If you don’t like to go down the beaten path, then the Spiti motorcycle tour is one of the lesser-known journeys that you need to undertake. The Spiti Valley in the Greater Himalaya was a ‘Forbidden Kingdom’ not too long back.
Spiti shares its border with Tibet and is one of the most important places in Buddhism. It is the home to several ancient monasteries, including the world-famous Tabo monastery that was established in 996 CE, which makes it the oldest functioning Buddhist monastery in the world. Legend has it that the great Buddhist monk, Padmasambhava, took the teachings of Buddhism to Tibet through Spiti Valley. Thus, it’s no surprise that in this remote but stunningly beautiful region, Buddhism remains more than a way of life.
The Beginning
There are two routes to reach this magical and mystical place. One is from the south via Shimla, through Kinnaur and the other from the north through Manali over the Rohtang and Kunzum passes. The southern route climbs gradually through alpine terrain before arriving at the higher reaches of Kinnaur. From there on, the landscape starts changing before you arrive at the sand-coloured terrain of the Spiti Valley and big mountains.
The Journey
To give the riders a fulfilling and an enriching experience, we start the ride from Manali in Kullu Valley of Himachal Pradesh and enter Spiti from the south and return to Manali from the north to make a complete loop of one of the most interesting and constantly changing Himalayan terrain that’s famous for its culture and food.
From Manali the ride will take you through the lush Banjar Valley along the Tirthan river, which is a famous destination for angling. From there, you will head up the Sutlej gorge towards Kinnaur on a road carved high up in the mountain side. At the Karcham the riders turn towards the beautiful Sangla Valley famous for its fruit orchards and dense Himalayan Cedar forest before reaching Chitkul, which is the last Indian village on the border with Tibet.
Having spent a couple of days in Sangla and Kalpa by the Baspa river, the riders and their bikes will enter Spiti through Nako, but not before the vertigoes climb up a series of Kazigs (switchbacks) to the first village in Spiti. A short run from Nako will take you to Kaza, the district headquarters of Spiti, but before that you will see the Tabo monastery and other old monasteries in Dhankar.
The ride from Kaza to Manali via Chandra Tal, moon shaped alpine lake, will be a challenge of a lifetime. Past Losar, you will be riding on dirt roads strewn with rocks and boulders over Kunzum Pass (4,551 metres) from where you will be able to soak in the majestic vistas of the Bara Shigri glacier and Chandra Bagha massif. But when you will arrive at the Chandra Tal, the sheer grandeur of the place will make you forget all the hardships you had to face in the saddle of the Royal Enfield bike.
The night halt at on the shores of the lake will reinvigorate you to tackle the remaining part of the ride, which will be along the floor of the glacial valley of the raging Chandra river. This part of the ride will involve several water crossing and riding on patches of sand. But once you reach the top of the Rohtang Pass, the comforts of Manali will beckon you.
Detailed Itinerary
Bike: Royal Enfield
DAY 1 – Arrive in Manali (By Bus)
On reaching Manali, check-in to your hotel and relax till afternoon. After lunch you will be given the keys of your bike. It’s advisable that you ride the bike in and around Manali to get familiarised with your machine. You can visit Solang Valley, Nagar, Haripur Trout Farm, Jagatsukh etc. Come back to the hotel in the evening for dinner and a good night’s sleep.
DAY 2 - MANALI TO BANJAR VALLEY, 130KM
After breakfast ride to Banjar Valley by left bank road from Manali, passing through Nagger, Kais and Bhunter. At Aut, you will take the left turn towards the Banjar Valley and ride along the Tirthan river to reach Soja in time for delicious and piping hot lunch. Overnight stay will at a comfortable Hotel or Guest house in Soja.
DAY 3 – BANJAR/SOJA- SANGALA. (160 KM / 06 TO 07 HRS.)
After an early breakfast the group will start the ride to Sangala. The first challenge will be to tackle the steep climb and down the Jalori Pass (3200metres) into the Outer Siraj valley and then ride along the Sutlej to Rampur then on to Wangtu and Karchham. The Sangla Valley also known as the Baspa Valley because the river Baspa on of the tributaries flows through this valley. The Sangala Valley is one of the most beautiful places in Himachal Pradesh, that’s famous for its fruit orchards and thick coniferous forests. You can also visit the Kamrup Fort and Sangala village to interact with the locals who mostly lead a pastoral life.
