[DragonHawk]

"A photo or a video and few words cannot describe it, only your eyes can, its Spiti!!!"



Wandering through the mystical peaks of Spiti aka 'the Middle Land', that is the land connecting the Buddhist lands of  Tibet and  Leh, where ancient monasteries and mummified remains, historic fortresses and ancient fossils, blend with a tapestry of timeless legends and untold secrets. Even though you've studied maps and gone through a ton of photographs online, nothing quite prepares you for the breathtaking moment when you cross the rocky Malang Nala and arrive at the pristine, unexplored region of Spiti.

We were group of five, embarked on this epic adventure, which included my fellow BHPian emvi and three of my close pals. Our journey intended to reveal the exploring gems of Spiti Valley, trying out local cuisines and also try to peep into local way of life. Our journey kicked off with my try ScorpioN and two wheels included couple of Dominor 400s. While the bikers began their journey on Day 0 from Bangalore, myself and emvi started from our hometown Puttur(Karnataka) towards Bangalore to pick my friend in Bangalore and also luggage from biker pals.

Here is how our plan unfolded.

Preparation
Day 1: Bangalore - Nagpur
Day 2: Nagpur - Agra
Day 3: Agra - Chail
Day 4: Chail - Rampur Bushahar
Day 5: Rampur - Chitkul
Day 6: Chitful - Kalpa
Day 7: Kalpa - Gue - Tabo
Day 8: Tabo - Dhankar - Kaza
Day 9: Kaza - Langza - Hikkim - Komic - Kaza
Day 10: Kaza - Chandrataal
Day 11: Chandrataal - Manali

[DragonHawk]

Preparation:

My car has been regularly serviced at Karnataka Agencies, Mangalore from Day 1, even though I bought my car from Anant Cars, Bangalore. I am not a fan of changing SVCs just because one isn`t happy with services offered. I always tried to build some rapport with SA, SM and CRM which has helped a lot in the past and same thing had helped with these folks as well. My SA Mr. Ashwin is quite knowledgeable and also eager to help and get work done even if it sounds pretty minor. While giving 20000kms, I had briefed him about the upcoming trip and he suggested to get some of the vital components retorqued and also I had asked for below spares to be kept.

• DEF 6liters
• Wheel hub caps
• Wheel lug nuts as a replacement for slipping nuts
• Air Filter
• 3rd Seat to be removed to accommodate luggage
• Front windshield wipers

Apart from the above, below items were added to the list of items to be carried.

• Tow rope
• Jumper Cable
• Puncture repair kit
• Tyre inflator

The items to carry as a backup, but god had different plans ie not let us use any of these.

One of the stock tyre had a severe puncture, thanks to a thick 3-inch metal piece. The only way to fix this was with a hot patch, but unfortunately, the patched area started leaking. Adding to the problem, the stock Bridgestone tires had already started developing cracks. Given the situation, I was in no mood to take chances with these tires.

I tried to get hold of all-terrain (AT) tires in both Mangalore and my location, but nobody had anything in stock, even if it was an upsize. Those who did had, were quoting exorbitant prices.

Finally, during my visit to Sri Maruti Tyres in Kalasipalya, I managed to get latest batch of Maxxis Bravo AT 771 tires. I asked them to ship them to my place, and to my surprise, they did so within the next hour. I received them the next morning.

These tires turned out to be an excellent choice. After driving 7,000 kilometers on them, I can safely say they are far better than the stock Bridgestone, which in my opinion, are some of the worst tires.

Big Daddy with new shoes and all set for the adventure.


Apart from this, I tend to keep my car as stock as possible. Only thing which I added extra is strengthening of underbody. I scouted the market for good underbody protection and checked out offerings from Mahindra or other third party 4x4 kit makers and finally went with Prad4x4 for full underbody guard along with DEF tank guard.

Apart from taking care of our cars and bikes, long journey means, our body also needs some attention. A precautionary visit to family doctor to get my vitals checked and also got prescription for Diamox for AMS if required. Although the way we planned our itinerary was to mitigate AMS by taking it slow in the beginning and gradually gaining altitude and getting acclimatized. This careful planning is one of specific reason why we opted for Shimla side rather than taking Manali route.

Big daddy with third row removed, all decked up.


Route planning was done by us and also we took help of dear friend H V Kumar for finalizing it. All hotel bookings except for Chandrataal were managed by his CHD volunteers based on the progress we make on a particular day and none were prebooked. A day prior to our start, HVK ROUTO app was loaded with maps. Being offline maps, it did come handy in some sections where there was poor network coverage.

