TRAVEL .. On an offbeat trail
In May, as the snow begins to melt away, Lahaul and Spiti Valley
become easier to access
LAHAUL AND SPITI VALLEY
State: Himachal Pradesh
The two twin valleys, Lahaul and Spiti are located in the
north-eastern corner of Himachal Pradesh. Spiti remains practically cut off
from the rest of India for six months of the year. Thick Himalayan snow blocks
the mountain passes, making it almost impossible for road transport to pass through.
The summer months from late May to late September are, therefore, the best time
to visit Spiti. As the weather warms up, the snow slowly melts and gets cleared
away to open up road travel to the valley.
The villages of Spiti, though remote, are home to some of the
kindest and friendliest people. There are two road routes leading up to Spiti;
one from Shimla via the Kinnaur Valley and the other from Manali.
Ki-Gompa or Key Gompa, is an old monastery, situated on the peak
of the hill close to the Spiti River. This monastery is one of the biggest
monasteries of Spiti Valley . Another fascinating monastery is Dhankar Gompa,
which is set among the rocks. It is about a thousand-year-old and still
functioning. The oldest monastery of the valley is the Tabo monastery. Other
monasteries are Tangyud Monastery, Gungri Monastery and Saskyagongmig Gompa.
One can find several affordable guesthouses near these
monasteries. Chandra Taal is one of the major attractions of Lahaul and Spiti
where one can undertake camping. The best part of this clear water lake is that
there is no underground source to the lake. Besides this, there are Dhankar
Lake and Suraj Taal, too.
ETPTR May 18 2017 :
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