MOONSCAPES OF SPITI

Landing at this airport is a thrilling experience on its own. We’ll be waiting for you at the gate and transfer you to Manali by local rickshaw. Upon arrival, enjoy a quick breakfast and settle into your hotel room. After a hectic string of flights, you’ll be needing to rest and recharge your batteries. In the afternoon, join us for a Test Ride around town and get used to your machine.

We begin our adventure riding south along the left bank of the impressive Beas river to Gushaini, a small village situated along Thirthan river in Banjar. This is the entry point to Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP), famous for its rich Himalayan biodiversity. Arriving at our homely forest guesthouse implores a surprising adrenaline rush as the only access is to cross the river in a peculiar manner. Thirthan valley is popular for trout fishing and we will certainly enjoy a fresh catch for supper.

We leave the Tirthan valley and continue along, appreciating the beautiful views through the GHNP. Enjoy the steep climb upwards towards Jalori Pass (3,120m) through the picturesque Deodar jungles. This is a challenging part of the day’s journey. Road conditions can often get tricky towards the top and be sure to take care when negotiating the hairpin curves. Slow but steady will be our aim here. By evening we will reach the beautiful town of Sarahan where we can enjoy the great view of Mount Srikhand peak.

Today, you are riding on famous Hindustan Tibet Highway along River Sutlej, a tarmac road with easy driving conditions. However, make no mistake the deep gorges and sharp turns might unnerve first timers. Kalpa is the headquarters of Kinnaur district (Valley of Gods), and producers of delicious Kinnaur Apples. We will surely sink our teeth into some on the way.

After an early breakfast and mount up, we continue riding upwards along the narrow valley of Sutlej river, in awe of Himalayan peaks and shadows with newfound respect for the Border Roads Organization (BRO). By now you’ll be quite familiar with their quirky sign boards that are always great for a chuckle as you pass.  After a couple quick and painless stops for permit checks at Akpa and Sumdo we will reach the picturesque mountain village of Nako by early evening to enjoy the sunset.

After some rather enjoyable high-flying mountain stretches, we finally enter the barren lands of Spiti Valley. We will be sure to Stop at Dankhar and Tabo on the way, home to India’s oldest monastery and made famous for its vast collection of priceless frescos & stucco paintings. After lunch we ride on to Pin Valley, a National Park with peaks ranging between the altitudes of 3,500m to 6,000m and a natural habitat of various endangered animals like the Snow Leopard and Siberian Ibex. Although it’s extremely rare to spot them you might get lucky and find a few Himalayan Snowcock and Snowfinch during summer months.

Today will be the shortest ride of the trip and the morning will allow for a relaxed breakfast and time to appreciate the views. Leaving Pin Valley behind we continue the route towards Kaza (3,650m), the largest city and administrative capital of Spiti sub-division. However, for most it still has a small town feel with the basic modern amenities of this region. You can find Internet Café, Bank ATMs and the highest petrol pump in the world here. In the afternoon spend time exploring the streets and local markets selling handwoven Himalayan shawls and other unique cultural treasures.

Today is dedicated to exploring our surroundings. It’s highlights include visits to the villages of Kibber (4,328m) and Komic (4,520m), one of the highest year-round populated villages in the world. The village of Hikkim (4,400m) is home to the highest Post Office in the world so be sure to mail a postcard to a loved one as a testament to your journey. Finally, A visit to the Ki Gompa (Kee, Key), the largest and most spectacular monastery in Spiti, will leave you speachless.

A long difficult ride head means waking up at the crack of dawn. After a quick pit-stop at Losar village for checking of Permits, we continue to ascent towards Kunzum Pass (4,587m), our highest point on the journey that offers a magnificent view of Chander-Bhaga Range. Numerous water-crossings on the descent will test your riding skills to the fullest. We will reach the the placid Moon Lake Chandrataal by evening.

A morning hike is how we will start our final day before we sadly leave the tranquil Moonlake behind and ride back along the Chandra river. After crossing the small outpost of Batal and a chai break, we will have a chance to feast our eyes on the amazing sight of Bara-Sigri Glacier, the second longest glacier in Himalayas. Along the way be sure to keep a lookout for wild horses and yaks grazing along the riverbanks. After a long tunneled stretch through the mountain we will descend into familiar territory of lush pine forests and waterfalls, reaching Manali town by evening..