It is a picnic spot and wild life sanctuary, offers a fine view of the countryside. Kalatop is 10 kms from G.P.O. Dalhousie at an altitude of 8000 feet. Kalatop is one of the places near Dalhousie that has snow all year round. Walking along the secluded and forested road through upper Nakorota hills, one reaches Lakkarmandi. Between G.P.O. and Lakkarmandi lies the Dalhousie water system, Tibetan Handicraft Centre and Dalhousie Potato Farm at Ahla. Lakkarmandi is nestled between 8600 feet high DayanKund peak on its right and Kalatop on the left. Lakarmandi used to be populated by Dhogri families who made charcoal. But they were later driven away by the lack of need for charcoal in todays time. However, you can see the DayanKund peak where the army camp is based. Although the area is restricted, locals who want to visit the Bhulwani Mata temple are allowed through. The walk from Lakkarmandi to Kalatop is through dense forest of pines and deodars. The solitude is occasionally broken by singing birds. The blissful solitude of Kalatop is ideal for the honeymooners. At Lakkarmandi there is a Wildlife Barrier to check movement of vehicles on the unpaved but narrow level road that runs 3 kms to Kalatop Forest Rest House. Permit for the rest house is obtainable from DFO, Wildlife, Chamba.
The only way to see Kalatop is on foot as most cars cannot go beyond a point because of the snow and if you plan to do the three day trek all the way to Khajjiar, then make sure you are trained for it. If not, Kalatop still has lots to offer by way of a starkly beautiful landscape draped in white. You can walk here for hours, enjoying the stretches of silence, the gently sloping road and the sometimes 5 feet deep stretches of snow. Tea shops dot the sides of the road so you can take a break to sip on a warming cup of tea at any point in your trek. You can walk through the pine forests to Lakkarmandi.
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Other Interesting Places in and around Dalhousie