DAY 4 - SANGALA - CHITKUL – SANGALA
This will be a relatively a short day. After breakfast ride to Chitkul along the Baspa river. Along the way you will pass Rakcham village. The forests of old Himalayan Cedar trees will have a soothing effect as you ride on the narrow and winding roads to Chitkul, the last Indian village in Baspa Valley. After lunch, the riders will return to Sangla.
DAY 5 - SANGALA TO KALPA (RECKONG PEO)
Another day of covering a short distance of about 60 km to Kalpa. Here you can visit some of the temples, which have unique architectural style or if you are interested you doing some shopping for local handicrafts then you can stroll down the Mall Road.
DAY 6 - KALPA TO NAKO (110 KMS/ 06 Hrs)
On this day you will enter Spiti. Riding along the Sutlej river till the village of Khab, En route, you will be able to see the confluence of Spiti river with waters of Sutlej at Pooh. After a short stop, the riders will continue towards Nako, but before that you will need to tackle the Kazigs (switchbacks) that will include rapid height gain. At Nako you can relax on the banks of a small lake or visit the Nako monastery.
DAY 7 - NAKO TO KAZA
On this day the riders will be arriving in the heart of Spiti Valley. The ride from Nako will pass through Chango and Sumra villages located on banks of a small lake. The group will take a short stop for photographs, before continuing towards Tabo and Dhankar. At Tabo, a visit to the oldest functioning monastery, which was established in 996 CE, is a must. From there a short run will take the group to Kaza for comfortable night’s stay in hotel.
DAY 8 - KI KIBBER, LANGZA VILLAGE
This day will be devoted to seeing the places around Kaza. It will include a visit to the Ki Monastery about 12 km from Kaza perched high up on a cliff, which offers a panoramic view of Spiti. These centuries old Gompa, with it’s labyrinth of rooms and corridors will take you into the inner world of Buddhism. They also house centuries-old Thangkas, depicting various facets of Buddha’s life. After Ki, the riders will head for the highland villages of Kibber and Langza, situated above 13,000 ft. to see an a way of life that has not changed much despite the march of modernity. By evening, you will be back in your hotel for the last night in Kaza.
DAY 9 - KAZA TO CHANDRA TAL (83KM. / 05 Hrs
Leave Kaza after an early breakfast for Chandra Tal. But on the way you will pass many villages of Spiti and also the only Buddhist monastery for women exclusively in India in Pangmo village. After that the road conditions will deteriorate rapidly as you climb towards Kunzum Pass. From the top of a pass, which has a small temple devoted to goddess Kunzum with strings of colourful prayer flags draped on its boundary wall, you will enjoy the panoramic view of the alpine meadows and the Chandra Bagha massif. From the top to the shore of the Chandra Tal lake is just a short ride. The riders will stay in camps on the banks of the lake.
DAY 10 - CHANDRA TAL LAKE TO MANALI,( 130KM. / 06 Hrs
A relatively early morning start for Manali because there still some distance to ridden on the 100 percent dirt road till you reach Gamphoo before the start of the climb for Rohtang. On the way you will cross small settlements in Batal, Chota Dhara and Chatru, where the group will stop for a tea break. You will reach Manali by late afternoon.
DAY 11 –MANALI
After the breakfast, it’s time to say goodbye as the tour ends in here.
Cost Includes:
NOTE: BEFORE STARTING THE TOUR FROM MANALI RIDERS WOULD NEED TO DEPOSIT RS. 5,000 AS SECURITY, WHICH WILL BE REFUNDED IN FULL IF THERE IS NO DAMAGE TO THE BIKE.
Cost Does Not Include:
Any airfare/ train fare, fuel for the bike, gloves, kneepads, riding jacket, riding trouser, any other meal other than mentioned in itinerary, any personal or travel insurance, tips, gratuities, portage, laundry, telephone calls, table drinks or any other expenses of personal nature or any item not specified under cost inclusion.
