Manali Spiti Manali

Day 01: Manali – Kaza (210km 9Hrs).

Drive through Rohtang pass (3970m.) is situated about 51km. from Manali on the high way to Keylong and Leh. At the start of the climb to Rohtang Pass, are the beautiful Rahla water falls. Here one sees the majesty of the mountains at its height and splendid. At the top of the Pass the air seems to glitter against the snow as you look down over herringboned ridges into the Lahaul valley. A few kilometers away from the Pass is Sonapani glacier: slightly to the left are the twin peaks of the Gepan jagged pyramid of rock and snow crowned. And slowly descend down to over the Pass to the Lahaul valley at Gramphu it divides the valley into Lahaul & Spiti. And turns right hand side at Gramphu towards Spiti and left hand side to the Leh. After that it starts the real safari up to Batal through the rugged and Chandra river valley. Batal is situated at the foot of the Kunzam Pass (4551m) panorama as viewed from the top of the Pass is fetching and inspiring. On the way is Bara Shigri glacier. Bara meaning big and Shigri meaning glacier in Spitian dialect. The glacier is mountainous mass of solid ice, more than a kilometer wide and extending over a distance on 35 kilometers. Over night at Kaza.

Day 02: KAZA – Ki Monastery – Kibber Village (4205m.) Gete – Tashi Gang – Kaza (4hrs).

Drive up to Ki and Kibber is the highest permanently inhabited village in the world connected by a motor able road .It also acts as the base for several high altitudes treks. At Kibber in the winter temperature drops below –35degree c people still are surviving and persistently repeating the universal hymn ‘OM MANI PADME HUM. After having a look in the Kibber and then drive towards 2 more small hamlets Gete and Tashi gang after visiting these villages  approach down to the Ki- monastery which is 11km.on the way to Kibber and adjacent to the road. Ki- Monastery has celebrated its 1000 years to commemorate the auspicious Kalachakra initiation by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Aug.2000 for the world peace. I am the repository of rare ‘Thangka’paintings’ and several ancient musical instruments are likely trumpets, cymbals and drums. Its library holds the manuscripts of the sacred Thangur text. The village of Ki is just short of the monastery. Visit Kaza this has the administrative headquarters of the Spiti, a market place, medical facilities a filling station. It serves as the base for the odyssey trekkers. Stay overnight in hotel.

Day 03: Kaza – Dhankar Monastery – Dhankar Lake -Tabo (3050m) 4 – 5 hrs.

Dhankar Monastery in local dialect, a ‘Dhankar’ in a fort and that is what this monastery once was. Standing high over the valley, this is a superb example of Spiti’s traditional architectural skills. This was once a castle of the ruler of Spiti, the Nano and today, Dhankar is a repository of Buddhism scriptures in the Bhoti script.

Dhankar Lake: A small lake two and a half km up hill from Dhankar Monastery. A pleasant walk with a beautiful view of the mountains.

Tabo monastery founded in 996AD, the Tabo ‘Monastery’ has exquisite wall paintings and stucco statues and is often called the Ajanta of the ‘Himalaya’, after the almost legendry art treasure site in Maharashtra. In terms of area, this is the largest monastic complex in Spiti, and all old section has nine temples,’chortens’, a monks’ chamber and a nuns’ chamber. There are several caves and contemporary structure that form a part of the Tabo complex. In Trans Himalayan Buddhism, Tabo’s sanctity is next only to Tibet’s Tholing monastery. UNESCO has declared Tabo a ‘World Heritage Site’.

Day 04: Tabo – Kungri monastery – Mud – Kaza (6-7 Hrs.)

Kungri monastery is built in 1330A.D. the Kungri monastery provides unmiskable evidence of the impact of the tantric cults of Buddhism. Pin Valley formed by the Pin River is also the abode of the Snow leopard and the Siberian Ibex.

Pin Valley is formed by the Pin River, which rises on the eastern slopes of Pin- Parvati Pass (5319m.) and meets the Spiti River exactly opposite Lingti Village. On the way the Parahio Nalla near Pokchung joins it. Parahio valley has several peaks and glaciers and it has been declared as a National Park. From Pin valley one can cross to the Kullu valley over Pin Parvati Pass; and to the district of Kinnaur via ‘shakar of Pass (5022m.) or Tarikhango Pass BAWA PASS (4866m.). Pin valley is much more rugged and barren than the main Spiti valley.

Day 05: Kaza – Hikkim – Langza – Comic – Kaza. 

The drive leads through the rugged mountain plateau road with a little height gaining up to Hikim. One can have a great view of the mountains cape in Hikim has an exotic appearance. After Hikim it is a gradual as usual drive up to Langza with a breathtaking view of the steep rocky- mountains and the narrow strips of cultivable land of this barren region. On the way it attracts a trekkers by a small Chorten and with a many plain flatten inscribed stones are written on it ‘Om Mani Padme Hun’ a sacred hymn of this   particular land. . It is very favorite route for those looking for fossils and near Komic village is having a famous ‘THANGYUD’ Monastery. The older structure was near Hikim village. But this dilapidated structure was brought down in an earthquake in 1975. Some ruins still remain. It is also connected with road Langza to Kaza and Hikim a small Jeep able mountain road and full of jerk and jolts. During the drive one can cover a rich Buddhism culture of the isolated land of the Shangri-La and tribal people of the middle country.

Day 06: Kaza – Chander Tal – Manali.

An early start for a spectacular jeep ride to Manali via Chandertal, Batal and Rohtang la (3978 m) Passes. Enroute magnificent view of numerous peaks of C.B. ranges CB 13, CB 14 far at Kunzam La, Shigri Parbat, Pinnacle, Kullu Pumori, White Sail, Bara Shigri Glacier (12 kms long glacier) at Upper Chandra valley. From Rohtang Gepan Goh, Hanuman Tibba. We arrive in Manali about by the evening after a long dusty day on the road. Overnight in hotel.