Travelling in Himachal in June – 2007
Shimla >> Manali >> Rohtang >> Chandratal >> Ki/Kibber/Tabo >> Kalpa >> Shimla
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The journey beyond Nako was hardly exciting. It was a descending road all the way and landscape changed considerably after driving for a few hours. Mountains got smaller and a few trees started appearing here and there. Sun became bearable as we progressed. Once we left Spiti behind and drove into Kinnaur region, mountains became greener and apple orchards could be seen on the slopes. Prosperous villages with large houses that flourished by farms of exotic fruits and vegetables could be seen on the top of the hills. Sutlej grew wider as we descended but never lost steam. A few things worthy of mention.
* Roaring Spiti meets an equally wild Sutlej coming down from river. Together, they become a force that deserve fear and respect. Our road followed Sutlej for many many hours from here on and she doesn’t loose her energy one bit all through the journey.
Confluence of Spiti and Sutlej
* It is too fearsome and fast for boats. At places far from bridges, people crossed the river in manually operated cable cars. What do they call them?
* Mountain walls were no longer loose sediments but were solid and rocky. Fear of landslides here would be lot less than Spiti but not completely alleviated.
* The road cut from near vertical rock cliffs at places. A narrow groove in the rock, a couple of hundred meters above the river forms the road just wide enough for two small vehicles to pass.
* Sun mellowed down as we descended and reached tree line. It was pleasant weather in Rekong Peo and Kalpa village. But we no longer had clear deep blue skies that were characteristic of Spiti. It was cloudy or hazy most of the time.
* The road to Sangla and Chitkul were blocked by a landslide. Another disappointment after missing out Dhankar Monastery. Just the way people told me that Dhankar is one of the most beautiful places in Spiti, I had to hear ravings on Sangla and Chitkul that were supposed to be prettiest region in Kinnaur. Murphy’s law was working.
* There is a large hydro-electric project under construction beyond Rekong Peo. They have drilled large tunnels all over the mountains, probably to pass water. In one such place where a dam was already commissioned, water gushed out from a tunnel in full force into Sutlej.
* Unlike deserted and forbidding Spiti, Kinnaur’s weather is much pleasant and favourable to horticulture. In effect, population density is also much higher. You never have to worry about getting lost anywhere.
* Landscape becomes prettier again and the slopes are filled with dense deodar forests once the road leaves Sutlej valley and climbs up towards Shimla.
Continued at Kalpa Village
List of posts on Manali and around
* Discovering Manali
* Images – Beyond Manali – I
* Images – Beyond Manali – II
* Images – Beyond Manali – III
* Exploring Solang Nala
* Rohtang Pass
Travelling in Himachal in June – 2007
Shimla >> Manali >> Rohtang >> Chandratal >> Ki/Kibber/Tabo >> Kalpa >> Shimla
+ Previous: Kunzum La, Kaza, Ki Monastery and Kibber Village
+ Next: The hurried women of Nako
+ Go to beginning of the story or index page
We left Kaza early next morning. It was going to be a long drive today to Nako village, where we were planning to spend the night. Deciding not hurry through too many places, we skipped visiting Dhankar(Dhangkar) Monastery and Pin Valley. Like it usually happens, friends would tell me later that Dhankar is one of the prettiest places in Spiti Valley.
I can’t be all too praises about this part of the drive. All the overused words on Spiti can be re-used again – the landscapes are dramatic, muddy brown Spiti River was in full force and we still travelled sandwiched between rows of mountains kissing the sky. But very unlike me and of my love to mountains, I started feeling the monotony. First there was boredom of driving which held us away from the feel of being part of the mountains. We were going like tourists – in way it is used as a dirty word – the fast moving sightseeing and quickly going from place to place type. And then sun was probably getting on us. High altitude sun baked our bodies and had us feeling tired in no time. Staying out was impossible, and every time we walked somewhere, we constantly kept looking for some shade.
The thousand-year-old monastery was closed for lunch hour when we made it to Tabo. We lunched while we waited, and quickly grew impatient in the sunny weather. Such experiences only increase my reverence to the ever-smiling mountain people who probably never know what getting angry is like. Nothing seems to bend them, be it the hard terrain and weather or the difficulty of everyday living that we almost take for granted.
The millennium old Tabo Monastery
Tabo monastery is said to be a world heritage center, but there seems to be some confusion about it. My driver said so, and so did the monks. Lonely Planet also makes a mention of it, but UNESCO list doesn’t speak about it. I still don’t have a clue of the exact status; please fill me in if you know.
Tabo monastery is a millennium old and is known for its well-preserved frescoes. The prayer hall, called Tuglhakhang, is richly decorated with frescoes in vibrant colors. A set of nine small temples built with mud surround the prayer hall, each with paintings of incarnations of Buddha and Tibetan deities. The daily activities of the monastery are performed in a new building built beside the temple complex, leaving the ancient structure preserved.
Oppressed by the sun, we did not stay there for long, and continued to Nako. It was 4pm when we reached Nako, and we immediately headed for the lake above the village, leaving driver Mangal to find a place for the night.
At nearly 10,000 feet, Nako is like a green oasis in Spiti’s high altitude desert. The distinct green patch of the village is visible from far away as we drive through the valley. An irrigation system that feeds the artificial lake, and the potato fields of the village sustains the local population. Like elsewhere in the region, tourism is becoming a new means of livelihood, which is evident from ongoing construction of guesthouses in every alley of the village. The lone school has plenty of kids but seems to have problems finding teachers willing to work there. For reasons I could not figure, people here seem a lot less contented when compared to rest of Spiti we had left behind.
Nako lake is an unlikely water body in Spiti’s steep valleys and arid landscape. It is created by constructing a mound on the slope, just above the village. Probably because of its origins, it doesn’t have the feel of a high altitude lake, normally characterized by clear, turquoise and frigid waters. It is comfortably warm for a bath and has a light green color that is more fit for the plains.
Nako Lake
Despite being lower than Batal and Kaza where we had spent the nights earlier, Nako’s air is thinner and even slight walking made us feel very tired. Back from the lake, Mangal had already found a place for us where we settled down to spend the night.
Continued at The hurried women of Nako