Amongst the
few unexplored areas the world over, there isn’t one as enchanting and
inspiring as Spiti. This land often known as Little Tibet, was historically a
part of the kingdom of Nariss Korssum (Western Tibet),
and is home to few of the oldest Buddhist monasteries and temples in the
world. Tucked away in the interiors of the Trans-Himalayan belt of
Himachal Pradesh, this high altitude cold desert region has only recently been
opened to the outside world. Situated at an altitude well over 3000 mtrs. above
mean sea level, this valley is exposed to temperature variations of -28 degree
centigrade to +28 degree centigrade and remains cut off for most of the year by
the high mountains that encircle it. Due to its relative isolation, various
unique and rare aspects of the Buddhist culture (Tibetan Buddhism) are well
preserved in this valley.
My trip to
Spiti began with a huge roadblock at the Rohtang Pass, caused due to a
landslide there. Rains also acted as a dampener to this situation. After
crossing Rohtang, we reached Gramphu and took a right from there to Spiti
valley.
But this trip was
getting more interesting, as we encountered another landslide. Rains had
completely washed out one section of the road. Delay from the authorities to
repair this, prompted everyone present to start filling the washed away
section. It took us three hours to fill the section completely. The moment, when the first vehicle crossed
over to the other side, was in itself a great sense of achievement.
After
crossing this hurdle, we started driving towards Spiti. A ten hour drive from
Manali to Kaza (DHQ of Spiti) actually turned out to be a twenty hour drive.
Although the drive was long, but the experiences during this twenty hours made
it more enjoyable. It’s these experiences, which help you learn more about
nature and what impact it has on us.
Finally we
reached Kaza, our starting point for the mountain biking expedition around
Spiti Valley.
Kaza (DHQ)
also hosts the world’s highest petrol pump at 3740 Mtrs above sea level. We
camped overnight and were working as planned for the next five days.
Millions of
years ago, Spiti however lay submerged under the Tethys Sea. Remnants of its
geological past are evident in the unique landscape and the diverse fossils
found in the valley. Spiti is also a storehouse of various rare and endangered
species of flora and fauna, such as the Snow Leopard, Tibetan Wolf, to name a
few.
We explored Spiti valley over the next five days biking around, enjoying the valley, visiting various ancient monasteries and other monuments. Spiti Valley is also host to Tabo Monastery, which is world’s oldest monastery. Tabo is situated 35-Kms away from India-Tibet border and is a scenic location.
During this
expedition, we also visited Kibber, which is the highest village in the world,
situated an altitude of 4300 mtrs above
sea-level.
Spiti
Valley’s serene landscape, ancient culture, monuments and the warmth of people
around made this trip a wonderful experience.
