Part II: Spiti leg of The Himalayan Tribal Circuit - A journey of a lifetime

Day 5: (Kalpa - Tabo:220 km) Tuesday, 30th Sept, 2014

"World's most treacherous road" and raw beauty:

220 km in the mountains is not an easy drive. I had heard that the road was bad. Its not the first time I have heard that. But none elaborated how bad it was.  Before anyone jumps on to blame the authorities and the government, let me tell you that this area is one of the most landslide prone areas of the Himalayas. So, everytime a road is created, there is a landslide in the monsoon, landslide when the snow melts and men can do nothing but watch in helplessness the newly built road crumble like a pack of cards..
We started off at 8:30 AM. A couple of cars already left the city of Kalpa by that time. Through the clouds I could see the majestic Kailash peak. We had re-filled the car last evening in Recong Keo, where petrol pump is available. Next petrol pump would be available in Kaza, but petrol not always guaranteed.

Waterfalls added to the woe of the road. The waterfall did not have to care about anybody. In the most melodious tune, it flowed over the road. I shudder to think its condition in the monsoons when they are in full flow. I was taking things in small steps. There was a map I took print out from the net.
 "So, the next village is 60 km. In 2 hours, we should be able to reach, right?" I asked Rajesh. "Minimum, three, bhaiya (brother). The road will get more horrible going forward". I knew it, but hoped he would agree with me.
I was sitting beside him. The speedometer did not find any opportunity to tilt right. The arrow

hovered between 10 and 20 kilometer mark. 220 km this way would take ages. But we cant do anything. Greenery gone, it was the rocky mountains all around. The truck ahead of us sent a whole bag of dust spiraling along the road. And any truck coming from the opposite direction made us squeeze to one corner of the road.

And I was thinking, in a month's time from then, snow would start to fall. By December it would be fully snow clad. I would not say inaccessible, but this place would be dangerous to visit during snow. The roads which are nothing but a trail would be layered in snow. A slip here and it would be the difference between life and death. And then the cold. Almost all hotels in the region are closed. So, no question of heated rooms. In fact, I am apprehensive about the power condition during those times. And yet I cannot suppress an exciting feeling that surfaced from deep within. "One October like this", I told my wife, "What if I pack my bags and come to stay with a local here?" I would throw my mobile deep down in the stream that is only visible like a thread from here. And spend the entire winter with a local here, stay in his home, eat what he eats. How mesmerised I will be to see the first snowfall of the season and then more snow, layers of snow, until all the naked mountains would be draped in white gown, like the bride. And I would look at them in awe. I would bask in the sun the whole day and the whole night I would wait for the sunrays glitter on the snow peaks and frozen river. For the locals its an annual affair. But for me its a new world altogether. When I survive the harsh winter and return back to the plain lands in April, I would have a treasure of experiences to share. Wouldn't that be great?

We drove for hours through miles without meeting any person on the road. May be some army truck or car came from the opposite direction. But they were few and far between. They call them villages, but they were nothing except a cluster of houses. A notice board said "population 30 or "population 60" or "population 90 ". Then again the lonely drive continued. It seemed an endless drive through the mountains, alongside the brooks, crossing the waterfalls, stretches of bumpy rides and awestruck landscape all around.

An actor enacts so many characters in his or her life and lives through those characters. Through journeys, I get the opportunity to step into different worlds of different people. The best thing about journeys is they take me to different worlds.
After much winding roads, we reached a place which was flattish and had a restaurant at one edge of the road. We had dal fry, hot rotis and subji, with a dash of pickle.It was around 2:30 PM. We met a family who came from Tabo in a small vehicle: Maruti 800! They asked us about the road condition towards Kalpa. We told them not to expect anything great. I calculated that by the time they are half
way from here to Kalpa, night would set in. And driving in the dark through those roads can be dangerous.

The scenic Nako lake and calm Tabo: 

The resturant was just just before the Nako lake. Nako Lake is actually a very small lake. Photos wont reveal that. The surroundings of the lake enhanced its beauty manifold. The walk itself was a pleasant one. Narrow road with trees and their changing colours in autumn on either sides. Trees with mixed autumn colours of green, yellow, brown and red skirted the lake. In the distant backdrop were hazy sights of mountain range. As we were walking wind with howling sound whistled through those leaves. The old leaves which somehow had managed to cling onto it, could no longer hold any

further. They fell and formed a soft carpet on the road and the ground. There were plenty indications that winter was knocking at the door. Its was time the trees, the humans prepare themselves for yet another tough time.

