On the first trip which goes back to the days when Spiti was pure wilderness and the road was actually the ‘most treacherous road in the world!’; I was in Kungri in Pin Valley and had randomly met three guys from Bombay, Shimla and Germany respectively. We stayed a night in one of the newly opened homestays in Langza and the German guy had got off somewhere to teach english to the kids in a school.

Komic felt like a dream and I was adamant that I wanted to be there next day. The charm of seeing the highest monastery in the world, Tangyud (Tangguid) Monastery was not lost on me and within no time we were standing outside Komic Monastery with the monks. Solar panels were visible on top of the monastery building which also houses the monks quarters’. I remember wondering how the monks lived at such a godforsaken place (at over 4500m) where we were finding even breathing difficult.

After spending some time in the prayer hall (dukhang), we were joined by some lamas who gave us cups of tea. I spotted a kitchen room nearby and a door opened from the side to show more construction work going on. The monks’ residences indicated that Tangyud Monastery housed around 40-50 monks. My inquisitive mind wandered and I asked if this was a newly built monastery; to which the monks said yes. One of them indicated to us to follow him to a nearby building.

I was speechless. There was a stuffed snow leopard right behind the door and a signboard indicated that women are not allowed inside. The others were happy to click landscapes outside; we were surrounded by snow capped peaks and a few clouds were slowly coming in to say hi.

A monk ushered us inside the Mahakala room full of tantric masks and fearsome statues; it was very dark without any light and anyway clicking pictures was not allowed. I was overjoyed on being able to see the Tantric inner prayer hall (many monasteries do not allow visits for outsiders) of this ancient Tangyud monastery in Komic that was originally built in the 12th – 14th Century AD.

The other side of the same building was also used as monk’s residences and had been painted in dark red. It stood out in the background of a dark blue sky. There was another small structure to the right of the monks’ residences; a signboard indicated that it was run as a school.

One of the lamas said that we are welcome to stay in the rooms for the night and can pay whatever we wanted. My eyes lit up but we knew we had to go to Demul too and passed this opportunity. I wondered how it would feel to stay at the highest village in the world connected by a motorable road and then realised it would not be very different than staying in Korzok – on the banks of Tso Moriri in Changthang, Ladakh. The wind blew stronger while the sun shined brightly and I felt strangely cold and hot at the same time.

Komic village itself was a tiny village located on a lower elevation (Komic village altitude around 4450m) than the monastery and had 8-10 houses. Green barley fields occupied center-stage and it was a stunning sight to see white washed houses surrounded by clouds floating around towering mountains; and a sprinkling of snow was thought to be a complimentary topping on a dessert. The monks had been really kind to show us around; I asked about homestays in Komic and someone said that it is possible to request for a homestay at one of the homes.

Just after we began our drive for Demul there was another surprise in store! A Tibetan Red fox with that unmistakable red bushy tail had just wandered across the road. It was quick and there was no possibility of even trying to click it with an 18-55 lens. We gasped in delight at the sighting and consistently looked outside the window for the rest of the drive to Demul.

Fast forward to a couple of years later; I was very happy to be breathing happily in the high altitude lands of Kinnaur and Spiti – away from the asthma troubles. The skies had not been kind at all and after cloudy days in Sangla Valley there I was, wishing for blue skies in Spiti valley but it was not to be. After a chilly night in Kaza; we ‘d made it to Langza almost in darkness (at noon) and a 5 minute drizzle brought us to Komic Monastery.

The weather gods seemed to have changed the monks’ mood too and none of them offered us tea this time around. There were a few tourist vehicles in the huge open air parking and the visitors to the monastery were all clutching their jackets as it was simply too cold as the sun had decided to have an uncharacteristic holiday in the Spitian summer. The temperature in Komic had dropped considerably and must have been in single digits.

This time I aimed at perusing the prayer halls of Komic monastery in a detailed manner but the light had other ideas and there was no possibility of seeing anything inside the monastery. In fact, the weather had worsened so much that the monks huddled inside one of the newly built structures to the left of the monastery building in blue. The tourists had left hurriedly without bothering to check the tantric room of the monastery and for good reason too…

In case it rained heavily, there was a possibility that the slender Langza-Komic-Demul road would close due to a landslide or something and people may get stuck here. In my mind, I began dreaming if it was heaven’s way of fulfilling my wishes! The skies kept getting darker and darker until the clouds could bear it no more. Komic village had disappeared among the clouds and even the green barley fields were nowhere to be seen.

I’d not had lunch and the monks were kind enough(thanks!) to serve some potatoes and wheat balls (wheat dumplings) sprinkled with some masala. When it stopped raining, we set off on our way to Demul again and again the same thing repeated. There was a herd of ibex to our left and they were so swift in their retreat that there was no chance of clicking. Someone else saw a Tibetan Red fox too but I didn’t see it. The visit to Demul village turned out to be a disaster as it began drizzling as soon as we reached the village and the poor light meant not even one photograph came out right.

We returned to Kaza for the night. I was a bit dismayed with the proceedings at Komic Monastery but the vagaries of weather can’t be controlled. I remember noticing hardly any snow on the mountains though, when the clouds had let me see them. Another change from the previous trip was that there were signboards indicating a homestay in Komic, multiple homestays in Langza; Demul had a evolved homestay system previously as well.

After that uneventful trip, I returned to Spiti Valley in the winter of February 2016 but did not visit Komic village or Komic Monastery. Spiti valley had become a very popular tourist destination and there were packages galore for it. I was happy to have explored it at my own pace when Spiti Valley had not gone commercial. I remember hearing only about Spiti Ecosphere in those days.

In autumn 2017, I was travelling to Kinnaur & Spiti Valley with friends who had driven their own SUV from Bombay. It was a 10 day trip, and like always totally unplanned. Every morning we would aim to stay in one of the villages, reach there before evening and look for a homestay. I would normally do that even on hitched rides and public transport, and this time there was a private car!

That day we were supposed to go to Komic Monastery, the thought was to stay at Langza and make a round to the Komic village & monastery. On this trip, I felt like I could make a good travel guide since I was in charge of everything for this journey in Kinnaur & Spiti Valley. The day started at Kaza to pick up basic supplies like ginger and cauliflower, tank-up on the fuel and we were on our way to Langza.

It was early afternoon by the time we reached the picturesque village of Langza flanked by the snowy peak of Chau Chau Kang Nilda. Langza (Langcha) village has plenty of homestays and some of them are really nice. Buses from Kaza to Langza run twice a week and thats another reason for the popularity of Langza for backpackers apart from the fossils and big statue of Medicine Buddha.

Door of Komic Monastery; murals and frescoes on the monastery walls. 

We parked our vehicle at the parking spot where the grain was being winnowed. It seemed like barley crop in a golden brownish colour and the entire village had gathered to assist each other. I had heard in old accounts that ancient customs and practices included singing songs and whistling to make the wind blow faster to help in faster completion of winnowing work and it was quite incredible to see this in person. With increasing development, this traditional way of life is fast disappearing and Spiti Valley is no different. The sound of whistles carried far and wide with the wind and it indeed made the wind blow faster!

There were a handful of tourists in Langza and the home stay owners have become smart enough to charge premium rates for basic homestay rooms. One of the Langza homestays asked for 2500 Rupees for a homestay room and that was reason enough for me to look wide eyed and just get out of the village. The fields were all bare anyway and there was nothing to see by way of landscape in Langza. I had anyway stayed there earlier in July on one of my previous visits. (300 Rs. including food.)

We quickly took a decision to leave from Langza and head up to Demul. We were driving up to the highest motorable village in the world – Komic, which was enroute Demul. From past memories, I was aware that Komic monastery has a basic guest house to accommodate us for the night. We quickly reached Komic village and were surprised to see numerous tourist vehicles in the monastery compound even in the supposed off-season of October!

The sun had already started its downward journey and the altitude was making us dizzy, so the best option was to sit and soak in the beauty of the barren landscape. The day tourists were having their fill of maggi and chai and were busy clicking pictures around the signboard that claimed Komic to be the highest motorable village in the world. The Komic monastery guest house has been taken over by two enterprising youth from Langza and was being run as a restaurant and homestay / guest house.

We comforted ourselves with a cup of freshly brewed black coffee (thanks to the coffee powder we were carrying, we had amazing coffee in the remotest of places). I spoke to one of the café guys regarding the price of the room and at first he said 1000 per night (incl. food). After some negotiation and narrating old experiences of Spiti valley, he automatically said pay whatever you want and stay! We got ready to go wherever the road takes us, in the hope of seeing some wildlife on the way to Demul.

And as if on cue, we spotted a Tibetan red fox again and this time I did manage to click some shots. We just stopped our car even before reaching Demul and stood on different corners enjoying the solitude and listening to our own heartbeat. By the time we came back to our humble abode for the night, the day tourists had left and we had the entire place (as well as the café) to ourselves.

I think the two local kids were quite happy to have our company and also make some money before shutting down the place on 15th October for the season. They made the best chai in the whole world, using ginger and masala and cardamom! At the crazy altitude of 4587m, water takes a lot longer to boil and I couldn’t have been happier anywhere else than here.

