Route library · Weekend · Mountains
Delhi to Jageshwar & Abbott Mount
Jageshwar, near Almora at about 1,870 m, is a cluster of more than a hundred stone temples from the 7th to 12th centuries, packed along a stream in a dark grove of ancient deodar. An hour or two on, Abbott Mount above Lohaghat is a colonial hamlet of a dozen cottages and a small church on a ridge at about 2,000 m — built for the British, mostly empty now, and utterly quiet.
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At a glance
- Round trip
- About 900–1,000 km
- Riding time
- 9–10 hours to Almora, then easy hill legs; best as three nights
- Nights
- Three nights
- Start point
- Delhi (via Rampur, Kathgodam and Almora)
- Highest point
- About 2,000 m at Abbott Mount
- Difficulty
- Moderate. All sealed hill roads, no rough or technical sections; the length is the only demand.
- Surface
- Sealed and fair-to-good throughout — Kathgodam–Almora–Jageshwar and the Almora–Lohaghat road are well kept
- Best season
- March to June and September to November. Winter is cold with occasional snow at Abbott Mount; the monsoon brings cloud, leeches in the deodar and the odd slip.
The ride
Delhi → Rampur → Kathgodam → Almora, then out to Jageshwar through the Dandeshwar deodar. Give the temple grove a slow half-day; the Archaeological Survey site museum is small but worth it.
From Almora, ride the ridge road through Dhaulchhina and Panar to Lohaghat, then up the short spur to Abbott Mount for the church, the cricket-pitch clearing and the Nanda Devi view. The Mayawati Ashram and Pancheshwar road are close if you want to extend.
Day by day
Delhi to Almora
Delhi → Kathgodam → Almora (9–10 hours). Sleep at Almora, around 1,600 m.
Almora and Jageshwar
Ride out to the Jageshwar temple grove and the museum; afternoon in Almora's old bazaar and the Kasar Devi ridge. Overnight Almora or a Jageshwar homestay.
Almora to Abbott Mount
Ridge road via Dhaulchhina to Lohaghat, then the spur to Abbott Mount (4–5 hours with stops). Evening walk to the church.
Abbott Mount to Delhi
Long day back via Almora and the highway. Start early.
Fuel & services
- Fuel is easy to Almora, and there are pumps at Jageshwar road, Dhaulchhina and Lohaghat.
- Fill at Lohaghat before the Abbott Mount spur — the hamlet has none.
- Jageshwar and Almora have homestays and hotels; Abbott Mount has a few heritage cottages and a KMVN, limited and best booked ahead. Carry cash.
Road & conditions
Sealed and in fair-to-good shape the whole way. The plains run to Kathgodam is the slow, busy part; the hill roads through Almora, Jageshwar and on to Lohaghat are winding but well maintained. The Abbott Mount spur is short and narrow but fine. Watch for deodar-shade damp on the Jageshwar road and the usual Kumaon weekend traffic near Almora.
Bike, fuel & getting help
- Suggested bike
- Fine on a well-maintained 150–200cc commuter.
- Fuel gap
- Longest dry stretch is short — a normal tank covers it with margin.
- Spare fuel
- None needed for this route.
- 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
Mid-September to November is clear and crisp with good Nanda Devi views from the Abbott Mount ridge. March to June is mild and green. Winter is cold and can bring a little snow to Abbott Mount. The monsoon makes the deodar grove atmospheric but damp and leech-prone, and slows the highway.
What to add to your kit
Beyond the standard ride kit: a warm layer for the ridge evenings, a light rain shell, and cash. Walking shoes for the temple grove and the Abbott Mount paths. Nothing technical.
Ride this with a group
We run Jageshwar and Abbott Mount as a quiet three-night Kumaon ride — the long day done first, a slow half-day in the temple grove, and a clean-up of the grove stream and the Abbott Mount ridge.