There seemed to be no end to the journey. And no end to the bumps. Any stretch of good road seemed like the oasis in the desert. It brought lots of cheer in the vehicle. But they were short-lived. We crossed Sumdo at around 3:30. Halted there. Collected some more apples. This was the last place where we could have got apples. Though Spiti also nurtured apples, they would ripe around 20 days later.

I clearly remember around 4:30 we were passing through an area which had heaps of small stones the mountain slopes. Even if a sheep walks above them, landslide is bound to happen. We saw roads have got diverted as landslide blocked and vanished portions of the old road. As the sun hid behind some mountains the temperature dropped suddenly. We were also getting worried. There was no sign of Tabo,our destination for the day and halt for the night. Suddenly far away we noticed some houses. "That's Tabo!" said Rajesh. Those seemed to be the sweetest words I had heard that day. We had booked our hotel (Tow Dey Himalaya Hotel). Our manager told that Tabo was full
that night. There are a total 100 rooms in the town and all are occupied.

Tabo is a small town., more of a village. You can feel that its a remote place. Except BSNL signal, no other mobile network works. There was no power when we checked in. "Power would come around seven or eight o'clock", we were informed. A huge mountain with the least cover of vegetation stood unapologetically in front of our hotel room. My wife bought a muffler from the hotel.
In the dining hall we were the only ones present. The hotel manager had played a buddhist chant, those with deep throat. The chants echoed among the four walls of the entire hall, It complimented the absolute silence of the atmosphere. Its hard to describe what went on within. I was transformed into a different world. Later when in Bangalore, I played similar chants from youtube,but never got that effect.
After dinner we stepped out of the hotel for a casual evening walk. But the chillness in the air and pitch darkness all around didnt encourage us much. The moon shone brightly over the mountain. The sky was starry. In Bangalore the air pollution has ensured that stars remain hidden permanently. Here we have them in abundance. Its hard to believe that this place and Bangalore is in the same world, let alone same country.
It was indeed a long day today. Plus when you see boards proudly displaying "You are travelling on world's most treacherous roads", you know its the journey of a lifetime. Today when I write the blog, I cannot recollect the bodyache I suffered after the journey. All that fills my mind and thoughts are the landscape, the raw natural beauty which civilisation has not been able to spoil yet, the feeling of being insignificant creatures in front of majestic Nature and those chants still ring in my ear.

Day 6: (Tabo - Dhankar Monastery - Pin Valley - Kaza: 90 km) 1st October, Wednesday

Morning spiti: 

We woke up to a bright and sunny day. Were ready by 9. And continued our journey. In the breakfast table I met other drivers. I chalked out the agenda for today. In these regions, it is very important to know what lies ahead of you. There can be road blockages, repair work or any other such hurdles on the course. Our initial plan was the Dhankar Monastary and Pin Valley. After discussion, I realised that getting to the interiors of the Pin Valley was tough. There was a major landslide on the way. Another driver's car was stuck in the road for about a month.

Dhankar Monastery was a detour on the right. It was a few kilometers uphill. The drive through Spiti was adventurous and yet peaceful! In our daily life, we are all so much surrounded by sound, be it in babbles of human voice, horns of cars, the harsh noise of machines that it is impossible for us to imagine a situation when the element of sound is absent. Dead of night can be silent, but our vision either has the

artificial light or total darkness to compliment. And we are always thinking about the next morning and the checklist we have to complete. When the dead silence is complimented by a grey mountain range and blue sky, then our mind ans soul finds a resting place. On top of it, there was no mobile network. So, there was no question getting bothered about the outside world. They surely can do a few days without my presence. At one place we stopped beside a river. Now the sound of the
murmuring brook and breeze through the leaves added to the silence. I cant say whether GOD reside in temples, but he surely does reside here! How can GOD or any other person leave these open valleys and fresh air and get confined to the four walls of a room?

The Gigantic Pin Valley:

The entire landscape was intimidating. No doubt about it. We have forgotten the warmth that Kinnaur had provided. You respect some out of affection and warmth, and you respect some out of admiration and fear. Spiti commanded respect by its sheer rawness. When I entered the Pin Valley, I was even more humbled. We were so tiny creatures. All that worries me in my daily life seemed so

insignificant here. There was a huge stretch of salt deposition. And I was standing in front of it. What am I exactly searching? What brings me to this place? What shall I take from here? For the last few years, I am in a mission to discover India, my motherland. Am I not discovering myself more in the process? The journey to Auli really started the process of discovering India and unearthing myself. So, in a way the holy trail through Devaprayag and Rudraprayag brought in a change in me. I dont remember of any GOD or messengers from heaven coming in my dreams and asking me to start exploring. Then what brought this transformation in me? I went to England to study there, settle there and explore Europe, where the irony there were so many things to be explored in my own backyard.
To someone who hasn't seen a rose, its impossible to explain what is so special about the rose. He has seen red colour, he has seen other flowers, he has smelled that fragrance. But when all these elements of earth come together in the form of a rose, they outlive the individuals and form something so different that humans can never describe.

