1. Delhi - Agra - Etawah Distance
Distance - 320 KM , Time - 5 hours including a 20 minutes stop at McDonalds, Mathura
2. Etawah - Kanpur
Distance - 150 KM. Time - 2 hours non-stop
3. Kanpur - Allahabad
Distance - 200 KM, Time - 4 hours since the by-pass is not yet done
4. Allahabad - Banaras
Distance - 120 KMs, Time - 2.5 Hours (if you are coming from city, once by-pass is there, it
would be less then 2 hours)
Delhi-->Surajkund-->Faridabad-->Ballabgarh-->Palwal-->Hodal-->Kosi-->Chhata-->Jalt-->Mathura->Farah-->Sikandra-->Agra-->Etmatpur-->Firozabad-->Shikohabad-->Jaswantnagar-->Etawah->Bakewar-->Muradaganj-->Auriya-->Sikandra-->Bhognipur-->Lalpur-->Bara-->Kanpur-->Sarsaul-->Aung->Malwa-->Fatehpur-->Khaga-->Palahana-->Pura -Mutti-->Allahabad-->Saidabad-->Haindabad-->Anrai->Varanasi-->Sarai-->Chandauli-->Durgauti-->Mohania-->Sasaram-->Dehri-->Aurangabad-->Madanpur->Amas-->Dobhi-->Barachati-->Chauparan-->Barhl-->Baraktha-->Bagodr-->Dumri-->Dhanbad-->Nirsa->Kulti-->Asansol-->Ranjgang-->Andal-->Durgapur-->Kaksa-->Galsi-->Barddhaman-->Memari->Chuchura-->Chandnagar-->Srirampur-->Haora-->Kolkata
Delhi - Shimla drive can be divided into 4 sections.
1. NH1 (Delhi to Ambala) - 200 Odd KMs. 3.5 hours.
2. NH21 (Ambala to Zirakpur) - 30 odd Kms. 1 hour
3. Zirakpur to Kalka - 60 odd Kms. 1.5 hour
4. Kalka to Shimla - 80 odd Kms.3 hours
Get out of Delhi from Azadpur Bypass, more popularly known as just Bypass, this is on ring
road which circles Delhi so hop on to Ring Road and go North from Bypass. Now you are on
NH1, its one of those dead-long-monotonous stretch of tar on which you can drive on Auto-Pilot.
There are towns and cities on the way but you can easily clock an avg of 60-70 Km an hour for
this stretch. So depending upon time of day, it might take you anywhere from 3 to 4 hours. First
stop is Murthal, the place which is more popular for its Paranthas then anything else. A motley of
restaurants which are all named as something no 1 (Ahuja no 1 is one of the popular joints)
where truckers enjoy their evening meal with that yellow-golden Mcdowell drink (well why only
Mcdowell, because there is this McDowell No 1, have you ever heard of Black Label No 1 or a
Glenn-Phiddich No 1). Avoid eating. Keep driving. Then you have Sonipat, Panipat. These days
a real city long fly-way is being constructed in Panipat so if possible, avoid 9-12 AM and 5-8
PM. Sundays are better. Panipat is famous (apart from that old battle thingie) for this chain of
Panchranga (five colored) pickle shops. There are at least 3 million Panchranga pickle shops on
this stretch. There is this famous joke that in Panipat, if you ask for directions, they tell you with
reference to Panchrangas. The converstion goes like this
Kaaru :Hey, where is the battle ground of that big fight between Mr. Akbar and Ghazni saheb ?
Tau : Well, go straight for next 12 Panchrangas, take left and after 3 Panchrangas, take another
left, cut to your right through the 2nd Panchranga on your right and ask for 36 Panchrangee
Lane. Once you reach there, head towards Panchranga Maidaan, then there is this Panchranga
Towers, pass that, cross Panchranga gate and you would find yourself close to ………….
I must have been to this stretch zillion times and boy, how many panchrangas are there. I guess
that Jat sting of humor has some thing to do with this chain of pickle stores. May be…. Any way,
dont bother to stop and keep driving. You would now reach Karnal. If you are a dairy fan then
ask for NDRI and have some good lassi, ghee, butter, milk products, really worth it, else keep
driving. On your right you would find ‘Haveli’, its a pretty good option to stop and eat and while
around. After a while you would now be at Ambala, if you are lucky you might see some sorties
for Ambala is also a cantonment.
At this point, you would need to look for directions and go towards Chandigarh. Now we are out
of NH1 and this road is called NH21. These days this exit is closed and you would need to
further go on NH1 for a while and then take a right. This road is being done-up so while it gets
done, you lose on speed and most of it is single road so you would need to be more careful. Go
straight till Zirakpur and take a right towards Panchkula. Keep driving, pass the railway fatak
and you are now in Panchkula Cantt area, good wide clean roads, press the throttle.
Keep going straight, and you would find the famous ‘Pinjore’ garden on your left. Its not one of
those great places to halt but it might not hurt too much to actually spend some time here. They
have this funny reverse big clock (yeah this place is in Haryana) and the garden is done at 7
levels, ok ok fountains, lots of trees, some flowers and lots of kids. There is this eating joint just
outside of Pinjore, well colored and inviting but this guy takes years to get your orders, ok food.
Also there used to be this huge bee-hives hanging from tall trees just outside of Pinjore.
Be on the same road and you would get into a congested market. Be careful on how you drive.
Good place to buy stone or china vessels. There is this tribe of traffic Policeman who are on
look-out. I was stopped as recently as last week and I have heard from many people so simply
avoid eye contact and keep driving straight. You are now on your last few furlongs of Haryana,
get into HP. They charge money to allow you an entry and now comes the beautiful part of this
whole trip.
From Kalka, hills start. The roads are well laid and well kept. Enjoy the scenic hills, take a quick
stop to enjoy that corn (saada bhutta yaar), buy some stutter wines and keep driving. The same
road would take you to Shimla. It would be about 80 odd KMs from Kalka and Dharampur is
one of the big places on the way. Enjoy Naan and Dal at “Gyani Da Dhaba”. If you want to go to
Kasauli then take a left just after Dharampur. For chail, go till Kandaghat, and take a right. For
Shogi, go straight till Shogi. For shimla, simply keep going.
I think I got carried away with stretch one but really you need to see those hundreds of
Panchrangas to believe me. Write back if you want to know more on this route and I would try
my memory. There are some detours which can be utilized. For example, you can take a right at
Shahbad (before Ambala) and directly reach to Panchkula. Or when you are on Ambala-Zirakpur
road, you dont need to go till Zirakpur, rather get out from Dera Basti but I told you about the
default route.
One other thing I would want to share that I had lost my power brakes so it all needed sheer raw
power to stop the car and at times, a Scorpio tends to get a really bulky and I had to really use all
my power to press the brake paddle :). Enjoy !!
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Agra-Delhi - Shimla - Matiana - Narkanda/Baghi [ 1 night ] sept 28 SUN
Narkhanda - VIA TAKLESH AND BAGHI - Rampur - Sarahan [ 1 night ] Sept 29 MON
Sarahan - Wangtu - Sangla - Chitkul [ 1 nights ] Oct 30 AND 1 TUES AND WED
Chitkul - Powari - Reckong Peo - Kalpa/Roghi [ 2 nights] Oct 2 and 3 THURS AND FRI
Kalpa/Roghi - jangi - GIABONG/ROPA VALLEY - oCT 4 SATURDAY
GIABONG - Nako- [[Nako - Giu - Nako] - TABO [ 1 night ] Oct 5 SUNDAY
Tabo - Attargu - Kungri - Attargu - Kaza - Demul Langza-Kaza [ 2 nights ] Oct 6 and 7 MON
AND TUES
Kaza - Losar - Kunzum Pass - Chatru/Khoksar/ManalI [1 night] Oct 8 WED
MANALI - GUSHAINI 9, THURS
GUSHAINI - SHOJA/GIYAGI/KHANAG 10 FRID
SHOJA - TAKLESH/KHADRALA 11TH SATURDAY
TAKLESH - SUNGRI - KHADRALA - BAGHI-SOLAN 12TH SUNDAY
BAGHI - GUMMA- CHHALIA-SAINJ-BALAG-NARIPUL-YASHWANTNAGAR-SOLAN
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Day 04 Shimla - Narkanda - Hattu Peak - Rampur - Sarahan (175 Km) (7 - 8hrs) (2165m)
Day 05 Saharan - Jeori - Wangtu - Karcham - Sangla. (92 Km) (3 - 4hrs) (2680m)
Day 06 Sangla - Chitkul / Sangla. (46 Km) (2 - 3hrs) (2680m)
Day 07 Chitkul/ Sangla - Kalpa (49 Km) (3 - 4hrs) (2960m)
Day 08 Kalpa - Nako (110 Km) (4- 5hrs) (3550m)
Day 09 Nako - Tabo (60 Km) (2 -3hrs) (3050m)
Day 10 Tabo - Dhankar - Mudh (104 Km) (4 - 5hrs) (3800m)
Day 11 Mudh - Kungri - Attargu - Kaza (60Km) (3400m)
Day 12 Kaza - Key Monestry - Kibber - Kaza (50kms) (3 - 4rs) (3400m)
Day 13 Kaza/Kibber - Losar - Kunzum La - Rohtang La - Manali (200kms) (9 - 10hrs) (2050m)
DELHI – SHIMLA.......(370 km)
Shimla is 365 km from Delhi and 115 km from Chandigarh, the nearby prominent cities.
SHIMLA – SARAHAN........(176 km)
Shimla – Wild Flower Hall (2498m)
Wild Flower Hall – Kufri (2510m)
Kufri – Fagu (2500m)
Fagu – Narkanda (2708m)
Narkanda – Kumarsain (2150m)
Kumarsain – Sainj (1372m)
Sainj – Nirath (945m)
Nirath – Dutt Nagar (970m)
Dutt Nagar – Rampur (1005m)
Rampur – Jeori (1250m)
Jeori – Sarahan (2165m)
………..13 km
………..03 km
.……..06 km
………..42 km
………..16 km
………..15 km
………..18 km
………... 06 km
………...09 km
………..23 km
………..17 km
SARAHAN – SANGLA – CHITKUL........(121 km)
Sarahan – Jeori (1250m)
………..18 km
Jeori – Chora (1260m)
………..11 km
Chora – Bhawa Nagar (1450m)
………..20 km
Bhawa Nagar – Wangtu (1830m)
………... 09 km
Wangtu – Tapri (1683m)
………..10 km
Tapri – Karchham (1899m)
……….. 09 km
Karchham – Sangla (2680m)
………..18 km
Sangla – Chitkul (3480m)
………..26 km
CHITKUL – KALPA.........(77 km)
Chitkul – Karchham (1899m)
Karchham – Powari (2170m)
Powari – Recong Peo (2290m)
Recong Peo – Kalpa (2900m)
……….44 km
………13 km
……… 7 km
………13 km
KALPA – TABO ..........(170 km)
Kalpa – Akpa (2238)
Akpa – Morang (2276m)
Morang – Spello (2244m)
Spello – Puh (2837m)
Puh – Khab (2831m)
Khab – Nako (3800m)
………..37 km
……….. 8 km
………..24 km
………..11 km
………..10 km
………..21 km
Nako – Yangthang (3662m)
Yangthang – Maling (3008m)
Maling – Chango (3658m)
Chango – Shikhar (3119m)
Shikhar – Sumdo (3230m)
Sumdo – Tabo (3050m)
TABO – KAZA........(47 km)
Tabo – Poh (3150m)
Poh – Sichiling (3190m)
Sichiling – Attargo (3250m)
(for Potak / Dankar)
Attargo – Lara (3360m)
Lara – Kaza (3600m)
Kaza – Ki – Monestery (4116m)
Ki – Monestery – Kibber (4205m)
Kibber – Kaza (3600m)
……….. 7 km
……….. 2 km
………..11 km
……….. 6 km
……….. 7 km
………..32 km
………..10 km
………..11 km
……….. 3 km
……….13 km
……….10 km
………. 7 km
……….11 km
……….18 km
KAZA – KELONG.........(187 km)
Kaza – Rangrik (3700m)
……….. 8 km
Rangrik – Khurik (3750m)
……….. 4 km
Khurik – Sumling (3790m)
……….. 4 km
Sumling – Murang (3800m)
……….. 4 km
Murang – Hula (3845m)
……….. 5 km
Hula – Pangmo (3896m)
……….. 4 km
Pangmo – Kiato (3964m)
………..13 km
Kiato – Hanse (3950m)
……….. 3 km
Hanse – Losar (4079m)
………..12 km
Losar – Kunzam Pass (4551m)
………..19 km
(Visit Chandertal lake from Kunzam Pass – one
full day trekking both ways)
Kunzam Pass – Batal (3560m)
………..12 km
Batal – Chhota Drara (3690m)
………..15 km
Chhota Drara – Bara Drara (3690m)
……….. 8 km
Bara Drara – Chhatru (3560m)
……….. 9 km
Chhatru – Gramphoo (3200m)
………..17 km
Gramphoo – Khoksar (3140m)
……….. 5 km
Khoksar – Sissu (3160m)
………..15 km
Sissu – Gondla (3160m)
………..13 km
Gondla – Tandi (2573m)
……….. 9 km
Tandi – Keylong (3350m)
……….. 8 km
KAZA – KELONG.(187 km)---MANALI
Kelong – Tandi (2573m)
……….. 8 km
Tandi – Kirting (3350m)
……….11 km
Kirting – Shansha (3721m)
……….. 2 km
Sahnsha – Jahlma (3111m)
……….. 6 km
Jahlma – Thirot (3005m)
………..10 km
Thirot – Arat (2870m)
……….. 7 km
Arat – Trilokipur (2760m)
……….. 4 km
Trilokipur – Udaypur (2650m)
………..11 km
Udaypur – Tandi (2573m)
………..43 km
Tandi – Khoksar (3140m)
………..37 km
Khoksar – Rohtang Pass (3980m)
………..20 km
Rohtang Pass – Marrhi (3354m)
Marrhi – Kothi (2530m)
Kothi – Manali (2050m)
………..15 km
………..24 km
………..12 km
ACCESS TO SPITI (from Shimla)
Shimla-Rampur-Sumdo(Kinnaur)-Kaza (412 km) ROAD MAP
1. Shimla
(2205 m) 92 kms from Kalka Well known hill station
2. Sumdo
(3232 m)
337 kms
The Route Now Enters Spiti Valley
3. Giu
(3200 m) 2 kms
Here the Pare chu river coming in from Tibet meets the Spiti river.
The route enters Spiti from here. A check-post for foreigners is
situated here. The territory ahead is free of any permit
requirements
for
all
nationals.
A small village along the unmetalled road.
4. Hurling
(3120 m)
7 kms
A large village
5. Sumra
(3120 m)
7 kms
On the opposite bank across the Spiti river.
6. Lari
(3200 m)
7 kms
Originally considered the first village in Spiti, as the route which
descended across the Hangrang Pass from Kinnaur joined here.
7. Tabo
(3260 m)
4 kms
A place with a large monastery of great historical significance.
Situated in an open bowl-like valley. Rest-houses and other
facilities available here.
8. Kurith
(3200 m)
4 kms
A small village.
9. Poh
(3300 m)
5 kms
A small village. A little ahead, the Spiti river can be crossed to
climb up to the village of Mane. The route from Manirang Pass
traditionally joined here.
10. Sichling
(3400 m)
12 kms
At the foot of the Dankhar gompa (4 km). Dankhar was the old
capital and site of the famous monastery. A road goes upto the
gompa.
11. Lingti
(3400 m)
9 kms
Lalung village is about 12 km from here. The Lingti river coming in
from the east joins Spiti fiver here. A mow-rable road joins Lalung
village to this road.
12. Attargo
(3375 m)
2 kms
One of the oldest suspension bridges situated here. Road leads to
the Pin valley, the largest valley in Spiti, housing the Gungri
Monastery.
13. Lidang
(3470 m)
2 kms
A small village
14. Shingo
(3400 m)
4 kms
A small village
10 kms
The present day headquarters of Spiti. Rest-houses, hotels, taxis
and other facilities available here. Buses originate and terminate
at Kaja. Langja (at the foot of Chau Chau Kang Nilda), Tangyud
monastery can be visited from here. Langja is connected by a
road.
15. Kaza
(3680 m)
The Northern Route from Kaza to Manali (total 209 km) ROAD MAP
1. Rangrik
8 A large village where the Ratang river meets the Spiti. Many believe' this place
(3515 m)
kms to be the seat of an ancient monastery , now extinct.
2. Kyurik
(3700 m)
5
A small village
kms
3. Sumling
(3700 m)
2
A small village
kms
4. Morang
(3800 m)
3 A large village. On the opposite bank across Spifi river stands Ki monastery
kms and Kibar village, the highest village in India.
5. Hal
(3800 m)
5 A small village where the Gyundi nala joins the Spiti river. The stardng point
kms for the Gyundi valleys on the west.
6. Pangma
(3800 m)
4
A small village.
kms
7. Kyoto
(3850 m)
13 The route passes through spectacular scenery of limestone slopes. On the
kms opposite bank Takling nala joins the Spiti.
8. Hansa
(3850 m)
4
A small village housing a monastery with 'beautiful statue.
kms
9. Losar
(4000 m)
12
The northernmost village in Spiti with rest-houses.
kms
10. Tackcha
(4100 m)
11. Kunzum
(4550 m)
8
Originally a check-post here for 'inner line' permits.
kms
la
19 The traditional high pass on the northwestern boundary of Spiti. The trek also
kms leads to Chandra tal (12 kms) coming out to Batal.
The Last Point in Spiti, Now the Road enters Lahaul Valley
12. Batal
The road is rather scary, steep and zig zags from Kunzum to Betel which is on
11
(3950 m)
the Chandra river. The Bare Shigri glacier is on the left bank of the Chandra
kms
river.
13. Chotadara
16
(3517 m)
A small camping place.
kms
14. Chhatru
(3300 m)
15. Gramphu
(3320 m)
16 A hotel near the banks of the Chandra river. Road crosses over to the left
kms bank and climbs up.
17 The Spiti road joins the Manali-Keylong-Leh highway here. Down the highway
kms leads to Khoksar and up towards Rohtang.
