At the top of the Banjar Valley, Hwy 305 climbs over the panoramic 3223m Jalori Pass, marked by a couple of dhabas and a Mahakali temple. In calm weather this is a great spot for observing Himalayan griffon vultures, the biggest birds in the Indian Himalaya. From the pass you can walk 6km east (fairly level) to the small, holy Saryolsar Lake, or 3km west (uphill) to the scanty ruins of Raghupur Fort, through evergreen oak forests in both cases.
A taxi round trip from Jibhi to the pass, including time for you to walk to Saryolsar or Raghupur, costs ₹2000. The road over the pass is unpaved for the 16km from Ghiyagi on the north side to Khanag on the south, and the pass is normally closed by snow from approximately mid-December to early March.
From Saryolsar Lake trekkers can continue to Lambhari (aka Lambri) Top, a ridge at about 3600m with spectacular mountain vistas (two or three days there and back).
