This vast, desolate corner of Himachal Pradesh is one of the most spectacular and sparsely populated regions on Earth. Lahaul is a relatively green valley north of the Rohtang La, but as you travel east into Spiti the landscape transforms into a rugged network of interlocking river valleys hidden in the rain shadow of the Himalaya.
It’s 12000 sq km of snow- topped mountains and high altitude desert, punctuated by tiny patches of greenery and villages of whitewashed mud-brick houses clinging to the sides of rivers and melt-water streams.
As in Zanskar and Ladakh, Buddhism is the dominanat religion, though there are small pockets of Hinduism in Lahaul, where many temples are sacred to both Buddhist and Hindu deities. According to legend, some monasteries in Lahaul were founded personally by Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche in Tibetan), the Indian monk-magician who converted Tibet to Buddhism in the 8th century AD.
Manali is the main gateway to Lahaul and Spiti. A seasonal highway runs north over the Rohtang La (3978m) to Keylong, the capital of Lahaul, continuing to Ladhak over the mighty Baralacha La (4950m) and Taglang La (5328m). Side roads branch west to the little – visited Pattan Valley and east to Spiti over Kunzum La (4551m).
Festival
Losar, the Tibetan New Year, is celebrated in villages throughout Lahaul and Spiti in January and February, depending on the lunar calendar.
Best time to visit
The Rohtang La, Baralacha La and Taglang La are normally open from June to late October, while the Kunzum La to Spiti is accessible from July to October, with exact date depending on snow conditions.
Climate
Lahaul and Spiti have a markedly different climate from the rest of Himachal Pradesh. The limited rainfall and high altitude – mostly above 3000m – ensures desperately cold conditions in winter. Even in summer, temperatures can plummet below -30°C. On the plus side, when monsoons are drenching the rest of the state, it’s usually sunny here.
Realistically, the region is only open to travellers when the mountain passes are open, from early June/July to late October. Whenever you travel, bring plenty of clothing for cold weather.
Places to visit
Manali to Keylong
From Manali the road to Leh strikes north along the Beas River valley and climbs slowly through pine forests and switchbacks to the bare rocky slopes below Rohtang La. The name literally translates as ‘Pile of dead bodies’- a reference to the hundreds of travellers who have frozen to death here over the centuries. In the height of summer, the pass is chock-a-block with Indian tourists riding horses and enjoying the novelty of a summertime snowball fight. At the pass, look out for the small, dome-shaped temple that marks the source of the Beas River.
keylong
The capital of Lahaul stretches along one side of the green Bhaga Valley just below the Manali-Leh Highway, and it’s popular overnight stop for many buses plying that route. Many travellers only see Keylong briefly and in the dark, but a longer stay reveals grand mountain views, a laid-back village lifestyle and plenty of scenic walks.
Gramphu
On the far side of the pass, the road plunges spectacularly down into the awesome Lahaul Valley, a rugged landscape of soaring crags, alpine meadows and mesmerizing waterfalls plunging from glacial heights.
Spiti
Separated from the fertile Lahaul Valley by the soaring 4551m Kunzum La, Spiti is another chunk of Tibet marooned in India. Villages are dew and far between in this serrated moonscape and they arrive like mirages, with clusters of whitewashed homes huddled by green barley fields below monasteries perched on crags a thousand feet above.
Kaza
The capital of Spiti, Kaza sits on the eroded flood plain of the Spiti River and is the biggest settlement you will encounter in this empty corner of the state. Stilll it’s relatively small, feeling like a frontier town with an easygoing pace. The setting is wonderfully rugged- jagged mountains rise on either side and the river coils across the valley floor like twisted locks of Medusa’s hair.
Tabo
About 50km east of Kaza, tiny Tabo is the only other town in the Spiti Valley. The setting, hemmed in by scree slopes, is wind – blow and dramatic, and the ridge nort of town is riddled with caves once used as meditation cells by local hermits. This is a World Heritage Site whose dull mud-brick walls hide some of the finest Indo-Tibetan art in the World.