Colourful Kaza: 

During the initial days of my professional life, coming to my native Chandannagore was always exciting. There was no cheap airfares and commute was mainly by train. When the train was about to enter the Howrah station, the number of railway lines increased manifold and I could see the "Chand bridge". Yes, we are arriving. After many years when our car was entering Kaza I got the same feeling. I dont think I was tired and craved for rest. In fact, we reached Kaza around 2:30 PM. Then it might me the confidence of seeing some houses and some more people! Kaza was colourful. The trees on either sides of the road was changing colours. You can sense that winter is coming. A strong wind blew just as we entered our hotel room. We were informed that Bollywood superstar Aamir

Khan came with his family and stayed at the same room about 15 days back. Before you draw any conclusion, it was not a luxury hotel at all. It was the best in town, however - Hotel Deyzor. I dont believe that luxury is always the best. There are rich and famous who throng the road-side eateries and would swear by them.
My daughter was insisting that we once again go towards the river. But the locals advised us not to. While we were wandering and wondering what to do, a flurry of clouds covered the mountains in front of us. When they floated away, they left their mark on them: fresh snow - as fresh as they can get! As the sun set in, typical to any hilly place, the temperature plummed. We thought it was best to return to the hotel room.
The hotel owner-cum-manager (Mr. Bedi, who likes to call himself Shepard) was an interesting character. He seemed to hold multiple national records including biking from Kanyakumari to Leh, climbing Kanchenjungha. His hotel would remain open, he said, for another month or month-and-a-half. Then they would shut and return back around April. He plans for some cycling trip in Burma in the winters.
In Kaza shutting down hotels is not locking the doors and making sure that the insecticide is sprayed. They meticulously ensure that each and every water pipe is also empty, otherwise the freezing climate will freeze and burst the water pipes.
"What are the stones on your table?" I asked the manager.
"Marine fossils"
"What??? Marine fossils? But how come they are here?"
"They are found in certain pockets of the Himalayas. There are 3 villages nearby - Lanza, Hikkim and Komik. Marine fossils are found there! You almost bump into them when you are roaming around in the villages."
Phew! Small piece of information and so priceless.
I recollected my geographical knowledge on how the Himalayas was formed by the movement of the tectonic plates and how the ocean was "sandwiched" between the plates.

Day 7: (Kaza - Lanza,Hikkim,Komic - Kye Monastery - Losar: 120 KM) 2nd October, Thursday

The remote villages and marine fossils:

Sometimes you miss a small piece of information and you miss a whole lot of things. So, its important to note down those points, especially, when you are visiting places like these, where you dont come too often. In most places the three villages do find mention, but celebrated more for being "remotest villages", "tribal villages", "highest permanently inhabited villages in the world". Those sound interesting, but does that excite me enough to travel another 40 miles or so? Not really. But when you hear something as rare as marine fossils found aplenty in the region, then there are few things on earth that will deter my urge to go there. So, we went to the villages. Road or no road, we

had to reach there. The first village was Lanza. A huge statue of Lord Buddha oversaw the village. A few houses which you can count from the road, lay scattered. Herds of sheep and horses grazed the grass, whatever was left. Just behind the village the mountains were turning white. And October has just started! We did not stop in the village. We were wondering how to collect that fossils. A girl with a torn and tattered bag asked if I was , in any way,  interested in buying fossils. I jumped in joy and grabbed them with both hands. Then we went to Hikkim and lastly Komik. The famed stuffed snow leopard is kept in Komik. The air was thin here. So, I had to constantly remind my daughter of not running and jumping around.

The picturesque Kye Monastery

If I had to spend one winter with the locals here, I would also spend another with the monks of Kye Monastery. Perched on a cliff, it provides the most breath-taking view of the spiti valley. Eagles soared above. Down below the serpentine road lost its way through the mountains. How do the monks survive when temperature drops to even -35C here? Where do they get water and food from? I long to see their life more closely. There was a restaurant in the Kye Monastery. While my wife was making my daughter eat something, I was chatting with the lady and her husband, who runs the restaurant. I got to know their life a little better. How they toil six months each year when the soil supports harvesting and tourists come here. The other six months , when the region in under the snow blanket, they are at home - meeting relatives and playing cards by the day and eating mutton and sleeping long by the night. "Its six months work and six months vacation like our kids", said the husband with a broad smile that stretched from ear to ear. And I wondered, so what am I doing working so hard the whole year? These people also live and so do I. These people dont think beyond one year.
They have kept their life simple. They go by the flow of the Nature.And we have tried to take life by its horns. Meetings, emails, customer meet, investments...standing inside the Kye Monastary and looking at the vast valley in front of me, I wondered whether all the tensions and anxieties that we take in our daily life is even worth taking? Shouldn't life be left to flow on its own at times. Some may call it destiny, some may call it fate.
From there we went to the Kibber village, which was once the highest permanently inhabited village in the world, now taken over by Komik.