16. Rohtang
Pass
(3998 15
The historic pass between Lahaul and Kullu, now a popular tourist spot.
m)
kms
The Route Now Enters the Kullu Valley
17. Marhi
18 Half way below Rohtang to Manali. Many hotels. Even during winter many
(3400 m)
kms tourists visit here.
18. Gulaba
(2500 m)
13 Thick forests and beautiful grass-lands, where once the army of Maharaja
kms Gulab Singh camped.
Dabchick Resort (run by Haryana Tourism) is also a nice place to stop by for food between Delhi
and Agra (exactly 75 kms from Delhi border at Badarpur).
Right at the Mathura Refinery Gate, there is a COCO petrol pump of Indian Oil - 146 kms from
Delhi Border. 3 kms further down there is also a Reliance petrol pump. I confess that I do not
know whether they have LPG/CNG.
In case you are also going to Vrindavan, you can turn off NH2 123 kms after Delhi border
(prominent signages), and go on from there to Mathura after covering Vrindavan.
Agra town also has some petrol pumps (both Pure for Sure and Club HP credit card pumps) after
you enter town.
Please let me know which will be the fastest route after ambala.
1. Ambala - Derabassi - Zirakhpur - Panchkula - Parwanoo ....
2. Ambala - Rajpura - Zirakhpur - Panchkula - Parwanoo ....
3. Ambala - Rajgarh - Banur - Zirakhpur - Panchkula - Parwanoo
Try Ambala= Derabassi-Ramgarh-Panchkula_Parwanoo. to go to Ramgarh take left before the
Derabassi flyover go about 300 mts, take a uturn from below the bridge and come back about
200 mts and turn left on the road.Ramgarh is about 7 kms from here and thereon to Panchkula
and turn right onto Kalka after the bridge on Ghaggar. The road is excellent except the 500 mts
of going around the bridge at Derabassi.
thanks for the info. Seems this will save more time over the Rajpura route as this avoids
Zirakhpur completely. Right ??
It'd be almost dark by the time I'll be in that area and since I'd be going to this route for the first
time was just wondering if there are not too many turns which will make it difficult to follow the
right route.
Please let me know 1. Are the markings to Ramgarh from Dera Bassi clear. And to Panchkula from Ramgarh.
2. Is it okay to travel in peak evening time i.e around 7 (Does narrow roads lead to jams)
3. Is it navigational in dark for the first time travellers.
4. Can you tell me if there are some major landmarks which will help to follow the right route
Start at 5 am. Take the NH1, dont turn right for Chandigarh after Ambala. About 8-9 kms after
Ambala, before Rajpura, there is a right turn just before the Toll Gate between Ambala and
Rajpura. Infact you can see the toll gate 40 mtrs ahead at the point you have to turn right. This is
a road which will take you to Banur, around 30 kms, and you will hit a red light where you will
cross the Chandigarh -Rajpura Road. Keep going straight for another 25 kms, you will hit the
Chandigarh Ropar Highway at a place called Kharar. This is around 14 kms from Chandigarh.
Now you are on NH21 as you turn left and drive towards Ropar.
This routle bypasses the Chandigarh Mess all together.
On Ambala -- > Chandigarh road just after crossing Derabassi there is a flyover where one needs
to pay the toll. Toll Gate are visible before the flyover starts. At that point take the service road
going down beside the flyover. This road (after about 400 mts) will automatically make a U turn
under the flyover and bring you to the other side. On this side after traveling for about 300 mts
turn left (This is a big road and cannot be misses). This road leads to Ramgarh (7 kms ). From
here take another left to reach Shimla - Kalka highway at Panchkula (Again around 7 kms). At
Ramgarh, there are proper sign boards towards Panchkula. Once in Panchkula, take a right to go
towards
As soon as you cross the Dera Bassi Bus Stand(Easily visible on left side while going towards
CHD),you will see that Road is turning a bit towards left.
Slow down and you will see a road parting towards left and the straight one after the turn goes to
Toll.
There is a Petrol Pump too as soon as you complete the turn.
So easiest would be to stop at Petrol Pump as soon as you cross Bus Stand + left curve and
confirm from the people there if you still have any doubts.
Bottomline is You dont have to take Dera Bassi toll bridge
One possible route to take if you want to avoid a jam at Kalka-parwanoo border is to go via
sector 4 parwanoo. The roads are a bit bad but saves you a lot of time. The road branches off to
the left at the curve immediately after the railway road crossing in Kalka. Also when you are
going from Pinjore take the left diversion (marked now) and you can reach the Railway road
crossing in no time as compared to the choked main bazaar. I came back from Shimla on 22nd
and was caught int he jam for about 30 minsutes, though while going it was another story.
The Bhaba Valley is worth it. See if it fits in.
**PIN Valley: There IS a road to Mudh. All vehicles do it. It is only further up to Ching Put
Maidan that it becomes an unfinished track.
Key names for search, places mentioned/of note (not in any specific order):, Gushaini, Shoja,
Jalori Jot pass [Aut, Banjaar, Jibhi, Shoja ], Sarahan (both villages near Wangtu, Kafnu), Sangla
pass-thru (Rakcham, Kanda villages near Sangla), Chitikul (Nagasthi, Sariopa both villages near
Chitikul), Rekong Peo, Kalpa sleep Kalpa, Nako Lake (surrounding), Tabo, Dhankar, Kaza, Ki,
Kibber. Pin Valley…Kungri, Sagnam, Mudh, Mulling (see above for Pin Vly Trek/villages).
Chander Tal pass off main road (trek). Also …names: Kiato, Thanedhar, Demul
SHIMLA TO NARKANDA VIA BAGHI TO SARAHAN AND KALPA AND CHITKUL
TRANSPORT Shimla-Theog-Narkanda-Baghi 79.63 Km's
COMPETITIVE Baghi-Khadrala-Sungri-Naren-Bhadrash 53.79 Km's
TRANSPORT Bhadrash-Nogli-Nirmand-Bagipul 55.54 Km's
COMPETITIVE Bagipul-Durah-Nithar-Kandagai 60.83 Km's
TRANSPORT Kandagai-Jalori Pass-Banjar-Aut-Kullu-Manali 164.03 Km's
TRANSPORT Shimla-Baldiyan-Thailla 36.49 Km's
COMPETITIVE Thailla-Dharampur-Narel 26.46 Km's
TRANSPORT Narel-Narkanda-Baghi-Khadrala 49.46 Km's
COMPETITIVE Khadrala-Sungri-Naren-Bhadrash 42.29 Km's
TRANSPORT Bhadrash-Nogli-Nirmand-Baghipul 54.74 Km's
COMPETITIVE Baghipul-Nither-Kandagai 60.81 Km's
TRANSPORT Kandagai-Jalori Pass-Kullu-Manali 156.97 Km's
Day One 5th October, 2006Shimla – Baghi (88Kms)
Day Two Baghi – Mashnu (84Kms)
Day Three 6th October, 2006Mashnu – Sarahan – Baghipul (88Kms)
Day Four 7th October, 2006Baghipul – Chowai (86Kms)
Day Five 8th October, 2006Chowai – Jalori Pass – Gadah Gushaini (67Kms)
Day Six 9th October, 2006Gadah Gushaini – Jhanjehli – Bagsad (45Kms)
Day Seven 10th October, 2006Bagsad – Mandi – Parashar Lake (87Kms)
Day Eight 11th October, 2006Parashar Lake – Bajaura – Kullu (53Kms)
Day Nine 12th October, 2006Kullu – Bijli Mahadev Temple – Naggar – Manali (71Kms)
Day Ten 13th October, 2006Prize Distribution ceremony at Mountaineering Institute, Manali.
0 Shimla 2208m9 Mashobra 2348m26 Thaila 1850m53 Matiana 2450m70 Narkanda 2708m88
Baghi 2691m99 Khadrala 2800m114 Sungri 2600m139 Taklech 1650m166 Daranghati
2950m173 Mashnu 2150m200 Sarahan 1930m218 Jeori 1391m241 Rampur 900m257 Nirmund
1360m265 Baghipul 1760m273 Kullu Sarahan 2440m320 Nither 1890m346 Dalash 1800m354
Chowai 1620m376 Khanag 2660m373 Jalori Pass 3223m379 Shoja 2683m387 Jibhi 2280m403
Bahu 2600m412 Gadah Gushaini 2730m430 Jhanjehli (Hike) 2200m451 Kanda 2320m473
Pandoh 850m492 Mandi 750m 519 Kataula 1380m 533 Parashar Lake 2730m559 Kandi
1560m576 Bajaura 1097m581 Bhuntar 1200m598 Bijli Mahadev 2460m633 Naggar 1760m642
Jagatsukh 1600m650 Manali 2050m
Shimla - Tattapani - Luhri - Ani In (3kms before Ani) - Chattri - Jhanjehli - Chach Galu - Gadah
gushaini - JIbbi - Jalori pass - Shamshar - Tarala - Keolidhar - Nither - Baghipul - Nirmund Rampur - Taklech - Bahli - Sungri - Khadrala - Nankhari - Tikker - Narkanda - SHimla ...
and for kullu sarahan information ... there ia an absolute good soiled road which goes all the way
upto the meadow ... I dont know good tidings or not ... but yes a good ride definitely ...
Delhi - Aut - Banjar - Gushaini.
Gushaini - Ghyagi - Shoja - Jalori pass - Hike to Serolsar - Jalori - Gushaini - Batahad Gushaini.
Gushaini - Jalori Pass - Ani - Nirmund - Baghipul - Rampur - Taklech - Sungri Baghi - Narkanda
- Kingal - Basantpur - Mashobra - Bhaikhalti - Fagu - Shimla/Chail ..... or
Gushaini - Jalori Pass - Ani - Nirmund - Baghipul - Rampur - Taklech - Sungri Baghi - Gumma Theog - Chailla - Chail.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------The road is open .. usually does around 2nd week march every year and closes mid december ..
depending on the snow .. good road .. except the last 5-6 kms to the pass either from Shoja or
Khanag ...
The rampur - Luhri - Ani - Khanag - Jalori pass stretch is good .. but I see have people tried out
the other alternative .. maybe a lil long but very very interesting and beautiful
Rampur - Nirmund - Baghipul (Hike to Kullu Sarahan and stay at rest house) the road is a jeep
track which goes up toi kullu sarahan .. but just short at 1.5 kms (24kms)
Kullu sarahan - Baghipul - Nither - Dalash - Chowai - Shamshar - Khanag - jalori Pass - Shoja.
Shoja - Jibhi - Bahu - Gadah Gushaini - Khauli - Jhanjehli
Jhanjehli - Kanda - pandoh .... or
Jhanjehli - Shikari Devi - Chindi - Tattapani - Shimla
Its a great option best suited for a motorbikes and jeeps and lots of interesting and offbeat places
to be seen ...
The dstance from RAMPUR - NIRMUND - BAGHIPUL is 24 kms. From Baghipul there is a
jeep track which goes up towards Kullu Sarahan. OF the total 8kms 6 kms is jeepable and the
last two kms entail a short hike. Maybe that should also be complete sometime in the coming
months.
Kullu sarahan is a large meadow with streams flowing gently in between the valley floor,
surrounded by the srikhand range below the bashleo pass. Very beautiful indeed.
There are two options Once you do the Shimla - Narkanda - Duttnagar - Nirmund - Baghipul - Kullu Sarahan Baghipul - Nither - Dalash - Chowai - Shamshar - Khanag - Jalori Pass
route either you can go to Gushaini. The road to Gushaini goes from Banjar. Village gushaini is
after Nagini. Two options for staying are the Raju's guest house at Gushaini or the Himalayan
Trout house at Nagini. Yes Gushaini is a diversion from Banjar though only 8kms. You will have
to come back to Banjar in order to proceed to Manali.
The second option is
After Jalori Pass proceed downhill to Shoja and Jibhi. At Jibhi cross the bridge on the left (a U
Turn) and proceed towards Bahu and Gadah Gushaini. Stay at Gadah Gushaini. (16kms from
Jibhi)
Next day proceed towards Jhanjehli via Khauli. Take on the road to Thunag Bridge and
Ranglidhar from Jhanjehli (If on a bike one of the best roads for that biking feeling)and proceed
towards Kanda. From Kanda its a 11 km downhill ride to Pandoh, where you meet the highway
and carry on further up the road to Manali.
Its worth the trip. Hope it helps.
Also - Any idea about the location of the Kandagai Forest / Kandagai Pass (3200mtr)... this is the
route that the raid-de-himalaya takes.. must be a kuccha road.. but i think taking that lets one
bypass the Jalori pass. Kandagai pass is instead used to cross the ridge.. anything that you
know...
Also - Any idea about the location of the Kandagai Forest / Kandagai Pass (3200mtr)... this is the
route that the raid-de-himalaya takes.. must be a kuccha road.. but i think taking that lets one
bypass the Jalori pass. Kandagai pass is instead used to cross the ridge.. anything that you
know...
Hey, As far as I know there is no way to the other side ( kullu ) via Kandaghai pass , unless you
planning to trek it . The only way over is via Jalori Pass ... and the Raid De Himalaya also goes
over Jalori though it crosses Kandaghai enroute to Jalori from Baghipul \
Now I tell you all It is Amazing ... Jalori Pass is the first Pass to open every year ... With the cold
wave conditions still prevaling in Himachal It is going to be cold As in Cold ... From Sainj
Onwards its a steep uphill ... It is before that as well but After Sainj it becomes even more ... One
does not get to feel the Uphill cause the country side is most pleasing .... Once you reach Shoja I
am sure the bikes would simply refuse to move on ... Hard Press the Accelerator ... But the views
at Shoja are great ... I have been repeating ... In May June Shoja is a bed of Iris ... Divine Pristine
and Innocent ..... One can and One should definitely do a detour from Banjar towards Gushaini
and Follow the road uptill Batahad ... by the side of the river Tirthan .... It sure is a great ride ...
Having done this on bike myself I can assure all you riders it is one of those great rides ... Not in
the same vein as Spiti or Manali - Leh but very different ... with a great content filled of That
happy feeling among mountains ... From Shoja to Jalori and take a left towards Serolsar lake ...
the bikes wont go all the way but sure it is a great dirt ride ...
for the more initiated try out biking on the PAGDANDI !!! (Trail) .... cause you shall be I guess
coming from Kullu side you will only face the downhill after jalori towards Ani ... You will
cross Khanag on the way which is exceptionally beautiful .... Once at Ani .... If time permits and
one is initiated towards getting more from the rides ... Get off the road at Once and follow the
Dirt track towatrds Nirmund ... It is a full fledged road however not tarmac ... You pass through
Interior Himachal ... Pass Apple orchards and Mountain Streams with the great wide vista of The
srikhand range opeing up ... From Ani to Nirmund to Baghipul to Rampur crossing over to the
right bank of Sutlej .... Again the normal way would be to follow the NH 22 to Shimla ...
however again do a detour and follow the lesser used route to THanedar and Kotgarh ... Follow
the road down from Thanedar towards Kingal and do the Kingal Basantpur stretch to Basantpur
near Tattapani ... From here up towards Mashobra and yet again a detour to The Mashobra
Baikhalti Link bringing you to Fagu ... From Fagu a great ride to Chail via Kufri and then
meeting the NH at Kandaghat and back to Delhi
.. Another Option at Rampur would be to Follow the road from Taklech to Sungri to Baghi ...
This one is more pristine and absolutely great .... getting back ... From Baghi either you could go
down to Kingal Basant pur or carry on up to Theog and ride to Chailla from where do a long
stretch by the giri river towards Chail ... 80kms .... but a great ride ... If I draw out a tentative ride
stat it would be ..
Delhi - Aut - Banjar - Gushaini.
Gushaini - Ghyagi - Shoja - Jalori pass - Hike to Serolsar - Jalori - Gushaini - Batahad Gushaini.
Gushaini - Jalori Pass - Ani - Nirmund - Baghipul - Rampur - Taklech - Sungri Baghi - Narkanda
- Kingal - Basantpur - Mashobra - Bhaikhalti - Fagu - Shimla/Chail ..... or
Gushaini - Jalori Pass - Ani - Nirmund - Baghipul - Rampur - Taklech - Sungri Baghi - Gumma Theog - Chailla - Chail.
and back to Delhi .... I think this should help .... ACCO can be found all along the way ... Try to
waken the Chowkidars at the forest rest houses or stay at guest houses along the way ... when At
gushaini stay at Raju's Guest house or at the Himalayan Trout whatever seems convenient ...
Also meet up with Ashok(Bikku) at Horn Gad village ( It should be easy to find him in the small
place and everybody knows him) before Gushaini who is a great rider himself and has done all
these routes Himself .... Has participated in the Raid de Himalaya so he might even accompany
you and do a great Backcountry ride ....
... Jalori Pass is the first Pass to open every year ... With the cold wave conditions still prevaling
in Himachal It is going to be cold As in Cold ... From Sainj Onwards its a steep uphill ... It is
before that as well but After Sainj it becomes even more ... One does not get to feel the Uphill
cause the country side is most pleasing .... Once you reach Shoja I am sure the bikes would
simply refuse to move on ... Hard Press the Accelerator ... But the views at Shoja are great ... I
have been repeating ... In May June Shoja is a bed of Iris ... Divine Pristine and Innocent ..... One
can and One should definitely do a detour from Banjar towards Gushaini and Follow the road
uptill Batahad ... by the side of the river Tirthan .... It sure is a great ride ... Having done this on
bike myself I can assure all you riders it is one of those great rides ... Not in the same vein as
Spiti or Manali - Leh but very different ... with a great content filled of That happy feeling
among mountains ... From Shoja to Jalori and take a left towards Serolsar lake ... the bikes wont
go all the way but sure it is a great dirt ride ... for the more initiated try out biking on the
PAGDANDI !!! (Trail) .... cause you shall be I guess coming from Kullu side you will only face
the downhill after jalori towards Ani ... You will cross Khanag on the way which is exceptionally
beautiful .... Once at Ani .... If time permits and one is initiated towards getting more from the
rides ... Get off the road at Once and follow the Dirt track towatrds Nirmund ... It is a full fledged
road however not tarmac ... You pass through Interior Himachal ... Pass Apple orchards and
Mountain Streams with the great wide vista of The srikhand range opeing up ... From Ani to
Nirmund to Baghipul to Rampur crossing over to the right bank of Sutlej .... Again the normal
way would be to follow the NH 22 to Shimla ... however again do a detour and follow the lesser
used route to THanedar and Kotgarh ... Follow the road down from Thanedar towards Kingal and
do the Kingal Basantpur stretch to Basantpur near Tattapani ... From here up towards Mashobra
and yet again a detour to The Mashobra Baikhalti Link bringing you to Fagu ... From Fagu a
great ride to Chail via Kufri and then meeting the NH at Kandaghat and back to Delhi ....
