Route library · Outstation · High passes
Delhi to the Kutti Valley & Jollingkong
Past Dharchula and Gunji, the road up the Kuthi Yankti river runs to Kutti village at about 3,700 m — one of the highest permanently-inhabited villages in Uttarakhand — and on to Jollingkong, the base for Adi Kailash and the near view of Om Parvat. This is the historic Kailash-Mansarovar approach, now a rebuilt but raw high-altitude road through a controlled border zone. It is a full expedition: Inner Line Permit, ITBP checkposts, cold-desert riding, and altitude that must be respected.
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At a glance
- Round trip
- About 1,250–1,350 km
- Riding time
- 3 days to Dharchula each way; then high days
- Nights
- 6–7 nights
- Start point
- Delhi (via Almora, Pithoragarh and Dharchula)
- Highest point
- About 4,600 m near Jollingkong / the Adi Kailash view; Kutti village is ~3,700 m
- Difficulty
- Expedition. Long Kumaon hill riding, the Kali-river gorge, then a rough, high, cold-desert cut road with water crossings and no margin for error.
- Surface
- A mix of new BRO tar, gravel, landslide sections and stream crossings above Gunji. Conditions change constantly; the upper road can be shut without notice.
- Best season
- Mid-May to June and September to mid-October only. Snow closes the upper valley the rest of the year; the monsoon makes the Kali gorge and the cut road above Dharchula genuinely deadly.
- Permits
- Inner Line Permit essential beyond Dharchula — arranged at Dharchula (SDM/KMVN) with ID, photos and a medical check. Foreign nationals are generally not permitted. Carry ID and permit for every ITBP checkpost; no photography of military positions.
The ride
Delhi → Almora → Pithoragarh → Dharchula over three days — the last on the tense, beautiful Kali-river road along the Nepal border. At Dharchula: the Inner Line Permit, a mandatory medical check, and a rest day.
Then up through Tawaghat, Budhi and the Chhiyalekh meadow to Gunji (acclimatise), and up the Kuthi Yankti to Kutti and Jollingkong for Adi Kailash and the Om Parvat view at Nabhidhang (a separate spur). Every stage is checkpost-controlled and weather-dependent. Retrace the whole way.
Day by day
Delhi to Almora
Plains to hills — Delhi → Kathgodam → Almora (9–10 hours). Night in Almora.
Almora to Pithoragarh
Hill riding to Pithoragarh (5–6 hours). Night here; final checks.
Pithoragarh to Dharchula
The Kali-river border road to Dharchula (4–5 hours). Start permit and medical.
Dharchula: permit + acclimatisation
Complete the Inner Line Permit and medical; a light day at ~900 m before going high.
Dharchula to Gunji
Tawaghat, Budhi, the Chhiyalekh climb to Gunji (~3,200 m). A hard, high day — go slow. Night at Gunji, KMVN or homestay.
Gunji: acclimatisation / Om Parvat
Rest at Gunji, or a careful spur to Nabhidhang for the Om Parvat view. Night back at Gunji.
Gunji to Kutti and Jollingkong
Up the Kuthi Yankti to Kutti and on to Jollingkong for Adi Kailash. Night at Kutti or a Jollingkong camp.
Begin the return
Retrace to Gunji / Dharchula, losing height.
Dharchula to Delhi
Two to three riding days home.
Fuel & services
- Fill up at Almora, Pithoragarh and top off at Dharchula — treat Dharchula as your last real fuel.
- There is no fuel beyond Dharchula. Dharchula to Gunji, Kutti, Jollingkong and back is 200 km+ of the hardest riding of the trip. Carry 10 litres or more of spare per bike, and plan the whole upper section around what you can carry.
- KMVN rest houses and homestays at Gunji and Kutti (basic, seasonal); Jollingkong is a camp only. Everything above Dharchula is cash and carried supplies. There is no ATM past Pithoragarh you should rely on.
Road & conditions
The Kali-river road above Dharchula has been widened by the BRO but remains a work in progress: new tar in stretches, then gravel, landslide gaps, and unbridged stream crossings that rise through the day. Above Gunji it is high, cold and exposed with a loose surface. Slides close it regularly and without warning. Ride the exposed sections early, keep the group together, cross water early in the day, and accept that the road position is whatever the ITBP and BRO say it is on the day.
Bike, fuel & getting help
- Suggested bike
- Needs a dirt-capable bike (an ADV or a light dual-sport) and off-road experience. Not a commuter route.
- Fuel gap
- A serious fuel gap on this route — carry spare fuel and fill every chance you get.
- Spare fuel
- Carry 10 litres or more of spare fuel.
- Emergency & logistics
- Dharchula is the last town with a hospital, the permit office and the mandatory medical; above it only ITBP/Army posts and KMVN huts, no signal, no vehicle evacuation — rescue is hours to days and weather-bound. The route crosses 4,000 m with camps at 3,200–3,700 m; AMS is a real risk. Satellite messenger essential; follow every checkpost.
Best time to ride
Mid-May to June and September to mid-October — the only weeks the upper valley is clear of snow and the permit is issued. Even then, nights at Gunji and Kutti are below freezing and weather can pin the group for days. The monsoon is out of the question: the Kali gorge and the Dharchula–Tawaghat road are among the most landslide-prone in the country and lives are lost there every year.
What to add to your kit
Beyond the standard ride kit: expedition-grade cold-weather gear, a strict acclimatisation plan, altitude medication and a full first-aid kit, a satellite messenger, ID and permit copies for every rider and checkpost, 10 litres+ of spare fuel per bike, cash for the whole trip, recovery gear, and a schedule with several spare days.
Ride this with a group
We run Kutti and Jollingkong as an 8–9 day border expedition — three riding days to Dharchula, a permit and a medical, staged acclimatisation through Gunji, and a push up the old Kailash route to Adi Kailash and Om Parvat, with a high-camp clean-up as the service action. Experienced, acclimatisation-disciplined riders only.