Towards Losar:

As we traveled towards Losar we found the roads turning worse. Now were were no longer going on roads peppered with pebbles and stones. We were driving on dried-up river beds, big boulders, stretches where water was flowing incessantly from some waterfall high up. We were in a state of topsy turvy inside the car. Sometime we needed to hold our breath and wait for some plain lands. Darkness was engulfing the region and yet no signs of the village. On our way we found another car which broke down a good 30 km from Losar. Since there was no village before Losar, we feared how they would spend the night. My wife and daughter were growing restless and that was understandable. When night befell the beauty which hypnotized us hid under the darkness. And then our body would wake up to the pains and problems around. We reached Losar before it got too dark. But the power was still missing from the small village. We were informed electricity would come late at night. I was worried about charging my camera. The spectacular landscape made my camera work overtime and it had no energy left in it!
Without my notice my wife pulled the heavy suitcases around, trying to organise and arrange them. At 13400 feet above sea level (the highest point in Europe is almost half of that, 6762 feet above sea level), the consequence can be dangerous. She developed some initial symptoms of AMS (Acute Mountaineering Syndrome ), which I quickly addressed with the medicines I was carrying.

Day 8 (Losar - Kunzum Pass - Chandrataal Lake - Batal - Rohtang Pass - Manali: 180 KM) 3rd October, Friday

Starting before dawn from Losar

People , generally, spend overnight in Kaza and then then the next day go to Manali. I had planned a night halt in Losar. And there is a reason to it. It will allow me to take a shot at the heavenly Chandrataal Lake. As the saying goes, Empire Yudhistir breathed his last in front of this lake. It was mentioned as the doorstep to heaven. From the time I read about it, I found it irresistible.
While planning I thought we should start around 7 AM from Losar. But after reaching Losar, I found we should start before 6 AM. It was freezing cold and the stars were still twinkling. The "advice" Sahil, the owner of our hotel Nomad Cottage, gave sank our heart. "Lots of tourists have come to Kullu and Manali during the Dussehera and they would flock in the Rohtang Pass. So, you would take around 16-17 hours to reach Manali." We prayed he would be wrong. He was, but only marginally. We reached Manali at 9:30 PM, after 15.5 hours of super-hectic journey!
As we crossed the Kunzum Pass we realised the less we talk about the road, the better it is for our mental health. As the fag end of the Kunzum Pass a notice board with a green arrow towards the right read "Chandrataal. 14 KM. Jeepable 12.5 KM". We took the jeepable road.

Humbled at Chandrataal lake:

There is a specialty about this 12.5 KM Jeepable road. Its a single road. Which means, if you encounter another vehicle coming from opposite direction, you need to squeeze in a bend of the road, hoping it is wide enough to allow it to pass. Exciting! We were one of the early birds to the lake. So we didnt expect any car to return by then. After a lot of skills, our car was able to reach a point, from where we need to walk. There is no arrow as to the exact direction. People have walked on the grass and left a mark. And there were multiple such paths. I was really apprehensive about how my daughter would react to the trek in that steep area. It was tough. Here, in October, at 14100 feet above sea level the air get really thin and cold. So, with the heavy woolen clothes its not easy an morning walk. At times we sat on a rock, took a breath and then continued. I had seen some photos in the net. So, when I saw the background I could identify. When we reached there it was heavenly. Its so pristine, so pure. If there is heaven, it has to be somewhere around. The reflection of the mountains on the waters was picture perfect. I thanked GOD for giving me the opportunity to come here and stand in front of the divine beauty. Life seemed so full and yet so empty in front of the lake. We spend most of our life in aspiring small things and worldly pleasures. And then one day we realise how foolish we have been hankering after them. Blessed are those whose realisation is not on a day when they are closer to leaving this earth.

While returning from Chandrataal Lake, my daughter said was too tired to walk back. So I took her on my shoulders and made it to the car parking. I even carried an oxygen canister, lest we need it in emergency. Thankfully, we brought it back unused.

Where is the road?

