chitkul

the spiti-kinnaur trail

2024-10-12

We arrive from Shimla and stay at Eskape Camps at Rakchham, a few kilometers before Chitkul. We sit around the campfire and hear war stories. We have a scrumptious dinner of healthy soup and homely made food.

First starry night

2024-10-13

I go for an early morning walk with PS Negi.

Walk the walk

He talks about many things about his stories, plants, life. We pass an old cottage along the way.

An old cottage

I see the first light hitting the mountain top.

First Light

There are fluffy mountain dogs around.

Doggo

I explore around the camp and find a glacial stream.

The glacial stream

We have parathas, toast, and fruits for breakfast. Then we head towards Chitkul, termed “India’s last village,” for a day trip. The highlights are the Baspa River bridge, the Indo-Tibet border, and momos from a small village shop.

Baspa river

We return to camp for a late-afternoon siesta.

Camp site

We have some fun banter with the group in the tent late into the night.

2024-10-14

We leave for Spiti in the morning. I have a sore throat.

We see the Khab Sangam on the way—the confluence of the Spiti and Sutlej rivers. We have maggi and siddu (a traditional Himachali bun) at the sangam.

Sangam Bridge

The roads and views along the way are amazing. We make a pit stop at Nako.