Spiti Road Trip
“There is no certainty, there is only adventure.” ― Roberto Assagioli
Voyage Detail :
- 2 Boys
- 1 Jeep (Mahindra Thar)
Day 1 : Faridabad to Jeori
We started from Faridabad early in the morning, reached Ambala, and switched drivers. Then our next stop was at Shimla, where we refuelled our vehicle. I don’t know why Diesel in Himachal is less expensive, but it is what it is.
We were waiting for this day to end so we could enjoy some real views tommorrow. We took a break at Narkanda for lunch. After some more hours of driving, we reached Jeori and got a place to stay. If you wish to stop before Jeori, it is completely fine and won’t overload your next day. We also saw some small waterfalls between the route.
| SUMMARY | |
|---|---|
| Total distance travelled | 294 Km |
| Time taken | 12 Hours |
| Stay | Bushar Hotel and Restaurant |
Day 2 : Jeori to Nako
Starting the next day, we woke up early in the morning to freshen up and have a bite to eat which we arranged beforehand at night. After finishing breakfast, we refuelled our vehicle and took off to Nako. Nako is a very Windy place situated about 12,000ft above sea level. We reached Nako in 6 Hours. First, we went to see Nako lake, a very clean and quiet place.
Caution : Change in Atmospheric pressure
Atmospheric pressure, also known as barometric pressure, is the pressure exerted by the weight of the atmosphere. The invisible air molecules around you have weight and occupy space. The atmospheric pressure is the highest at sea level and decreases as the altitude increases.
In layman’s terms, your car will experience a gain in tire pressure at higher altitude. This is because as you rise in elevation, atmospheric pressure decreases. Also remember to depressurise your car’s fuel tank & jerry can by opening and closing it (you may hear a pop sound).
Then we visited the Monastery, and soon after, we searched for a good homestay. Luckily we found a homestay near the Monastery with a great view. At night, the place was very windy. We also went outside for stargazing and managed to capture some good shots.
| SUMMARY | |
|---|---|
| Total distance travelled | 133 Km |
| Time taken | 6 Hours |
| Stay | Tirth Chokten Homestay |
Day 3 : Nako to Kaza, Hikkim and Komic
Starting the third day of our journey, We woke up early and left for Kaza. On our way to Kaza, we stopped at Tabo and had very heavy breakfast (6 paratha each). After breakfast, we decided to visit the Tabo Monastery, but could not as it was closed. Thereafter we took off for Kaza.
We reached Kaza by noon. Refueled our vehicle (please note they don’t accept online transactions but only cash) & got a home stay.
First thing after reaching Kaza, refuel at World’s Highest Petrol Pump
The original plan was to explore Hikkim & Kaza tommorrow. Unfortunately, the weather was getting bad. So, we decided to explore as much as we can today, in case we need to leave tomorrow.
Hikkim
There are 2 paths to reach Hikkim, one is well built and the other one is a bit dangerous & offers more beautiful views and saves some time. We decided to save time, we reached Hikkim in around half an hour from Kaza.
We visited World’s Highest Post Office, which is 14,567ft above sea level.
There is not much to see in Hikkim but you can grab some souvenirs, we bought fridge magnets. You can also send letter/postcards to your home from the World’s Highest Post Office.
Caution Low Oxygen
Due to high altitude & almost no greenery you may experience breathlessness & tiredness because of low oxygen level.
We were also carrying pulse oximeter in case we need to measure SpO2 level and heart rate. One of us experienced high heart rate and low oxygen level. You may or may not have the same experience but it is better to stay prepared.
Komic
Drive from Hikkim to Komic takes about 15-20 mins. Komic is the World’s highest village connected with motorable road.
In Komic, there is a Monastery & a resturant named - Worlds highest restaurant.
After spending some time, we drove back to Kaza because it was getting late, and we hadn’t eaten anything after breakfast. Arriving in Kaza, we reached our homestay and went out to eat the traditional dish of Himachal - Thupka, a Tibetan noodle soup that tastes great and is a bit spicy.
After watching sunet at Kaza, we were greeted with weather alert from China.
| SUMMARY | |
|---|---|
| Total distance travelled (including Hikkim and Komic) | 132 Km |
| Time taken (breaks included) | 7 Hours |
| Stay | Sunny Homestay |
Day 4 & 5 : Kaza to Faridabad
Bad weather - Alert !! , we could not afford to get stuck in Kaza as we had time constraints, hence we left Kaza at 3:30 AM.
We stopped on our way, just to observe the sky and ended up capturing some great Astrophotography shots with budget setup and cooking Ramen in the middle of nowhere.
Stopping in the middle of nowhere, digging the ground with a shovel to provide wind protection to butane gas stove and then cooking to feed your empty stomach is an exhilarating experience.
Kunzum Pass
After arriving at checkpoint for the Kunzum Pass, we were notified that there will be no network ahead till you reach Manali, so we called our family to let them know that we’ll not be getting any network service for some time.
On the way just before reaching the famous Chacha Chachi (Chandra Dhaba) in Batal, we saw some brave souls cycling at this high altitude while carrying their belongings with no support vehicle.
After eating and picking plenty of food supplies at Chacha Chachi we left for Manali.
Kunzum Pass was the most beautiful route on this trip.
Pro Tip : Do not trust google maps on this route
The estimates provided by google map on this route are useless. It’s better to ask locals about the time estimate as they will provide better estimate according to the weather.
Later we reached Manali & were stuck in traffic for a very long time, At noon we took a break to get wheel alignment done. There were many landslides spread throught out Himachal. Just as we crossed Himachal, It was already the next day. We stopped at Ambala to eat dinner & rested for a while and then continued.
After a very long drive, we reached our home - Faridabad.
| SUMMARY | |
|---|---|
| Total distance travelled | 774 Km |
| Time taken (breaks included) | 22 Hours |