Shiva Waterfall Trek, Himachal

I have always maintained that the best way to explore any place is to go by foot and therefore while staying at Hail Himalayas I got this opportunity to go to the Shiva waterfall so how could I have said no?

Huge cactus plants

Now the trek is not very long from Kanechi village to the waterfall and back and I would rate it as an easy grade trek most of the way except for the last bit of climb to the Ashram and then climbing down to the waterfall which I would grade as moderate.

The Katnalu Creek with the Bhardwaj Ashram in the distance

Several times I go for solo trekking but this time I had the excellent company of Mr Hem Singh Thakur and Mr Jeeval Prabhakar. I say excellent as Hem has superb knowledge of the local flora and fauna and he was instrumental in increasing my meager knowledge in this area to some extent.

The trek started with sparse vegetation but as we went along the foliage also increased. There were huge cactus plants growing to heights of 10 to 12 feet on the way. The trek path crisscrosses the Katnalu creek and you keep crossing the creek time and again balancing yourself on the stones in the stream to cross over.

Shiva Waterfall

In winters as the water is less crossing is not too much of a problem but I am sure in Monsoons you would have no option other than wetting your feet several times during the trek.The waterfall is almost hidden from the view till you come quite close to it by a dense crop of trees. The last bit of going down from the Bhardwaj Ashram to the waterfall is very steep and but for the wires attached could even be risky.

Almost hidden Shiva waterfall

But once you see the whole waterfall it is very refreshing to the eyes. The waterfall must be about 80 feet in height and forms a small pool at the bottom before rushing further down. And most of the time when the sun is out you may get to see the rainbow being formed at the waterfall. After staying at the waterfall site we headed up back to the Ashram and there the Sadhu offered us tea which we had with great relish despite the fact that it was too sweet.

The trekking path amidst the jungle

During the whole trek one comes across several bird species and the area can be considered a treasure trove for the bird lovers. I also noticed a smaller second waterfall (also partly hidden by vegetation) much closer to the campsite which is much smaller than the Shiva waterfall but still beautiful.

A second waterfall closer to the Kanechi village

For those from the city who are not much used to trekking or for those who do not have much time at their disposal this is an ideal trek.

Also read:
My Stay at Hail Himalayas
Birds at Katnalu Creek, Himachal
Sunrise at Madag