Delhi - SPITI VALLEY Drive

Preparation for Spiti Valley

Since the road trip to Leh in Jun 2017, Spiti was next on the radar. And the same was scheduled for Jun 2018. Our partners in crime of Leh fame, Ashish & Family had since moved away to Vizag, leaving us with no partners. That left the team to three, with me, my wife Deepali and son Prajeet.

The trip was planned to be undertaken in new-gen Mahindra Scorpio S8, our partner since 2015. The choice for route was as follows:-

• Delhi - Narkanda - Sangla – Kalpa - Nako - Nako Lake - Geyu Mummy - Tabo - Dhankar - Dhankar Lake - Pin Valley (Mud Village) - Pin Valley - Kaza Ki Kibber - Gette - Tashigang - Kaza - Losar - Kunzum Pass - Chandratal – Battal - Rohtang Pass - Manali - Delhi

The choice for stays were as follows:-

• Narkanda (1^st night) - Sangla (2^nd) - Kalpa (3^rd) - Tabo (4^th) - Pin Valley (Mud Village) (5^th) - Kaza (6^th & 7^th) - Chandratal (8^th) - Manali (9^th)

Following teams were approached for booking all round accommodation for three people:-

-Spiti Ecosphere

-Himalayan Shepherd run by Hotel Deyzor

Spiti Ecosphere quoted INR 20,000 plus GST for budget stay and INR 32500 plus GST for comfort stay at all places excluding stays at Narkanda and Manali and excluding all meals.

Himalayan Shepherd quoted INR 56,000 in for an all round stay at all places as per itinerary in superior rooms with breakfast and dinner for all three. Cost also included GST.

The high quoted cost prompted me to do some research and book the accommodation by myself. Prior to starting from Delhi, I had confirmed bookings at all places.

Narkanda (1^st night) - HPTDC Hotel Tabo (By HPTDC App)

Sangla (2^nd) - Hotel Apple Pie (Telephone & Mail)

Kalpa (3^rd) - Hotel Apple Pie (Telephone & Mail)

Tabo (4^th) - Hotel Towdhey (Telephone & Mail)

Pin Valley (Mud Village) (5^th) - Tara Guest House (Telephone & Mail)

Kaza (6^th & 7^th) - Kiplam Home Stay (Booking.com)

Chandratal (8^th) - Moonlake Camps by Wandertrails (Online)

Manali (9^th) - Hotel de phoenix eye (Booking.com)

Following preparatory activities were undertaken:-

-A complete servicing of my Scorpio was undertaken just 3 months prior to the date. Hence a servicing was avoided. But the other checks of various fluids and nitrogen pressure in tanks were undertaken.

-A puncture repair kit was procured, courtesy Amazon.

-An oxygen bottle was procured to deal with unexpected AMS episodes, again courtesy Amazon.

-Following kit consisting of compressor, jumper cable and towing rope were mustered in the Car.

-Withdrawal of sufficient cash

-Preparation of a first aid kit

-Purchase of sufficient eatables for on-road use.

1^st Day Delhi to Narkanda

Much to the discontent of the family, the journey started as planned at 0550 hours on Tuesday (12 Jun 18). By 0555, we hit the Ring Road heading to the north.

Unlike the previous trips, we decided to skip Murthal this time which was always our pit-stop for breakfast. The decision was prompted by the heavy rush usually found at Sukhdevs and also by the new toll booth just at the exit of Sukhdev dhaba. Accordingly we carried our packed breakfast (sandwiches and fruits) from home.

Google Maps showed an approximate duration of 9 hours 15 minutes based on road conditions.

Reached Murthal Sukhdev Dhaba and the first toll by 0700 hours and were surprised to find the toll booth empty.

We crossed Chandigarh by about 0945 and headed towards Shimla. We crossed Shimla by 1330 and stopped for lunch at ABC Bar & Restaurant for a quick chinese lunch. The food was good, and reasonable. At 1415, we started again.

Roads up to Narkanda were good, with few bad patches. However, driving skills are certainly required to manage the hilly terrain.

After almost 10 hours on the road, we finally managed to reach Hotel “Hatu” of HPTDC by 1600 hrs. The booking was done through the HPTDC App. The suites and cozy deluxe rooms were already sold out by the time I booked the room. But the deluxe room booked by me @ INR 2800 really exceeded my expectations both in terms of amenities and in terms of service. The deluxe room was a three room set with an attached toilet. Entry foyer was a room in itself. Then there were the bedroom and the wardrobe room. After a cup of tea and pakoras, we set out on an evening walk through the serene settings of Narkanda.

