Reasons To Go To Spiti Valley This Winter

Spiti Valley is the quintessential destination for adventurists and acrophiles. Considered as one of the most stunning regions of India, if not the entire world, Spiti is where moon-like landscapes, fjord rivers, lofty villages, intimidating mountains, diverse wildlife and alluring scenery are a norm.

For years and years, this glorious valley was hidden from the rest of the world between high passes of North-East Himachal Pradesh close to the border with Tibet. The name “Spiti” means “the middle land”, the land between India and Tibet. Since the past decade, people from all corners of the world visit Spiti Valley for its beauty and grandeur.

Initially Spiti was known for its arid terrain and some of the highest inhabited villages in the world. But, gradually it revealed a ton of intriguing and awe-inspiring reasons for recreational pursuits such as trekking, ice-wall climbing, nature and landscape photography.

So, join us on these adventures and spend your time chilling in Spiti this Winter.

1) Winter Homestay Trail

Spiti is known for hosting some of the world’s highest inhabited villages such as Komik, the highest village in Asia. Unlike some villages in Peru which are higher than 5000m and are nearly inaccessible unless you trek for days and days, Spitian settlements are fun to explore on foot. With a few hours of trekking between villages, this opportunity is unique as it showcases the local way of commuting bouncing from one village to the other living in traditional homestays. The homestay trail in Spiti can be done throughout the year but winter months have a special charm as the valley is covered in a thick blanket of snow with sub-zero temperatures and bone-chilling winds that display the crude yet the beautiful state of the valley.

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Starting from Kibber you can visit the famous Key Monastery perched at the edge of a mountain and make your way to the fossil village of Langza with a huge statue of Buddha overlooking mighty peaks. The next stop is the village of Demul and Hikkim which has the world’s highest post office followed by Komik which is rich in local history and culture. The village of Lalung is one of the most beautiful villages in the world located along the slope of a valley with stepped cuts for farming.

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Trekking along the splendid homestay trail over high mountain passes and moonscapes and spending the cold long winter nights in the homestays with the locals indulging in butter tea and traditional dishes is a once in a lifetime opportunity to discover yourself and the simple life of the Spitians.

2) Screwed Up Festival – Ice Wall Climbing

Ice-Wall climbing is unarguably one of the most thrilling and unique adventure sports and this is best done in Spiti winters when the cliffs are covered with hard ice and waterfalls are frozen. This mountaineering activity is much harder and steeper than usual as it involves climbing over ice formed when water freezes at sub-zero temperatures.

This specialized kind of climbing requires precise equipment such as crampons, special ice axes meant for vertical ice walls, and good quality clothing layers. Since the ideal months for this sport is between the months of January and March, you can utilize the entire summer for preparing and training for this sport along with getting in a good shape due to the high physical fitness needed to partake in this activity.

The ice wall climbing is not your usual mountaineering activity. It is an esoteric subset of mountaineering that needs a very specific approach and understanding. Mental and physical endurance along with rock climbing and cardiovascular training is important. The feeling you gain when you have scaled a frozen waterfall at temperatures as low as -30 deg Celsius is something that can’t be put in words. It’s nothing short of a surge of meditative ecstasy and adrenaline, unlike anything you have ever felt.

Join us for the 3rd edition of the Screwed Up Ice Climbing Festival is India's first of its kind. Held in the winter landscapes of Spiti, the festival aims to provide participants an introduction to frozen waterfall climbing.

3) Snow Leopard Photography

Snow Leopard, an elusive big cat calls the mountains of Spiti its home. This beautiful and exotic creature comes out in the open from the higher reaches during the cold and snowed in landscapes of Spiti in peak winters. A chance to spot a Snow Leopard is an outright delight for any nature and wildlife photographer. With the help of highly experienced trackers and locals, one can venture into the highlands of Spiti looking to get a glimpse of the cat in its humble abode.

This mysterious, powerful, legendary and endangered cat is known as the grey ghost due to its stealth. In Spitian winters when the temperatures plummet and the land is covered in a thick blanket of snow, the herbivores move down from the highest reaches of the mountains in search of food and water, so does the snow leopard following its prey thus giving you the perfect opportunity to witness this gem of a creature.

With breathtaking landscapes, harsh terrain and diverse wildlife that survive in this extreme habitat you can get lost in the hypnotic sight of the grey ghost of the mountain – the Snow Leopard.

For you to enjoy this ultimate adventure we have curated a special snow-leopard photography masterclass conducted by a highly eminent photographer, mountaineer and the prestigious Padma Shri award winner, Anup Sah. He along with two other professional wildlife photographers will let you partake in this unique photography workshop on the Snow Leopard along with helping you master your photography skills.

Time to indulge in the magical aura of Spiti. You don't have to break a sweat this winter.

This winter, all the adventure will be in exotic Spiti. We will be there to enjoy it. Where will you be?