Karol Tibba Trek – A popular trek in Solan

Karol Tibba trek is a popular trek near Solan and Shimla. The trek takes you to the top of Karol Tibba, known as Mount Karol, Localities call it karol ka tibba, tibba means peak in Hindi. Karol ka Tibba is located in the Shivalik or lower range Himalayas at an elevation of around 2240 meters. It is one of the highest peaks of the Solan region.

In past few years the Karol Tibba has become famous for hiking for city dwellers and for tourists as well. A lot of people from nearby states have also started visiting Karol Tibba. Karol peak trek is a perfect one day trek near Chandigarh. It is also a perfect place for camping near Chandigarh.

How to reach Karol Tibba

There are multiple trek routes to reach the Karol ka tibba. The first route starts from Chambaghat which is 2 Kms from Solan town. The second one starts from Basal village which is located further 2 Kms from Chambaghat. The Third one starts from Dedgharat and the forth one starts from kandaghat. I would recommend to start your journey from Chambaghat.

Karol Tibba Trek Distance

The Karol Tibba trek would be around 15 Kms of round trip. The uphill journey is not that tough. It is an easy trek for the young, but for elderly people it is surely is a tough trek.

The Trail

As we start our journey to Karol ka tibba from Chambaghat or Basal, we cross the grasslands first . As we keep ascending, the forest cover starts to thicken. On one side we see thick forest cover and on the other side we see nice view of the basal village and the solan town. After climbing the steep trail, we reach dagi ka jubbad. you’ll find wide open meadow here and very nice view of Solan and surrounding villages. It’s a perfect place to take some rest and also you can camp here. After dagi ka jubbad, the forest cover increases and the cold fresh air from the trees feels so refreshing. The

Pandav caves

The trail to karol ka tibba passes through famous Pandava cave which is located in middle of the Himalayan Oak forest on the karol peak. The Pandva caves on the Karol peak is the oldest and longest cave in Indian Himalayas. Locals believe that mythological characters, Pandavas built this cave and stayed here during their exile. Another end of the cave is believed to be in Pinjore. The cave is dark and damped and gets narrower as one walks inside. Make sure to carry your head torch to enjoy the walk inside this mysterious cave.

Karol Mata temple

Ancient Karol temple dedicated to Goddess Kali located on top of Karol tibba is another highlight of this trek. Karol Mata is worshiped by the locals and they have a lot of faith in the goddess and every year yagya is done here during Navratras. The temple premises offers breathtaking views of Shimla city, Chail, Kali Tibba, Churdhar peak and some parts of solan town as well. One can also see contrasting views of series of mountains stacked one behind the other. You can also get a top view of dense forest which you would have crossed to reach here. Hike to Karol Temple is a steep ascent from the Pandava Cave.

Time required for karol tibba trek

Even if you are fit and a fast walker, you would not like to get tired unnecessarily. Its best to take time to complete the trek and enjoy the views along the way. So, keeping that in mind you’ll require a minimum of 3 Hours to reach the top. The complete Trek will take around 6-8 Hours, depending upon how frequently you take a break. The best way would be to reach the Hill top first and then while your way back, you can visit the Pandav caves on the way.

Also Read – Bhurshing Mahadev – A Short trip to Bhureshwar Mahadev Temple