ROAD TRIP TO COLD DESERT10 days of breath taking views, deep gorges, snow

capped mountain peaks and dramatic glaciers

SPITI

HappyTravellers

(6th July - 17th July)

A drive to Lahaul – Spiti in the high altitude Himalayan region of Himachal Pradesh is a must – do in the life of any traveller. It is a journey that will live with you forever. Starting with apple country in Narkanda, you will cross the

lush Sangla Valley before hitting the cold deserts of Lahaul and Spiti. Landscapes will change from green to barren, the skies will come in many hues, and snow capped peaks will dare you to conquer them. You will cross traditional villages meeting people living in a world of their own, tending to their fields and livestock and always welcoming of

even strangers. You will be touched by the spirituality of the region, even as you have a great adventure all along.

SPITI (6th July - 17th July)

ROAD TRIPdays10

02www.Jugni.co.in

DAY 1July 7

Stay amidst apple orchards in Kotgarh. Enjoy stories and history of the place over a bonfire and buffet dinner. We leave Delhi at 08:30pm so we arrive in time to watch the sun set in Kotgarh. Enjoy dinner with bonfire and get to know your fellow travellers.

DELHI - KOTGARH (450kms/9hrs)

DAY 2July 8

Enjoy an early morning orchard walk followed by breakfast in Kotgarh. After that we’ll drive to Sarahan, a pretty hamlet in Kinnaur Valley. After a nice picnic en-route, we’ll continue our drive onward to Sangla. Reach in time for evening tea to enjoy the crisp twilight zone.

Sangla is known for its day hikes. Those looking for soft adventure can join the Raksham walk that takes you along rivers, through meadows and forests and over glaciers. And for the hardier lot, there is the challenging meadows walk that will have you seek a masseuse at the end of the day.Also visit the pretty villages around, and enjoy sitting along the Baspa river.

KOTGARH – SARAHAN – SANGLA

DAY 3July 9

Enjoy the beauty and adventure of Sangla Valley to the full on this day. We drive to Chitkul, a pretty village on the ancient Hindustan – Tibet route. Those interested can hike 5 km to the armed forces border post overlooking China, while others enjoy a picnic.

This will be a day of driving fun. We start pre-dawn to catch the early morning serenity of Kalpa, the only place in India where pine nuts (chilkozas) grow. And you cannot but feel over- awed with the Kinner Kailash peak looking upon you.

RAKCHAM – KALPA

(150kms/5hrs)

10 kms

03www.Jugni.co.in

DAY 4July 10 Have your breakfast early and head out to enter the cold desert terrain (also known as

Trans Himalayan Terrain). As we leave Kalpa, you shall notice the change in terrain where you shall find lesser trees, greenery and increasing rocky, dry kind of mountains- this is when you know that you are entering cold deserts. We shall take a 10 minutes break at Khab- the confluence of Sutlej and Spiti river which is a beautiful scenic spot for photography. From here we head into the high mountains and climb to a beautiful village called Nako- we shall stop here for lunch.Walk through the village and spend sometime next to the lake. Head to the entry point of Spiti from the southern side-Sumdo where we make our visitor entries before heading to Gue to see the 550 year old Mummy of a Monk. The mummy is one of its kind in the entire Himalayan region and was found a few years back after an earthquake.You can spend sometime wandering around the village and then we head to our final destination of the day-Tabo. By the time we reach it will be evening and the monastery will be shut. So we shall visit the Monastery next morning. Rest in Tabo

KALPA- NAKO - GEYU MUMMY- TABO

05www.Jugni.co.in

DAY 5July 11

Start your morning with a nice breakfast and a visit to the Ajantas of Himalayas- Tabo Monastery. A 1000 year old monastery and not even a single day has passed since it’s inception that prayers have not been offered. The murals, wall paintings and thankas will leave you speechless-especially the wall of the 1000 Buddhas in the main sanctum. We shall walk to the other side of Tabo where we shall visit the caves where the monks used to meditate during ancient times. We shall head out of Tabo and our next stop will be Dhankar Monastery-a 1000 years old monument whose setting is like none other.

Dhankar Monastery hangs on a cliff overlooking the confluence of Spiti and Pin River. Dhankar use to be the seat of the King in the ancient times and the monastery use to follow the sect of the King. The ones who want to check their lung capacity and are adventurous can hike to Dhankar lake which is a 45 minutes hike from Dhankar village. The non-adventurous ones will walk around the village and get ready for Lunch.

