Devidarh – The Most Exhausting Ride of My Life (So Far)

Namaste ji !

I hope you’re all doing well. I’m back with another experience—one that I’ll remember for the rest of my life.

On 5th June, my friend texted me about a stunning place he had recently visited. With full gusto, he proposed we cycle there together. When I asked him the name of the place, he replied, “Devidarh.”

My first reaction?

“Bro, isn’t that way too far from our place?”

The idea of covering that kind of distance on a bicycle felt like an actual pain in the ass.

But my friend was super stoked about it and eventually convinced me to say yes. I checked the distance—it was 150 km from my home. The number both intrigued me and slightly scared me. The farthest I had cycled before was 120 km, so this would be 30 more.

To make things slightly easier, I decided to drive to my friend’s house first and begin the ride from there. That brought the cycling distance down to 130 km. My home is located on a hilltop, about 10 km above the town of Mandi, where my friend lives. Riding down is a cakewalk—but the real challenge is coming back up after a brutal ride. So I installed the cycle rack on my car and got everything ready.

Even I was quite excited about this ride because I had visited Devidarh once back in 2015 and really liked it.

We decided to start our ride at 5:30 AM, so we could tackle most of the climbs before the sun rose. But excitement made it tough to sleep the night before. I went to bed at around 11 PM but only managed to fall asleep by midnight. Then suddenly, I woke up at 1:15 AM—and couldn’t fall back asleep despite trying everything.

Eventually, I got up at 4:15 AM, got ready, and left for my friend’s place by 4:45 AM, reaching there by 5:15 AM. We parked the car safely and started the ride at exactly 5:35 AM.

Just 10 minutes in, we were already sweating—the humidity was that intense.

We pulled over at a natural water source—something common in the hills—refilled our bottles, and continued. After crossing Gutkar, we reached the four-lane stretch of Chakkar. The tarmac was already heating up. But we pushed on because the idea was to cover as much distance as possible before the sun really started blazing.

Finally, we reached Baggi and stopped on a bridge to click some photos.

About Devidarh

Tucked away in the forests of Mandi district, Himachal Pradesh, Devidarh is one of those places that still feels untouched. Surrounded by tall deodar trees and sitting nearly 6,900 feet above sea level, it offers clean, crisp air and stunning views that stretch out across the hills.

At the heart of the village lies a quiet meadow with a small pond and a temple perched on a nearby hill. It’s the kind of place that feels perfect for a peaceful picnic or just sitting around, soaking in the calm. Even though more people are starting to hear about it, Devidarh still hasn’t lost that raw, off-the-beaten-path charm.

What makes it even more special is that it’s also a starting point for treks to Shikari Devi and Kamrunag—two well-known and spiritually significant spots nestled deeper in the mountains. If you’re someone who enjoys quiet trails, nature, and that deep sense of stillness only the hills can offer—Devidarh is absolutely worth a visit.

Back to the story.

We picked up a few snacks from Baggi, since we hadn’t eaten anything except the 5-6 almonds I had before leaving. From here began our first brutal climb toward Chail Chowk. That’s when things started getting exhausting. I had underestimated the climb, and now even the lack of sleep was catching up with me.

Still, I ignored my body’s cries for rest. I kept spraying water on my face and head and pushed forward. After about 30–40 minutes, we reached Chail Chowk, our first major stop, and had breakfast. I ordered a parantha with butter, but strangely, after just 2–3 bites, I felt completely full. Every bite made me feel like puking. I forced myself to eat more but had to leave a couple of bites behind—which is rare for me.

I didn’t think much of it at the time and resumed the journey. Thankfully, after Chail Chowk, there was a nice 10–15 minute downhill stretch. By now, the sun had started rising.

We continued at a good pace and discovered that both Shikari Devi and Kamrunag temples were on the same route. The road passed through a forest—thick trees kept the sunlight away and made the ride bearable.

After riding for 10–15 km, we took our second break. By now, sleep was overpowering my will to go on. We rested, refilled water, and I took a short 20–25 minute nap—right there on the ground.

One thing I’ve realized on the road: I stop sweating the small stuff. I lay down on bare ground without caring, whereas at home, I won’t even sit on the floor without a spread. 😄

Refreshed slightly, we resumed. Being a Sunday, the route was busy with people heading to the tourist spots. Some were curious and asked us where we were from and where we were going. Chatting with strangers always lifts my mood, and people were amazed by our journey.

Eventually, we reached a small village called Tunna. This stretch was tough—not because of the gradient, which was manageable, but because the road had no shade. On both sides were fields and houses, and the sun was beating down on our backs. The views, though, were breathtaking—like something straight out of a postcard.

Unfortunately, I didn’t take many pictures here. I was mentally exhausted, even regretting the decision to cycle all the way to Devidarh.

After Tunna came a series of 6–7 more villages, all without trees. The sun had drained every ounce of energy from my body. As soon as we found some shade in a forest area, we pulled over and rested for 15–20 minutes.

Soon, hunger joined sleep and exhaustion in making things worse. But now that we’d crossed all the villages, there were no shops. After half an hour, we stumbled upon a small, very unhygienic-looking dhaba—but we had no choice. We ordered Maggi—the only item available—and honestly, despite the surroundings, it tasted amazing. That one bowl of Maggi made me feel human again… for about 10 minutes.

I resumed pedaling, but the fatigue returned quickly. The biggest issue wasn’t physical tiredness—it was mental exhaustion. The lack of sleep was clearly the villain here. But somehow, I kept going.

Finally, we entered a dense deodar forest—and didn’t have to worry about the sun anymore. We spotted a small stream on our left. Just the sight of it gave us a second wind. We climbed down, splashed around in the water, and rested for 20–25 minutes. Just above the stream was an antique wooden bridge. Honestly, I didn’t want to leave. But we had to return before dark.

The next stretch was a steady uphill. I was tempted to get off and push my cycle—but didn’t, because that felt like giving up. 😅

Eventually, we reached the start of the final off-road climb to Devidarh. Even cars were struggling—so you can imagine what we were going through. But we ignored our protesting minds and kept pedaling.

Finally, we reached Devidarh.

The place was crowded—more than we’d expected. We got lots of curious looks and questions. People always love asking where we’ve come from—and how much our bikes cost. 😂

We explored the glade, the temple, the pond, and then I took a 30–40 minute nap under the open sky. I was done.

After resting for a bit, we started our ride back. Thankfully, it was mostly downhill, so physically easier. But mentally, I was still drained and craving deep sleep.

By the time we reached Chail Chowk, the heat had become unbearable again. We stopped for lunch. I was hungry, but the moment I took a bite, I felt full again. The same thing happened later when we stopped for sugarcane juice near Balh—I took a couple of sips and couldn’t continue.

That’s when I realized the real problem: severe dehydration.

We were still far from home, so we had no choice but to push forward. After what felt like forever, we reached Mandi—and finally, home.

Practical Lessons Learned

Prioritize sleep
I cannot stress this enough. A good night’s sleep would have made this ride 10x easier.
Plan water and nutrition intake
I didn’t hydrate well the day before. I should’ve had more water and consumed electrolytes to prepare.

Despite the mental exhaustion, it was an unforgettable experience.

Sure, while riding, I didn’t enjoy every moment—but now, the memories make me smile.

No wonder they say cycling is a type-2 kind of fun. 😄

ALL THESE PICTURES WERE CLICKED BY ME AND MY FRIEND (DIGVIJAY) USING MY IPHONE 13 AND HIS SAMSUNG GALAXY Z FLIP 6