Chitkul is the last village on the Into Tibetan Border on the Shimla Rampur highway. It is 350km away from Chandigarh and usually takes a 12 hour non stop journey in a car through Shimla- Rampur. It can be accessed almost throughout the year except the peak winter season when the roads are blocked due to heavy snow. We planned this trip in July( Monsoons) which was not a very wise decision but it turned out to be a great venture!
We were a group of 50 people and had 3 travelers. There was a storm already building up in the Tricity and hence we had a little prediction as to what weather we will face along the journey. We departed from Chandigarh by 7pm and reached Chitkul by 11 am next morning. It rained all night and we were just praying so as to be safe from landslides.
We reached Chitkul the next day and it was already noon. We all checked in at Samaa Resorts, Chitkul. After having lunch, I went out to explore the Flag Peak trail as it provides a great view of the valley. We started out at 4 pm and we entered a wrong valley which was full of flowers that it seemed the correct path. We met a local couple and they explained us the correct route. Finally we made it to the trail and started the ascent. We climbed for an hour and noticed that the weather was changing. So we decided to descend and return to the hotel before it turned dark.
After the hike yesterday, We decided to hike to the top point again the next morning! We left at 5:15am for the hike and reached the final top by 7:30am and were thankful to be alive to see that heaven from above!
After returning from the hike, we had breakfast and rested till afternoon. The next target was to explore the Black Glacier Trek. So we managed to find the trail but it was a day long hike so we decided to walk till dark and then return to the base. It was a good investment as the trail was all along a fast flowing stream from the glacier. We reurned before sunset and spent the time by the Baspa River! One of the best sunsets of my life
The 2 days were all about hiking and views so today, the aim was to visit the local temples and interact with locals. We visisted the Mathi temple and there was a celebration in the village because of opening of a new monastry. We had a great time, performed Naati, ate food and were vodka as prasad! We visited the last checkpost of India after which the tourist is not allowed without permission. We departed for Chandigarh at 5pm and the weather was also clear. But mountains had some other plans and a lanslide happenend at the Kinnaur Rampur border and we were stuck for 12 hours but that did not hamper the fun of the trip.
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