TABO - DHANKAR - DHANKAR LAKE – KAZA

DAY 6July 12

We shall head out to Langza this morning after breakfast. Langza is the 2nd highest motorable village after Komic and is home to Fossil search in the country. If you are lucky then you shall surely find some beautiful fossils while you take a stroll here. To make it a little more interesting at this altitude, the interested ones can hike from Langza to Komic via a small stop at Hikkim. In order not to forget our loved ones, visit the world’s highest post office in Hikkim and post a few post cards to your loved ones. Trust me you will be amazed looking at the post office here. Head to our last point for the day, Komic and enjoy the spectacular view of snow capped peaks around over a cup of tea and chat with the monks. The monastery in Komic is functional in winters when temperatures dip down to -30 degrees and roads get blocked and it will be very interesting to understand life and survival of such happy souls at this altitude.

KAZA – KI MONASTERY – KIBBER

06www.Jugni.co.in

DAY 7July 13

On this day, you will stay at Kaza and explore the nearby villages of Kibber, Komik, Langza, Hikkim etc. Leave your luggage at the hotel itself and get an early start from Kaza. First visit the famous Kye Monastery and then drive up to Kibber and Chicham. Drive back down to Kye once again and then take the second road that goes towards Hikkim, Langza. Your entire day today will be spent in exploring these remote villages of Spiti valley.

KAZA – KOMIK – LANGZA – KAZA

DAY 8July 14

Destination for today will be the famous Chandratal, the highlight of your entire journey. A trip to Spiti valley in my opinion is incomplete unless you have spent a night camping at Chandratal. From Kaza, you will drive towards Losar and then climb up to the top of Kunzum Top. After Kunzum you will descend down towards Batal. About 2 kilometers before Batal is the narrow 14 kilometers road that takes you all the way to Chandratal Lake. This road is barely wide enough for one car so please exercise caution while driving on it.

KAZA - KUNZUM PASS - CHANDRATAL LAKE

DAY 9July 15

This day will have you drive on the worst stretch of road that you had ever been on; the notorious Batal – Gramphoo stretch. This 60 kilometers of the road is a non-stop series of water crossings, one after another. There will be slush, lose rocks, narrow sections, boulders and anything bad that you can imagine to handle. From Chandratal, drive back on the 14 kilometers long road back towards Kunzum Pass and then arrive at Batal. Take a short break here if you wish to and then continue driving to Gramphoo. Once you reach Gramphoo, climb up to the top of Rohtang Pass and then drive down to Manali while getting annoyed by the infamous Rohtang Traffic.

CHANDRATAL - MANALI VIA ROHTANG PASS

DAY 11 (July 17) - Arrival in Delhi*Early morning arrival in Delhi around 06:30am

DAY 10July 16

Once again, nothing much to write about this day except that this too will be a long and monotonous journey of 550 kilometers and 15 hours back home. An early start from Manali is highly advised on this day.

MANALI – CHANDIGARH

INCLUSIONS (+)

All breakfasts, lunches & dinnersSight-seeing as per the itineraryAll transportation arrangements as per the itinerary1 certified trip leader for your guided tour & safety throughout the trip from Delhi to Delhi First Aid Safety KitAll accommodation on twin sharing (triple sharing in a tent only at Chandratal)GSTWe want our travellers to have the best Himalayan experience, so the itinerary can be moulded at times to give you a better and happier time. Little adjustments may have to be made keeping in mind the safety of all, if road conditions are snowy and slippery. We are committed to give you the best memories and experiences which you will cherish for ever.

Anything not specified in the inclusionsFood in Manali is not included only because we will be partying there once our tiring road trip reaches the last leg & we shall try the most popular Italian/Israeli restaurants in ManaliTRIP FEE

INR 47,000

BOOK NOW

Deposit a booking amount of INR 28,000 to block your seat. The rest of the payment will have to be made on further instructions.

Our cancellation policy is available on our website www.jugni.co.inSeats are on First Come First Serve (12 seats only)

HOW TO BOOK:

To check out photographs of our trips in India and abroad, please click on: Albums

To read what Jugnis have to say about us, please click on: Reviews

For more details: +91-9811454591 (Call / Whatsapp)

Sheer madness & unlimited selfies and photographs.

Traveling like a local

Digging your teeth into simple home cooked veg food.

Visiting offbeat places that not many people know.

Talking and laughing through the night, staring endlessly at the snowcapped mountains, befriending locals and making memories for life with the wanderers.

So, what are you in for?

09www.Jugni.co.in

Travel light… please!Oh and we almost forgot…

Click to follow:

For any queries: