[GeneralJazz]

Prologue

“It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.” ~ Sir Edmund Hillary

Exactly 5 years ago, we were on what was one of the most epic journeys of our lives, a 1500 km bike ride through the Himalayas (An adventure honeymoon: 1500 km bike ride through the Himalayas!). Since then, we have been on numerous trips, including visits to Malaysia, Oman, and even a 1500 km drive across the southernmost coast of India. While each one of them was unique in its own way and gave us spectacular views and unforgettable memories, our Ladakh ride always remained our favourite. The wild, rugged, raw beauty of the roof of the world cannot be compared with anything else. So as our 5th anniversary drew closer, we started to look for destinations that could come close to our first Himalayan experience. Very soon, we realized that the only thing that could compare to the majestic Himalayas was... well, the majestic Himalayas. With the Ladakh circuit already done, we chose to do the Spiti circuit this time.

I started searching for tour organizers who operated in the region and narrowed it down to a few. Most of them were bike convoys, similar to our Ladakh ride. But after having braved the blistering sun, bone chilling rain, hail stones that hit like bullets, an accident that nearly took us out, and very nearly passing out while climbing the Gata loops, we weren't too keen on another bike trip. The team from Thrillophilia responded to our query and informed us that they were offering a "jeep drive" convoy through Spiti. They would be providing a Mahindra Thar 4x4, and we could drive it ourselves as a part of the convoy.

Now one might say that there is a time and a place for trying something new. But we disagree. My very first time on a Bullet (or an Enfield of any kind) was on our Ladakh ride. Keeping up with the tradition, this Spiti drive was going to be my very first time driving a Thar! And why haven't I driven a Thar before? Well, because I hate it! (*bracing for the collective gasp!*) No hate on the Thar in particular, just hate SUVs in general. As a hardcore sedan-ist, I keep my distance from SUVs. A drive through Spiti seemed like the perfect opportunity to drive a proper, true blood SUV in its natural habitat.


Route Plan

The route and itinerary were shared with us well in advance by the Thrillophilia team. It was a 9-day trip, starting and ending in Chandigarh. The plan was to spend one night in each of the following locations, with one extra day in Kaza for the local sightseeing. All accommodation arrangements would be taken care by them.

1. Chandigarh
2. Narkanda
3. Chitkul
4. Nako
5. Kaza
6. Chandra Taal Lake
7. Manali



To get to Chandigarh, we booked flights to and from Coimbatore. Both ways, we stayed well away from Air India and booked only on Indigo, even if it had longer layovers and was slightly more expensive.


Places visited

Along with the itinerary, they also gave us a list of places that would be covered along the way. While the list was quite inclusive, they also gave us the option of exploring on our own, though it was always preferable to stick with the convoy. We visited the following places during the trip:

1. Sukhna Lake
2. Garden of Silence
3. Chandigarh Rock Garden
4. Zakir Hussain Rose Garden
5. Shimla Mall Road
6. Hatu Peak
7. Kinnaur Rock Tunnel
8. Taranda Mata Temple
9. Karcham Bridge
10. Sangla Market
11. Chitkul Indo-Tibetan Check-post
12. Chitkul Temple
13. Kalpa
14. Khab Sangam Bridge
15. Nako Monastery
16. Nako Lake
17. Nako Buddhist Stupa
18. Gue Monastery
19. Tabo Monastery
20. Dhankar Monastery
21. Kee Monastery
22. Langza Stupa
23. Komik Monastery
24. Hikkim Post Office
25. Chicham Bridge
26. Kunzum La
27. Chandra Taal Lake
28. Atal Tunnel
29. Manali Mall Road

The Rides

While I really wanted to take my Rapid all the way to the Himalayas, I knew she probably wouldn’t make it out alive. She’s pushing 13, and a 13-year-old Skoda doesn’t give you the same confidence as a 13-year-old Suzuki or a 30-year-old Toyota in terms of reliability. Plus, with this package, I could make acquaintance with the legendary Thar, maybe even have my mind changed about SUVs.

Since we arrived a day early, we booked a Santro AMT via Revv. The tiny hatch had run more than 1.1 lakh kms and the brakes were very spongy. Coming from the Rapid, the tiny 1086cc engine felt very lethargic, and the AMT box took around 2-3 business days for every shift. However, it was sufficient to potter around in the city.





The star of the trip was the Thar LX Hard Top Diesel MT 4WD. It had run around 59k kms but was in good shape. With new tires, clean interiors, and recently serviced, it was raring to get to the hills. We thought about taking a convertible top, but this turned out to be a better decision. We would not only have been toasted by the blistering sun but also would have returned with silicosis after inhaling all that Himalayan rock dust. We ended up thoroughly impressed with the way it performed over the course of our trip, especially the section around Chandra Taal, where the roads were non-existent.





PS: Our sincerest gratitude to God Almighty for getting us back safely. While we were in Kaza, we heard the news about a cloudburst in Manali and Solang Valley, which completely blocked several roads with boulders, and some roads were even washed away. Thankfully, by the time we reached Manali, the weather was calm. The other incident is happening as I type this. On 1st August, multiple cloudbursts occurred in Manali, Shimla, and Mandi, resulting in Manali being isolated. Several casualties are also being reported. It's nothing but a huge blessing that we made it across safely.

[GeneralJazz]

Day 01

Coimbatore to Chandigarh

We had booked an early morning flight to Chandigarh on Indigo, which had a 3-hour layover in Chennai. We booked cabs through the ever-reliable RedTaxi and reached the airport by 4:45 AM. Unbeknownst to us, the whole Microsoft-CrowdStrike drama was unfolding, though we were spared any difficulty, other than a literal last-minute change in gate number. Without further incidents, we got into the flight and settled down for a short nap. What was a bit sad, no, embarrassing, was that there were repeated announcements by the flight captain to not harass the flight attendants! How bad have we screwed up for such an announcement to be even made?

As we approached Chennai, we could see the North Chennai Thermal Power Station down below. The flight took a wide U-turn over the Bay of Bengal and landed at the Chennai airport. The airport seemed to be pretty crowded, with long lines at counters. It was probably affected by the outage, but we still had no idea what had happened at that time.




Breakfast

Travel Lounge Club- Chennai Airport Domestic Terminal

We had breakfast at the Travel Club Lounge, a typical cattle class, credit card, we-don't-want-you-here airport lounge. Long queues, rude staff, crowded waiting area... the usual. The food was average, but we had 3 hours to kill and unused lounge access points on our cards, so what the hell.

Cuisine: Multi Cuisine
Dishes we tried: Buffet
Rating: 6.5/10







Soon it was time for our connecting flight to Chandigarh. This was perhaps the first indication we had of the outage. Our flight was delayed by around 45 minutes, and there was a lot of confusion among the staff. Since we had already got our connecting boarding pass from Coimbatore airport, we didn't have to face any difficulty. The staff manually verified the boarding pass and let us onto the aircraft. Very soon, we were airborne and settled down for our 3-hour flight. It might have been the monsoon weather, but we experienced a lot of turbulence on the way. By around 2:20 PM, we started our descent into Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport, Chandigarh, which is shared with the Indian Air Force. While landing, there were multiple announcements asking passengers not to take any photos or videos.





As we stepped into the airport, there was a lot of confusion and crowding. Long lines had formed at the airline counters, and the staff seemed harried. There were quite a few news reporters outside the airport covering the impact of the outage on the passengers. It was then that we read the news about the CrowdStrike outage and its impact.



The Revv representative had been trying to reach us for some time, as I saw multiple missed call alert messages from him. He was very pleasant and gave us a location in the airport parking lot where he was waiting. As soon as we stepped out of the airport, we were met by a solid wall of humidity! The weather app showed that it was 37ºC with 80% humidity, and we really felt it. We were completely drenched in sweat by the time we reached the parking lot.

The vehicle handover process was very smooth. The Santro had run close to 1.2 lakh kms and had plenty of dings all around, but it was clean and had no major issues. The brakes felt spongy, but it was manageable within city speed limits. It also had enough fuel to get us to the nearest petrol pump. Now here's something new that we learned that day: Chandigarh is actually a tri-city and includes the main Chandigarh town, along with Panchkula of Haryana and Mohali of Punjab, something like the Delhi NCR. Our Revv car had permits to be driven in Chandigarh and Panchkula, but we needed to take an RTO permit to drive through the Punjab sections, which we paid online with the help of the Revv representative. We set off as soon we were done with all the formalities.










After filling the petrol, we drove toward the hotel to check in. We were immediately struck by how well-planned the city was: arrow-straight roads with proper signage, junctions, service roads, everything. It immediately reminded us of Karaikudi in Tamil Nadu, with similar straight roads. While the road infrastructure was terrific, the traffic and road manners were not. Horrible driving, cutting across from the extreme left to the extreme right, road rage, honking—the complete Indian road package. There seems to be some law in effect here which makes it mandatory to use mobile phones while driving. Almost every single person we saw was using the phone, whether on a call, texting, or even watching videos. Also, the sheer number of SUVs on the road. We felt tiny in the small hatch while huge SUVs overtook us from left and right. As we pulled into our hotel parking lot, an HR-registered Fortuner tore into the parking and stopped inches away from us. We were left staring when we saw a guy jump out of the driver's seat chugging beer. Yes, he was actually chugging a bottle as he stepped out!






Stay - Day 01

Hotel S C Residency, Zirakpur

Our package included a one-night stay in Chandigarh, and once the team informed us about the hotel they booked for us, we booked a room for our one-night stay as well. When we informed the reception that we were among the travellers booked for the next night, the lady kindly extended the same room for us for two nights, essentially saving us from having to move. The hotel was decent and the rooms were clean, though the entire lobby and the corridors smelled of cigarettes and liquor.










Sukhna Lake, Chandigarh

Sukhna Lake is a rain-fed reservoir on the edge of the city and is one of the biggest attractions here. It was a 40-minute drive from our hotel, and we started after freshening up. While I thoroughly enjoyed driving on the fantastic roads, it was tough navigating the traffic. A gazillion roundabouts, yet very few people knew how to use one. So many narrow misses, yet no one bats an eye! Another thing we noticed was that there were no vehicles parked on the road. It seemed strange until we reached the lake and started looking for parking. That was when we realized how extremely well the city was planned. Parking everywhere! Every single sector, every crossroad had its own parking. We had zero difficulty spotting a parking lot near the lake, that too within 200 meters walking distance.

Once we reached the lake, we were struck by how clean and well-maintained the area was. There’s a wide jogging path that seemed to run along the length of the lake. There’s a play area for children with some rides. The boating closed soon, so we went to purchase some tickets. It was a confusing affair, to be honest. You can’t purchase boating tickets from the boating counter. For that, you first have to go near the food stalls, where you have to get a prepaid card. With the card, you have to go to the boating counter and then get tickets for the boats. We purchased 4 tickets for a 30-minute shikara ride. With the printed tickets, you have to go to an area where a bored-looking guard directed us to where the shikaras were tied.

There was very little crowd, so we got one as soon as we reached. The boatman took us on a lazy ride across the lake. It was very calm and peaceful, and even through the smog, we could make out the mountains in the distance. There’s a tiny island in the lake, and the boatman took us around it and finally back to the pier. Back on land, we spent some time walking along the track, taking in the beautiful, calm surroundings.















Tea and Snacks

Food stalls - Sukhna Lake

We hadn’t had any lunch and were quite famished by now. We headed to the main shopping area where there were a bunch of food stalls and a restaurant, along with many souvenir shops. The food was horrible, especially the momos, which we couldn’t finish. The veg momos were stuffed full with cabbage and tasted awful, especially the sauces. The bhatura and dosa weren’t any better.

Cuisine: North Indian Vegetarian
Dishes we tried: Momos, bhatura, dosha
Rating: 3.5/10










Garden of Silence, Sukhna Lake - Chandigarh

After the disappointing snacks, we drove over to the Garden of Silence, located at one end of the lake. It’s a small and very beautifully maintained park, perfect for walking and exercise. We saw a lot of people doing yoga, aerobics, and playing badminton. The sun was going down, and it was a very peaceful experience. While the Garden of "Silence" didn't live up to its name, we took some much-needed downtime, watching kids play and enjoying the cool breeze.








