Part I: Kinnaur leg of The Himalayan Tribal Circuit - A journey of a lifetime

Day 1: (Bangalore-Delhi-Kalka) Friday, 26th Sept, 2014

The Initial hiccup

Our flight was scheduled to depart at 7:25 in the morning. We started in the wee hours of the day, when the city of Bangalore was still asleep. And perhaps, even I was not fully awake! So, my decision to be behind the wheels was the worst decision I made in the entire journey. Thank GOD the decisions that I made during rest of the journey were much wiser. I drove my car through a narrow divider, brought it to a screeching halt, damaged its already old gear box - all before we boarded the flight to Delhi! It was truly a hiccup before the journey had begun.

The Delhi Stopover

Nothing much to say about it. Staying in Bangalore  made us inept at coping with the hot and humid climates. So, in Delhi we stayed mostly in the hotel room. A good amount of my time was spent in making sure the car reached the mechanic and was looked after well. We stayed at the New Delhi Railway station retiring room. The road from there to the Old Delhi railway station was through a very crowded part of the city. Wholesellers thronged the area. There were cars and bullock carts, cows and men, all sharing the same road. A typical image which foreigners like to click and portray  as part of their "Discovering India" - the chaos, the madness, the honks and the filth! Our taxi driver showed apprehension in reaching the station in time. But we did manage to reach the station in time, albeit after a lot of huffing and puffing through those crowded roads. When we finally stepped into the AC compartment of the train it was all quite around. However, inside me the excitement was slowly building. The initial trauma post my acrobatic skill with the old Wagon R had taken the back seat. Months of research, reading blogs of other tourists, going through reviews of the different hotels and meticulous planning. Time has come for all these to be tested in the next 10 days.

Day 2: (Kalka-Shimla-Narkanda) Sarurday, 27th Sept, 2014

The Joy ride in the Toy Train. 95 KM

From around 4 AM the passengers in the train were showing signs of impatience. Lights in the coups were switched on. Sounds of people pulling out their luggage from beneath the seats were being heard. The train reached Kalka at 4:30 AM. It was still dark. All the passengers from the train poured into the station, People with sleepy eyes and uncombed hair were aplenty. They had bags and baggages of different colours, shapes and sizes.

We headed towards the Toy train that stood on another platform. Within minutes the empty toy train was filled with people. Photos were being clicked with the red train in the background. I bought some cakes and biscuits from the railway hawker. The train started at 5:30 AM. It was still dark then. And then faint light began to appear from behind the distant dark mountains. Each compartment accommodated around 20 people. Breakfast was served as the train whistled through the 100+ tunnels. When the train entered the longer tunnels the passengers made a howling sound. A couple of times the train stopped at some small stations on the way. My daughter enjoyed the ride thoroughly. I thoughts she would get bored, but she did not. We got off at the scheduled and unscheduled stoppages. Clicked photos as the train halted for a few minutes. The station master would wave the green flag and the train would start again - through the tunnels and over the bridges.

Shimla - changing with times.

Around 10 AM as the train entered Simla, we could see the hill station and her houses cradled on the mountain slope. I called my driver to confirm his arrival. His response was not pleasing to my ears. He has sent another one instead. Thats not what I expected, but these things are common.

We had booked the Simla retiring room to get refreshed. In the meantime, I tried to contact other drivers to see if I can get a replacement, but did not find any one willing to take that route through Kinnaur and Spiti. On the hindsight, its good that I did not find any. Because the driver we had (Rajesh-ji, +91 981 733 0162) was one of the finest I had come across. Later we learnt that he drove trucks across India for a decade and then also bus in the Spiti and Kinnaur region. And , believe me, that requires tremendous control on the beast and he impressed us with his skills several times during the journey.

"Bang Bang" shooting spot

Quickly, we went to the famed Mall of Simla. It was a coincidence that we were watching 3 Idiots on the night previous of our travel. Simla Mall was shown in the movie. So, here we were standing at the same place. In fact, that day a movie was shot at the same place. Had our lunch at the HP Tourism hotel situated right in the centre of the mall. Later when we saw the movie "Bang Bang" we saw sequences shot there and across Simla.



This was my third visit to Simla. Once as a child, with parents around October. The second time alone when I was on an official trip to Delhi and I squeezed Simla in a weekend in January end. And here I was at Simla again. This time I did not have high hopes about the city. I did not expect to enjoy nature and the Himalayas from the city. It was a city that has grown and developed with time and nothing wrong with it. It has commercialized, which is only natural.  Instead of natural apple juice, it has packed and canned bottles of apple juice. The artificiality of the city has got the better of the natural beauty. It has made the lives of the people on the hill station, who stay here permanently, a lot more easier with easy access to ATMs and internet. For the general tourists the opening of pizza and  coffee counters and innumerable hotels have also made the life easier. Its only for Nature lovers like us, who would prefer Simla to be a stop-over and the first rung of the ladder for scaling greater heights.

