Spiti Roaming’s Sep - Oct 2015
This trip
was special to me. It was after a long frustrating break of 10 months that I
was going to the high mountains again due to a severe back injury in lower
spine due to overuse. Thanks to my physiotherapist, family and friends I was
able to think about taking this trip and get confidence that not all is over
yet. The plan began with me and my friend Kunal planning to summit Mount Kanamo
(5975 mts) above Kibber in Spiti
Valley
Below is a
nice write-up of my experiences on the trip split into smaller parts with each
having its own summary and photo links. Hope you all enjoy going through. Cheers!
Picasa contains mostly all images and Facebook might contain only the important ones at times.
Picasa contains mostly all images and Facebook might contain only the important ones at times.
Rest in Manali, Beas
Kund Trek and Drive to Kaza.
Had to
spend couple of days in Manali before Kunal comes here and we go to Kaza /
Kibber for climbing Mount
Kanamo Rohtang Pass.
Then
decided to go to a small 3 day trek to Beas Kund by taking a local guide.
Unfortunately the guide I got (Amit Negi) was a totally useless fellow and
always seemed to be high on something and sick as well. Fortunately the porter
accompanying me was a real good fellow and accompanied me to the Beas Kund trek
from Dhundi. Although we lost our way and instead reached Beas Kund Glacier
view point atop a ridge - the views from there were mind blowing and I did not really mind this
minor goof up. We got amazingly clear weather and nice views of the Hanuman
Tibbba Massif and the surrounding peaks and glaciers with nice greenery around.
A nice
stay at Himalyan Home stay at Vashisht with my friend Huzefa post the trek made
me fresh again for the long journey from Manali to Kaza the next day once Kunal
would arrive. Its just 200 km but takes 10 hours due to very bad back breaking
roads or boulder track I must say. It was a full rain day drive from Manali to
Kaza the next day in Xylo with Kunal and our trusted driver Raju. The worst
weather I have ever seen in Spiti.
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Kaza to Kibber and Acclimatization
Hike above Kibber.
We stayed
at Norling Guest house in Kibber. Next day an acclimatization hike above Kibber
to 4600 mts in bad rainy weather. This was in prep for our trek to Mount Kanamo mount
Kanamo
Highlight of the trip to Summit Mount
Kanamo
After our
short acclimatization hike above Kibber in bad weather we hunted for a guide
who can take us to Kanamo. We did find a very reliable person named Tansen
Lamaji who stays behind the Norling Guest House.
The guide
Tansen Lamaji was very prompt in arranging the stuff for us that very evening -
porter, mules, kitchen stuff and tent. The plan was to wait out the bad weather
and start at the very first hint of weather clearing. This meant starting as
early as next day morning by 8 AM. And weather gods were indeed pleased with us
- a day of rain and snow fall and fog and the very next morning it was clear blue
sky, in fact at night itself the sky was crystal clear without any cloud.
A quick
start next morning at 9:00 AM with our guide Tansen Lamaji, support staff
Tansen Dorjee and 2 mules we made good progress walking towards our base camp
for the night which is at 4800 mts and around 4 hours from Kibber. It was a
nice trek to the base camp with moderately snowed out trail and surroundings -
giving us a nice opportunity to view some of the most amazing landscapes after
fresh snowfall. The base camp was in a side valley. We enjoyed our afternoon
and evening meals there and also the amazing views around. Of course it goes
without saying that it was bone chilling cold there and the night was much
worse. I could just not sleep at night due to the extreme cold. I guess
altitude was less of a problem for me that night. With just 2 hours of sleep we
started for the summit push at 6:10 AM. Initial 3 hours was moderately uphill
giving us some chance to catch our breadth and also enjoy the nice views all
around. Next 3 1/2 hours was the killer incline trail up the summit dome where
we had to progress very slowly due to less oxygen and constant incline of about
50 degrees. Unfortunately Kunal could not summit with just 300 mts of vertical
ascent remaining but he was not feeling well at all and at this altitude it
makes sense to go back in such case. I finally sumitted at 12:30 PM along with
Tansen Lamaji and rushed back down to the base camp to loose altitude soon
since I was also not feeling well. I could not have asked for more and felt
really nice after the successful summit attempt. We directly pushed for Kibber
and stayed at Tashi Zom guest house.