After that we thought of checking out Komic village and quickly made our way to the homes of the village. Winnowing of barley crop was going on here as well and it was a pleasure to listen to the whistling and Spitian songs being sung. There were only 10 homes in total and Komic village is hardly a walk of around 500 meters from Komic monastery, but the altitude makes the walk quite strenuous. It was especially evident while climbing up!

Sipping chai, looking at the majestic mountains and soaking in the silence of the place with not even a single soul around was an indescribable experience. Places like Komic, time and again, make me understand my love for remote places. The meditative silence, the untouched beauty and beautiful food with intimate conversations are only some of the reasons to create this magic. We made the most of our evening in this remote corner of the world. It was spent listening to old soulful melodies, sipping arak and eating the local cheesy pasta made by our wonderful hosts.

Also, even though there was an attached bathroom in the room, the water pipes had already frozen and that meant a little struggle to go out and pee! We sat and walked away from the solar powered lights to see the stars (I wished for complete darkness!) but it was not to be. The homestay owners warned us to not go too far away just in case a wild animal was lurking around (hint. snow leopard). After listening to the wind and some aimless walks and talks in the incredibly windy night, we decided to call it a night.

About Tangyud Monastery, Komic Village

Tangyud Monastery (Also called Komic Monastery) is located at an altitude of 4587 meters. Komic village is a bit lower at around 4450m and this village is popularly known as the highest village in the world connected by a motorable road. I’m not sure if that is a valid claim but Komic village in Spiti Valley, Himachal Pradesh may be one of the highest villages in Asia.

Tangyud (Komic) gompa is one of only two monasteries belonging to the Sakya sect in Spiti; the other one is in Kaza. There is no evidence regarding the same but Hikkim monastery is believed to have been built by The Great Translator – Rinchen Zangpo. The monks said that morning prayers are held at 8 am in a newly built hall in the monastery, but when we were there it did not happen for some reason.

Tangyud Monastery was shifted from Hikkim to the present location in Komic in mid 1970s after the original 600 year old monastery of Hikkim was damaged in an earthquake. Ruins of the same can be seen while crossing Hikkim village. Old antiquities of the monastery like thangkas have been shifted to Kaza and some are kept in Komic as well. The masked dances at Tangyud monastery are a big attraction for local Spitians and are traditionally held around mid October each year.

For travellers looking to spend a night in Komic, make sure to carry plenty of woollens to manage the chill at night, irrespective of the month you are travelling in Spiti Valley. The recommend travel months for tourists are from June to September. Winters can be very harsh and the roads close down in case of heavy snowfall.

Check : Spiti Valley in Winter : A Travel Guide

Travel to Spiti Valley in the Winter

Liked reading this long summary of my consolidated experiences of Komic? Let me know in the comments. Thanks.

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Websites, blogs and travel guides on the internet might make one believe Spiti valley is inaccessible in the winters. For the adventurous soul, this might turn out to be the best time to visit Spitis. There are hardly any tourists around and one can have all of Spiti to themselves. Winter is a perfect time to see local life in Spiti as it has existed for centuries.

Winter in Spiti is harsh and temperatures are known to plummet to lesser than -35 degrees Celsius at night. Winter travel in Spiti is all about cold, (brrr. colder) and coldest. It is quite likely that everything is frozen and there is no running water in the taps. If you are lucky, there is a huge possibility of experiencing snowfall in December/January/February/March in Spiti and also sighting a snow leopard along with other wildlife like Tibetan fox, blue sheep, ibex etc.

While this winter travel aims to guide and help prospective travellers prepare, it is better to know that things can still go wrong in Spiti valley in the winters and no amount of planning can help. It is best to think practically and trust the locals when it comes to a difficult situation. Follow this guide and have a holiday to remember.

A word of caution : If you are someone who doesn’t like the cold or cannot bear extremely cold temperatures, please give up the idea of visiting Spiti in winter. Also, it is a good idea to know the weather status before embarking on a trip to Spiti in the winters.

How to reach Spiti Valley in the winters?

Travel by the preferred route from Manali isn’t possible in the snowy winters of Spiti due to closure of Rohtang Jot and Kunzum La pass. Flying to Spiti isn’t an option because there is no airport in Spiti. A few years ago, people thought of Spiti as a summer destination and very few still dare to venture out in the bone-chilling cold of the winters. The only possible way of arriving in Spiti is by the road route from Shimla via the NH-22 highway crossing Kinnaur and then entering Spiti Valley.

The road from Shimla to Kaza is kept open throughout the year. Only in case of a major snowfall the stretch from Tabo to Kaza is closed from a few hours to a few days. It is also to be noted that this route automatically helps with gradual acclimatisation if the journey is broken in parts. Rohtang Jot and Kunzum La are officially closed for the season from October 15th and open only around May-June.

Chandigarh ISBT at Sector 43 and Shimla Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT) have excellent connectivity to Rampur and Reckong Peo in Kinnaur. SUV’s and other vehicles can also be rented from Shimla for the entire duration of the trip. The charges for the same may be a bit higher than in the summer months because the engine needs to be kept warm in the cold nights and extra fuel is burnt thereby. Shared taxis (sumo) also ply from Rampur to Kaza and also from Kaza to Rampur and the charges are 1000 per seat.

How to Travel within Spiti Valley during the winters?

There are very few buses that ply in the winters in Spiti. Kaza bus stand has only 1-2 buses to connect it with the outside world. Local bus connectivity to other small villages in Spiti valley is not possible due to ubiquitous snow on the roads.

Depending on the snowfall at various places, there are shared taxis that ply to remote villages in Spiti. Although they charge a very high amount, it is the only way to travel on those dangerous snow filled roads. Even the locals travel in the same and they will make sure you are safe and sound. Shared taxis are mostly sumos crammed with 10-15 people but warm interiors in the cold and conversations with locals make up for the same. Travel by motorcycle is quite difficult and not advised due to the unbearable cold and also due to the possibility of slipping on snow.

If you are looking for a comfortable mode to travel, then hired taxis (SUVs) are the best means of transport for travel in Spiti, in winter. Although the taxi fares turn out to be quite expensive, it is the most convenient option because it also gives the flexibility to stop as often as required, for photography and sightseeing. Also, usually the drivers are well travelled locals and will know someone at the destination to provide for a homestay in the bitter cold.

Shared taxis sometimes go to Losar and leave from close to the Kaza bus stand. It is best to reserve a seat in advance for the same.

Kaza resembles a ghost town in the winters and there are very few taxi drivers who are game to drive you around. Ask the locals and it may be a much better idea to book a taxi through a travel agent, because if you are stuck somewhere then it becomes the responsibility of the travel agent to send another car to get you out safely.

A recommended tip for winter travel within Spiti is to make sure that you arrive before dark and make prior contact to arrange for accommodation and food.

Places to Visit in Winters in Spiti Valley 

Depending on the amount of snow, most internal roads in Spiti are open in the winter. So it is possible to visit almost all the villages in Spiti, even in the stark cold winter of January and February. Roads to Demul, Langza, Kibber, Hikkim, Komic, Gue, Pin Valley, Nako, Kungri, Tabo etc may be open and accessible. One may also visit Lhalung, Dhankar and Losar if the roads are not deemed too dangerous to ply on.

One of the most important things to know for winter travel in Spiti Valley is that in case of heavy snowfall, there are chances of the road being closed for a day or two or even a week which may hamper your plans. It is better to keep a buffer of a day or two and keep flexible plans as snowfall at over 4000m can cause the road to be shut for vehicular traffic.

The weather is bitterly cold in the high altitude villages of Spiti valley and the unbearable cold (sometimes -40 degrees Celsius) makes visiting the villages a difficult proposition in the winters. While travelling, it is also advised to keep the window panes in the vehicle closed so that there is minimal contact with the frigid air.

Remember to always check with locals in Kaza and nearby villages about prevailing weather and road conditions for the places you are heading to before embarking on a journey to Spiti in the winter.

Distances of monasteries & attractions in Spiti Valley from Kaza :

Kaza to Kee Gompa – 16 Kms

Kaza to Kibber Village – 22 Kms

Kaza to Komic Monastery – 26 Kms

Kaza to Dhangkar (Dhangkhar) – 35 Kms

Kaza to Tabo Monastery – 48 Kms

Kaza to Lalung Monastery (Lhalung) – 31 Kms

Kaza to Langza – 16 Kms

Kaza to Gue Village (Mummy village) – 82 Kms

Kaza to Losar Village (Lossar) – 56 Kms

Kaza to Kungri Gompa (Pin Valley) – 32 Kms

Kaza to Mudh Village (Pin Valley) – 52 Kms

Are Hotels, Homestays open in Spiti Valley in the Winters ?

In entire Spiti Valley, almost all the guesthouses, homestays and hotels are closed for the winter and the ones that are open are mostly simple and basic options. Since Kaza is the district headquarters, most travellers choose to make this as the base to travel to other places.

Recommended places to stay in Kaza in the winters are located near the bus stand. Sakya Abode is a good place to stay with a very helpful owner – Tsering. It is situated close to the world’s highest retail outlet of Indian Oil, in Kaza.