Another Option at Rampur would be to Follow the road from Taklech to Sungri to Baghi ... This
one is more pristine and absolutely great .... getting back ... From Baghi either you could go
down to Kingal Basant pur or carry on up to Theog and ride to Chailla from where do a long
stretch by the giri river towards Chail ... 80kms .... but a great ride ... If I draw out a tentative ride
stat it would be ..
Delhi - Aut - Banjar - Gushaini.
Gushaini - Ghyagi - Shoja - Jalori pass - Hike to Serolsar - Jalori - Gushaini - Batahad Gushaini.
Gushaini - Jalori Pass - Ani - Nirmund - Baghipul - Rampur - Taklech - Sungri Baghi - Narkanda
- Kingal - Basantpur - Mashobra - Bhaikhalti - Fagu - Shimla/Chail ..... or
Gushaini - Jalori Pass - Ani - Nirmund - Baghipul - Rampur - Taklech - Sungri Baghi - Gumma Theog - Chailla - Chail.
and back to Delhi .... I think this should help .... ACCO can be found all along the way ... Try to
waken the Chowkidars at the forest rest houses or stay at guest houses along the way ... when At
gushaini stay at Raju's Guest house or at the Himalayan Trout whatever seems convenient ...
Also meet up with Ashok(Bikku) at Horn Gad village ( It should be easy to find him in the small
place and everybody knows him) before Gushaini who is a great rider himself and has done all
these routes Himself .... Has participated in the Raid de Himalaya so he might even accompany
you and do a great Backcountry ride ....
Love to travel the old way staying in rest houses .. I will list some of the best in Himachal here
Seog Forest rest House .. Near Simla Khadrala Forest rest House Taklech Forest Rest House
DaranGhati FRH * Jhanjehli Barot RH Nither FRH Tapri FRH KHanag PWD RH SHOJA
FRH ***** Great places for the simplicity and the great Himalayan Vistas ..
Thanedar, in Kotgarh district, 80 km from Shimla on the old Hindustan-Tibet road. Thanedar
enjoys a special place in the history of Himachal. In 1916 Samuel Stokes, a social worker from
Philadelphia, brought the first apple saplings to Kotgarh, the place he adopted as his home. One
can still see the "Starking Delicious" apple orchard that he planted here. Prakash Thakur, the
host, for whom the "Orchard Retreat" has been a labour of love, is also the resident expert on the
history and culture of this little piece of paradise. Visit the Parmjyotir temple built by Stokes in
local Pahari style, or stroll amid the serene environs of the Tani-Jubbar Lake, famous for the
"Nag Devta" temple built along the lake.
Another place to chase away the monsoon blues is Shoja, a little village 5 km from the Jalori
Pass that links the Shimla and Kulu districts. The "Banjara Retreat" is a solid cedar wood house
surrounded by thickly wooded forests from which you get a panoramic view of the snow-covered
Himalayan ranges in the distance. The numerous walks and treks in the surrounding forests and
meadows are a well-known feature of the area, especially after a fresh drizzle. Thirty km from
Shoja, is the Tirthan river, which flows through the valley and is great for trout fishing.
Alternately you can walk through thick oak forest to reach the Raghupur fort. But don't be
disappointed if you don't find what you expect in most hill stations; a plethora of eating joints
and restaurants, shopping malls, vantage points to see and pose for photographic memories.
From Shoja, you can move onto Rohanda, one of the most beautiful, unspoilt and easily
accessible locations of Himachal Pradesh, set amid an apple orchard.
At an altitude of 7,000 ft, it is situated in awesome surroundings with cedar, pine, fir and oak
trees on all sides.
Explore the wildemess as you drift down the Kali.
Overlooking the Balh valley, it provides a breathtaking view of the valley, the neighbouring
mountains as well as the distant snow clad Dhauladhar range. At night, the lights of Sundernagar
are truly a twinkling sight.
Near about Rohanda is Kamru Nag, a powerful local deity, Shikari Devi, a mother goddess, and
the pretty valley towns of Karsog and Chindi.
Moving on from Thanedar and Shoja to Rohanda, you notice the verdant shades of green
interspersed with numerous silvery streaks cascading down the cliff face into the ravines below
forming gurgling streams and countless rivulets. On the winding highway, there are some merry
makers under a thundering fall, shivering from the sharpness of the cascading waters.
Activities other than Trout Fishing at Himalayan Trout House
Visit to the waterfalls. Not one but two of them. On the same stream. Both the falls are separated
from each other by about 30 minutes of steep uphill walk on the same trail. As private as you can
ever imagine a waterfall to be. The bigger one nearly 50 feet high allows you to enjoy just the
showering if you don't want to get in to icy cold water. 45 minutes walk one way. Mildly
strenuous.
Visit to the Gushaini Temple and village - 3 Km road walk to Gushaini 15 minutes mountainside
climb to the Gara Durga temple at Bandal.
Walk to the Great Himlayan National Park..4 hours pleasant walk through the forest to the inner
entrance of the park. Daily entry permist required.
Moonlight overnight at the Dev Kanda Ridge : 4 hours strenuous uphill beyond Nadar to the
dominating ridge in the valley. Spectacular views and enchanting full moon overnight. The
descent downhill the next day though faster is not much easier than the climb. Highly
recommended for those so inclined.
Mountain bike along the forest path to the National Park or along the roads between Banjar to
Gushaini or down hill from the end of the road at Bathaad.
Visit to the Shalogi / Shanogi Mata temple on the way to Shoja one of the most picturesque
villages in the area.
From Shoja walk to the Jalori Pass ( 3 KM) one of the two passes connecting the Kullu valley to
the Shimla Valley. Gauranteed snow at Shoja from early December till early April.
Visit to the village of Bathaad (12 KM) and there on to Bachleo Pass (6 KM). Snow at Bathaad
as well from the end of Deceber to mid February.
Visit to the riverside as often as you desire. As the river is a stone's throw in front of the Trout
House.
Visit to the Sai Ropa Forest Orientation Centre and a walk on the Nature Trail if you are lucky to
induce a forest guard to take you around. 2 Km from the Trout House
Go swimming in the village pool or on one of the other numerous walks that are possible in the
area if you are the exploring kind.
DAY ONE
Shimla – Tattapani – Luhri – Ani – Khanag – Jalori Pass - Serolsar
DAY TWO
Serolsar Lake – Jalori pass – Shoja – Banjar – Gushaini
DAY THREE
Gushaini – Aut – Mandi – Rewalsar Lake – Shimla
Journey through small mountain villages to reach Tattapani, by the River Sutlej, enjoy hot
sulphur baths and after a hearty breakfast follow the river to Luhri and further up the valley to
reach Jalori pass 3223mts. Hike through a verdant pine forest to set up camp at Lake Serolsar,
one of the high mountain Lakes of Himachal. This is the best way to soak oneself in nature’s
bounty, a night by a Himalayan Lake. Hike to Shoja in the morning to sample the quiet life and
culture of the hillfolk of this area. Further down is Gushaini by the river Tirthan edging close to
The Great Himalayan National Park. There are very good walks in the vicinity of the village
which one can attempt or else choose to stay by the river bank, go swimming in the natural
swimming pool or if you are a fishing enthusiast try trout fishing. Set up camp by the river side.
Early morning drive to Mandi, via Aut following the river Tirthan down the valley and then
further up to Rewalsar Lake. Sample the Monastery here and then a lazy drive to Shimla.
THE APPLE COUNTRY TOUR
DAY ONE
Shimla – Fagu – Theog – Chailla – Kotkhai – Khara Pathar – Jubbal – Hatkoti
DAY TWO
Hatkoti – Rohru – Sungri – Khadrala – Baghi – Kotgarh
DAY THREE
Kotgarh – Tani Jubbar – Hatu Peak – Jaubagh – Narkanda – Matiana – Theog – Fagu – Shimla
There is no better way to discover mountains than its people, their culture and lifestyle. Our
Apple Country tours just emphasize on the fact. Day one sees one journey through the Hindustan
Tibet road for the morning to divert from Theog towards Chailla following the Giri up to
Kotkhai and Khara Pathar. Continue to Jubbal to check its magnificent palace rising above the
banks of the Bishkulti stream. 20 kms of further descent into the Pabbar valley we reach Hatkoti,
well known for its 7th-8th century, Classical Shikhara style temple of “Mahishasurmardini”
popularly known as Hateshwari temple. Hatkoti is picturesque to the point of perfection. We
head back to Jubbal palace which would be our night halt. 30 kms from Jubbal is Rohru town by
the banks of the River Pabbar, scenically enchanting Chirgaon which for long has been on the
Angler’s beat after trout fish was introduced here in 1938. Chirgaon is also the base for treks to
Sarahan, Sangla valley and the mesmerizing Chanshal valley. There are century old Log huts in
the Chirgaon region which can also be our choice of accommodation for the first night. We
follow the meandering hill roads to reach the upper apple belt at Khadrala with a brief stopover
for its splendid views of the Himalayas. Down the road we go through thick pine forest to reach
Kotgarh. Apple was first introduced here in the late 19th century by Satyanand Stokes. Day three
finds us exploring the area which is rich in culture, history and Flora and fauna. We sample the
19th century church, the Tani Jubbar Lake and then following the mountain road to Hatu Peak,
the highest in the region. Walk to Jaubagh a Grassy meadow, a short hike from the peak. Drive
back to Shimla.
COUNTRY ROADS
DAY ONE
Shimla – Mashobra – Baikhalti – Fagu – Theog – Matiana – Narkanda – Hatu Peak - Kotgarh –
Thanedar
DAY TWO
Thanedar – Kotgarh – Tani Jubbar – Baghi – Khadrala – Sungri – Taklesh – Nogli – Rampur –
Gaura – Sarahan
DAY THREE
Sarahan – Jeori – Rampur – Luhri – Tattapani – Naldehra – Mashobra – Shimla
Himachal is renowned the world over for its Rally terrain. “The Himalayan Rally”, “Mountain
Challenge”, “Raid de Himalaya”, are some of the few which have won accolades and praise the
world over for their execution and their routes. Our tour combines the best of these Country
Roads to take you into interior Himachal, Villages, Stunning mountain vistas, Rivers and
Brooks; this is not a rally however the adventure is lived each meter we travel at easy pace. First
day we find ourselves meandering to Mashobra a small village outside Shimla and following a
mountain road with great views up to Fagu where the national highway 22 joins us. Way past
apple, peach and cherry orchards we reach Narkanda, to begin our ascent to Hatu Peak the
highest in the region. With splendid views of the Sutlej valley and the Himalayas Hatu is the
place to be. Kotgarh further down the valley is only a 45 mins drive from Narkanda, the Heart of
the Apple country of Himachal. This is our abode for today. Explore Kotgarh and surroundings
the next morning with a visit to Tani Jubbar, Century old church and thereafter follow the back
country roads via Baghi, Khadrala, Sungri, Taklesh to reach Nogli, 9 kms short of Rampur by the
banks of the river Sutlej. This was the seat of the Bushahir Kingdom. Taking a turn from the
National Highway we take on the “Old Hindustan Tibet Road” via Gaura, Kinnu, small villages
dotting the landscape in the shadow of the Srikhand range of the Himalayas to reach Sarahan,
famous for its Bhimakali temple. There are splendid walks in the region and we make the most
of them coupled with a visit to “The Western Tragopan” King of Birds at the bird park. Next day
down 17kms to Jeori, and we follow the Trail of The Sutlej River up to Tattapani, famous for its
hot sulphur springs and “Shiv Goofa”. After a splendid journey it is time we head back to
Shimla.
“THE SHIKARI DEVI” TRAIL
DAY ONE
Shimla – Tattapani – Chindi – Rohanda
DAY TWO
Rohanda – Kamru Nag Lake
DAY THREE
Kamru Nag Lake – Shikari Devi
DAY FOUR
Shikari Devi – Karsog – Tattapani – Shimla
OVER THE BASHLEO PASS AND INTO TIRTHAN VALLEY
DAY ONE
Shimla – Narkanda – Rampur – Baghipul (by Jeep)
Baghipul – Sarahan (5km Hike)
DAY TWO
Sarahan – Bashleo Pass (13kms/6hrs)
DAY THREE
Bashleo Pass – Batahad (12kms/4hrs)
Batahad – Gushaini (by jeep)
DAY FOUR
Gushaini – Banjar – Shoja – Jalori Pass – Serolsar Lake – Jalori Pass – Gushaini
DAY FIVE
Gushaini – Aut – Mandi – Rewalsar Lake – Shimla
THE JALORI PASS……………….EXPERIENCE A NEW HIGH!
DAY ONE
Shimla (2205) - Ani (1240 m)...105 km.
By road. Afternoon visit town. Ani is a small town with modern amenities. O/N in rest house.
DAY TWO
Ani - Chowai (1880 m)...11 km.
An easy ascent to start the trek with. Route through villages, forests and glens. O/N in a quaint
and old rest house situated amidst fairyland surroundings.
DAY THREE
Chowai - Takrasi (2250 m)...12 km.
Route continues to ascend across the valley through an increasing abundance of flora and fauna.
Takrasi is an isolated village off the beaten track. O/N in another charming rest house.
DAY FOUR
Takrasi - Khanag (2530 m) ...12 km.
The ascent continues as the vegetation changes with the increasing altitude. Khanag is a quaint
hamlet with an unforgettable view of the surrounding magnificence of some of the thickest forest
areas of Himachal. O/N in rest house.
DAY FIVE
Khanag - Sreo-sar lake (3560 m) - Jalori pass (3223 m)...12 km.
Moderate to steep gradient through whispering coniferous forests up to the beautiful and mystic
Sreo-Sar lake. After lunch next to an exquisitely carved ancient temple on the banks of the lake,
walk along a level ridge to the Jalori Pass for pick-up by vehicle to return to the guesthouse at
Khanag.
DAY SIX
Khanag – Jalori pass - Raghunathpur fort - Shoja (2683m)...7 km.
Leave the rest house by vehicle till the pass and start the trek. To the left of the pass are the ruins
of the historical Raghunathpur Fort (3306m). A gradual walk through enchanting scenery brings
one to the fort. After lunch and exploring the ruins, descend to Shoja, a camper’s delight. O/N in
a magnificent guesthouse made entirely of polished wood.
DAY SEVEN
Shoja - Jibbi (2050)...7 km.
Steep descent till Ghiaggi through the beautiful Jibbi valley. After the bewitching hamlet of
Ghiaggi, it is a short level walk till Jibbi. O/N in guesthouse.
DAY EIGHT
Jibbi - Shimla...235 km. / Banjar - Manali...95 km.
By road. After pick-up from Banjar, proceed to Shimla/ Manali to end a memorable experience.
SARAHAN TO NARKANDA *****exclusive*****
DAY ONE
Shimla – Tattapani – Luhri – Rampur – Gaura - Sarahan
Sarahan is famous for 800 year old Bhimakali temple. Night Stay in Hotel Shrikhand.
DAY TWO
Sarahan-Daranghati 15kms/5hr
Sarahan offers fabulous view of the Shrikhand range. The walk is through forests and apple
orchards.
DAY THREE
Daranghati-Kasha 16kms/6hr
The walk from Daranghati 2,690m is through a reserved forest. Night stay in Kasha at 2,150m.
DAY FOUR
Kasha-Takletch 15kms/6hr
The walk is downhill most of the day. Taklech is a small village with a nice Rest House.
DAY FIVE
Takletch-Bahli 20kms/7hr
The walk to Bahli 2,200m is a steady medium climb through the forest.
DAY SIX
Bahli-Sungri 18kms/6hr
Bahli offers a beautiful view of the valley below. The walk is through lush green jungles to
Sungri 2,600m.
DAY SEVEN
Sungri-Baghi 20kms/7hr
Walk through a forest.
DAY EIGHT
Baghi-Narkanda 18kms/7hr
The trek is through Hatu peak 3,136m which is the highest point in the region. From Hatu peak,
walk down to Narkanda 2,700m.
DAY NINE
Narkanda- Shimla
Drive down to Shimla, the "Raj" capital of British India.
Sarahan – Jeori – Taranda cliffs – Wangtu – Tapri – Karcham – Sangla
Approx. 100 kms.
A visit to the bird park early morning which houses the western Tragopan and the state bird
Monal we leave Sarahan for a pleasant drive down to Jeori, a few kilometers up and Kinnaur
welcomes us. This is the Atharabees area of Kinnaur and frowning rock jaws descend sleepily
from great heights and the roar of the Sutlej surely rises ominously from Shadowy depths.
Taranda cliffs are one such sight. We enter Bhaba also known as Wangpo and this region is
Pandrabees 15-20 a revenue name given to a large chunk of territory in Kinnaur and adjacent
areas of Shimla and Kullu over a hundred years ago. This is the most thickly forested area of
Kinnaur. At Wangtu we come to the right bank of the Sutlej and follow the NH 22 up to
Karcham the confluence of the Baspa and the Sutlej. The Gerard brothers, the first outsiders to
set foot in the Baspa Valley in the first quarters of the nineteenth century ranked it as the most
beautiful of all Himalayan Valleys. Later visitors have been almost as Lavish in their praise. An
18 kilometer winding road through some more spectacular cliffs leads us to Sangla village.
DAY THREE
Excursion to Kamru fort and village, and Chitkul
Today is a day when we discover the Baspa Valley a.k.a. the Sangla Valley. The most impressive
Shrine in the Baspa is the Kamroo Narayano Fort like Tower, Commanding fine views of the
Sangla bowl and the Kinner Kailash range of the Great Himalayas. The Raldang Peak 5499.
