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" THE GREATEST ADVENTURE IN LIFE , IS THE JOURNEY OF LIFE ITSELF "
- Deep

Spiti : A brief on Himalayan Middle Lands

6/17/2018

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“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to,” Bilbo had warned Frodo. And so you should be warned, before we went to Spiti, literally ‘The Middle Land’ between India and Tibet, which is no less adventurous than the Middle Earth of The Lord of the Rings.
Imagine an arid land set high in the Indian Himalaya, a high-altitude desert punctuated by small patches of green and miniature villages of white, flat-roofed houses perched below stark rocky hillsides and jagged snow-covered peaks. Picture high passes blocked by snow and ice for half the year, and scattered stabs of colour from fluttering prayer flags and precariously perched Buddhist monasteries.This must be Ladakh, you might be thinking - the legendary Himalayan playground for lovers of extraordinary landscapes, wilderness adventures and spiritual horizons. But no, I'm talking about the wild valleys of Spiti and Lahaul, abutting the rugged western fringes of the Tibetan Plateau, and overlooked by thousands of travellers who rush headlong towards Ladakh in search of their own little piece of Shangri-La.
​Spiti have historically fallen more under the influence of Tibet than of India, and they remain far less known to the outside world. Travel here remains one of Asia's great adventures, whether you get around by car (4WD essential), on bone-shaking buses, or by motorbike, on some of the world's most challenging mountain roads.
Many travellers approach Lahaul and Spiti via the 3978m-high Rohtang La pass, which rises north of the tourism hub of Manali– a spectacular experience in itself and only passable from about May to October .

The drive from Manali to Spiti does require every kind of self motivation as it can be graded as the most treacherous road in the world. The remarkable difference in landscapes of dense green all around Himachal to those barren rugged dead mountains of Spiti is awe strucking.
This strikes you with its suddenness as you enter the valley along the Spiti River and its numerous tributaries – from the fruit-abounding Kullu valley to the fruitless, pathless, treeless, fearless and people-less Spiti, one of the least populated regions of India. You will pass villages with a population board stating “25 souls”. Predominantly Buddhist, Spiti has a culture quite reflective of Tibet and Ladakh. It is dotted with gompas, around some of which small human settlements exist. The 1000-year-old Dhankar, perched precariously on jutting rocks on a mountaintop, is the most fascinating. It is losing its battle with the elements. It is on good terms with snow, but can’t stand rainfall, which has increased due to climate change. The revered dead animals that hang from its walls or the three skeleton-faced gods standing guard on tridents seem at a loss to halt the impending doom.
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The best guides to any gompa are its lamas. Even if you had a working network in the remote Himalayas, Google cannot substitute talking to a lama, telling you that from each family they send the second son to become a lama to avoid division of family property. Or sitting in a wooden home in Sangla Valley, with the wife of the household asking one of her husbands to take care of the children while she talks of the fraternal polyandry practised by the locals — one wife with several husbands — to avoid division of family property.
Paul Theroux wisely noted that tourists don’t know where they’ve been, and travellers don’t know where they’re going. And you too never know where these conversations will take you – to the deep recesses of timeless cultures or to the progressiveness of those supposedly left behind by progress. Another popular monastery of the region is Key. Famous for it's perched on Hill top figure overlooking the huge valley.
Kaza in itself , the capital of the valley is the biggest town here and has mostly all facilities close to making you feel a city life on serene mountains. Good and vibrant cafes, amazing travelers walking around and plans for adventures building up in every corners.
If you like hiking , then connecting the high villages of Spiti , walking through Langza , Comic , Diksum and ending up in Dhankar , living and experiencing the local life is a prominent thing you can do. For rest, every breath you take here will be a word written in your story of life surely.
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Photos - Trekkers - Priyanka Bhavan & Swapnil Kambli & Myself.
Want to experience Spiti this year?
\\nJoin my adventure of Spiti. Click on the event on home page for all detailed itenary.

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Trekking for Me : Guest trekker Nikita Vora states.