Hotels may quote exorbitant prices in the winter of Spiti. Depending on your bargaining skills and ability of managing the cold, the prices can be brought down to around 500 – 1000 Rupees per night. It is best to stay at a homestay where a family lives too, it ensures that the cold is made bearable by the warmth of a bukhari in the kitchen. Warm meals and endless cups of tea are also usually included in the homestay price.

Accommodation options in Spiti Valley that are open during Winters : 

Accommodation options in Losar : There are two homestays (Samson Guest House & Singaling) near the police check post at the entrance of Losar village. Both are owned by local Spitian families and charge very little amounts for adventurous souls who make it out there in the winter. Nomad’s Cottage is a cosy choice but is deep into the village and may require advance booking. If you do make your way to Losar (Also spelled as Lossar) in the winters, then it is highly recommended that you stay near the road itself; for the worst case scenario of the road being closed in case of snowfall.

At Kibber: One of the easier-to-access high altitude Spitian villages; it is possible to stay at a homestay in Kibber. Norling Homestay is one of the oldest homestays in the village and other homestays are open too – with their owners living in the same structure.

In Langza, Hikkim, Demul, Komic : Although it may be difficult to access these villages, if you do manage to find a way to reach any of them – then because locals inhabit these villages all year round, you are most likely to be invited to a local homestay to savour the warmth of home and legendary Spitian hospitality with endless cups of butter tea and chaang. Tenzi Homestay in Langza and Anmo homestay in Lhalung are open in the winters (their families live in the same home.) Contact Lara Tsering for a homestay in Langza. He is a local in Spiti and is a very helpful person.

In Pin Valley : Homestays are possible in the villages of Kungri, Gulling, Sagnam and Mudh in Pin Valley. Tara Homestay in Mudh village is a recommended choice. If you happen to meet Kunzang Bhutia in Mudh, show him my hat picture and you might get a mug of chaang for free!

Homestays and other options to stay are easily available in the towns of Tabo, Nako and Dhankar too. Except the few options suggested above, it may also be possible to stay at PWD rest house, IPH rest house, HPSEB rest house and circuit house in rare circumstances. Among all the staying options that are available, my vote is always for a a local homestay because of the warmth it provides and the possibility of local Spitian food that will also help a traveller combat the cold weather.

Enroute Spiti, a good place to break the journey with regards to acclimatisation is Reckong Peo. There are a few hotels open in the winter in Peo near the bus stand and for backpackers and solo travellers the bus from Reckong Peo to Kaza begins from Peo at 0730 am.

Attractions to see in Spiti in Winters

The change in landscape means it is quite possible to think of Spiti as an entirely different land from summer to winter. There are frozen waterfalls, azure blue skies, trees devoid of leaves, pristine freezing rivers that make winter in Spiti a beautiful and adventurous experience. It is also advised to travel with a local in Spiti in the winter; just in case anything goes wrong the locals have been living here forever and will surely know how to find a way out of any situation.

It is a good idea to first acclimatise to the bare cold and high altitude of Kaza (3700m) before attempting to explore various sights in the region. While coming from the only possible way – NH-22 (Via Shimla), spending some time at the monastery of Nako coupled with a walk to the frozen or semi frozen Nako Lake will help in acclimatising and in getting used to the cold. One can also stay at Tabo because it lies at a considerably lower altitude (3000m) and explore Tabo Monastery which is the oldest monastery in India. It is best to be in the pink of health before making the final run to Kaza and onward to the high altitude villages like Kibber, Langza etc.

Apart from these places, there are other noteworthy monasteries in Spiti; viz. Sakya Gompa in Kaza, Ki (Kee) Monastery, Dhankar Monastery, Komic Gompa, Giu monastery, Lhalung Serkhang Gompa and Kungri Monastery – which are all amazing experiences in the winter but depending on the amount of snow, the roads to these places may or may not be open. If the roads are closed, it is possible to trek to these villages on foot like the locals do. It is thus advised to not attempt the trek by yourselves and always to have a local guide or villagers around.

Another attraction of visiting Spiti Valley in the winters is the possibility of walking on the frozen Spiti river and also frozen Pin river. (It is advised to be very careful as in the past there have been instances of people drowning due to breaking of ice.) A visit to one of the high altitude Spitian villages is another huge attraction, to see local life and how it goes on despite the unbearable freezing temperatures.

Losar (Lossar) is the biggest and farthest of all the Spitian villages and is a cultural delight. Reaching the village of Losar will be a big upcoming attraction in Spitian winters. Locals celebrate festivals and folk dances by singing traditional Spitian songs. To preserve the age-old traditions of Spiti, the locals have taken care by organising various activities. Winters also see young men learn the art of carving Buddhist prayers on mane stones. In Kaza, locals can be seen playing the favourite Spitian game of ‘Cholo’.

The road to Losar is almost unbelievable in the winter and the landscape is covered in a blanket of white. There is also hopeful news of some adventurers trying to reach frozen Chandrataal Lake in the winters in the near future.

While the poplar trees are bare in Spiti, along the NH-22 Highway route in February/March, depending on the season there may be blossoms of various colours of almond, plum, peach and apricot trees. Celebrating Losar and other winter festivals is another big attraction for people visiting Spiti in the winters.

Precautions & Tips for Visiting Spiti in the Winters

While a winter trip to Spiti can be highly rewarding, there are some precautions to be kept. To be honest, traveling to Spiti during the winters means a place where the weather is unpredictable, basic amenities are bare minimum, chances of getting stuck anywhere are high and if anyone in the group falls sick, it could mean serious trouble.

Some Simple and Practical Tips for making the trip a success :

Do not venture into the cold immediately after being indoors for a while. Make sure every part of your body is covered before going out in the chill of the winter air. The air in Spiti is frosty and is largely devoid of oxygen. Try to not have a bath during the duration of your stay in Spiti in the winter. Remember that the kitchen is the warmest part of the homestay and it is better to spend more time there. Consult your doctor about starting a 3 day course of Diamox medicine (to prevent AMS) before starting your journey. Carry camphor for sniffing and a mask to prevent dust while breathing on the road.

Stay hydrated by drinking tea and water at regular intervals. Do not disregard warning signals even when your health doesn’t seem alright. Keep a moisturiser ready and ensure that the skin is not dry. Eating dark chocolates and nuts is recommended to maintain energy levels. Do not hesitate to ask for help from locals if there is any kind of trouble. A troublesome feat is to keep the fingers guarded while clicking pictures, it is a good idea to make the camera settings inside the car and then go ahead and click and cover the fingers immediately.

Water supply in toilets won’t be there and expect to use Spitian dry compost toilets in remote places. These are traditional toilets with just a hole in the ground. Make sure your hands are not left wet in the cold; otherwise even a leftover droplet will freeze and will leave a blue dot on the skin. Also once you are warm in bed, remember try not to go to the loo in the middle of the night when the cold air can really hit you.

Although the above might points seem very simple, they have been penned down from my personal experiences and might make the difference between a mistake and a successful trip.

Some not-to-forget-things : Sunglasses are a must at all times to protect from the reflection of the snow, the sun’s glare is unusually high in Spiti. Apply sunscreen generously and always carry medicines with you. It is advised to carry a flask of warm water at all times.

Packing for a Winter Trip in Spiti

While you may have heard of ‘dress in layers’ for travelling in Ladakh, it is also absolutely true for all of Spiti. It is also a much better idea to wear clothes in layers rather than wearing a single bulky jacket. As most of us are not used to travelling in these frigid conditions, the only way to survive is by staying warm. Also remember to carry toilet paper rolls and hand sanitizer in Spiti.

Necessities :

Jacket : It is ideal to have a down jacket or duck-feather jacket which is warm enough to withstand temperatures of lesser than -20 Degrees Celsius. A recommended way of dressing in layers would be : a thermal inner (or two), comfortable tee shirt, sweaters, a warm jacket and then finally, the down jacket.

Lower : It is very important to keep the lower part of the body insulated from the cold. A warm inner, or 2 inners if you still feel cold and a jeans or lower is recommended.

Shoes & Socks : A trekking shoe or high ankle length shoe is good for winters in Spiti. The Quechua Forclaz 500 is a highly recommended product. It is warm enough for winters in Spiti and also does the job of walking on ice/snow. It is a must to wear either one layer or two layers of warm woollen socks. There are most chances of cold seeping through the feet, so they must be kept warm at all times. Change socks immediately in case they get wet. Normal socks won’t help in the extreme cold of Spiti valley; it is advised to have either hand-made woollen socks or socks that are made for sub-zero temperatures.

Gloves & Cap : Do not forget to carry a pair of warm gloves on a winter trip to Spiti. Also necessary is a warm cap that covers both the ears and neck and does not allow any cold air to get in. Keep two kinds of caps so that you can use both of them simultaneously, as need be with regards to the cold winds.

Most Common Itinerary for Spiti Valley in winters

Day 1 : Stay at Reckong Peo – Acclimatisation is required whichever part of India you are coming from. On the Shimla (NH-22) route, staying at Peo (Dist. Headquarter Kinnaur) will help you get used to the cold and altitude. It is a big town and there are options to stay.

Day 2 : Tabo – Seeing the sights of Nako Monastery and lake on the way; walk slowly and drink lots of water to acclimatise perfectly so as to have no AMS trouble for the rest of the trip.

