Kaza (Spiti Valley)

Our Final destination was kaza, for which whole trip was changed.

Starting from Gue village where we stayed just for an hour, the scenery changed drastically, Lapped by snow covered mountains, bubbling rivers and streams, picturesque barren dry yet magnetic mountains with scatted patches of green.

I guess I had stopped 100s of times to taste this land. Every tunrn I had taken and I found a whole new world. Driving to these roads is indeed a challenge. I remembered my ladakh trip as we were moving towards Kaza. These roads were just like this, sometimes I felt, kind of difficult from ladakh. They are good but bad at some points. You are going to travel on single narrow road, so if you are driving you own vehicle, just drive carefully here. No need to show off or become hero there.

Kaza situated along with spiti river at the elevaton of 3650 meters above sea level and is the largest town and commercial center of spiti valley.

There are many hotels at Kaza, so not to worry about the staying and food.

However, on reaching Kaza and booking the room, neither me and nor Sharad stopped their to take rest. It was already late afternoon and I personally did not wanted to miss Sunset from Key monastery location. The monastery in itself is a wonder. standing tall from past 1000 years and is the oldest monastery in Spiti region. And frankly this was the best Sunset I witnessed after 2 long years.

We hiked a little to take frame of Key monastery and Sunset. It is beyond words. You need to go their to witness such sunset. Key monastery is roughly 7 km from the main city. We stayed their for long time, had conversations and played with Buddhist disciples who were living their. Some had spent a lifetime, some came here at the tender age of 7 years. Their dedication to find themselves is still a thought to ponder for me.

Anyway we stay a little more, till night and I tried my best capture a star trail photos with Key monastery as my main subject. Temperature suddenly dropped to some negative degrees and winds started blowing hard. We both were latterly shivering in open sky their. But I got it :)

Our next morning was quite late ofcourse. We chosed to go to Village Langza, the main attraction of this village is the big Golden Buddha statue and fossils. The statue was built in 2002 and 2005. Temple behind it is roughly 500 years old. Langza is also called as fossil village but we did not went their in search of it as I wanted to see more places as quickly as possible. Population of this village is like in between 100-200 people only and all houses were built below the Buddha statue... if you look closely, it may seems like they were made in bowl shape land. Few houses give facility for staying here and frankly one cannot resist it but of course you need to have ample of time, which we were not having...

So we moved quickly towards world highest village - Komic. The road is quite risky so please be careful while driving if you are coming by your own vehicle. There is a village monastery here which is also 500 years old.

Here too the village houses were built in bowl shape land. May be giving tribute to Buddha who always carries a bowl with him.

Later after having bellyful lunch at kaza we moved to Kibber village which is famous for its wild life sanctuary. If you are lucky and want to hike in these barren land, you may see snow leopard, Himalayan wolf, Ibex, Red fox and many such species. There are many homestays here as well.

We stopped a little, had little talks with localite, click some pictures and moved once again towards our last destination which was Chicham bridge. It is said that this is highest bridge that ever built at the altitude of 4.037 km and it connect kibber to chicham village.

And finally on return, both of us do not want to go to hotel for rest, so the first time in night I drived once again to Langza village to take star trails photo with Buddha statue as my subject.

There was no thunders, no storms, not even strong winds when we reached to this place once again in night. We were here just 2 days before the full Moon and so it have had its own reason to smile quite big, and smile was kind of sarcastic, like it was saying to me, I won’t let you show the diamonds today. And I literally smiled back with one thought “I will dig out the diamonds, you do your work”. :D

Clouds which appeared that evening and almost covered like blanket, were now gone hand by hand with the wind which was blowing earlier. Seems like two lovers went for casual walk away from Spiti Valley. Yes, that’s how weather play in mountains. Around 8.40 pm I and Sharad reached to this place Langcha or Langza where this giant Buddha Statue is built. It was calm outside, Villagers of Langcha were inside their home with a pin drop silence outside…

Was it cold?… I think I have to change some other word for this “Cold”… It was actually freezing out there. Temperature in some minus degrees and in just 10 minutes when I was setting tripod and camera and composing the shot, my hands already started burning. Now this burning feeling we all have experienced sometimes in our lives by holding ICE in our hands. But up-to what extent one can hold it. I set a record there for 25 minutes and my fingers still not recovered till full month. I realized later...Yes it is dangerous thing.

I took two interval shots here in total of 1 hr and 50 minutes. 1 hr sitting in car and rest 50 minutes saying hello to Moon but this time I was having a sarcastic smile to it. Till date, this is the most difficult shot I took, not because it is difficult to take, it’s because of this harsh temperature, where I saw Ice on my car glasses, where I saw mountains which were already wearing the snow caps when we came in and then which converted into some white night dress and then seems like this white cloth gone rogue and the whole area was nothing but white… diamonds which I found were started disappearing as Moon got envious and now was on our head. At 10.30 pm we left this place with a lifetime memory and of-course slept with empty stomach. No food in Kaza after 9.30 pm.

But the day spent well. The next day, due to no time left, we left this beautiful place with a promise that we will come again here.

Points to note

How to reach Kaza

Take taxi or buses from Shimla (technically all around the year) or from Manali (June first week). Self drive can also be the best option. Driving to such roads simply gives wonderful experience

Places to see in Kaza

a) Key monastery

b) Langza Village

c) Highest village - Komic

d) Highest post office - Hikim

e) Kibber village

f) Chicham Bridge

Best way to see Kaza

Taxi is the best option.

Best time to visit

From late April till September. But lot of tours also go to spiti in winters.

Please protect mountains and hill area. Do not litter here and there.

So this was all about my Spiti trip. I hope you enjoyed it the way I enjoyed writing here and sharing the pics. Will see you in my next trip very soon. Until then have a wonderful time.

If you have query, you can reach me at instagram or fb account.