Spiti Valley: A Portal to Another World (Narkanda, Chitkul, Kalpa, Tabo, Pin Valley & Kaza)

We took a late evening flight to Delhi followed by a early morning bus to Chandigarh from the Delhi Airport (from the bus stop in front of the Centaur Hotel). At approximately 9 am we reached ISBT Chandigarh where we met with our pre-booked taxi driver. It was more of a transit day as we reached Narkanda late in the evening. We checked into Hatu valley homestay which had some great views of the valley. It was a quite and secluded accommodation away from the crowded Narkanda market letting us enjoy our time in peace.

The day was no different from yesterday with miles and miles to cover before halting for a night at Kufri. The resort was surprisingly beautiful providing individual cottages with a enchanting valley view. We were too tired and uninterested to explore anything nearby as is the mood during all the return journeys. The energy levels are low and the excitement has withered away with the longing for home being at it's peak.

We reached Delhi by afternoon for our onward flight to Mumbai. We came across several news flash at the airport about the heavy rains in Mumbai. Our flight took off from the IGI terminal 2 on schedule and just about after 2 hours as we were about to land, it was our captain speaking from the cockpit that all the runways at the Mumbai airport were decommissioned due to water logging and that we needed to turn back to Delhi under unavoidable circumstances. The nearby airports were all occupied with the other flights being diverted for an emergency landing. We were also informed that the fuel was just about enough to make it back to Delhi and that we pray for our safe landing. There was a sudden wave of hysteria among the passengers after this announcement. Many started questioning the probability of making it to Delhi as we were running low on fuel. It was such a time when people truly started praying and remembering all their loved ones at home, such are the characteristics of a person facing imminent death. We were all wondering, can this journey get more unpredictable? Is this that one last dose of adrenaline before we reach our home safely? As destiny smiled, we landed safely at the Delhi airport at late night around 3 am. All the flights to Mumbai had been cancelled for the next 12 hours at least. The next flight scheduled was at 5 pm in the evening to accommodate as many stranded passengers as possible from the other cancelled flights. As the story comes to an appropriate conclusion, we were at homes just in time for the most missed commodity during the journey,"Ghar ka Khana".

Some key takeaways:

1) Spiti is harsh and demanding, be ready for the challenge and be assured for the reward. It is unlike anything you have witnessed.

2) The road journey for the majority of the trip is long hence try to break it smartly at equidistant halts. You don't want spoil your entire trip due a single day of inconvenience.

4) Explore Kinnaur and Spity Valley together for 12 days in total from Chandigarh to Chandigarh. Avoid flying to Delhi in order to eliminate unnecessary travel

5) Most importantly keep yourself hydrated. The climate takes a toll on your body and even though its cold and you don't feel thirsty, your body fluids are depleted good and fast without you even noticing

6) Chitkul is a fairyland, if you believe one to exist. It is the best among the lot of hamlets situated on a river bank and believe me this comes from a person who has visited almost every valley in Uttrakhand and Himachal. Remember ALAR camps in Chitkul, they would surprise you by their hospitality

7) Pin valley is a joy ride. Not many tour operators would include it in your itinerary as there is nothing to explore there unless you are planning for some trek ahead but the journey and the accompanying landscapes are enough to reserve its place in your itinerary

8) Plan your trip somewhere after the 2nd week of July which eliminates any chance of the Kunzum pass being blocked. Believe me you don't want to miss Chandratal and regret it for the rest of your life

9) Start you day as early as possible to cover most of your ground before the noon, you would not want to travel once the sun is high up draining you of your energy

10) Spiti is equally beautiful in winters, so have i heard. If you like a snowy holiday just go for it as you never know may spot a snow leopard on its way to catch it's prey

I was already regretting our decision halfway through the trek to Hatu peak as it can very well be reached by a vehicle. There is a mortar road all the way up to the Hatu Mata temple from Narkanda. But to reach a peak with one's own efforts has its own share of challenges and thrill. We took the jungle trail a couple of times in between to reduce the overall trek distance and saw a fresh kill (dear) in one of those instances. We ran for our lives as we were pretty certain that a predator lurked behind the trees waiting for the chance to pounce upon us. Well, we would never know which animal it was as we didn't stray an inch away from the road thereafter for the rest of the trek. We covered a total distance of 5 km till the Hatu Mata temple exhausted and thirsty as there was no water source on the way. It took us good 2 hrs to reach the top with intermittent breaks in between. The view from the top was breathtaking and we could see the city of Shimla at a distance.