Dinner

Pal Dhaba, Sector 28 - Chandigarh

Pal Dhaba seemed to be an iconic eatery in Chandigarh and came highly recommended by some of my friends. The dhaba was very neat and clean and seemed to be a hit with celebrities from North to South. The entire wall was decorated with pictures of celebrities visiting the place. The food was fantastic, especially the butter chicken and keema kaleji. We had them with some supremely fluffy garlic naan, followed by some lassi and lemon soda. While the food more than made up for it, we found the attitude of the staff really lacking. They seemed least interested in serving us and kept arguing among themselves. Finally, someone from the cash counter came and yelled at them before someone grudgingly came to take our order.


Cuisine: Punjabi
Dishes we tried: Garlic naan, Butter Chicken, Keema Kaleji, Lassi
Rating: 8/10







After dinner, we drove around town for a while until someone yawned and set everyone else yawning. Once peak tiredness was achieved, we started our drive back to the hotel and turned in for the night for some much-needed sleep.

End of Day 01

[GeneralJazz]

Day 02

Chandigarh

After a good night's sleep, we woke up early in the morning with plans to drive to a nearby park (there are just so many parks in Chandigarh!!). Unfortunately, it was pouring rain. Hoping it would subside by the time we reached the city, we set off. While we really enjoyed the early morning drive in the rain, we were surprised that there seemed to be very few vehicles on the road, the reason for which became apparent within minutes. There was flooding everywhere! Large sections of the road were completely covered in water, including several roundabouts. We wondered how such a magnificently planned city couldn’t get this one aspect straight. But then, bungling rainwater drainage is stereotypical of our cities, so we couldn’t complain about Chandigarh in particular.

Another thing that really surprised us was that people had no qualms about splashing water on pedestrians and bikers, as if they should expect to get wet. Splashing water on others is a big no-no in Kerala, something that could even get you thrashed. Here, people were driving full speed through waterlogged areas, sending waves onto passersby. And no one had any issues with it.


Zakir Hussain Rose Garden, Sector 16 - Chandigarh

After quite a bit of water wading, we reached the Rose Garden. Thankfully, it had stopped raining by then, and the cool morning breeze made it very pleasant. With parking available just at the entrance (again, wow!), we took a long, leisurely walk through the meandering paths inside the garden. There were plenty of people in the park, even in the morning: joggers, yoga practitioners, leisurely walkers, and so on. The park was extremely clean and well-maintained. With manicured lawns, well-tended bushes and plants, and beautiful fountains and other art pieces, it really was a walker's paradise. We were so jealous of the people here. It really is incredible to have such an open green space smack in the middle of the city. We took one full round of the garden and would easily have continued our walk if not for the rumblings of our tummies, which indicated that it was time for breakfast.














For breakfast, we drove back to our hotel. Even though it had stopped raining for a couple of hours by then, many of the roads were still waterlogged. It was time for school, and we could see school kids wading through knee-high water. Even the ones on two-wheelers ridden by their parents were drenched after being splashed on by the cars. Around the Zirakpur area, we had to turn around many times since the roads were not accessible, at least with the Santro. We had to spend a lot of time taking U-turns in narrow alleys and tiny streets before we found our way back to the main road.


Breakfast

Hotel S C Residency, Zirakpur - Chandigarh

Breakfast was included in our booking. It was a simple North Indian buffet, and everything tasted good.

Cuisine: North Indian
Dishes we tried: Pav bhaji, poori, eggs, aloo paratha
Rating: 7.5/10







Rock Garden, Sector 1 - Chandigarh

Located at the edge of the city, the Rock Garden, also called Nek Chand's Rock Garden, is named after its founder, Nek Chand, a government official who built the garden using scrap, waste, and discarded items. It is situated in a wooded area near Sukhna Lake. Nek Chand collected waste and discarded building materials from around the city and started working on the garden in secret in 1957. Though his activity was illegal, he worked on it for nearly 20 years before being discovered by the authorities, who then decided to support him with official funding. Now, the garden is spread over around 40 acres and has thousands of sculptures, all made from discarded materials like glass bottles, ceramic scrap, and even industrial waste.

We entered the garden after purchasing the tickets and were instantly amazed by what we saw. It's a huge garden with an incredible display of statues and figurines, small streams, waterfalls, and gardens, all entirely man-made. The whole place was spotlessly maintained as well. Even though the morning rains had raised the humidity to insane levels, we were able to thoroughly enjoy the place. Narrow winding paths led us through the garden, with each area having its own theme and set of decorations. It's incredible to think that this was the work of a single man. What incredible dedication and passion would have led him to create this.

After a short walk, we reached the waterfall, which seemed to be one of the main attractions. Instead of walking up to the water, we decided to stand at a corner and watch people have fun, which turned out to be a great decision, as the tiles near the water were incredibly slippery. Several people fell in the water, including a bunch of school kids, who were there on a school trip. After having had our fill of fun around the waterfalls all over the Western Ghats, we were more than happy to watch people slipping and sliding, and even occasionally crash landing, into the water.














At the edge of the garden was the Doll House, which contains hundreds of rag dolls made by Nek Chand. While it looked quite dark and spooky from the outside, we rushed toward it as it was air-conditioned! The relief we felt as we stepped into the cool, dry air is indescribable. After a couple of minutes of enjoying the modern miracle that is air conditioning, and a silent blessing to Willis Carrier, we started exploring the museum. The arrangement and lighting were spot on, giving the whole place an incredible ambience. The dolls were arranged in different settings, many representing rural North India. Some of the inner sections of the museum were a bit too dark, musty, and frankly, spooky. There’s no amount of money anyone could offer me to spend a night here.

After walking around for hours, it became just too hot and humid for us to continue. Our clothes were drenched in sweat, and we walked quickly through the remaining sections to the exit.












Lunch

Dhaba 7, Sector 7 - Chandigarh

Located in Sector 7, this restaurant had high ratings and served typical Punjabi-style cuisine. It had a great ambience, and the staff were extremely pleasant and helpful. The food turned out to be fantastic, perhaps the second-best meal we had on our entire trip.

Cuisine: Punjabi
Dishes we tried: Amritsari kulcha, garlic naan, Handi chicken, Mutton Nihari, lassi
Rating: 9/10








Sector 17 Market - Chandigarh

The Sector 17 Plaza is a retail hub at the center of the city, quite literally. We all had some last-minute shopping to do, including buying sweaters and jackets, and also had some time to kill before collecting the Thar, so we decided to take a walk around. The place was extremely neat and clean, though not Indore level of clean, and surprisingly had very little crowd for a weekend. To be honest, we were a bit disappointed since we had expected something like Sarojini Market or Karol Bagh. There were quite a few shops, including branded ones, but the staff seemed very disinterested and bored. We quickly found the items we were looking for and then walked to the nearby Sindhi Sweets to try out some local delicacies, including their Ghevar.







Finally, it was time for the upgrade—the star of the show to take center stage! The trip coordinator sent us the location of the provider, Himalayan Bike Rentals, from whom we would collect the Thar. They were located in Sector 42, which was quite close to Sector 17. Here we ran into a bit of a conundrum. We had to pick up the Thar and drive it to the hotel, and then get the Santro to Panchkula, which was the drop-off point.

After a bit of encouragement, Mrs. GeneralJazz drove the Santro to the drop-off point—her first time driving in North India. Despite a bit of initial apprehension, she soon felt comfortable enough and reached the drop-off point by the time I had barely started after completing the formalities!






Once at the location, I met up with the group coordinator Teja and the guides Kunal and Pratham. Some of the bikers of the convoy had started to arrive too. By the time we signed some basic waiver forms, the Thar was ready. I did a basic walk around to document existing dents and then proceeded with the rest of the paperwork. Once completed, the provider asked me to take the Thar for a spin around the block, which I had been waiting impatiently for!

Being used to the low seating position of sedans, it was quite a 'climb up' to get to the driver's seat. Once inside, my first thought was: tech overload! Coming from a 2013 MY vehicle, it took me a minute to get my bearings. Buttons, switches, dials, and lights were everywhere. Then I remembered a quote from a book (Artemis Fowl) I read long ago: "focus on the wheel and the pedals, and ignore everything else." The interiors were very clean and mostly rattle-free. It took me a minute to find the power window switches as well. Once sufficiently oriented, I drove off the parking lot.

After driving the underpowered Santro for a day, the Thar immediately felt very powerful. The engine, though not free-revving, delivered power quite well. The brakes were excellent too. Half my view out of the windshield was blocked by the bonnet, and it took me another minute to find the seat height adjustment lever. As soon as I reached an empty stretch of the road, I floored the pedal. The Thar surged ahead with impressive power, and I had a W-I-D-E smile plastered on my face as the turbo kicked in. Aaaand that smile lasted all of 10 seconds until I hit the first undulation on the road, during which the smile disappeared, and a little bit of poo came out. Realization hit me that the front and the rear of the Thar are not really connected. While the front end somewhat followed my command, the rear decided to take the next exit! Good lord, this thing is not stable! Team BHP review of the Thar says "The Thar is never settled, no matter what the road or speed," and I couldn't agree more. Being used to the stability of the Rapid, I had to really unlearn and relearn some driving techniques. Ridiculous body roll, rear end having a mind of its own, and an extremely bouncy ride, I felt as if I was driving a boat!

After driving for around 4-5 kms, I returned back to Sector 42 to complete the rest of the formalities. Once done, I very carefully drove back to the hotel, slowing down before every patch of bad road. Two things I really liked though: 1. I could see the bonnet while driving. The last time I had a similar view was in my Baleno. 2. I was no longer being bullied on the road. A Thar, especially a PB registered Thar, seemed to command some respect from fellow road users.








Back at the hotel, we quickly had dinner. The guides asked us to be ready at the lobby by 9:30 for a briefing before the trip. Once everyone had assembled, they gave us a brief summary of how the trip was going to be and the locations we would be staying at. The convoy would be composed of 7 bikes with one of the captains in the front, us 4 in the Thar, and 14 people in the Traveller, with the backup truck making up the rear.

They also explained in detail about AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness), its symptoms, and how to deal with it. They suggested drinking plenty of water (at least 2-3 litres per day) and starting to take Diamox tablets. They also shared the details of the hotels/camps we would be staying at.

Additionally, they gave us our wireless comm device. One each would be given to the bike captain, us, the Traveller, and the backup truck. It was a basic Baofeng unit with about 3 km of range. After a round of Q&A, we all turned in for the night.

End of Day 02

[GeneralJazz]

Day 03

Chandigarh to Narkanda

Breakfast

Hotel S C Residency, Zirakpur - Chandigarh

After a good night's sleep, we woke up early, finished our packing, and headed down for breakfast. The food was decent once again, and we had our fill. We met some of the team and got to know them. There were two other couples, two solo female travelers, a group of college friends, and even a couple of retirees. What a diverse group. Everyone was friendly and lively, and we were looking forward to having fun over the next week.

Cuisine: North Indian
Dishes we tried: Bhatura, chana curry, eggs, sprouts, juice
Rating: 7.5/10

Once everyone assembled at the lobby, there was one more short briefing session from the coordinators. The Thar has a laughably, comically tiny boot, so we couldn't fit anything more than a couple of backpacks in it. Our main bags were loaded into the backup truck along with the bikers' luggage. It was 10:30 by the time everyone was ready. After a group photo, we set off, officially starting our Spiti adventure.





Traffic was starting to build up by the time we started. The Traveller went ahead while we followed the bikers, looking for a petrol pump. The first several pumps we passed had super long lines extending onto the main road. With the low fuel warning indicator blinking, we stopped at the next available one. After waiting for more than 15 minutes for our turn, we filled in around Rs. 4300 (51 litres) of diesel.

Back on the road, the bikers zoomed ahead. The roads were excellent, but since the surface wasn’t smooth, I had to drive the Thar slowly. I really missed the Rapid; I could have easily driven her at *redacted* speeds here. It took me a long time to get used to the (terrible) driving manners of the Thar. We weren't too far behind, though, as we could occasionally hear the bikers over the walkie-talkie. Soon we caught up to the bikers, who had stopped for a smoke break.








