Arjun Haarith: Spectacular Spiti : Pin valley

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Day 6 - Aug 10th , 2016

Early morning visit to the Sakya monastery at Kaza was completely refreshing and energizing. The Buddhist hymns and prayers created a sense of divinity and generated positive energy amongst us. Few of us meditated at the prayer hall for some time, before proceeding to Pin valley.

We checked out from our hotel by 6.30 AM, and headed towards Mudh village which is supposedly the last village in the Pin Parvati valley.

The initial stretch from Kaza to Mudh takes you through many small villages along the Spiti river. The terrain is rugged but complemented with beautiful rock formations enroute.

Once the bridge is crossed, you enter the Pin valley. Parvathi river welcomes you from this point onwards.

The very sight of this arch increased our thrill and excitement. The journey from Kaza to Mudh is truly amazing. It is filled with colorful mountains , valleys , villages , people , flora and fauna. Before visiting this place, myself and Bhargav had read some blogs to know more about this place. But the beauty of this place was even more beautiful than we had read.

Parvathi river

The valley is home to many colorful villages, which are on the banks of the Parvati river.

Some of these villages are completely dis-connected with the outer world.

Enroute Mudh, we got an opportunity to visit Peas farms and eat some sweet and delicious peas. These were totally different from what I had eaten before. The sweetness of these peas was incomparable.

We reached the lovely village of Mudh by 11.30 AM and checked into a hotel called "Snow valley". It is just opposite to the famous Tara homestay in Mudh. This particular hotel offered amazing views of the neighboring mountains and valleys.

View from our room

It is run by a person called Mr. Ramesh, who is a hospitable person. The rooms are pretty decent and economical as well. Most homestays at Mudh shares the bathroom with two or three rooms. However, this particular hotel had a private bathroom.

There was a small glacier that was seen from our room's window. It looked very near to us, and we decided to trek towards it. Ramesh told us that the lunch would be ready by 1.30 PM, so we thought to utilize the time and proceeded towards the glacier. However, except CG and Dheeraj, no one were willing to join us. Hence only three of us continued our trek to the unknown glacier.

Our initial assumption was that it would take around half an hour to climb and another twenty minutes to descend. But after we started to trek, our assumptions were totally wrong. The glacier was not that near as we thought, and it took us almost 75 minutes to reach there. A lot of adventure went in to conquer the glacier amidst slight drizzles.

Dheeraj and CG

The terrain was completely filled with rocks. There was no path, and we had to make our own route.

After reaching the glacier, our happiness knew no bounds. Though the water originating from the glacier was muddy, we did not hesitate to drink it. It was a different feeling and experience that we seldom get to enjoy.

We returned to our home stay by 1.30 PM, and the physical stress was vanished by the hot lunch we ate.

Post lunch, we had a small drive for about six kilometers along the right banks of the Parvati river. Believe me, the place that we saw during this time was really a dreamland.

It was as if watching a suspense film, wherein each and every scene was totally dramatic.

Riot of colors

I have never seen such a colorful place before. I really felt that god has painted this beautiful landscape using all the colors in his palette.

Pin valley

This place is home to some endemic animals such as Himalayan Ibex , Blue sheep and the Snow leopard.

Mudh village, as seen from a distant point in the Pin valley.

Each and every mountain has a different color to offer its viewers. The different shades of every damn color on this earth can be seen here.

When I was roaming around the mountain of Gods , along the Parvathi river in the pristine valley of a blessed village, I noticed something unique. So unique that I stopped for a while and gasped at the glory of the golden gardens.

The rhythmic movement of clouds and the aroma of fresh air made me dance in the ether of space.

All I could see was the various forms and colors of the mystical ornaments worn by the magical mountains that were very well complemented by the harmony and tranquil in the air.

I could see nothing but the intertwined gems of ruby , emerald , turquoise and sapphires that were spread across acres and acres of the majestic playground of heaven.

An abstract painting by the almighty

Lungs of the mountains

Grazing in the garden of Gods

I am really in short of words to explain this beautiful place. I would highly recommend my viewers to visit this place atleast once.

Typical homes at Mudh village

Peeping monk

The evening snack was comprised of Hot Maggi , Pakodas , Momo and ginger honey tea. The company of these delicious items made the sunset even more beautiful.

Glowing mountains of the Pin Valley

I thought of shooting star trails and milkyway after the sun went down. However, the weather played a spoilsport. Just after the sunset, the clouds started to cover the sky, and we could see no stars.

We played cards and sang songs before calling it a day. The dinner was finished in no time, and we hit the bed soon. I was thinking about all the experiences of Spiti valley and had no idea when sleep conquered me. It was really a blissful day for all of us.

Early in the next morning, we set off to see a small waterfall beside our home stay. It was almost half a kilometer from the place where we stayed.

Post breakfast, we headed back towards Kaza.

Useful information / Tips to the travelers :

1. There are very few hotels which provide you with accommodation

2. Usually the home stays offer you food (with an additional cost). The food options are limited with just Indian and Chinese dishes.

3. Do not expect luxury here. This place is only for travelers and not for tourists.

4. The best time to visit Mudh is from June to September.

5. Transportation to Mudh is limited. Very few government buses ply from Kaza. If you are having a private vehicle, then absolutely fine.

6. No Mobile signals.

7. Electricity is very scarce , so charge your batteries when available.

8. Do not litter the place, keep the Himalayas clean

9. "Snow Valley" is the name of the home stay where we stayed. It is decent and economical as well.

10. Mudh is approximately 50kms from Kaza, which almost takes 2.5 hours to reach.

11. There is a one day trek from Mudh to the Ibex valley (Tara homestay will help you in arranging).

Thanks for viewing

How does the oldest monasteries of the Spiti valley look like ?? Click on the below link to know more