[DragonHawk]

Day1:
Date: July 13th 2024
Destination: Nagpur from Bangalore
Total D2D: 1107kms
Travel Time: 18hrs 30mins including breaks.
Route: Bangalore-Nagpur

We started from KR Puram around 3.30am expecting a smooth sail. However, due to metro construction in ORR, we were delayed by 20mins. Once we exited ORR at Hebbal, we made a steady progress. Unlike highways in Karnataka and Tamilnadu, highways in Andra and Telangana lack good restaurants. Given our timings, the only good option ie Paakashaala at Ananthpur was closed and finally could find some roadside eatery after Gooty which was decent enough. We entered Nehru ORR around 12 and post exiting, we stopped for lunch at Medchal. After lunch we hit the road again, made a good progress, road conditions was pretty good till Adilabad and once you enter MH, truck traffic, heavy rain and bad road considerably slowed us down. We stopped for early dinner at Haldiram's in Jamb around 7. Food was excellent and rest room were hygienic. After an hour break, we finally made it to our hotel at Nagpur around 9.

Proper planning, some luck and seeking some blessings of almighty.


Rain and light music created the perfect start to our monsoon musings.

[DragonHawk]

Day2:
Date: July 14th 2024
Destination: Agra from Nagpur
Total D2D: 877kms
Travel Time: 16hrs including breaks.
Route: Nagpur-Agra
Today we had a slightly delayed start as this route is notorious for cow menace and bad roads. Since our hotel close to Nagpur ORR, we quickly exited the city and soon we were in MP driving through beautiful roads inside Pench Tiger Reserve. It was my first time driving this part of the country especially the famous elevated stretch inside Pench and driving here I felt more of meditation retreat than some boring four lane highways. As soon as we exit Pench and crossed Narsinghpur, we were welcomed with potholes and cows. Add to it, heavy downpour made extremely difficult, all in all it took us some 3 hours cross into UP. Notably none of cows had reflective collar, so it definitely advisable to avoid driving here at night.
Contrary to my expectations, roads in UP were welcoming and soon we crossed Jhansi and we were on our way to Gwalior. Post Gwalior, traffic resembled more like ORR in Bangalore with only difference being trucks instead of cars. Truck traffic was insane, combined with the evening rush, it felt like driving from Mysore to Bangalore on a Sunday evening.
We finally made it to Agra around 9.30 and after a quick dinner, we dashed into our beds exhausted but equally excited about our next day trip as we will be entering Dev Bhumi.

Nice wet tarmac post Pench before Jabalpur deviation.


Bhpian emvi at the helm, me first time trying out rear seat comfort in my big daddy


Breakfast pitstop at Hotel Krishna near Narasinghpur. Highly recommended for veg only food.

[DragonHawk]

Day3:
Date: July 15th 2024
Destination: Chail from Agra
Total D2D: 599kms
Travel Time: 14hrs including breaks.
Route: Agra-Chail

We were all set and left Agra by 5 a.m., took the Yamuna Expressway, exited Delhi via the Eastern Peripheral Expressway, and joined NH44 at Murthal. I felt EPE didn`t qualify to be called an expressway as there were severe undulations throughout the stretch. We encountered heavy downpours, but the only saving grace was that there was no flooding, unlike the Mysore-Bangalore expressway. Compared to this, Nehru ORR, Hyderabad, was truly world-class. At Kandaghat where we exited the four lane highway to take the road to Chail, has some really bad stretches. Between Kandaghat and Sadhupul, the road is steep and very narrow, add to it rash driving by locals makes it bit edgy. I found this stretch to be more narrow than some of the roads we drove on in Spiti and even narrower than Kunzum Pass.

Somewhere on EPE

Our breakfast stop at famous Gulshan Dhaba


Satisfying our tummies with some kulcha, lassi and chaas




Entering Dev Bhumi


Big Daddy finding some solace near the woods


We had a pleasant stay here, friendly staff and they did serve some excellent food too.

[DragonHawk]

Day4:
Date: July 16th 2024
Destination: Rampur Bushahar from Chail via Kufri, Narkanda
Total D2D: 146kms
Travel Time: 7hrs including breaks.
Route: Chail-Rampur

Today`s drive took us through beautiful roads of Chail towards Kufri and from Kufri, we deviated towards Shimla-Kaza highway. Road till Kufri was narrow, but comparitively less traffic than we had encountered previous day to Chail. July being off season, we didn`t witness any crowd in Kufri or Chail.

