Darma Valley : Home to the Himalayan Rung Tribe

Darma Valley : Introduction

Darma Valley is a group of remote tribal villages surrounded with mighty Himalayan Mountains of Kumaon Region, Uttarakhand ( India ).

Mountains of Nagling Village, Darma Valley.
Photo : @moreiexplore

The Gateway to the Valley

Dharchula, a small town at an elevation of 915 m above sea level is the gateway to the very beautiful valleys, Darma Valley, Chaudas Valley and Vyas Valley. River Kali divides Dharchula ( India ) and Darchula ( Nepal ).

Dharchula

Photo by Patrick Cullen

What is after Dharchula ?

For all three major Valleys of Dharchula we firstly travel through the same road till Tawaghat which is 17km from Dharchula, then we get separated from Vyas Valley route.

After some kilometres from Tawaghat we get to see Chhirkila Dam built on Dhauliganga River or Darma Yangti.

Now we reach Kanjoti, from here routes for Chaudas Valley will change. 

Lower Darma Valley 

The flood of 2013 in Uttarakhand was disastrous and damaged many places of Dharchula too. One of them was Sobla which was about to be the prime station of Dharchula-Darma route, but after the flood there is nothing left, just large large rocks and few houses. Fortunately there was no losses of lives.

The Lower Darma Valley has few villages including Sobla, Tejam, Dar and Bongling with Rung and Anwal community population.

While traveling from Sobla to Dar we go from the bottom of mountain to the mid of the mountain, all in a single frame.

After Dar here comes a scenic yet the most dangerous road of Darma Valley, THE PANGBA WAE.

The PANGBA WAE ( 2009 )

Patrick Cullen

Darma Valley

The Prime or the main Darma Valley starts from Sela Village then comes Chal, Nagling and Baling. All covered with scenic beauty of Himalayas and at the distance of Few kilometers.

Village Chal from Nagling

Photo : More I Explore

Baling ( 2009 )

Photo : Patrick Cullen

After few kms from Baling we reach Dugtu and Saun Village, from here we get to trek to the Majestic Panchachuli Base Camp.

Panchachuli Peaks

Photo: Patrick Cullen

Photo By @moreiexplore 

( Gabyoo Chang )

Bon - Filam - Goe Villgaes  facing Panchachuli right to the face, across Darma Yangti , Dugtu- Saun - Dantu here in the side of Panchachuli makes the view beyond the imagination.

After Panchachuli sighting from all these villages, we see the trek to the SINLA Pass from Goe and Dhakar Village.

Sinla Pass 5495 m

Crossing Rama, Vedang or Bidang and Dawe we reach Adi Kailash, Jolinkang and the Beautiful Vyas Valley or Byankho. Whose route we left back in Tawaghat and hence a circuit is made.

Back to Darma Valley

Here in after Dhakar we see ITBP Base Camp and Tidang Village with beautiful Lassar Yangti. The environment is quite different now, the mountains are dry and less trees are visible as we are in the middle of the Great Himalayas. 

The motorable road ends here.

( Oct. 2020 )

After few kilometers from Tidang we reach Marchha and at the last, Seepu Village, surrounded with beautiful snowy peaks and farms, we even get to see a small pond nearly, The Sacred Multi Bayi Taal and a den known as Mahadev Phu.

Darma Valley : Beyond the Villages.

Although the number of villages end here, but the Darma Valley doesn't.

After kilometres of beautiful valleys and meadows with grazing sheeps and the wild, we reach the Sacred Chhu Mapang lake with an area of 350m × 300ms and THE VALLEY KEEPS GOING to the roof of the world, Tibet.