2,140m up, on a ridge above Old Manali. The map below is hand-drawn — the satellite version sits further down, for the day you actually need it.
Old Manali — bakeries, the post office, a Saturday market. A footpath drops down through the deodars; gentle going, snow-free most days.
Khamand orchard — apples in October, walnuts in early November. Where most of the suppers begin. The footpath is signposted from the gate.
The Beas — fast water, cold to the wrist. Trout most months. A loop trail leaves the house and returns by a different route in around an hour.
A clearing above the upper ridge, due north. Best at sunrise. The path is marked with cairns. Dress for an extra ten degrees colder than the house.
By car from the village; the last stretch is a single-lane gravel road that the house staff will collect you on. Send your arrival time the night before.
By car. The road follows the Beas almost all the way. We can have a driver waiting at the airport if you tell us by mid-afternoon the day before.
In order, by how easy. The fourth involves a helicopter, which we have arranged twice but do not recommend.
An overnight car or a long day's drive. Most of our guests come up by road; the kitchen sends provisions back the same way. Carry warm layers in winter.
Daily flights from Delhi. From the airport, two hours twenty minutes by car. We can arrange a driver, or send our own 4×4 — depends on the season.
A six-hour onward drive. Slowest of the three, but the gentlest on the body. Most regular guests come this way for longer stays.
Above five inches of fresh snow, the gravel approach is shut. We collect from the village in a 4×4 with chains. Tell us the night before.
For the day you actually need it. Tap to open in your map of choice.
The Ridge House
Old Manali — 175131
Himachal Pradesh, India