Trek Himachal

Plachek

District Kangra, Himachal Pradesh

Position – N32 08.668 E76 45.591

Altitude – 2688 Metres

Part of Treks:

1. Barot – Bir

2. Bada Bhangal

A page on a place like Plachek would be notated 'nn' on wikipedia and deleted, nn means 'non notable', which is exactly why it finds a place here. Plachek may be non notable in the large scheme of things but in the small scheme, it is more than notable. Without Plachek and its temporary food shack, the trail to Bada Bhangal via the Thamsar pass would not exist. Without Plachek, Gaddi shepherds on their way with their herds would not have a place to rest. Without Plachek, trekkers like me would not have a place to stay overnight.

A small seasonal hovel, doubling up as a food outlet and a small structure for a basic forest rest house; this is Plachek for you. While I do not have any details on the history of Plachek, I think it would be fair to say that a temporary halt would have existed around this place for as long as Bada Bhangal has existed and shepherds have been making their way up and down to the village.

Currently, Plachek boasts of a hovel inhabited by a Thapa family of Nepali origin from March to September and a small 3 room, bare floored building, which claims to be the Forest Rest House. The Thapa family runs the economy of the place by serving meals at Rupees 25 to people travelling on the trail, tending to the livestock of the nearby village of Bada Gran and cultivating some land for the landholders of Bada Gran. The food at the Thapa's is delicious and made more so by being served in the kitchen of the mud hovel, eaten sitting on the mud coated floor of the hovel. At any time, the society in Plachek consists of the Thapa family and any visitors they may be having. I don't think even at the peak of floating population, Plachek's human population would have ever exceeded 25.

Nearby flows the river Uhl, meandering through the mountainous curves, touching the many melodious notes only a small mountain stream can. If you are not satisfied with Barot's quiet and crave for even more, albeit with an occasional sighting of a human, Plachek is the place. Plachek is also the place you would cross if you want to visit Bada Bhangal.

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