Kalap

Kalap is a tiny settlement lying forgotten in time in the upper Garhwal region of the northern state of Uttarakhand in India. Geographically, Kalap is proximate to the tri-junction of the borders of the states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand with the Tibetan plateau. Situated at an altitude of 7,500 ft, the village is nestled among virgin pine and deodar forests, and overlooks the gorge cut open by the roaring River Supin.

The area around Kalap offers stunning natural beauty, including views of the snow-capped Bandarpunch range, it is also a land of legends. The entire Tons river valley is considered to be the birthplace of the Mahabharata, the Sankrit mythological epic. The two protagonists in the epic, the Pandava and Kaurava brothers, are said to have descended from this very valley, and the people living here still claim to trace their lineage to one of the two clans. The River Tons itself is considered to by some to be the mythical River Saraswati.

Not being connected to a road head and far from the major trekking trails in Uttarakhand, Kalap has remained untouched by mainstream tourism.

The people of Kalap will welcome you with the hospitality synonymous with hill people. They will share their stories with you and you will find that there is plenty to explore and discover among the community's legends and folklore. You will surely go back home with more than a little bit of Kalap in you!

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The Kalap responsible tourism project is an initiative by Kalap Trust (http://www.kalaptrust.org/) a non-profit organisation working with the people of the village.

The tours are run by Kalap Tours, an organisation formed with the community as stakeholders.