The dinner was a lavish affair at the Hatu. The menu spread was good and reasonably priced. Food was served on time and the service was exemplary. We finished our dinner by 2030 and retired to our room.

The Narkanda to Sangla Day (2^nd Day)

The sunrise was quite early. I woke up at 0520 to a bright sky oozing in through the windows. After a quick breakfast at the hotel restaurant, I went in for a brief photo-session. We cleared the hotel bill which was about INR 4500 inclusive of tea/snacks, dinner and breakfast. (2450 + 630(extra person) + 350(GST) + food) .By 0930 we were ready to hit the road for the destination of the day “Hotel Apple Pie'' at Rakcham in Sangla Valley.

The drive was uneventful. The roads were generally empty except for patches of traffic at towns along the way. We passed through a series of hydro-electric power plants along the river Baspa. Hit Rampur in about 2 hours. Topped up Diesel again to prepare for the roads ahead. Since it wasn't time yet, we continued our journey onwards.

At about 1300, we stopped at a small town adjacent to a power project for lunch. There were not many options. But one nondescript restaurant without a name board offered us hot momos and Chow Mein. Post lunch we hiit the road again and soon reached the Karcham Hydel Project Dam, where the road split one for Reckong Peo and the other for Sangla (Sangla-Chitkul Road). By 1515, we reached Sangla, which gave us a few good spots for photo-session. The roads were now narrow just sufficient for one truck to pass. At many places vehicles had to be stopped and adjusted for the opposite traffic to pass. By 1600, we were parked in front of Hotel Apple Pie at Rakcham. We covered the 180 kms distance from Narkanda to Rakcham in about 6 hours.

The topmost floor (wooden attic) was reserved for us, which gave us an uninterrupted view of mount Kinner Kailash and other snow clad mountains. The room in itself was very big (at least 50 sq. meters). Additionally one adjacent room was reserved for the third member of our team. The only thing lacking was a TV, which was anyways compensated by the furnishing and the views from within the rooms. The point to be noted was that Mr. Aman Sharma had reserved the room for us without even asking for an advance at a rate of INR 3500 all inclusive.

In the evening at about 1730, we went for a walk down the hillock aiming for the river flowing down. Although she looked to be near, the actual distance was about 1 km down hill. After trekking down for about 500 meters through apple orchards and beautiful vistas, we retracted by 1900.

The other rooms were occupied by other ardent roadies. There was one couple who had driven from Mumbai on their Duster. There was a team of 6 Austrians on Enfield Himalayan.

Plan for the next day involved a visit to the Village Chitkul, which was a distance of about 10kms from Rakcham. Chitkul is incidentally the last village of India on its border with Tibet.

By 2100, hot dinner consisting of Rice, Chapatis, Dal, Vegetable and Chicken was served. Being hungry, we relished the meal and by 2200, we were cozy in our beds. Night time temperatures dropped to 12 degrees.

3^rd Day Rakcham/Sangla to Kalpa

The 3^rd day started a bit slowly with late @ 0700. The sun shone brightly even at 0600. By 0830, we were ready for breakfast after gearing up and packing all the bags/luggage.

After a sumptuous breakfast consisting of omelette, toasts, butter, jan and coffee, we started off for Chitkul village at 0930. The distance was about 12 kms mostly of broken one lane road. There was an ITBP outpost 5kms short of the village. The views unfolding along the way was mesmerising. Finally at 1010 we reached the Chitkul Village which proudly claims to be the last village in India next to the border with Tibet. The village nestled in a valley surrounded by mountains from all the sides is certainly a sight to behold and a memory forever. After a hot plate of maggi, we started back for Apple Pie and reached back by 1115.

After packing up and checking out, we commenced our journey for the day of about 60 kms by 1145. We had to retrace the path of the previous day till Karcham power-plant and from there, take the road to Reckom Peo. We reached Sangla in about 30 minutes and promptly decided to stop for lunch at the Tibetan Cafe in Sangla city centre. Lunch consisted of Thukpa, Chowmein and Mutton momos. The lavish spread cost us only INR 260. After lunch we recommenced our journey. At Reckong Peo we topped up our fuel tank and reached Kalpa by 1500. From Karcham, the roads were no longer single lane, but were broad enough for two vehicles to pass comfortably, till we reached the inner lanes of Kalpa. After reaching Kalpa, Google took us through some very narrow paths on our way to Hotel Apple Pie, which we realised later was not the main approach to theHotel.