Sri Mahish Mardini Mahalakshmi Mandir


Rampur town from above


Trying out some local cuisines, Siddu


No trip is complete with a pic of our steed

[DragonHawk]

Day5:
Date: July 17th 2024
Destination: Chitkul via Sarahan from Rampur
Total D2D: 147kms
Travel Time: 7hrs including breaks.
Route:Rampur-Sarahan-Chitkul

As day passes, our excitement was slowly getting to peak. Today we were passing through cliffhanger section of Kinnaur valley, which are prone to landslides so we started slightly early at 7, to have some buffer for any delays caused by landslides which proved to be a vital at later stage. One of the beauty of Kinnaur roads, they suddenly becomes narrow and perilous, frequently blocked by landslides. The road takes a dramatic turn for the wild once you enter Kinnaur, with the mountain edges looking a lot more jagged than before. Today`s destination was Chitkul via Sangla valley. On way we took a detour towards Bhimakali Temple, Sarahan at Jeori. Sarahan is considered as gateway of kinnaur valley. Being one of the 51 Shakti Peetas, this one was always in my bucket list. Temple showcases unique Himachali wooden craftsmanship and architecture that is not duplicated anywhere else in the erstwhile hill states, and is an amazing blend of Hindu and Buddhist styles. Temple also offers breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and valleys.







A journey via Kinnaur is incomplete without encountering a landslide. As soon as we crossed the famous "Rock Tunnel" section, we found ourselves stuck in a traffic jam caused by severe landslide at Nigul Sari. Traffic was at standstill for a couple of hours, with only handful of vehicles being let through intermittently.

A couple of excavators were put to work and we noticed a badly mangled excavator hit by boulders, highlighting the seriousness of the incident. While excavators were clearing the debris, stones and boulders continued to fall on the road, making the situation grim. Finally, the officials managing the situation gave our side a green signal to pass.

Falling debris was still a possibility and we were completely at the mercy of mother nature. The landslide section had a bit of slush and with cars moving slowly, our hearts were pounding as we crossed this stretch.

https://youtu.be/0JtLiAsBDUM?si=L_NclNk2Dz2xoj5p

Thankfully, Big daddy sailed through without a fuss. After a customary visit to Taranda Mata temple, we continued and deviated towards Sangla valley at Karcham.

Entering Sangla Valley






Mystic Chitkul













Karcham-Sangla-Chitkul road is tough and narrow but it compensates with stunning views. Karcham to Chitkul is one of the most exciting drives in the world. The first 19km to Sangla is an adrenaline-pumping road. The weather-beaten road has potholes, and at long stretches, it is broad enough only for one vehicle to pass. Second part from Sangla-Chitkul is terrible where paved road just disintegrates into muddy trials, some sections can be axle breakers. The isolation of the road is haunting. One mistake, and it's a free fall to your death. Chitkul is quiet and serene. The snow-capped mountains are at a reasonable distance, but one can admire the serenity and white waters of Baspa River.

Big Daddy at last inhabited village at Indo-Tibet Road and the last point in India till someone can go without a permit.






Goddess Mathi temple @Chitkul









Kinnauri wooden house at Chitkul

[DragonHawk]

Day6:
Date: July 18th 2024
Destination: Kalpa from Chitkul
Total D2D: 70kms
Travel Time: 3hrs including breaks.
Route:Chitkul-Kalpa

Our stay was at Samaa Resorts, Chitkul, rooms were cozy and July being off season, we were the only guests in the resort. Also, most people tend to visit and return to Sangla for stay as this part is more frequent with landslide and flash floods. We had a leisurely departure from Chitkul around 10 as our next destination was Kalpa which was around 3 hour drive.

https://youtu.be/3ZDq1692BFU?si=SU1878frLu3hMBMx

We reach Rekong Peo around 1 and after a heavy himachali thali, we departed towards Kalpa. Initial plan was to take Pangi route to Kalpa which was void of twisties and turns but it does give a picturesque view of Kinnaur Kailash range. However due to landslide we were forced to take the new direct route to Kalpa.



ScorpioN getting a much needed wash in ice cold water.


First view of Kinnaur Kailash range.