Day 3 Kaza : The dramatic fort and monastery of Dhangkhar (Dhankar) can be visited before reaching Kaza.

Day 4: Kaza & nearby excursions to Ki Monastery & Kibber village and beyond if the road permits.

Day 5: Accessing the villages of Lalung, Langza, Hikkim, Demul, Komic (or as far as the vehicle goes) and witnessing local Spitian life as it has existed for centuries.

Day 6: Check the possibility of reaching Losar and stay there. Monastery visit, walk through snow and witness cultural performance of the villagers in the evening.

Day 7: If Pin Valley road is open, visit Mudh village and start the return journey and stay at Tabo/Kaza. Kaza is the best place to be in case you are stuck in a snowfall/or if the road is closed.

Day 8: It is a good idea to keep a buffer day in case of closure of any roads and sudden turn of weather.

Day 9 : Return from Spiti via Kinnaur and to Shimla.

AMS and Hospitals

While it is important to make the most of your holiday and see as much as you can, it is in the rarified air of Spiti that even the most well laid out plans can go for a toss. Altitude Mountain Sickness (AMS) along with the life threatening cold is the biggest challenge for winter travel in Spiti. Most of Spiti and the Spitian villages are located at an average altitude of 3500m-4400m, and winter means no vegetation and hence there is even lesser oxygen in the air.

Some tourists are guilty of trying to see everything in a limited time, thereby increasing the chances of getting hit by AMS. AMS can progress to potentially life threatening situations of HAPE & HACE (High Altitude Pulmonary Edema & High Altitude Cerebral Edema). If timely action is not taken, even death may result.

It is therefore advised to monitor the health and oxygen levels and acclimatise for 2-3 days and only then think about seeing the sights. It is recommended to drink plenty of water, butter tea and local garlic water to gauge the progress with regards to acclimatisation.

Kaza has a hospital in case of troubles with AMS and otherwise. The charges are almost zero but it is likely that there is limited space in the hospital. While you may see locals playing cricket at the deserted Kaza bus stand, remember that ‘Haste makes waste’ and let your body get used to this extreme temperature slowly but surely.

Local medical shops and PHC’s (Primary Health Centres) are present in other towns of Spiti but may be closed in the winter. It is a must to carry all kinds of medication and oxygen cylinder with yourself at all times for any kind of emergency.

Shopping in Winters

Although only a handful of shops that are open, it is still a good time to shop for some products that are available at reasonable prices.

If you have insufficient winter wear when you reach Spiti, then warm jackets, lowers and other clothes can be brought in Kaza. A few shops in the main market are open and hand woven sweaters and socks are available. Rough shawls woven by the villagers that keep quite warm can be procured.

Some areas of Spiti produce top quality apples in the summers; locals dry them and they are an excellent buy to eat while travelling. Locals store those apples and they are still fresh in winter.

There are one or two shops in Kaza that sell a fine variety of socks at a steal at 150-200 Rupees. They make for excellent gifts to be carried back home.

Yak cheese (churpe) can be brought from locals, apple and seabuckthorn jam may be available.

Where to eat in Spiti Valley in Winters?

Eateries are few and far between in the winters in Spiti and most hotels and dhabas are closed. For breakfast and dinner, it is always advised to eat at your homestay or hotel and not to venture out after dark. Dogs on the streets rule and can be a real menace in all towns and villages of Spiti in winter.

In the main market in Kaza, there are only 2-3 restaurants that are open, located near the bus stand and serving basic foodstuffs such as momos and thukpa. Along the route to Spiti, good food is available at cheap dhabas in the towns of Spillow, Hoorling, Narkanda & Reckong Peo.

If you are travelling in buses, make sure to eat whenever and wherever they stop – they usually stop at good places. If you are travelling in a hired SUV, it is almost certain that the taxi driver will know where to stop and eat. Do not think that you will find food everywhere, it is better to travel on a full stomach in the Spitian winters.

Wherever you happen to stay, food can be possible at the homestay and will be a basic affair; because of the remoteness. Please make sure you don’t waste anything.

It is highly recommended to carry high energy food like almonds, dates, dark chocolates etc. for eating at regular intervals.

Budget and Cash

There are hardly any ATMs outside of Kaza, and even the one at Kaza may not work in the winter. Therefore, it is a must to be on the safe side and carry plenty of cash with you at all times, also considering any case of emergency. SBI Bank Branch in Kaza may provide limited cash with their POS machine in case the atm is not working.

There may be a freak scenario of being stranded in a remote area for 2-3 days in some village, at that time the extra money will be handy and may prove to be the difference in getting out safely. In cases of emergency, Himachal Pradesh Government has the services of a helicopter that can be requested upon a huge payment; but it may be useful in case of dire circumstances.

Electricity supply is erratic and unreliable in the winter in Spiti and a snowfall can cause all electricity to be shut down for weeks together. At that time, solar charged bulbs and torches will come handy and solar batteries may also enable charging of mobile phones and camera batteries. Usually electricity supply in Spiti in winter is for 4-5 hours per day (at least.)

Due to the extreme cold, phone batteries and camera batteries die out quickly. A tip to save the charge is to keep them warm, which can be done by keeping them in the blanket when you are sleeping and carrying them in pockets otherwise.

Surprisingly BSNL phone network means that mobiles work in most towns in Spiti even in the winter. Other networks like airtel, vodafone, idea hardly have any connectivity after crossing Pooh. Internet services are slow but sometimes BSNL internet works in Losar & Kaza and may even work in the remote towns. The army camps enroute have internet and may allow you to use it if requested. You can connect to a wifi and access the internet at an internet café in Kaza for around 60 Rupees per hour.

Other useful posts :

A glimpse of Spiti in winter

Travel to Spiti Valley in the Winter

Top Ten Spiti Experiences

A comprehensive guide to Spiti

Practical tips for winter travel in Ladakh

Leh in Winters : A Snapshot

A Comprehensive Guide to Kinnaur

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Incidentally, I was lucky to travel to Spiti in the winter of 2016 (after having travelled numerous times in the summers). As more and more Indians take to travel, it is getting increasingly difficult to find the soul of a place in the ‘best season’ to visit. I was also keen to see how people lived in the extreme cold.

There is an untold thrill of visiting Spiti, first in the summer and then in the harsh and cold winters. The common thought is that Spiti valley is inaccessible in the winters. It is not so; some parts may be out of bounds but the road from Shimla to Kaza is open throughout the year.

In fact, winter may be a perfect time to see local life in Spiti as it has existed for centuries. 

Winter in Spiti is extremely harsh and temperatures are known to sometimes fall to -40 degrees Celsius. Spiti in the winters is frigid and there is no running water in the taps.

How to Travel to Spiti Valley in the Winters?

Transportation & Route

The only way to reach Spiti in the winter is by road from Shimla via the NH-22 highway through Kinnaur. Rohtang Pass and Kunzum La are both closed in the winters, making travel from Manali an unviable option. I first reached Shimla and then Narkanda before making it to Reckong Peo (District Headquarters of Kinnaur). It was a great idea to acclimatise to the cold and altitude of Peo before reaching the unbearable cold of Kaza at 3700m.

Read : 7 roadtrips for adventure junkies in India

A solitary daily bus runs daily from Reckong Peo to Kaza and tickets can’t be booked in advance. I rushed to the bus stand to make sure of getting a seat in the 7:30 am bus. This bus alone is the lifeline of the entire region and is entrusted with delivering couriers, posts and newspapers to villages of upper Kinnaur & Spiti that lie along the way.

Shared taxis also ply sometimes from Rampur to Kaza (They charge 1000/- per seat and complete the journey in 12 hours. There were no details of the same on the internet and I could only make the return journey from Kaza to Rampur via this mode.

Weather Conditions and Important Precautions

In retrospect, it was a great decision when I decided to halt at Reckong Peo before marching forward to Spiti. The air in Spiti is frigid and there is little oxygen in the air at high altitudes. It helped for the body to get used to the cold and lesser oxygen.

Lessons of a long winter trip to Ladakh helped too and I made sure every part of my body was covered before venturing in the chill of the winter air. I spent most of my time in the kitchens of the homestays I stayed at! Discuss with a doctor about starting a 3 day course of Diamox (to prevent AMS) before starting on your journey to Spiti in the winter.

It is recommended to walk small distances and consume food at regular quantities in order to keep the body warm. Drinking butter tea and water at regular intervals was my mantra to stay hydrated. I also like dark chocolate and nuts and always use them in the winters.

Read : Top Ten Spiti Experiences

There is no water supply in toilets as the pipes are entirely frozen. Traditional Spitian dry compost toilets are the only choice in most places in winter in Spiti. After dinner, I made sure to go to the loo only once before sleeping and not in the middle of the night when the cold air can mess up things.

Carrying sufficient cash with you is advised because the SBI ATM in Kaza may or may not work. Life in Spiti valley can come to a standstill due to temperatures falling in December and January.

Also read : Practical Tips for Winter Travel in Ladakh

Ways to Travel Within Spiti

There are almost zero buses that ply in the winters in Spiti. The only possible mode of transportation is to travel with locals in shared taxis (campers or sumo), that ply depending on the amount of snow and number of passengers.

