Spectacular Spiti : Kaza and beyond

(Page 4)

Day 5 - Aug 9th , 2016

This day was meant to explore places in and around Kaza. We left Kaza by 6.30 AM and our next pit stop was a village called Komic.

Kaza :

Its mountainous terrain and pristine locales attract visitors who want to indulge in adventurous activities and spiritual well being alike. It is the base camp for trekking, mountaineering and other adventures.

Pin-Parvati, Parang-La and Pin-Bhaba are some of the popular trails which start from Kaza. A gentle stroll to villages around Kaza can also be an interesting experience.

Rangrik village as seen from Kaza

Kaza can be accessed from Kinnaur Valley and Lahaul Valley. Though the Kinnaur Valley route remains open throughout the year, the Lahaul Valley route remains open only during summers as the Kunzam Pass closes during winters.

Winters in Kaza are severe with the temperature plunging to sub-zero levels. Locals remain within the confines of their households and venture out only if absolutely necessary.

Kaza boasts of high mountains with snowy crowns, crystal clear rivers, streams and barren splendor interspersed with patches of green. Kaza is known for its colorful festivals and the Sakya Tangyud Monastery.

The early morning light made the whole Spiti valley to glow in gold. The village of Rangrik as seen from Kaza.

The route from Kaza to Komic is very scenic, as the journey traverses through high altitude villages , green pastures , snow peaks , monasteries.

Kanamo peak : 

This white peak towers 5964m above sea level. Located above Kibber and Ki gompa, the holiest mountain in Spiti. Ka means white or auspicious and Namo means hostess or a lady so Kanamo means the mountain is a good omen or simply a white hostess.

This beautiful peak can be seen while travelling from Kaza to Komic village. We then spotted a Himalayan Red Fox crossing the road. I had not carried my telephoto lens, and hence missed the opportunity of shooting it.

Langza :

Nestled between the mountains in a bowl shaped area in the Spiti Valley is a small remote village named Langza. This village is situated at an altitude of 14,500 feet above sea level in the Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh in northern India.

At the first glance of the village, one will instantly notice a huge Golden coloured Buddha statue which is believed to be around 1000 years old.

As the tourism in this region has increased in the past few years, more and more houses have turned into home stays providing the travellers with accommodation and food options.

The main occupation of the people of Langza is agriculture. They grow peas and other small crops in the region. Apart from agriculture, tourism and homestay business is gradually increasing.

Komic :

The next visit was to a village called Komic. This village has the record of being the "World's highest village with motorable road". This village has a small monastery and few houses in its vicinity.

Hikkim:

Hikkim is a small sleepy hamlet which is around 2-3 kms to the village of Komic. From a far distance, Hikkim looks very similar to Langza and can be easily misunderstood. But the village is entirely different.

Hikkim is famous for two reasons. 

1) Highest post office in the world

2) Highest poling booth in India

Since this place had a record of being the world's highest post office, we thought of sending a post card back home. However, the post office had been locked and the person incharge was farming somewhere nearby. With the help of local kids, we found him and fulfilled our wish to send postcards.

Engaging with these kids is very much fun. I got to know a lot about their lifestyles and much more about the place. In return, we gave them some chocolates.

We visited the house of a Lama at Hikkim, where we were served with one of the best ginger-lemon tea, that I had ever had. This place is also a home stay where tourists can halt.

I really admired at the simplicity and hospitality of these wonderful human beings. Seeing such selfless people makes us think how cruel the urban people are.

With a heavy heart, we bid these lovely people and kids goodbye and returned to Kaza for lunch.

There is a shortcut route from Hikkim to Kaza. You need not touch Langza while returning.

The whole expanse of Spiti valley can be seen from the top. The city of Kaza as seen from a bird's eye view.

I had to recharge my batteries before we left for Key and Kibber. While having lunch at the hotel, I put them for charge and made sure both my battery and stomach were fully charged.

In the meanwhile, Tanzin suggested us to visit Chicham village before visiting Kaza. This lies on the Kibber - Kaza route.

Kibber :

We left Kaza by 2.30 PM and headed towards Kibber. Kibber was earlier the highest village with motorable road before Komic.

Houses are constructed in the Tibetan architectural style, as the land in Lahul and Spiti is mountainous and quite prone to earthquakes. The rooftop is loaded with dried branches or twigs to serve both as a cushion and insulation during snowfall

Agriculture is the main source of livelihood. Potato farming is common. Occupations include animal husbandry, working in government programs, government services, and other businesses and crafts that include weaving. 

We then proceeded towards Chicham village, where the highest bridge was being constructed. 

