Meher-Fatma Posted: Fri Dec 11 2009, 02:26 hrs ~ www.indianexpress.com

Away from the daily humdrum, an impromptu trip high up on the hills is a time-tested formula to recharge your spirits. Take a quick weekend fix of adrenaline rush and mix it with some lazy napping at Narkanda—a hilly getaway in the Shimla district of Himachal Pradesh. About 65 km from the tourist hotspot of Shimla, this quiet town is popular for its proximity to Hatu Peak and is 16 km from Kotgarh, where Satyananda Stokes — an American visitor who went on fight in India’s freedom movement — began apple farming.

Most resorts in Narkanda are fitted with facilities for outdoor adventures. At Tethys, a cosy hilltop resort lined with pine trees, you can go trekking or hire bicycles and motorbikes to cruise down the hairpin bends of the hill. At Kotgarh, however, the pretty landscape dotted with apple orchards invites you to put on your walking shoes. The hilly curves near Hatu Peak are dotted with age-old churches and you may even catch a glimpse of a temple inspired by Tibetan architecture. Evenings in Narkanda are best spent inside a resort, especially at Tethys, where there are bonfires and fire-spitting tandoors offering smoke-flavoured tikkas.

Narkanda is nine hours by road from Delhi. Or take a train to Kalka and hire a car or a bike for the remaining stretch. From Shimla, you can even hop on to a bus for Narkanda.

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