The story: It all started with a Whats App group, courtesy one of my very good friend. The group was made around 6 months before the trip. Along the course of time, many of our friends showed interest in the trip, joined the group and later left due to various reasons. One week before the D-Day, only 6 of us were left in the group. Not all of us had met each other previously. The 6 of us, from different cities (Mumbai, Bangalore, Ludhiana, and Delhi) & different walks of life had only 2 things in common. First, my good friend I talked about without whom this trip might not have been possible at all. Second, the desire to explore the unknown.
After our group was final, it came down to the choice of vehicles. Our group had both car and bike lovers. We decided to take a mini SUV and two bikes for the 6 of us. The logic was 4 guys and luggage could be put in the SUV and 2 guys will be on bikes. Finally, we booked a Ford EcoSport from Zoomcar to be picked from Delhi and 2 Royal Enfield, to be picked up from Chandigarh. We had decided to drive on our own.
Day 1 (Delhi - Chandigarh - Solan, 327 km): The first day was pretty much uneventful, so to speak. Three of us picked up the Ecosport from Delhi and drove to Chandigarh. At Chandigarh, the rest of our friends joined us and we picked up the bikes, 1 RE classic 350 and 1 RE Thunderbird 350. It was already evening when we set out on the Great Himalayan Expressway. By 8 PM, we reached Solan and decided to bunk there. We were all excited for the adventure ahead.
Day 2 (Solan - Shimla - Rampur Bushahr, 172 km): We started from Solan, early in the morning. Enjoying our ride through the hills, we stopped by at various places to click pictures. We had lunch at a small village, after crossing Shimla. After lunch, we continued our drive along the Sutlej river. Sunset by the Sutlej was amazing. We drove till dusk and managed to reach Rampur. We booked a hotel right by the Sutlej river and stayed there for the night.
We ordered dinner. Over a bottle of scotch, we opened up to each other, shared our philosophies and experiences of life. We discussed our journey so far and chalked out plans for the next couple of days. Around 11, we called it a night. We woke up early, visited a couple of monasteries there and then started our journey ahead.
Day 3 (Rampur - Sangla - Chitkul, 133 km): The journey ahead was pretty exciting and adventurous. The views were breathtaking, but the roads were not exactly in a good shape. There were stretches of sand and gravel, where we had to drive carefully.
We managed to reach Karcham by afternoon, but we continued towards Sangla. We stopped at Sangla for lunch. After lunch we started for Chitkul. The road to Chitkul was very bad. It was mostly single-lane (only 1 four-wheeler could pass comfortably) and the drop was more than 1000 feet (kinda scary) at places. But, it leads to a very beautiful valley.
We stopped at a lot of places along the way, to let the breathtaking views sink in our memories.
It was already evening, when we reached Chitkul. There are only 2-3 guesthouses there. We checked in one and ordered our dinner (people go to sleep early there). We spent the evening, exploring the valley. We had our dinner and again went out for night photography. It was somewhat chilly.
We woke up early, to witness the sunrise. The place is really peaceful. We sat on the river bank, waiting for the sun to come up. We spent the morning by the river. It was a place to connect with our inner selves and contemplate the meaning of life.
We had our breakfast, explored Chitkul for 2-3 hours and then continued our journey. The journey back from Chitkul was also very scenic.
Day 4 (Chitkul - Kalpa - Roghi, 80 km): We drove very carefully, as we made our way back to Karcham. The day was pretty hot. We made multiple stops on the way for juice, water and shade. When we reached Karcham, it was already 1 pm. We were exhausted, partly because of the heat and partly because of getting up early for the sunrise. We checked the map and decided to stop at Kalpa for today. In another 90 minutes, we reached Kalpa.
Kalpa has two things, lots of apple orchards and a beautiful view of the snow capped peaks, including mount Kinner Kailash. We looked around for a hotel and booked one with the best possible view. We had lunch and then rested for 2 hours. We planned to explore Roghi village in the evening.