Shared taxi was my preferred way of travel too, and the locals made sure I felt safe in their company.

It is also possible to hire SUVs ( Innova or xylo ) for travel in winter in Spiti, even though the taxi fares turn out to be quite expensive. Travelling with locals ensures there is always the comfort of staying in a homestay in the bitter cold.

I was lucky to find a shared taxi for Losar that left from Kaza bus stand. As suggested by locals, I had verbally booked a seat in advance for the same. There were also shared taxis for Pin Valley and other small villages in Spiti near the bus stand. It is best to ask locals for help and recommendations.

A big tip for winter travel in Spiti for budget travellers is to not have any fixed plans; it helps immensely to make impromptu plans with locals. In case of heavy snowfall, the locals cover distances to their villages on foot, and sometimes that may be the only possible way of travel in Spiti in winter.

Read : Hitchhiking in a truck : Stories from Nakee La

Worthwhile sights and villages to visit in Winter in Spiti

Roads to the high altitude villages of Demul, Langza, Kibber, Hikkim, Komic are sometimes open. It is also possible to visit Lhalung, Gue village, Dhankar & Losar if there are shared taxis plying. Going to Pin Valley can be a dicey affair because it is located on a different route and there may be chances of getting stuck. I was keen on going but the locals suggested I shouldn’t!

Remember to always check with locals in Kaza and nearby villages about the prevailing weather and road conditions for the places you are heading to.

For a guide about places to visit in Spiti – Check A comprehensive guide to Spiti

Accommodation in Spiti in the Winters 

Most guesthouses, homestays and hotels are closed for the winter in Spiti. There are a few places open, and it is best to ask locals regarding the best options to stay. Prices per person including food will range from 500-1500 Rupees for winter accommodation in Spiti.

In Kaza : Sakya Abode – owned by Tsering. Enquire at homestays near the bus stand in Kaza, a few of them are open in the winters too.

Langza, Hikkim, Dhankar, Demul, Komic, Lhalung, Tashigang : Tanzi Homestay in Langza is open. Anmo homestay in Lhalung. Komic Gompa in Komic. Most families in these villages live year round and thereby the possibility of homestays to stay.

Kibber : Norling Homestay is open in the winters. Kibber is a big village and families live there throughout the year, that means other homestays are open too. It may also be possible to persuade the monks to let you stay at Ki Monastery, even in the winter cold!

Losar : Samson Guest House near the police check post in Losar village. It was dark when I reached Losar and had to literally plead with the family to let me stay.

Tabo : 2-3 homestays open near the monastery even in the winters.

In Pin Valley : Tara Homestay in Mudh. Possible to stay in a homestay in some of the villages – Kungri, Gulling, Sagnam and Mudh.

With regards to food : Meals are available at the homestays and will be a basic affair. Please make sure you don’t waste anything, food is scarce in the winters in Spiti.

Check : A Comprehensive Guide to Kinnaur

On the road, good food is available at small dhabas in Narkanda, Reckong Peo, Spello, Tapri, Hoorling and places where the bus stops.

I had carried emergency food in the form of almonds, dates, ORS juice, dark chocolate etc. for eating at regular intervals.

Packing list

Sunglasses : I had forgotten carrying mine and was nearly snow blind in Losar when the villagers had to hurriedly send me back to Kaza to avoid further damage.

Warm Clothing : Dressing in layers is advised for both the upper and lower parts of the body. I wore a thermal inner, tee shirt, a sweater, and 3 jacket(s). A warm thermal lower is required. Covering your fingers from the extreme cold winds is essential with good quality gloves.

Shoes & Socks : Needless to say, this is one of the most important things to keep in mind for travel to Spiti in the winters. Shoes should be ice and snow proof and should have good traction for walking on slippery frozen surfaces.

Also read : Solo travelling to the last frontier of Saach Pass

Have any questions about travelling to Spiti in winter? Go ahead and ask me. Happy Travels.

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1. Drink chhang (local barley beer) in a mug in the remote village of Mudh in Pin Valley, lose yourself and sing and dance with the locals. Craziness is justified in Mudh, there might be some snow left here – even in July. Incredibly beautiful shades of green and purple are visible in the fields while clouds descend on earth.

2. See Real Spiti : Kaza is district headquarters and a touristy place. Instead of a jeep safari, opt to spend days wandering around the high altitude Spitian villages of Langza, Hikkim, Demul, Komic and immerse yourself in the local way of life at a homestay. Adventure enthusiasts would like to have an experience of a lifetime while trying to reach the village of Chicham across a hanging ropeway from Kibber. Post letters on a high, at Hikkim’s highest post office in the world.

Although Kibber at 4200m is said to be the highest village, Gete & Tashigong are much higher at 4650m and can be reached by a dirt road among the clouds.

3. Feel on top of the world staying with the monks at Komic – At 4587m The Tantric Tangyud Gompa is claimed to be the highest monastery in all of Asia. The good news is there is accommodation in the monastery guest house, there will never be a better chance to live with the monks. It is also possible to stay at the Ki monastery and take part in the soulful morning prayers. If you are really lucky, then it is possible to see the annual ritual of masked dances at a monastery in Spiti.

4. Eat thin crust pizzas and watch the stars descend on the endangered 1200 year old Dhankar Monastery with framed views from Millennium Monastery Guest House. A short trek will take you up to Dhankar Tso, a small lake; don’t just walk up – turn back and savour the views of the Dhankar Fort, the ancient capital of Spiti. There are untold riches inside the Fort, in the form of rare Thangkas and the site is endangered (It is slowly sinking into the river below), so only three people are allowed on the creaking roof at one time. It is totally worthwhile to stand on top and look at Spiti like the Nono (Spitian for King) must have done.

5. Peace and enlightenment : There is serene calm at the caves of Tabo where monks used to practise meditation. The legend of the mummy at Gue is pretty well known by now and the village is straight out of a fairytale with wildflowers growing on both sides of the dirt road. The ladies can go a step further at the nunneries at Pangmo & Moorang and can live with the Djomo (Spitian for Nun) for a day or two and experience the life of a nun.

Read : A glimpse of Spiti in winter

6. Temple architecture like you ‘ve never seen with Kinners (Kinnauri people known to be half men and half god). Gaze at brilliant woodwork at the temple at Hatu Peak near Narkanda, and at the temples at Sarahan, Chitkul, and Kalpa and lesser known ones at Rarang & Charang. While you are in Kinnaur, there is plenty of scope to try fresh and very potent apricot wine and grape wine (angoori) in upper Kinnaur. Another interesting experience is to get inside one of the tower structures that are famous as hideouts of the Pandavas from their time in exile. One is in Morang, and there is one at Kanam & Labrang.

7. Know what organic food really means : You might have eaten momos and Thukpa elsewhere but you will long remember food at Nako & Tabo. Locals pick fresh ingredients from the fields and organic is the only way of cultivation here. If you are in the right season, then apples at Chango & peas at Nako are huge delights. A secret find is to ask villagers for the very healthy’seabuckthorn’ juice and jam, it is locally called ‘Tsetsalulu’.

Coming from Shimla side, tasty mushroom sandwiches are available in Narkanda, which is also known for orchards of cherries, plums, peaches, apricots and apples. Buy on the road, straight from the orchards!!!

8. Use some connections and stay at the pretty circuit houses at Narkanda, Sarahan, Kalpa : Live like a royal amid incredible wildflowers, keep the chowkidar happy, explore and slow travel around these places. You will never think a five star hotel is value for money, after staying in a circuit house.

9. See the fossils but don’t carry them home at the Fossil Park in Langza. The black mountains near the medicine Buddha at Langza are a goldmine for geologists, dig anywhere and you will find a fossil of any kind of small reptile. I have seen tourists carry these fossils to sell in the open market and kindly request you to leave the fossils as they are.

10. Dhabas acquire a folklore – Batal : An epic road trip to Spiti would not be complete without legendary dhaba experiences. There is the world famous couple of Chandra Auntie and Dorje uncle at Batal near Chandratal Lake. It is indeed a crazy experience to sleep in the rudimentary stone shelter at the dhaba in Batal and polish off plate after plate of Rajma-chawal listening to the funny conversations of uncle auntie.

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In my heart, I know that the warm nature of Spitians more than makes up for the extreme chills in the long winters that last for almost six months from October to March.

I have been to Spiti earlier for some life changing slow travel trips but that was in summer. There is very little information about reaching Spiti in the snowy temperatures and all I have to do is set off from home.

I gather all my woollens, pack them in a backpack, do not bother to find anything else and arrive in Ambala in the dead of the night. The road from Shimla passing through Kinnaur is kept operational throughout the year and depending on the condition of the snow the government also runs a bus all the way to Kaza. I find a seat on the crowded Delhi-Sangla bus just before reaching Shimla. It is cloudy and when the sun finally makes an appearance it brings a welcome relief from the February cold. The road has been carved out of jagged rocky mountains and I feel perilously close to an accident on one of the sharp turns in the rickety bus.