By 1515, we were checked in into the Hotel. We were alloted the room 303 on the topmost floor, where we had a clear view of Mount Kinner Kailash of 6000 meters plus altitude. While the room was called deluxe, it was pretty basic, but clean. Kalpa was not very cold, but was just right at 21 degrees. The wind was very strong indeed and added to the charm of the place.

After a quick cup of coffee at 1630, we set out on foot to explore the place. The entire town is quite small and can be explored on foot. We found the stairway near the Hotel, which took us to the Monastery and then to the marketplace. We had few snacks at a small nondescript tea shop near the Monastery and were surprised to see an Israeli Tourist (Solo Rider). By 1800, we were back in the Hotel.

At the Hotel we also got acquainted with Mr. Gaurav and his wife who were on the return leg from Kaza because they did not want to go over the passes. They were from Gurgaon and Gaurav was the Sales Manager of DLF. We also had two young couples from Delhi in our neighbouring rooms who were on a Taxi hired from Shimla (Tavera). They planned to go upto Tabo and then return.

By 2000, Aman had cooked up a lavish meal consisting of Rice, Chapatis, Vegetable, Dal and Chicken Curry.

By 2130, we were cozy in our beds.

4^th Day – Kalpa to Tabo

The morning was a relaxed one as no early morning trips were planned. I woke up at 0530 to the bright Sun. By 0845, we were ready and moved down for breakfast. Aman had prepared omelette, toasts and Poori Bhaji for breakfast. After a sumptuous breakfast, we were on the Road by 0945.

We cleared Kalpa in about 30 minutes and reached Reckong Peo. Thereafter the Roads broadened on the drive towards Kaza. However many patches of no road were encountered. The initial 15 – 20 kms were very bad, but broad, although with few patches of narrow straits overlooking the River. At about 3 such narrow straits, we had to reverse to make way for the opposite traffic. The traffic on the roads were very minimal with us encountering kms and kms of wilderness (no vehicles). The vistas along the drive along the Hindustan Tibet Highway were very beautiful.

We reached Khab at the confluence of Spiti and Sutlej Rivers by about 1200. The sight was beautiful and gave us a good opportunity for a photoshoot. The view of Leo Purygal Peak from Khab Bridge was amazing. By 1245, we reached Nako and stopped at a roadside shop for lunch. We ordered Chowmein and Maggi. The costs were slightly inflated, maybe due to the distances involved.

The two couples from the hotel at Kalpa in their taxi reached the same place. Incidentally the rear tyre had developed a puncture. The driver tried to replace the tyre with the Stepney, but the spare tyre also had no air pressure. The air pump, which I had procured for such occasions was put to good use and the spare tyre was charged to 35 KSC. Finally the puncture repair kit ordered from Amazon was also put to trial, wherein the punctured tubeless tyre was repaired with it. Overall, I was happy with the performance of the kits. And then we continued on our journey.

We reached Sumdo at about 1530. After police registration, we took a detour of about 9 kms to Geyu Village to visit the Mummy of Lama. There was a temple which housed the Mummy. The local priest there narrated the folklore about a lama who had done meditation to save the village from scorpions and had died. Her body was unearthed during a recent earthquake and carbon dating revealed its age to be approx 500 yrs.

Somewhere along the way, we lost our Airtel and Reliance Jio networks. So now Google Maps was not available and we had to fend for ourselves. One of our phones was on MTNL, which continued to show the network, but there was no data connectivity and no out calls, probably due to low balance.

Another 25 kms of drive was left for Tabo and the roads were narrow but good. We reached the Hotel TowDhey on main road of Tabo at 1730 hrs. The rooms allotted was large and spacious with a huge balcony facing the monastery and the Kaza Highway. After a quick cup of coffee, we set out to explore the place on foot. The walk to the Tabo Monastery was hardly 20 minutes. The Monastery is about 1000 yrs old and is located on the banks of Spiti river. There were lots of small caves on the Mountains overlooking the Monastery which incidentally were used by the Monks in the initial years of the Monastery. After a quick walk through the town, which incidentally boasts of an SBI ATM and a cybercafe, we trekked up the hill to the caves for a photo-shoot.