In the evening, we went out to explore Roghi. Roghi is around half an hour drive from Kalpa. The road to Roghi is single lane and one side of the road has a drop, deep enough to send a chill down the spine (for most). At some points, I really felt like I made a mistake coming here in a car, I should have walked.
Finally, the road ended. We parked the vehicles. From there, we went on foot to explore the village. The mud huts against the backdrop of snow capped peaks presented a very beautiful scenery. The light was fading fast. We stayed there only for an hour and then drove back to the hotel at Kalpa. After returning, we had our dinner and went off to sleep.
The hotel owner had an apple orchard of his own. In the morning, we went to the orchard and he explained bits and pieces about the plantation. Then, we had our breakfast and left for the road ahead.
Day 5 (Kalpa - Pooh, 76 km): As we moved towards Spiti valley, we encountered large stretches of unpaved roads (mostly gravel and dust), which slowed down our speed. We managed to cover only 70 km in three and a half hours.
Around 1 pm, rear tyre of RE classic got punctured. There was no mobile network at that place. Two of us took the Ecosport to check for mechanics ahead. By our calculation, we knew we were very near to Pooh. Four of us waited with the two bikes in shade. After two and a half hours, our friends returned with two Army mechanics. (Only 4 vehicles passed us on that road during that time but none could help us.) Later, they told us that no mechanic was available in the town (had gone for lunch). Finally they went to the army camp near Pooh and they agreed to help. The army guys dismantled the rear tyre. We put the tyre in Ecosport. Two of us and the army guys again went to the camp to get the tyre fixed.
We all were feeling nervous (due to our dicey situation) but at the same time grateful for our saviours. They came back after another 2 hours. Our friends brought some food for us. We gulped the food as the army guys fixed the RE. There was bit of a problem with the electrical wiring of the classic. They fixed that too. Around 6:30 pm, we were ready to go. We (the army guys with us) set out for the camp. Around 7:15 pm, we reached the camp and dropped the army guys there, thanking them for their tremendous help.
It was almost dark. We contemplated and decided not to go ahead but stay in Pooh for the night. The town was up the hill from the army camp. We reached there in another half hour. We checked into a hotel and ordered food. We were all very startled by the events of the day. We all freshened up and went to the hotel roof for dinner. It was moonlit starry night. From the roof, the view was such, which is hard to capture by a camera. We opened a bottle of scotch, discussed a few alternate, dreadful ways our day could have ended and laughed about it. Somewhere, we all felt very content and grateful. Our fortunes had changed dramatically over a course of few hours. From the promise of witnessing Spiti valley to being stuck in a barren, lonely place and then finally enjoying our dinner under the moon and stars.
Day 6 (Pooh - Nako - Tabo, 105 km): We left early in the morning. In no time we reached the confluence of Sutlej and Spiti rivers. This is the place where Kinnaur valley ends and Spiti valley starts.
The landscape is so pleasing, that it cannot be described in words or captured by a camera. We can only feel its beauty by experiencing it with our own eyes.
We continued along these roads, stopping by at places to enjoy the vistas and click photographs. Our next stop was Nako village. Initially, we had planned to spend a night here, but due to the setback (with respect to time only) of previous day, we decided to explore the village and then move to Tabo. Around 12 pm, we reached Nako village.
Nako is a beautiful Buddhist village, nestled at a mountain peak. It has a beautiful lake, which remains frozen for most part of the winter. We sat by the lake for some time and explored the village. We had our lunch here, some Tibetian recipes like Thenthuk and Thupka (soups).
After having lunch, we left for Tabo. The landscape, on the way, was mesmerising.
After driving for like 30 km, we faced a roadblock. It was a landslide. JCBs (of the Border Roads Organisation) were sorting it out.
We all got out and waited for it to clear. The guys there told us that it would take an hour at most. As we waited there, we heard a loud bang and saw a lot of dust just 100-150 metres behind us. When the dust settled, we could see another landslide just behind us.
It was a bit scary. One of the guys from BRO told us that this area was very prone to landslides. We spent another half hour carefully observing the mountains above us. In another 20 minutes, the road ahead was clear of debris and we were on our way. After passing this area, a beautiful valley welcomed us.