Highest bridge under construction

Chicham village as seen from Kibber

Key :

Our next visit for the day was to Key monastery.

Key Gompa is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery located on top of a hill at an altitude of 4,166 metres (13,668 ft) above sea level, close to the Spiti River, in the Spiti Valley of Himachal Pradesh, Lahaul and Spiti district, India.

It is the biggest monastery of Spiti Valley and a religious training centre for Lamas.

Key monastery is probably the most visited place in the Spiti valley. This may be due to its close proximity to Kaza, and also due to its religious significance.
The group of buildings surrounding the monastery is truly an arhitectural marvel. The monastery is built on top of the hill, and small houses surround the main monastery.

This place has a lot of historical importance as well. This was under attacks by several kingdoms including Mongols as well.

Key Monastery was destroyed by invaders and rebuilt several times. It was also caught by fire and has suffered extensive damage due to an earthquake. Having been rebuilt several times, temples and other buildings appear to have been stacked haphazardly. The monastery appears like a fortress.

There are no much eateries at Key. You might have to carry yourselves or have to reach Kaza.

A agricultural field seen near Key monastery.

Spiti river as seen from Key monastery

A young monk was seen playing near his home, and I got few opportunities to shoot some photographs of him.

After cherishing the sunset from Key, we headed towards Kaza to mark the end of the day. This was one of the most beautiful day of the trip. We got to witness the varied flora , fauna , culture , people , monuments & food of the Spiti valley.

The day ended with yet another sighting of the Himalayan Red Fox. This time, I made sure to carry my telephoto lens. Though the lighting was very bad, I managed to get some record shots. All were handheld at 6400 ISO (now imagine the lighting condition) :) 

It was a great sighting of this cute animal. It is difficult to spot this, as it is highly camouflaged and is quicker than the shutter speed of the camera.

We returned back to Kaza with a box full of wonderful memories of the Spiti valley.

A small stroll along the Kaza bazaar and a sumptuous dinner made us hit the bed early. We had few more experiences that were waiting to be unfolded the next day, that made us wonder about the next journey

Useful information / Tips to the travelers :

1. There are many hotels which provide you with accommodation at Kaza

2. Number of eateries at Kaza are also on the higher side. You get to eat Indian , Chinese and other continental dishes.

3. Schools , hospitals, government offices , markets , Gompas , monastery and Petrol/Diesel stations are available here.

4. The best time to visit Kaza is from June to September. However, you can visit any time of the year.

5. Transportation to Kaza can be by private hired vehicles from Manali or Shimla.

6. Only one government bus runs per day from Manali to Kaza.

7. Mobile signals are very weak, and only BSNL works

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

9. Manali to Kaza route will be closed in Winters. However, Kaza can be reached by the Kinnaur route from Shimla even in winters.

10. Small homestays offer you with basic accommodation and food at Komic , Hikkim and Langza

11. Government run bus facilities are very limited to these remote places.

12. "Hotel Spiti Valley" is the name of the hotel where we stayed during our visit to Kaza. It is a decent hotel and pocket friendly as well. Food is provided at an additional cost

13. Do not miss to visit the Kaza bazar to purchase the souvenirs of the Spiti valley

14. No shops are available at Langza , Hikkim or Komic. You will have to purchase anything that you require at Kaza itself.

Thanks for viewing

How does the last village at Pin valley look like ? Click on the below link to know more

Journey to Kaza
(Page 3)

Pin Valley
(Page 5)

Spectacular Spiti : Journey to Kaza (via Kunzum Pass and Losar)

(Page 3)

Day 4 - Aug 8th , 2016

By 8.00 AM, we bid good bye to this beautiful emerald lake and hoped to visit this lovely place once again.

While the charming Chandertal was still lingering in our heads, we set off to explore the interior Spiti valley. Our destination for the day was Kaza, which is an important economic district head of the Spiti valley.

The next pitstop was Kunzum pass, which was just 6-7 kms from Chandertal.

Kunzum Pass is a high mountain pass on the eastern Kunzum Range of the Himalayas some 120 km  from Manali. 

It connects the Kullu Valley and Lahaul Valley with the Spiti Valley of Himachal Pradesh, India. It is on the route to Kaza, the subdivisional headquarters of Spiti. 

The 'Congress Kadle Kai' from Iyengar bakery in Bangalore was a good companion for us in the trip. The cold weather and the tangy peanuts made a deadly combination. 

There is also a religious belief at Kunzum stupa, which goes like this. "If you place a coin on top of the main deity, and if the coin sticks to it, then your wish would be fulfilled"

The Buddhist prayer flags are tied everywhere. According to Buddhism, these prayer flags connect you to the almighty.

