Spiti Road trip & trek |
* Cover photo: "Nowhere begins here". A broken , dilapidated road, broken milestone, not a soul in sight. This road we're on shows us something amazing at every turn. For this reason we like to call Spiti the middle of Nowhere. Clicked this pic about 2 hours before Kaza. Copyright: My Himalayan Adventure
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Difficulty level: While there are a number of more difficult treks and climbs in Spiti, this particular combination of trek and travel can be done by anyone if you are relatively fit- walk or do some activity regularly. You're good to go if you start walking regularly or get physically active in the lead up to the trek. We will be happy to consult you on a good preparation routine.
Suitable for children? Yes, suitable for kids but, very small children will require some extra support. Do get in touch with us for advice on this. We do require extra care since you will be touching very high altitude and precautions need to be taken for it
No of Days: We recommend 4-5 days. Can be done in 3 days as well as extended to 7 days. It is very customize able as there are numerous alternate route options. You have options of starting and ending at different places, do a popular route or an unknown route where you won't find many people or make it very relaxing as well.
Is it a good option for first time trekkers and/or families?: Yes, this is suitable for first time trekkers and families. You are doing short hikes which are mostly downhill, trails are well marked, distances are relatively short and travel time in the mountains is moderate, we have had people between 6 and 67 in age including first timers and women who have successfully done this. Happy to help if you need your advice in planning this.
Suitable for children? Yes, suitable for kids but, very small children will require some extra support. Do get in touch with us for advice on this. We do require extra care since you will be touching very high altitude and precautions need to be taken for it
No of Days: We recommend 4-5 days. Can be done in 3 days as well as extended to 7 days. It is very customize able as there are numerous alternate route options. You have options of starting and ending at different places, do a popular route or an unknown route where you won't find many people or make it very relaxing as well.
Is it a good option for first time trekkers and/or families?: Yes, this is suitable for first time trekkers and families. You are doing short hikes which are mostly downhill, trails are well marked, distances are relatively short and travel time in the mountains is moderate, we have had people between 6 and 67 in age including first timers and women who have successfully done this. Happy to help if you need your advice in planning this.
In all our years in the Himalayas, we haven't found a place with road access that feels as untouched, as raw & rugged as Spiti does and
we like to call Spiti 'The beginning of nowhere'. The mountains are grand and every place you go over there has a highest in the world feeling!
Layers of mountains. Every turn of every mountain has a different colour and changed landscape
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The grandeur of Spiti. The mountains and clouds. Greens in contrast to browns and blues make for a postcard perfect frame
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Region: Himachal Pradesh, you enter Lahaul and Spiti after crossing Rohtang Pass if coming from Manali or after Reckong Peo if coming from Shimla side
Maximum height during the trek: You reach heights in excess of 15,000 ft while on this trip Distance you need to travel by road in hilly areas: Pretty much all the time Price range for a fixed departure/custom group: Cost is in the range of Rs 1500-1800 per person per day for stay and guide, Vehicle costs between Rs 3,500 and Rs 4,000 a day which gets split equally between all members. Our thoughts on Spiti: The landscapes in Spiti almost feels like nature's canvas. Paintings and a work of art that sometimes feels unreal and we are left wondering.. Am i really here and is this really happening? Crossing those landscapes, we often feel a compulsion to stop, to take a minute and breathe in the incredibility and incredulity of our own reactions. Miles and miles of peaks till the eyes can see, as if a painting out of an artist's imagination. Not a soul in sight, no human presence except this broken road that we are on. We want to go and embrace the mountains with their passes and thank them for giving their sight to us. It's amazing how small, how insignificant we feel as a human being, in the midst of all this grandeur. Travel is a religion and faith of a different kind - a religion known only to explorers, wanderers and those who seek new roads. Spiti is the epitome of this faith.. We have been climbing and trekking in the Himalayas for about 30 years now but Spiti leaves us in awe even now! The fact that roads are built at such high altitudes means that you can drive past glaciers, wild rivers at their purest, alpine lakes and towering mountains. Something you can't really do in most other areas of the Himalayas without trekking for multiple days. The landscape is stark.Mostly dry, arid and rocky with patches of green. People compare the landscape of Spiti with that of Ladakh. This is true to a large extent since they are both cold deserts. But Ladakh has seen an influx of travelers and tourists in recent times so the rawness has gone away. That is one of the reasons we love Spiti so much. It is still so pristine and untouched. You go for hours at a stretch feeling like you're in the middle of nowhere. Every turn the broken road takes offers a new landscape and has a new story to tell us. Something so different from the previous turn that we can't help ourselves from stopping and taking pictures. And then there is the High! Not just the high in our minds but literally too. Spiti has the highest village in the world, the highest post office in the world. Every thing there has a highest in the world feeling. In so many villages that we went, we found an old world charm |
