Spiti Valley :
INTRODUCTION
Unless you like winter as a season and feel comfortable with the cold, you should consider visiting Spiti in the Winter. Imagine a Switzerland- like scenario, but in India. That is what Spiti represents in winter. Exquisite Mountains, icy lucid rivers and breathtaking sceneries are what encloses the region. It is no surprise that every year people are discovering the beauty of Spiti valley by social media and sigh at the charm of it. Therefore, I want to try out the once in a lifetime experience of visiting seclusion between nature and getting lost in it for a few days.
If you will be traveling far north for the winter, then there might be some things you would want to consider. Winter begins from October to March, which is the perfect time to experience Spiti in winter. Although the temperature may fluctuate around an average of 8 degrees Celsius during the daytime, at night it falls -10 degrees when snowfall thrives at its best.
Spiti is not that different in winter than it was in summer. The heavy terrains, the extension of barren landforms, marks of green, huge mountains all frozen with soft ice. It is not exactly an activity-oriented time in Spiti, nevertheless, you can mingle with the locals, eat authentic Spitian cuisine and experience a slice of life in the tough winter.
If viewing aesthetics in isolated retreats is your thing then it is pretty fitting. It is pretty similar to the Frozen movie premise. With Rivers and creeks’ stillness. Ki and Dhankar monastery on the icy hills looks straight out of a postcard and the valley in Himachal is bordered by Ladakh and China makes a captivating catch. The locals have a hard time because of the heavy snowfall and marginal temperature fall. Road transport is sloppy and without the local help is impossible.
Even though there is not much to do in winter, braving sub-zero temperature itself sounds like a thrill. The most popular thing to do in winter would be a trek or trip. Camping would be unbearable as living in extreme conditions is not everyone’s cup of tea. Nonetheless, you can always do some things while you make your trip to Spiti. Some are :
TREKKING
CAMPING
FROZEN WATERFALL ASCENDING
SIGHTING SNOW LEOPARDS
Further, things you must keep in mind while travelling there are survival instincts and how you can deal with them. Once you’re there you have to risk luxuries like Electricity, sub-zero temperatures, issues related to basic facilities, and other daily requirements. We would seriously insist you blend in with the locals and understand how they go about their life. Trying new cuisines and perceiving their various cultures. However, there are many important issues to keep on the lookout for. They are :
- Scarcity of Electricity
- You can say goodbye to charging your phones and camera due to lack of electricity
- Unstable mobile signal
- Everyday necessities are very short
- Scarcity of water
- Food will be hard to find as it is quite hard to transport them
- Help from other tourists and some locals may be hard, as they live pretty far
- Medical help is hard to get
REACHING SPITI
This is the most important part of your trip, as you have to know how to get there safely. Even though it is a challenge to reach Spiti, you can take the road from Manali to Spiti via Rohtang pass, if you are a beginner.
BY AIR
Take a flight from Bhuntar Airport to reach Spiti. When you reach there, you have to travel by road to get to Spiti. Mainly, you would find private vehicles available to take you from Bhuntar to Spiti via Manali.
BY ROAD
It is pretty hard to reach Spiti as there is no railway service and you can only do it by road. Voyaging to Spiti in winter in your automobile is not the best option as most roads are closed. Thick layers of snow block the road overall making it more difficult to drive. You have to be open to the fact that you might not always get public transport to places you want to visit. Riding in your vehicles don’t turn or behave abruptly on such risky roads. Also, the fluids and fuels of the vehicle can freeze adding to your worries. We would recommend you to hire a local taxi driver because of the heavy snowfall, then it would make it easier to travel.
It is not the easiest trip you will ever have. Despite that, it will be a great story to tell your friend about the majestic adventure you have which will coerce them to go too.