Also check : Top Ten Spiti Experiences

I feel hungry and the lure of food makes me get down at Narkanda. I can’t believe my eyes to see the absence of snow in the ski town of Narkanda. Dogs rule the town centre on the main road with closed dhabas and devoid of vehicular traffic. We are slowly making our way up the gravity-defying Hindustan-Tibet Road, which follows the vertiginous gorge of the Sutlej River. There are various hydro power projects that have brought much prosperity in the valley but also cause landslides and thereby terrible roads.

It is mind numbing cold by the time I reach Reckong Peo (Dist. headquarters of Kinnaur and also the biggest town) in the night after making food stops near Tapri & Rampur. It is just past 7 and the whole town is asleep; hardly two or three hotels are lit up. Another surprise awaits with some good news – The pipes haven’t frozen and there’s hot water in the geyser. After a long and tiring day, dinner of chapati and vegetables feels divine. The hotel owner tells me I should wake up by daybreak and somehow get a seat on the usually packed bus to Kaza.

I leave for Kaza in the only bus of the day in the early hours of the morning from Peo. Aloo paranthas at Spillow taste amazing in the morning cold. It is a majestic sight to see the bounty of white plum blossoms and pink apricot blossoms line both sides of the road in the colourless landscape. The bus driver is a young chap with gusto and a sharp thud on the pothole riddled road causes the fuel tank to come out to leave us stranded in the middle of nowhere. We are lucky to receive help two hours later when Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) sends us a replacement bus. Somebody has made away with my water bottle though.

We pray to the mountain Gods to let us pass through. The bus finally forks off at the thunderous confluence of the Sutlej and Spiti river and the valley soon opens up. It is a sliver of flat land lined on either side by an endless collection of serrated peaks, their snowy summits shining in the strong sunlight.

The overwhelming colour is brown, in all its variations, broken only by the inky cobalt of the sky and the bottle green of the river. Impossibly located whitewashed villages appear periodically along the margins of the river. They are clusters of adobe houses in the traditional Tibetan style – surrounded by patchworks of fragile fields that are left dry in the harsh winters. We pass the oldest-monastery-in-India town of Tabo on our left that also incidentally happens to be Dalai Lama’s favourite!

Also read : 7 roadtrips for adventure junkies in India

I have a feeling that I am stepping back in time. There is no outsider on the bus; only locals. They are excited to speak to me, asking what fascinates me most in this faraway land. I tell them that I’ve come to see and know more about their lives and culture that has remained the same for centuries. As we get closer to Kaza, the landscape turns to snow white with a small blue streak of the Spiti river. The sun has already gone behind the Spiti valley giving the proceedings an otherworldly feel.

Rudyard Kipling’s words ring true in my ears “At last they entered 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. Beaten down by the silence and the appalling sweep of dispersal of the cloud-shadows after rain. This place is no place for men.”

It is nail biting cold; Kaza has no electricity for the last 27 hours. Dogs howl on the street in pitch darkness. Two local boys help me in finding a homestay, it is already 8 in the night and they don’t want an outsider to die for lack of a bed. I am welcomed into a warm kitchen; the talkative owner is a nice gentleman and his wife has made very tasty food.

Read : Khardung La in Winter : Part 2

I fulfil one of my lifelong dreams to reach the majestic village of Losar in the winters. This year, very little snow has meant shared SUVs in the form of Sumo are precariously making their way across the white roads at over 4000 metres. My moment of the ride comes when four drunk Spitian women climb on top of the (already full) Sumo to travel and reach their homes.

There are fourteen of us crammed in the sumo and local Spitian songs play. I like it, even though I understand not one word. A lady throws away the driver’s cellphone away from the AUX-in and announces she’s going to play a song. After fiddling away and changing numerous numbers; she settles on one. The music plays, everyone stops breathing ‘Ajeeb dastaan hai yeh, kahan shuru kahan khatam…..’ A quiet tear escapes my eye. 

Although it isn’t very flattering when I tell you I suffered from snow-blindness and was struck down by mild AMS even when the fact that I am the first tourist to ever reach Losar in the winter was told to me by the villagers. The owners of Samsong Guesthouse restored my faith in humanity by refusing to take money from me.

Read : Lessons of Life at Pangong in Winter

My love for the Himalayas had brought tears to their eyes; they say ‘There is a little bit of mountain in all of us.’

Read : Practical tips for winter travel in Ladakh

For more travel stories, anecdotes and experiences connect with me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Read : Romance of the Manali-Leh Road

I had been telling them to make an escape from Kaza and perhaps get their oxygen levels checked if their AMS got worse. We chose to part ways at Tabo, and it would be a while till I found fellow travellers. While hanging around Kungri Monastery in Pin Valley, I met a German, a guy from Bombay and one photographer from Shimla. The German guy opted to stay back and teach kids in the village school, Shimla guy left one morning via the morning bus from Kaza to traverse the hair-raising road to Shimla via Reckong Peo again.

Read : 7 roadtrips for adventure junkies in India

Recommended reading : Chandra Taal – The Moon Lake in Spiti Valley

Me and the Bombay guy had made our way to Chandrataal (Also Chandratal) and walking the short distance of hardly 1 kilometre to the lake from the parking spot was proving to be impossible to cover for him. He drank water and said ‘So near yet so far’ and refused to go further. I walked slowly and spent considerable time at Chandratal lake enjoying splendid views over the crescent lake. It was blissful to walk around the periphery of the lake and soak in the silence and raw beauty.

There were two campsites near the Parking site where a tent cost around 400-500 Rupees per person including food. The number of tented accommodation had more than doubled on my next visit in 2014, and the camps had been pushed back too. I was happy to meet Jamaica there, we spoke about BCMTouring and he didn’t charge me money for black tea. Jamaica runs camps at Chandrataal lake. Camping is not allowed near Chandratal as it is a Ramsar Wetland site of International importance.

Read : A glimpse of Spiti in winter

I saw the bollywood movie Lootera recently and these lines have stuck with me : Conversation as it goes between the two main actors in the movie.

Female : If you get a chance
to do something else,
What would you do?
Tell me...
Male : I want to see Chandratal
before I die.
Female : Where is that?
Male : Beyond Manali. Deep in the Himalayas.
Clear blue waters, and not a sound.
None at all?...

It became a cold evening with blistery winds as we made our way to Batal. That was the first time I met Dorje uncle and Chandra auntie; Chandra dhaba was named after her. They have since become famous as chacha-chachi dhaba at Batal! Outside the dhaba, there were newspaper cuttings from June 2010 when the army and dhaba wallahs of Batal helped a group of tourists who were stuck here after a freak snowfall.

Read : The Fairytale Villages of Sangla Valley, Kinnaur 

We were told that he has accommodation and therefore very confidently arrived at Batal in the wilderness; the only place to stay for fifty kilometres either side. In those days, Losar had some common stay options and a PWD rest house. On the other side, Chatru (Also spelled Chhatru) had dhabas where one could sleep in emergencies.

Chacha-Chachi’s Chandra dhaba was a ramshackle structure with stones piled on top of each other, the height of the place barely letting us stand straight. Tarpaulins were being used as a a sturdy roof. Mattresses had been laid out on a bed of stones and we were supposed to share the place with 8-10 other people; mostly truck drivers.

It would cost only fifty rupees per person, Dorje said. That price included a mattress and blankets too. Wind blew fiercely through the gaps in the stone structure. We felt airborne even at seven in the evening. There were a few truck drivers who were drinking and dancing; the Bombay guy also asked for some local whiskey. Even I had a glass or two and we had a gala time chatting up with uncle, auntie and the truckers.

Check : The Dilemma of Responsible Travel : Secret Villages in the Himalayas

At around 9 pm, one madman truck guy smoked some marijuana joints with copious of alcohol and in one fell swoop grabbed his truck keys and said that he was going to cross Kunzum La at 4551m for some fun. Spiti is a wild land and certainly these are the kind of places where you can almost expect to see inexplicable behaviour. 

We were awestruck with the twinkling stars and the incredibly beautiful skies at dusk. Night had fallen, Batal felt like being in the middle of absolutely nowhere and Dorje uncle started telling us stories of a time when a huge group was stuck there in June many years ago as it had snowed closing all roads. The end of the story meant all was well. I now realise that chacha chachi’s goodness have turned them into national heroes!

There was no electricity and no sort of lights around. There were only solar powered torch lights. It seemed pitch dark but when the eyes got used to it, I could spot the milky way. It was very cold as Batal is at an altitude of almost 4000m. I went for a little walk to pee in the open as the moon made an appearance. My ears almost froze, protection from the cap notwithstanding.

Read : Ten foodie delights of Manali

Chandra auntie fed us delicious rajma chawal (lentil + rice) until we could eat no more. We were effectively in a parachute tent that swayed while the wind made swooshing sounds. The ‘bed’ turned out to be almost frozen, and we decided to sleep with all our jackets. Bombay guy didn’t even dare get out of his shoes. It sounds hopeless in retrospect and maybe it was the alcohol, but I couldn’t help but laugh at his discomfort!

Check : Top Ten Spiti Experiences

The wind howled, I decided to try and sit and gaze at the stars, sleep being hard to come by. It was as if the stars had decided to put on a show for me. It was just me and the universe. I felt so small and insignificant and free. I wondered how it might have been had we decided to stay back in the tented accommodation at Chandratal.