We passed a few villages on our way. One of them had a population of mere 50 people. Very soon, we could see the Tabo village, on the banks of Spiti river, with huge mountains all around.
It was already dusk, when we reached Tabo. We looked around for a guesthouse. We met an old lady, who asked us to stay in her guesthouse. We checked the guesthouse and decided to stay there. We were all exhausted. After freshening up, we went to her house for dinner. She had made thenthuk (noodle vegetable soup) for all of us. She had made it using vegetables from her garden. It was delicious. She told us a bit about the history of the place as we ate. After dinner, we went to sleep. We decided to explore the village in the morning.
We woke up early. Tabo is a small village. It did not take much time for us to explore. It has an old monastery dating back to 996 A.D. They have built a new monastery also. The village has beautiful garden houses. It also has a helipad, for VIPs I guess.
After exploring Tabo, we bid adieu to our guesthouse owner (more of a sweet old aunt) and continued our journey ahead.
Day 7 (Tabo - Sangnam village - Mud village, 70 km): We witnessed beautiful vistas all along the way from Tabo.
The entire way is very scenic. We drove just beside the Spiti river most of the times. This road gets closed in winters due to heavy snowfall. We made a lot of stops to enjoy the picturesque landscape and click photographs.
On the way to Mud village, there lies another small village called Sangnam. When we reached here, the farmers were working in their fields. We decided to rest here for a bit. We also interacted with the farmers. This is also the last point where you can get cellular coverage.
Mud village is only 12 km from here. We stayed for 2 hours at Sangnam village and then continued our journey. The road ahead was also very scenic, as usual.
We reached Mud village by 3 pm. We checked into a guesthouse and ordered food at the only available restaurant there. We freshened up and had lunch. Then we started our exploration of Mud village.
Mud village is one of the points to start trek for the Pin Valley National Park. It is a small village with only a couple of guesthouses and a single restaurant. There is no cellular coverage here. Even the electricity is scarce. It is a perfect place to spend some time peacefully, disconnected from the rest of the world.
We spent a better part of our evening exploring the place, till we got exhausted. Then we came back to the restaurant and ordered our dinner. Our guesthouse owner arranged a bottle of locally made alcohol (from jaw). We enjoyed our dinner (local dishes) while our host told us about the place. After dinner, we came back to the guesthouse and sat in the balcony. There were a million stars shining in the sky and their twinkling light flooded the whole valley. We were lost in ourselves. (PS I tried to capture a long exposure shot. I still have no idea how to do it.)
Next morning, we had breakfast and left for our journey ahead.
Day 8 (Mud village - Kaza - Kunzum Pass - Chandra Taal, 150 km): The ride from Mud village to Kaza is very relaxing. Riding on those roads was a great pleasure.
We reached Kaza by 11 am. As we had planned to reach Chandra Taal by evening, we did not spend much time in Kaza. We fuelled up the vehicles, got the tyres checked and were on our way.
The landscapes on our way were magnificent. There was a long stretch of open meadows, with Spiti river hugging one side of the mountains.
Key Monastery is also on the same route but it is a little detour. We did not visit it due to lack of time.
We reached Losar around 2 pm. We had lunch there and continued our journey. As we approached Kunzum pass, the roads became non-existent. It was just gravel and sand. There were few places where calf-deep water was flowing on the entire road. The view however was breathtaking.
Kunzum Pass is at a height of 4551 m above sea level and remains closed for most part of the winter, due to snow. The peaks look spectacular from this place.
We stayed at Kunzum Pass for about 30 minutes and then continued our journey. The Spiti river cutting through the snow peaks painted a very beautiful picture.
The "road" to Chandra Taal is around 6-7 km from Kunzum Pass. It was almost evening when we reached there. Light was fading fast. The way to Chandra Taal camps is just gravel and dust and only one four-wheeler can pass at one time. The way follows the Chenab river. It was a bit scary, especially in low light. In around 35 minutes we managed to reach the camps.
