Situated beside the Baspa river, surrounded by snow-coverred mountains, is the sleepy village of Chhitkul with its serene and majestic beauty. Chhitkul is famous for being the last inhabited village before the Indo-Tibet border and the highest village of the Baspa valley. During the winter months, from November to March, this place is completely coverred in snow and can be cut-off due to heavy snowfall.
Apart from its tranquility and natural beauty, Chhitkul is also famous for potato farming and trout fishing. The potatoes of this region are one of the best and costliest in the world. The Sangla valley from Sangla to Chhitkul, specially the villages of Raksham, Batseri and Chhitkul, is a nature lovers paradice. One side of the road are the snow-clad mountains and the other side is full of orchards of fruits like appricots, peaches, chilgoza and apples dotted by wooden houses.
The powerful goddess of Chhitkul is the only non-Buddhist deity to which respect must be paid by the Parikrama pilgrims. It is believed that the local deity is related to the Deity of Gangotri and locals would carry the Deity to Gangotri on foot over high mountain passes. This Expedition offers Kamru fort and miscellaneous trails and meadows around.
Himachal is adventure bikers paradise of India and Asia. Bikers never tire from riding to these remote and beautiful hamlets tucked away in the small corners of large mountains. Discovery Channel has rated this as one of the 'deadliest roads' in the world. This adds just the right charm of adventure to this trip. The landscape in this tour is stunning with snow covered mountains all round, lush green forests and river Sutlej and river Baspa a constant companion along the route. Pine woodlands, meadows, mountains, grasslands, big rocks, river, trout fishing, alpine jungles, apple orchards, old buddhist monasteries, hindu temples, quaint villages, this place has it all. We will be travelling via the NH22, also called Hindustan-Tibet Road. Hone in your photography skills before planning this trip.
The itinerary lists the places we will be covering during the trip. Where we stay and how much we travel in a day is just indicative and is subject to change depending on weather condition.
Chandigarh is a city and a union territory of India that serves as the capital of the
states of Punjab and Haryana. Chandigarh was one of the early planned cities in the
post-independence India. Chandigarh is located near the foothills of the Sivalik range of the
Himalayas in northwest India.
You will receive a warm welcome on arrival at Chandigarh. Check in to hotel. Meet the team.
Local sightseeing. Overnight stay in hotel.
Kotgarh, situated 82 km from Shimla on the old Hindustan-Tibet road, is also lovingly called the apple bowl of India. It is famous for its apples and acres of apple orchards. Samual Evan Stokes is said to have planted the first apple trees in India here. There is an interesting story about how he got apple to India. Kotgarh is a quaint scenic place. The picturesque terraced fields dotted with apple trees and bungalows is feast for the eyes. Hattu temple and peak is a popular trekking trail, and offers a panaromic view of the Pir Panjal and Dhauladhar ranges from the top. The elliptical shaped Tanu Jubbar Taal is a scenic location and has the famous Naag Devta temple built along its sides. The beautiful wooden St. Mary's Church, with its old graveyard stands as a reminder of the bygone era. Milan Devta Temple (Chatur Mukh), with its beautiful architecture constructed in Shikhar style, is dedicated to diety Deo or Deota. There are interesting accounts by blogger about this mandir. Stay at hotel.
Sarahan is small picturesque temple town in the Sutlej valley and is the Gateway to Kinnaur. Located half way up a high mountain side, the road to Srahan winds past flowering pine trees that give way to stately oaks. Encircling the Bashal peak are trees of smooth birch and variety of wild flowers and rare medicinal herbs. Adventure seekers can take a one day trek to the Bashal peak and enjoy the charming view of partially snow-coverred mountains beyond the green grassy hills. Deep down the alley flows the Satluj river and across lies the snow-clad Shrikhand peak. This sparcely populated region has many ancient legends and here is the famous Bhimakali Mandir regarded as the Fifth most scared Saktipeeths. The temple with its wealth of carvings is an example of Himachal's indegineous form of architecture known as the 'Kathkuni' style, prevalent in the districts of Shimla, Kinnaur and Kullu. It is believed to be at least 800 years old. The centuries old temple is now locked and in the newly built temple the goddess Bhimakali is portrayed as a maiden. This temple complex includes other temples such as Narsingh shrine of Bhairon and Lord Raghunath. Other attraction is the nearby Jeori hot water springs.
Chhitkul is a small serene village beside the Baspa river in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh. It is the last inhabited village in the Baspa valley on the old Hindustan-Tibet trade route. To best enjoy the local beauty and culture of this place you should stay in camps or home stay.
Sangla Valley or the Baspa Valley starts at Karcham and ends at Chhitkul. The Bapsa river joins the bigger Sutlej River at Karcham. Sangla is the major town in this valley. The valley is surrounded by forested slopes and offers picturesque views of the high mountains. It is surrounded by many apple orchards. Situated just 2 km away from Sangla, is the wonderful tower-like Kamru fort, one of the oldest forts in Himachal. There are lots of trails in the apple orchards while you stay in Baspa valley. There are some lovely meadows too (one near Rakcham village) where you can spend time and bask in the lap of pristine mother nature. A hike to Glacier Point can be arranged if you fancy some snow play. Walk the trail of the dense cedar forest from Batseri Gaon to Sangla gaon, or go for fishing in the Trout Fishing Farm on the other side of Baspa River. What better than having a trout for yourself and later barbecue it over camp fire in the evening!
Narkanda is a peaceful town in the Shimla district, away from the maddening crowd. It offers a gorgeous view of snow-clad Himalayan mountain ranges along with tall pines, spruce, maple and aspen trees. The Hatu peak is a major attraction in Narkanda. Thanedar, about 14 km from Narkanda, also known as the hub of apple cultivation, is famous for its apple wines and jams. Narkanda is also a popular winter sport destination in Himachal. Stay at hotel.
End of trip. You go back with loads of memories.
