HIGHLIGHTS OF SPITI WINTER HOMESTAY TRAIL

The dry desert of Spiti is a marvel through and through which offers you a host of experiences in the form of local and cultural indulgence, spiritual reconnaissance, getting acquainted to traditional ways and a bucket full of warmth from the local hosts in its spine-freezing temperature. With remote villages and tiny hamlets scattered around its landscape, it is a lesson in the powers of adaptation and simple living!

From the highest post office in the world, to the highest village in the world, to a massive 35 feet statue of Buddha that adds color to this desolate land, Spiti is a cauldron of unparalleled experiences. As harsh and extreme as the terrain seems, the people living there are just the opposite – warm and welcoming. Do cold temperatures lend to the making of warmer hearts, we wonder?

While words cannot do justice to all the beauty of the place, the hospitality and the experience of sharing a space so pure and magnetic in its energy with the people who call this home, we do want to share a glimpse of it with you. We dug into our experiences of this out worldly land to pluck out all that’s best in it so as to show you the magic of this tiny piece of ‘land in the middle’ of India and Tibet. 

1) Rare and Untouched: A geographical marvel and a photographer's delight, the cold desert of Spiti is a sight to behold. While this tiny patch of land houses all kinds of beauty that's rare, it remains so fresh to the eye because of how inaccessible it is all year round but especially during winters. The conditions in the valley get so harsh that even locals choose to come down to warmer lands during winters. Unannounced snowfall, blocked roads, slippery roads bordered with ice walls, this barren land sparse in vegetation becomes a ghost town in winters – its beauty reserved for the eyes of only a few.

The forestless mountains parched and shriveling under the harsh temperatures of the altitude, their crumbling, cardboard structures, the last remnants of prickly, frozen shrubs being rummaged through by the thriving yet camouflaged wildlife in the area, all lend to the out worldly vibe of the place. Gorges which seem to run as deep as the deep red of the setting sun make the land and all its creatures seem surreal – the vastness and the monotone broken only by the white of the snow spread across the landscape in imaginative patterns.

2) A Cauldron of Experiences: Take it from our team of trekkers when they say that there is sheer joy in shedding convenience and embracing the raw elements of nature in all their force! From the highest post office in the world, to the highest village in the world, to a massive 35 feet statue of Buddha that adds color to this desolate land, Spiti is a cauldron of unparalleled experiences. Some of them are pretty surprises while others like blocked toilets, frozen motors of vehicles which refuse to start, little to no water are some truths of the land that take getting used to. A geography with traces of its long standing history embedded within its many folds – Spiti is a lesson in extreme living. It leaves you wondering how the wildlife and people survive in bone-chilling temperatures and lack of vegetation. As harsh and extreme as the terrain seems, the people living there are just the opposite – warm and welcoming.

The many aspects of life in this high-mountain civilization, the way survival is structured based on the conditions of the land, the realization that geography dictates so much of our collective tradition and individual disposition hits you gently in the face on this trail.

3) Dhankar: Of the many tiny hamlets stippled across the valley, Dhankar is a place of wonder. Dhankar is an entire town resting on fragile mud pinnacles that look like massive termite mounds – an entire civilization which looks like it could crumble at any point but, in fact, is sturdy enough to hold a population of 300 with a continuous inflow of tourists to add to the number. It looks like a place from a distant planet with peculiar geographical formations which secretly tell the story of its history. A short trek from this strange village takes you to the main source of water for its inhabitants – Dhankar Lake.

Christened Chadar Lite by our first batch of trekkers, this lake which is a major source of water for agriculture and daily survival needs of the people inhabiting the high-altitude village, freezes over completely in the winters. The sheet of ice so strong, you could walk on it or even skate alongside fascinating-looking equines from the region that happen to casually be hanging around this frozen marvel. There is a small temple at its boundary with all the bright colours of the Buddhist flags adding some colour to this landscape otherwise dominated by white. This lake rests at an impressive altitude of 4,140M which you get to from the village which is at 3,895M. This short 250M height gain could leave you out of breath which is testament to the thin air of the region where locals survive all through winter and go on about their regular life like that’s the most normal thing in the world.

4) Chicham Caves: One of the many fascinating things about Spiti is the literal time travel it allows for in real time. The huge sand pinnacles and the markings on all its rocks speak of a civilization that was once buried under water, the remnants of which can be found in the many fossils beautifully carved by time. These stand as testimony of a land that rose from the waters making the terrain of this hidden valley endlessly fascinating. The Chicham caves are yet another testament to its alluring feature and its ability to transport you in time.

The quest for these caves starts from Chicham (4,500M) which is a tiny hamlet nested high up on the naked mountains of Spiti and holds a lot of the secrets of bygone eras. Trekking to the mysterious caves 4 hours up from Chicham in the winters where temperatures fall to as low as -20 during daytime, is no small feat. This medium difficult trek which takes you to a cave rife with traditional paintings is a time machine to ancient times. A lot of folk tales are associated with the cave. Locals go up there to pray for the spirits of their dead even today!

5) All Things Wild and Wonderful: Spiti, even though arid, is rich in wildlife. Many magnificent species call this dry land their home – including the ghost of the mountains – the snow leopard. Some of the magnificent species you are likely to encounter are – snow leopard prey like Himalayan ibex and Himalayan blue sheep sprinting across the land and on these crumbling high mountains like they were their playfields, red foxes acting all sly, Himalayan Snow Cocks, Yaks used by locals for many purposes, Tibetian Wolves and numerous species of magnificent birds. Since all the wildlife in the region is extremely camouflaged given that that is their only cover or protection against their predators, remember to keep an eye out for any kind of movement when you are here – you don’t want to miss anything!

If awe and wonder are your favourite mind juices, and if you are on a quest to explore the cultures from the farthest lands, this is a journey tailor-made just for you!