Cliffhanger Roads – Journey to Forgotten Valleys

Morning after breakfast we assemble for a small briefing on the tour and introduction to your vehicle. Later we start our drive. We experience the crowd & traffic of Delhi and drive northwards taking the Highway to Chandigarh. Beyond Chandigarh we are greeted by the Himalayas, the lowest altitude mountain ranges Shivaliks. We start our climb towards Shimla meandering our way up from foothills of Himalayas to the middle Himalayan mountain ranges.

Shimla is the capital and largest city of state of Himachal Pradesh. In 1864, Shimla was declared as the summer capital of British India. Small hamlets were recorded prior to 1815 when British forces took control of the area. The climatic conditions attracted the British to establish the city in the dense forests of Himalayas. As the summer capital, Shimla hosted many important political meetings including the Simla Accord of 1914 and the Simla Conference of 1945.

Shimla is home to a number of buildings that are styled in the Tudorbethan and neo-Gothic architectures dating from the colonial era, as well as multiple temples and churches. The colonial architecture and churches, the temples and the natural environment of the city attracts tourists. Attractions include the Viceregal Lodge (Rashtrapati Niwas), the Christ Church, the Jakhoo Temple, the Mall Road and the Ridge. The Kalka–Shimla Railway line built by the British, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is also a major tourist attraction.

We arrive at Shimla and check in at hotel. Overnight at hotel.

After breakfast we visit The Rashtrapati Niwas.

The Rashtrapati Niwas (literally the ”President’s Residence”), formerly known as Viceregal Lodge, is located on the Observatory Hills of Shimla. It was formerly the residence of the British Viceroy of India. It houses some of the most ancient articles and photographs going back to the times of the British rule in India.

The Viceregal Lodge was designed by British architect Henry Irwin and built in the Jacobethan style during Lord Duffer’s tenure as Viceroy. Its construction started in 1880 and was completed in 1888. Lord Dufferin occupied the lodge on 23 July 1888. The final cost of project was around 38 lakh rupees with the annual upkeep cost being around 1.5 lakh rupees in the 1880s. At that time the estate stood on an area of 331 acres, but today is reduced to 110 acres. The structure draws inspiration from the architectural style of English Renaissance, and also reflects elements of the castles of the Scottish highlands. The building is of light blue-grey stone masonry with tiled pitch roofing. The interior of the main building is noted for elaborate woodwork which has stood the test of time. Teak was brought from Burma, and was supplemented by local cedar wood and walnut.

We then visit The Mall Road, Scandal Point, Christ Church and The Ridge.

After enjoying a sumptuous lunch at the iconic Heritage Hotel The Oberoi Clarkes we start our drive to the mountain town of Narkanda. We get to see beautiful mountain ranges Dhauladhar & Pir Panjal mountains on our drive while we cross Kufri & Fagu. We now take the erstwhile Hindustan Tibet Road to arrive Narkanda by evening and rest for overnight at a hotel.

Morning after breakfast we start our drive crossing Rampur town which hosts the largest fairs on this region in November, known as Lavi Fair where traders from remote villages come to sell their produce & handicrafts and stock up food material & other necessities for the harsh winters.

Rampur, is situated at 1,005 meters on the bank of river Sutlej and was capital of erstwhile Bushair principality. Being well connected with major trading routes that joined Indian markets with Central Asia and Tibet, it buzzed with mercantile activity, especially in November during the Lavi fair, the largest trading event in the north Himalayas attracting traders from Kashmir, Ladakh, Yarkand, and the Indian mainland. This tradition of Lavi fair is still carried on but with traders from Indian Himalayas only.

A little ahead from Rampur, at Jeori, we drive up to Sarahan to visit the famous & beautiful Bhimakali Temple dedicated to the mother goddess Bhimakali, presiding deity of the rulers of former Bushair.

According to a legend, the manifestation of the goddess is reported to the Daksha incident when the ear of the Sati fell at this place and became a place of worship as a Pitha – Sthan. Presently in the form of a virgin the icon of this eternal goddess is consecrated at the top storey of the new building. Below that storey the goddess as Parvati, the daughter of Himalaya is enshrined as a divine consort of Lord Shiva.

The temple complex has another three temples dedicated to Lord Shri Raghunathji, Narsinghji and Patal Bhairva Ji.

After the visit and seeking blessings from the Goddess to make our expedition a success we continue with our drive and enter the Kinnaur valley. The drive is through towering mountains & cliffs around till Sangla Valley which is considered the most beautiful valleys of Kinnaur region.

On arrival we check in at a camp for overnight.