The Hatu Mata temple is architecturally unique carrying a striking resemblance to a Japanese temple. It took us not more than an hour to get back to the home stay. A long six hours journey, maybe the longest road journey of our trip awaited us as we left for Chitkul at noon. We bypassed Rampur, Sarahan, Sangla and Rakcham on the way to Chitkul. A brief halt to witness the confluence of Sutlej and Bapsa river is must at the Karcham Wangtoo dam. It's a rare sight to see the turquoise water of Bapsa meeting the dark muddy water of Sutlej making it a photographer's delight. Chitkul is the last Indian village on the Indo- China border located on the banks of Baspa river. Sangla is an aptly popular stop on the way to break the long journey and take a night halt if one has an extra day at disposal. One can also explore the apple orchards during the harvesting month of Sep & Oct. It was already dark when we reached Sangla and there was considerable distance left to cover until Chitkul. The rain was not helping much as driving in dark on those slippery steep roads only enough for a single vehicle to pass was not only difficulty but unfathomably dangerous. It was pitch black and we could only hear the sound of the river flowing along with us. There was neither cellphone signal nor a single soul to be seen on the road as we reached Chitkul which made it really difficult to locate the Bapsa river camps. After inquiring with the nearby houses we reached the camp only to know that the manager has already accommodated some tourists arriving before us even though we had an advance booking. He asked us to move to an alternate camp a few metres ahead for which we argued for a good while, but practically we had no choice but to except the arrangement as we were tired like hell and it was virtually impossible to look for another place so late in the day. So instead of the Bapsa river camps we checked into The ALAR camps owned by a very fine gentleman Mr Vishal Agarwal. The guy had his own story to tell who hailed from Jaipur working with an MNC untill a year back. He came to Chitkul as a tourist and stayed behind to start his own venture in association with the locals. Our misfortune turned out to be a blessing in disguise as we a great time with those guys. Along with Vishal, the cook and the other helpers were really warm and friendly in accommodating our requests. The camps were brand new adhering to very high standards of cleanliness. The night was young and rain refused to cease as we shared our stories (some to remember and some to forget), danced around the bonfire and had the simplest yet the tastiest of meals thanking the heavens for such an enthralling experience.

It was a sight to behold as i set a foot out of my Swiss tent. It was like standing in the middle of some canvas painting oozing out magical bright colors. Standing on a ridge with the Bapsa river flowing some 50 ft below was like a sweet chin music to my ears. The soothing nature of the whole setting was straight out of some dreamland makes it impossible to weave words around it. It can only be experienced and it can only be felt in person. We went to the river bed and sat there for a while lost in the moment. It felt like a crime to not spend another day in such a place. As advised by our guide cum friend Vishal, we decided to stay a little longer and explore the nearby waterfall across the river and if time and energy permits, trek to the glacial source of the waterfall. Moving along the Baspa river, crossing an old iron bridge and finally covering a marshy trail to arrive at the waterfall. It was a bright sunny day ideal for an trekking excursion and surely we weren't going to stop there. We started Trekking upwards along the waterfall hoping to reach the Glacier. There was no trail at all, no signs and nothing to guide our way as we were the only ones going in that direction. The more we went ahead the more difficult the route became. Small rocks turned into huge boulders, narrow streams started flowing fiercely and the source was nowhere to be seen. After an hour dodging boulders, navigating streams, we arrived at the mouth of the glacier. We did come a long way up from the river bed as the houses in the village were no longer visible to our naked eye. After about an hour we were back to our camp and in about another hour on our way to Kalpa. Kalpa or Reckong Peo is the gateway to Spiti. It was supposed to be the final transit point before the shadow region starts. We reached on time for dinner and resorted to our rooms for the long day awaited us the next morning.