It was almost dark and pretty cold. We enquired around and booked two tents. The lake is further one hour (mud road + trek) from these camps, so we decided to go there in the morning. The camp owner started preparing dinner for us (noodles and soup). He also arranged a bottle of local alcohol for us. We freshened up and sat around the fireplace. One of the camp guys was preparing for bonfire. As the night came, it became very cold. We had couple of jackets on. Soon the bonfire was crackling. We sat comfortably around it observing the night sky. It seemed as if the Milky Way was flowing across the sky. It was mesmerising.
After dinner, we sat there for another couple of hours, contemplating and discussing the meaning of life and existence. We shared our perspectives and our experiences. The camp owner told us an ancient story about the lake, that once angels lived there. As the bonfire lived its last moments, we started to feel very cold. The temperature was nearing zero. We looked at the sky for one last time and went to sleep.
We woke up to a very cold morning. The water kept in buckets had frozen overnight. The temperature increased as the sun came up. We freshened up, had breakfast. Then we left for the lake. We drove for half an hour along the dirt path and parked our vehicles where it ended. From here, we went on foot. Along the way, we saw snow peaks and a glacier perhaps. It seemed very close. We thought about trying to trek to that place, but dropped the idea. We knew it was the excitement speaking and actually it might take a couple of days to reach the place that seemed so within reach.
The first glimpse of Chandra Taal was magical. The view was beyond explanation.
The lake water was very still. We felt very calm and relaxed sitting by the lake. We spent around 2 hours there.
Then we returned back to the camp, gathered our belongings and started our journey ahead. The experience of this place had already taken a special place in our memories.
Day 9 (Chandra Taal - Rohtang Pass - Manali, 125 km): We witnessed scenic landscapes as we drove towards Rohtang Pass.
However, the roads from Batal to Rohtang Pass were in very bad shape. At places, we were not able to distinguish between the road and the river bed. We had to stop at one such place, where we waited for a truck and asked the path.
We met some wild horses and a herd of sheep along the way. We were amazed to see RFID tags hanging from their ears.
As we approached Chhatru, dark black clouds engulfed the sky. After some time it started to drizzle.
The rain was very light, so we continued out journey and soon left the clouds behind.
The condition of road improved near Gramphu. Soon, we reached Rohtang Pass. Misty clouds were floating all around.
We crossed Rohtang Pass and reached Marhi at around 3 pm. We had our lunch there and then continued our journey to Manali. We reached Manali by evening. We were exhausted. We checked into a hotel, freshened up and rested for around two hours. At around 8, we went out for a stroll on the Mall road. It felt a bit awkward to see so much crowd. We checked into a bar and discussed our adventure over beer. We all were feeling pretty relaxed and content. We went to sleep early as we had decided to reach Delhi by night, the next day.
Day 10 (Manali - Chandigarh - Delhi, 554 km): We woke up early, had breakfast and were on our way, at around 7 am. We came to Chandigarh via Mandi. It took us around 9 hours to reach Chandigarh. We made only a couple of stops on the way. We did our lunch in Chandigarh. Then, we returned the REs. One of our friends left for Ludhiana. Five of us left for Delhi in the EcoSport. It was around 7:30 pm when we left Chandigarh.
The drive from Chandigarh to Delhi was a breeze. We reached Delhi (drop point for Eco Sport) around 12 in the night. We dropped the Eco Sport. As we waited for our cab to go home, I glanced towards the sky. A few dim twinkling lights was all that, I could see.
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Dates: We started on 29 August, 2015 in morning from Delhi and reached back on 7 September, 2015 by 11:30 in the night.
Essentials for the trip: We took lots of liquids - water, juice, cola etc. and potato chips for the trip. Other items - rope, torches, matches, knee length rubber boots (for biking through flooded roads), warm clothes, sun-screen etc.
Financials: Our round trip to Delhi costed around 18k per person including the rent of vehicles, fuel, stay, food and all other miscellaneous expenses, excluding individual purchases.
In the end, a big thanks to all my friends in the TGM group for our epic adventure.