Evening free at leisure and enjoy bonfire & dinner.

Today morning we would drive further up the Sangla valley to visit villages Rackcham and Chitkul. Chitkul village is the last village on Indian side, beyond which Chinese territory starts.

We drive back to the mouth of Sangla valley from where we continue further to Recong Peo which is the District Headquater of Kinnaur and houses market & many Government houses. We continue climbing up to the beautiful village of Kalpa where we halt for the night.

Kalpa can easily be rated as the most beautiful village of Kinnaur, located in back drop of Kinner Kailash mountain range and the Holy Kailash. As per Hinduism there are 5 Kailash mountains and Kinner Kailash is one among them. Kinnaur is also a region where Hinduism and Buddhism amalgamate beautifully and Kalpa is one the examples of this beauty where you will find locals worshiping in the Hindu temple & its Buddhist monastery.

Today we embark on a journey into the Trans Himalayan region, driving along Satluj river till Khab, which is confluence of river Spiti and Satluj. River Satluj enters India from Tibet near Shipki La, the ancient trade route between India & Tibet and also an important route for pilgrims going to holy Mount Kailash and Mansarovar Lake in Tibet.

From Khab we climb up to the village of Nako located on banks of a small lake and is the last village of Kinnaur valley being predominantly Buddhist.

At the village is located Nako monastery which dates to 11th century (1025 AD]), oriented towards Tibet, similar in style to the Tabo Monastery. It consists of four large halls of which the oldest and largest is known as Dukhong. It is also known as ’Lotsava Jhakang’ meaning ”complex of the translator” named so in honour of Rinchen Zangpo who translated Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit to the Tibetan language.

We continue further from here crossing Chango village, whose apples are some of most prized in the market. We now continue driving with river Spiti flowing against our direction towards Sumdo one of large Army check post on road towards China border. Driving further into Spiti valley we drive to Gyu village which has a small monastery housing a Mummy of a Buddhist Lama in meditating position. We end our day on reaching Tabo.

Tabo village at an altitude of 3050 m is in a bowl-shaped flat valley, the monastery is also in the bottom of the valley, unlike other monasteries in the valley, which are perched on hills. Above the monastery there are a number of caves carved into the cliff face and used by monks for meditation

Overnight at hotel.

Morning after breakfast we walk to visit Tabo Monastery.

Tabo Monastery, also known as Ajanta Of Himalayas was founded in 996 AD in the Tibetan year of the Fire Ape by the Tibetan Buddhist lotsawa (translator) Rinchen Zangpo, on behalf of the king of western Himalayan Kingdom of Guge. Tabo is noted for being the oldest continuously operating Buddhist enclave in both India and the Himalayas. A large number of frescoes displayed on its walls depict tales from the Buddhist pantheon. There are many priceless collections of thankas (scroll paintings), manuscripts, well-preserved statues, frescos and extensive murals which cover almost every wall.

After the visit we drive to visit Dhankar monastery. The complex is built on a 1000-foot (300-metre) high spur overlooking the confluence of the Spiti and Pin Rivers – one of the world’s most spectacular settings for a gompa. Dhang or dang means cliff, and kar or khar means fort. Hence Dhangkar means fort on a cliff.

We now drive to Kaza,at 3600 m, the largest village of Spiti valley. Kaza is beautifully located, overlooked by high mountain ridges on all sides.

From here we continue our driver further to visit Kye Monastery beautifully located on top of a hill. Kye Gompa is said to have been founded by Dromtön (Brom-ston, 1008-1064 AD), a pupil of the famous teacher, Atisha, in the 11th century. The walls of the monastery are covered with paintings and murals, an example of the 14th century monastic architecture. Kye monastery has a collection of ancient murals and books, including Buddha images. There are three floors, the first one is mainly underground and used for storage. One room, called the Tangyur is richly painted with murals. The ground floor has the beautifully decorated Assembly Hall and cells for many monks. Kye Gompa now belongs to the Gelugpa sect, along with Tabo Monastery and Dhankar Gompa. The monastery of Kee, accommodates nearly 250 monks, who reside within the sacred walls throughout the year. Some monks go to South Indian Monasteries during winters, the rest of them stay inside the monastery walls. These monasteries have their regular heads; these heads are the reincarnations of Guru Rinpoche. The current head of Kye Monastery is from Kinnaur, the 19th birth of Guru Rinpoche.

We return back to Kaza and check in at hotel.

Evening free to explore and walk around Kaza market. Overnight at hotel.

