On the morning of Monday, 11 July 2022, as I woke up and looked up towards the sky and I felt from inside “Aaj Kuch Toofani Karte Hain!” The weather looked perfect for a long bike ride and my wife, Tania, loves bike rides.  We got married a couple of months ago. For some time, she had been complaining that I was not taking her for a ride or trip.

After some googling for a bike ride in this lovely weather, I found a place called Bagda valley viewpoint. I was not aware of this place as it’s still not on the popular tourist map but some people have been exploring it recently on bikes. I checked and it seems to be around 50 kilometres from our house. It’s after the amazing Patratu valley. We have been to Patratu and the valley several times before.

Bagda valley is a part of the Chotanagpur plateau and is surrounded by hills and forests. The valley is home to a variety of flora and fauna, including some rare species of birds and butterflies. You can also spot some tribal villages and farms along the way.

I asked Tania to get the trip ready. After setting up the GPS, we left for Bagda valley viewpoint in the afternoon at around 2:00 P.M. It was a cloudy day, like any other day in this monsoon season. After riding for some time on the ring road, we took a turn towards the Patratu ghati. Ghatis are access routes into the mountainous or hilly areas and mountain ranges of the Indian subcontinent. These roads are remarkable feats of engineering with lots of bends and curves.

After some ride, we reached the mesmerizing Patratu valley, which was looking more beautiful with green forests on the side and clouds in the sky. The Patratu ghati gives the same incredible feel every time I ride a bike on it. The turns downhill give me a thrill each time I negotiate one. After riding downhill rather than going towards the Patratu Dam we took a turn towards the village side around Patratu.

After riding for around 30 minutes, we reached the turn from where the off-roading started. The road is practically non-existent. I had not gone on off-road riding for a while. It was quite a long off-road stretch of about 5 kilometres before we reached the valley viewpoint and I highly doubt anyone ride anything other than a two-wheeler on this road.

We reached the hilltop after a pretty steep climb. We found the viewpoint most suited for viewing only and it was worth it. It’s a small virgin hilltop table with a few other folks reaching here like us. This place can be developed as a picnic point with some shades and small shops for tea, snacks etc.

The whole trip, the off-road riding and the steep uphill climb, everything is done to reach there was worth it. Tania was also very happy to be there and she seems to have loved the ride along with the location of the viewpoint. We were there for some 30 minutes, and it then started to drizzle, so we had to pack up and leave as we had to ride a long way back to reach home.

There are several trails that you can follow, depending on your level of fitness and interest. Some of the trails will take you to viewpoints that offer stunning views of the valley and the surrounding landscape. You can also explore some caves and rock formations along the way.

On our way back home we did get wet a little in the rain, but after reaching home I felt that the whole day’s impromptu trip with my lovely wife was just perfect.