Shimla: Spiti valley in Himachal Pradesh poses some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world let alone the country. The summer season is the optimum time for visiting the region when temperatures are mildly in the balance and clear blue skies overhead. Here is my honest attempt to bring it to you in pictures n my own words what is lasting and unforgettable.
To rohtang
“Life is like living on the land above water
sometimes your sinking
sometimes your jumping
sometimes you just float”
Rohtang pass(4112m) itself is major tourist attraction. But really its the beginning if one decides to venture further.
Madhi(start of the rohtang climb)
“We are not confined by nature
we are confined by ourselves”
rohtang pass
After descending from the rohtang the fun part really starts.You can opt to go to keylong which is about 60 kms from rohtang or towards kaza which falls to the opposite side.You can’t guess where you’ll be spending the night so one needs to be prepared. The chandra river accompanies you through the valley which is nothing less than thrilling.
Chandra(start of the spiti valley)
The PWD guest houses are the only tangible structures that provide for a shelter until the first major village of the region.
PWD guest house (chotta darra)
Arguably the most beautiful part of the region starts from here. A photographer can probably capture only half of what this actually is. You can’t describe it in words. So i won’t even try.
En route to Batal
“You might call it paradise. You might call it anything. But the beauty remains incomprehensible”
Batal
A 12 km diversion from batal takes you to Chandratal. A place that leaves a lasting impression.
The road to chandtratal
“You might fall. Or you may call it flying”
Chandratal lake
“Don’t submit yourself to your limits. Break one and you’ll find a new path”
View from Chandtralal
“Sometimes there’s so much beauty in the world I feel like I can’t take it, like my heart’s going to cave in”
– American beauty
This place won’t let you go easy. And for once you would want to succumb to whats around you.
Back from Chandratal
“Forget the destination for a while. Just choose a path
Locals carrying groceries
It would be easy to call this place heavenly. But I won’t. Because if heaven was so easy there would be no god.
Manik Sharma reads and writes, and that is about as interesting as he gets.
Very well narrated. And of course pictures are amazing.
Incredible pictures and very well described. You rightly said that words fall short to explore this nature paradise.
Having trekked these lands about two decades ago, I could not agree more with you about the opportunity God provided you with to have been there and back.
Good pictures, but factually incorrect information since not even one picture belongs to Spiti Valley. All these pictures are on Lahaul side of the Kunzam Pass along Chandra river and these pictures cover the distance between Gulaba and Batal. The point mentioned as Madhi is also not correct since Marhi is about two kilometres uphill from this point where you have a whole bunch of those dhabas and a small PWD rest house as well. A couple of pictures belong to the approach to Chanrda Taal. The Spiti Valley in fact starts from Kunzam pass down to Losar, the first village of Spiti Valley. A picture of
Chandra river mentions that the point is beginning of Spiti Valley which is factually incorrect. It also needs to be mentioned that there is no habitation or permanent settlement between Gramphoo (the diversion point from Rohtang- Khoksar road) till one reaches Losar in Spiti Valley.
Glad to have experts on HP like you here. I hope you can keep this effort in line and keep guiding all of us!
Thanks, it should remain our collective effort to present to the world as accurate information as possible. I have traveled this area for over a score of times and would love to do a write up sometime into the future.
Thank you sir.
Your articles are always well researched and I hope you keep writing to present the real picture of HP.
Here are all of your articles:
http://himachal.us/author/dksharma
How do you know these details and how are you connected with this area
my bad sir.this is the lahaul valley. and i was going to mention losar and about it in my next part.
Can I download these pictres in Higher resolution from somewhere?
.Really a nice tour ….but a short one ….very well narrated……..was “feeling like it should n’ver end”………hands down to my himachal….
Hi can we get some himachali recepies .th efood is awesome but the culniary experiece of people outside HP is limited .my friend s always ask me to make something .now i am out of dishes, pls help