben Og’. Benog gives great views of the snow peaks and the River Yamuna. The northern face is so steep and thickly forested that it hosts the ‘ghoral’, a mountain goat once quite common in these hills but now almost extinct.

From Benog you can either return via Cloud’s End and the motor road to Mussoorie, or make an adventurous descent down the eastern face (facing Mussoorie) by a pagdandi (faint foot-path) to the old stone quarries. Continue down near-vertical roads, built for high-geared limestone trucks that once zigzagged crazily to Dhobhi Ghat, famous for its gushing water springs. From Dhobhi Ghat, one of Mussoorie’s least visited and magical corners (not to be confused with Woodstock Dhobhi Ghat), to avoid a long detour, opt for a 1-hr climb up the eastern flank of Mussoorie’s Happy Valley (following the pipeline) through the forest. It will bring you to Murray Pumping Station, with its still-working colonial machinery. There is a jeepable road to Company Bagh, but it is just as quick to keep ascending by the original bridle path to emerge at the Tibbetan Central School. There is a reason for the big Tibbetan settlement here, mostly built in the authentic Tibetan style. When the Dalai Lama first fled Tibet, he took up residence here, at Birla House. From Happy Valley, a level, well forested motor road returns you to the Library after 4 km.

Benog forest region was established as Mountain Quail Sanctuary in September 1993. The sanctuary was named after Mountain Quail, a Himayalan bird which is now extinct in the region. This forest has a rare species of Himalayan goat known as Himalayan Goral or Ghural, found at higher alitudes. Also known as Benog wildlife reserve, this region has some amazing nature walks, rich flora & fauna and an adventurous hike to the Benog Tibba peak (2,250m). It is a scenic nature trail & a learning experience for nature lovers of all age groups.