Route library · Weekend · Mountains
Delhi to Hanol & the Mahasu Devta Temple
Hanol, on the Tons river where Uttarakhand meets Himachal, is the seat of the Mahasu Devta — four brother-deities of the Jaunsar-Bawar and Trans-Giri highlands. The temple is a massive Kath-Kuni building of stone courses and carved deodar, part Nagara, part hill-vernacular, and it is still where people come to swear oaths and settle disputes. It is deep, quiet, wooden-Himalaya country, past Chakrata.
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At a glance
- Round trip
- About 900–1,000 km
- Riding time
- 10–11 hours each way — best split at Vikasnagar or Chakrata
- Nights
- Two nights
- Start point
- Delhi (via Saharanpur, Vikasnagar and Chakrata)
- Highest point
- About 2,100 m if you go via Chakrata; Hanol itself sits around 1,300 m on the river
- Difficulty
- Moderate. Good hill roads with some narrow, broken sections in the Tons valley; nothing technical.
- Surface
- Sealed throughout — the Vikasnagar–Chakrata road is good, the Chakrata–Tuini–Hanol road is narrow single-lane hill tar with rough patches and monsoon slips
- Best season
- March to June and September to November. Winter can snow the Chakrata stretch; the monsoon brings slips and rockfall to the Tons valley road.
The ride
Delhi → Saharanpur → Vikasnagar → Kalsi → Chakrata, then drop into the Tons valley via Tuini and follow the river to Hanol. An alternative keeps low along the Tons the whole way via Tuini, skipping the Chakrata climb.
At Hanol: the Mahasu Devta temple complex, the river ghats, and the old wood-and-slate houses of the Bawar villages. The road on toward Mori and Netwar follows the Tons into Govind Pashu Vihar — rafting country, and the roadhead for Har-ki-Dun — if you want a third day.
Day by day
Delhi to Chakrata
Delhi → Saharanpur → Vikasnagar → Kalsi → Chakrata (8–9 hours). Overnight at Chakrata, ~2,100 m.
Chakrata to Hanol and back
Ride down to Tuini and along the Tons to Hanol; a slow morning at the temple and the river. Back to Chakrata, or stay low at Tuini/Mori.
Hanol/Chakrata to Delhi
Retrace via Kalsi and the plains. Start early — it is a long day.
Fuel & services
- Fuel is easy to Chakrata — Saharanpur, Vikasnagar, Kalsi and Chakrata all have pumps.
- Fill up at Chakrata (or Tuini) before the Tons valley run — Hanol has no fuel and the valley pumps are small and unreliable.
- Chakrata has PWD and private guesthouses; Tuini and Mori have basic lodges; Hanol has a temple rest house and a couple of rooms. Carry cash.
Road & conditions
The Vikasnagar–Chakrata road is a good, well-graded hill road. The Chakrata–Tuini–Hanol road is narrow single-lane hill tar with broken patches, blind bends above the Tons, and monsoon rockfall. Nothing technical, but slow and tiring for the last stretch. Watch for army convoys near Chakrata (a cantonment town) and timber trucks in the valley.
Bike, fuel & getting help
- Suggested bike
- Fine on a well-maintained 150–200cc commuter.
- Fuel gap
- One long stretch without a pump — fill up before it and top off where you can.
- Spare fuel
- Carry 3–5 litres of spare fuel.
- Emergency & logistics
- The nearest well-equipped hospital is the valley/district town, one to two hours off; signal is patchy above the bazaar; carry the group lead's number and an emergency card.
Best time to ride
March to June is green and mild with rhododendron on the Chakrata ridge. Mid-September to November is clear and crisp. Winter can snow-close the Chakrata stretch, though the low Tons route usually stays open. The monsoon brings slips and rockfall to the valley road — ride it dry.
What to add to your kit
Beyond the standard ride kit: a warm layer for the Chakrata evenings, modest clothing for the temple (leather is removed, and photography inside is restricted), a rain shell, and cash. Nothing technical.
Ride this with a group
We run Hanol as an easy two-night ride into wooden-temple country — the long day split at Chakrata, the Tons valley ridden dry, and a temple-ghat and riverbank clean-up as the service action.