Somewhere along the way, we crossed into Himachal Pradesh, where we had to pay a toll. The ghat sections started, but the roads remained excellent. We crossed Solan, thoroughly enjoying the beautiful views.



Coffee

The Woodland Kandaghat

The bikers flagged us down on the radio once again. They had stopped for a coffee, smoke, and bio break at a small roadside cafe. The coffee was good, as was the view from the dining area. Surprisingly, there were wild plants of the Bob Marley/Snoop Dogg variety growing by the road.

Cuisine: Fast Food/ North Indian
Dishes we tried: Coffee
Rating: 6/10






After a short break, we set off towards Shimla. The route was uphill all the way, and we were really enjoying the drive. Typical of tourist locations, we saw lots of small souvenir shops on the way, including a guy offering rides on a Yak! Even though we were climbing the hills, it was still pretty hot, and we had to turn on the AC.






Shimla

Soon we entered Shimla, which at first glance looked just like any other touristy hill station—narrow congested roads and crowded streets. The captain told us to find a parking spot and head to the lifts, which was easier said than done, since parking seemed to be completely full everywhere. There were multiple parking lots around the entrance to the lifts, but all of them had long lines waiting to get inside. After driving around the main road several times, we finally found one parking lot around 400 meters away. It was super cramped, but the attendant somehow made space for us. The charges were Rs. 200 for 6 hours.

The town was very crowded and quite dirty, with trash strewn everywhere. We made our way to the lifts, which would take us to the Mall Road. After taking the tickets, we stood in line for the lift to arrive. Once again, we were reminded of why our people make terrible tourists. People just started pushing and shoving to get to the front, personal space be damned. When the lift doors opened, everyone tried to push in, leaving no space for the people inside to come out. The guard had to physically push people to the side to make way. Sigh... Once inside, we were packed like sardines with barely enough space to wiggle our toes!

There are two lifts to get to the Mall Road. Once at the top, it seemed the climate changed all of a sudden! It was foggy and slightly drizzling.









Lunch

Sher E Punjab, Mall Road - Shimla

This restaurant was recommended by our captain and was located somewhere on Mall Road. It served mainly North Indian food. While the hotel was neat and had a nice view of the hills, the staff were quite rude. We asked for the menu several times politely, but they pointedly ignored us. I had to channel my inner Dhanbad and make a rude demand before we were waited upon. The food was quite tasty though.

Cuisine: North Indian, Punjabi
Dishes we tried: Jeera rice, Butter Naan, Lachha Parantha, Butter Chicken, Chilly Chicken

Rating: 7.5/10








Mall Road, Shimla

Our captain contacted us on the walkie-talkie and gave us one hour to explore Mall Road, asking us to meet near the lift. We spent the time walking along the narrow streets, enjoying the cool, soothing mist and drizzle. We did some shopping as well, bargaining hard at each shop. We managed to get a Rs.1600 shawl for Rs.500, which left us wondering what it would have actually cost. We also stopped at a small tea shop and had some delicious kesar and badam tea.







It was quite congested by now, and it took us some time to get out of Shimla. Soon, we crossed Kufri and made our way to Narkanda. The traffic eased once we crossed Kufri, and we were able to make good time.



Coffee Break

Khadu Cafe, Matiana - Narkanda

Due to a slight misunderstanding, we were under the impression that our hotel was in Narkanda, while it was, in fact, a few kilometers before. We overshot the hotel and drove on for a few kilometers when we got a call from our captain. As we were planning to turn back, we saw this beautiful cafe by the road and decided to stop there for coffee. It had a very rustic, quaint ambiance about it. The floor was made of hay, and it had a great view of the valley. The staff were very pleasant, which included an old boy doggo who kept us company. The coffee was sweetened with jaggery and honey and tasted awesome. We also bought a small jar of apple jam, which was delicious as well.


Cuisine: Cafe, fast food
Dishes we tried: Coffee, tea, biscuits, apple jam
Rating: 7.5/10









This cafe seemed to be a popular spot for explorers, as we saw many stickers of various travel groups, YouTube channels, and Instagram channels on their walls and windows. It got me thinking—can we get similar bite-sized stickers for Team-BHP as well? I'm pretty sure our members have explored every nook and cranny of India, and it would be great to leave our mark too.


After coffee, we drove back to our hotel. On the way, we noticed that the roads were lined with apple orchards. It was apple-growing season, and farmers had covered the trees to protect the growing fruits.







Stay

Hotel Apple View, Sandhu - Narkanda

The hotel is located by the NH5, a few kilometers before Narkanda. Although we had missed it earlier, the bikers had arrived and flagged us down. The hotel was very neat and tidy, with an excellent view of the valley and its apple orchards. Just as we were checking in and planning on taking a walk, it started pouring rain, and we hurriedly went inside.







The rain had slowed to a drizzle by the time we freshened up, so we decided to take a walk. The view from the hotel and its surroundings was exquisite. The hotel was aptly named, as all we could see were apple orchards all around us. Soon, a fog descended upon the area, making it all the more serene. We wanted to walk down into one of the nearby orchards, but the rain suddenly became heavier, and we had to return to our rooms.










Dinner

Hotel Apple View, Sandhu - Narkanda

Breakfast and dinner were included in our package, and the captains informed us in the WhatsApp group when the food was ready. It was quite cold, so we had to take our jackets. The food was decent, and since we were the only ones there at the time, we had the entire dining area to ourselves.

Cuisine: North Indian
Dishes we tried: Rice, roti, chicken curry, vegetable masala, paneer
Rating: 7.5/10





After dinner, there was another short briefing by the captains. Even though we were all a bit tired after the first day's travel, we were very excited about what was coming up next. Our next destination was Chitkul, and our captains informed us that it would be one of the longest single-day drives of the trip. After the briefing, we all spent time together in the lobby getting to know each other. Soon, we were all yawning and slowly turned in for the night. It had been a great first day of driving, and I was really looking forward to the next few days.

End of Day 03

[GeneralJazz]

Day 04

Narkanda to Chitkul

After a good night's sleep, we woke up to a very cold and foggy morning. It was drizzling as well, so we couldn't explore the surroundings, sadly. There seemed to be some issue with the generator as it kept cutting out, leaving most of us with partially charged phones. The power banks we brought came in quite useful for the day.

There was another short briefing session before breakfast, where the captains informed us that it was going to be one of the longest drives of the trip. They also mentioned that we would start climbing from now on and advised us to drink plenty of water and take Diamox daily to prevent AMS.



Breakfast

Hotel Apple View, Sandhu - Narkanda

After finishing up our packing, we quickly had breakfast. Though there were limited options, it was decent, and we had our fill.

Cuisine: North Indian
Dishes we tried: Poori, bhaji, sandwich,
Rating: 7/10

Hatu Peak - Narkanda

From the hotel, it was about a 40-minute drive to Narkanda, and we went in a tight convoy. Once at Narkanda, the captains arranged local taxis for the passengers in the Traveller, while the bikers rode ahead. We were given the option to either take a taxi or drive ourselves. We chose the latter option, which turned out to be the best decision we made that day. Though the roads were super narrow and there were several nerve-wracking moments, the driving experience was totally worth it.

The road started out well, though narrow, but soon became even narrower and actually dangerous. There were several hairpin bends and blind curves, with exactly enough room for one car. I had a tough time negotiating the Thar, with its wide turning radius, even having to make two attempts to cross certain hairpins. Some sections felt as if I was half off the road. And that wasn't even the worst part. Remember when I said the road is barely wide enough for one car? Well, we had to make do with two-way traffic here. There were occasional wider sections which we had to use to make way for traffic, but they were few and far between. The bikers were ahead and gave us crucial info over the radio about oncoming traffic, and we were able to adjust accordingly.

To reach the top without blocking the road, I had to drive really fast—dangerously fast, according to my passengers. The bouncy, unstable Thar did not make it easy on me. It was like rally driving a boat for 25 minutes. Poo came out quite liberally several times, especially on some sections that were covered in thick fog, reducing visibility to near zero. At long last, we made it to the top.










All that poo-inducing driving was worth it, though, as the view from the top was simply magnificent. After parking the Thar, we set about exploring the surroundings before entering the temple premises. Surrounded by lush conifers and brightly colored flowers, we took our time taking in the views.








The Hatu Mata Temple is a wooden temple, said to be dedicated to Mandodari, wife of Ravanan. It is also believed that the Pandavar stayed here for some time during their exile. Surrounded by dense conifer forests and shrouded in fog, the whole place had a mystical air to it. We spent some time around the temple, enjoying the peaceful serenity of the place. I wanted to relax as much as possible before resuming the next part of the rally down the peak.








The drive downhill was even more stressful. Traffic was starting to build up, and we began encountering more and more vehicles coming uphill. This meant I had to drive faster to reach the next wider section. The bikers helped out tremendously with their timely updates over the radio. Poo had come out several times by the time we reached the bottom.


Coffee

Roadside Eatery - Kumarsain

We stopped at a roadside eatery just outside of Kumarsain for some coffee. The drive wasn't pleasant at all. Most of the HP drivers we encountered drove like absolute maniacs. Overtaking on blind curves seemed to be all the rage. The less said about the HRTC buses, the better. They seemed intent on giving tough competition to North KL buses with the way they were driving. You either got out of their way or became roadkill.

Cuisine: Tea stall
Dishes we tried: Tea, snacks
Rating: 5/10










The captains informed us to stop just outside Jeori for lunch. With the bikers far ahead somewhere and the Traveller nowhere to be seen, we drove at our own pace. The roads were good for the most part, with some terrible sections in between. From the way some sections were damaged and partially cleared, it seemed there had been plenty of small landslides along this route. Even in these sections, the HP drivers drove crazily, often forcing us to the edges! As we approached Rampur, we got stuck in a super long traffic jam that took around 20 minutes to clear, exacerbated by absolute morons who tried to get ahead and blocked oncoming traffic.











Lunch

Ruhani Shudh Vaishno Bhojnalya - Jeori

The Traveller had already arrived at the hotel, but the bikers were nowhere to be seen. Here, we learned that one of the bikers had a nasty accident, and they had taken him to a nearby clinic for first aid. We ordered food while we waited for them to arrive. The food was very basic, and we had to make do with what we got.

Cuisine: North Indian
Dishes we tried: Maggi, vegetarian thali
Rating: 5/10









The bikers arrived just as we were finishing our meal. Unfortunately, there weren't any doctors at the clinic, so the injured rider had to travel with the backup truck to the restaurant. My wife, being a doctor, did a basic check on him and determined that he had a dislocation and possible rib fractures. She stabilized him with some bandages. One of the captains secured a local taxi and accompanied him to Shimla, where his relatives came to meet him and take him home.


Having done all we could, we continued our journey. From my experience driving in and around the Western Ghats, the locals are usually the most careful and well-mannered drivers, but the drivers here proved me completely wrong. After several expletive-filled kilometers and numerous narrow misses, we reached a section that looked like the aftermath of a recent landslide. Bulldozers were clearing debris, and a cop was stationed at either end to manage traffic. One vehicle was being let through at a time, and the cop told us not to slow down for the entire stretch. Using Jeremy Clarkson's solution to every known problem in the universe—speed and power—we bounced and skidded our way to the other end in one go.







Kinnaur Rock Tunnel

Soon we reached one of the coolest landmarks of the region, the rock gate entrance to Kinnaur district. We just had to get down for pics.










Taranda Mata Temple, Taranda

Located a few kilometres after the rock gate, this temple is dedicated to Taranda Maa, a deity from the nearby Taranda village. According to various sources, the temple was built by the army. During the construction of NH5 after the India-China war, several workers lost their lives due to falling rocks and landslides. The locals of Taranda village suggested that the army build a temple at this site and move the Taranda Maa idol from the village temple here. It is said that the army still contributes to the upkeep of the temple.

Day 04 to be continued....

[GeneralJazz]

Day 04 continued....

We were approaching sunset, and the roads had almost emptied by now. The road ran alongside the mighty Sutlej for several kilometers. Originating from Lake Rakshastal in Tibet, China, the Sutlej is the longest of the five rivers of Punjab and a tributary of the Indus. Interestingly, the Sutlej (along with the Indus) is an antecedent pre-Himalayan river, meaning it existed long before the Himalayas were even formed! We crossed the Sutlej a couple of times through narrow Bailey bridges.