Jorkanden Peak 6473, Daboling Peak 6080 are some of the prominent peaks of which we enjoy
spectacular views. The wanderlust continues as we carry on through Rakcham and Mastrang to
the last village of Chitkul 3450 mts. this side of the border with Tibet. Its fields, alpine pastures
and village houses are memorable sights.
DAY FOUR
One day excursion to Sangla Kanda
Pass the village of Batseri we begin ascending to Sangla Kanda 3600mts. an extensive pasture
land known for its commanding views. For the more initiated it is a two hours walk from the
Kanda to Shibaling pass. Walk to the pass and back at the Kanda to set up camp for the night or
else after a few hours of wandering in splendor solace we head back to our night abode at
Sangla.
DAY FIVE
Sangla – Karcham – Shongtong – Powari – Reckong Peo – Kalpa – Roghi Cliffs – Kalpa.
Approx.60 Kms.
Today is the day to bid adieu to Sangla and continue our journey to Kalpa 2960mts. via Powari,
Reckong Peo the district headquarters of Kinnaurs. This region of Kinnaur is known as the
Sairag region and for a long time “Chini” in this area was the only place in Kinnaur of which the
outside world had some knowledge perhaps due to hard Dalhousie’s two summer visits as
Governor General of India in the middle of nineteenth century and a mention in Rudyard
Kiplings “KiM”. This region offers some of the most dramatic scenery in the Himalaya. Here the
Kinner Kailash range appears to spread itself out for the admiring gaze of the visitor. Not so
close as to induce claustrophobia, yet almost to hand, the Mountains rise majestically from the
river bed up through orchard forest and glinting glaciers to rocky pinnacles and snow-capped
tops. The semicircle of peaks includes Raldang, Jorkanden and Kinner Kailash. Close to a saddle
on the northern shoulder of Kinner Kailash, one can pick out the 17 – meter rock pillar of
“Shivling”, changing colors with the movement of the sun. The ‘Kandas’ meaning pastures
above Kalpa are too beautiful and a great way to experience pasture country is a night camp out
there. Reckong Peo has a monastery of the Mahabodhi society and was constructed specially for
the Dalai Lama to perform the Kalchakra ceremony in 1992. Next to it is a 10m statue of
standing Buddha, visible from a considerable distance. Chini too has a Bodh Temple visited by
outsiders from the antiquity point of view.
DAY SIX
Day walks in Kalpa
Explore Kalpa and its various Buddhist temples, the highlight being the “Gelugpa” temple in
Brelingi. Also Hike in the early afternoon to Kalpa kanda a couple of hours walk above Kalpa.
WALKING
There are several comfortable day walks you can do in the Sangla valley with Banjara Camps as
your base.
> To Chitkul and Nagasthi checkpost: This is a scenic one-hour walk to the last village on the old
Hindustan-Tibet trade route.
> To Sangla Meadows: A full-day walk to green pastures.
> To Rakcham: A beautiful five-hour walk along the Baspa to Rakcham village.
> To Batseri village and glacier point: Visit this typical Kinnauri village and walk to the glacier
point (one-and-a-half hours).
DAY SEVEN
Kalpa – Rarang – Jangi – Morang – Labrang – Kanam – Ropa – Puh – Khab – Nako
Our journey today, is to a region which was opened to tourists only a few years ago, from Lower
Kinnaur to Upper Kinnaur, it’s a transition in the landscape, beliefs and life styles, a 150 km
journey into the history and culture of Kinnaur.
It’s an early morning today and we depart from Kalpa after breakfast. A few Kilometers and we
reach Akpa on the National Highway where we take a diversion for Rarang, which is in the old
revenue collection unit of Jangram. Rarang is a prosperous village and possesses the most
extensive Pine nut forests in Kinnaur. However we are here for other purposes. Rarang has
witnessed extensive temple building in the recent years and just outside is the newly built
monastery of “Tashi Choeling”. Close to Tashi Choeling are older dwellings and temples traced
to Nyingmapa adherents, while the Tashi Choeling has come in the wake of post 1960 Tibetan
influences from the Drugpa sect. Rarang is also the seat of two important religious personalities
after the Chinese occupation of Tibet. The older, Ga Rimpoche from Kham in eastern Tibet now
largely resides in Dehradun but the young Chogyan Rimpoche spends his summer months here.
The village square of Rarang is dominated by huge Chorten constructed some twenty years ago,
under the direction of these two eminent personalities. Rarang also has an imprint on a rock
believed to have been left by Rinchen Zangpo in the course of the night during which he
miraculously constructed 108 temples! There is an interesting legend connected with the Rarang
imprint. The great Rinchen Zangpo was busy constructing a temple in Ribba, across the Sutlej,
when ignorant villagers frightened by the feat raised a hue and cry. Rinchen Zangpo,
immediately left Ribba and in one giant leap crossed over to Rarang.
Up on the highway after our visit to Rarang is Morang, a diversion from the main road. The
Lanin monastery of Morang is a superb example of contemporary work. The high, well lit, main
prayer hall is adorned with beautiful frescoes, including a long series depicting the life of the
Drugpa sage, Milarepa. Morang also possesses an ancient, watch tower for temple, impressively
poised atop a little spur below Shilling.
Jangi is the pace where our inner line permits gets checked, welcoming you with a dusty aura of
the rugged terrain surrounding it. From here on we are in the upper Kinnaur area, characterized
by the terrain of the cold desert area. This marks the beginning of your forays into the land of
candid revelations. On to Spillo where a diversion takes us to Labrang and Kanam which find a
mention in the writings of nineteenth century travelers for their monasteries. There are three
important structures in Kanam, the oldest being “Lotsawa Lhakhang”, again one o Rinchen
Tsangpo’s 108 temples. At the upper end of the village is “Khache Lhakhang” constructed in the
seventeenth century, by refugee groups entering upper Kinnaur in the wake of the war between
Ladhakh and Tibet. Close to Lotsawa Lhakhang is the third building of note, The Kangyur
House which contains the volumes of the Kangyur studied by the Hungarian scholar “Csoma de
Koros” between 1826 and 1831.
Get back to the national highway, and continue up the Sutlej River towards the Pooh Namgia
section of upper Kinnaur. This region covers the uppermost part of the Sutlej valley in India. The
large village of Pooh 2800mts is located 300 mts above the right bank of the Sutlej and
connected to the NH passing below. A little beyond Pooh we cross over to the left bank of the
river Sutlej. Above the bridge is another small village, Dubling 2800mts. 10 kms further the
national Highway leaves at the confluence of the Sutlej with the Spiti river at Khab. We are in
the Hangrang region of Kinnaur now and the landscape bears stark similarity o that of Spiti. The
Highway climbs steeply after the confluence, up the eight Ka loops on the left bank of the river,
to reach the first houses of Hangrang. A link road 7kms branches off from here to connect Nako
to Mulling. Nako is a most picturesque location by the side of a small lake. The flanks of the Reo
Purgyal 6816 mts, the highest in Himachal, descend in gradual, rounded slopes till they meet the
green of the irrigated fields. Here the gradient becomes even gentler, easing into numerous
glacier-created hollows on the hillside, before descending sharply to Spiti. In one of these dips is
the Nako Lake, with the village clustered on a little rise to the west. Come dusk which apparently
may be the time when we also reach Nako, its twilight zone appearance makes a strong
impression on the senses, heightened by the crescendo of hundreds of birds twittering among the
lake side willows as the sun sets over the Srikhand Range.
DAY EIGHT
Day Walks in Nako
Nako’s temple complex, also credited to Rinchen Tsangpo, has four, crumbling, stone walled,
flat-roofed shrines. Age and neglect are their strongest features despite recent attempts at
preservation. Tattered “Thankas” and damaged frescoes are sad testimonials to a proud past,
when a better preserved temple, ranked high as a place of worship. One of the temples is
dedicated to the local deity Purgyal representing the spirit of the mountain. The main Hall, the
Lhakhang Cenpo, is located at the western end facing east. Large clay images of the five Dhyani
Buddhas occupy pride of place while sundry other idols are arranged on the walls in the style of
Tabo “Dukhang”. Vanishing murals of different “mandalas” are just about decipherable. The
three halls also contain clay figures and wall paintings of obvious antiquity. An unusual fresco,
above the doorway in the southern temple, depicts a personage of importance; bestride a white
“kyang”, the Tibetan wild ass.
A track from Nako winds to Tashigang monastery, which is a walk of four hours from here.
Tashigang is a veritable treasure house of artifacts. The small complex was built in the
seventeenth century by craftsmen displaced in the wake of the war between Ladhakh and Tibet.
It is called the Tashigang rong Monastery to differentiate it from the better known Tashigong
Cham in the Indus valley in western Tibet. Tashigang is the seat of an incarnate Lama, “The
Urgial Tulku Rimpoche”, now resident in Jangi and Burche (near Wangtu). The chief image at
Tashigang is a small mud idol of Mila Repa with turquoise coloured hair, ensconced in a glassfronted cavity in the chest of a large Sakyamuni clay image. Legend says that the hair on the
Milarepa figure grows back if trimmed! Around the Altar and in an inner room, is a mélange of
clay idols, bronzes, exquisitely carved figures on wood panels, religious artifacts and symbols.
Many of these have come from Tibet, brought by refugees’ crossing over at the time of the
Chinese take-over in 1960. An hour’s walk beyond Tashigang is the cave temple of Somang,
where a levitating Lama is said to have meditated in the 1980’s.
DAY NINE
Tashigang – Namgia – Pooh – Jangi – Reckong Peo – Kalpa
From Tashigang, down the valley it’s a descent flanked by great views of the Gangchua’s snow
capped pyramid, to Namgia, just a few hours short of Shipki La, into Tibet. Probably one of the
greatest rock faces in the world, The Reo Purgyal and its immense bulk presents an awe inspiring
view from Namgia.
Our Vehicle waiting for us at Namgia picks us up and we Journey to Pooh from here to visit
Pooh’s old Gompa. It possesses besides the usual wall paintings and clay images, a real treasure
in the shape of an immensely valuable, illustrated volume of the “Prajnaparamita” (Book of
Wisdom). Dr. Klimburg-Salter is of the opinion that the style of the images and other images
suggest that the book may date to the 11-12th centuries and is perhaps the only complete Tibetan
manuscript containing illustrations, known from such an early date. Pooh also possesses a more
secular object of similar antiquity. Near the hamlet of Koro, a rock inscription stands out in the
barley fields, with a message of considerable significance. It is credited to Ye-She-Od, the lama
king of Guge, in the age of Rinchen Tsangpo’s prolific temple building activity.
Back the same way, the national Highway 22, to Kalpa, with the Kinner Kailash standing tall in
front of us, quietly embracing us in its fold for our journey in its shadow.
DAY TEN
Kalpa – Reckong Peo – Wangtu – Jeori – Rampur – Luhri – Tattapani
The last day of our sojourn to Kinnaur, gracefully we travel the miles of the Highway 22, with
captivating memories to Tattapani. Wash the days of hiking and great journey to the Himalayas
in the hot Sulphur water of Tattapani, by the banks of the River Sutlej, to freshen yourself up.
Celebrate and live each moment of your odyssey by the bonfire in the evening.
DAY ELEVEN
Tattapani – Naldehra – Shimla
Back to Shimla after an enriching experience.
Ponda to Nichar is another 8km along a motor road, past the village of Kangosh and through the
dense deodar forest belonging to Sungra Maheshwar. Amidst the forest, the temples of
Maheshwar and his lesser acolytes flank the road on either side, lending to the scene the quiet air
of a Greek temple retreat. Nichar, one time headquarters of the upper Bushahir forest division,
boasted one of the most impressive deodar stands in the Sutlej valley a century ago. Andrew
Wilson, an Englishman traveling the road in 1873, wrote admiringly of trees with 12 meters
girth, however the present forest is only an abbreviated shadow of this former magnificence.
Nichar – Wangtu 5kms
It’s a steep 5km descent from Nichar to Wangtu, where the old HT road and the NH merge, till
Tapri 11kms further ahead.
Wangtu – Tapri 11kms
Journey along the NH 22 in a bus/car/jeep towards Tapri which boasts of yet another old Rest
house, amidst a pine grove.
LEG ONE: DAY FIVE
Tapri (1750 mts) – Urni (2500 mts) 6 kms
It’s a short climb, to Urni from Tapri. The trail is best tackled in the cool of early morning or late
afternoon as Tapri gets quite warm during the summers. Perched above slopes falling steeply to
Choeling far below, Urni has another of those old, two room British built rest houses.
LEG ONE: DAY SIX
Urni (2500 mts) – Roghi (2782 mts) 16 Kms
From Urni Rest house, the HT road slopes down to the Rora and after crossing the stream,
ascends gradually, passing well below Miru as it curves out again towards the Sutlej. Winding
around the mountain sides towards the small village of Runang, the Pine nut is increasingly in
evidence. Runang, tucked dreamily away in a magnificent forest of Deodar and Holm oak, is also
a landmark of sorts. A little further on, as the Sutlej resumes its gorge like course after the
uncharacteristic width and gentleness near Kilba, the traveler enters the domain of the “Greater
Himalaya”. Classic mountain scenery is now close at hand. The wind sloughs through mushroom
topped deodars and across the river, the emerald green Baspa (Sangla River) meeting the turbid
Sutlej, offers a brief view of the enchanting Sangla Valley. Then, the forested flanks of Kinner
Kailash rise up with the firs on the tree line giving way to Pasture, rock and ice above Harang
Ghati. Approaching Roghi, the roar of the Sutlej far below is clearly audible. The already steep
hillsides turn sheer on the Roghi – Kalpa Stretch. The Roghi Cliffs, falling straight down to the
river, clearly visible over 900 mts below, are a spectacle, a daunting area for those without a
head for the heights and fraught with risk, as in the old days many an English Riders discovered
if on a skittish horse. Roghi again has a comfortable, two roomed, over 100 years old rest house
looking down to the village situated across a small stream with the grand vista of the Kinner
Kailash range as a background.
LEG ONE: DAY SEVEN
Roghi (2782 mts) – Kalpa (2800 mts) 6 Kms
From Roghi to Kalpa, the HT road has been widened and made motorable, reducing considerably
for walkers, the terror of the Roghi cliffs. We have the choice of either walking the distance or
ride on a Bus/car/Jeep to Kalpa. This region of Kinnaur is known as the Sairag region and for a
long time “Chini” in this area was the only place in Kinnaur of which the outside world had
some knowledge perhaps due to hard Dalhousie’s two summer visits as Governor General of
India in the middle of nineteenth century and a mention in Rudyard Kiplings “KiM”. This region
offers some of the most dramatic scenery in the Himalaya. Here the Kinner Kailash range
appears to spread itself out for the admiring gaze of the visitor. Not so close as to induce
claustrophobia, yet almost to hand, the Mountains rise majestically from the river bed up through
orchard forest and glinting glaciers to rocky pinnacles and snow-capped tops. The semicircle of
peaks includes Raldang, Jorkanden and Kinner Kailash. Close to a saddle on the northern
shoulder of Kinner Kailash, one can pick out the 17 – meter rock pillar of “Shivling”, changing
colors with the movement of the sun. Further down 13kms Reckong Peo has a monastery of the
Mahabodhi society and was constructed specially for the Dalai Lama to perform the Kalchakra
ceremony in 1992. Next to it is a 10m statue of standing Buddha, visible from a considerable
distance. Chini too has a Bodh Temple visited by outsiders from the antiquity point of view.
Day 5 Kaza – Kibber; Day for acclimatisation. Visit to Key Monastery, village of Kibber and
visit ancient villages of Tashigang and Gette before heading back to Kaza in mountain bikes.
Day 6 Kaza – Giu – Tabo: Giu is the last Indian village on the Chinese border. Famous for its
Giu mummy, this village grows mouth watering apricots. After lunch we visit one of the oldest
monasteries , Tabo which withstood many earth quakes and natural disasters. Magnificent
painting and architecture. Stay overnight in a small hotel in Tabo.
Day 7 Tabo – Dhankar: Early morning trekking to Dhankar lake to watch sunrise. The mountain
ranges near the lakes give stunning view of the Dhankar Village. Visit the oldest and still
functioning monastery that calls for your attention. Overnight in the monastery guest house.
Day 8 Dhankar – Lhalung – Kaza: After breakfast we drive to Lhalung to visit some of the oldest
temples like Serkhang. This is also the best place to see some of the traditional performances by
locals. Overnight in a small hotel in Kaza
Day 9 Kaza – Langza: Today is for legends and stories of the area. Visit Langza village is under
the constant gaze of mountain princess ‘Chau Chau Khang Nilda’. Post lunch trek to the see the
unique natural fossil area. Considered to be one of the most fossiliferous regions of the world,
Spiti Valley tells us the story behind the trilobites and ammonites that were formed after the
collision of Indo-Eurasian sub-continent. Overnight in the village homestay.
Day 10 Langza – Komic – Demul: From Langza we drive through the village of Hikkim to reach
Komic which is one of the highest villages in the world. You will also be moving around on the
Himalayan yaks to see the flora and fauna of trans-himalayan desert. Overnight in the homestay,
Day 11 Demul – Kaza: Today the Yak Safari will take you to the vantage point to see the
magnificent scenery. Drive back to Kaza in the afternoon. Overnight in a small hotel.
Ki to Langza (4400 mts )
Travel to Langza from Kaza involves a journey on one of the world's highest motorable roads.
The road traverses along the mountain side above Kaza wherefrom the traveller gets a
spectacular view of the meandering Spiti River, its tributaries and villages between Kewling and
Hull. Opposite this mountain is the Kwang range. Views include the Nakedh Mountain. The
route gradually snakes into the Shila Valley, where the traveller gets the first view of the Chocho
Khang Namo mountain (5964mts), [translation: Chocho=princess, Khang=mountain,
Namo=black]. Enroute is Chuling (4073mts) where blue sheep (bharal or tora) graze frequently.