The dinner consisted of Fried Rice and Chilli chicken and was exorbitantly costly at the Hotel restaurant. The food was just normal with respect to taste. After a brief view of one of the FIFA WC matches, we retired for the day by 2200.

5^th Day Tabo to Pin Valley (Mud Village)

The plan was to start for Pin Valley by 1000, as the drive expected for the day was short. We planned to stop at Dhankar for lunch and visit Dhankar Monastery.

We were packed up and ready to go by 0900. We had a quick breakfast consisting of Toasts, omelettes, scrambled eggs and pancakes. After packing the stuff in our Scorpio, I ventured out to do a top-up/recharge for the MTNL number which supposedly was the only network available till Manali from this point. But there were no recharge coupon shops in the market. Finally, I managed to locate a Lama in the Tabo Monastery who did recharges for tourists. However, my MTNL number just refused to get charged. So by 1045, we decided to give the recharge a skip and started our journey for Dhankar.

We reached the Dhankar Monastery by about 1145 and went straight to the Old Monastery. The Monastery in itself is a dilapidated structure with prayer rooms, meditation cave and rest room for HH the 14^th Dalai Lama. The Lama on duty told us that the previous visit of the Dalai Lama to Spiti was in 2008. After a full visit of the Monastery, we homed on to the Monastery cafe just adjacent to the Monastery and settled down to absorb the views. By 1230 we ordered our lunch for the day consisting of Wooden Tea, Thenthuk and Thukpa. The items were reasonably priced and costed INR 280.

We started our next leg of the journey of about 50 kms at 1310. The drive to Pin Valley is picturesque with different hues of mountains along the way. We found a few vehicles and bikers along the way. The road led us through two villages of the Pin Valley, namely Kungri and Sagnam. By 1500, we were in Mud Village. We found Mud Village to be very small in comparison to Sagnam Village en-route. The valley view was good, but the facilities in the various guest houses were pretty basic with most of them offering shared toilets. Notwithstanding, we made ourselves comfortable in a room of the Tara Guest House with a shared toilet. Tara Guest House was divided into two properties with almost 75 meters distance between them. The main property housed the restaurant, whereas the occupants of the second property had to come down to the restaurant for meals. The Owner Mr. Kumzum is incidentally a Political Science Lecturer at a university in Mandi. He is also a PhD Scholar. Presently he was available at site. The cost at INR 2500 inclusive of dinner and breakfast for three was quite reasonable and had done the booking about 10 days in advance.

In the evening, at 1630 we made an attempt to venture out on foot, but could cover a distance of 1.0 km only as strong winds brought in a chill factor and the temperatures dropped. The temperature would have been about 12 – 15 degrees, but the wind made it appear colder. So by 1700, we were back in our abode for the day waiting for dinner time. Pin valley as a place of stay is totally avoidable. However from Tabo, enroute to Kaza, a detour can be made to Pin valley for a day visit.

The view from the room was however very good, with the vast expanses of the valley with the mountains surrounding them with few scattered houses among them giving us a surreal feel. However with nothing much to do outside and with no TV etc available, we settled to watch the movie “Operation petticoat” on the Laptop.

By 2030, we proceeded down to the Tara Cafe for dinner. Dinner consisted of Momos, Pizzas, Soups and Chow Mein, all prepared by the Owner. There was a variety of foreigner crowd dining with us consisting of an American, a Russian Couple and an expatriate German Indian pursuing PhD about Spiti Ecosphere. It emerged that strong winds were a regular phenomenon in the valley every afternoon to night. However, the mornings and mid-days were very calm. Luckily for us the adjacent room authorised to share the common toilet on our floor remained unoccupied and therefore the toilet remained our private toilet.

By 2130, we retired for the day.

6^th Day Mud Village to Kaza

We started our sixth day on a relaxed note. Bed tea was served at about 0730. We freshened up and proceeded down for breakfast by 0900.

By 1000, we finished with breakfast consisting of omelette, toasts, aloo-parathas and pancakes. After breakfast, found a middle aged German couple on a self driven Scorpio stuck nearby with a puncture. Again the emergency kit with me came handy. By 1100, we were ready to start our trip to Kaza. The accommodation for the day although booked at Miklam Guest House ahead of Kaza, on my previous conversation with Mr. Karma on 14 Jun, it became known that due to poor internet connectivity in the region, all the reservations done by online booking sites never reach the properties. However Mr Karma had assured that at the moment rooms were available. However, post 14 Jun, due to non availability of network and internet, no contact could be maintained and hence I was not sure about the rooms.

