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DAY 01 – MANALI to KAZA

We leave Manali early in the morning after a quick breakfast. We cross the Rohtang Pass and head past the tourist hordes into the Lahaul and Spiti district o­n the Manali Lah highway. Expect a dramatic change of scenery fromm green to desert across the Rohtang Pass. A short distance later, we take a right off the highway, and follow the road along the Chandra river that takes us into Spiti and stop for lunch at a summer settlement of roadside dhabas at Chhatru.

As we move o­n after lunch, a dusty, journey along the Chandra river captivates us. o­n our right just before Batal, we should be able to see the tail of the Bara Shigri glacier (far above). We cross Batal and climb steeply across the Kunzum Pass. o­n the top of the Pass, there is a recently revamped (but ancient in terms of tradition) temple to the Palden lhamo (Kali). The road detours from the main "highway" to go around the temple here. It is believed that she protects travellers. Views from here are worth taking a breather from the long drive for. We have the Chandra Bhaga range (popular among climbers) in clear sight. We continue o­n toward Losar with some incredibly stunning mountains (that look rather like someone wiped across a palette full of oilpaint) o­n our left.

We cross the check post at Losar after a quick tea break and are now officially into Spiri (geographically, we entered, when we crossed the Kunzum Pass). The journey now takes us through charming villages with the typical box-like houses and patches of green in an arid land, right until we reach Kaza.

DAY 02 – KAZA – Kye – Kibber – KAZA

Today is an easy day to help us unwind from yesterdays tiring journey and to get acclimatized to the gain in altitude. After breakfast we will visit the Kye monastery, situated a short distance (12 km) away. We have seen Kye in the distance o­n the previous day looking like a massive pile of boxes threatening to topple at the slightest push.

About 20 kilometres northwest of Kaza lies Kibber village, which at a height of 4,205 metres boasts of being o­ne of the highest inhabited villages. The village is surrounded by a narrow valley and soaring mountain ranges o­n all sides and is perched o­n a vast, rocky stretch of land.

We continue to Gete further up the plateau. Flanking the Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary and set amidst spectacular alpine meadows, this is o­ne of the regions where the famous Spiti horses are bred. We return to the comfortable low altitude of Kaza for a peaceful night's sleep.

DAY 03 – KAZA – LANGZA

Today, we go to Langza, located in a large high mountain meadow with the spectacular massif of, Chau Chau Kang Nilda, towering in the backdrop.

We visit the Lang (monastery), before lunch. The Lang is regarded to be the headquarters of all the deities of the valley and houses some old frescos and thangkas (paintings o­n silken canvas).

We will be with a local family. After savouring a steaming local cuisine lunch, we will go fossil hunting. An area of the plateau near Langza has been marked out as a fossil centre and we spend a few hours hunting for fossils. Dinner and overnight stay in the local home.

After breakfast we hike across the plateau to Komik. Various trails branch out and depending o­n your energy levels and interest in wandering, we can take tougher or easier routes. The steeper routes as usual have more to offer (somehow, its always like this).

We will be carrying a packed lunch today for a high-altitude picnic under the sky at a place our heart and stomach choose. Just find a place you like and take your lunch break.

Komik is the highest village in Asia and houses o­ne of the highest Vajrayana Buddhist monasteries in the world. We will visit the Gompa and spend the afternoon at leisure exploring the village, asking questions or getting to know our hosts for the day.

Ok. Enough walking. Today we will safari across the plateau astride yaks. Why walk when we can ride? The route primarily traverses through alpine pastures with a wide array of floral diversity.

We will again carry a packed lunch and have a picnic whenever we feel like it.

We traverse two passes with stunning views of the surrounding peaks of the region. A steep descent after the second pass brings us to Demul village.

Demul is famous for its musicians. In the evening we will attend Cultural performances by the local folk and sample the warm hospitality of these mountain people. We stay again with a local family.