Karcham Bridge, Confluence of Sutlej and Baspa rivers

Soon, we reached the famous Karcham bridge, which happens to be the confluence point of the Sutlej and Baspa rivers. The road ahead leads to Kalpa, Nako, and Kaza, while the road across the bridge leads to Chitkul and the Indo-Tibetan border. From the bridge, we could see large-scale construction work by JSW, working on several hydroelectric projects. We stopped at the bridge for a while, taking in the raw beauty of the place. It was extremely windy as well. From the other side of the bridge, we could see the confluence of the two rivers.









The road deteriorated after the bridge and became narrower. It was starting to get dark as well. There were several sections barely wide enough for one vehicle. The Traveller driver, Vicky Bhaiya, instructed me to follow him closely, and he would show me where to stop for oncoming traffic. This turned out to be both a good and scary decision. It was good because I knew when to brake and where to turn (several times we encountered sharp blind turns with narrow edges that would have resulted in me panic braking). It was scary because Vicky Bhaiya was flying rather than driving. I had a tough time keeping up with him, and more poo came out. The road steadily deteriorated, yet he showed no signs of slowing down. The magnificent beast that is the Thar took all the abuse in stride and didn’t break a sweat. Sure, the rear end decided to jump off the edge several times, and the front end wanted to drive into the mountain wall, but still, it’s a helluva beast.






Sangla Market - Sangla

We reached Sangla town by sunset and stopped at the market. They gave us 30 minutes for purchases. We set about exploring the market and bought some souvenirs and other trinkets, as well as some snacks. It might have been the sunset or the mountains, but Sangla reminded us of Kargil for some reason, albeit much more colourful and lively. We loved the quaint little town and would have enjoyed having more time to explore.










A mani wheel, or prayer wheel, is a Buddhist prayer device inscribed with Tibetan script. Spinning it once is said to be equivalent to reciting the prayer once. As soon as I saw this, I was super excited. Fans of Far Cry 4 would instantly recognise it, and it’s impossible to walk away without spinning it.

Stay

Nargu Camp & Adventure - Chitkul

Chitkul was still about an hour away from Sangla, and the roads were really bad. I engaged 4H on the Thar for additional grip, as in 2H the rear tended to step out, especially over bad undulations. After driving in absolute darkness for a while, we reached Chitkul village, where the whole area was suddenly lit up by a bunch of camps and adventure stays. Our camp was located beyond the village, along the Indo-Tibetan border road. The camp was very neat, and the tents were tidy and clean.

After being on the road for close to 12 hours, it felt wonderful to kick back and enjoy a warm drink near a campfire. Even though everyone was weary, we spent a lot of time around the fire, having dinner, playing music, and getting to know each other. The food was delicious, and the ambiance of the place made it even better. The roaring Baspa River provided a soothing background noise. One by one, we turned in for the night.

End of Day 04

[GeneralJazz]

Day 05

Chitkul to Nako

We woke up very early to the sound of the rushing river. The sun was rising over the mountains, and a slight morning fog lingered in the air. We took a lazy walk around the campsite and the nearby roads. It was a truly beautiful and peaceful sight—one of the prettiest mornings we’ve had in a long time.

Indo-Tibetan Border - Chitkul

Chitkul is often called the last village of India, and that morning we discovered just how fitting that name is. Just a few kilometres down the road, we came across the Indo-Tibetan Border check-post. Controlled by the Border Police, a special paramilitary branch, civilian entry is restricted beyond this point. A patrolling policeman informed us that the actual border is about 50 kilometres from the check-post. While the natives are allowed to go a few kilometres past this point, all other civilian access is strictly prohibited.







Chitkul Village - Chitkul

After spending some time at the check-post, we drove past our camp and continued all the way to Chitkul Village. Since we had crossed it the previous night in pitch darkness, this was our first time truly seeing it. It was a tiny, quaint, and extremely beautiful village, with most of the houses built in the traditional style—living area on top, with storage below. There were quite a few homestays in the small town, and the already narrow roads were half-occupied by tourists' vehicles. We parked a few metres outside the town and walked the rest of the way.

About 200 metres into the village, we came across the Mathi Devi Temple. Made almost entirely of wood, it was indeed a hidden gem. The intricate designs and patterns on the woodwork were stunning, even the wood-framed entrance was adorned with intricate details. The temple seemed to be an excellent example of a blend of Indian and Tibetan architectural styles. There were three buildings within the courtyard.










Chitkul Monastery - Chitkul

There was a narrow path behind the temple that led further into the village. It was a steep uphill climb, and we were left panting after just a few metres. The local children found it quite amusing to watch us struggle to catch our breath. At the very top of the path, we came across a small, beautiful monastery. Built in the typical Tibetan style, it looked stunning against the backdrop of the rocky mountains.









We climbed down the path and explored a bit more of the village, and were quite surprised to find a post office even in such a remote place. We also met some locals, and for the first time, experienced a hint of the much-talked-about dislike that some native people have towards outsiders. While nothing was overt, we could sense a bit of unease in the way they stared at us. However, it was soon time for breakfast, and our complaining tummies pushed all other thoughts out of our minds except for food.









On the way back to the camp, we encountered a different type of traffic. The road was completely blocked by a herd of cows. There were a couple of cowherds around, but they were too busy ensuring the cows didn’t yeet themselves off the edge of the road. Initially, I didn’t want to honk, fearing it might panic them and set off a stampede, but the cowherds told me to honk loudly if I wanted to get across. So I did! While a few of them were polite enough to move aside, the rest of the cattle behaved like… well, cattle! I had to gently nudge them to get them to make way.







Breakfast

Nargu Camp - Chitkul

The food was decent, but the ginger tea was delicious. More than the meal itself, it was the fantastic scenery that truly stood out. We took our time, savouring both the food and the view.

Cuisine: North Indian
Dishes we tried: Aloo paratha, bread omelette, poha, curd
Rating: 6.5/10







Hindustan Ka Aakhri Dhaba - Chitkul

After a very satisfying breakfast, we set off from the camp in a convoy. As we crossed Chitkul, we stopped at the famous Hindustan Ka Aakhri Dhaba. Made popular by social media, it's touted as the last eatery in India, though ironically, it isn’t. We actually passed by one more tea stall on the way to the Indo-Tibetan border. This one seemed to be much more popular, judging by the sheer number of stickers and signatures on the board. It’s a tiny eatery overlooking the Baspa River, run by a very sweet elderly person. Though we were still full from breakfast, we couldn’t resist having some coffee, just for the experience.









We soon bid farewell to the beautiful Chitkul and drove back to Karcham Bridge, where we would take a right turn. The route was extremely scenic and looked quite different in the morning light compared to the evening before. We stopped at several points to take pictures, but reluctantly continued when the captains hailed us over the radio, urging us to rejoin the convoy.









Suicide Point, Roghi - Kalpa

Kalpa is a small yet extremely pretty village by the Sutlej River. We took a diversion from NH5 and had to climb several hairpin bends to reach it. An interesting fact about Kalpa: Shyam Saran Negi, a resident of this village, was the first person to cast a vote in the 1951 elections, making him the first voter of independent India! We drove through the narrow roads of the town, with small farms and orchards on either side. It had been steadily getting drier since Chitkul, so Kalpa provided a refreshing burst of greenery.

We drove past the town along the Kalpa-Roghi road to reach the famous Suicide Point. It's a small area by the road that offers a stunning view of the surrounding mountains. As we parked, we noticed the Thar buffeting a bit, and as soon as we opened the door, we were blasted in the face by some chilly mountain wind. It was so windy that the doors slammed shut by themselves. Some of the travellers had brought selfie stands, but they were instantly knocked down by the gusts.









The Traveller looked absolutely tiny, like a small toy compared to the gigantic mountain wall.







Sadly, we couldn't explore Kalpa due to the paucity of time and soon continued on our way to Nako.



Lunch

River View Hotel - Spillow

For lunch, the captains planned to stop at Spillow. It was about an hour and a half from Kalpa, and we were getting quite hungry. We got held up for a bit on the way due to road construction, so by the time we reached Spillow, we were starving. The tiny Himalayan town had only about three restaurants. Driven by hunger, we rushed into the first one we spotted. It was clean and offered a great view of the Sutlej—unfortunately, that's where the positives ended.

The waiter, a young guy who seemed to suffer from the most severe form of ADHD known to modern medicine, refused to write down our orders and couldn't seem to get a single one right. We ordered rotis, paneer, and meals, but the meals never arrived. Some of us got just the dal without plates or rotis; others received only rotis, and a few ended up with a plate of vegetables they hadn't ordered, and nothing else. It was an absolute mess.

We could understand that it was a small restaurant and that they were probably overwhelmed by the sudden rush, but the service was hilariously, comically, tragically horrible. We asked for lassi, which never came, and instead got some noodles we hadn't ordered. The kitchen had just two people working who didn’t seem to care about the chaos. Half of our group left hangry and made do with tea and snacks from a nearby stall. After asking for drinking water for what felt like the millionth time and not getting any, we roughly calculated the total from the menu, paid, and left silently. It was truly the funniest and saddest lunch we had on the whole trip.


Cuisine: North Indian
Dishes we tried: Roti, paneer
Rating: 0.000/10











The landscape seemed to mirror our disappointing lunch, growing drier and more barren the further we went. Just past Pooh, we stopped to top up on fuel.

Day 05 to be continued...

[GeneralJazz]

Day 05 continued...

Khab Sangam Bridge - Confluence of Sutlej & Spiti

We drove for several kilometres parallel to the Sutlej until we reached the Khab bridge, the confluence point of the Sutlej and Spiti rivers. It was incredibly windy here, so much so that it made our eyes sting. The wind seemed to come from the Spiti river side, possibly funneled by the gorges. The noise was spectacularly loud as well, though we couldn't decide whether it was from the rivers or the wind. As we spent time here, the rugged mountain walls and the raging rivers served as a stark reminder of where we truly were.

We learned from the captains that the nearby Khab village is one of the trading towns along the Indo-Tibetan border. The famous Shipki La, one of the few mountain passes into Tibet, is just a few kilometres from the town. The other passes are Nathu La in Sikkim and Lipu Lekh in Uttarakhand. Only locals are allowed past this point.













We took one of the captain's Himalayan 450s for a short ride, which brought back memories of our Ladakh journey. While it was an exhilarating experience, I must admit I prefer driving the Thar through the mountains.








It grew colder, drier, and more rugged with each passing kilometre. Soon, we reached the hairpin curves near Ka village. There were so many and they were so steep that we could see parts of our convoy both above and below us. The roads were spectacularly maintained—kudos to the BRO. But do keep an eye out for shooting stones. At one point, even though the convoy was spread out over several kilometres, we could all reach each other on the radio because the top of the loops was only a few hundred meters above the bottom. It was that steep. It reminded us of our ride over the dreaded Gata Loops, where we nearly passed out from hypoxia and the cold.







Nako

After navigating through narrow streets, we finally reached our destination for the day—the tiny Himalayan village of Nako. If Spiti is a desert, then Nako is a tiny oasis. We carefully made our way through the village's narrow lanes to reach our hotel. The streets were so narrow that the Traveller had difficulty getting through! At one point, we took a wrong turn and had to reverse 100 metres uphill. The Thar kept stalling, and it wasn’t until I engaged 4H that we were able to move. It was concerning to see the sheer number of homestays and hotels springing up, especially given the limited space in the village. None of the stays had any parking, and I could only imagine the chaos during peak season.



Stay

Nako Residency - Nako

It took us a while to navigate to our stay. It was one of the newer properties in the area, and apparently, the owner also has a few other properties nearby. There’s a tiny parking space, barely enough for four vehicles. The rooms were new, very neat, and offered a good view of the nearby valley.









Nako Lake

After freshening up, we walked to the nearby monastery. Unfortunately, it was closed by the time we arrived, so we decided to head to the lake instead. It’s about a 300-400 metre walk through the village to reach the lake, but at 12,000 feet altitude, it was quite taxing, and we were out of breath by the time we got there. On the way, we spotted many prayer wheels, and I couldn’t resist spinning every single one of them—anyone who’s played FarCry 4 would do the same!