The beautiful drive to Baralacha Pass. This isnt in Spiti but you can extent your itinerary by a day to visit this beautiful pass
The revered 17th century Key Monastry perched on a hilltop and an iconic place of Spiti
Another image showcasing the various hues of greens, blues and browns on display in Spiti
Even the clouds wanted to tell a story while we were on the road in Spiti
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The cover photo in full. Like we said, "nowhere begins here"
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Spiti has a rich culture and you will find find beautiful monasteries in every town or village. They will all be full of smiling, happy and content faces
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Scroll below for more info or get in touch with us to plan this
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Trekking with
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Typical trek and travel itinerary with plenty of options to customize:
Day 1: Drive from Manali to Kaza(8-9 hour drive) A tiring, long and bumpy drive, but as they say, the journey is more important than the destination. You cross Rohtang Pass, Kunzum Pass and drive along some stunning landscape. While the road is bumpy, enjoy the sights and sounds of the ever changing landscape which is unlike any you would have seen before. By evening you reach Kaza, night at a hotel Day 2: Explore places around including Mud Village and Dhankar, by evening return to the hotel in Kaza Day 3: Drive to Kibber(1 hour drive), Do the Kibber to Key Monastry trek(2-3 hour trek). Do a mostly downhill, day trek from Kibber to the revered 17th century Key monastry partched on top of a hill. By afternoon return to Kibber and stay the night at a local homestay Day 4: Drive and explore nearby places including Lanza and Comic Day 5: Leave early morning and drive to Kunzum Pass(3-4 hour drive), and do a mostly downhill trek from Kunzum Pass to Chandratal(3-4 hour trek), night at a camp in Chandratal Day 6: Drive back to Manali(5-6 hour drive) |
Camping at Spiti, a day full of surprises at every turn, touching snow and high altitude, and spend the night under starry night skies
Another photo of the camp in Spiti
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At Baralacha Pass
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Chandratal
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Travel advice for Spiti trek and travel
1) Drive in the mountains- Long drives in the mountains can be tiring because they are windy and bumpy in nature. The roads in Spiti are pretty much not roads but dirt tracks all along. While this is a good thing because this in large part contributes to the raw and rugged beauty of Spiti, be prepared for a bumpy ride for a large part if you are planning to go to Spiti. Enjoy the journey and the sights and sounds of the road rather than just the destination
2) High altitude and proximity to glaciers: The road goes to some very high places. Kunzum pass is over 15,000 ft. Chandratal is about 14,000 ft. The fact that all these places have road connectivity means that you get very close to glaciers and high altitude mountains. In most other parts of the Himalayas, you need to trek for multiple days to reach this height. But high altitude also means extra care needs to be taken due to the thin levels of oxygen. We will tell you how to take care of yourself at that altitude and we request you to keep those points in mind, especially if you have children with you
3) Terrain- cold alpine desert
4) Route can be modified for those who like to customize: You dont have to do multi day treks to get into the interiors of Spiti. Single day treks with time spent locally will give you a great taste of the region.
5) Good time to do this:The time to do this is quite limited because of the altitude, most of the passes are snowed in most of the year. The best time to do this is in the months of June, July, August and a bit of September
1) Drive in the mountains- Long drives in the mountains can be tiring because they are windy and bumpy in nature. The roads in Spiti are pretty much not roads but dirt tracks all along. While this is a good thing because this in large part contributes to the raw and rugged beauty of Spiti, be prepared for a bumpy ride for a large part if you are planning to go to Spiti. Enjoy the journey and the sights and sounds of the road rather than just the destination
2) High altitude and proximity to glaciers: The road goes to some very high places. Kunzum pass is over 15,000 ft. Chandratal is about 14,000 ft. The fact that all these places have road connectivity means that you get very close to glaciers and high altitude mountains. In most other parts of the Himalayas, you need to trek for multiple days to reach this height. But high altitude also means extra care needs to be taken due to the thin levels of oxygen. We will tell you how to take care of yourself at that altitude and we request you to keep those points in mind, especially if you have children with you
3) Terrain- cold alpine desert
4) Route can be modified for those who like to customize: You dont have to do multi day treks to get into the interiors of Spiti. Single day treks with time spent locally will give you a great taste of the region.
5) Good time to do this:The time to do this is quite limited because of the altitude, most of the passes are snowed in most of the year. The best time to do this is in the months of June, July, August and a bit of September
