Transport Options (Delhi –Shimla– Delhi)

For travel from Delhi to Shimla one can choose between air, rail & road. For air travel, the closest airport is the Chandigarh Airport and is well connected to Delhi and other parts of the country by Air India, Jet Airways & Spice Jet. Train travel is highly recommended with enough options being there. For train details, you could log on to www.indianrail.gov.in and for online railway ticket bookings you could log on to www.irctc.co.in .
There are frequent Public Transport buses including Volvos available from Delhi to Chandigarh. They take about 5 hrs to cover the distance. From Delhi there are Volvos available for Shimla. Also there is frequent service of buses from Chandigarh to Shimla. A private vehicle could also be arranged for if you require the same.

Weather Details

Temperatures and climate vary according to the altitude. The summer days are warm with brilliant blue skies (max 25°C. min 10°C), but the weather in mountainous areas can be very unpredictable. Come prepared for chilly evenings and a small possibility of rain. Early morning starts and descents at altitude require good quality weather gear.


Please keep in mind that the above information is not exact and does not account for sudden changes. Whatever the temperatures and conditions rest assured we will be prepared to handle it with ease as we use equipment of very high specifications.

 
List of Essentials

    Shirts and trousers 4 -5 pairs
    Fleece jacket
    Water and wind proof jacket
    Thermal top and bottom
    Warm jacket
    Balaclava
    Gloves
    Two 1 ltr water bottles (preferably thermos flasks)
    Lip care
    Torch with extra batteries.
    Body Moisturizer
    Body Powder / Anti-Fungal (feet and body)
    Warm Socks (4-5pairs)
    Sports shoes
    Sandals
    Sun cap
    Sun screen lotion
    Sunglasses
    Head torch with extra batteries.
    Toiletries
    Small light towel and napkin
    Personal medicines
    Camera with extra batteries.

...LOADS OF ENTHUSIASM!! AND A PLEDGE TO LEAVE NO TRACE

Disclaimer

Great Indian Outdoors (P) Ltd. takes utmost care to ensure safety of its clients. However in the case of any unforeseen mishaps, Great Indian Outdoors (P) Ltd. will not be liable for any injuries caused or for loss of life. All disputes rising due to the above are subject to the jurisdiction of the courts in New Delhi/Delhi only. All participants would be required to sign an Indemnity Form before the start of the program, without which they would not be allowed to take part in the trip/program/activities

Duration: 9 Days

Season: Jul-Sep

Grade: Moderate

Region: Lahaul / Spiti Valleys (Himachal Pradesh)

Sketch Itinerary

Day 01: Shimla (2200m) - Kalpa (2960m), Drive / 240 kms / 9-10 hrs

Day 02: Kalpa (2960m) – Sangla (2690m), Drive / 51 kms / 2-3 hrs

Day 03: Sangla (2690m) - Chitkul (3450m) – Sangla (2690m), Drive / 26 kms /2-3 hrs

Day 04: Sangla (2690m) - Tabo (3049m), Drive / 200 kms / 7-8 hrs

Day 05: Tabo (3049m) – Dhankar (3890m) - Kaza (3800m) Drive / 70kms / 3-4 hrs

Day 06: Kaza (3800m)– Kye (4166m) – Kibber (4270m) – Gete (4270m) – Kaza (3800m), Drive / 60 kms / 2-3hrs

Day 07: Kaza - Kunzum La (4550m) – Chandratal (4270m), Drive / 85 kms / 3-4 hrs

Day 08: Chandratal (4270m) - Manali (2000m), Drive / 118 kms / 5-6 hrs

Day 09: Manali departure

Description

This exciting overland trip has it all. On this voyage we traverse through some of the most bizarre and surrealistic landscape, travelling at altitudes of more than 3500m once we enter the mountains, visit regions which till recently were cut off for tourists and are steeped in rich culture and history, etc.

We start off this road trip from Delhi and drive to the hill station of Shimla. From Shimla, we begin the actual journey into the famed valleys of Kinnaur, Lahaul and Spiti. Our first halt would be at the quaint town of Kalpa. This town is Inhabited by Kinnauri people and famous for its apple orchards. From here we move into the Kinnaur valley with the first stop being Sangla. The drive from Sarahan to Sangla is through a picturesque route with winding mountain roads with the River Sutlej surging furiously across the valley. As you drive deeper into the valley, the spectacular vistas unfold the meandering river, verdant conifer slopes, meadows, apple & chilgoza orchards, quaint villages and the magnificent snow clad Kinner Kailash ranges. From here one could do a number of day hikes and visit the village of Chitkul, which is the last village on the Indo-Tibetan border. From here, we leave the Kinnaur valley and enter the Spiti valley. The difference in the terrain of the 2 valleys is stark with the Kinnaur valley being lush green and the Spiti valley being barren and desolate. The valley is steeped in Buddhist culture and the same is visible through the number of monasteries that dot the landscape. We would be visiting a number of these monasteries and would learn a lot about the culture from the resident monks, architecture, interiors, etc. From the Spiti valley, we proceed to another popular hill station Manali. This town is very popular with holiday goers and the same can be seen in the crowded marketplace with shops selling local handicrafts, food cafes, etc. From Manali, we begin the journey into Ladakh. This trip involves traversing through the Greater Himalayas and crossing a number of high passes beginning with the Rohtang Pass (3978m). Also one would be passing through Keylong capital of Lahaul, Jispa and Sarchu. Keylong is a melange of green fields, willow planted watercourses, brown hills and snowy peaks. Here we will visit Khardong and Sha-Shur monasteries. We will also visit a few monasteries en route Jispa. From Jispa we depart for Sarchu via the Baralacha La (4883 m) over the ZingZing Bar plains. From here one can view the Mulkila and Barashigra peaks. In the next stage we will be crossing the Lachlung La(5182m) and Tanglang La(5303m) passes to reach Leh.

The last leg of this road trip would involve exploring the Nubra valley in Ladakh. Nubra is an incredible valley which till recently was completely cut off from travelers. It is a Buddhist region north of Leh across the Khardung La(5600m), the second highest motorable Pass in the world. This valley also known as the valley of flowers was on the former trade route between Tibet and Turkistan. We finish this exciting voyage with a rafting trip down the Indus. View of the valley from the river adds a totally different perspective to this truly enchanting place. The trip finishes with a flight - right over the top of the greater Himalayas, offering views only conjured in dreams.