It was freezing cold as I saw the clock strike midnight, the clouds whisked past the snowy peaks forming pretty patterns and the milky way showed me colours I hadn’t known even existed. Gentle snowflakes fell for a brief moment making me unsure whether I was awake or dreaming! The night was too beautiful for me to attempt sleeping.

I was a little child again, fulfilling my dream of being an astronaut. The moon lake, supposedly the abode of Lord Shiva had commanded the stars to descend on earth. It was magic, only meant for me. 

Murakami’s words rang true in that moment :

‘Silence, I discover, is something you can actually hear.’

Good to Know : 

Distance between Batal & Chandratal : 14 kms along a dirt road that is motorable.

More details in the A Comprehensive Travel Guide to Spiti Valley

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Rudyard Kipling has described Spiti Valley as ‘A world within a world’. It is perhaps the most peaceful, and one of the least populated areas in India. Spiti lies on the Tibetan plateau and has an average elevation of over 3500 meters.

Read : Sleepless in Spiti

Spiti is a part of the Lahaul & Spiti district in Himachal Pradesh is situated in the rain shadow of the Indian Himalaya. Kaza is the district headquarters of Spiti while for Lahaul, it is Keylong. It sees little by way of annual precipitation. The roads in Spiti Valley are closed for 7-8 months in a year, due to snow at the high passes. Hence the window of visit is quite small. Spiti is a cold desert where time seems to have stood still for a thousand years. People living here predominantly preach the Buddhist way of life.

A Brief Preview of Places to Visit in Spiti Valley

Tabo Monastery is the crown jewel of Spiti. Spiti is home to the crescent, moon shaped – Chandrataal lake at 4300m, a pristine and one of the highest lakes in India; and without a doubt, the prettiest. Hikkim holds the title for the world’s highest village with a post office. There is a Tantric Gompa at Komic which at 4587m is one of the highest in the world. Spiti will astound you, enchant you and encapsulate you first with the desolate ruggedness of the mountains and then the snow clad peaks as the road climbs higher and higher. Bara Shigri Glacier, one of the longest in the Himalayas lies in Spiti too.

Spiti valley caters to varying tastes & makes for an ideal getaway for travellers. If you’re a cultural enthusiast, a history buff, an adventure junkie or simply a starry-eyed nomad who wants to look at the surreal landscapes, Spiti is the place for you. It can be explored in a week or two, at leisure. Also, geology buffs might amazed to know that Spiti was under the Tethys Sea millions of years ago.

The Spiti river gives you company for a major part of the road journey. Spiti is all about abundant clean mountain air, freshly grown food and nature in all its glory.  The locals take pride in being self-sufficient. Nobody knows of, or uses, pesticides. ‘Organic’ is the only way food is grown here. Although different seasons mean varied colours of nature, the best time to visit Spiti Valley is believed to be the months of July-August.

Read : Encounters at the end of the world in Himachal Pradesh

Spiti valley has azure blue skies that make every photograph enchanting. The night sky is very clear as there is no sign of any pollution. One can easily spot the Orion and view the sheer magnificence of the Milky Way, while enjoying the chilly winds.

‘This is no place for men, for the Gods must live here.’ Rudyard Kipling so famously said about Spiti.

List of important towns and must see sights in Spiti Valley:

Note : Some of these towns geographically lie in Upper Kinnaur – for travel sake they are enlisted here.

Chango : Buddhist temples as part of Rinchen Zangpo’s original 108 Temples. Large image of Avalokiteshwara carved in stone. Old Nyingmapa complex of temples on cliffs 5 kms farther than Chango is a collection of religious buildings. Chango’s apples are the best in Spiti.

Nako : Lying geographically in Kinnaur, Nako is located in Hangrang Valley. It’s a pretty village with the ancient monastery – Nako Monastery. Nako Lake is a pretty water body located just a short walk from Nako village.

Gue : Kept in a glass chamber in Gue are the mummified remains of a lama recovered while digging, its finger nails still grow & hair too. Quite a lovely village with fascinating stories.

Tabo : Tabo Gompa is a world heritage site. (Dalai Lama’s favourite monastery!) Founded in 996 AD by the Great Translator – Rinchen Zangpo. Fine Indo-Tibetan art, buddhist murals. Tabo Monastery is also known as Ajanta of the Himalayas. Huge Gompa with stucco statues of Bodhisattvas & exquisite wood carvings. Beautiful Mandalas and a 6m high Maitreya statue. Meditation caves in the mountains above town.

Dhankar : 1200 year old Dhankar Gompa built on a cliff with barren rock face slowly sinking into a river. The monastery is impossibly perched with views that inspire euphoria. Dhankar (Dhangkhar) was the former capital of Nono Kings of Spiti. It is also an endangered site as the river is slowly eroding its base every year. Confluence of Pin & Spiti river can be seen from top. Museum containing costumes, instruments, saddles of horses & Buddhist devotional objects. Ruins of an important fort. Dhankar Tso – scenic lake, a 2 hour uphill climb.

Kungri : One of the most important Monasteries in Pin Valley and the largest too. Ugyen Sanga Choling Gompa is 600 years old and has vivid murals of protector dieties. There is a huge new monastery & a museum too in the same complex.

Mudh : A beautiful village in Pin Valley with the Pin river flowing by. Trailhead for the trek over Pin-Parvati pass (5319m) and Pin-Bhabha Pass (4900m). Picturesque landscape with all possible colours, purple flowers bloom. A road is being constructed to Pin Bhabha pass. Snow might be visible near Mudh village even in the end of July. The last motorable village in Pin Valley. Great views.

Kaza : Kaza is the biggest settlement in Spiti located on the eroded flood plain of the Spiti River. Sakya Gompa is colourful and has interesting Thangka(s) inside. Kaza has good hotels and a local market with many restaurants. There’s a hospital too in Kaza in case of AMS troubles.

Key Monastery: The towering Ki/Key Gompa (4100m), a cluster of photogenic white-washed buildings is the largest monastery in Spiti. Residences of monks are here too. The views from the top are awe-inspiring. Thangkas in the original prayer rooms are very old and hold great historical and cultural value. It is also famous for Ki Cham, the masked evil dances held every year in July.

Kibber : Kibber was once claimed to be the highest village in the world and is located at 4200m. Pretty white washed houses mostly made of mud and stone. Home to Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary.

Langza : Medicine Buddha statue with views of the peaks named Chau Chau Kang Nilda. There’s also a fossil park nearby.

Hikkim : Highest permanent post office in the world at 4360m.

Demul-Komic-Lhalung : Seemingly unreal high altitude villages. Roads feel like they are above the skies. Komic lays claim to the highest gompa in India and a tantric Mahakala temple with a stuffed snow leopard. Located in the Lingti Valley, Lhalung has a fine monastery called the Serkhang (Golden Temple) which contains old treasures and a gold leaf covered statue of Sakyamuni. These 3 villages can be visited in one day as they lie not too far from each other.

Losar : Losar village is the biggest village in Spiti Valley and has grand views of surreal landscapes. The last place with staying facilities before crossing Kunzum La. There’s also a small monastery on top of the village, in Losar. Nearby lies the famous Yangchen Choling Nunnery at Pangmo & Sherab Choling Monastery School at Morang.

Kunzum La : Kunzum La pass is the gateway to Spiti, Goddess Kunjum keeps guard over the 4551m Kunzum La. It receives a lot of snow and was hardly open for 90 days in 2014. There is a scenic temple built at the top and the vehicles pass by from the left for good omen. Kunzum La pass is closed for vehicular traffic for almost 8 months and is open from around June to October.

Chandrataal Lake : A jeepable track (14km) runs from Batal to the lovely and tranquil Chandrataal Lake. It is also called Moon Lake and is set among the mountains at 4270m. The last 1.5 kms have to be walked – cars are not permitted to drive further as it is a wildlife protected area – a Ramsar Site.

Batal-Chhota Dara-Chhatru : Rudimentary dhaba type shelters available with basic food. This stretch is scarier than any other roads where the drive is in reality on a dried riverbed. The Chandra river criss-crossing the way numerous times makes it a pure adrenaline rush.

Wildlife Sanctuaries of Pin Valley National Park known as ‘land of ibex and snow leopard’, and also Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary known for sightings of Tibetan wild fox and snow leopard.

Read : A glimpse of Spiti in winter

Hikes, Walks and Treks in Spiti Valley :

Easy – Tabo to the Meditation Caves (1 hour). Nako Lake (30 mins)

Easy/moderate – Dhankar village to Dhankar Tso (2 Hours)

Moderate/Difficult : Lhalung-Demul-Hikkim-Komic-Langza-Kibber : These places are each approximately 2-3 hours (walk) away from each other and can be covered on foot or yak-back over a period of 2-3 days. It is a high altitude trek and all villages lie in the 4200-4400m range.

Quirky Experience : Chicham – A bit farther than Kibber lies Chicham village and to get there is a feat not meant for the faint hearted. A trolley will take you overlooking a 900 metre drop.

Difficult : Pin-Parvati Trek (7-8 days) Beginning at Mudh in Pin Valley and ending in Parvati Valley(Or vice-versa). Acclimatisation is essential for this trek to cross the Pin-Parvati Pass at 5319 m.