The village was a typical Himalayan one, with almost all the houses built in a similar style. Each had storage areas that seemed full of firewood, likely in preparation for the winter ahead. We met a few locals, but they didn’t seem very friendly. The lake was beautiful, with “tranquil” being the perfect word to describe it. There was boating on the other side, and we could see some of our fellow travellers enjoying themselves. We sat by the lake, enjoying calm atmosphere and the cool, gentle breeze. We would have stayed until nightfall if not for some tourists who arrived with Bluetooth speakers, blaring loud Bollywood songs and ruining the serene vibes of the place.

From the lake, we could see a viewpoint on the nearby hill. Our captain had told us it wasn’t accessible by car and that we’d have to walk all the way. We climbed several hundred metres and soon found ourselves completely out of breath. While trying to muster the willpower to continue, we met a local who informed us, matter-of-factly, that the viewpoint was “only” a 40-minute climb from where we stood. That noped our plan and we walked, no struggled, our way back to the monastery and return to the hotel.












By the time we got back to the monastery, the sun had just set, and the mountains were showing off completely different shades in the fading light. From the monastery, we had a great view of Liyo village across the Spiti River.









Dinner

Nako Residency

Dinner was simple, with just a few items, but everything was quite good. With only a few other guests in the hotel, the dining room had a calm and peaceful vibe.

Cuisine: North Indian
Dishes we tried: Roti, chicken curry, mix veg curry, rice, gulab jamun
Rating: 7/10




After dinner, we wanted to take a walk through town, but it seemed like the town sleeps early, and the streets were completely dark. We went back to our rooms and spent a long time on the balcony, enjoying the view of the town and the mountains. Once it got too cold, we turned in for the night.

End of Day 05

[GeneralJazz]

Day 06

Nako to Kaza

Nako Viewpoint

After a good night's sleep, we woke up nice and early. We were still a bit disappointed about not visiting the viewpoint the previous day, so we decided to drive to the monastery and try the climb again. As we got into the Thar, I had the crazy idea to drive as far as we could and then walk the rest of the way. After all, the Thar was specifically designed for people like me who prefer not to walk but still want to enjoy amazing viewpoints.

We drove to the edge of town where the roads ended, and what looked like a motorable trail began. We decided to take our chances and drive as far as we felt safe. It was a steep uphill drive, and we kept the Thar in 4H the whole way. The trail got narrower and steeper, but we could now see the viewpoint. With no way to turn back, we continued until we found a section wide enough to make a turn.

The Thar lived up to its reputation, and we got some amazing shots that will definitely be my wallpaper for a while.













We took some time to explore the area. It had a very sacred, peaceful vibe with all the prayer flags and stupas around. Some prayers in Tibetan script were carved onto the rocks and stones nearby. The giant Mani wheel was wind-powered and slowly spun in the morning breeze. There were plenty of small structures that looked religious, though I wasn’t sure what they were. We also noticed stones stacked up all around and made sure to leave our contribution as well.











From this vantage point, we could see the entire town, including the lake. A huge thanks to YouTuber Pankaj Bali for the incredible drone shots.









We could see the trail snaking its way up the mountain, leading to who knows where. Cockiness got the better of me, and we drove about 100 metres ahead on the trail until we reached a corner. From here, the trail became so narrow, steep, and treacherous that I had a "valladhum chornu poya thadayan onnum ittitillayirnu" moment (a little shout-out to Punjabi House for the Mallu readers). Having driven myself into a tight spot, I had to reverse all the way back to the earlier clearing. Needless to say, some poo most definitely came out.






On our drive back to the hotel, we noticed traffic starting to build up. The roads were narrow, barely wide enough for one vehicle, and there were probably 20-30 taxis, Innovas, Xylos, all over the place. Some were parked right on the road, partially blocking the way. Since we still had time before breakfast, we decided to head to the monastery, hoping it would be open by now.



Nako Monastery

Driving past our hotel, we parked in front of the monastery. The new meditation hall was open by then, and we spent a few minutes inside in absolute silence. It felt like a quick recharge before facing the stress of the day's driving. The old monastery was also open, allowing us to see the carefully preserved interiors. While there, we met an American doctor who was part of the Himalayan Health Exchange, a multinational health expedition providing crucial healthcare in these remote areas. My wife was very intrigued by their mission, though spending months at a time in such a bleak, unforgiving environment would indeed be a tough challenge.











We decided to leave the Thar at the monastery parking and walk back to the hotel, which turned out to be an excellent decision. As I mentioned earlier, the hotel has parking barely sufficient for four vehicles. The two vehicles parked inside were planning to leave, but the vehicles outside were completely blocking their way. Their owners were nowhere to be found, and it was utter chaos and confusion.

Breakfast

Breakfast was significantly delayed for some reason, and we were starting to get late. It was past 9 AM by the time the food was finally ready. It was average at best, seemed hurriedly made, but we made do with it.

Cuisine: North Indian
Dishes we tried: Poori, bhajji, eggs, bread
Rating: 6/10







Gue/Giyu Monastery - Gue/Giyu Village

After extricating ourselves from Nako, we drove along NH505, parallel to the Spiti River, for about 40 km until we reached a fork in the road. The route through the arch led to Giyu village and its monastery. The road conditions were some of the worst we had encountered so far. The monastery was another 10 km from this point. Initially, we encountered a couple of kilometres of semi-decent roads, but they quickly deteriorated into a bumpy, dusty dirt trail. The Thar was bucking and bouncing like a wild bull, with the rear end constantly trying to take a different path. We stopped, engaged 4H, which tamed the beast and provided much better traction. On the way, we passed through Gue/Giyu, a tiny yet surprisingly green village in the midst of this desert. I later learned that this village has been claimed by China for some time now.










We finally reached the monastery and paid for the entrance. The main building was under renovation, with construction materials scattered everywhere. Despite this, it retained a certain grace, standing out as a bright spot amid the gray surroundings. Nestled among mountains on all sides, the monastery is situated in an incredibly scenic spot. The line of mountains visible behind the monastery is actually the Indo-China border.











This is the mountain line that forms the border. You can see bunkers on the peaks, likely still in use by the military.







The monastery is famous for its 500-year-old mummy, housed in an adjacent building. It is said to belong to a monk named Sangha Tenzin and is an astonishing sight. Unlike Egyptian mummies, this was a result of self-mummification. The monk is believed to have undergone a prolonged period of starvation, consuming only toxic nuts and salt, which drained the body of fat and moisture. He mummified himself in a seated position. The mummy was discovered after the 1975 earthquake, which led to further excavation in the area. A similar self-mummification practice is reported among Japanese monks in Yamagata.







As we were leaving the monastery, something odd happened. Different phones displayed different times—while all the Androids and older iPhones showed Indian time, the newer iPhones were set to Beijing, or China Standard Time. This was unsurprising, given how close we were to the border.








From the monastery, we set off for Tabo. After slipping and sliding our way back to the main road, we soon crossed Hurling and Lari, where we spotted the impressive Guru Padmasambhava statue. Known as one of the founding figures of Tibetan Buddhism, this statue was quite a sight.







Tabo Monastery - Tabo

Our next stop was the famous Tabo Monastery. Established in 996, it's over a thousand years old, making it the oldest continuously inhabited Buddhist town in India. Inside the gate, there's the new monastery building and a few souvenir stalls. A large prayer wheel (which of course I had to spin) and a stupa also stand within the grounds. Since both the new and old monasteries were closed, we spent some time wandering around and exploring the nearby shops. When the old monastery finally opened, we went inside. Photography wasn’t allowed, so no pictures. The interior was ancient, cold, and dark, with walls covered in Buddha paintings and the inner hall surrounded by statues of various deities. It was honestly a bit eerie, especially in the candle-lit rear sections. I was relieved to step back into the sunlight.










More Mani wheels. +250 karma!








There were apple and apricot trees all around the monastery. While the apples were still growing, the apricots were already ripe. We picked a few of the fallen ones, and they were incredibly sweet and tasty.

Day 06 to be continued...

[GeneralJazz]

Day 06 continued...

Lunch

The Village Cafe and Restaurant, Near Monastery - Tabo

Located right next to the monastery, the cafe had a nice ambience and a decent menu. We were told it would take at least an hour to prepare the food, so we placed our order and then went to explore the monastery. While the food wasn’t that great, the coffee was excellent.

Cuisine: Tibetan
Dishes we tried: Chicken Thukpa, coffee
Rating: 6.5/10









The landscape kept getting more rugged and raw as we drove deeper into Spiti. It was scorching hot by the time we left the monastery, and the scenery around us was like something out of a sci-fi movie. Occasionally, we'd spot small patches of green, which turned out to be tiny villages. I have no idea how people survive in such harsh conditions. The rocks were especially fascinating, showing strange pillar-like erosion patterns—almost like something aliens would carve out. I wonder what combination of wind and water had shaped them so bizarrely.










Dhankar Monastery - Confluence of Spiti & Pin Rivers

Dhankar Monastery is built onto a cliff overlooking the confluence of the Spiti and Pin rivers. To reach it from the main road, we had to navigate 14 hairpin bends in quick succession. The monastery is built into the mountain face, and it used to be a fort monastery when Dhankar was the capital of the old Spiti Kingdom.

The monastery looked ancient, and at 12,700 feet, the altitude was really starting to get to us. The climb to the main building left us gasping for breath, and we had to sit down for a bit. One of the monks kindly offered us some refreshingly cool water, which was a real lifesaver. We then explored the rest of the monastery, which included meditation rooms, a kitchen, a bedroom, and other prayer rooms. From the monastery, we had a stunning view of the beautiful confluence of the Spiti and Pin rivers. The mountains behind the monastery were dotted with meditation caves used by the resident monks.

There’s a ridiculously steep path beside the monastery that we struggled and gasped our way up. But the effort was worth it—the view of the confluence from the top was fantastic. There seemed to be a tiny village up there as well, probably home to the local residents. Just as we were contemplating the climb down, a lady carrying what looked like a ton of firewood on her back effortlessly made her way up the steep path. She smiled at us while we stood there, completely winded, and questioning some recent life decisions. Eventually, we managed to climb back down to the monastery, where we found a small canteen and bought something to drink.






















Some drone shots of the monastery and the surroundings. Once again thanks to Pankaj for providing the footage.












After leaving the monastery, we descended to the level of the Spiti River and drove for several kilometers right alongside it. Eventually, we found a spot where the riverbed was almost level with the road, and we couldn’t resist trying some off-roading. As soon as we left the road and hit the riverbed, the Thar skidded all over the pebbles. The front and rear ends once again expressed their displeasure, each wanting to go its separate way. We nearly pulled off a 180 while taking a turn.

The view from this spot was absolutely breathtaking—the river, the mountains, the snow-capped peaks, and the setting sun all combined to make it one of the most stunning places we've visited so far. And the wind—wow. It was so strong that it kicked up dust, and we could barely keep our eyes open. We arranged the Traveller, the Thar, the bikes, and the backup truck for a group picture, but the selfie stand kept getting knocked over by the wind. The drone had a tough time staying airborne too. Just as we wrapped up the photo, a strong gust knocked over all the stands, and the drone came crashing down.














Kaza

We continued our drive along the Spiti River until we reached Kaza. Located at 12,000 feet, Kaza, also known as Karzey, is one of the coldest towns in India. Compared to the tiny, minuscule villages and towns we had passed through so far, Kaza felt like a metropolis.


Stay

Kunzum Spiti Inn - Kaza

This would be our stay for the next two nights. Situated right in the heart of the Kaza market, it was one of the older properties. The rooms were average but clean. The best part was the location, allowing us to explore the market as much as we wanted.








After freshening up, we took a stroll through the market. Souvenir stalls lined the streets, though most were ridiculously overpriced. As we wandered aimlessly, we picked up some local apple and rhodo juice—both were absolutely delicious. Ever since our Ladakh trip, we've been big fans of local apple juice, so finally getting some here felt wonderful.






Tea

The Himalayan Cafe, main market - Kaza

While walking back to the hotel, we spotted a nice-looking cafe in the market. It turns out it's a favourite spot for travellers. We noticed several stickers from travel groups and social media channels, and were pleasantly surprised to see a Team BHP sticker. Hopefully, the moderators can come up with a smaller, catchier sticker so that we can leave our mark too.