The visit to the much revered suicide point first thing in the morning was rather dull. I couldn't understand the hype around it. While we just descended down to the Highway (Kalpa is a 10 km detour from the highway), we saw a long queue of vehicles stranded on the side of the road towards Tabo. It was gathered that there was a huge landslide some 5 km ahead. The road was getting repaired and until then there could be no movement of vehicles. It was a state of limbo as there were no definitive timelines by which the movement could resume and so we were stuck till then. About 2 hours later the traffic cleared only to move ahead with caution. The entire stretch from Kalpa to Pooh was in pathetic shape, maybe the most pathetic i have ever seen. Heavy rains greeted us the moment we crossed pooh all the way till Nako which further hindered our movement. It took us just shy of 9 hours to reach Tabo in the evening all tired and bored. Hence i suppose, it is always a good choice to halt for a night at Nako to break the long journey that somehow steals your zeal away. I spent the rest of the evening in my room sipping hot tomato soup as i was running fever and a bad throat.

So as they say, every morning is new and a better one too, so was this one. A visit to the adjacent Tabo monastery was peaceful and informative. The monastery is noted for being the oldest continuously operating Buddhist enclave in both India and the Himalayas. There are several priceless ancient murals and artifact displayed on almost every of it's walls. The monastery is protected by the ASI as a national historic treasure of India. The roads from Tabo to Pin valley were something out of this world. We were finally witnessing the so called world within a world terrain while moving along the Spiti river. The sun was showering fire from above yet we were shivering to our bones. Such dichotomy in the weather conditions makes this region harsh and difficult for survival. The roads again were bumpy and narrow which required sharp driving skills to avoid any mishaps that may be life threatening. Dhankar Gompa was our first stop, well visible from a distance before we even started making the climb. The Gompa overlooks the confluence for Spiti and Pin rivers and is one of the most spectacularly located Monastery in the world built on a 1000 foot high spur. The Monastery hosts several artifacts and valuables just like any other monestary in the region. The Gompa also paves the way for the Dhankar lakes which was next on our list. It's an 60 mins steep trek under harsh weather conditions that provides no shade whatsoever till the lake. Even though the trek is not much challenging but it does drains out every last drop of fluid from your body. It is a rare sight to see a turquoise water lake situated amidst the snow capped hillocks. The surrounding land is morbidly barren as one can encounter large patches of thorny bushes on the way to the water body. One thing that stood out to me was that the water changed color every time i looked at it from a different angle. We circumvented the lake as it kept on changing it's shades. Undoubtedly it seemed more beautiful and pristine with each changing color. The road to Mud village, the base village for several high altitude treks including Pin Bhabha pass was yet another phenomenon. Now even the mountains started changing colors, as we could not help but notice yellow, red and orange tinge in the form of layers along the slopes. You would need to witness it in order to believe it, it's really hard to imagine such phenomenal beauty vicariously.

Must Read: kinner kailash

There were many small villages located on the slopes with not more than 10 houses, who cultivated their own crop and other necessities. The clouds were playing hide and seek with the mountains casting shadows on the foothills. We crossed numerous little bridges to cross the perennial streams and the biggest one was to cross the Pin river itself at Mikkim. We saw glaciers protruding on the way, frozen waterfalls vanishing under the bridges and smiling kids waving us goodbye. The journey itself was an unexpected treat as for the first time we didn't get enough of our time on the road and wished we didn't had any destination to go. After reaching, we had a evening stroll around the village as it was just about to get dark. It was end of the motor able road and any kind of further exploration of the valley could only be done on foot. We had a simple dinner and went on to the roof to witness a million stars scattered across the sky. The sky hadn't been so clear so beautiful ever before in our lives. We even made out certain constellations and lone bright stars out of curiosity. It seemed like god's very own planetarium and we were surely in for a treat in that moment.

