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Himachal Valley Tour
Duration :
7Nights / 8 Days
Destination :
Delhi - Thanedar - Sangla - Chitkul - Kalpa - Chail
Kilometers covered : 2200 kms
Maximum altitude : Kunzum La (4533M)
Best time to visit : June- September
Just 190 kms from Chandigarh, lies Thanedar, a small orchard town tucked away
10kms from Narkanda. This was the birthplace of apples in India and affords
a serene and calm experience. For the activity oriented there are some lovely
walks as also a trek to a peak nearby. From here we reach the beautiful valley
of Kinnaur, which is also the land that produces some of the best apples in
the region. Left untouched for thousands of years it emerges only for six months
before being submerged in snow. Situated at a height of 2700m surrounded by
massive towering mountains on all sides the valley also boasts the gurgling
Baspa river, famous for trout fishing possibilities.
A must see little village with a small population is Batseri - a typical Kinnauri
village, with a lovely local Devta temple. Moving from Sangla to another spectacular
journey is a Sarahan, famous for its more than 800 years old Bhimakali Temple,
one of the best examples of hill architecture. The place provides awesome views
of Shirkhand range, reminding us of the greatness of the Himalayas.
The valley of Spiti is unlike any other. We move from lush green valley of Sangla
into Barren moonscape of Spiti valley with few signs of vegetation. Yet this
land renders visitors speechless with it's harsh raw beauty of the landscape.
Shoja, on the other hand is an angler's paradise, due to its proximity to the
Tirthan River where Trout fishing is a definite possibility. Shoja at just 5
kms from Jalori Pass at 3223m provides breathtaking sceneries and walks to nearby
lakes and forts.
Day 01: Chandigarh - Thanedar - 195 kms/6 hrs
Fly into Chandigarh from Delhi or reach Chandigarh by Kalka Shatabdi express
train around 1200 hrs. Met by our representative and drive to Thanedar. Check
into Banjara Orchard Retreat.
Day 02: Thanedar - Sangla - 158 kms/06
Visit Bhimakali Temple in Sarahan en route. For six months every year, the Himalayan
valleys of Kinnaur and Spiti emerge from a thick cloak of snow to reveal a different,
secret world to man. Your discovery of the lesser-known Himalayas can begin
at the Banjara Camp in the Sangla Valley. At a height of 2,700 Mts the Banjara
Camp is surrounded by towering mountains on all sides and is set on the banks
of the Baspa River that surges through the valley. Long walks to discover the
amazing fauna and flora of the valley, treks to view snow covered Himalayan
peaks, angling for trout, experiencing some of the local culture and traditions,
rock climbing, rappelling are only some of the delights that are on offer.
Day 03: Sangla - Chitkul- Sangla – 50 kms/3 hrs
Visit Chitkul and hike up to Nagasthi, the last village on the old Indo-Tibetan
trade route.
Day 04: Sangla - Rakcham - 6 kms/3 hrs
Hike to Rakcham village. This is the signature walk of the valley. Drive back
from Rakcham.
Day 05: Sangla - Tabo - 220 kms/8 hrs
The Tabo terrain will leave you breathless and speechless. Rock-hard Desert
Mountains, torrential rivers and icy cold winds account for the sparsely populated
villages. At a height of 10,500 ft this high altitude desert is home to the
second most important Buddhist monastery in the entire Himalayan region - the
Tabo Gompa. It is now 1006 years old and is rumored to be the place the Dalai
Lama will finally settle in.
Day 06: Tabo - Dhankar - Tabo
Visit the Tabo monastery in the morning and participate in the morning prayers.
Tabo monastery is called Chogs-khor ('doctrinal circle' or 'doctrinal enclave').
It is a complex that holds nine temples, 23 chortens, a monks' chamber and an
extension that houses the nun’s chamber. On the sheer cliff-face above the enclave
are a series of caves, used as dwellings by the monks and includes an 'assembly
hall'.
