Hike to Bhagsu Falls

Bhagsu Falls

With one more day off before the conference begins, there was time to explore McLeod Ganj.  Two years ago when I was in the area, I took a hike to Bhagsu Falls. I invited the other two science teachers to join me on the short trek to the falls.

Bhagsu Falls is about 3.5 km from the center of McLeod Ganj.  We all met at 10 am in from of the Dalai Lama's temple to start our adventure.  Traffic through the main parts of town was heavy, but other sections of the walk were relatively free of cars, truck and motorcycles.  Once we entered the town of Bhagsu, the traffic increased and the number of people walking around exploded.  We passed a swimming pool just before the final trail up to the base of the waterfall.

The waterfall does not have much water in it, but people enjoy dipping their feet in the pools at its base.  There are also many small food stalls, so we stopped to rest and enjoy a lemon soda.

The walk back was mostly downhill, so it was a bit easier.  We also stopped to have lunch at a small restaurant serving northern Indian specialties.   I opted for the paneer biryani (250 rupees; about $3) which could serve at least 2 people.

View of McLeod Ganj from the road to Bhagsu Falls