India Guides - Monsoon Special - Lahaul-Spiti

spiti_tabu Surrounded by the Kullu Valley in the south, Ladakh in the north and Tibet in the east, the twin valleys of Lahaul and Spiti are a region of nature at its wildest. This land duplicates, possibly exceeds in many ways, the magic of Leh, Nubra and Zanskar valleys.

The region remains cut off from the rest of the world most of the year due to geographical barriers and military and political reasons.

These valleys encompass glaciers, high ridges, broad valleys, pastures and have a minimum elevation exceeding 3000m. A high altitude cold desert, the region is dotted with famous monasteries, villages like little green oases in a stark, brown and dry landscape, miles of rolling pastures, 6000m peaks and swollen rivers which turn into mere trickles in winter. Between the Shivaliks and the Greater Himalayas is found another of India's last unexplored posts, Kinnaur. Situated on the old world trade route, its only link with the outside world is by way of the Hindustan -Tibet road through Simla.

This district spans the entire width of the Himalayas to the edge of the Tibetan plateau. These regions being utterly unspoilt and practically untouched by tourist traffic and outside influence remain a paradise for trekkers and motorists alike.

The valleys of Lahaul and Spiti are connected by the 4500m Kunzum pass. It is a fascinating land for Buddhist art and culture. The monasteries here are rich repositories of ancient murals, wood-carvings and golden images of the Padmasambhava. The people are charming and friendly with their own traditional dances, ballads, folk tales and legends.