The cafe was small but had a great ambience. We ordered sea buckthorn berry tea and saffron turmeric milk. The tea instantly became our favourite drink—thick, tangy, and with berry pieces, it was easily one of the best drinks we've had.

Cuisine: Cafe/Fast food
Dishes we tried: Sea buckthorn berry tea, Golden milk (almond, turmeric, saffron)
Rating: 8/10








Dinner

Kunzum Spiti Inn - Kaza

We went back to the hotel for dinner. Since there weren't enough people, they hadn't set up the buffet, so instead, they served all the dishes directly to our tables. The food was really tasty, and we thoroughly enjoyed it.

Cuisine: North Indian
Dishes we tried: Roti, rice, salad, aloo mattar, paneer masala, chicken curry, jilebi
Rating: 7.5/10

End of Day 06

[GeneralJazz]

Day 07

Kaza

On Day 7, we had the whole day to explore Kaza. We woke up early, thinking we could take a walk through the market, but it seemed the area had been taken over by a gang of street dogs. Even the locals passing by carried large sticks with them, so we quickly decided to cancel our walking plans. Instead, we hopped into the Thar and set out to explore the town.

Our first stop was near the Kaza Monastery, with the stupas nearby. The monastery was open, but since a prayer session was in progress, we decided not to go inside. The stupas had rows of mani wheels, and of course, I couldn’t resist spinning them all. We met some local monks, including one who kept running between the monastery and the stupas—perhaps it was part of some ritual?

After driving around town, we headed back to the hotel. By then, the market was starting to get crowded, so we parked in front of the hotel and walked around a bit. It was still early, but we found a small tea shop just opening up. We approached the owner and asked for tea in Hindi. The guy, an ethnic local, very rudely turned us away. Surprised by his hostility, I spoke to my wife in Malayalam, wondering what to do next. Hearing us speak in what he might have thought was some foreign language, he asked where we were from. When we mentioned that we were from Tamil Nadu, his attitude shifted completely. He became very friendly, asked us about the South, and even had someone make us some special tea quickly. As we chatted, it became clear that he wasn’t too fond of outsiders, especially those from the North. He made some politically incorrect comments, which I won’t repeat here.



Breakfast

Kunzum Spiti Inn - Kaza

We had breakfast back at the hotel. Once again, they served the items individually at our table instead of laying out a buffet. The food was good, though.

Cuisine: North Indian
Dishes we tried: Poori bhajji, bread omelette
Rating: 6.5/10







Since there wasn’t much travelling planned for the day, we started leisurely around 10:30 or so. Our plan was to visit Hikkim and Komik, two small villages located about 2,000 feet above Kaza. After crossing the town, we soon began the ascent. It was mostly off-road, but the views were spectacular.









Buddha Statue - Langza

The climb up from Kaza was surprisingly quick, and we seemed to have gained nearly 2,000 feet within an hour or so. Langza is a small village with fewer than 200 people, known as the fossil village of Spiti. The main attraction here is the large Buddha statue and the nearby monastery. The statue, believed to be about a thousand years old, overlooks the valley.

It’s a short walk from the monastery to the statue, but the sudden increase in altitude hit us hard. We were completely out of breath by the time we reached the statue, needing to stop multiple times just to avoid passing out. Even the Thar seemed to struggle on the last few hairpins, barely managing to pull in 2nd gear.

There were several cafes and homestays around the statue, and we learned that Langza is a popular spot for stargazing, which explains the number of homestays in such a remote location. The uphill walk back to the monastery was exhausting. We took a water bottle with us, and drinking water somehow made it a bit better. We had to stop several times along the way to catch our breath. We even saw someone being carried to the top—probably a victim of the altitude, like us.
















Quite surprisingly, there were some locals selling fossils that appeared to be of marine animals. After a bit of research, I learned that Langza was actually a coastal region before India became part of Asia. When the Indian tectonic plate collided with the Eurasian plate, giving rise to the Himalayas, the sea disappeared, leaving behind these fascinating fossils.










Komik Monastery - Komik Village

It was about an hour's drive to Komik. The roads soon gave way to dirt trails, including some proper off-road sections. Komik is one of the highest motorable villages in the world. The original monastery, the Tangyud Gompa, was built around the 14th century but completely collapsed in the 1975 earthquake. The new monastery, built near the village, sits at an altitude of nearly 15,000 feet. This was the highest altitude we reached during the entire trip, second only to our ride through Khardung La on our Ladakh trip.

The monastery was closed, but we explored the surroundings, including a small living quarters nearby. It was extremely peaceful, and the cool breeze was very soothing. We had some water from the nearby cafe and were enjoying the sanctity of the place when some tourists sitting nearby started blasting the wretched "Tauba Tauba" song on a speaker. Annoyed, we walked away from the place.












India's Highest Post Office - Hikkim

From Komik, we drove to Hikkim village, one of the highest year-round inhabited villages in India. The post office, located at 14,400 ft, is India's highest and one of the world's highest as well, with a PIN code of 172114. We bought a bunch of postcards from a nearby shop and mailed them to our parents and ourselves. From the post office, we could also see the Hikkim polling station, the world's highest polling station.








We even sent one to our future selves, just like that future Dwight prank from The Office.









Lunch

Noryang Hotel - Kee Village

From Hikkim, we drove to Kee Monastery, one of the most iconic locations in Kaza. It’s situated in a different direction from Hikkim, so we had to descend back to Kaza and then head towards Kee village. It was lunchtime, so we stopped at a small hotel near the monastery for a bite to eat. The food was decent, and the service was reasonably quick. The Thukpa was much better than the one we had at Tabo.

Cuisine: Tibetan, Chinese
Dishes we tried: Chicken Thukpa, Schezwan noodles
Rating: 7/10











Kee Monastery

Kee Monastery is the largest in the entire Spiti Valley. According to information at the monastery, it was established around 1064. Over the centuries, it has faced multiple attacks—by the Sakyas, the Mongols, Kullu, the Dogras of Kashmir, a Sikh army, and even suffered damage in the 1975 earthquake. The monastery's distinctive, haphazard layout is a result of these repeated rebuilds and damages.

As we climbed the hairpins leading to Kee, the monastery came into view, and it was a spectacular sight indeed. Upon reaching the entrance, there was a bit of a climb from the parking area, which left us winded once again.

Inside, the monastery was wonderfully calm and peaceful. Built into the side of a mountain, it was very cool, with the walls actually cold to the touch. We spent about two hours exploring its various nooks and crannies. The monastery’s layout was so extensive and intricate that we feared we might get lost. We discovered numerous prayer halls, a kitchen, and even cave-like sleeping quarters. I imagine it would be incredibly cold at night, let alone freezing during the winter.

From the top, we had a view of the surrounding mountains, including the statues. Thin trails snaked their way up the mountains, seemingly leading to meditation caves.













Sooo many Mani wheels!






The drive back to Kaza was uneventful, except for crossing a rather suspicious wooden bridge just before the town. Once back at the hotel, we freshened up and headed out to the market. Our main goal was to get more of that wonderful Sea Buckthorn tea from Himalayan Cafe. However, the smell of fresh bakery items from a nearby cafe harpooned our olfactory lobe and dragged us inside. We tried the Chocolate Ball from Spiti Bakery, which was average at best, before making our way to Himalayan Cafe. There, we ordered the Sea Buckthorn tea and juice. While the tea was incredible, the juice was just as delightful.








Dinner

Cafe Piti, Kaza Market - Kaza

After the tea, we wandered around the market and purchased some reasonably priced souvenirs. As the sun began to set, we decided to try a local restaurant. We chose Cafe Piti, which was nearby and looked fantastic, with a great ambience. Piti, along with Sapithi, is actually how locals pronounce the name of the valley.

Cafe Piti had both indoor and outdoor dining areas, and we opted for the latter. The menu was basically Tibetan, Nepali, and Bhutanese dishes. We ordered Ema Datshi momos, which are steamed chicken momos in a Bhutanese cheese-based gravy. I also tried Tsa Cha, a Tibetan salted tea. After one sip, the Sea Buckthorn tea slid to number two on my list of favourite drinks. The thick, buttery, slightly salty tea was absolutely delicious, and I savoured every drop. The momos were, without a doubt, the best we had.

Cuisine: Tibetan
Dishes we tried: Ema Datshi momos, Tsa Cha, Sea Buckthorn Tea
Rating: 9/10









After the very satisfying dinner, we strolled around the market until it began to close down, and the streets were reclaimed by the canine thugs.

End of Day 07

[GeneralJazz]

Day 08

Kaza to Chandra Taal Lake

The previous evening, we received some very disturbing news. A massive cloudburst had occurred in Manali, resulting in many roads being washed away. Social media posts revealed the enormous scale of the damage, and the local government issued warnings to avoid travel. What worried us most was that once we left Kaza, we would be off the grid for more than 24 hours, with no way to get updates on the situation there. With turning back as the last resort, we decided to push on.

Breakfast

Kunzum Spiti Inn - Kaza

Since it was going to be a long, tiring drive to Chandra Taal, we planned to start early. Breakfast had to be rushed, and it was just average.

Cuisine: North Indian
Dishes we tried: Aloo paratha, bread, eggs
Rating: 6/10




We left Kaza soon after breakfast. Though small and quaint, it would definitely leave a lasting memory with us. From Kaza, we took the Kibber-Chicham route, which would join the main road somewhere before Kiyatho.





Chicham Bridge - Kaza

Suspended at an altitude of 13,596 feet above sea level and spanning nearly 400 feet, Chicham Bridge has the highest elevation above mean sea level in the world. This engineering marvel connects the villages of Chicham and Kibber, crossing a nearly 500-foot gorge with one of Spiti's tributaries flowing far below.

We parked on the other side and got out to take in the magnificent view. It took us a couple of minutes to fully grasp what we were seeing. At first glance, it seemed like just another small, narrow bridge, similar to the countless others we'd seen. But as we stepped onto the bridge and looked down, our breath caught in our throats. The view was simply fantastic, and just a little bit terrifying.

It was very windy as we walked along the bridge, and it seemed to sway slightly when heavy vehicles passed. We didn't want to leave, but the captains had to literally herd us back to the vehicles.




















After joining the main road, we continued towards Losar. The roads deteriorated with each passing kilometre, so I engaged 4H again as the Thar continued to misbehave. Despite the rough road conditions, we passed by some of the most spectacular landscapes we had seen so far.










Lunch

Samsong Cafe - Losar


By the time we reached Losar, some road work was going on, and the roads had improved a bit. We arrived around 12 PM and decided to have an early lunch. There were only three hotels in this tiny town, and the food was decent. Judging by the large number of travelers who had stopped here, this seemed to be one of the last towns for a while. It was a bit of a strange sight—a small village with barely ten shops, yet around 40-50 bikes, 5-10 cars, and a few Travellers parked all around.

Cuisine: Fast food
Dishes we tried: Egg noodles, lemon juice
Rating: 6.5/10









Just outside of town, we encountered a police check post where we had to get down and enter the details of the vehicle and passengers. A board near the check post warned us that we were going off the grid. We took the advice seriously and called our families to let them know we'd be unreachable for the next 24 hours. They were actually relieved it was only going to be 24 hours—during our Ladakh trip, we were off the grid for days at a time, especially during the Nubra-Pangong part of the ride.





The roads were practically non-existent, turning our journey into an off-road adventure all the way. We had to navigate through lunar-sized craters, but the Thar took the abuse in stride. With 4H engaged, I had much better grip, and I mostly drove in 1st gear due to the rough road conditions.







Kunzum La

Kunzum La is a high-altitude mountain pass that connects the Lahaul and Spiti valleys. At an elevation of 14,900 feet, it was the highest point of our entire trip. We stopped at the pass near the stupas dedicated to Kunzum Mata. The view from this point was breathtaking, both literally and figuratively. We could see multiple glaciers forming from the melting snow, feeding into the nearby streams. The wind was so strong that we couldn’t tell if the loud whooshing sound was from the wind itself or the river nearby.