Getting some local treatment , home made sea buckthorn juice


Famous Narayan Nagini temple






Suicide Point Kalpa


Who gave the best pose for the pic

[DragonHawk]

Day7:
Date: July 19th 2024
Destination: Tabo via Gue from Kalpa
Total D2D: 190kms
Travel Time: 6hrs including breaks.
Route:Kalpa-Gue-Tabo




Today, our journey marks the entry into Lahaul and Spiti District, signifying our entry into beautiful valley of Spiti. Our journey to Tabo takes us through Nako village along the banks of Sutluj and also we will be crossing Khab Bridge, where Confluence of Spiti and Sutlej River occurs. Then entering to the Spiti Valley & exploring Gue Monastery and reaching Tabo afterwards From lush greenary filled rocky mountains to barren cold desert. We drove through one of finest stretches of the entire spiti trip ie "Ka Loops". Camera cannot justify the beauty of this place. As soon as one crosses khab bridge the terrains were changed drastically to sand & rock mountains, tarmac turns into dusty, narrow lane roads. After taking the vibes of the Nako Gompa, we continued our journey and crossed into Spiti border finally & visited our first destination Gue village for the famous Mummy in the Gue monastery. This is little away from the main road and this drive takes you to anther beautiful terrain with another river flowing on your right and then you hit Gue village with beautiful houses. The curvaceous road will take you to the top of hill where gue monastery rests in its peaceful abode surrounded by snow mountains nestled among the barren ones. The mummy here is of an old Buddhist monk dated to be of 1430 A.D. The mummy is naturally preserved without any chemical use. Gue being a small hillock, no hotels are available. Being mid afternoon and with no food options, we had to consume our reserves, some home made khakras with peanut butter, local berries like apricot and plum. After Gue we headed straight to Tabo. It was evening 5.00 by the time we reached. Since Tabo monastery was closed, we decided to see Tabo caves and call it a day and plan to visit monastery in the morning and had a relaxed end to the day having tea and snacks and some local cuisines.

Breakfast at small cozy place The Raabchic Cafe,


Khab Sangam Bridge




Our life saver at Gue, some apricot and plum.



At Ka loops















Gue Monastry






At Tabo Caves











At Gue which is closest one can get to China Occupied Tibet border, timezone gets automatically set to Bejing


Black muddy Parchu River

Satisfying my taste buds with lip smacking Veg thenthuk

[DragonHawk]

Day8:
Date: July 20th 2024
Destination: Kaza via Dhankar from Tabo
Total D2D: 65kms
Travel Time: 3hrs including breaks.
Route:Tabo-Dhankar-Kaza

Our place of stay at Tabo, Kesang homestay was conveniently placed from the tabo caves and monastery. Previous day evening we had a small hike to caves which was 200m from the monastery backyard. From the height of caves, the view of entire Tabo town is spectacular.

Tabo Monastery is not just a place to see, but also a place to do. Complex consists of nine temples and four stupas and one can spend hours admiring the statues, murals, paintings, stuccos, and frescoes that depict various aspects of Buddhism and Tibetan culture. After imbibing the peace and positive vibes, we went back, checked out and headed towards Kaza.

Our original itinerary included a visit to Mud Village, situated in Pin valley. However, the visit to Dhankar monastery and a two-hour hike to Dhankar lake took every ounce of our energy. Adding to this, scorching mid-afternoon sun made us rethink our visit to Mud. Although, we were bit disappointed about not visiting Mud, but it was a right choice as by the time we left Dhankar it was around 3 and severe wind increased the risk of shooting stones in the area.
After tiring day, we reached Kaza, new age capital town of Spiti around 5.30 and quickly settled into our prebooked hotel.

Tabo Monastery








Dhankar Lake

[DragonHawk]

Day9:
Date: July 21th 2024
Destination: Kaza via Langza, Hikkim, Komic, Key, Kibber and Chicham from Kaza
Route:Kaza Local sightseeing


Today was a jam-packed day with high-altitude thrills. First on our iternery was huge colossal statue of Buddha at Langza. Langza is small hamlet, situated around 16 Kms road trip from the town of Kaza, headquarters of Lahual and Spiti. Climb to Langza is rapid and driving through a breathtakingly beautiful curvy road made of muds, which was taking us higher with every turn. The breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains makes you feel a sense of peace washing over you.








