The village of Bir is the base for our tours (see here for details of our accommodation at the Colonel's Resort). At a height of 1400m, it is spread out across a plateau set above the rest of the Kangra valley. J.B.Lyall wrote the following about the region in 1906:
"In other parts of the Himalayas the effect of the snowy mountains is softened, if not injured, by the intermediate ranges; and the mind is gradually prepared by a rising succession of hills for the stupendous heights which terminate the scene. But in Kangra there is nothing to intercept the view. The lower hills appear by comparison like ripples on the surface of the sea, and the eye rests uninterrupted on a chain of mountains which attain an absolute elevation of 13,000 feet above the valleys spread out at their base. Few spots in the Himalayas for beauty and grandeur can compete with the Kangra Valley and these over-shadowing hills."
The views have of course remained unchanged and the valley is still idyllic. Its benign climate means it is particularly fertile, and the inhabitants, by the standards of the rest of India, are very prosperous. In Bir itself, homesteads and traditional stone-built houses are dotted about a carpet of tea-gardens. The villagers are friendly and used to paragliders but there are still always a few kids in the landing field ready to raid your in-flight munchy stash.
To the west of the village is the more densely populated Tibetan colony. China first invaded Tibet in 1949 and soon afterwards India offered safe haven to those who chose to flee. Their most famous settlement is at Dharamsala, 45 km west of Bir as the glider flies, but a large number of Tibetans also made their home in Bir. Monasteries and seats of learning abound, making Bir a popular destination for students of Buddhism from all over the world. Otherwise it is off the tourist trail, so the only Westerners you will see are those seeking spiritual wisdom from Buddhist lamas or those seeking thermals.
