[zurura023]

9 years, three unsuccessful attempts and a bit (may be bucket) of luck and here I am with a successful Spiti circuit under the belt.

The Plan
Right after my first Ladakh trip, I had an elaborate plan set for Spiti back in 2013. After a couple of futile attempts with two different sets of friends to join me in on this adventure, I almost reached Spiti in 2020 but to be turned away from Kalpa owing to Covid precautions in the valley. But this time, even the rain gods were not going to stop my maiden attempt at the famous circuit.

The original route was planned to cover the following route/places over a period of 11 days - Chandigarh, Shimla, Narkanda, Rampur, Sangla, Chitkul, Kalpa, Tabo, Mud, Kaza, Chandratal, Manali, Chandigarh. But the incessant rains and conditions of the roads in Himachal Pradesh were acting as a deterrent. Also, we did not want to put unnecessary pressure on the system there by staying in flood affected/risky areas. So we decided to move up in the hills to upper Kinnaur/Spiti district as early as possible and skip Kinnaur as there is only one road connecting Rakcham/Chitkul without a backup option. The fact that I had done this earlier also fueled my decision to focus on Spiti.


Updated Plan
The new itinerary now, considering the road conditions, terrain, altitudes and risk of AMS, was devised as Chandigarh, Narkanda, Kalpa, Tabo, Mud, Kaza, Chandratal, Manali, Chandigarh. This route included the drive to Narkanda on Day 1 itself as soon as we landed at Chandigarh airport in the morning and the drive from Manali to Chandigarh on the very last day as we had our flight around 7:30 pm. This gave me enough buffer days in case the weather hampers any plans or if I had to retrace my route back via Shimla.


The means & the first day
Back in 2013, I had planned this as a chauffeured taxi trip as I was not confident enough then to drive in the Himalayas and there were no avenues of renting a car. The passage of years though meant that I could now do this myself albeit with the help of a rented vehicle. And what vehicle better suited for the terrain and the roads than a Thar.

I asked a friend from Chandigarh and she helped me with a contact who rented me a 2021 4X4 AT Thar. The Thar was in excellent condition although it had covered 57000 kms since mid-2021. Everything was in order and working fine as expected from a vehicle. With the mandatory checks, videos and photos completed we started our journey from Chandigarh around 10 on the 19th morning. The drive was scenic but uneventful and we reached Narkanda around 4:30 with a couple of stops in between. Siddus at Siyaram Siddu around Theog is a must try there. We had the sweet & savory ones and relished both of them. Also, highly recommend the food and stay at Apple view Narkanda where we stayed. I never would have imagined myself recommending the manchow soup, but this was over the top good with even the dry noodles freshly fried for the soup; the lemon garlic chicken was delicious as well.



My first long drive experience on the Thar was nothing but incredible. The feeling of being indestructible is definitely there in addition with the confidence of conquering any terrain that the road would present. The harshness of the cabin as compared with my Compass was quite evident though. But that was something to be expected in a more utilitarian vehicle. The steering and the suspension setup were the biggest differentiator, I felt. The steering felt very manual (for the lack of a better word) and slightly late to inputs. But we loved the new feeling and the freedom of AT and rolled along the highway.

I kept on repeating one phrase quoted from the TeamBHP review -

The Thar is never settled - be it highway or bad roads

Day 2
We started the second day with a breakfast at Negi dhaba in Narkanda. The monsoon clouds obscured the view of the mighty ranges from the cafe, and it was not as crisp as what I had seen in my November 2020 drive. But the food was good, and we relished that. After another long but enjoyable drive we reached Kalpa around 05 in the evening. Sections of roads around Kumarsain in Narkanda and on the Rampur, Jhakri part were washed away and quite were badly affected by the July & August spells of rains in Himachal. The authorities were doing their best in trying to restore the traffic and roads, but the quantum of damage was a bit too much and looks like it will take some time for normalcy to set in. The roads after Wangtu were terrific though and we could maintain consistent speeds of 60 throughout. The crawling traffic in parts though meant that we took a bit longer than usual, but we managed to make it before sundown which was our target.

The second day came with a small issue with the car though. While we stopped at Tapri to have a quick lunch, the AC blower stopped working on our return. Not having AC was not an option on that route given the dust that is blown and the mountain heat during the daytime. Tried the usual restarts a few times along with tinkering all controls on the dashboard but nothing was seeming to work. We noticed that even the side view mirror adjustments were not working; and later at night, we discovered that the upper light was not working as well. This was showing a telltale sign of an issue in the fuse box/electronics. We took the car to the Mahindra service center in Kalpa where it was promptly attended to and the fuse fixed which was in warranty. A big shoutout to the Mahindra service center as they understood our predicament as tourists and catered to us swiftly. I was shocked to see the bill amount pegged at 59 Rupees as the labor charge.



