Where pines whisper

This retreat in Jwarana is not for luxury holidays. But that's the beauty of the place

Whisperingu00a0Pines sounded like a late 30s Western, the kinds John Wayne starred in. Classic Westerns filled with horses, guns, drinking, shooting and fist fighting. And beauties in tight corsets who loved men with guns, a sordid past and no future.


The altitude translates into great weather all round the year

Where much was left to the imagination of the viewer. The beauty of the unspoken dialogue or the edited scene. The idea excited me. And the fact that the place is almost cut off from all means of communication (mobile network is rather poor here thankfully) added to the thrill of exploring the unexplored.u00a0

The online brochure told us Whispering Pines is one of India's highest permanent adventure retreats, located at a height of over 8,300 ft. The altitude translates into great weather all round the year ufffd cool summers with an average

temperatures of max 25 degree C and minimum 12 degree C, sunny days in monsoon months ufffd the area being virtually above cloud level and skies clearing up normally after a few hours of pleasing drizzles and sun basking in all its glory over white sheet of snow in winters. A 365 days holiday destination.

The drive
Satisfied, we set out for the seven hour drive from Delhi to Jwarna. Mountain roads in Garhwal are the same no matter what your destination is, whether you are going to Nainital or Dhanaulti. But with a deep gorge on one side and thick virgin forests of deodar, rhododendron and oak on the other, it's a new experience every time you take to the hills. The city-sickened soul needs such outings every once in a while to keep sanity.
All year round, especially this time

of the year, the weather is pleasant; you need some warm clothes, a comforter maybe, to keep warm. But those little boys serving steaming tea and biscuits on hill roads are the best remedies from the cold.
And some steaming hot Maggi if you are hungry.u00a0

Up in the air
Jwarna, for want of a better expression, is breathtaking. Sometimes words fail to describe what you feel. The view from the adventure retreat Whispering Pines is one such moment when you finally reach there and look around. Whispering Pines offers multiple options of accommodation and caters to different vacation ideas, tastes and requirements.

There are Super Deluxe Safari Tents with attached toilets and bath, Deluxe Safari Tents with plush interiors and an adjacent modern toilet/bath complex with running water and Adventure Alpine/Dome Tent colony for those high on adrenaline.

There are adventure sports options like Rock Climbing, Abseiling, Trekking, Night Hiking, Mountain Biking and Valley Crossing. But for my brittle bones and soiled soul all that was needed was the mountain-fresh air, the panoramic view of the hills and the feeling of being up in the air.

Three days and two nights passed doing nothing. Yet there wasn't even a second of boredom. No cell phone, no TV and I had deliberately carried no book or magazine, yet Whispering Pines gave me a great holiday. The great food and the wonderful service staff added to the charm.

Where: Surkhanda Base, Dhanolti Chamba Road, Jwarna, Tehri Garhwal, Uttarakhand
Packages: Rs 6,500 per person in Super Deluxe Safari Tents (for three days and two nights)
For reservations, call:u00a0 9897684867