6/8/2018

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Why do I love trekking so much?
Well its not just the love for trekking that makes me plan them but a lot of varied things it has to offer along the trail that makes me keep going for it. Besides, trekking has to power to transform you. “Get lost in nature and you will find yourself”. While hiking you get that time for yourself wherein you
can look within and remember who you are. It makes you forget all your worries and fills in your soul with loads of positivity. In short it makes you feel
ALIVE.
Why Sarpass?
Have you come across some paintings or movie locations and tried to imagine how would it feel to be right there? Have you scrolled to social media
and come across pics that make you envy the other person? Does this sound as if I have given some voice to your fantasy? If yes then pack your bags
and get going for Sarpass trek.
Sarpass is every trekker’s delight and a perfect one for beginners. For those who want to walk in forest, climb up to 13,800 feet, see the ever changing
panaroma, snow clad mountains, walk in knee deep snow, take a snow slide and do a lot more in a span of just 5 days, Sarpass is a perfect pick.
I had been trying to plan a Himalayan trek since the past 2 years but destiny always had other plans so much that when finally my bags were packed
and I was suppose to be off for Kedarkantha trek just few hours before departure I fell down and fractured my leg. After all the destiny games this time
Sarpass finally happened. I fall short of words to really express how it really felt to finally be there in the Himalayas and holding the national flag at the
peak and feel proud of myself and of Incredible India. Its been 4 days since am back but I am still in the post trek syndrome.
It’s not just about the destination but how beautiful the journey is. Sarpass trail has the most beautiful journey. Be it the forest trail till Grahan and its
wonderful people or the changing landscapes and dipping temperatures till Nagaru. Or be it about snow filled summit day or descending to Bishkeri
(mini Switzerland of India). Each day, each trail is beautiful. Nature is a surprise package in terms of the amount of beauty it has in store. Nothing can
beat the beauty and happiness of being in the Himalayas. It does not matter if one could not make it till the summit point. It’s not about the feeling of
achievement but about the fun and satisfaction of having started on this journey and going as far as you can.
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Personally for me this trek had a lot of perfect moments. By perfect moments, I mean being closest to nature, finding your true self and feeding your
soul with positive vibes. These are the golden moments which can never be captured. They can only be experienced.
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1. Sitting by the river bank and enjoying the sound of waves
2. Diving into the chilled water of Parvati river
3. Waking up early morning to the chirping of birds
4. A complete digital detox
5. People helping each other throughout the climb
6. Star gazing and making a wish from a shooting star
7. Dancing and singing at the height of 12,000 feet
8. Screaming your lungs out to express happiness
9. Trying to be friends with the Himalayan dogs (I am hell scared of them)
10. Spotting various species of birds including vultures
11. Squeezing in 6 people in a 5 person tent because its too cold
12. Snow fight with crazy people along
13. Be child-like and take a snow slide
14. Finding a peaceful corner with the view of snow clad mountains and pouring your feelings in your diary
15. Meeting bunch of new people from other groups while hiking
From the busy, fast moving and full of comfort city life to the slow and strenuous mountain life. One must at least once in life take this experience.
Each step take on the hike is worth it. It is in a way life lesson that needs to be learnt.
For all those who plan to go on treks in future I have 2 advises for them: Firstly, please do not litter around and secondly, if you find any garbage
around try and collect it which can later be disposed off appropriately. Well this needs to be followed at every single place but let us be responsible
trekkers and not hamper the beauty of the Mighty Himalayas.
​

Last but not the least, a big big thank you to the organizers of this trek – Team of DeepJyoti Biswas and Mumbai Rockers. You guys did a fantastic job.
Without you nothing would have been possible. We now have a Sarpass family. Loads of love and tight hugs ☺
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A hard core mountain lover , Nikita met me on Sarpass trek, where I had the chance to interact with her. She has a keen eye for adventure and great sense of living. Her writing skills are beautiful and can be reflected in her stories on instagram. Do follow her adventures and thoughts more closely @nikitavora_90 .
I hope life keeps on gifting her the adventures she seeks and she comes back to mountains to climb some more with me.
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    Note from the Author,

    " Travel made me rich and free. Magic and miracles are true , once you wander on the roads to places different and divine. I have collected so many thoughts and stories while being a Tour & Trek guide for last seven years. Sharing with you all, those memories and stories , and wishing you all , that someday you guys travel far and wide too. I am not a great writer , so ignore my grammar and spellings, read it with feelings, and you might just be affected with the wanderlust to hit the road"
     - Deep .

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