After a heavy breakfast, we were on our way to Kaza, the capital of Spiti Valley. We traversed through the same path we traveled yesterday till the point of confluence. There isn't much to see in Kaza except for the Monastery, but there is a lot to explore around Kaza which would ideally require at least 2 days to cover. There are basically 2 circuits namely Hikkim-Komic-Langza circuit and Key-Kibber-Chicham circuit. The villages Hikkim, Komic and Langza were supposed to be covered today in that order respectively before moving to Kaza for a night halt. Hikkim hosts the worlds highest post office and as fancy as it may sound, it was the favorite tourist spot. There were more tourists in the place than the villagers themselves waiting in a long queue to send postcards to their loved ones from the highest post office. The institution was certainly not equipped to handle such a deluge of requests and guess i was right as i didn't receive the postcard i sent to my home till this very day even after 10 months of waiting. The only take away from the village was the Seabuckthorn tea/juice that we tried. Made from wonder berries, indigenous to the high altitude valleys was a treat to our taste buds. We even bought a couple of bottles for our homes from Kaza while returning. The next on the list was Komic, the highest villlage connected with motor able road. Again it was crowded with alarming tourist activity and the Monastery too was closed for renovation. However the Spiti organic kitchen unexpectedly offered some delicious delicacies at such a remote place. We incidentally tried everything on their menu and weren't disappointed with a single dish. As one might notice, our lunch lasted for over 2 hrs until there was no further scope to eat. Langza awaited us at very short distance from Komic. This is the highest of all the three villages located at about 14500 feet popular for it's huge Buddha statue, the highest in the region. This village also gives a breathtaking view of the surrounding peaks and other small settlements. After satisfying our curiosity, the next on our radar was Kaza which was going to be our abode for the next 2 nights. There is a big souvenir shop in Kaza offering ample choices for all kinds of shopping. The prices are fixed but competitive too. The owners are helpful and might accompany your to find exactly what you might be looking for. Hence our evening walk was by large turned into souvenir shopping of sorts.

Kunzum pass was not yet operational, as we gathered from our guide which meant we would not be able to visit the mysterious Chandratal lake, which in turn meant that we needed to go back via the shimla route instead of Manali. If there was any consolation prize, we could attempt to visit Kunzum pass and return to Kaza the same day. After so much lost so early, we weren't backing out from trying out this one at least. We started early to cover our second circuit of Kaza before moving on to chase the possibility of visiting Kunzum pass. Key Monastery was the first kill among the series of other targets. Key Monastery was by far the best and the most picturesque for me at least. It was built with the intention to serve as a fort nesting a Gompa. It overlooks the Spiti river and has very unique architectural aesthetics. It is the biggest Monastery in the valley housing hundreds of monks and students of Buddhist scriptures. There are natural caves inside the Gompa turned into small meditation cubicles. The Gompa as others houses many ancient mural and paintings which also include some rare images of Buddha. After spending some moments listening to the chanting monks in the prayer hall, we moved towards Kibber, which was our breakfast ground if anything else. During winters this village is the hot spot for spotting the elusive snow leopard. Chicham bridge is a few km further from Kibber documented as the Asia's highest bridge overlooking a 1000 feet gorge. A really Insta worthy location by nature, Chicham also holds the significance to connect Kibber with Losar.

Kunzum pass seemed doable counting 7 hrs till dark. The roads ahead of Chicham were a lost cause as we didn't get to accelerate beyond 40 kph. It was like a slow painful death with some occasional views and terrain to cheers us up. The roads even deteriorated after Losar once the snow patches started kicking in, made us realize why Kunzum pass was not yet open. We saw a couple of vehicles stuck at odd turns due to low ground clearance and narrow axle diameter. Kunzum pass had heaps of snow, some fresh as early as a week. Such unpredictable weather hindered the pass getting opened until the end of June. It was below 10 degree with strong winds in early afternoon. We tried getting a bit ahead to see of we can pass but to our bad luck the road was completely off ahead. We paid our respects at Kunzum Mata temple and wished to come back some day to be able to see the Chandratal lake before commencing the return journey. The drive back was dull and tiring and i guess we all dozed off without uttering a word. In the evening though we visited local market to buy those Seabuckthorne juice bottles and some more souvenirs. We cannot help but wonder that even though we had witnessed several magical sunsets over serrated Himalayan peaks and surreal wind-sculpted moonscapes in the last few days but somehow we still cannot get enough of this place.

The next day was my birthday which was ideally supposed to be spent on the banks of Chandratal lake but here we were on the long road journey back towards Kalpa. One thing we covered on our way was the Gue Monastery famous for it's 500-year-old mummy, whose teeth are still visible through his open lips, protected by only a thin sheet of glass. These were the remains of a 15th-century Buddhist monk named Sangha Tenzin. He was discovered in 1975 when the stupa that was housing him collapsed during an earthquake. Since then, the body has shown little deterioration, despite being exposed to the elements and having no artificial preservation. It was late evening when we reached Kalpa to stay at the same group of hotels we did while coming from Chitkul. At least the guys made my evening memorable as we danced and sang our way through the night.