92 km from its district headquarters, Pithoragarh. The road from Pithoragarh to Dharchula is alongside the Kali River and the journey takes 3 to 4 hours. State government bus and private jeep are available. However, reaching Pithoragarh itself from the plains is a tiring journey. One can reach Pithoragarh from either Haldwani railway station in about eight hours or from Tanakpur railway station in about six hours (both towns situated on the foothills of Himalayas in the Uttarakhand state) in about eight hours. Generally the private jeeps and buses run from Haldwani only till around 11 a.m. as it is quite dangerous to drive at night in the hilly tracks. The road is quite good and there are many good Dhabas (small eateries) midway. However, the landslides in the rainy season (July–September) make the travel a bit dangerous and inconvenient. The roads have many curves and can create nausea but the journey to the town provides the travellers the magnificent sightseeing opportunity of the grand Himalayan peaks. Dharchula has been a major trading centre for the trans-Himalayan trade routes. Dharchula is rather cluttered these days because of narrow roads which cannot be widened, without proper parking or a bus station. On the Darma trail, one gets to see the snow-clad Panchachuli peaks whose base is located at the villages of Dantu and Dugtu. Panchachuli separates the Rung people from the Johar valley and the Om Parvat is on the Byans valley. Dharchula has a KMVN (Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam) rest house. Dharchula is the base camp for the Kailash Manasarover Yatra and Aadi Kailash Yatra. Situated on the bank of the river Kali, Dharchula has the unique distinction of having a marine drive along the Kalli river. History Dharchula was an ancient trading town on the Trans-Himalayan trade routes. Trade was based on barter system and was the only source of income for the inhabitants of Dharchula. Local handicrafts like carpets which are known here as ‘dan’, were exchanged with the Tibetans for food and clothing. After the Indo-China War in 1962, all trading ties with the Tibetans came to a stop which caused innumerable hardships to the people of Dharchula. The difficulty forced people to look for alternate means of earnings. Soon the locals engaged themselves in farming, small businesses and cattle farming. With government intervention, good tourism facilities have developed in the town. Climate Summers are warm and