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HIMACHAL PR ADESH L A H AU L & S P I T I
From Tabo, the road follows the narrowing Spiti Valley, passing villages full of apple orchards, before soaring over the ridge into the valley of the Sutlej River. If you’re on a bus, this may well be the most dangerous and knee-trembling road in India – even diehard travellers have been known to gulp and ponder the possibilty of an afterlife as the bus skids around hairpin bends with millimetres to spare. The views of the Spiti River flashing hundreds of metres below and the road ahead zigzagging across the mountainside are mesmerising. Views are best – but scariest – from the right side window seats. Overnight stops used to be forbidden, but travellers now have fourteen days to complete the trip. The first permit checkpost is at Sumdo. Just before that, if you’ve got your own transport, look for the turn-off to Giu, a village where you can see the mummified remains of a Buddhist monk who died over 500 years ago. The mummy still has hair and fingernails and, according to local lore, spurted blood when unearthed by the shovels of an ITBP construction crew in 2004. Beyond Sumdo, the main highway starts its ascent into the hills at Chango, which has several Buddhist temples. The first settlement with accommodation is Nako, an other-timely village of stone and mud-brick houses and a popular stop for motorcyclists. Even if you’re on the bus, this is a great place to break the journey and a gem of a destination in itself. The village
is centred on a small sacred lake, behind which rise towering rock-strewn mountains criss-crossed by trails to high stupas, an old monastery and ridges with commanding vistas – it’s perfect terrain for short or extended day hikes. In town, you’ll find the 11th-century buildings of Nako Gompa, containing some fine Tabo-style murals and sculptures. The whole scene is a sweet first or final glimpse of Spiti. There are several simple guesthouses offering rooms for around ₹200-500, or there’s the posher Reo Purgil Hotel (%01785236339; d ₹500-800). Better still is the bright Lake View Guest House (r ₹400-500), a short walk through the village overlooking the lake. The final stage of the journey passes through greener country in the narrow gorge of the Sutlej River. The village of Puh marks the official crossing into Kinnaur and there are two colourful gompas belonging to the Drukpa sect. There are more monasteries and temples at Khanum, near Spillo, founded by Ringchen Zangpo in the 10th century. Jangi marks the end of the permit zone and the starting point of the parikrama (ceremonial circumnavigation) around Kinner Kailash (6050m). The village has a number of Kinnauri-style temples and you can continue 14km uphill to visit the Buddhist monastery at Lippa. An inner line permit is required, even if you just do a day trip here from Rekong Peo.
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