Day 3
We had a delayed start due to the additional time spent at the Mahindra service center and then in the queue for petrol at Kalpa. We nonetheless made it by 4 at Tabo with a stop for breakfast and a few other photo stops. I was focused on crossing the dreaded Malling Nalla before 2 as I had heard infamous stories about the waterflow there. Thankfully, there was no drama and we crossed the high hills of Kinnaur over to the dusty mountains of Spiti district. We had a celebratory Samosa at the Sumdo check post military canteen which was surprisingly quite good. The day ended in Tabo with one of the best Thupkas that I have ever had. The thupka and momo had a homely feel at the Mud Huts where we were staying.



Day 4
We started the day with a visit to the old monastery and we absolutely loved it. We spent some time around there and then started the next leg of the journey from Tabo to Mudh in Pin valley. A lot of photo stops and some relaxed driving took us around 4 hours to Mudh. We checked a couple of hotels and took the Thar a bit further down the valley trying to find some more photo opportunities for the sunset. With mostly pea farms all around we came back after an hour to retire to our hotel. The last 10 minutes of the sunset threw up a riot of colors in the sky though. There were varying shades of magenta spread all around in the valley with each peak reflecting back a different hue. What an end to the day.



Day 5
We started from Mudh around 9 and retraced our route back a bit towards Tabo to cover Dhankar Monastery. The climb to Dhankar was steep and we gained a lot of altitude in a short climb. What was fascinating was a group of cyclists who were trying to cover the same route as us at that altitude. The group had members from all age groups spread out over a distance of a few kilometers. After spending some time at Dhankar, we got to Kaza and got a great deal for an awesome room at Sakya Abode in Kaza. The lack of tourists and the cancellations due to the floods brought in some advantages here. With the evening free, I decided to head to Key monastery for the sunset to capture the quintessential Spiti shot of the monastery. The sunset disappointed though and I just about managed an ok frame without much colors as such. We ended the day at Cafe Piti with some delicious local Spitian dinner.





Day 6
We started the day with a local breakfast consisting of Tsempa and local bread at our hotel in Kaza. The plan was to cover Demul, Komik, Hikkim & Langza circuit and be back at Spiti for dinner. I was secretly hoping of delaying this to land up the sunset or even the milky way at Langza with the Buddha statue. The drive to Demul was beautiful and the valley there had a lot of green cover in the form of shrubs as compared to the Spiti river side valley. Demul to Komik was a different terrain as well and the nature of the mountain was also slightly different. After a light lunch of Thupka and Thentuk at Komik, we moved to Hikkim to the highest post office in India. The sun was beating down when we reached Langza and all the hopes of getting the sunset there were quashed as we were way too early for that owing to the short distances between the places. Nonetheless, we spent a lot of time and came back to our hotel. I went alone for another take at the sunset at Key Monastery targeting a different side today. The sunset was passable and I headed back to another local delicacy of Chicken Shapata and rice for dinner at our hotel.





Day 7
Similar to the previous day, we started our day again with local Spitian breakfast and set out for another circuit around Tashigong, Kibber, Chicham and the Kibber national park. The road was fairly good and we spent good amount of time around these villages and the Chicham bridge. Quite unexpectedly, we had the best pancakes of the trip for lunch at a small restaurant in Kibber. We continued ahead to the Kibber National Park where we spend most of our evening taking photo stops at every few meters it seemed. This was one of my favourite routes of the entire trip and I thoroughly relished the changing landscapes and the dramatic light. We did a round trip covering Rangrik and were back to Kaza for another local dinner at Cafe Piti.





Day 8
It was now time to leave Spiti and we headed off around 10 in the morning for Chandratal. And of course for the final time in this trip, we had the Spitian breakfast again. We drove in the opposite direction on the same road that we traversed yesterday covering Rangrik and Losar. After a lot of broken roads and breaks, we crossed the windy Kunzum La and reached Chandratal around 3 in the afternoon. We booked a tent on the spot based on the recommendations from Kaza and it was quite clean and nice considering the terrain. After a quick but delicious meal, we started for the lake which is roughly 20 minutes from the area that where the camps are allowed to pitch. There was only one other car when we parked and even they left whilst we were walking towards the lake. We had all the lake for just the two of us now and it was a glorious experience overall. With that one of a kind experience we returned to the camp by 7 and followed it with dinner and some star gazing to retire to bed.



Day 9
We set off for our descent to the lower Himalayas by 9 in the morning and took well over 5 hours to reach Manali. The roads were nonexistent till the Rohtang top highway link post which they were butter smooth all the way through to Manali. I had travelled this route from Chattru to Chandratal in 2019 and the roads were nothing like this where they seemed to be washed away by the river with boulders strewn in for good parts. We had to take the Atal tunnel as Rohtang was limited to one way traffic in the opposite direction for the day. After a delicious Trout meal at Manali, we ended the day at our resort at Naggar.