Today we take you on a drive of Highlands of Spiti, driving to some of highest villages in the World. We drive to villages of Demul, Comic, which are at an altitude of more than 4500 m. Demul is a beautiful village with its few houses spread on slope of a hill. The villagers practice farming & animal husbandry as main source of income in live in mud houses. The resources in Spiti are sparse and over the years the inhabitants have developed skills to use almost everything and practice very eco friendly life.

We drive to these highlands and visit villages of Demul, Comic and Langza to see the local lifestyle of villagers.

Overnight at hotel.

Today is one of the most beautiful stretch of our drive crossing the Spiti valley presenting stunning scenic views till Losar from where we start our drive up towards Kunzam Pass (4580 m) presenting beautiful view of CB ranges or Chandra Bhaga Range.

On the base of this range lies the Chandertal Lake from where Chandra river originates and on the other end of this range lies Baralacha Pass which intercepts Manali Leh highway. At base of Baralacha Pass lies Surajtal lake, from where Bhaga river originates. This two rivers meet at Tandi village of Lahaul valley and thus form the Chandra Bhaga river which on entering Kashmir valley is known by name of Chenab.

We climb down to Batal in Chandra valley and starting point of many mountaineering expeditions into CB ranges and Bara Shigri Glacier massif. We continue driving on right bank of river Chandra and attimes you may come across a few treacherous water crossing also on this road till Chatru. We continue from Chatru for another 13 kms to reach Gramphoo which lies at base of Rohtang pass and on road to Leh. We now enter the Lahaul valley and drive along Chandra river crossing several villages like Khoksar, Sissu, Gondla till Tandi confluence of Chandra & Bhaga river. Our hotel at Keyong is another 5 kms from here.

On arrival check in and overnight at hotel.

Morning after breakfast we enter a side valley of Lahaul region which is locally known as Patan valley and is green & fertile. We drive to Udaipur enroute visiting Trilokinath temple, worshipped by Hindus in honpur of Lord Shiva and by Buddhist as temple of Avalokiteshwara. This is another example of how beautifully two religions mix, Hinduism & Buddhism worshiping same Gods by different names and traditions.

At Udaipur we visit Mrikula Devi Temple dedicated to Goddess Kali constructed in 11^th century, a fine example of Wooden architecture of Himalayas and wood carvings. The roofing consists of nine panels. The nine panels has different size and shape. Eight of these border the big center piece. The center piece is in the “Lantern style”. Four figural panels on the four basic directions depict Gandharvas busy with their mates and holding objects. Lord Shiva on both sides is flanked by his alter egos, the Bhairavas. The next panel diverge from the Hindu pantheon or myth for it represents the ‘Assault of Mara’. In the center Buddha is shown sitting on the “Vajrasana” in Bhumisparshasana calling the Earth goddess to witness his victory over the god of desire and death.

From Udaipur onwards we drive toward Killar. The road can be rated as treacherous as its has been constructed by carving it out from cliff with a vertical fall down below to the fast & fuming Chanderbhaga river. We need to be very careful while driving to Kilalr which is Sub Divisional headquater of Pangi region.

The Pangi valley is a remote, rugged and poorly developed tribal area. It is one of the most remote areas in the state of Himachal. Pangi valley is divided into the Saichu, Hudan Bhatori and Sural Bhatori valleys with altitude ranging from 2100 m to 3400 m. The valley is mostly inhabited by Pangwala and Bhoti people, mostly Hindu with some Buddhists.

Pangi is a narrow valley dotted with tall coniferous trees, high mountains & sheer rock faces merging down to fast flowing Chandrabhaga river. One can enter Kashmir valley following road to Kishtawar & further to Srinagar and one may also trek over high mountain passes to enter Zanskar valley.

On arrival at Killar we check in at a simple Guest House for overnight.

**because of remoteness the area remains undeveloped & there are no good hotels or guest houses

Today we drive around Pangi valley exploring few of its villages driving to side valleys and visiting Hudan Bhatori and Sural Bhatori. For more adventurous we have an option to drive further on the cliff hanger road towards Kishtwar and return back to Killar for overnight stay.

After breakfast we start our fascinating and demanding drive upto Sach Pass, which connects Pangi Valley to Chamba. Sach Pass at 4414 m of altitude lies on the Pir Panjal mountain range and remains open for traffic from June to end September.

Once we cross Sach Pass we get a beautiful view of mountains of Chamba valley. In July & August slopes & pastures of Sach Pass are full of high altitude flowers blooming in abundance all around like a colourful carpet. You may find some Japanese gazing these flowers in awe who flock to Sach Pass just to see the rich colourful bloom.

We continue our drive down the mountains to the beautiful town of Chamba, located on banks of river Ravi and where we stay for overnight.