Other possible wildlife sightings include the Himalayan Red Fox. Shortly, the Chocho Khang
Nilda (6380mts) [translation: Chocho=princess, Khang=mountain, Nilda= sun facing] spirals
into view. The road enters the grazing lands of the Langza village at a place known as Kitzi
lungpa (4226mts) where the vegetation is dominated by Thama ? a wild shrub used as cattle
feed. Langza village is divided into the lower village (Langza Yogma) and upper village (Langza
Gogma). At the top of Langza Gogma is the Lang (village temple), a 600 year old Buddhist
temple. Travel upto this point from Kaza involves an ascent of 714mts.
Places to visit:
Local guides (available within the village) will be required for most of these excursions.
1. The Langza Lang (temple): The Lang (4422mts) is considered to be the abode of the devtas or
deities of the region and is said to be over a 1000 years old. The first devta to reside in this
region was Shhoikyong or Pekhar Gyavo, who is also the head. According to the local legend he
came from a temple in Tibet called Samtong. The Lang is one of the three such ancient temples
in Spiti, the other two being at Lhalung and Lari (now decrepit). This Lang has an old and new
section. The old section has ancient frescos and thankas (paintings on silken canvasas) of
Buddhist paintings. Local guides can provide an informative tour of this Lang and its history.
2. Tashigang: Tashigang is a small village visible on the range running parallel to Langza. Trek
to Tashigang involves a 5 hour long descent to the Shila nallah, a tributary of the Spiti River. On
the tributary there is a traditional water mill (Gharaat) used by the villagers for grinding barley.
Thereupon a steep ascent lasting another 3 hours precedes arrival to the small village of
Tashigang. This route is ideal for spotting the local fauna, especially the Snow Leopard. Local
guides organise treks up to Tashigang.
3. Langza's Fossil Centre: The Spiti Valley was formed as a result of the collision of the Indian
and the Eurasian plate millions of years ago which led to the disappearance of the ancient Tethys
Sea leaving behind fossilised clues of the sea life of that era. The route to the natural fossil centre
starts from the Lang (temple) at Langza, from where it is about a half hour walk to its base. The
fossil centre ranges from an average altitude of 4400 mts to 4600 mts along a narrow stream and
is best explored here. It might seem extremely tempting to pick up a few of these geological
relics, however, kindly refrain from depriving Spiti of its natural heritage. The services of a local
guide must be availed for a visit to the Fossil centre.
4. Chocho Khang Nilda(6380 mts) Base camp: This is the third highest peak in Spiti at an
altitude of 6380 mts. The peak is snow bound and trekking up to it is a serious affair requiring
technical equipment. The locals organise trekking only upto the base camp sites. Equipment will
have to be organised at Kaza through CATTS or the local travel agents since it will not be
available at Langza.
5. Tsonyeti Lake Camping Site: Branching left from the Fossil centre, about an hour's walk
away, north of Langza is the Tsonyeti Lake, a small pond really, which is visited in July and
August by migratory ducks. This is a good camping site located at a height of 4526mts.
6. Chumo Tso (Lake- 4619 mts): This lake is larger than the Tsonyeti located at an altitude of
4619m. It is also visited by migratory ducks in July and August. This makes a perfect camping
site with its spectacular view of the Chocho Khang Nilda and Chocho Khang Namo.
Accommodation:
Homestays ? enjoy a clean and comfortable sojourn in a Spitian house, with the opportunity to
savour the local cuisine besides experiencing the traditional lifestyle
Ki to Dhankar
Dhankhar originally called Dhakkhar (Dhak- Cliff, Khar- Palace), literally means ?Palace on a
cliff'. Dhankhar was the earlier capital of Spiti and was adorned by a stunningly unique and
precariously balanced fort.
Places to Visit:
Local guides (available within the village) will be required for most of these excursions.
1. Dhankhar Fort - The remains of the fort are placed at the top of the village and give a
panoramic birds' eye view of the Spiti and Pin valleys below.
2. Dhankhar Gompa (Old Monastery): Traditionally known as the Dhankhar Lauot Gonpa, it is
believed to be the first monastery built in Spiti and as per the local legend it will be the last to
fall. This monastery belongs to the Gelukpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism.
3. Dhankhar Monastery (New): The new monastery is located at the entrance of Dhankhar
village.
4. Rural Museum: The museum houses some of the rare artefacts of Spiti, primarily donated by
the villagers and the Monastery, some of which date back to almost a 1000 years.
5. Dhankhar Lake (4517 mts): The Dhankhar lake, a 1 hour 30 minutes steep climb from the
village has a spectacular setting with its turquoise blue waters in the backdrop of the Spitian
mountains. The lake is also frequented by the local fauna and if fortunate one can easily sight
various birds and mammals of this region.
6. Cho Kula Peak: This mountain is supposed to have a deity residing in it and hence holds great
importance for the local people. Although the villagers have scaled the peak, there is no official
record of its height. This steep ascent could take anything between 8-9 hours and is advisable to
do it as a two day trekand Tabo and back
Pls Clarify Me On This .,,
If I Have To Go To Shipkila Is It Compulsory That I Should Go Through Tashigang ??? Is That
The Only Route ??
As Far As My Recollection Of What I Read There Are Two Toutes To Shipkila:
1. Puh - Namgya - Namgya Dogri - Shipkila
2, Nako - Tashigang - Shipkila
Pls Correct / Guide Me If Iam Wrong // Uttam ,, I Suppose U Have Been There !!!
What Is The Time To Reach Shipkila From
1. Namgya
2. Nako
Regards
Ivb
In case somebode is still not clear about the route..
if you are going from R/Pio towards Kaza, about 4 kms after Puh there is a road that goes up
right towards Namgya.. a proper board is there.. Project Bharat Nirman is making that a tarred
road. If you continue, you will see another boad that mentions Dogri and Chhuppan. Take left
from there for Namgya. Go straight for Shipki La. You can easily reach Chhuppan on your
vehicle. for a normal 2WD vehicle you will have to walk for around 5kms to reach Shipki La.
Tashigang, its on the other side of Satluz. For that, you will have to go down to Satluz from
Namgya, cross a Jhula, and then trek uphills for around 12kms. Nako is on the other side of the
hill from Tashigang.
INDIAN VAGABOND, You won't be going to Tashigang incase you start from Namgiya. It
takes about 3-4 hours from Namgiya to reach Shipki-la. Add 4 more hours to it if you start from
Nako side
Inder Prashad Negi - My host at Namgia
You'll reach Namgiya first and then Namgiya-Dogri. There is nothing to stay at Tashigang.
However, Tashigang villagers are very helpful you can stay at any household. Try to visit
Somaang temple. It is one hour ahead of Tashigang. One can stay at the temple there. Incase you
don't want to stay there, cross over to Namgiya. There is a PWD guest house at Namgiya village
What is the road distance now from Namgya to Dogri?
About 14 kilometers.
Weather in spiti would be pleasent at daytime and cold at night.If you stay in Kaza dont miss out
on Komik and Langza,both are in the same route and are amazing.They have a motorable road
for komik ,langza now.One more suggestion if you're going to Kibber go further ahead on a jeep
track to gette village and Tashigong monastery,you'd get to see amazing views of Chau chau
kang nelda peak from these places.
though the best possible option is to start from Shimla .. however with the passes not open right
now it seems like sometime would be lost before they do ... However presuming Kunzum is open
by 10th June then a great road trip awaits you .... Start shimla ... board a bus to Sarahan approx
150 kms (Rs 110 aaprox) Stay at Temple guest house ... a Day at Sarahan and you move to
Sangla .. Board a bus to Karchamm and from there take a shared jeep (Rs 200 approx) ... Since
you are not hard pressed for time Sangla has a lot to offer ... Hike to Sangla Kanda .... Or do the
three day Shibaling pass hike ... Walk along the baspa river to Chitkul, Rakcham .... In all you
could spend a week in Sangla valley ... Stay at Batseri .. a G.H should cost around 350 Rs ...
From Sangla to Kalpa ... One of the best views in the Himalayas ... visit Chini .. Roghi village
and Cliffs .. Day hike to Kalpa Kanda ... Resist visiting The nearby villages of Pangi and Ribba
... they make some of the best Angoori (Local Drink made of Kinnauri Grapes) ... In all a four
day stay at Kalpa ...
From Kalpa journey to Nako ... This part is upper Kinnaur and culturally this is the place ...
Monasteries dot all the villages on the route ... One of the better detours is towards the Ropa
Valley ... It is one of the least visited villages in Kinnaur under the shadow of the Mighty
Manerang ...
Stay at Giabong and Explore Hango, Leo villages ... From Kalpa a 5 hour ride should bring you
to Ropa valley diversion from where you may hire a shared Jeep ... There are only two guest
houses at Giabong .... But worth it for the sheer pleasure of great Mountains ... two days here ...
[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[Gudma is a soft fleecy blanket made from wool of the Giangi sheep. These blankets
are mostly weaved at Giabong and in Kullu valley of Himachal Pradesh. This blanket requires a
special variety of clay for its cleaning and finishing process. The making of this blanket is
therefore restricted to only a few regions in the state where this clay is available. This variety of
blanket usually maintains the natural color of the wool except on the borders where a red or
black lining is given]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
On towards Nako ... The village by the lake is one of the good sights in upper Kinnaur ... Hike to
Tashigang Monastery halfway to Namgia village ... A very famous levitating Lama meditaed
here in the late eighties ... A great place ... Nako has beautiful views of the Reo Purgyal Massif
....
From Nako to Chango -- Mane Village and finally tabo Monastery (Stay atMonastery approx
200Rs and Transport by Bus/shared Jeep 150 Rs) ....
Two days at Tabo ... Choose to hike the Lingti Valley ... or Use shared Jeeps along the way to
Visit Dhankar Monastery ... before you reach Kaza ... also recommended would be a detour to
Pin Valley visiting Lallung Monastery and The Monastery at Kungri ...
From Tabo to Kaza three days ... When at Kaza explore Kye Monastery where His Dalai Lama
will retire ... Kibber ( formerly the highest village in the world !!) Gete Village (which holds the
much controversial status now) .. langza ... Komik .. Demul .. All this should take two days ....
and is done by shared jeeps ...
Hi! I don't want to disappoint anybody but the trek Langza- Dankhar has become very popular
and the route in July and August is quite busy,less later in the season of course.
As everybody certainly knows there is a road connecting Langza,Hikim and Comic,with even a
bus service 2 times a week,tuesday and saturday afternoon at 2 PM. All this just to say that
tourism is not something unknown over there. And Kaza is still much more authentic
than,say,Leh. Nowadays accomodation is availabale in few houses in each of those
villages,(Langzà being the most beautiful,Hikim the least, Comic the highest and having an
important,but not very old,gompa) but it does not come dirty cheap as in other places,or as it
used to be. So definitely to find the really real Spiti you should go somewhere else. The route is
nevertheless beautiful,very easy and straightforward and there is hardly the need for a guide and
horses,and even organized it should not cost as much as I read,but much much less.The trek can
be easily arranged in Kaza,where there are 2 trekking agencies and Ecosphere,which is the last to
have entered the business. On a motorbike in 4 days you can see many places,to understand what
Spiti is all about you need definitely more. During the season it is virtually impossible to rent
trekking gear in Kaza,more chances in September and later on but don't count on it.Last October
was getting cold in the night,around 0 C°,but in the daytime the temperature was still very
pleasant,around 20 or so.
Gete is a litlle higher than Kibber but it's just 6 or 7 houses in a bowl with hardly any
views,better to proceed further to Tashigang,definitely more rewarding and great views over
Chau Chau Kang Nelda. Late June is a good time to go to these villages,not too busy yet. In
Kaza they say that October is a bit late to go to very remote areas,but for this easy trek it's still
OK
There is a road from Kaza to Langza ... you dont need a map because no map will show you
these roads .. the best sources are the locals there when you reach ask them .. the diversions are
very obvious and you should be able to navigate your way around easily ... kye Kibber Gete is
one road .. ZJust after Kye there is a turn off to Komic .. Lanza you drive out of Kaza town and
there is a diversion ...
Day 1: Kaza to Langza
Mode of Transport: Taxi/Bus
Duration: 1 Hour
Kaza: 3686 mts
Langza: 4400 mts
Travel to Langza from Kaza involves a journey on one of the world’s highest motorable roads.
The road traverses along the mountain side above Kaza wherefrom the traveller gets a
spectacular view of the meandering Spiti River, its tributaries and villages between Kewling and
Hull. Opposite this mountain is the Kwang range. Views include the Nakedh Mountain. The
route gradually snakes into the Shila Valley, where the traveller gets the first view of the Chocho
Khang Namo mountain (5964mts), [translation: Chocho=princess, Khang=mountain,
Namo=black]. Enroute is Chuling (4073mts) where blue sheep (bharal or tora) graze frequently.
Other possible wildlife sightings include the Himalayan Red Fox. Shortly, the Chocho Khang
Nilda (6380mts) [translation: Chocho=princess, Khang=mountain, Nilda= sun facing] spirals
into view. The road enters the grazing lands of the Langza village at a place known as Kitzi
lungpa (4226mts) where the vegetation is dominated by Thama – a wild shrub used as cattle
feed. Langza village is divided into the lower village (Langza Yogma) and upper village (Langza
Gogma). At the top of Langza Gogma is the Lang (village temple), a 600 year old Buddhist
temple. Travel upto this point from Kaza involves an ascent of 714mts.
ACCOMODATION
NARKANDA
Cheap guesthouse just adjacent the road going to Hotel Hatu.
Particularly, the location of the PWD Rest house in Narkanda is such that it offers a panoramic
view of snow peaks from the front and dense cedar forest from the back.
One more suggestion .. it is adviceable if u can book the Narkanda PWD guest house before .. it
has good rooms at about 275 .. we were 2 couples and there was only one room in pwd guest
house so the adjustment was made and the vip room was opened in the night for just little more
price .. there is a circuit house in narkanda which is even better located .. but was closed for
renovation .. i was not able to see thanedar .. if u go there .. please post on this thread .. wht are
the accomodation facilities there ..
SARAHAN
Bhimakali temple guesthouse ( 01782 274248)Rs. 150 - 300 per night
spot booking
Bushair Guest House, Sarahan, tel # 03554-43231. Simple double rooms, with attached
bathrooms, for Rs 300. Decent accommodation.
Temple Complex, Sarahan. Bhimakali temple offers a few (9) clean rooms for travellers.
Ordinary double rooms, with bathrooms attached, for Rs 150. Deluxe double rooms, with
bathrooms attached, for Rs 300. Dorm beds for Rs 25.
Sangla
Prakash Guest House( 01786-242218, 94182 75062)
season rates Rs. 500 - 1100 per night
offseason discount 30%
chitkul
We stayed at Raj guesthouse, which is a 10 mins trek from parking place. It was very tiring to
unpack the luggage and do two rounds to the guesthouse. But then the place was worth the effort.
We had a small room - very good place still under construction.
Raj guesthouse, Phone 01786 - 244293 District Kinnaur, Chitkul - 172106.
In Chitkul, you can Stay at Thakur Guest House. The Owners Son is Nehar Thakur.
Phones:
01786-244320 (0ff)
244275 (Res)
094182 74192 (This may be a cell no. im not sure)
Rooms are available upto a rent of Rs 400 a night.
In Chitkul, There is a Thakur Guest house i which i stayed in and also a government guest house
which was under construction when i went there. The Thakur guest house no is 01786244275.
You will find the room and food quality fine. When you get into a room in thakur guest house
and if it is ground floor room see there is no water seepage in the walls of the room .. My Sister
and Bro In Law had to stay in one of those room and they got cold in the morning.
Kalpa
Hotel Kinner Villa (01786 - 222006, 226001, 226009)
season rates Rs. 700 - 1300 per night
offseason discount 30%
Kalpa: Kalpa Regency, very fine (http://fbxx.altervista.org/tibet/Kalpa/p8150191.html)
We checked in to another cheap hotel (Hotel Shivalik).
In Kalpa .. stay at Parvati Guest house .. which is highest up on the road along with one more
guest house and of course the HPTDC guest house .. i stayed at Kinnar kalash for one day and
Parvati next day .. I found Parvati views better than Kinnar kailash (of cource my room at KK
was of 1000 per day and not 2500 per day) .. at much cheaper price .. u can negotatie rent to 200
rs with 250 being max. u will find many people all over the world staying at these guest houses ..
the other guest house was asking me 500 rs for rooms having best views .. but i found Parvati
best and ofcourse cheapest .. also they have a very good cook .. which will give u great dinner at
good prices .. One thing u make sure .. that dont do advance booking in HPTDC hotels if u are
going to places where there is chances of getting other accomodations .. which are generally
good to stay at...
PUH
Puh Forest Resthouse Rs 206 Excellent, little villa
*PWD Guesthouse Rs 206 Excellent
*Boat Guesthouse Rs 200 Excellent
NAKO
Galaxy Guesthouse. the best budget option, with rooms looking out over a valley. Rs 150. edit
Lavon Guesthouse, ? 262012. Another guesthouse of similar standards and next door to Galaxy.
Rs 150-600. edit
Across the road from the Galaxy is the only hotel in town - it's tacky and out of place, but good
for those that need a little more western comfort, and has a friendly owner. Rooms from Rs 400
The half-day journey ended in Nako, where the new, wonderful hotel Reo Purgil was just open.
An excellent balcony room 40 mq, with well-furnished toilet and anti-toilet costed only 400 rs
and I felt like a Raja. The lake is a pond but the village is very nice with its wooden roomstemples
Tabo
PWD Guest House (contact number not noted)
rates - Rs. 250 per night
booking at Rekong Peo or spot booking
Millenium Monastic GH, at Tabo
Zion Cafe (run by Angel) is pretty good place to stay ...
Rs 250 per night (rooms with attached loos and geysers)...
The phone number is 01906 - 223319 / 223419
Nirsu (4 KM before Rampur while going Shimla-Rampur)
Hotel North Park (98164 68625, 98165 33096)
rates - Rs. 400
KAZA
1 HPTDC Tourist Lodge
2 HPSEB Rest House
3 PWD Rest House
4 Khangsar Hotel
5 Moon Light GH
6 Snow View GH
7 Sakya Abode GH
8 Highlan GH, Tabo
9 Mount Kailash GH, Tabo
10 PWD Rest House, Tabo
11 Millenium Monastery GH, Tabo
Kibber Segang Hotel Rs 130 OK
Kaza Mahabaudha Rs 150 OK
*MilarePa GH OK
Kaza: Shilla Peak Guest House (more expensive) or Lara Guest House (cheaper but good)
TIRTHAN VALLEY
• Raju’s Cottage in village Gushaini.