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Kibber COP (Change of plans) and
Visit to Dhankar Lake
After the
previous 12 hour Kanamo summit trek day I wanted to relax a day at Kibber. But
as usual early morning lot of plan changes and a phone call to my friend
Vaibhav who was in Kaza - I finally decided to meet him at Kaza and go with him
for a short drive to Mudh in Pin valley. So in a hurry I packed my stuff and
took the 8 AM bus to Kaza along with Kunal. It was nice to meet up with him but
again change of plans since the road to Mudh was closed for maintenance till 3
PM so we instead decided to drive to Dhankar and trek to Dhankar Lake
After a
nice heavy breakfast at the Restaurant behind the New Dhankar Monastery we
started our trek to Dhankar
Lake
The lake
was surrounded on all sides by mountains and nice high altitude vegetation. We
rested for a while near the Chorten by the lake, took a nice nap and took a
relaxing walk around the lake before starting the quick downhill trek via the
normal route. Night well spent at Sakya Abode for dinner with Vaibhav and
family and Kunal.
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Kaza to Mudh - Buchan Ritual at
Mudh
A nice
relaxing day at Kaza and an uneventful bus ride to Mudh village admist bad
weather. By chance met up with few folks from Kaza in Mudh too which proves
that you never really travel solo. Next day was a very clear day and with no
plan I was taking it easy by taking walks around the small village and enjoying
the views from the Tara Guest House terrace along with Tea and breakfast. Then
to my surprise there was a Buchan ritual exhibition in the village specially
organized for the foreign trekkers and we also were able to witness it. The
ritual started with fast funny talks from two men in local language and then
some prayers midway, sword skills display and finally the huge piece of wood
being put on the mans stomach and broken by dropping a stone on it. The end was
with a nice typical Tibetan dance where all were encouraged to join. Could not
understand the meaning of it all but it was a real nice experience to sit
through this in the warm sun and clear Himalayan day. Again surprise - Vaibhav,
Prachi and their son Arjun also came to Mudh and witnessed the ritual.
Afternoon was just spent lazing around and a late evening walk on the Bhabha Pass UK
to India via Central Asia
and Pakistan
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Mudh - Bhabha Pass Trail
Another
clear day at Mudh and me and my recent friend Akash decided to walk on the road
under construction to Bhabha
Pass. Tara
guest house terrace with a hot cup of tea. We started at around 9 AM after a nice
breakfast. The overland bikers Eric, Chris, Frank and Patra were also going to
come with us but they were running late and would catch-up with us later since
they would be quicker on their bikes.
The
further we moved ahead of Mudh the more mind blowing the landscapes became -
with different colours on the mountains, amazing views of the snow clad peaks
and the view of the Mudh village behind far away now. Eric, Frank, Petra
We stopped
the bikes by the nala and started walking ahead enjoying the mind blowing mountain
and valley views. We came up another big nala which was very difficult to cross
even by foot and with my back condition I did not want to try and stunts. But
Akash and Eric did cross by doing a commando style wire crossing and hanging by
a slider respectively. Akash did fall in the water once while on his way back
but lucky for him there was a big stone on which he rested and then again started
to the river bank. He fell again but lucky he already had crossed over and did
not fall in the ice cold water again. I am glad both made back safely.
We rested
for a while and had snacks before starting our walk back. While on the bikes
back to Mudh - Chris's tyre got punctured 2 km before Mudh. Lucky that the
village was nearby so we did not have to mend the puncture on the road or tow
the bike for long distance. A day well spent indeed with amazing company.
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Kumzum La - Chandratal Trek
After Mudh
- spent a relaxed day at Kaza and then started planning for Chandratal. My plan
was to get down at KumzumLa top and trek to Chandratal from there. But that
added additional coordination since I could not carry all my luggage so would
need to tell someone to drop the extra bag at Batal and I would pick it up from
there after 3 days. Luckily the plan worked out fine once I visited the taxi
stand at Kaza. They were running a shared tempo traveller service from Kaza to
Manali and agreed with my plan and said that the driver would drop the bag at
Batal. I booked 2 tempo traveller seats to Manali. First one on 1st Oct where I
would get down at Kumzum Top and the next at 4th Oct where I would take the
tempo traveller from Batal to Manali. The tempo traveller picked me up from
Sakya Abode, Kaza at 6:30 AM. A nice picturesque drive to Losar and we stopped
for breakfast. After some delay due to tyre puncture before Kumzum I was
dropped off at Kumzum La top at 10:30 AM. I started the trek at 11:00 AM, bit
apprehensive if I could find the route all alone.