And Off we hit the road (Shimla - Narkanda: 65 KM): 

Towards Narkanda

Our stay at Simla did not last beyond till 2:30 PM. And that was planned, At 2:30 we hit the road for Narkanda. 65 km from Simla lies the quiet town of Narkanda. People who visit Simla at most visit Narkanda. Very similar to Kalatop, near Dalhousie, which we went on May, 2013. Pine trees, a lonely walk through the forest, no sound of any vehicle, no pollution. Hotel Hatu peak of Himachal tourism is the place to stay. When we reached there around 5 PM, the sun has just started to bid us goodbye. Golden rays of the departing sun bounced off the fluffy clouds. It is one of those moments in life when you find sadness in beauty, loneliness amidst people. In our daily metro life in Bangalore, we hardly notice the slow ending of a day. In places like these, you realise that indeed a day in your life has gone, never to return again. You think of your childhood, your school days, your grandparents and you know they are lost in time.  Some moments about an old school cricket match or a word from your school teacher or another travel to the Himalayas with parents long ago flash in

From Hotel Hatu peak, Narkanda

front of your eyes. You know that the time has passed by and is passing by. You know even the moment in Narkanda will no sooner be lost in time. And , you feel, we are mere puppets who can't do anything about it. We are mere spectators in this enormous universe.
The night was chilling. And this was just the beginning.

Day 3: (Narkanda - Rakcham: 210 KM.) Sunday, 28th Sept, 2014

Getting closer to nature. Knowing Kinnaur

Kinnaur Dev Bhoomi, as it is called, is famous for the natural beauty. And as we left Narkanda, it took no time for us to understand that. The surroundings began to change as there were lesser villages and thinner population. We became mesmerized by the beauty around. At one time we crossed the famous place where the mountain had been "drilled" to make way for the road. We entered the

Kinnaur Dev Bhoomi.

That day I made a mistake about calculating the distance. I dont know how I thought it was a 120 KM journey, when actually it was 180 KM. A distance of 60 KM in those roads mean a difference of 2.5 hours. And I did not double check with driver Rajesh-ji. I realised that around 1 PM but there was no restaurant around at that time. We did not stop at any restaurant or road-side dhaba before. So now we had to stay content with the cakes, bananas and chips we were carrying. For me it was okay. But for my daughter and wife I wished I had done my calculation better.

Starting of horrible roads and awesome beauty

We reached the hydel power project at Bapsa Valley at around 2 PM. Another 1-1.5 hours is what we were counting. We were about to take the usual road, when we found because of maintenance work going on a 2-km stretch of the road, we should take an alternative road for around 25 km! And the road we took as diversion was just the beginning of what was to follow in the coming days. It was more of a trail through the mountains. A single road, where bus and trucks are common. This is the

only road that connects this part of the world upto Simla and beyond. Rajesh-ji showed his expertise in dealing with the trucks and oil tankers coming from the opposite road. I clearly remember that at one bend we found a huge truck coming towards us. Rajesh-ji reversed the car for about half a kilometer and parked the car on the edge of the road, with one of its wheel being supported on a temporary make-shift stack of stones. Once the truck went and we were driving again, he explained the risk that was involved and the fragility of the temporary structure. The road took a toll on my wife and daughter. And I dont blame them. We have started at 9 in the morning and after seven hours of journey through bad roads, we still had an hour more to find a place to rest.
At one point Rajesh-ji pointed and said, "Last July, this is where the bus fell down after hitting the car. The brothers in the car died and so did all the passengers of the bus!". Needless to say, it was a piece of information which did not enthrall us then. It like you go to buy a house and the owner says, this is the room where my wife committed suicide!
We reached Rakchham at around 4:30 PM. Rupin River View was the best located hotel in the region. Thats what the reviews in Tripadvisor said. So, I had booked that. There were a few other hotels in Rakchham, but this had the best view. We were hungry and tired. The restaurant provided the best view I had ever seen from any other restaurant. The entire Sangla valley laid in front of my eyes. It was evening and clouds shrouded the mountain peaks. The Baspa (Rupin?) river flowed below the restaurant. Smoking hot chicken pakoras, maggi and hot cup of chocolate was the perfect recipe to fill our hunger. As for the tiredness, they all vanished when we started sipping that hot cup of chocolate and looked outside. I have no words to express the beauty that lay before me.

As expected, the nights became colder. The blankets grew thicker. And the vehicles parked outside the hotels became less. We are getting into the regions less explored, roads less traveled.

Day 4: (Rakcham-Chitkul-Kalpa: 100 KM) Monday, 29th Sept, 2014

The morning shiver

This was the only time I was not pleased with Rajesh-ji. He did not take precaution the previous cold night. So, when I called him in the morning, he was shivering and said he needs a couple of hours to get warmth. Couple of hours was fine since travel was comparatively less on that day. But I feared that he should not catch cold and fever as that would ruin out entire trip and months of planning. Fortunately for us, he was up and running after a couple of hours. I gave him my coat to keep him warm, especially at night, when things can turn nasty.

The Hidden Beauty, called Chitkul.