Though historical records date the history of the Chamba region to the Kolian tribes in the 2nd century BC, the area was formally ruled by the Maru dynasty, starting with the Raju Maru from around 500 AD, ruling from the ancient capital of Bharmour, which is located 65 kms from the town of Chamba. In 920, Raja Sahil Varman shifted the capital of the kingdom to Chamba, following the specific request of his daughter Champavati (Chamba was named after her). From the time of Raju Maru, 67 Rajas of this dynasty ruled over Chamba until it finally merged with the Indian Union in April 1948, although Chamba was under British suzerainty from 1846 to this time.

The town has numerous temples and palaces,and hosts two popular fairs, the ”Suhi Mata Mela” and the ”Minjar Mela”, which last for several days of music and dancing. Chamba is also well noted for its arts and crafts, particularly its Pahari paintings, which originated in the Hill Kingdoms of North India between the 17th and 19th century, and its handicrafts and textiles.

Overnight at hotel.

After a leisurely breakfast we explore the town of Chamba, its colourful markets and a few temples.

The Lakshmi Narayan temples complex, devoted to the Vaishnavite sect, includes the main Lakshmi Narayan temple, built in the 10th century by Raja Sahil Verman. It has been built to suit the local climatic conditions with wooden chatries and has a shikara. A metallic image of Garuda, the mount of Vishnu is installed on the dwajastamba pillar at the main gate of the temple. In 1678, Raja Chhatra Singh adorned the temple roof with gold plated pinnacles, as a riposte to Auranagzeb, who had ordered demolition of this temple.

Later we start our drive to Dharamshala, the abode of His Holiness The Dalai Lama. From Chamba we start our climb up to a small pass and then driving down the valley. After the downhill drive we are in Kangra valley.

The valley is filled with numerous perennial streams, which irrigate the valley. The valley has an average elevation of 700 m. Kangra Valley is a strike valley and extends from the foot of the Dhauladhar range to the south of river Beas. The highest peak on the Dhauladhar, White Mountain, marks the boundary between the valley and Chamba, and reaches 4863 m. The peaks of the range are approximately 4000 m above the valley floor, rising sharply from its base with no low hills in between.

We arrive Dharamshala by evening and check in at hotel for overnight.

After breakfast we head to explore McLeodganj.

McLeod Ganj is located on higher reaches of Dharamshala town at 2082 m and is also known as The Little Tibet. It is here that His Holiness The Dalai Lama has his abode after he left Tibet. McLeod Ganj was named after Sir Donald Friell McLeod, a Lieutenant Governor of Punjab during British India times.

We visit the Dalai Lama Temple. The most important Buddhist site in the town is Tsuglagkhang, the Dalai Lama’s temple. It has statues of Shakyamuni, Avalokiteśvara and a statue of Padmasambhava.It here that The Dalai Lama holds public sermons.

Later we visit St. John in the Wilderness is an Anglican church located in the forest near McLeod Ganj. The neo-Gothic stone building was constructed in 1852. The site also has an old graveyard and a memorial to the British Viceroy Lord Elgin. The church is also noted for its Belgian stained-glass windows, donated by Lady Elgin.

Visiting Norbulingka Institute would be interesting. Norbulingka Institute, founded in 1995 by Kelsang and Kim Yeshi, at Sidhpur and is dedicated to the preservation of the Tibetan culture in its literary and artistic forms. The institute is named after Norbulingka, the traditional summer residence of the Dalai Lama, in Lhasa. The ground plan is based on the proportions of Avalokitesvara, the thousand-armed god of compassion, with the temple as the head. Norbulingka is dedicated to handing down tradition and restoring standards by providing training, education and employment for Tibetans. It reconciles the traditional creatively and respectfully with the modern, and seeks to create an international awareness of Tibetan values and their expression in art and literature. Norbulingka produces high quality, traditionally crafted art objects, as well as clothing and home furnishings. Norbulingka’s art studios include Tibetan statue making, thangka painting, screen-printing, applique and tailoring, woodcarving, wood painting, papermaking, and wood and metal craft.

Rest of day is at leisure exploring the market of McLeod Ganj.

Overnight at hotel celebrating the success of the expedition.

Today is a long drive starting from the Himalayas in Dharamshala down to plains of Punjab crossing Shivalik ranges. We meander our way across Shivalik mountains and enter Punjab plains at Nangal from where it’s a straight drive to Delhi enroute crossing Chandigarh where we stop for lunch. On arrival in Delhi we check in at hotel for overnight.

Intime transfer to International airport to connect flight back home with fond memories of the Himalayas.