Live young live free moment












Next in our list, world`s highest post office at Hikkim. It is a "must send postcard from" location, sending the postcard is more like sending memories of Himalayas to our loved ones. By the time of writing this post, we have already received the post cards sent, ie in 14 days.



Next we visited one more highest place in our bucket list, Komic. We didn`t stay longer in this place as I was feeling bit uneasy with headache.


Noticed we have taken more photos of our steeds than ourselves
















Chicham bridge









Blueberry cheescake and local cuisine Kew at Cafe Piti.

[DragonHawk]

Day10:
Date: July 22th 2024
Total D2D: 97kms
Destination: Chandrataal via Losar from Kaza
Route: Kaza-Chandrataal

Big Daddy was very frugal throughout the journey, delivering an average efficiency of 14kmpl. We still had half tank full which could easily take us through Manali. However I didn`t want to take any chances and also didn`t want to miss the opportunity to fill up at the highest fuel station. We left kaza around 8.30AM and I was bit nervous about our journey today. This marks the start of our return journey via the horrendous roads of Kaza-Manali, with a stopover at Chandrataal.

Along with the challenging roads, I was also concerned about possible DPF related issue. My anxiety was heightened when we noticed we noticed Kaza-Losar stretch was fully dug up, and our offroad trial began right after we took a left from Kaza. This was unexpected, as I was hoping we could zip through atleast until Losar. I cursed myself for not checking with the locals and for not taking Kaza – Kibber – Chicham – Kiato which was freshly laid.

Whether big daddy would handle it, wasn`t really the question, as it is built specifically for these type of terrains. As expected big daddy just flew threw these sections, but poor chaps at bikes had difficulty coping with the terrain. the short suspension travel of dominor made it extremely tricky. It took us almost three hours to reach Losar. After making an entry at the checkpost, we decided to have some food there since we had another four hour drive ahead, including crossing the mighty Kunzum pass.






At Losar


At Kunzum pass top




Entrance to Chandrataal road






Our first water crossing of the trip and more to follow in next couple of days

https://youtu.be/Qv6coIupHb8

Our home for tonight, one of the best places we stayed in our entire trip. Great hospitality, coupled with excellent veg only food.

[DragonHawk]

Day11:
Date: July 23th 2024
Total D2D:106kms
Total Time: 7hours
Destination: Manali via Batal from Chandrataal
Route: Chandrataal-Manali


Our base camp was around 4 km from Chandrataal lake. Given the remoteness, facilities offered at the tent, along with the food were excellent especially at the minimal cost of Rs1500 per person. Since we had long day of off-roading ahead and the bikers had to endure their toughest journey, we decided to leave early around 7am. Our hosts were more than happy to serve breakfast by 6.30am. Despite outside temperature was hovering around 3 degrees, they served us piping hot poori bhaji. Even in mainland, we hadn`t encountered such generous hosts who prepared everything right on time.

After breakfast and taking some customary photos, we set off towards Manali. It took us around 45mins to reach Batal. The famous Chacha Chachi dhaba was not fully open, so we stopped briefly and continued ahead. For almost two hours, we were the only souls on the road until we met BHPian AdityaDeane who was taking opposite route from Manali to Kaza. Bhpian emvi did inform Aditya about possibility of having mini meet in Manali when we were in Chail. However, since we were out of network for a couple of days, we couldn`t inform him of our whereabouts. It was total surprise for both us and after quick meet we proceeded towards our destination.

Chandrataal camp sites in the morning!




Aditya with his prized possession Saffira.


Leftmost is me, next Aditya to my left and bhpian emvi and my friend Navneet.












After Batal, it was pretty much a straight drive until Chatru, where we planned to wait for our biker pals. Even though we started together, treacherous roads slowed them considerably. We had some maggie and tea and after few photos at old bridge, we grew anxious about our friends. After waiting for an hour, we decided to go ahead and wait at either Gramphoo or Manali.

Talking about the stretch until Chatru, entire road is notorious for being extremely tough and a car killer if you were in a hatchback or a Sedan. Road widening happening at multiple places, causing temporary roadblocks. Even then, we were bit ahead of our time we had anticipated initially. We still had 17kms to reach the tarmac,we proceeded further. The Chatru-Gramphoo section was also undergoing widening work. However, we noticed the sad reality of incessant digging of hills without proper planning.






We reached our Resort at Manali around 2 and bikers too made it around 5 in the evening.