Difficult : Kibber – Gete – Tashigong – Thinam – Dumley – Parang La (5580 m) This trek goes across the head-numbing Parang La into the heart of Changthang overlooking the magnificent Tso Moriri in Ladakh.

Read : A forgotten valley – Trekking to Milam Glacier

Food Recommendations in tourist attractions of Spiti Valley :

Tabo : Just behind Tabo Gompa on the way to the caves is the best place to sample authentic Spitian Cuisine. The variety on offer will take your breath away. Try the barley pancakes!

Nako : Lovon Hotel on the way to the lake has unbelievably fresh spring rolls. They use ingredients from their own garden. Their Shabalay has to be eaten to be believed.

Dhankar : Millennium Monastery Guest House is being run by passionate travellers and is a great place to savour food while being starstruck by the views of the Dhankar Gompa amid the incredible vistas. Hand made thin crust pizzas will make you woozy with happiness.

Mudh : Tara Home Stay, wonderful hospitality and pure Spitian goodness in the fresh food made by the family. They have a cozy place to sit downstairs too. Ask for Chhang & Arak!

Kaza : Sakya Abode run by Tsering is arguably Kaza’s best place to dine and stay. A comfortable indoor space and tables can be arranged under the skies too. Tsering has an enviable collection of books on the Himalaya and is a treasure-trove of knowledge. German Bakery bang in the middle of the market has perfectly baked cakes and real cappuccino. Deyzor Hotel is a relatively new place run by a traveller and has an inviting cafe.

Kibber : Norling Home stay is a trusted travellers favourite and there’s also a new swanky restaurant & homestay (that looks like a hotel) that has come up at the start of the village. With views so divine, is food really so important?!

Batal : Chandra Dhaba run by the lovely old couple Dorje & Chandra auntie simply cannot be missed. Listen to crazy stories over helpings of dal-chawal that never tasted so good.

Indian food dhabas at Spillow (Spello), Hoorling and Chhatru for some rajma chawal for the homesick. Himani Bhojnalaya at Spello is my favourite place for delicious thali.

Read : Ten foodie delights of Manali

Glossary of local dishes :

Local Food : Tsampa, Thukpa, churpe, buckwheat chiltas are some of the names of Spitian dishes. Momos or steamed dumplings are incredibly delicious wherever you chose to eat in Spiti.

Tibetan salt and butter tea is consumed mostly in the winters as it is warm, locally called cha-cha.

Chhang (a kind of beer) made from barley is available at mostly every home. The distilled form of the same called Arak is very potent.

Yak cheese is bitter but very healthy and can be bought at any of the yak rearing high-altitude villages. Sometimes available at the market in Kaza (locally called Churpe.)

Distances of Tourist Places in Spiti Valley :

Giu – 32 Kms before Tabo Monastery. Diversion from close to Sumdo before Hourlong. Giu village is around 9-10 kms from the diversion.

Dhankar : Road to Dhankhar bifurcates at Sichling, located on the road between Tabo & Kaza. Dhankar village is around 8-9 kms away from the diversion point.

Lhalung – On the Kaza-Tabo road, road bifurcates from Lingti village. From Lingti, distance of Lhalung is around 12 kms. Road to Demul village also bifurcates before reaching Lhalung village.

Pin Valley : On the Kaza – Tabo road, road for Pin Valley bifurcates at a bridge at Attargu (Attargo). The villages of Kungri, Sagnam, Mudh can all be accessed from here.

Hikkim – From Kaza on the road to Losar – to the Y-junction (where the left takes one to Langza); right goes to Hikkim. Distance from Kaza to Hikkim village is around 18-19 kms. If one continues on the same road, they will reach Komic village. Distance from Hikkim to Komic is only 4-5 kms.

Langza – From Kaza towards Losar to the Y-junction, take a left. Kaza to Langza distance is 16 kms. From Langza, Komic village is around 10 kms away.

Key Gompa : From Kaza – Losar road, there’s a bridge where the left turn goes to Rangrik- Losar and the straight road continues to Kee Monastery. Kaza to Key Monastery distance is 16 kms and one can continue on the same road for 9-10 kms to reach Kibber village. The more offbeat villages of Gete (Gette) & Tashigong (Tashigang) can be accessed from Kibber. There’s a motorable road from Kibber to Tashigang and the distance is 14 kms.

Shopping and art :

Turquoise is available in the markets. Hand made carpets using Tibetan motifs and designs can be perused at homes and local markets. Jewellery, finely carved cups, hand-held prayer wheels, idols of Buddha & various Bodhisattvas.

Shawls made from the finest goat hair by skilled artisans in the villages, also made from yak wool and sheep wool. If you are lucky; a pashmina shawl, although coarse might be yours for the taking for a fraction of the price that you get it in Kashmir.

Read : Finding the offbeat in Manali

Festivals in Spiti Valley :

Losar : Spiti’s biggest festival, also known as the Tibetan New Year. Held between late January – to early February. Special food, changing of juniper wood on the rooftops. Nights pass in feasting, dance and song as the entire village is in very happy spirits and Chhang flows freely. Ladies dress in their traditional best.

Dachang : Winter’s last festival of Spiti Valley. Held for seven days to a month around late February & March. Dances in traditional dress, sword dances, comic charades and archery games are organised among the village folk.

Namkan : Also called Namgan or Namkhan, this is a colourful, pre-harvest fair. Depending on the location it takes place between mid August to mid September. One or two day event. Horses are an integral part of this festival. Dance, music & good food is in abundance. Skills of Mane village’s horsemen & colourful cavalcade around Demul are renowned.

Ladarcha : In August, Spiti’s biggest fair is held in Kaza. Buchen performances, folk dances, traditional programs & archery competitions are organised. In the traditional times it used to be a barter trade, where traders from Tibet & Ladakh met and exchanged pashmina, wool & borax with barley and horses of Spiti & textiles and iron goods brought by traders from Kullu.

Cham Dances : Elaborate masked dances, performed by colourfully attired lamas. Dances depict the victory of good over evil. Villagers from far and sundry come to attend and it resembles a sort of ‘mela’. Nyingmapa Kungri Monastery – Cham dance is held in late June or early July. Kee Monastery’s cham dances are the most famous and are held in July. Tabo in first week of October followed by hardly known Tangguid festival at Komic. Dhankar cham dances are held in November.

Buchen Dance Performances – usually in winters in the remote Pin Valley of Spiti. These Lamas perform a rare puja in dance form to drive out evil from the villages & houses.

Read : Practical tips for winter travel in Ladakh

Practical information for planning a trip to Spiti Valley :

Homestays & Accommodation Options : All villages and important tourist places in Spiti Valley have many homestays. Hotels also exist in the popular and bigger towns like Kaza & Tabo.

Phone connectivity : BSNL works best. Other networks like Vodafone, Idea etc all work sporadically. Even small places may have BSNL connectivity. Airtel works till Spillow as of February 2016.

Petrol Pump : Non-existent except at Kaza. Antique filling station from the old times. There’s a long winding handle on one filling tank to be used by hand even when there is no electricity.

Best time to visit : June-October. Check the status of Kunzum La before starting on the journey. The road from Shimla to Kaza (NH-22) is open throughout the year except in case of heavy snowfall.

Temperature : 5-28 degrees C for the summer months. At over 4000m, be prepared for snowfall and freezing temperatures anytime.

Clothing : Light woollens required, carry some heavy ones too for sudden changes in weather at high altitudes.

AMS (Altitude Mountain Sickness) : AMS is the feeling of breathlessness and nausea at over 3000m. The trick is to drink lots of water and acclimatise by slowly ascending, say around 400m every day after 3200m.

How to reach Spiti Valley? : Spiti is only accessible by road. Not by train or flight.

From Delhi & Manali : First reach Manali from Delhi. Spiti can be accessed from Manali across Rohtang Pass, turning right at Gramphu & then crossing over to Kunzum La (if open). This route is generally not advised though as Altitude Mountain Sickness (AMS) can be a serious issue as this ascends quickly to 4000m. It is the quickest way of reaching Spiti Valley from Delhi. Distance from Manali to Kaza is approx. 200 kms.

From Delhi-Shimla-Kinnaur-Spiti : Shimla is 345 km from Delhi and a comfortable 6-7 hour drive. From Shimla take the NH22 (The old Hindustan-Tibet Road), which passes through Narkanda, Rampur, Wangtoo & Karchham. Road condition on the Wangtoo – Karchham stretch is bad and may sometimes result in a delay of 1-2 hours. This road will continue straight through Kinnaur to Nako theoretically entering Spiti at the checkpost at Sumdo.

Read : Life in a secret hideaway in Himachal

HRTC (Himachal Road Transport Corporation) buses ply everywhere in Spiti. Connectivity is fairly good to Spiti from Shimla, Reckong Peo and Rampur although the times may be erratic sometimes. ATM facility available in Kaza, but travellers are advised to keep cash in case of emergency. Hitchhiking is easily possible on this route, with helpful locals around. Shared taxis also ply in Spiti.

Any points that I may have missed? Any information that you would like?

This guide has been complied on the basis of my many slow travelling trips to Spiti in the last 6-7 years.

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