Just after crossing the pass, we took a diversion from the NH505 towards Chandra Taal. The roads deteriorated further, with giant craters, water crossings, and narrow edges. Even at this altitude, it was uncomfortably hot during the noon. I had to drive in 1st gear almost the entire way. Being completely off the grid, we relied heavily on the walkie-talkie to stay connected. After what felt like forever, we came across a camping ground where several different camps had been set up. With no network and the Google location of the camp being completely off, it took us a few minutes to locate ours.








Stay

Kabila Nature Camps - Chandra Taal

The camp setup near the lake was basic, but considering the location, it was good enough. The tents were reasonably clean, and after settling in, we got into our respective tents for some rest before heading out to Chandra Taal.

Day 08 to be continued...

[GeneralJazz]

Day 08 continued...

Chandra Taal Lake

After a bit of rest, we drove towards Chandra Taal. Located at 14,100 feet, it is a high-altitude Himalayan lake and among the highest lakes in India, even higher than Pangong Tso. It's a popular trekking spot, with trails starting from as far as Kunzum La. The lake is actually the source of the Chandra River, which, in turn, is one of the source rivers of the mighty Chenab.

From the camps, it was about 4 km to the lake, a route that included some hairpin bends. There was one more check post where we had to enter our details; the check post closes around 5:30 pm. The route to the lake was horrendous—giant lunar craters, Himalayan-sized boulders, a narrow trail with two-way traffic, and the dust. Oh god, the dust. Every vehicle left behind a huge cloud of superfine dust that got everywhere. We were behind the bikers, and by the time we reached the top, we were all covered in white dust.

The trail ends in a parking area, from where it’s a 1 km trek to the lake. Though it wasn’t difficult by any account, it was taxing due to the altitude. Perhaps we were acclimatized by now, but we made it without being completely winded this time. After about half a kilometre, we finally got our first look at the lake.












The water was very cool, and it was refreshing to sit there and soak our feet. It was quite windy as well, with the breeze becoming cooler with each passing minute. Even though there was a crowd and people were blasting loud music on speakers, we only had to walk a few hundred meters along the bank to find a peaceful spot. We sat around, enjoying the beauty of the place and the splendid views. Pankaj flew his drone above the lake, and the views from up top were amazing.

I was reading the over-tourism thread, where people from tourist towns mentioned how tourists have very little regard for the area, and we could see it here as well. Despite clear signs not to enter the lake, we saw a group who had stripped down to their undies and were playing around in the water while blasting loud Bollywood tracks on their speaker (that goddamn "Tauba Tauba" song was everywhere!). Cigarette butts and other waste were strewn about. So much for maintaining the sanctity of the place.













Unlike Pangong, there was plenty of flora and fauna around Chandra Taal. Several varieties of wildflowers grew on the banks, and we could see tiny critters crawling about on the lake floor. We could also see plenty of sheep grazing on the nearby mountains. We sat and walked around the bank for a long time, not wanting to leave the place at all. It was only when the sun started to set, and our captains came to herd us back, that we very reluctantly got up.












As we slid, skidded, bounced, and breathed in dust on our way down to the camp, we could see the campsite close to the Chenab. Interestingly, the source of the Chenab is near Baralacha La, which we had crossed during our Ladakh trip. It's fascinating how the river systems are all interconnected in this region.






Back at the camp, they had tea ready and were making Maggi on demand. With nothing else to do, we ordered a plate and sat slurping the soupy national food of India. The area had no power, and once it got dark, they switched on a generator. The temperature plummeted after sunset, so we dug out our thermals and jackets, layering up as much as we could. Some of us opted to sit in the kitchen tent, soaking up the warmth from the cooking fire.


Dinner

Kabila Nature Camp - Chandra Taal

Dinner was a rather meagre affair—under-cooked rotis and dal were served, but given our remote location, we couldn’t really complain. After all, we didn’t come all the way to Chandra Taal for the food. We made do with the snacks we had brought along. Honestly, food was the last thing on our minds. What we were really waiting for was the generators to be turned off so we could finally see the stars. Chandra Taal is renowned for its stargazing, and we were eager to experience it.

I have to say, I was really grateful to be part of this amazing group—true travellers, not just tourists. No one complained about the food or the basic conditions; everyone was just patiently waiting for the stars to light up the sky.

Cuisine: ???
Dishes we tried: Roti, dal
Rating: 4/10








However, the same couldn’t be said about another group that had just arrived at the camp. Just as we were finishing dinner, we heard a commotion in the dining tent. From what we could gather amidst all the yelling, cursing, and plate-throwing, it seemed their tour provider had grossly oversold the facilities available. I’m not sure what kind of five-star resort amenities they were expecting next to a Himalayan lake at 14,000 feet, but they were clearly livid. Worried that they might ruin it for everyone, our captains and drivers stepped in, trying to calm them down.


After dinner, we gathered around the campsite, waiting for everyone to finish. The temperature kept dropping, and it was getting colder by the minute. Finally, the caretakers informed us that they were about to switch off the generator in 10 minutes. The excitement was palpable as everyone hurried to get their tripods, gimbals, and other gadgets ready.

At last, the generator was switched off, plunging us into absolute darkness. The moment we looked up, there was a collective gasp of awe. It was one of the clearest skies we had ever seen, with stars shining brightly against the dark canvas above. While we couldn’t clearly make out the Milky Way with our naked eyes, our phones did an incredible job. Set to long exposure, they captured some magnificent pictures. Picture credits to their respective owners—these shots were taken on a mix of Androids, iPhones, and GoPros. This was easily one of the best nights of our entire journey!














To be frank, capturing the pictures was a bit of a challenge. Many of our shots were ruined by someone accidentally turning on their flash or walking past at the wrong moment. It took us a few minutes to get coordinated, but eventually, we set up a designated area for the phones. Unfortunately, our time to enjoy the celestial beauty was cut short when the other group took over the campsite with their loud music and disco lights.

We tried to make the most of it, spending as much time out in the open as we could, but the cold was becoming unbearable, and the flashing lights from the other group kept ruining our shots. One by one, we turned in for what promised to be a very, very cold night.

End of Day 08

[GeneralJazz]

Day 09

Chandra Taal to Manali

Even though the tents were reasonably insulated, it was still freezing inside, making it hard to sleep. We woke up feeling quite groggy, and our captains informed us that the temperature had dropped to 1ºC during the night. The water was ice cold, and brushing our teeth was a challenge—we barely managed without freezing our teeth off!

After freshening up as best as we could, we took some time to walk around the campsite, thoroughly enjoying the stunning mountain views surrounding us.

Breakfast wasn’t available at the camp, so we decided to leave early and grab an early brunch somewhere along the way. The captains were more concerned about reaching an area with network coverage so they could check the status of the roads to Manali.

We navigated the rough roads and water crossings to make our way back to the main road. Once there, the road conditions only worsened, with long stretches of completely off-road terrain. I engaged 4H the entire way to maintain some grip. Heavy earth-moving machinery was everywhere, digging into the hills and working on widening the roads, which made the drive even more challenging.









Chandra Dhaba - Batal

Since we hadn’t had any breakfast or even a cup of tea, our morning dose of caffeine was sorely missed. We made a stop for tea near Batal at the famous Chacha Chachi Dhaba. Run by an elderly couple, this dhaba has been a haven for travellers for over 40 years. They are especially beloved for their unwavering commitment to helping anyone who passes by. Their fame grew in 2010 when they rescued, housed, and fed around 100 people after a cloudburst and subsequent landslide washed away the route. The couple took care of them for days until help arrived.









After Batal, the road went from bad to horrific. Monstrous craters, water crossings, giant boulders, falling rocks from construction vehicles—you name it, we faced it. At some sections, it was so bad that I kid you not, we didn’t know whether we were driving by the river or through it. The 30 km stretch from Batal to Chathru took a gruelling 2.5 hours and was, without a doubt, the worst section of the entire journey. It was the most treacherous and nerve-wracking drive of my life.

The Thar kept skidding and sliding over the rocks and pebbles, but man oh man, what a magnificent piece of machinery it is. It took the horrific abuse in its stride and didn’t break a sweat. This was the Himalayan adventure we were promised, and full credit goes to the Thar for getting us through it.

My knuckles and arms were starting to get sore from gripping the steering wheel so tightly, but I was enjoying every second of it. While my ideal kind of fun would be pushing the Rapid to *redacted* speeds along the fantastic highways of Tamil Nadu, this was a completely different kind of thrill. While I had the steering wheel to hold on to, the passengers weren’t so lucky. Thoroughly bounced around, my wife remarked that she felt like a Tic Tac shaken inside its container!












Brunch

Kunzam Dhaba - Chathru

Alternating between being covered in a cloud of Himalayan dust and splashed with the Chenab's water, we were a dirty, dusty, muddy mess by the time we reached Chathru. While the dhaba was tiny, the stunning view of the surroundings, especially the raging Chenab right behind it, more than made up for it. We also took the opportunity to clean some muck and grime off the windshield. Vicky Bhaiya, the Traveller driver, kindly gave me some soapy water to wash away the dust.

Cuisine: Fast food
Dishes we tried: Maggi, bread omelette, tea
Rating: 5.5/10








The road continued to be horrendous for the next several kilometres, with extensive road construction underway. I’m pretty sure that within the next 2 or 3 years, this route will be transformed into a highway. While it will certainly improve connectivity to Spiti-Lahaul, it will also tame the raw nature of the circuit, likely leading to over-tourism along these sections.

Somewhere along the way, we spotted the entry point towards Rohtang Pass, which brought back fond memories of our Ladakh trip. It was the first mountain pass of our ride, and the journey along the ice walls was an incredible experience. I think we were really lucky to have traveled to Rohtang Pass before the Atal Tunnel was completed.













The roads started to improve as we approached Khoksar, along with a slight hint of network coverage. I’m not sure what geographical shift occurred—perhaps we crossed from the rain shadow side to the windward side of the mountains—but all of a sudden, the dry, barren cold desert landscape was replaced by greenery. The sudden appearance of lush green was a jolt to the eyes.

Just as abruptly, tarmac appeared. The ride suddenly became butter-smooth, and it took us a couple of minutes to adjust to not being bounced around. It was a bittersweet moment, though. On one hand, we finally had a smooth ride after nearly two days of being thoroughly stirred and shaken, but on the other hand, it marked the end of our off-roading and the beginning of the end of our Spiti adventure.











Atal Tunnel - Rohtang

By the time we reached Khoksar, we had network coverage, allowing the captains to call their contacts and check the status of the road to Manali, which, thankfully, had been cleared. Kudos to the BRO for their excellent work in the hills.

The Atal Tunnel, at 9.02 km long, is the longest single-tube highway tunnel above 10,000 feet in the world. Built by the BRO at a cost of Rs 3,200 crore, it completely bypasses the Rohtang Pass and makes the Manali-Keylong route accessible year-round. It significantly cuts down travel time, especially over Rohtang, which was prone to avalanches and landslides. Officially announced in 2000, it took 22 years for the tunnel to be completed and opened to the public.

We approached the tunnel from the North Portal. Inside, it was well-lit, with good ventilation and clear signage. The 9 km stretch was arrow-straight, and it was the only time during the entire journey that I engaged Cruise Control in the Thar. The speed limit was around 60 km/h, and we had no intention of going any faster. The air inside was super cold; we even saw people walking on the footpath wearing jackets and sweaters. The tunnel was mostly empty, except for a few bikers who overtook us at mad speeds, blasting their horns and yelling.

While it was indeed great to experience the architectural and construction marvel that is the Atal Tunnel, we really would have preferred to take the more dangerous drive along the Rohtang Pass.












After exiting through the South Portal, we began our descent towards Solang Valley. This valley is well-known for adventure activities like paragliding, rope-ways, ATVs, and skiing during the winters. We were looking forward to having some fun there, but when we arrived, it was completely empty. All the stalls were closed, and there wasn’t a soul in sight. We asked someone about it, and they explained that due to the floods and bad weather, all adventure activities had been stopped indefinitely by order of the officials. Although we were slightly disappointed, it wasn’t unexpected, given the extent of the damage we had witnessed.

