Brooks & Trouts
A gentle first bikepacking trip through trout-stream country.
- Distance
- 72 km (one side)
- Duration
- 2 days
- Elevation gain
- +1,395 m gain
- Basecamp
- Narkanda
- Best months
- March – June, Sept – Nov
Brooks & Trouts is where most riders start. It follows the Great Himalayan Bikepacking Trail along the ridge that divides the catchment of the Satluj and the Pabbar. The Pabbar water is clear enough to see the trout holding in it, the roads quiet enough to hear them rise. The days are deliberately short — you ride three to four hours, climb gently, and finish with enough daylight to swim, eat and sit by the river. Nothing about this route is trying to prove a point; it exists to show you that loaded, multi-day riding in the mountains is something you can do.
Because it stays low and close to Himalayan villages, the logistics are simple and the weather is forgiving for most of the year. It is the natural rung below the Lakes & Meadows and Golden Belt loops — a sensible season-opener even for experienced riders, and for anyone who wants to try angling in rivulets off the beaten path.
Highlights
- Clear trout streams
- Quaint and quiet Himalayan hamlets
- Short, forgiving days — 3–4 hours of riding
- Village homestays, riverside camps, or self-pitch
How the route runs
Day 1
Narkanda to the valley
An easy roll off the highway onto the Great Himalayan Bikepacking route, shaking down kit and gears before the first night by the water.
Day 2
Up the brooks
Riding along the rivulets and camping, rewarded with the chance to land a good catch.
Permits & access
No special permit is needed for the riding. Angling does require a fisheries permit, arranged locally if you want to try hooking one.
On the route
