Expect the unexpected, could be the overriding theme of the 12 day excursion into the middle lands of Lahaul and Spiti valley that Connect With Himalayas (CwH) had organised in August. Amongst the trekking community this is considered magnificent as it covers a range of terrains right from the lush green jungles to glaciers, streams, and the stony mountains. Also, because Spiti is open for trekkers for only three months from mid-June to end of September as harsh weather cuts many parts off.
So our motley group of 13 gathered at Chandigarh for the sojourn. ?Three days would be spent in getting used to high altitude so that we do not face high altitude sickness,? said Gaurav Punj, who holds a masters in engineering from Berkley?s University in the US and currently runs CwH.
The first leg is from Chandigarh to Fagu at the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Department hotel. And then the next day another drive across the muddy gushing Sutlej accosts us. The roads that are chiselled through the vertical mountain ranges, quite an engineering marvel, lead us alongside multiple hydro electric power stations, to Rekong Peo at 2,670 meters. Peo, as it is also called, would be the last station where we could shop.
And then it was Kalpa ? mystical, spiritual, humane in its being Wandering amchis, or holy people, inspired Bill Adams to write a book on Five Lessons of Life. It was here that Lord Dalhousie worked on the blueprint for one of the greatest organisations in India ? the Indian Railways. Idyllic Kalpa had more in store for us and next to the local ?gompa? or monastery the orphanage for girls stirred hearts as they rehearsed for the Independence Day celebrations. The simplicity of living in these gilt edged mountain ranges began dawning. Ajit Naik, a successful entrepreneur recollects, ?It was a humbling thought that the security and support of our family ? something that we take for granted, can be so precious and unattainable to others.?
And now having acclimatised to the higher altitude the group moved on to Kaphnu, at 3,500 meters to start walking from here on. The guides from Spiti organised by an NGO called Ecosphere were with us. You had the fit fast walkers and the intermediates and the slow walkers. The fear of being lost was taken care of as guides would walk ahead and behind the slowest walker, ensuring that people were not lost. Heavy luggage and camping material was lugged by hardworking mules.
After a series of climbs and walk through the mist, we reached the Mulling camping site, which is at a height of 3,500 meters. All looked normal as the group savoured parathas made by the guides. Incidentally three of them were named Tshering and three Tensing. And as the veil of clouds dropped, the group was stunned by the beauty of the resplendent mountains. Sanjeev Kohli, a consultant with a leading international firm reminisces, ?The true sense of vacation kicked in at that moment and I could finally start enjoying the elements around me instead of replying to one more email.?
A trek then took us through the awesome valleys of Kara. Soon the trees had given way to shrubs and grass and glaciers showed up. A mix of climbs and walks on plains got us to the glacial glade of Phushtriang at 4,800 meters. The real climb started from here onwards to the mystical Bhabha pass and the Pin Valley of Spiti. Crossing the pass, that links the Kinner and the Spitian mountains is magical. Standing on the pass, you could on one side see glaciers and on the other see bright brown and azure mountains. And then a walk down hill got us to the camping site at Balder. It was now barren and stone filled.
The next day was a long walk through the Pin Valley into the village of Mudh. Here the rare, graceful and sturdy Chamurti horses can be spotted grazing on the ranges. Finally, wading across the lush pea farms we made it to Mudh where ruddy-cheeked kids guided us to the guest house. Stuffing ourselves with khichdi and some amazing Tibetan pizza, the party retired for the night. For Pramila Pai, an executive with a multinational bank,this was a moment of reckoning as she now had the belief and the confidence to take on more in life.
After the four day trek, the tour moved on to another plane ? spiritual and cultural. From thereon we visited the five major monasteries of Spiti in separate vehicles. First was Kungri, which represents a tantric sect of Buddhism. The highlight was the Dankarfort and its monastery. Dankar, once the capital of Spiti, is perched on the edge of a cliff, allowing the Spitian kings to watch out for attacks.
Then we moved on to the Tabo monastery that specialises in the Thanka paintings that can be purchased from the monastery itself.
At 4,800 meters, hotels are unthought of. So, with a view to promote local economy, homestays are the most viable proposition. Spitian houses are clean and well kept and the staple servings consist of rice-dal and delicious momos. And the salted tea which is rimmed with butter is a treat. Spitian families would bend backwards to prove their hospitality. They still continue the tradition of making their first son a farmer, the second a lama in the monastery, and the third educated.
From Demul we moved to the Komic for another homestay at around 4,250 meters, one of the highest villages in the world. On the way, we visited Kee Gompa, one of the largest and beautifully located monasteries in the Spiti valley. There was a brief stopover at Langza village ? worth while for the fossils that reminded us of the tectonic shifts which took place on the planet. It was incredible to see fish bone fossils at more than 4,000 meters.
A near back breaking ride through the Kunzum La pass brought us to the last day of adventure ? a camp at Chandertal, the picture-perfect moon shaped lake that seems to change colours. Finally, after spending the night in a chilly camp at Chandertal, the group moves on to Naggar castle ? the abode for the King of Manali. It is the last point in the 12-day trip. And after visiting the Roerich Museum and savouring brownies from the German Bakery, the heart was flooded with memories of Spiti.