The drive was uneventful, with us retracing the path of the previous day till the entry to pin valley and thereafter lasting 15 kms on the Tibetan Highway. The day started out as overcast and it drizzled a bit along the way. By 1230, we were at Kaza, the headquarters of Spiti-Lahaul District. The first prominent building as we enter Kaza is the Circuit House. I enquired for room at the Circuit House, which looked desolate with no-one around. I managed to locate the Manager, who informed us that the rooms could only be allotted by the Deputy District Commissioner, who could not be contacted as it was a Sunday. Going ahead we passed through the Kaza town, along the worlds highest petrol pump, which was lined with vehicles and we reached the Hotel Spiti of HPTDC, which looked totally dilapidated. On enquiry we were told that regular rooms were available and could only be allotted for one day as the bookings for the next day would be clear only when the internet becomes available. We moved along, crossed across the river Spiti to Rangrik and finally reached the Miklam Home Stay. The building looked beautiful and was done up with an old world charm. We met Mr. Karma, who guided us to the room. The room was very spacious with an attached toilet complete with modern and state of art fittings. The room had wooden flooring and was also equipped with an operational fire-place. The room opened into a large balcony overlooking the Valley. The room was also equipped with a 32 inch LED Smart TV and a Tata Sky connection. The verdict was out – This was the best room during the entire trip.

After unloading our luggage to the room, we proceeded back to Kaza for lunch, Diesel and to see the marketplace. We had lunch at a non-descript cafe along the way. Lunch consisted of Fried Rice and Manchurian. Thereafter we hit the petrol pump, which luckily was not crowded and I topped up my fuel tank. Thereafter we proceeded to the market, where some mandatory shopping was done by Deepali. By 1800, we were back to the room.

Thereafter we decided to do some exploring on the foot and set out across the fields to the River. The walk was about 4 kms and gave us many opportunities for photo-shooting. By 1900 we were back in the room.

Mr. Karma was a very gracious host. He filled us with all the news and culture of the place. He spoke at length about his family, the life at Kaza and about Buddhist culture and way of life. Although the Tata Sky was not charged, the TV had a USB slot, so we connected up our hard drive and watched a movie “The Beast of War”.

The Miklam had a dining room equipped with a beautiful dining room furnished in the Tibetan style. The place was beautifully done up with mattresses all around and small tables all along the length. The meals were to be had in a seating position on the mattress. Mr. Karma's assistant had cooked up a great fare. Dinner consisted of Rice, Chapatis, Rajma, Ladies Finger Subzee, Chicken and Green Salad.

By 2030, the fireplace was lighted up and reserves of fire-wood handed over to us. Within no time, the room was very warm and cozy. By 2200, we were fast asleep.

7^th Day Kaza and Surroundings

As usual, the Sun poured in through all the windows by 0500. We continued to laze around till 0730 when the bed tea arrived. By 0830 the breakfast was ready, consisting of Aloo parathas, curd, chilli pickle, Rajma and Coffee. After finishing the breakfast, we commenced our journey by 1020.

The trip to Ki Monastery at a distance of approx15 kms was uneventful. We reached the Monastery at around 1100. The Monastery Ki has a very rich heritage. The Monastery was broken down and rebuilt at least 3 times since 1000 AD. The Ki Monastery is the most important Monastery in Spiti region and is responsible for training the Monks. The Ki can host up to 350 monk trainees at any time. There is a Government School in the premises which undertakes the education of Monk Trainees up to Matriculation. Thereafter the Monks are imparted training in Buddhist philosophy. After finishing off with the Monastery, we went ahead by about 7 kms to visit the Kibber Village. This stretch is avoidable, except for a hanging bridge just ahead of the Kibber Village.

From Kibber, we retraced our path to Kaza. I re-filled the diesel just to make up for the fuel expenditure to be incurred on this day visiting various places in and around Kaza. For lunch, we stopped at the Himalayan Cafe in Kaza Market. The place has a good ambience and serves all types of food including Indian, Chinese and Tibetan. However the food is average. We also visited the SBI Kaza to withdraw some money as the ATM was still non—operational. The Bank had a swiping machine, where an SBI debit card could be swiped and the Bank Teller thereafter handed over cash in exchange for the debit slip. The process was however long drawn.