All your prayers will reach the god through wind is their belief.

The journey from Kunzum to Kaza is breathtaking. The arid yet vibrant mountains on both sides, high passes , cold winds , valleys and rivers make you feel blessed.

The roads on this route were better compared to the ones we travelled yesterday.

The spellbinding mountains filled with aroma of fresh air has to be only experienced and cannot be explained.

The Spiti river is seen flowing through the garden of Edens. Nature has its own version of Holi is what we felt after passing through such an amazing terrain.

By afternoon, we reached another small town called Losar which is enroute to Kaza. Losar has many small dhabas and homestays which serves you with basic needs.

Losar is a small village in the Lahaul and Spiti District of Himachal Pradesh in northern India. Spiti Valley is located very close to the Indo-Chinese border and is believed to be the last mountain range before one reaches China through India. Spiti Valley is an extension of Ladakh and is a cold desert region. Losar is situated at an altitude of 13,400 feet above sea level.

The road leading to Losar has breathtaking beauty with magnificent views and different coloured mountains with waterfalls emerging through them. On any given day the weather is generally very windy and pleasant owing to its high altitude.


Losar is relatively unexplored, due to its remoteness and inaccessibility. Very few travellers spend the night at Losar, most stop for a meal and proceed to Chandra Tal Lake or the district headquarters of Lahaul and Spiti, Kaza nearby for a night halt.

  
Losar has very few accommodation and food options. The village houses have over the time been converted to home stays and guest houses to meet the needs of the travellers. The accommodation options are generally very basic with just a bed and bathroom. The food options are also generally very basic consisting of Chowmein, momo, dal, rice, chapati and vegetables.

The village is nestled in the centre bordered with mountains on all sides. The houses are generally made of mud and have prayer flags surrounding it. The prayer flags symbolise the Buddhist religion which is the main belief in the village.

To reach Losar one can either go via the Kunzum Pass which is a high altitude pass. Kunzum is considered to be one of the most treacherous passes in the world. One can also access the village via Kinnaur. The Kunzum pass is generally shut for most part of the year and can be accessed only during the summer months of mid-July to mid-September. Kinnaur is fairly open for most part of the year other than during winters when the temperature is sub zero.

The best time to visit Losar is from July to September when the road conditions are fairly better than most other months. To reach Losar one can either hire a private vehicle from Manali via Kunzum pass or via Kinnaur. One can also hire a private vehicle from Kaza which is 56 km. Although while traveling to Losar one must always do a prior check on the roads condition and also make sure to acclimatize properly to avoid falling sick. Considering there are no major medical facilities available at Losar the nearest hospital is situated at Kaza

The main occupation of the villagers is farming and animal husbandry but with the increase in the number of travellers each year tourism is on the rise.
The locals are also very welcoming towards the tourists. Losar is considered to be coldest place in Spiti valley and a night stay is sufficient to explore the village.

Within the village there is also a monastery which is decorated with paintings on its walls and prayer wheels around it. 

Himachal Pradesh government runs bus services from Manali to Kaza. The bus runs only once daily and halts at Losar while plying to Kaza. Bus booking has to be done much earlier, else the seats are not guaranteed (as there is only one bus per day)

We finally reached the main town of Kaza by 2.00 PM. Kaza is the district head quarters of Lahaul and Spiti valley district.

Kaza was more beautiful than I thought. It had green pastures , schools , monasteries , bridges and valleys. A small town with vibrant culture and hospitable people.

We checked in to the hotel called "Spiti Valley" which was run by Mr. Tanzin. It was a decent accommodation with pretty good food and WiFi facilities.

The evening was spent on the banks of the Spiti river by watching the sun go down. The sunset was one of the best that I had seen in my life.

We then roamed around the Kaza bazaar to check on souvenirs specific to the region and retired for the day.

Useful information / Tips to the travelers :

1. There are many hotels which provide you with accommodation at Kaza

2. Number of eateries are also on the higher side. You get to eat Indian , Chinese and other continental dishes.

3. Schools , hospitals, government offices , markets , Gompas , monastery and Petrol/Diesel stations are available here.

4. The best time to visit Kaza is from June to September. However, you can visit any time of the year.

5. Only one government bus runs per day from Manali to Kaza.

6. Mobile signals are very weak, and only BSNL works

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

8. Manali to Kaza route will be closed in Winters. However, Kaza can be reached by the Kinnaur route from Shimla even in winters.

Thanks for viewing

To know more about the life and culture of Spiti valley, click on the link below!!

 Chandertal
(Page 2)

Kaza and beyond
(Page 4)