Kinnaur Valley : Chitkul and Reckong Peo
I mostly write to preserve memories. I believe that photographs do not capture essential elements of travel experiences. Writing stories is a great way to revisit your experiences. However, this time, I am also writing because I want more people to know about and visit Spiti valley. During my journey I saw how an influx of travelers is transforming the lives of the locals who get an alternative source of income through home-stays, cafes, operating taxis and are able to utilize these to better their livelihoods through building proper toilets and getting geysers for warm water. The additional income helps him brave the harsh winters.
Spiti is a district in Himachal Pradesh. It is known for its cold mountain desert landscape, its 10th century monasteries, its harsh winters and its charming villages. It snows from September to April in the valley, leaving only a window of four months during which tourists visit this place. In winters the landscape is entirely covered in snow and temperatures drop down to as low as -35 degrees. The local populace mainly sustains itself through agricultural activities during the warmer months. Through very hard work they are able to grow black peas and barley in the desert soil and store it for use in the winter months.
Spiti had been on my radar for a long time but due to closure of roads, I was unable to travel there. It was also difficult to convince any of my friends or cousins to come along. On 15th of July, I decided the I would catch the next day’s bus whether the roads were opening or not for me to complete the circuit from Shimla to Manali and whether or not someone would join me. At the last moment, my friend and senior from college, Tanmay, came through and decided that he would join me on the trip. Even though I got down with fever that day, I was on the bus to Shimla on the 16th night. We had a vague itinerary in mind and would mostly use public transport to get around.
We reached Shimla at 6:20 in the morning. The bus to Reckong Peo, that would take us to our first destination, Jeori, was scheduled for 6:45 from the Tutikundi bus terminal in Shimla. Exhausted as we were, we boarded the bus and slept along the journey. We were soon driving along the Sutlej river and away from the hustle bustle of Shimla, the true Himachal slowly started to unfold. At Rampur, we decided to continue our journey to Jeori, where we rented a small room in a hotel to rest for the night. Jeori is a small town in Himachal with a hot water spring close to the Sutlej. However, the water from the spring is tightly regulated in the ways you can use it and is located inside a temple. We were not able to dip in a pool of hot water like we imagined. The stay at Jeori was more of a layover to overcome the exhaustion from our journey.
The next day early morning we departed for Chitkul. We took a bus till Kharcham Dam on the Sutlej. From there we took a bus to Sangla on the way to Chitkul. When we got down at Kharcham dam, we knew we were in a different world. There were snow capped mountains on both side, an eerie quiet pervaded and very few souls were visible on the ground. At Sangla we stopped for breakfast and then continued to Chitkul. The road narrowed to a single treacherous lane. Even though we had to go only 30 km, each kilometer was painfully palpable.
Chitkul is a jewel. It is the last village in the Kinnaur District close to the indo-tibetan border, situated among snow capped glacial mountains and has a population of roughly 200 people. The community at Zostel owns a neat space there and we checked into it. We rented cycles to go to the ITBP check post, which is the last point you can go to in the area without permits. Beyond that the army takes over. As we cycled, we went down a wrong road and ended up near the river where the road ended. Instead of turning around, we decided to carry our cycles on our shoulders to the road, which was now visible some way up the mountain. The climb was exhausting and in hindsight, we should have probably not taken that risk. But once back on the road, we played our music and continued to the check-post. We met three kids on the roads who were perhaps waiting for us. As soon as they saw our cycles, they excitedly ran towards us requesting a ride. Their childlike wonder moved us and we let them play on the bikes and even carried them on the front bar for a while. But the kids were too energetic for us and long after we were completely exhausted, their excitement had not withered even a bit. We had to cajole and outrun them to be able to return back to Chitkul.
After having a light meal and visiting “Hindustan ka aakri Dhaba”, we set out to walk around with Shubham who was volunteering at Zostel and preparing to head out for his Ph.D at GaTech. We explored the village, and walked on the trail that passed through it. We went down to the Baspa river and walked on the Bridge over it that lead to the jungle on the other side. A few dogs befriended and accompanied us on the way. When we returned, it was almost dark. Chitkul is at a great height and the temperature dropped drastically. Back at the Zostel, we hung out in the common room, played music, had dinner, made friends with other Zosteller and were up till three in the morning playing games like Connect and Tabboo.
Even at three, it was difficult to sleep. Perhaps altitude affects everyone differently. We work up early at 6:00 the next morning to catch the bus to Reckong-Peo. The early morning views were majestic, with the no clouds to shield the mountains. Our bus comprised mainly of the local population dressed in traditional Himachali attire with the cap. They were heading to a wedding in some village. In Himachal, at your wedding, everyone is invited. Everyone from the nearby villages flows in to join the celebrations.
We reached Reckong-Peo, the capital of Kinnaur district, around 11:00. We caught glimpses of the mid-Himalayas. Grand snow capped mountain that you have to crane your neck to see. Their grandeur is something I don’t think even the locals get used to. We knew this trip would find a special place in our memories. We were headed next to Nako village in Spiti Valley.