• Himalayan Trout House in Village Nagini.
• GHNP Guest House.
PWD Rest House
Bathad. - Assistant Engineer,
Banjar (Kullu), Himachal Pradesh.
JALORI SIDE
Transit Accommodation,
Sairopa c/o Director,
GHNP, Shamshi,
Dist. Kullu,
Himachal Predesh.
Shringi Vatika was a bit costly as the cheapest rooms started at Rs. 350. I had already started
running out of cash and there were no ATM’s to be seen around. So I asked a local person for a
cheaper stay. He suggested Dolly guest house at Jibhi just a mile away.
Shringi Vatika, Shringpur, Ghiyagi, P.O. Banjar. Dist. Kullu Manohar Lal Phone: 01903 227029
For FRH booking you have to contact DFO Kinnaur at R/Pio
Tel: 01786-223358.
For other RHs you have to contact Exec. Engineer of the concerned dept:
I&PH - At R/Pio: 01786-222229.
SEB - At R/Pio: 01786-222234. At Sangla(Asst. Engr): 01786-242341
I suggest call the Sangla nos. first. If they say you have to call the EE, then call R/Pio.
Sunshine Orchards,
Club House Road, Manali. 175131 (H.P.).
Tel: +91-1902-252464, 253286.
Fax: +91-1902-254035.
E-mail: info@leelahuts.com
Sunshine guest house, manali
Phone no. changed +91 190
2 252320
Here's a list of RHs and hotels from the district administration's website:
http://hpkinnaur.nic.in/hotel.htm
For FRH booking you have to contact DFO Kinnaur at R/Pio
Tel: 01786-223358.
For other RHs you have to contact Exec. Engineer of the concerned dept:
I&PH - At R/Pio: 01786-222229.
SEB - At R/Pio: 01786-222234. At Sangla(Asst. Engr): 01786-242341
I suggest call the Sangla nos. first. If they say you have to call the EE, then call R/Pio.
I haven't included PWD becos at Sangla their room rates are Rs. 350. For the others, ask them
directly.
The tariffs for the hotels listed are not up-to-date
Manali: Tourist Nest, Old Manali (http://fbxx.altervista.org/tibet/Manali/p9020039.html)
Manali Hotel Kalpana Rs 200 Excellent
1. Vashist : Hotel Brighu, Best View in all of Manali and Around, Big Balcony overlooking the
River Beas and Road to Rohtang. Great Rooftop Restaurant Basho.
Private Parking for 5-6 Cars. cost Rs 300 - Rs 600
2. Manali : Johnsons Lodge, Heritage Property, Old world Colonial Charm.
Sunshine Guest house,
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------PWD Rest Houses
Reckong Peo Roghi Jangi Rarang Pooh Yangthang Namgia Kanam Sangla
Chhitkul Ponda Tapri Urni Karchham Moorang Ribba
Rakchham
I&PH Rest Houses
Chango Hango Nako
Ropa Spillo Bara Kamba
Charang Akpa Lippa
Asrang Thangi Ropa
Forest Rest Houses
Pooh Giabong Akpa
Shongthong Nichar Sangla
Chaura Rupi Tranda
Salaring Choltu Kilba
Electricity Board Rest Houses
Sangla Bhabanagar Katgaon
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------Wildlife/ Forest Dept offices
*Director, Pin Valley NP, Kaza (Spiti) Tel: 01906-222251
*Divisional Forest Officer, Kaza (Spiti) Tel: 222263 *Forest Range Officer, Tabo (Spiti)
Tel: 01906-223417 STD code 01906
He said that telephone number of Sarechu control room is 00873761112076. He said that
Keylong control room could be contacted on telephone numbers 94180-65509 and 94184-99521.
He further said that telephone numbers of Koksar control room and Police Control Room are
94184-70002 and 94180-71041.
I've done the Spiti left bank trek with my wife in August. It was pretty easy to do without an
agency nor a guide. Here's our trip report, in case somebody needs the details. I included
Google Earth coordinates, as most of the trek coupld be seen in good resolution.
We used Kaza as a base for the Langza – Komic – Demul – Lhalung –Dhankar trek, leaving
excess luggage at the hotel. At first we were a bit afraid of finding the route by ourselves so
we asked for the prices of arranging this trek by an agency. The first one we asked was
Ecosphere (http://www.spitiecosphere.com/, http://www.himalayan-homestays.com/), but
they quoted us rip-off prices of 550 Rs per person per day for accommodation and a further
ca. 1000 Rs per day for pack animals and pony man.We asked at another agency at the
small square in the very centre of Kaza (later an IndiaMike poster indicated me their name
and webpage: Spiti Holiday Adventure, http://www.spitiholidayadventure.com/) and they
gave us a honest advice – told us that hiring a pair of pack animals and pony man would
cost about 500 Rs a day, the pony man would show us the way and find accomodation.
However, they told us that the orientation is simple, accomodation easy to find, so we can
easily leave excess luggage and go by ourselves. After their reassuring advice we decided to
go by ourselves, but if anybody would prefer arranging it, I would definitely recommend
avoiding Ecosphere and doing it by Spiti Holiday Adventure.
Route details of this trek can be found on the following webpages:
SPITI -: Trekking, Home Stays and Facts
http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/...dia-spiti.html
http://www.trekkingforum.com/forum/s...ead.php?t=3542 (in German)
http://www.trekkingforum.com/forum/s...php?p=83344(in German)
We started by taking a jeep from Kaza to Langza (32.16 N, 78.06 E, alt.4500 m) for 600 Rs,
where we visited the monastery (some old frescoes) with a recently constructed giant
Buddha statue. From the monastery we backtracked a little bit along the road and turned
(at the junction over Langza, with Ecosphere sign) to another jeepable road going to Komic.
We walked along the road taking some shortcuts and soon reached a pass, from where both
the village of Hikkim and the Komic Gompa (at greater distance) were well visible. The
village of Komic lies below the gompa and is visible first from the immediate approach to it.
It took us some 3-4 hrs from Langza to Komic Gompa, walking very slowly because of short
breath.
Komic Gompa (32.14 N, 78.06.40 E, alt. 4500 m) houses very friendly monks from the
Sakyapa school. There are some interesting frescoes and masks used for Chaam dances in
the old temple (near the guesthouse, out of the new temple complex). Unfortunately
entrance to the old temple is forbidden for women, so my wife could not visit it. There’s also
a stuffed snow leopard hung above the entrance. We slept at the monastery guesthouse,
paid 150 Rs per person (additional donation was appreciated but not asked for), including
food - 3 simple meals. The room had a waterless bathroom (bucket provided), water was
available from a well nearby and toilets (also waterless) were on the outside. The
monastery has a well stocked shop, selling bottled water, snacks, soft drinks,sweets and
even beer (we didn’t risk it at this altitude). They also have one of the highest volleyball
playgrounds in the world.
The next (2nd) day we walked to Demul, assisted by a group of boy monks from Komic
monastery school going back to their families in Demul. The boys, aged between 5 and 10
years, were running and jumping around, gentle enough not to laugh at our pathetic
altitude-crippled efforts. The way would be quite easy to find even without any assistance –
for the first part it followed a jeepable road, along a path parallel to it, climbing to a pass
with a small chorten (slightly above 4700 m, duly circumambulated by us together with our
monk companions) and then traversing gentle slopes of a valley with one-house shepherds
hamlet (called Doksa, 32.12.11 N, 78.07.31 E, alt. 4500 m) in its bottom. At some distance
behind Doksa, before the road starts to wind down, we took a well-trodden path going to
the left, first uphill, then almost flat. Soon we reached a stone hut of yak herders, where we
had chai and yoghurt (probably32.11.33 N, 78.08.32 E, alt. 4600 m). Then we continued
along the path, again uphill, to another pass of 4717 m, with a chorten and prayer flags.
Views were awesome during the last part of the ascent, as a side valley opened a wide
perspective on upper Khunke valley and surrounding snow-covered peaks,including Chang
Chau Kang Nilda. A pack of yaks grazed in the valley below, of more‘yakety’ sort than the
usual mix of yak and cattle. Behind the pass our path continued for the final 1 hr of quite
steep descent to Demul, with some walls of interesting mani stones immediately before the
village. Altogether the Komic to Demul walk took us some 6-7 hrs.
As we were told afterwards by our Lhalung host, there are several homestays in Demul
(32.10.10 N, 78.10.45 E, alt. 4300 m). Not knowing it, we went to the only one with a sign
– Gonpo Homestay, in a traditional house inthe upper part of the viilage, to the right of the
main street as one arrives from Komic. The accomodation was very modest (waterless
toilet, no bathroom,water available from a waterhose on the street) and the host family,
being partof the Ecosphere scheme, charged us a quite high price of 300 Rs per person,
including meals. We have not seen any shop in the village.
From Demul into Lhalung the path descends some 600 meters, which turned out to be quite
useful for me, as I had a headache after the second night over 4000 m. The first part of the
walk on our third day was a steep descent into a gorge immediately below the Demul
village. After some time, the creek descending from Demul (and our path) joined the valley
of Khunke (as named onthe Leomann map) - a bigger stream, with a well trodden path. A
further 1 hr orless down this stream took us to the tiny village of Sanglung (32.08.54
N,78.12.25 E, alt. 3550 m) at its confluence with the Lingti river. From there we turned left
up the Lingti valley, walking 1 hr along a well-trodden path traversing quite high above the
Lingti. The path then descended to the bridge on the Lingti just below Lhalung. From the
previous descriptions we found on the web there was some confusion as to the existence of
this bridge (apparently washed away by a flood some years ago), so we can confirm – as of
August 2008 the bridge has been reconstructed and looks quite solid. From the bridge it
wasa 30 minutes ascent to Lhalung village. Total walking time for the Demul to Lhalung part
was about 4 hours. The ascent would be indeed painful in the opposite way, so we were
quite happy that we had chosen this direction and grateful to the Polish traveller who had
warned us about that at Malling.
In Lhalung (32.08.50 N, 78.14 E, alt. 3750 m) numerous houses now offer homestays. After
seeing one of them, we finally went to the Khabrik Guesthouse, a homestay ran already for
some years by a very friendly family. The owner works also as a mountain guide (guiding
i.a. treks from Kibber to Tso Moriri) and speaks quite communicable English. His wife also
has some basic English skills. We paid 200 Rs per person, including meals. The bathroom
and toilet were modest but functional and clean, with water (cold and hot) provided in
buckets. There’s a shop in the village quite near to Khabrik Guesthouse, but without a sign,
so we had to ask the hosts to point it. There was beer in the shop, in the quantity of one
single bottle.
Lhalung has an old Gelugpa monastery situated a little above the village.It used to be a
Tabo-like monastery complex (allegedly founded by Ringchen Zangpo in 996 AD) but only
one temple survived till today, with very interesting frescoes and sculptures. A metal roof
has been added quite recently, protecting the building but also damaging its view. Only
ruins of other temples remain. The main temple was closed as we arrived, looking deserted,
but as we hung around for a while, a friendly monk appeared and opened it for us (donation
appreciated). He allowed us to photograph inside the temple for a photo fee – hence an
appeal to the next visitors: if you are allowed to do it, be careful not to use flash, as it could
damage the frescoes.Afterwards we had a tea in his quarters. He told us that Lhalung is
now not a monastery on its own, but rather part of Dhankar monastery and Dhankar monks
take turns staying in Lhalung.
The last, fourth day of our trip was an easy 5 hrs walk (at a slow pace)from Lhalung to
Dhankar. Shortly after leaving Lhalung towards the main Spiti valley we took the upper
jeepable road running parallel quite high above the Lingti. It’s possible to reach Dhankar
walking all the time along this road but the views are far better taking a shortcut along a
path as the road approaches the main Spiti valley. The path leaves the road to the left
(uphill) and is well trodden and visible all the way. Shortly before Dhankar it rejoins the
road.
In Dhankar (32.05.25 N, 78.12.45 E, alt. 3800 m) there are several guesthouses and
homestays but we didn’t stop there for the night. We visited the famous Gelugpa monastery
(very interesting, entrance free, donation appreciated) and the ruins of the fort on the top
of the rocks. The village itself is quite picturesque too. We also considered going uphill to
the Dhankar lake (32.05.30 N, 78.13.40 E, alt. 4140 m) but it looked so steep that after 4
days of trek a warm shower and comfortable room in Kaza turned up more enticing. Luckily,
an Indian couple met at the monastery gave us a lift.
The jeepable road goes far beyond Komic, through the first pass and then traversing the
valley over the Doksa settlement. It doesn't go further towards Demul, as it then starts to
wind down. We haven't gone any further along this road, but it's well visible on Google
Earth - it continues traversing the slopes of the main Spiti valley and eventually joins the
road from the valley to Demul, but quite far from Demul. The exact spot where it meets the
Demul road is 32.09.13 N, 78.10.02 E according to Google Earth.
Perhaps it's a recent addition - neither of the web reports I had read before mentions this
road.
Himachal Pradesh trip, 5 weeks in July-August 2008
Route:
Delhi - Shimla – Sarahan – Kalpa/Rekong Peo – Nako – Tabo – Gulling (PinValley) – Kaza –
trek from Langza by Komic, Demul and Lhalung to Dhankar – Kaza– Kibber – Kaza – Keylong
– Manali – Mandi (and Rewalsar) - Delhi
Visas: as Polish citizens we got our standard 6-month multiple visas from Indian embassy in
Warsaw (http://www.indianembassy.pl/),for a fee of 184 PLN. Visas are no more issued on the
same day – it took ca. 2 weeks.
Guidebooks, maps and websites:
The most informative web resource for our trip was www.indiamike.com travel forum and I
would like to thank all IndiaMikers who posted very detailed and useful info, enormously helpful
for our preparations. Some other useful websites included:
www.thorntree.lonelyplanet.com
www.trekkingforum.com
www.travelbit.pl (in Polish only)
It is also worth it browsing through the Himachal Tourism (http://himachaltourism.nic.in/) and
Lahaul & Spiti gov’t (http://hplahaulspiti.gov.in/) webpages. From many blogs on Spiti, Kinnaur
and Himachal Pradesh inparticular I found this one: http://vistet.blogspot.com/to be particularly
interesting.
The best guidebooks are local, to be obtained in Delhi, Shimla (Minerva Bookshop on The Mall)
or Manali (Bookworm in New Manali).
- ‘Exploring Kinnaur & Spiti in the Trans-Himalaya’ by Deepak Sanan and Dhanu Swadi, Indus
Publishing Co. (http://www.indus-publishing.com/), 400Rs – maybe less useful for practical
details but a mine of information on culture and geography of the region.
- ‘A Ready Reckoner for Baspa, Kinnaur, Spiti & Lahaul Valleys’ ofNest & Wings – more basic
but including a useful (best available?) map ofH.P.
- ‘Himachal’ from the ‘Outlook Traveller Getaway’ series – basically a bunch of articles from
the Indian travel magazine, with some practical details aiming at more upmarket tourists, 295 Rs
For the more interested, Indus Publishing has published a lot of other interesting books on
Himachal, which resulted in completing the final leg of our trip (since coming across Bookworm
in Manali) with three instead of two backpacks:-) One of them that would certainly have been
useful to take on our trip is ‘Buddhist Monasteries of Himachal’ by O.C. Handa, but
unfortunately we found it first in Manali.
We also had the Delhi and H.P. chapters of Lonely Planet ‘India’ guide –luckily it is now
obtainable by chapter in PDF files from the http://shop.lonelyplanet.com/ website,quite cheap
and saving us from carrying the entire India guidebook. As usual, LP is close to nothing on
culture & background information but quite usefulfor practical details, maybe more for transport
than accomodation, which is very easy to find in H.P. even without a guidebook.
There are no good hiking maps of the area, so taking a look on Google Earth and printing out
some photos is a good idea. In Shimla we bought the relevant sheets of Indian Himalaya Maps
by Leomann Maps (scale 1:200.000, paid 250 Rs per sheet), which are little more than a scheme
of ridges and valleys,not showing any terrain features and being quite selective and not very
exact in showing roads and villages. At least they are a good help in identifying the panorama
around.
Some other maps are added to or published in the guidebooks but they are no more than simple
road or trail schemes.
The coordinates and altitude of most places we have visited are as shown on Google Earth. We
have not used a GPS device.
Weather:
In general, the monsoon was not as scary as described but it did make us some surprises.
Delhi: very hot and very humid, but generally sunny or only partly cloudy. In 4 days we spent
altogether in Delhi we experienced only 3 short(less than 30 minutes each) but very powerful
monsoon showers.
Shimla: refreshingly chilly (but still T-shirt weather) and mostly cloudy or foggy, making the
heritage buildings feel very atmospheric. For 2days it almost didn’t rain but on the 3rd day as we
were leaving itstarted raining in the night and it went on for several hours, continuing wellalong
our way into the Sutlej valley. It stopped around Rampur.
Sarahan: from cloudy and a few drops of rain to sunny with great views
Rekong Peo/Kalpa: sunny, dry, with a few clouds but generally great views to the Kinnaur
Kailash
Nako: sunny and dry
Spiti Valley – surprisingly, it rained quite often during the 2 weeks we spent in Spiti and it was
quite cloudy most of the time. Some locals told usit’s happening now because of climate change
and was unusual before. But still,most rains lasted only a couple of minutes and because of
generally very dry airwe were drying almost as fast as getting wet.
Lahaul – less arid and more green than Spiti but generally similar weather – from sunny to
cloudy with some unharmful rain.
Manali – much more humid but generally sunny. It rained only on our descent from Rohtang
Pass.
Mandi – similar to Delhi, a bit less hot. A trip to Rewalsar was truly refreshing.
Arrival to Delhi
We landed in the middle of the night and were a bit scared by the tales of dodgy taxi drivers but
with some precautions everything went without hassles. First we changed some money at the
State Bank of India branch at the airport – the rate we got for euros was ca. 1 Re per euro worse
than on the following day from a Paharganj moneychanger. We took a cab from Delhi
TrafficPolice Prepaid Taxi booth inside the arrivals hall (apparently a new one in addition to the
previously existing booth behind the exit). There are several other prepaid taxi booths there, but
all are apparently much more expensive that the Delhi Traffic Police one, which was easily
recognizable by a queue at front of the Police booth. It costed 310 Rs to Paharganj, including a
surcharge for night driving. We gave right – if untrue - answers to the testing questions of the
driver (“First time in India?” – “No, third”; “You have a hotel booking”– “Yes, of course, and
the hotel managers are our friends and wait for us”) and he dropped us right at the door of Hotel
Anoop just as we demanded, without trying any dirty tricks. As recommended by somebody on
the IM forum, we also didn’t hand the taxi receipt to the driver until he brought us to the right
destination.
Arriving to Paharganj at 2 a.m. without a hotel booking was no problem either, as several hotels
had open doors and the receptionists were quite awake. We took a room at Hotel Anoop (after
some bargaining 500 Rs for a double with ensuite bathroom and AC;
http://www.anupamhoteliersltd.com/)but wouldn’t recommend it – the room was minuscule and
quite grotty,electricity in the bathroom malfunctioned and I got a light shock and the
roofrestaurant is quite overpriced. A much better place was Hotel Star Paradise where we stayed
prior to departure – details at the end of this report.
Delhi—Kalka - Shimla
We took the 7.40 a.m. Shatabdi train from New Delhi railway station toKalka. Travelled by AC
chair car class, which was very comfortable, with newspapers and a meal included in the ticket
price. Ticket costed 465 Rs + 25Rs internet reservation fee. Prior to departure we got some
conflicting information as to whether the Shatabdi (scheduled arrival to Kalka at 11.45,arrived
ca. 10 minutes late) is connected with the 12.10 Himalayan Queen toy train to Shimla, but we
decided to risk it and caught the toy train without a fuss. A conductor on the Shatabdi did
confirm us that both trains were connected. The railway station in Kalka is small and easy to
navigate anyway, so walking from one train to another is a matter of 1-2 minutes. We located the
correct car by finding our names on a sheet attached to the train.
The toy train was much less comfortable (but a pleasant and interesting journey), a ticket
reserved over the internet costed 167 Rs + 25 Rs reservation fee. Only two cars had booked
seats, other cars were occupied on a first come –first served basis (presumably much cheaper
tickets) and the train was pretty overcrowded. It took 6 hours to reach Shimla, including about 1
hr of repairing the locomotive, so bus is a better option for anybody in a hurry (takes about 3hrs).
A few words on booking Indian Railway tickets over internet – it is done via
http://www.irctc.co.in/ website and I found it rather user-friendly. I had to create an account but
it’s a matter of a few minutes. No Indian-issued credit card nor Indian bank account is required (I
used my most basic version of VISA credit card issued by a Polish bank). At one of the steps I
had to select an Indian bank but it was only to proceed payment. My credit card slip revealed that
I was charged slightly more (ca 20Rs) than the ticket price + fee shown on the webpage –
presumably the Indian bank fee for payment procession. The rate used for conversion from
rupees into my home currency was quite fair.
There is also an option of cancelling your tickets over the internet and some people on the
travellers’ forums reported that the money is then duly returned to one’s account. A big
advantage comparing to the Polish railways where one can only cancel e-booked tickets in
person or by mail (conventional, not electronic:-)…
Shimla
We stayed at Hotel Dalziel (http://www.dalzielhotel.com/) in an old British-style wooden
building, with monkeys playing around on the roof. We paid 400 Rs for a quite comfortable
double with bathroom. They also have largerrooms (wanted 660 Rs) in the main building and
cheaper ones in a less-enticing back building. It’s a walk of about 10 minutes uphill to the
Scandal Point.
They have laundry service and would arrange porters to the station or bus stand.
In Shimla we arranged our Inner Line Permits for travel close to theTibetan border from Kinnaur
to Spiti. It was straightforward and completely free of charge. We needed ID photos and passport
& visa copies (made at aphoto shop nearby for a few rupees). We submitted our applications at
the Additional District Magistrate's office in the courts building just below The Mall,
abouthalfway between Scandal Point and Hotel Dalziel. The ADM office is to be foundentering
via a left entrance with ‘COLLECTORATE’ sign (there are 2 entrances signposted this way), on
the 2nd floor. We were told to come to collect our permits in 3 hours. When we returned we had
to wait a few minutes for the permits to be signed by the ADM in person. We applied at 11a.m.
(it opens at 10), collected our permits before 2 p.m.
KINNAUR
From Shimla we continued our trip mostly by ‘ordinary’ HRTC buses – uncomfortable but
reliable, with really experienced drivers. There’s no luggage space, so luggage has either to be
taken inside (to one’s own and fellowpassengers’ discomfort) or put on the roof. Initially we
resisted putting our backpacks on the roof, but further in Kinnaur as there was no rain anymore,
did that and found the roof storage place surprisingly stable. It was enough to fasten the
backpacks with a few simple strings we bought for drying clothes. No advance booking is
usually possible for HRTC buses, tickets are bought either from the bus stand 30 minutes before
departure or simply on the bus.
From Shimla we wanted to take an HRTC bus directly to Sarahan (departs from the Rivoli bus
stand at 9.30 a.m.) but were advised by the bus stand staff to take a faster connection to Jeori at 9
(final destination: Reckong Peo) and a connecting local bus to Sarahan (31.31 N, 77.48 E, alt. ca.
2100 m) from there. Ticket to Jeori costed 147 Rs, it was 6 hrs along a winding, bumpy, but
paved road, descending into Sutlej valley after rainyNarkanda and continuing up the valley
above the spectacular-looking river. In Jeori (alt. ca. 1400 m) we caught the overcrowded
Sarahan bus almost on arrival (1 hr, 15 rs). After arrival we went directly to the Bhimakali
temple and took a very comfortable room in the temple’s guesthouse - 300 Rs for a double with
ensuite bathroom, hot water, great view on the temple’s courtyard and mountains, definitely
recommended. Ask at the temple for the timing of the evening puja – it is at 8 or 8.30 and we
unfortunately missed it when we went for a walk around. For food I’d recommend Trehan’s
Guesthouse, a few steps down from the bus stop. There are some dhabas closer to the temple, but
they seemed unhygienic and the choice was very limited.
The next day we took a bus to Jeori and from there (on arrival) caught a bus to Reckong Peo - 75
Rs, 3 hrs along a bumpy, dusty and quite scary road (driver stopped to pray at temples before and
after to most risky section).Buses plying the road between Shimla and Reckong Peo are very
frequent, so there’s no need to check the schedule beforehand. From Reckong Peo (31.32 N,
78.16 E. alt. 2300 m) we took alocal bus (10 Rs, 30-45 minutes) to Kalpa (31.32 N, 78.15 E. alt.
2750 m).
In Kalpa we slept in Monal Residency guesthouse (uphill from the busstand, a bit higher than
Chini Bungalows) and it is definitely recommended.Paid 300 Rs for a clean double with
bathroom (hot water from geyser) andbalcony with a great view on Kinnaur Kailash. There’s a
restaurant in the guesthouse (no beer), laundry service is available.
A nice walk we made from Kalpa was a hike up to the Chakha pasture abovethe treeline (alt. ca.
3500 – 3600 m), with stunning views of the Kinnaur Kailash. From Monal Residency GH e few
steps uphill, continue along an asphal troad for ca. 100 m, then turn uphill taking a steep path
along a water canal. After ca. 2 hrs of a steep and dusty but partly shaded ascent, all along
thewater canal, we reached the treeline. For the more ambitious – the 5072 m high Rakchora
peak above the Chakha pasture looked accessible without technical difficulties but we didn’t go
much above pasture.
Internet access in Reckong Peo and Kalpa – there are several places inReckong Peo around the
main bazaar, charging about 50 Rs per hour but having very slow dial-up connection. In Kalpa
there’s one place close to the bus stand but we didn’t use it.
From Reckong Peo towards Spiti there are 2 buses – at 7.30 a.m. to Kaza and at 12 noon to
Nako. To be on the safe side we took a taxi to Peo (arranged by the hotel owner, 250 Rs) to catch
the earlier one but we could have easily done it by taking a 6.15 a.m. bus down from Kalpa.
From Reckong Peo to Nako (31.53 N, 78.38 E, alt. 3600 m) it costed 95 Rs, took 5 hrs along a
scary road up the Sutlej and then Spiti valleys. Our Inner Line Permits were checked at a
checkpoint underway and our data was recorded in a visitor book.
In Nako we stayed in Leo Purgiel (a.k.a. Rio Purgil) hotel which is probably the most
comfortable place available (there are also some cheaper guesthouses nearby) – we paid 400 Rs
for a big double with clean bathroom (hot water from geyser) and balcony. There is a restaurant
in the hotel. We met our friends from Poland travelling a similar route in the opposite direction,
so we had a beer and have to warn any subsequent travellers – don’t buy ’10.000’ beer, it’s
perhaps the worst I’ve tasted in my life.
Nako has an interesting Buddhist monastery, allegedly founded by Rinchen Zangpo in 996 AD,
with old frescoes and sculptures. It was completely deserted as we visited late in the afternoon.
We were however able to enter most of the temples, as they were not locked. Taking a torch light
to see the frescoes was definitely a good idea.
We stayed only one afternoon and until noon next day in Nako which is a pity, as I think now.
There is a great walk to be done to the village of Tashigang (31.50 N, 78.41E, alt. ca. 3500-3600)
over the Sutlej valley. The path starts from the village, goes uphill near a few chortens and then
to a well visible small pass in the ridge just above Nako (to the south). Then it continues almost
flat, traversing a gentle slope more than a kilometer above the Spiti river bed, with spectacular
views. The path is well visible on Google Earth photos. We only walked along it for about one
hour from Nako and came back to catch the Tabo bus. A poster from IndiaMike shared some
more details with me later –according to him the hike to Tashigang takes 3-4 hrs one way, with
the final section above the Sutlej valley requiring crossing a landslide area. A further hour’s walk
behind Tashigang there should be a cave temple. InTashigang it should be possible to sleep in a
homestay or possibly in the temple itself. According to him it’s legal to do this hike on a
standard Inner Line Permit for travel between Kinnaur and Spiti.
There was no mobile phone coverage nor internet access in Nako.
From Nako to Tabo we took the 12.30 p.m. bus (60 Rs, 2 hrs of bus rideitself). This part of the
trip was the most problematic, as a short distance(2-3 km) behind Nako the road crosses the
notorious Malling Nullah active landslide area. When we crossed, the road was completely
broken – in fact the evening before we heard a loud bang and seen dust coming from the Malling
direction. The arrangement of the HRTC for such case is called ‘transhipment’ –we were
required to take our luggage and cross the broken section (approx. 100m) on foot. Pretty scary,
with very unstable rocks hanging above the road. Minutes before we crossed some big boulders
fell on the road with loud noise. On the other side of the nullah we waited for less than one hour
for another bus which took us to Tabo. In this case hiring a private vehicle seemed not so good
idea.We met several tourists who got stranded in their jeeps, waiting for the road to be cleared
enough for jeeps and smaller vehicles to pass, which took a tleast several hours, maybe even
more than a day. I think the most practical option in case of an overnight wait is getting to Nako
(for those coming fromTabo – leave the jeep, cross on foot and walk to Nako), as it’s really
close.
SPITI
After getting to Tabo (32.05 N, 78.23 E, alt. 3050 m according to somemaps or 3280 m
according to other ones and Google Earth) we went to the monastery guesthouse, just at the
entrance to the old gompa. For the firstnight we got a double room (with bathroom, geyser) in
the very nice main building for 300 Rs but as it was booked, we had to change for not-as-nice
another building for the second night (250 Rs for a double with bathroom,geyser). There is a
small library with several interesting books on Buddhism and Buddhist art in the main
guesthouse building.
The monastery (belonging to Gelugpa school) is definitely the cultural highlight of a visit to
Spiti. The monks are used to opening the temples for tourists (donations appreciated) and did it
quite eagerly for us, even if we wandered across most of the temples by ourselves, not in a larger
group. Again, like in most other Buddhist temples in Spiti, having a torch light was essential.
Each morning at 6 a.m. the monks gather for morning prayers in the new temple outside of the
old gompa complex – tourists are welcome to come.
There was no mobile coverage in Tabo, the single internet café did not work (they told me they
had a permament problem with connection). It was possible to make an international phone call
but very difficult to get connection. For those in need of good food and real coffee, we could
recommend the Kunzum Top restaurant.
From Tabo we decided to head to Gulling (32.03 N, 78.06 E, alt. 3550) in the Pin Valley. Our
initial plan was to take a Kaza-bound bus, get off at the junction in Attargo (32.07.30 N, 78.10 E,
alt. 3480) and wait for the Kaza-Mudh bus to take us into the Pin Valley. However, on the bus
stop we met a jeep driver who told us that, as he was going to Kaza anyway, he would take us to
Attargo for 80 Rs per person and than, if we wished, make a detour to Gulling for a further 400
Rs (for the whole car) – so we got to Gulling by jeep for 560Rs, quite a bargain price comparing
to 900 – 1000 Rs I had been quoted for a jeep a day before. It turned out to be a good idea when
we saw Attargo en route– it was just one uninviting shack in the middle of nowhere, definitely
not a good place to spend possibly hours waiting for a bus.
In Gulling we found accomodation in a private homestay in a traditional Tibetan-style house
with Coke billboard on it, previously functioning as Hotel Himalaya but now the hotel sign had
been taken down for some reason. We paid 150 Rs for a very comfortable and large room,
arranged specially for guests.The bathroom was shared and rather basic but had running cold
water, hot waterwas provided in a bucket. Dinner (simple but delicious) costed a further 50 Rsfor
2 persons. Our hosts ran also a well-stocked shop in the same house (opened on request) and
there were two simple dhabas nearby in the village (not much choice besides chai and omelette).
From Gulling we walked the 2 km or so to the nearby Kungri Gompa, an interesting Nyingmapa
monastery visible at some height over the valley floor.Outside the larger new monastery complex
there’s an old temple with nice frescoes – again, the monks were quite eager to open it for us and
a torch light was useful for seeing the frescoes.
Another, somewhat longer interesting walk we made was to Sagnam, an hour or so up the valley
(at the confluence of Pin and Paraiho). We stopped for chai and chang at a dhaba, then crossed
the Pin river to another village of Khar and returned along the opposite side of the river to
Gulling. There was a rope bridge near Gulling where we crossed the river back. The walk along
the opposite side of Pin river can be continued to Tangti Gogma and Tangti Yogma villages,
with possibly another bridge below Gulling (not sure though). In a few years this place will
probably be spoilt by an alternative road to Kinnaur (bypassing Malling Nullah) – we’ve seen the
construction works already underway.
There was no mobile coverage in Gulling nor nowhere else in the PinValley.
From Gulling we took an 8 a.m. bus to Kaza (30 Rs, less than 2 hrs, the connection serves the
Pin Valley until Mud). It was terribly overcrowded, witha big live sheep stuck between the
passengers and their belongings in the rear.The animal was apparently used to bus rides, as it
behaved very calmly despitethe bumpy road.
Our initial plan was to go directly to Dhankar and start a 4-day trek toLangza from there, but the
Polish traveller we met before (at Malling) told usof the painful Lhalung to Demul ascent, so we
decided to go to Kaza first anddo our trek in the opposite, mostly descending direction.
In Kaza (32.13 N, 78.04 E, alt. 3600 m) from quite numerous guesthouses we chose the Mandala
Hotel just at the jeep stand, close to the bus station in thelower part of the town. At 500 Rs per
double it was perhaps expensive but rooms were large and very comfortable, with big bathroom
and almost impeccably clean, even comparing to the usually high Himachali standard. There’s a
restaurant in the hotel but no laundry service. Front rooms facing the jeep stand may be noisy.
Kaza is a place one can feel (almost) like having returned tocivilization – there are two internet
cafes (with erratic connection because of power cuts, 50 Rs per hour), mobile coverage, several
shops and restaurants,trekking agencies etc. However, there’s no ATM and nowhere to change
money in Kaza nor elsewhere in Spiti. The jeep stand is run by a taxi union which has regulated
prices – listed on a board at the booth.
SPITI LEFT BANK TREK
We used Kaza as a base for the Langza – Komic – Demul – Lhalung –Dhankar trek, leaving
excess luggage at the hotel. At first we were a bit afraid of finding the route by ourselves so we
asked for the prices of arranging this trek by an agency. The first one we asked was Ecosphere
(http://www.spitiecosphere.com/, http://www.himalayan-homestays.com/),but they quoted us
rip-off prices of 550 Rs per person per day for accommodation and a further ca. 1000 Rs per day
for pack animals and pony man.We asked at another agency at the small square in the very centre
of Kaza (later an IndiaMike poster indicated me their name and webpage: Spiti Holiday
Adventure, http://www.spitiholidayadventure.com/) and they gave us honest advice – told us that
hiring a pair of pack animals and pony man would cost about 500 Rs a day, the pony man would
show us the way and find accomodation. However, they told us that the orientation is simple,
accomodation easy to find, so we can easily leave excess luggage and go by ourselves. After
their reassuring advice we decided to go by ourselves, but if anybody would prefer arranging it, I
would definitely recommend avoiding Ecosphere and doing it by Spiti Holiday Adventure.
Route descriptions of this trek can be found on the following webpages:
http://www.indiamike.com/india/himachal-pradesh-f29/spiti-trekking-home-stays-and-factst12937/
http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0709/india-spiti.html
http://www.trekkingforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3542 (in German)
http://www.trekkingforum.com/forum/showthread.php?p=83344(in German)
We started by taking a jeep from Kaza to Langza (32.16 N, 78.06 E, alt.4500 m) for 600 Rs,
where we visited the monastery (some old frescoes) with a recently constructed giant Buddha
statue. From the monastery we backtracked a little bit along the road and turned (at the junction
over Langza, with Ecosphere sign) to another jeepable road going to Komic. We walked along
the road taking some shortcuts and soon reached a pass, from where both the village of Hikkim
and the Komic Gompa (at greater distance) were well visible. The village of Komic lies below
the gompa and is visible first from the immediate approach to it. It took us some 3-4 hrs from
Langza to Komic Gompa, walking very slowly because of short breath.
Komic Gompa (32.14 N, 78.06.40 E, alt. 4500 m) houses very friendly monks from the Sakyapa
school. There are some interesting frescoes and masks used for Chaam dances in the old temple
(near the guesthouse, out of the new temple complex). Unfortunately entrance to the old temple
is forbidden for women, so my wife could not visit it. There’s also a stuffed snow leopard hung
above the entrance. We slept at the monastery guesthouse, paid 150 Rs per person (additional
donation appreciated but not asked for), including food - 3simple meals. The room had a
waterless bathroom (bucket provided), water was available from a well nearby and toilets (also
waterless) were on the outside. The monastery has a well stocked shop, selling bottled water,
snacks, soft drinks,sweets and even beer (we didn’t risk it at this altitude). They also have one of
the highest volleyball playgrounds in the world.
The next (2nd) day we walked to Demul, assisted by a group of boy monks from Komic
monastery school going back to their families in Demul. The boys, aged between 5 and 10 years,
were running and jumping around, gentle enough not to laugh at our pathetic altitude-crippled
efforts. The way would be quite easy to find even without any assistance – for the first part it
followed a jeepable road, along a path parallel to it, climbing to a pass with a small chorten
(slightly above 4700 m, duly circumambulated by us together with our monk companions) and
then traversing gentle slopes of a valley with one-house shepherds hamlet (called Doksa,
32.12.11 N, 78.07.31 E, alt. 4500 m) in its bottom. At some distance behind Doksa, before the
road starts to wind down, we took a well-trodden path going to the left, first uphill, then almost
flat. Soon we reached a stone hut of yak herders, where we had chai and yoghurt
(probably32.11.33 N, 78.08.32 E, alt. 4600 m). Then we continued along the path, again uphill,
to another pass of 4717 m, with a chorten and prayer flags. Views were awesome during the last
part of the ascent, as a side valley opened a wide perspective on upper Khunke valley and
surrounding snow-covered peaks,including Chang Chau Kang Nilda. A pack of yaks grazed in
the valley below, of more‘yakety’ sort than the usual mix of yak and cattle. Behind the pass our
path continued for the final 1 hr of quite steep descent to Demul, with some walls of interesting
mani stones immediately before the village. Altogether the Komic to Demul walk took us some
6-7 hrs.
As we were told afterwards by our Lhalung host, there are several homestays in Demul (32.10.10
N, 78.10.45 E, alt. 4300 m). Not knowing it, we went to the only one with a sign – Gonpo
Homestay, in a traditional house inthe upper part of the viilage, to the right of the main street as
one arrives from Komic. The accomodation was very modest (waterless toilet, no
bathroom,water available from a waterhose on the street) and the host family, being partof the
Ecosphere scheme, charged us a quite high price of 300 Rs per person, including meals. We have
not seen any shop in the village.
From Demul into Lhalung the path descends some 600 meters, which turned out to be quite
useful for me, as I had a headache after the second night over 4000 m. The first part of the walk
on our third day was a steep descent into a gorge immediately below the Demul village. After
some time, the creek descending from Demul (and our path) joined the valley of Khunke (as
named onthe Leomann map) - a bigger stream, with a well trodden path. A further 1 hr orless
down this stream took us to the tiny village of Sanglung (32.08.54 N,78.12.25 E, alt. 3550 m) at
its confluence with the Lingti river. From there we turned left up the Lingti valley, walking 1 hr
along a well-trodden path traversing quite high above the Lingti. The path then descended to the
bridge on the Lingti just below Lhalung. From the previous descriptions we found on the web
there was some confusion as to the existence of this bridge (apparently washed away by a flood
some years ago), so we can confirm – as of August 2008 the bridge has been reconstructed and
looks quite solid. From the bridge it wasa 30 minutes ascent to Lhalung village. Total walking
time for the Demul to Lhalung part was about 4 hours. The ascent would be indeed painful in the
opposite way, so we were quite happy that we had chosen this direction and grateful to the Polish
traveller who had warned us about that at Malling.
In Lhalung (32.08.50 N, 78.14 E, alt. 3750 m) numerous houses now offer homestays. After
seeing one of them, we finally went to the Khabrik Guesthouse, a homestay ran for some years
already by a very friendly family. The owner works also as a mountain guide (guiding i.a. treks
from Kibber to Tso Moriri) and speaks quite communicable English. His wife also has some
basic English skills. We paid 200 Rs per person, including meals. The bathroom and toilet were
modest but functional and clean, with water (cold and hot) provided inbuckets. There’s a shop in
the village quite near to Khabrik Guesthouse, butwithout a sing, so we had to ask the hosts to
point it. There was beer in the shop, in the quantity of one single bottle.
Lhalung has an old Gelugpa monastery situated a little above the village.It used to be a Tabo-like
monastery complex (allegedly founded by RingchenZangpo in 996 AD) but only one temple
survived till today, with very interesting frescoes and sculptures. A metal roof has been added
quite recently, protecting the building but also damaging its view. Only ruins of other temples
remain. The main temple was closed as we arrived, looking deserted, but as we hung around for
a while, a friendly monk appeared and opened it for us (donation appreciated). He allowed us to
photograph inside thetemple for a photo fee – hence an appeal to the next visitors: if you are
allowed to do it, be careful not to use flash, as it could damage the frescoes.Afterwards we had a
tea in his quarters. He told us that Lhalung is now not a monastery on its own, but rather part of
Dhankar monastery and Dhankar monks take turns staying in Lhalung.
The last, fourth day of our trip was an easy 5 hrs walk (at a slow pace)from Lhalung to Dhankar.
Shortly after leaving Lhalung towards the main Spitivalley we took the upper jeepable road
running parallel quite high above the Lingti. It’s possible to reach Dhankar walking all the time
along this road but the views are far better taking a shortcut along a path as the road approaches
the main Spiti valley. The path leaves the road to the left (uphill) and is well trodden and visible
all the way. Shortly before Dhankar it rejoins the road.
In Dhankar (32.05.25 N, 78.12.45 E, alt. 3800 m) there are several guesthouses and homestays
but we didn’t stop there for the night. We visited the famous Gelugpa monastery (very
interesting, entrance free, donation appreciated) and the ruins of the fort on the top of the rocks.
The village itself is quite picturesque too. We also considered going uphill to the Dhankarlake
(32.05.30 N, 78.13.40 E, alt. 4140 m) but it looked so steep that after 4 days of trek a warm
shower and comfortable room in Kaza turned up more enticing. Luckily, an Indian couple met at
the monastery gave us a lift.
Ki – Kibber
The next day we took some rest and took a jeep to Kibber, stopping at Ki Gompa. Including
waiting time at Ki Gompa it costed 700 Rs which we shared with a couple of Koreans and two
Indian guys. There’s also a bus in the late afternoon but it leaves no time to visit the Ki Gompa.
Ki Gompa (32.17.50 N, 78.00.45 E, alt. 3870 m) was the most touristy monastery we visited,
with several groups going around, but the views were truly spectacular. In the monastery itself
there was not as much to see comparing to Lhalung or Dhankar. Sadly, most of the rooms were
not accessible, only the main prayer hall, a small temple on the opposite and the roof being open
to visitors.
In Kibber (32.20 N, 78.00.40 E, alt. 4150 m) we stayed at Norling Guesthouse which was one of
the best accomodations on this trip. It has basicrooms (shared bathrooms) for 150 Rs and better
large ones upstairs for 250 to350 Rs (en-suite or bathroom shared between two rooms, geyser
with hot water),with a big terrace with great view. It has also a restaurant with tasty meals (beer
available) and a shop. The friendly owner speaks communicable English.
There’s a small old temple in the middle of the village with some interesting frescoes and a new
monastery just above, where we had an occasion to see the blessings given by the monk serving
as Dalai Lama’s oracle on a visit to the village.
Kibber was a perfect base for day walks. The first we made was to the Chichum village
(32.20.50 N, 77.59 E, alt. 4100 m), well visible from Kibber on the opposite side of the
Parilungbo gorge. The walk requires going down and up the Parilungbo gorge (there’s a bridge at
the bottom), so it took ca. 3 hrsthere and 2 hrs back. The first part of the walk follows the trail
eventually reaching Parang La and Tso Moriri in Ladakh, from which one has to turn left ina
small gorge not far after crossing Parilungbo.
A road bridge was in construction over the Parilungbo valley. When it’s completed, it will make
Chichum reachable in a very short walk (much less fun without crossing the valley) and the
picturesque 4900+ m high peaks just behind Chichum will be accessible as an easy day hike
from Kibber.
We’ve seen no open shop in Chichum, but there is at least one homestay there which advertises
on the entrance to Kibber. Unusually for Spiti, the temple in Chichum was closed and there was
nobody around to open it for us.
Another day hike we made was to the 5157 m high Dangmachan peak (name and altitude
according to the Leomann map), a grassy mountain directly above Kibber. Going up was a
sequence of short steeper ascents and flat grassyfragments, a bit confusing as the top is not
visible from anywhere during the walk. As we went higher, breathing became more and more
difficult and the walk exhausting – definite proof we should never try to climb Mt Everest. When
we finally crawled onto a knoll with some cairns that we had assumed to be the top, we realized
the real top was further away, another ascent before us – so we decided ‘our’ knoll would be
enough, as probably it exceeds 5000 m aswell. Google Earth coordinates of the mountain are
32.20 N, 78.03 E.
Another possibility of an easy but interesting day walk from Kibber are Gete and Tashigang
villages, across a very deep gorge (Shilla Nullah) from Langza (well visible from there). We left
that one out for our next trip. It’s theoretically possible to walk from Kibber via Tashigang to
Langza (and combine it with the Langza to Dhankar trek) but the nullah between Tashigang and
Langza looks barely passable.
On our last day in Kibber we slept too long to catch the early morning bus to Kaza and the
shared jeeps departing later (8 a.m., 40 Rs, as were toldby our host). We tried to hitch-hike but
soon several jeeps with a group of monks arrived and unexpectedly we could witness the visit of
an important delegation headed – as we were told - by the monk serving as medium for the
personal oracle of the Dalai Lama. The reverend guest gave teachings, blessings and was given a
reception with music and dances. So finally we found transport to Kaza first in the late afternoon
after the visitors left, by a car hired by Italian tourists.
GETTING TO LAHAUL
After two nights in Kaza and some shopping at the Ladarcha fair we went to Keylong in Lahaul
valley. First we took a morning Kullu-bound bus to Gramphoo(32.24 N, 77.15 E, ca. 3300 m) on
the junction of Manali-Leh and Manali-Kazaroad. There are two morning buses from Kaza in
that direction – at 4.30 a.m. to Kullu via Manali and at 7.00 a.m. to Manali. We booked our
tickets an evening before at the bus stand. Getting to Gramphoo took 8 hrs along a mostly bad
unpaved road, costed 130 Rs. According to the Kaza taxi union rates, a jeep from Kaza to
Keylong would cost 5500 Rs. Our bus stopped for breakfast in Losar village (32.27 N, 77.52 E,
alt. 3950 m). If somebody plans stopping here, we’ve seen 2 or 3 basic-looking guesthouses and
a few dhabas. Then the bus took us upthe Kunzum La (32.23.40 N, 77.38 E, alt. 4551 m) where
the bus respectfully drove around the small temple on the top of the pass and stopped for prayers
or photo-taking. From Kunzum La we descended into upper Lahaul valley and the landscape
suddenly changed – the mountains were more spectacular, with crevasse-ridden glaciers almost
hanging above the valley, the slopes green,with more abundant creeks and waterfalls. We
stopped again for lunch shortly before Gramphoo. Gramphoo itself is not the worst place for a
short stop – it consists of 3 or 4 dhabas at the roadside.
In Gramphoo we planned to catch a Manali to Keylong bus, but as none arrived for an hour or
so, we made the tactical error and hitch-hiked. We got lift from a big richly decorated truck
going to Leh which turned out to be probably the slowest one in the Indian Himalaya. After
making the first 5 km or so the driver stopped for lunch in Khoksar, where 2 HRTC buses passed
us. Our backpacks were on the roof of the truck, so we didn’t stop the bus. As we drove on, we
were overtaken by 3 or 4 further buses, the last one on the outskirts of Keylong. Finally it took us
more than 5 hrs to travel 50 km from Gramphoo to Keylong, but the positive side of that was
experiencing a ride on one of the decorated Indian trucks.
LAHAUL
In Keylong (32.34 N, 77.02 E, alt. 3050 m) we stayed at Sumrila Guesthouse on the main road, 5
minutes descent by stairs to The Mall. We paid 300 Rs for a double with ensuite bathroom, hot
water from geyser. The room was average (although clean) but terrace view absolutely rocked –
a broad panorama of the valley, limited by two glacier-covered groups of mountains. Meals
served at guesthouse were tasty and beer was available.
Keylong is much bigger than any place in Spiti, with several internet cafes (usually 1-2
computers, connection was often down, 60 Rs/hr), restaurants and shops. There was no
pharmacy though, and we had to pay a visit to local hospital to get some aspirin.
From Keylong we made some walks and a jeep trip to Udaipur andTrilokinath.
A jeep to Udaipur (32.44 N, 76.40 E, alt. 2640 m) and Trilokinath, ca.50 km one way, costed us
1500 Rs and for additional 200 Rs the driver agreed to take us to Shashur Gompa above Keylong
at the end of our trip. We negotiated the price directly with the driver at the taxi stand near
Sumrila GH – agencies in the town wanted 200-300 Rs more. Unfortunately the Shashur Gompa
was closed and all the monks were out in the town, so we could only walk around and peep
through the main door.
The most obvious walk from Keylong was a visit to Khardong Gompa – well visible on the other
side of the Bhaga valley, just opposite Keylong. The walk is along a well paved footpath – first
down to the Bhaga river (the descent starts near the hospital on the western, lower end of
Keylong), across a bridgeand up to the village of Khardong (with a small Drukpa temple in the
middle). From the village we got a lift from a monk driving to the monastery, but there’salso a
more direct footpath. The gompa, belonging to the Drukpa school, is mostly new, but there are
some old Tantric frescoes inside. It was closed the monks are living in nearby buildings, so there
should be always somebody to open it. It’s not practicable to take a jeep to Khardong gompa, as
there’s no direct roadfrom Keylong and it requires a detour via Tandi at the confluence of
Chandraand Bhaga rivers.
Another walk was a visit to Yordong Gompa, spotted by us a day before from Khardong – set
quite spectacularly in cliffs above the village a few kms down from Keylong on the main
Manali-Leh road (in the direction of Manali). From Keylong we walked down along the road
which was a continuation of The Mall (running parallel below the main road), crossed a nullah
with a big stream andjoined the main road. After a kilometer or so along the main road we
reached HRTC repair compound (with a small sign pointing to Yordong gompa), entered itand
took a paved path uphill to the gompa. The monastery is new and not very interesting but the
walk itself and the setting amidst hanging cliffs is quite nice.
From Keylong we went to Manali by HRTC bus (130 Rs, ca. 6 hrs). Not far before Manali a
landslide blocked the road on the descent from Rohtang Pass, so we walked over and instead of
waiting for a connecting bus took a shared jeep for 50 Rs per seat.
In Manali (alt. 1900 m) we stayed at Tashila hotel in the Model Town (short walk from the bus
and taxi stands, close to the Tibetan gompas), which we could definitely recommend. We payed
300 Rs for a large comfortable room with bathroom (hot water), terrace and TV with BBC News.
The manager also arranged taxis well below the official rates. We made a day trip to Naggar by
car arranged by him, for 500 Rs (including waiting time).
From Manali on we had a third backpack in result of our visits in Bookworm bookshop (two
branches in New Manali – near post office and behind the bus stand), so we decided to take a car
to Mandi, as only ordinary HRTC buses were available on that route. Arranged through our hotel
it costed 1500 Rs (drivers at the taxi stand wanted 2000 Rs) and took almost 4 hrs. The lower
part of the valley was quite spectacular, with a big waterfall among tropical flora atHanogi and
monkeys hanging around at the roadside.
In Mandi (31.43 N, 76.56 E, alt. 750 m, so pretty hot) we stayed at Hotel Evening Plaza just
above Indira Market. Contrary to what is said in the LP guide, it’s a very short 5 minutes walk
across a bridge from the bus stand. We paid 500 Rs for a double with fan and an run-down
aircooler, decent but not worth this price.
We walked around the temples of Mandi (2-3 hrs are enough for a visit) and made a day trip to
Rewalsar next day. Rewalsar (31.38 N, 76.50 E, alt. 1330m, so much cooler than Mandi) is
connected with Mandi by HRTC buses leaving every hour or so (1 hr, 22 Rs). It seemed to us a
much nicer place to spend a night than Mandi.
Getting from Mandi to Delhi with something better than an ordinary bus required booking a
ticket for one of the Manali-Delhi or Dharamsala-Delhi overnight buses. We did it via Satluj Bus
agency at the bus stand in Mandi and had to pay the full fare from Manali – 900 Rs per person
for an AC deluxe bus (this description fully fitting the facts). The bus dropped us quite close to
Paharganj and Connaught place in Delhi.
On our second stay in Delhi we decided to look for something better than Anoop and found a
nice room at Star Paradise hotel (http://www.stargroupofhotels.com/, but their website is down
right now) at a side street close to Downtown hotel. We could recommend it – a nice, clean and
comfortable room with bathroom and AC costed 700 Rs, had TV and a fridge. Meals and beer
could be ordered to the room and laundry service was also available. The guys working there
were honest – atone time I forgot to lock our room and being back we found our room properly
locked, key at the reception and none of our belongings missing. Another time I misunderstood
the amount I had to pay for laundry service, paid 50 Rs too much and got it back within 2
minutes.
They arranged for us a car to the airport for 300 Rs. Hearing all thestories about the queues on
the airport we went there far too early which was a mistake, as passengers were allowed into the
terminal first 3-4 hrs before departure. Luckily we had our e-tickets printed out, as they were
quite thoroughly checked on entering the terminal, including checking the names on the tickets
with our passports. There’s a waiting room charging 30 Rs opposite the terminal but most people
just wait outside.
That was the end of our trip which made us very eager to visit Himachal again…