When I was planning this trip, the name of the town caught my attention, I dont know for what reason. Any person who went to visit this small village, the last Indian village before the Tibet border, came back spell-bound. And I kept wondering what can be so special about the place. We started at around 10 AM for Chitkul, which was around 20 km further into the Sangla Valley, After a couple of kilometers, I felt I was entering Alice's wonderland or some place mentioned in the English

fairly tales. The soft morning sun washed the valley. Herds of sheep grazed on the soft green grass. Brooks flowed with murmuring sound. A small bridge and a gushing waterfall, the changing colours of the leaves of the distant pine trees and the narrow road finding its way through the mountain ranges. Are you serious these places exist on earth? People go to Switzerland and compare whatever mountainous beauty to Switzerland. Though I haven't been to that country, I do feel that its unfair to put that Alpine beauty at a higher pedestal and relieve it of being compared with any other beauty on earth. Himalayas cradles the highest peaks of the world. This mountain range has a vast spectrum of landscape from green valleys to arid cold deserts. Places like Chitkul were inaccessible to the general population till a few years/decades back. Reasons can be varied from inaccessible roads to inadequate transport system. But things have changed over the years. India's growth story have ensured that the remote villages have mobile and road connectivity. Tourism has gained a lot of momentum over the
last few years. So, its high time to rise above the prejudice and compare places based on the merit and beauty and not the country they belong to.

A walk through the small and peaceful village on a sunny chilled morning was memorable. The colours of the leaves of the trees on the mountain slopes have started changing. Some were green, some yellow, some reddish. The distant peaks had dollops of snow on them. A few hotels have cropped up here and there. A few more are under construction, a sure sign that this place is gaining importance and popularity among the tourists. Some vehicles were parked on the road side. We had a heavy breakfast in out hotel. So, we did not eat anything. Our driver needed a cup of hot tea to keep himself warm. He was already feeling better, much to our relief.
We could have stayed at Chitkul for days. The Master Painter had drawn such a splendid landscape on the huge canvas that its difficult to take our eyes off it. But it is the inability of a human being to express oneself that poses the greatest hurdle to depict the image. One, each person has a limited vocabulary. Two, each language has a limited number of words. I give up describing the beauty. And I am fully aware that this blog involving the tribal circuit will put me in such spots a couple of more times.

Chitkul

In search of apples

We reached Kalpa in the afternoon, around 3 PM. Right in front of our room, lay a vast range of snow covered peaks. It was quite cold. From those mountain peaks, a chilling breeze swept across the balcony in front of our room. We were a bit late for lunch. But, hungry as we were, we ordered some hot and tasty dishes. I was still searching for apples. Kinnaur apples, I heard, is among the best in world. And being in Kalpa, the heart of Kinnaur, what better than to search some apple vendors around. The best thing about Rajesh-ji is he never ever said "no" to any destination. Sometimes I felt hesitated to approach him, considering the long tiring drives he has been through. So, when I popped him the idea of exploring the nearby village of Roghi, about 10 km from Kalpa, he agreed. My wife and daughter excused themselves and it was understandable.
Roghi is a small village, with a few houses. But the scariest part is the journey to the village from Kalpa. Hardly 10 km. and it took my breath away. I just prayed to GOD to take me safe there and bring me back safe. Both the sides had steep mountain cliffs, the difference was, one was straight up towards heaven and the other down , perhaps towards hell, with zero slope. As if, a road has been
curved out of a steep mountain. A narrow road. Really narrow!
On the way we found a truck being loaded with apple crates. We coaxed them a lot, but they did not oblige us. So we headed further, where apples were being plucked from the trees and boxes and crates were being filled. These people agreed. It was slowly getting dark. The last thing I wanted was to return on the same scary road in total darkness.

The scariest road - towards Roghi

Now when I look back at that evening, the effort was worth it. Our familiarity with our surroundings give us that extra confidence about it. That road was scary to me because its not what I am familiar with. But ask the villagers there. To them, its normal; its part of their daily life. Bus travels on those roads and I have seen parents with infants waiting to board on those buses. But to me, it is still the scariest road I have traveled through. Once you are off it, you become untraceable.

Kalpa, for tourists, is the heart as well as the last stopover in the green Kinnaur district. You have golden apples and green valleys, sheep and shepards here. Next day would be our journey to Tabo, which marks the beginning of the dry and arid cold desert of the Spiti Valley.  Next day we would see the transition from greenery to arid lands, from a warm and cosy land to barren and harsh landscape.
Next day would be tough, we knew it. But how much tough, we did not know. 220 km. is a number, unless you are traveling on "world's most treacherous road".

Some travel tips:

Drivers: Venkyl - +91 9459 262 520 (though he did not come at the last moment, he remained           courteous all throughout)
Rajesh - +91 9817 330 162 (our driver, great control on the car, but not a regular in spiti region)

Hotel in Narkanda: Hotel Hatu Peak of HPTDC. Online booking from their portal. Great location.
Hotel in Rakcham: Rupin River View. Travel portal or call them directly to book. Great location.
Hotel in Kalpa: Hotel Apple Pie: Travel portal or call them directly to book. Great location   hospitality.

Photo taken from the restaurant of Rupin River View