Day 10
I had originally planned to complete the final leg of Manali to Chandigarh on the final day of our trip since our flight to Bombay was scheduled for 7:45 in the evening. But with the conditions of the roads in the mountains this season, we planned to move a day earlier to Chandigarh. I had my eyes on the announcements and my ears with locals about road closures on the highway throughout the trip. We started for Chandigarh post 1 pm since the one way traffic from Kullu to Mandi was going to be open post noon for 10 hours. We utilized the time for a visit to Naggar castle and the adjoining bakeries for some nice cakes to top off our sumptuous breakfast. The road from Kullu to Mandi was treacherously slow with quite a few halts in between. We had an early dinner on reaching Mandi around 7:30 in the night and decided to continue to Chandigarh rather than halting around Mandi or Sunder Nagar. We reached Chandigarh around midnight and booked a hotel enroute to retire after a long day.


Day 11
After a light breakfast, we moved around Chandigarh hunting for more food joints from my restaurant list. Some shopping and more eating later, we moved to the airport to hand over the Thar and end an epic trip. The Thar was an absolute pleasure to drive all along that terrain and it exceeded all my performance expectations. But the practicality of the car seemed limited to me. There was another offer for a Jimny as well and I have kept that for the next trip for now.



Thank you for your time.


PS: Need to process more photos yet. And shall link the routes if that helps.

[vaibhavyagnik]

Your Photo editing skills are on another level! Looking for forward to seeing more photographs.

[ashish2135]

Lovely thread to beat the Monday Blues! The pictures you have shared really show how beautiful the Spiti valley is!

I had planned a trip to Spiti along with my friends for the first week of September but because of the conditions in Himachal we had to cancel the trip.

We shall try again next year!
It would be of great help if you could share the contact of the Car rental agency.

[pradheepsr]

Wonderful travelogue.

One of my dream destinations (Spiti) and stunningly picturesque landscapes.

Could you please DM me the details of the car rental company (Thar/Jimny)?

It could definitely help fellow bhpians like me to make such a trip with confidence.

[raptor_diwan]

Fantastic photos, buddy! I especially loved the view of Apple View Hotel. Congratulations on your successful trip! As mentioned by others, it would be great if you could share the details of the rental company.

[mak.prasada]

Wow. Just the right pick-me-up on a Monday afternoon.
Excellent thread.
Request to share the details of the rental company if possible.

[deep_blue]

Beautiful thread & totally inspired to replicate the same this November or then sometime next year. Hats off to you for going ahead with the plan after hearing about the landslides, roads caving etc & so glad it all worked out so beautifully.
Like many others, I'm interested in the car company too & approx cost paid per day.

[Autobot92]

Man! What amazing pictures they are, and you have described your trip so beautifully. Congratulations on completing the Spiti circuit!

[Samfromindia]

A tiny travelogue which packs a lot of punch

Your pictures alone will inspire a lot of travelers to embark on a Spiti adventure !

[zurura023]

Thank you everyone for the kind words.

Here are the details of the three vendors that I spoke to,

#1
Gaurav Gupta 90560 31030

He had a wider collection of cars from what I recollect. I booked it from him and the car was in really good shape plus he was very soft spoken and helpful. I paid 4300 per day for the 4X4 AT Thar but I would reckon that the rate varies by season, availability and of course the vehicle. PAN, Aadhar and driving license were provided on WhatsApp albeit masked. They kept a deposit of 10000 and a blank cheque with them for the period that you have the car; add to that a cleaning charge of 300. Also, a warning on noting the fuel levels while taking the car as that may create a misunderstanding later. It would be advisable to ask them to fill the tank full and return it with a full tank. That way it is fair for both parties.

#2
83272 72222

I spoke to them over phone and their setup seemed big. They had the Jimny Alpha AT around 5-5.2 but I can't recollect the exact rate that they quoted. They sent me a collection of cars which ranged from Baleno, i20, Fronx to Audi Q2, Q5, Q7 and the Wrangler. But I stayed strong

#3
Pahwa 98155 96724

They came in recommended by Chandigarh friend's dad but I did not go through with them for no particular reason. The rate and the car offered was similar.

Goes without saying that I am not related to anyone from this list and do not know them personally to vouch as such. Just a happy customer of vendor #1 from the list.

Originally Posted by deep_blue

Beautiful thread & totally inspired to replicate the same this November or then sometime next year. Hats off to you for going ahead with the plan after hearing about the landslides, roads caving etc & so glad it all worked out so beautifully.

I think November should be fine with the only exception that you won't probably be able to cross Kunzum La and enter Manali from Spiti due to snow. If you can drop Chandratal and the roads, particularly the NH5, are restored you can do this fine. Just be ready for the cold.

I think the calculated risk paid off for me but mentally I was ready for spending a week more in that region and rescheduling my flight as that was the only cost downside that I was looking at.

[ishekk]

Did it have a yellow number? Because what I have heard is that taxi unions in these areas don't allow outside area taxis.

[xantia]

Wow grade pictures, crisp writing and an experience with a rented Thar - what's not to like.

[zurura023]

Originally Posted by ishekk

Because what I have heard is that taxi unions in these areas don't allow outside area taxis.

Those issues are mostly in the area around Leh from what I read a few years back. There was no problem at all on the entire circuit and I saw multiple yellow & white numbered cars and motorbikes being driven by lots of different individuals.

Added in a few more photos that I managed to process.