Important Details
Important Details
About Rasol
Rasol is one of the lesser-known villages of Parvati Valley and is situated 3 hours away from the hippie town of Kasol. Rasol is a village of 40-50 houses and the only way to reach Rasol is on foot. It is situated at a height of 2600 meters above sea level, which is about the same height the mystical village of Malana is situated. The villagers of Rasol are usually engaged in animal husbandry or hash/cannabis agriculture, like most villages of Parvati Valley. Most of the time people are busy weaving wool for themselves and for supplying to the markets below. Due to the extreme terrain of the village, few people have seen the world outside of Kullu district. However, with changing times, the youth has started to move away from the village in search of work in the lowlands.
How to reach Rasol
Bhuntar to Rasol Bus
There are a lot of buses between Bhuntar and Kasol to Barsheini. The buses charge up to 80 INR till the Kasol bus stand and 50 INR more till Barshaini via Manikaran. Now a lot of buses are privately run, however, the service of HRTC is also pretty good in the Valley. The road conditions are not the best as there are constant landslides and trees fall on this route. So if you have a delay don’t get excited, it’s all a part of the life here. Taxis are also available between Bhuntar to Kasol for the most of the time, and they charge 800 INR for Bhuntar to Kasol.
Rasol Trek
Katagla to Rasol
Katagla is situated around 3 km away from Kasol towards the direction of Bhuntar. Once you are in Katagla, start following the river in the direction opposite to its flow. Then you will find the trail to Rasol, which ascends to the top of the mountain. The distance between Katagla to Rasol is almost similar if not less than the Kasol to Rasol route.
Kasol to Rasol
To cover Kasol to Rasol, one has to cross the metal truss bridge near the Kasol bus stand that connects Kasol to Challal over the gushing Parvati river. From this point, it takes 30 odd minutes to reach Challal, then another 3 hours of trek to reach the high altitude village of Rasol. The trail is clearly marked throughout, and there are a few steep sections on the trail, but otherwise, it’s not very straining on the ankles. The last point where you will be able to pack some supplies are the few shops in the Chalal village. Through the rest of the trail, there are no shops or pop up eateries.
Chalal to Rasol
The trek from Chalal to Rasol is 3 hours long for a person with average hiking speed. The trail bifurcates into two from Chalal: one follows the river and goes towards Katagla, the other follows a stream and goes up the mountain till Rasol.
Homestays in Rasol
Rasol is a sleepy splendor of a village situated in Parvati Valley with no roads to it. So the people coming to visit Rasol are very few. Accordingly, there are only homestays available in Rasol that charge anywhere between 500-700 per room. The availability of accommodation is not a problem in Rasol. The homeowners are very friendly and are often keen to talk about their lifestyle. The kids spend most of their time playing around. The food menu is very basic in the village as the supplies have to be brought up to the village by mules. This is also the reason for food being on a relatively expensive side. However, if you ask the homeowner to cook whatever they are having, you will get a good sumptuous meal for very little.
Culture of Rasol
People of Rasol grow cannabis as the primary cash crop because of the low incentives provided by the state government on other crops, also because they’ve been growing it for a very long time. While people living in the cities might use it as a recreational drug. It is a part of life for the people living in the mountains. Cannabis or hash has been used by mountain people to cure ailments for a very long time as it serves somewhat as a semi anesthetic, and for many, it is the only way to sustain their families. Due to the native nature of the plant, the police can’t have an effective strategy to stop its production. However, distribution can be disrupted. The Rasol cream is as good as the Malana cream as both the villages grow their crops away from the village on the same mountain slope. The produce once purchased by foreign nationals is now seeing an increasing demand among the Indian nationals from big cities, as cannabis continues to be a Class 1 Drug under the NDPS Act of IPC.
FAQ’s
Is Rasol trek possible in winters?
Yes,trekking is possible in winters.However when it snows the trek to Rasol is not doable and it becomes slippery.
Is Rasol trek difficult?
Rasol is moderate trek which has steep sections in some parts which are easily doable.The trail is pretty rocky.
Rasol’s relation with Malana?
Rasol is located at the same place as Malana. Malanese people consider people of Rasol as their equals.
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