We finally started for the Langcha, which incidentally is the fossil village of Spiti and at a distance of approx 20 kms from Kaza. There is quite a big climb to reach this village which is at an altitude of 4000 plus meters. There is a Majestic statue of Buddha at the end of the Village, where an enterprising woman sells tea and fossils. Tea is only INR 20, but the fossils are priced at a wide range from INR 50 to INR 1000 per piece and the basis for costing is known only to the lady. From Langcha we proceeded to wards Hikkim Village which boasts of housing the World’s Highest Post-Office at an altitude of 4400 meters and is also the highest polling booth in the world. Hikkim is about 10 kms from Langcha. At the post office postcards were available for INR 20 each. We posted three postcards to three different addresses i.e. Kochi, Goa and Delhi. From Hikkim, Comic is about 10 kms and is supposedly the highest inhabited village of India. However, we skipped the trip to Comic and headed back to Rangrik (Miklam – our home for the day). By 1730, we were back in our cozy room. We utilised the interim time dinner for a movie - “Serving Sara”.

At 2100, hot and piping dinner consisting of Rice, Chapatis, Chicken curry, Paneer Curry, Rajma and Green salad was served. The stay certainly could not have been better. As we had an early day the next day, we retired for the day at 2200.

8^th Day Kaza to Chandratal

We planned to start the day early today as we had heard that strong winds picked up at Chandratal in the evening. So we planned to reach the Chandratal campsite by 1200, the official check-in time. After a breakfast consisting of toasts, omelettes and coffee, we cleared off from Miklam by 0815. The stay at Miklam was certainly the highlight of the trip. The tea halt was planned at Losar about 58 kms from Rangrik. The drive was very good with hardly any vehicular traffic, but the roads were in bad condition for most of the distance. We reached Losar by 1015. Had a cup of Tea and a plate of noodles and continued on our way. Immediately after Losar the HP Police registration check post was there. After registration we continued on our drive. The Kunzum Pass was about 15 kms away from Losar. Although Kunzum Pass is not one of the highest passes, in most of the areas up to Kunzum Pass and beyond, roads were missing and therefore the speed of advance dropped drastically. After Losar the only available network of BSNL disappeared and we were rendered incommunicado.

On Kunzum Top we stopped briefly for photography. About 9 kms after the Kunzum Top, we came to the diversion to Chandratal. Again the road is asif non-existent and very narrow. At some parts of the Road, the bankment is very steep (approx25 degrees), which looks and feels very dangerous. This drive was certainly giving all the adventure we were wanting. The distance of Chandratal campsite from the start of diversion if approx 14 kms and the stretch took more than an hour. We reached the campsite by 1230. The first campsite along the approach road is “Moon Lake Camp”, where we had advance booking. But at the Moon Lake Camp, we were told that our reservation had been adjusted to Camp Cold Desert, which was about 4 kms up from there. Although I did not like the last minute confusion, I let it go as it meant we were closer to the Chandratal Lake. On the way to the camp, we encountered a Zoom Car Scorpio stuck in water stream with 6 young men looking for rescue. Although I managed to clear the area from slight up stream area. I handed over the towing rope from my emergency kitty and the stranded vehicle was pulled out by the 4x4 Gypsy of the Moon Lake Camp.

Finally we reached the Cold Desert Campsite and settled into one of the tents. The tent was on a Triple basis. There were three mattresses, pillows, mink blankets and quilts. The tent along with its attached toilet was however sub standard. The toilet did not have a pucca basement and it was loose wet soil. The tent was also too small. There is a lot of difference between the front end (Wander Trails Website) and the back end (the camp site on ground). The allotment is handled locally by people on ground in Chandratal.

After dumping our luggage in the tent, we ordered some Maggi (which by the way was the only thing available at the Camp). A visit to Chandratal Lake from the campsite can be either undertaken wholly by foot or partly by vehicle/foot. There is a walking trail starting from the campsite which goes all the way to the Lake (1 hour for a good walker at approx 5 km/hr speed). However the way is slightly steepy and therefore should be attempted by averagely fit people. We started on foot at 1350 and were at the Lake by 1520. We went at a very leisurely pace in keeping with the demand of Deepali. But lo behold, the sight of the dark blue Lake made all the tiredness vanish instantly. It is said that if one does one complete parikrama around the lake then it is auspicious. Although we had planned for the same, the strong winds on top dissuaded us from attempting it. We however went to the water. The water felt to be warmer than the surroundings, probably due to the wind chill factor. By 1540 we started back along the same trail and this time reached back the campsite by 1635 (55 minutes only due to down slope on the return trip). Tousrists opting part vehicle/part foot can go in their vehicles till a spot which is about 30 minutes from the Lake.