I anyways
enjoy the wilderness and the remoteness which the great Spitian mountains have
to offer specially when you are solo. The track initially climbed higher than
KumzumLa and reaches another top where flags are placed. This is the only place
where you can possibly loose your way since there is no clear route ahead. I
saw a prominent trail on the opposite hillock and tried my luck. It was correct
and from here it was some more ups and downs through some of the most breath
taking mountain scenery. Could spot Batal and the jeep road to Chandratal, also
the Samudra Tapu Glacier and Chandra
River
Finally
the first view of Chandratal in sight and in next 1 hour I did reach the lake
completely mesmerised by its clear blue waters and the mountain views around.
Sat there for around 1/2 hour before starting the boring road walk towards the
campsite. I was lucky to find place at Tenzing campsite since sometimes too
many tourists come here. Making some good friends at the extremely cold evening
by the campfire sharing travels tales - it was a night to remember.
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Chandratal Exploration - trail from
Campsite
Amazing
clear weather spell - got up early morning to clear blue skies, though it was
extremely cold and uncomfortable till 8 AM. Had a nice breakfast and decided to
go to Chandratal from the trail rather than the road. It was a nice 1 hour walk
(expected time) with initial uphill and then through some nice grassy meadows
before you drop down for the lake again. Of course who wanted to do this in 1
hour :). I took lot of breaks just enjoying the silence and the vastness of the
mountain scenery and of course snacks of dry fruits and chocolates. Also took
detour towards the left side crest line of the mountains to see the amazing
view of Chandra River
Did a nice
circle of the lake and got some amazing landscape photos but since I was late
the wind started to pick up and I missed the window for clear mirror reflection
shots in the lake. Again in the evening it became extremely cold, but with Old
Monk to my rescue and the amazing company at the campfire - who cares :).
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Chandratal Exploration - Chandratal
Mirror Image and Opposite side of Lake
I had one
more spare day at Chandratal and remembered a comment from someone during a
conversation at the camp fire on the previous night. "Go early to the lake
to get mirror reflection since there is no wind to disturb the water". I
got up and without having breakfast started for Chandratal Lake
I reached
the lake soon enough and what a sight to behold. No wind and the water was absolutely
still like a mirror. I started walking around the lake taking pictures. Once I
was a bit away from the usual tourist point I just sat at one place trying to
soak in the beautiful sight I had in front of me. No words can describe it. Now
things can’t just go on this ideally isn’t it? Before I could reach the
opposite end of the lake there was a herd of Yaks grazing on the meadows
besides the lake. Yaks can be extremely unpredictable and violent at times. I
had to be very careful while trying to cross the herd. Just sat there and
walked around them for 15 mins to judge if they are getting hyper due to my presence,
but they seemed to be Ok with it. That’s when I slowly started walking from a
clearing past the herd and I was on the other side without a scratch. Of course
I got some of the best images of the lake with the Yaks grazing by the shore.
Then
started a long walk across the green pasture on the opposite side of the lake
to explore the mountain crest line on the side which would give me amazing views
of the Chandra River emerging from the high mountains and meandering to Batal
and the big Samudra Tapu Glacier and the huge river bed / moraine below it
extending all the way to Chandra River. Moving along the crest line was fun and
an alternative route back to the campsite. Before going to the campsite I again
took a longish rest at a shepherd shelter. I reached the campsite at 12:30 PM
extremely hungry since I did not have any breakfast.
But fate
had other plans for me. Wait for next part J
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Chandratal to Batal and vishram /
Hot springs at Vashisht
After the
nice trek around opposite side of Chandratal I was back at the campsite hungry
since I did not have breakfast in the morning. I told Tenzing to give me
something to eat. He mentioned that he is going to Batal and can drop me there
if I can be ready in 15 mins and can always have good food once I am at Chandra
Dhaba at Batal. That was an offer difficult to let go by. I would avoid the 4
hour long and boring road walk to Batal. So that’s when my super fast drive to
Batal started and I was there at Batal in 1/2 hour flat in Tenzing’s jeep. He
was really fast and I had to hold on to whatever I could get my hands on so
that my back is not jerked.