As we approached Manali, the damage from the floods became starkly visible. Several sections of the road appeared washed away, with debris scattered everywhere. The river was in full flow, and the deafening crash of water against the rocks made it all the more terrifying. Imagine rafting in these waters. Traffic was backed up as most sections had only been cleared on one side. As we neared the Solang Valley Bridge, the full extent of the flood's impact came into view. It was a terrifying sight—giant boulders had rolled onto the road. The BRO had done an excellent job clearing as much as they could, but we could still see smaller bridges, likely pedestrian ones, nearly washed away. We drove the rest of the way in awed silence, deeply intimidated by the sheer power of nature.






Stay

Manali Valley Resort - Manali


This was our last stay as per our package, and the resort was located about 5 km outside of Manali on the NH3. Situated close to the Beas River, we had a spectacular view from our rooms. The hotel was very clean, and the staff helped us unload our bags into the room. Dusty, sweaty, and covered in muck and grime, the first thing on our minds was a hot bath—and oh boy, it felt like the best bath we had ever had. Even our hair had been matted with dust! We felt a few kilos lighter after the bath.









Lunch

Manali Valley Resort - Manali

It was quite late by the time we settled in, and we were really hungry. Some of the gang decided to explore Manali town and planned to have lunch there, but we wanted a bit of a break. The lunch at the resort was decent, but the staff were awful. The waiter was very indifferent and wouldn’t let us order what we wanted. Whatever we chose, he kept suggesting something else and outright refused to take our order. Finally, we got up to leave, and only then did he write down our order. It took an hour for the food to arrive. Some of the group who ordered after us—and had their order changed by the waiter—got their food before us. Clearly, he was trying to get rid of the leftover items. Although our food was delayed, it was freshly prepared and tasted good.

Cuisine: North Indian
Dishes we tried: Roti, butter chicken, sandwiches, chicken soup
Rating: 7.5/10








Mall Road - Manali

The group decided to head to Mall Road around 5 PM. We chose to leave the Thar at the resort and squeeze into the Traveller with the rest of the gang. Vicky Bhai dropped us near the monastery, and we set off to explore. The last time we visited Mall Road was almost exactly five years ago, and it was clear that things had taken a turn for the worse. The area was much more crowded, not to mention significantly hotter. By the time we reached the bus stand, we were sweating. The place was also much dirtier, with trash strewn everywhere. We even spotted the hotel where we had dinner last time, but it had become quite run-down.

It didn’t take long for us to completely dislike the experience. The last time, it was peaceful, with very few people around, and we could freely roam and explore the shops. Now, we were constantly, *constantly* harassed by guys offering foot massages. They were like mosquitoes—no amount of saying "no" seemed to get rid of them. Ogling and touching, especially the ladies, under the guise of offering massages, they were a real nuisance and completely ruined the experience. One after another, they kept approaching us; we could hardly walk 10 meters without being accosted by one of them. We saw several people visibly annoyed by this. There were also groups of drunk guys arguing and yelling.

But the worst part? We were repeatedly approached by guys openly selling weed. "Saar, weed, girls, massage." What the hell?! I was approached at least six times. This was by far the worst experience we had on the trip, and needless to say, we won’t be visiting Manali again. Almost everyone in our group had a similar experience.











Dinner

Manali Valley Resort - Manali

We were back at the hotel by 9 PM, just in time for the buffet dinner. Thankfully, this meant no arguments with the waiter this time. The food was pretty good, and even though we had snacked a bit on Mall Road, we still tried out everything.

Cuisine: North Indian
Dishes we tried: Roti, mushroom mattar, paneer butter masala, chicken curry, gulab jamun
Rating: 7.5/10





After dinner, we all gathered in the lobby for what would be the end of our convoy. Everyone in the Traveller was dispersing to follow their own plans—some were headed towards Amritsar, others were staying a few more days in Manali, a few were off to Kasol, and some were ending their trip in Delhi. Only those of us in the Thar and the bikers were returning to Chandigarh. We talked late into the night, reliving our spectacular adventure. Even though we had only known each other for a few days, saying goodbye was a lot harder than expected.

My sincere thanks go to the Traveller driver, Vicky Bhaiya, the mechanic, and the backup truck driver. Vicky wouldn't be continuing to Chandigarh since all his passengers were dispersing. A truly passionate guy, while this was a fantastic adventure for us, it was just another week at the office for him. Even though he was under no obligation to do so, he helped me a lot throughout the drive, especially during the treacherous route from Chandra Taal, where he guided me safely. An expert driver, it was easier for me to just follow his tracks, as he knew precisely where to brake and turn.

After one final round of goodbyes, we finally turned in for the night.

End of Day 09

[GeneralJazz]

Day 10

Manali to Chandigarh

We woke up early, planning to take a walk, but were met with heavy rain. The river was already near full flow, and more rain could be dangerous. Little did we know that a couple of days after we left, there would be another cloudburst and flooding. As we considered taking the Thar for a drive into town, we received a call from the captains. They informed us that the road near Pandoh would be blocked from 11 AM to 3 PM to clear debris from a recent landslide. Apparently, they were going to blast the larger rocks, necessitating the road closure. We needed to leave by at least 8:30 AM to cross the section before it was blocked.

Breakfast

Manali Valley Resort - Manali

The captains arranged with the resort to have breakfast prepared earlier, so it was ready by 7:30 AM. Even though it was a bit rushed, the food was very tasty. Not knowing where we might stop for lunch along the way, we made sure to eat properly. Thankfully, that annoying waiter was nowhere to be seen.

Cuisine: North Indian
Dishes we tried: Poori, bhajji, aloo paratha, scrambled eggs
Rating: 7/10







After hurriedly finishing our packing, we hit the road just after 8 AM. The backup truck had already started before us, but the bikers took their time since they could easily catch up. The roads were in good condition, allowing us to maintain a steady pace. It was a continuous descent from the start, and we could see several sections of the road that had been washed away—literally half the road was gone in some places. Some sections were also blocked due to landslides, still awaiting full clearance.









Thankfully, we crossed the Pandoh area well before the road closure. We saw the workers getting ready to start their work. The roads were mostly good, with a few rough patches in between. There was a lot of construction going on, particularly large bridges and tunnels. It seems that within a few years, this route might become a proper highway to Manali. Brace yourself, Manali, for the flood of tourists that will surely follow.








We took the Manali - Mandi - Sundar Nagar - Auhar - Kiratpur Sahib - Chandigarh route, passing through several tunnels along the way. I believe around 12 tunnels are being built. Some were well-lit and ventilated, but others were quite the opposite—dark, dusty, and smoggy. We had to roll up our windows as it was suffocating inside. We encountered some traffic in Mandi and a few long lines in certain sections, but overall, the journey was mostly uneventful. The roads were inconsistent but generally good. With each passing kilometre, we were descending, and the weather was gradually getting warmer.












Coffee Break

Himachal Tourism Cafe - Auhar

We had been driving for quite a while, so we decided to take a break at Auhar. We stopped at Himachal Cafe, which I believe is run by the HP government. We ordered some coffee, lassi, and tea, which were decent, and the washrooms were impressively clean. After a couple of stretches to relieve the back pain that had been building up, we set off again. It was close to noon by now, and the temperature was starting to get annoyingly warm. After spending a week in the cool Spiti climate, this was really uncomfortable.












It was a continuous descent, and with each turn and bend, it kept getting hotter. We finally switched on the AC as the heat became too much to bear. Soon, we reached the end of the hills, and the endless plains of Punjab began to unfold before us. Just like that, after a sharp curve, the Himalayas were out of sight. Goodbye, Himalayas—we will surely miss you.

We soon crossed a toll, which probably marked the border between Himachal Pradesh and Punjab. We could tell we had entered Punjab by the sheer number of Canadian flags everywhere. Quite a lot of cars seemed to have some sort of Canadian connection—either flags, university names, or even a photo of Justin Trudeau.

By now, it was scorching hot, and the Thar's AC was struggling to keep us cool. We also noticed that most of the smaller cars were quite eager to get out of our way. I'm guessing a PB-registered Thar isn't one of the better driven vehicles on the roads here.









Lunch

Alpine Dhaba - Bharatgarh

For lunch, we initially thought of driving all the way to Chandigarh, but hunger was starting to catch up with us, and we desperately needed a break from the relentless heat. After checking a few online reviews, we decided to stop at Alpine Dhaba, a few kilometres after Bharathgarh. And let me tell you, we were thoroughly impressed. Everything here was jumbo-sized—the facade, the dining area, the food portions, even the restrooms. The place had a fantastic ambience. There were several old scooters, a jeep, and even an old Tempo Hanseat. But what caught our attention among all this? A bottle of Prime drink in the corner of a fridge.

The menu was classic Punjabi, and they even served unlimited buttermilk with the food. The cool, spicy drink was incredibly soothing. The food was fantastic—easily the best meal we had on our entire trip. And the portions? Super jumbo-sized! The waitress advised us to order reduced quantities, which turned out to be excellent advice. We would have struggled to finish this.

Cuisine: Punjabi
Dishes we tried: Butter naan, palak paneer, mushroom biriyani, lassi
Rating: 9.5/10










By the time we were done, the interiors of the Thar felt like the surface of the sun. We had to keep the AC running at full blast for several minutes before we could even sit inside. From here on, our progress was slow due to the heavy traffic on the way. The road discipline, to put it mildly, was shocking. SUVs, almost all with fully tinted windows, were simply bulldozing through the traffic. We saw Fortuners and Scorpios pushing other cars out of the way. Thankfully, being in a Thar gave us some respite from the bullying. It was around 2:30 PM by the time we finally entered Chandigarh.

We checked in with the captains, and they asked us to come directly to the bike rental location in Sector 42. Both captains sounded drained. On the way, we stopped at one of the outlets of Sindhi Sweets to pick up some snacks for home and the office.

At Sector 42, we met up with the rest of the gang. The bikers looked absolutely drained—I could only imagine how riding in that scorching heat would zap a person completely. There, we went through the process of returning the Thar. It turned out I had received a challan somewhere along the way, so after I paid it, we started the dance to get our refundable deposit back. After a fair bit of back and forth, including a timely intervention from Rahul Choudhary of the Thrillophilia team and one of our captains, Teja, we finally got our entire amount back. Kudos to them for their support.

The organizers had set up a small cake-cutting ceremony for the team to mark the completion of the Spiti drive. It was a bittersweet moment for us as we returned the Thar. Completely covered in muck and grime, this beast of a vehicle had safely taken us through the Spiti Valley. We thoroughly enjoyed our journey, especially me as the driver. It was indeed a new experience driving this legend in one of the toughest terrains in our country. Everyone was going to miss the Thar, especially my wife, who was really impressed by it. After removing all our luggage, I said one final goodbye to the Thar before handing over the keys.

Once all the formalities were done, we all said our final goodbyes. Most of the group had flights from Delhi and had managed to book a taxi to take them there. We booked an Ola to take us to our hotel.
















Since our flights were the next morning, we booked a hotel near Zirakpur to be close to the airport. From Sector 42, it was about a 45-minute ride to the hotel. Inside the Ola taxi, the driver was busy multitasking—with driving being one of the lower priority tasks. He was watching music videos on his infotainment system, talking on his phone, and texting someone on another phone. Talk about multi-core processing! The car basically drove itself, with some very near misses as it drifted across lanes. This seemed to be how many of the cars were driven here—we were speechless!








Stay

Hotel Paras, Zirakpur - Chandigarh

We booked this hotel while having lunch—a fuss-free, basic option with neat rooms. Our multitasking Ola driver promised to drive us to the airport the next day, so that was one less thing to worry about (or was it?). After checking in, we took a hot shower and crashed into the bed. The last leg of the journey had been quite tiring. Whether it was the long drive in the scorching heat or the accumulated exhaustion from the past week, we couldn’t tell, but we were utterly drained.










Dinner

Burgerama - via Swiggy

By the time we finished packing, we were completely exhausted and had no energy to venture out. So, we ordered burgers from a local place, and they were quite decent. While not the best burgers we've ever had, they were good enough to satisfy us for the night.

Cuisine: Burgers
Dishes we tried: Chicken cheeseburgers
Rating: 7.5/10




After dinner, we barely remember lying down before we passed out. The exhaustion from the long journey and the week’s adventures finally caught up with us, and sleep came almost instantly.

End of Day 10