The wind continued to be strong through the evening. The dinner timing for the camp was 2000 – 2130.

We planned to cast off by 0430 – 0500 as we were advised by the taxi drivers at camp site that early in the morning the flow of water along the streams on the road is minimal and hence the chances of getting struck due to overflowing streams increase manifold as the day progresses.

By 2130, we had already crashed as the drive next day was to commence at 0430.

9^th Day Chandratal to Manali (The Day of Rohtang)

Our onward journey commenced at 0430 from as planned. Luckily we had a convoy of other three vehicles which started from an adjacent camp at the same time. When we started at 0430, daybreak was yet to happen and we started with our vehicle headlights on. As suggested by some experienced roadsters earlier, the water flow along the various streams across the pathways were diminished early in the morning and therefore were better manageable. The 13 kms from the Chandratal campsite to the T junction of Kumsum downslope looked like eternity as I waited for the treacherous roads of Chandratal to end. By 0530, we reached the T point and the convoy broke out in different directions

As I headed for the Rohtang, I thought that the most difficult part of the drive was over, but I was about to be proved wrong. The difficulty levels kept increasing as new unpaved paths which doubled up as rivulets unfolded. The average speed I was making was about 10 kmph. At this rate it would have taken about 12 hours for me to cover the 120 kms approx distance between Chandratal and Manali. We reached Batal by 0600. However the drive from Batal to Gramphoo was quite challenging with us having to negotiate at least 4 overflowing streams across the road in addition to many other challenging junctures. Roads were missing in most of the places up to Gramphoo. Gramphoo was the place where the Road from Leh – Manali joined with the stretch from Kaza. By 0930, we stopped at a wayside joint at Dhratu for breakfast consisting of Bread-Omlette and Aloo parathas. By 1100, we reached the Rohtang. As already experienced the previous year, we knew what to expect. We were pretty sure that entry to Manali would not be hampered by traffic due to the timings By 1145, we were atop the Rohtang and soon began the climbdown. The approx 40 kms from Rohtang to Manali was covered in about 2 hours mainly due to the incoming traffic to Rohtang from Manali side and the narrow straits at many places creating bottlenecks in both ways. We reached SLS restaurant just short of Manali by 1330 and had lunch consisting of Trout curry and Rice. We also made our reservation at Snow Touch resorts, Patlikul along the Beas River for our stay through Goibibo. The drive from Manali to the hotel took us about 40 minutes which was great by Manali standards.

In the evening we made a trip to My Space Kitchen which was about 3 kms from the Hotel for their Trout preparations. We had Trouts in three varieties, i.e. Trout Tandoori, Trout Grilled and Trout Fry.

The plan was to start for Delhi by 0630. Accordingly we retired early.

10^th Day – Manali to Delhi

The 580 odd kms journey from Manali to Delhi was planned to be completed in one day. Accordingly, we started our journey by 0650 in the morning. The route was to pass through Mandi, Bilaspur, Chandigarh to Delhi.

The roads were ok. By 0930, we hit Mandi and found a cozy place for Breakfast. After a liberal dose of Aloo parathas and tea, we hit out again. By 1200, we had crossed Bilaspur and were heading for Chandigarh. The Google maps made us pass right through Chandigarh, Mohali to NH at Ambala. By 1530, we were happily munching in KFC for a delayed lunch.

We were happy that there were no undue delays till the time and expected to reach Delhi by 1930.

We started from KFC by 1600 and found the traffic on NH to be manageable. There were no serpentine cues at Toll ways and by 1845, we reached Azadpur Mandi, from where we had to enter the ring road. Surprisingly Delhi roads seemed to be empty and by 1900, we were back to our Home at Sardar Patel Marg.

As the journey came to an end, I realized the awesomeness of what we had achieved during the past two weeks. The nomadic existence had opened us to fresh life perspectives. Life was indeed possible away from the comforts in our cities. People did indeed lead happy lives safely away from social networking sites. And yes, it is possible to live in harmony with mother nature.

My heart went out to the innumerable nameless people working through heat and cold maintaining the border roads for us. Salute to BRO and GREF.

Also, I couldn’t but look appreciatively at my Scorpio for having endured the 2000 odd kms of one of the toughest terrains in the world.