DAY 06 – DEMUL – Lhalung – DHANKAR

After breakfast we hike to Lhalung. The route is primarily all downhill and brings us to the valley floor of the Padang River. Lunch is at the picturesque oasis village of Saglung, housing all of 2 houses.

We cross a rickety bridge and follow the Lingti River thereafter which leads us to the village of Lhalung. The oldest Sarkhang temple and possibly o­ne of the oldest trees (dating back to over a 1000 years) in Spiti are found here.

From here we drive a short distance to Dhankar, the erstwhile capital of Spiti. Dhankar houses an ancient Monastery perched precariously between unique wind eroded structures. Remnants of the Dhankar Fort, which housed the royal family of Spiti, still remain. Dinner and overnight in another local home.

DAY 07 – DHANKAR – Kungri – TABO

Today we attend the morning pooja (prayer ceremony) and learn about restoration of ancient art at the Dhankar monastery.

We visit the old & new monasteries, the remains of the Dhankhar Fort and a museum of cultural artifacts. The Monastery has some interesting wall murals and thankas.

From here we drive to Kungri monastery in the Pin valley. The original monastery was built around 1330 AD and provides unmistakable evidence of the Tantric cults as practiced in Pin.

We will watch a cultural performance by the Bhujens, a unique and rare sect of Tibetan Buddhist theatrical artists that preach religious, social and ecological morals to the locals through a set of diverse performances.

Followers of Tholdan Gyalpo, who invented this art in the early 11th century A.D, they are now o­nly found in the Pin valley in Spiti after disappearing from Tibet and Ladakh.

We drive to Tabo for dinner and overnight stay.

DAY 08 – TABO – Giu – KAZA

After breakfast we visit Tabo monastery . Built around the year 996 A.D, in a single night as the myth goes, the Tabo monastery is a shrine to the protectress Wi-nyu-myin, and the oldest Gelugpa monastery in Spiti.

The nondescript exterior of Tabo is in contrast with the magnificent paintings and sculptures preserved in the prayer hall.

From here we will drive to Giu (1 hr). Giu is the furthest and most isolated village of Spiti, lying close to the border of Tibet (China). Giu's claim to fame is its lama mummy (the 1000 year old monk sitting in the dhayana asana still exists intact till date).

We will be carrying our lunch with us again . After visiting Giu we will drive back to Kaza. The evening can be spent roaming the (tiny)bazaar and shopping. Dinner and overnight at Kaza.

DAY 09 – KAZA – CHANDRA TAL

Our journey out of Spiti begins, but that doesn't mean its time for depression - the lake of the Moon beckons!

Today we visit Chandra Tal, the lake of the moon goddess. We return toward Manali up to a little ahead of Kunzam pass. After crossing Kunzam La (4551 mts) and just before Batal, we take a short detour to Chandra Tal (4270 mts). The road is bumpy and vehicles need to back up as much as half a kilometer to find a place to pass, so we hope we don't meet other vehicles coming from the opposite side.

Chandra Tal is placed between a low ridge and the main Kunzum range with an outlet into the Chandra river. O/N in tents.

This is o­ne place which is unforgettable. The crystalline beauty of the water is the perfect mirror for the dramatic mountains cocooning it - if there is any place fit for Gods to live, this is it.

DAY 10 – CHANDRA TAL – MANALI

Wake up in the morning to see the sun rising over the steel gray of the mountains and their perfect inverted image in the lake, turning the scene into a blaze of colour.

Pitch your tent with care o­n the previous night, and you can see this from your sleeping bag, with the tent flaps open. Our last morning o­n this tour is a morning that will stay alive in our minds as long as we live.

After breakfast we drive to Manali along the now familiar route that we traversed to enter Spiti valley from Manali. The vivid green of the lush Kullu valley comes as a visual shock after all these days of barren terrain, as we descend from the Rohtang into the bustle of Manali town and back into modern civilization.