We crossed Batal and then drove through non-existing roads. Its no wonder, therefore, that the rear tyre of our car was punctured. But I must say, if tires get punctured, it is the ideal place to be - a river

flowing in full swing, the mountains on the other side having patches of fresh snow on them and plenty of pure oxygen. We had lunch in a road-side dhaba - lip-smacking hot rotis and subji.  We were driving steadily and were happy to be in Rohtang Pass around 4 PM. "Sahil, must be wrong! Its just 50-60 km from here to our hotel!", we discussed.

Manali jammed!

The rest of the journey to Manali was horrifying, to say the least. A thick cloud engulfed the Rohtang Pass. That apart, nature went for a toss! There were vehicles. crowds, jammed roads, huge road congestion. It took us another 5 hours and more to cover from 60 KM. The sound and noise pollution made us aware of the fact that we have reached the "modern earth" and it was truly heaven in the morning at Chandrataal Lake. My childhood good old memories of Manali vanished with the smoke of the hundred of tourist cars.
When we went to Manali decades back, I saw "Hotel Beas". I always wanted to stay in there the next time we come here. The area has changed completely, with a lot of hotels around and the river Beas barricaded by wired mess, but that night sleeping in "Hotel Beas" was a peaceful one.

Day 9 (Manali - Solang valley - Kullu - Swarghat: 290 KM) 4th October, Saturday

Manali - an aging queen

Its like eating Chana Batura after a hearty meal of Lucknow Chicken Biriyani and Peshwari Kabab. You know Chana Batura is good, but on another day. There were glimpses of the natural beauty of Manali, but mainly eclipsed by the commercialization that took over it.  Like Shimla, if you are in seach of Himalayas and Nature, Manali can be a stepping stone to the road ahead.

Solang Valley - Nature commercialized

When in Rome, be like the Romans. In commerialised Manali, its best to enoy the place when Nature and tourist spots meet. So we went to the Solang Valley where we enjoyed the Gondola ride. My daughter enjoyed a lot. I had plans to go for paragliding, but lack of time didn't permit.

Kullu Shawls

On the way we stopped at a shawl factory. We bought some woolen garments for all. My father wanted a pashmina shawl. So, I bought an expensive one for him. I called him to say that he had not worn a shawl of such high quality ever in his life and he would love my gift when he is in Bangalore in first week of November. He never got a chance to wear that. He died in October end. But I am sure he has better things to enjoy now that he is free from the earthly sorrow and sufferings and no more seeks wordly pleasures. May his soul rest in peace!

Through the highway amidst smooth and pothole-infested roads we reached Swarghat, our destination for the day.

Day 10: (Swarghat - Chandigarh - Bangalore: 100 KM) 5th October, Sunday

The drive from Swarghat to Chandigarh was on a highway. Reached the airport well before time. It was Sunday. Last Sunday we were going to Rakcham. A week passed by so fast and so many things happened. The flight with stop over at Mumbai had surprise for us. Though we booked in Jet Lite, we were given meals in both the flights. Though they say there is nothing called a free meal, at least this one day we were served meal, not included in the ticket. So, we can call it a "free meal".

Looking back

The journey was worth every inch and every moment. It was a master class in road trip through the Himalayas. It had the worst of the roads, but surely thats one of the reason the place still has maintained its virginity. We had body aches and pains in the legs. But today all I can recollect are those wonderful memories of gushing wind, murmuring brooks. milky waterfalls, changing colours of the leaves, endless roads, snow capped peaks, raw and rustic mountain ranges, lonely monasteries, clear blue sky, vast stretches of silence..the list is endless. 1333 photos are too just little to portray all that we saw, felt and heard in those 10 days. And this blog is only an attempt to what can be expected in that part of the world. It can never be close to the actual experience. The actual experience is a thousand times heavenly than all the photos and blogs put together.
It is, indeed, the journey of a lifetime.
You dont believe me? Then hit the road on one such morning. I bet, you will come back never agreeing more with me. You will fall in love with the Himalayas and you will discover India. But the best part is,in the whole journey, you will discover yourself !!!

Hotel in Tabo: Tow Dey Hotel
Hotel in Kaza: Hotel Deyzor
Hotel in Losar: Nomad Cottage
Hotel in Manali: Hotel Beas
Hotel in Swarghat: HPDC Hotel
Total KM covered (apart from flight & train): 95 KM by Toy Train & approx. 1400 KM by Car.

Day 2	65 KM
Day 3	210 KM
Day 4	100 KM
Day 5	220 KM
Day 6	90 KM
Day 7	120 KM
Day 8	180 KM
Day 9	290 KM
Day 10	100 KM