The odd one out in the two-wheeled world

[DragonHawk]

Here is the detailed itinerary we followed
D0: Puttur - Bangalore
D1: Bangalore - Hyderabad - Nagpur
D2: Nagpur - Jhansi - Agra
D3: Agra - NCR - Chail
D4: Chail - Rampur
D5: Rampur - Sarahan - Chitkul
D6: Chitkul - Kalpa
D7: Kalpa - Tabo
D8: Tabo - Dhankar - Mud - Kaza
D9: Kaza - Langza - Komik - Hikkim - Kaza
D10: Kaza - Ke - Khibber - Chicham - Chandra Tal
D11: Chandra Tal - Manali
D12: Manali - Noida
D13: Noida - Narsingpur
D14: Narsingpur - Kurnool
D15: Kurnool- Bangalore-Puttur

During our initial planning where we had set couple of days as buffer including a leisurely day at Manali for local sight seeing. Since it is first time we were away from home for so long. We decided to start our return leg the very next day and our biker pals stayed back as they had to ship the bikes from Chandigarh and had flight back home on Friday. Big Daddy got much deserved wash, replaced the dirty air filter and some minor checks, we are all set for home run. Like onward trip, return journey was uneventful we left Manali on Wednesday and reached our respective home on Saturday.

Fuel prices across different states we passed through


Total KMs from Bangalore: 6324
Total Toll Paid(Both ways)= Rs 10380
Total Diesel Cost = Rs 44900

Some of the trip highlights.

• Throughout the trip I sticked to Jio BP, for clean rest rooms and better service.
• ScorpioN performed flawlessly without any trouble, overall DEF consumption was around 10liters for 6300kms and average fuel efficiency stands at 14.2kmpl, with highest being 18 amd lowest at 10.4.
• The Adilabad-Nagpur stretch offers a mix of good and pothole-ridden roads. Halidram’s Jamb outlet serves as an ideal pit stop with clean restrooms and excellent food.
• The Nagpur-Seoni-Lalithpur segment is in poor condition, exacerbated by a cow menace, making it a particularly painful drive. On our return, we faced delays and had to stop at Narsinghpur instead of Nagpur.
• We were fortunate with the weather due to a delayed monsoon in the region. Apart from a landslide at Nigul Sari that halted traffic for two hours, we encountered no significant blockades. If we were delayed by one day then we would had to endure the delay caused by cloudburst at Solan valley.
• Road widening work is ongoing on the Kaza-Losar-Kunzum route. To avoid off-road driving from Kaza, consider detouring via Key-Chicham.
• The Kunzum Pass ascent from Kaza is being widened, allowing smoother passage for two vehicles in most sections. However, good roads means more tourist, more tourist means more unruly crowd. If one wants to enjoy the silence of the nature then right now is the best time.
• At chandrataal, We stayed in camp site named Rohtang Base camp, which I would highly recommend them for all essential basic stays coupled with excellent veg only food.
• New bridges have been constructed on the Chandrataal-Batal-Chatru-Gramphoo stretch, replacing deep water sections. However, expect occasional blockades due to ongoing widening work.
• Network coverage was never an issue, BSNL and JIO networks were present everywhere till Kaza and so is the online transactions.
• Although Kaza IOC outlet had continuous supply of fuel even when Nigul Sari section was closed for traffic. Fuel laden trucks were plying in the Manali - Kaza route. This being the only fuel outlet in Kaza, afternoon is the best time to refuel as most of the travelers would have left either in the morning and those who are planning for next day trip would refuel in the evening. We were in and out in 10 mins.

Overall, this trip allowed us to navigate through our emotions, from gratitude to apprehension, as we encountered fallen stones and boulders. At the time of writing this post, I could read through news about the rain inflicted damages in the Dev Bhumi. My heart goes out with those affected by landslides and cloudburst in Rampur, Sangla valley, Mandi and Manali. I do hope the grief these people are enduring since many years due to climate change and other factors, does come to an end and wish govt take some conclusive measures to reduce the sufferings of these people.

This trip was more than a mere journey for us as it was first time we undertook such a long journey away from near and dear ones. We met some really nice hosts and at the same we did get into some unruly local drivers. We gained insights into the local way of life, enjoyed local cuisines, and reflected on the challenges faced by the communities we visited. We relished the whimsical attractions and enchanting atmosphere, reminiscent of cherished memories for us, but also a moment for our own children to build their own.

Here’s to many more adventures and the endless wonders that await on the road less traveled.

[KarthikK]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!