Tabo Monastery also has the distinction of being the oldest (according to an
inscription on one of the walls, the monastery was founded in AD 996) and continuously
functioning Buddhist monastery in India and the Himalayas with its original
decoration and iconographic program intact.
After breakfast, visit Dhankar monastery. Dhankar, the traditional capital of
Spiti, sits pretty on a hilltop. The hill-top fort that overlooks the Spiti
valley also used to serve as a jail in old days. Today, more than 160 lamas
reside here. A statue of Dhyan Budha where four complete figures of Budha sit
back to back is the main attraction of this more than seven-century old monastery.
About an hour’s walk (about 3 kms) from here on a slightly uphill track is a
small lake that sits languidly is a bowl. The size of the lake in the summer
varies every year depending on how much snow the catchment area had in the previous
winter. Your lunch hamper beckons on reaching the lake. We sit for an al fresco
lunch and then take a 30 minutes walk to the car.
We get back at the retreat by early evening to take a much-needed shower and
a hot cup of tea.
Day 07: Tabo - Pin Valley National Park - Tabo
Declared a national park in 1987, Pin Valley is located in the cold desert region
of the Spiti valley, Himachal Pradesh. With its snow laden unexplored higher
reaches and slopes, the Park forms a natural habitat for a number of endangered
animals including the Snow Leopard and Siberian Ibex. The elevation of the Park
ranges from about 3,500 mts near Ka Dogri to more than 6,000 mts at its highest
point.
Because of its high altitude and extreme temperatures, the vegetation in the
area is scant and mostly dominated by alpine trees, patches of Himalayan cedar
and smatterings of several medicinal plants. In summer, flowers decorate the
valley with startling hues. Along with animals, rare birds like the Himalayan
Snowcock, Chukor, Snow Partridge and the Tibet Snow Finch also flourish in the
area.
Day 08: Tabo - Kaza - 47 kms/2 hrs
Drive to Kaza. Check in to Banjara Retreat. In the afternoon visit the Ki monastery
and Kibber village
Kaza is the capital of Spiti Valley. Rudyard Kipling describes Spiti in "Kim"
in these words: "At last they entered a world within a world - a valley of leagues
where the high hills were fashioned of the mere rubble and refuse from off the
knees of the mountains... Surely the Gods live here.
Ki Monastery is a Gelugpa sect monastery. Its hilltop position points to a post-thirteenth
century construction. The three storied structure consists largely of storage
rooms at the bottom level while the middle floor houses the Dukhang- the assembly
hall- and the uppermost floor has another temple and head Lama’s quarters on
the one side of an open terrace. The greatest wealth of Ki Gompa lies in its
collection of ‘Thangkas’ salvaged with difficulty from the devastating raids
of the Dogars and the Sikhs in the 19th century.
From here a scenic drive takes you into the pasture country of Kibber. From
Kibber, the pastures are spread over hundreds of square kilometers. Kibber is
small village and is the take off point for the popular trek to Tso Moriri in
Ladakh. Further up six kilometers from Kibber, we drive up to a still smaller
village of Gete. Consisting of just six houses, it boasts of being the highest
village in Asia connected by road.
Day 09: Kaza
Rest day in Kaza
Day 10: Kaza - Manali - 201 kms/8 hrs
Drive over Kunzum La (4553m) to reach Manali. Manali is one of the most popular
hill stations in India. Overnight stay in hotel.
Day 11: Manali - Sojha - 117 kms/4 hrs
Drive to Sojha visiting Naggar castle and Roerich art gallery en route. Check
into Banjara retreat on arrival. Evening at leisure around bon fire.
Day 12: Sojha
Day at leisure/ Hike to Raghupur Fort or Serolser lake. Overnight stay at Banjara
Retreat.
Day 13: Sojha - Bhuntar/Chandigarh - 2/8 hrs
Drive from Manali to Bhuntar airport (2 hrs) and fly back to Delhi else drive
to Chandigarh to board evening Shatabdi express train departing at 1800 hrs
to Delhi.
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