The
Chandra Dhaba at Batal is owned by Tenzing’s father. His Dad and mom have been
running this Dhaba since many years and have helped countless stranded tourists
with food and shelter when the weather traps them here due to heavy snow fall
or bad weather, and that is without any expectation of money. They have also
got an award for that. I was lucky to reach there by 1:00 PM and had an
opportunity to spend time till next day 10 AM with Dorjee uncle and soak in the
nice and cosy ambience of Chandra Dhaba. Usually Batal is just a night halt for
travellers on the difficult road from Manali to Kaza.
In one of
the conversations with Dorjee uncle I mentioned that there is no clear sign of
the Dhaba and he mentioned he doesn’t know how to write. I asked him if he has
paint and a brush and I can do it for him. He was very happy and got a dark
green paint which he had with him and a brush. I put my long lost painting
skills to use and started. I was apprehensive initially since I was not sure if
I would be able to do a reasonable good job in this extreme cold weather. But I
guess I did it well. See photos :) Of course there was a drunken BRO worker who
added a lot more masala to my boring writing :).
Most of my
spare time was spent eating amazing food (omlet, paratha, maggie, chips),
drinking tea and old monk to beat away the cold. Also met up with a biker from Delhi
Next
morning I was waiting for my Shared Temp traveller which I had booked for
Manali. What a coincidence that I kept bumping into people I met during the
trip - which again proves that you never really travel solo. They were there in
the tempo traveller :). It arrived at around 11 AM. A long and bumpy drive to
Manali after a sort halt at Chhatru for lunch.
At
Vashisht I was lucky to have a nice 3 day relaxed stay at the amazing Himalayan
Home stay run by my friends Huzefa, Rashmi and Honey Sharma. Also had a nice
experience of going to the hot springs Jogini Falls
The trip
ends with a smooth taxi drive to Chandigarh
Airport
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Day wise Itinerary on request of
friends.
Day 01 –
15 Sept – MUM – CHD Flight and Taxi drive to Manali
Day 02 –
16 Sept – Rest at Manali (RideInn – Thanks to Godwin and Snehal)
Day 03 –
17 Sept – Beas Kund Trek – Drive to Solang and trek to Dhundi
Day 04 –
18 Sept – Beas Kund Trek – Trek to Beas Kund and back to Dhundi
Day 05 –
19 Sept – Beas Kund Trek – Trek to Solang and
Drive to Vashisht
Day 06 –
20 Sept – Drive to Kaza
Day 07 –
21 Sept – Rest at Kaza and Bus ride to Kibber
Day 08 –
22 Sept – Kibber Acclimatization Hike
Day 09 –
23 Sept – Kibber – Mt Kanamo Base camp
Day 10 –
24 Sept – Mt Kanamo summit and back to Kibber
Day 11 –
25 Sept – Kibber to Kaza Bus ride and Dhankar Lake
Day 12 –
26 Sept – Kaza Rest
Day 13 –
27 Sept – Kaza Rest and Bus ride to Mudh
Day 14 –
28 Sept – Mudh rest and Buchan ritual
Day 15 –
29 Sept – Mudh – Bhabha
Pass
Day 16 –
30 Sept – Mudh to Kaza Bus ride and Kaza Rest
Day 17 – 01
Oct – Kaza to Kumzum La top bus ride
and Trek to Chandratal
Day 18 – 02
Oct – Chandratal Exploration
Day 19 – 03
Oct – Chandratal Opposite end
Exploration and Jeep ride to Batal
Day 20 – 04
Oct – Batal to Vashisht tempo traveller
drive
Day 21 – 05
Oct – Vashisht rest
Day 22 – 06
Oct – Vashisht rest and Hot Springs
Day 23 –
07 Oct – Vashisht rest, Hot Springs and trek to Jogini Falls
Day 24 –
08 Oct – Vashisht to Chandigarh Taxi
drive and Flight to Mumbai