Spiti Valley Tour

Spiti Valley & Dharamsala INDIA

A trip to the remote Himalayan region of India & teachings of Dalai Lama

I first travelled to the Spiti Valley, Himachal Pradesh in June 2009 with a group to attend the Dalai Lama’s teachings. Having travelled several times from Leh overland I thought I knew what beauty was however, I was unprepared for the beauty and the magic of the Spiti Valley. From the sheer beauty of driving along the narrow valley floor surrounded by jagged mountains, to the sereneness of Yaks grazing on the rich mountain pastures to the colourfulness of the dress of the local tribal people, I simply feel in love with the Spiti Valley. As a result I wanted to share it with other people. I have put together this trip based on what I did last year but have extended it to go the full circle to see the valley as a whole. As the Tabo end of the valley is very close to the Tibetan border we will hopefully get views of Mt Kalaish from one of our overnight stops, Kalpa. We will be travelling by comfortable cars and staying in simple but comfortable guest houses. At the end of the trip we will visit McLeod Ganj and attend teachings of the Dalai Lama in his home town. This is simply a trip of a lifetime! I hope you can join me! – Sharon Thrupp

Background – Spiti Valley

The Spiti valley is a desert mountain valley located high in the Himalaya mountains.

The name "Spiti" means "The Middle Land", i.e. the land between Tibet and India. Spiti Valley possesses a distinctive Buddhist culture similar to that found in nearby Tibet and the Ladakh region of India. The valley and surrounding region is one of the least populated regions in India and is the gateway to the northernmost reaches of the nation. Along the northern route from Manali, Himachal Pradesh or Keylong via the Rohtang Pass or Kunzum Pass respectively, the valley lies in the North East of the Indian hill state of Himachal Pradesh, and forms part of the Lahul and Spiti district. The capital is Kaza, which is situated along the Spiti River at an elevation of about 3,800 metres above mean sea level.

Lahul and Spiti are surrounded by high mountain ranges. The Rohtang Pass 3,979 metres, separates the neighbouring Lahul Valley and Spiti from the Kullu Valley. Lahul and Spiti are cut off from each other by the higher Kunzum Pass, at 4,590 metres. A road connects the two valleys, but is cut off frequently in winter and spring due to heavy snow. The valley is likewise cut off from the north up to eight months of the year by heavy snowfalls and thick icing conditions. A southern route to India proper is periodically closed for brief periods in the winter storms of November through June, but road access is usually restored a few days after storms end via Shimla.

Spiti valley is a research and cultural centre for Buddhists. Highlights include Ky Monastery and Tabo Monastery, one of the oldest monasteries in the world and a favourite of the Dalai Lama.

It was the location of the spectacular scenery and cinematography in the 2006 Indian film Milarepa, a biographical adventure tale about one of Buddhism's most famous Tibetan saints. The Buddhist monastery in the valley served as the locus of the set and some of the monks appeared in the film.

The Pin Valley of Spiti is home to the few surviving Phuchen Lamas of the Nyingmapa sect of Buddhism.

The town of Manali was the beginning of an ancient trade route to Ladakh and, from there, over the Karakoram Pass on to Yarkand and Khotan in the Tarim Basin.

COST
India component cost ex Delhi:

A$2750, US$2000, €1650

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Includes

• Met and returned to Delhi Airport by representative of Ekno Experience
• All transfers and travel by A/C train and private vehicles
• All attractions and entrance fees as per itinerary
• Breakfast and dinner
• Mediations and Yoga

Excludes

• Airfares to and from India
• Indian visas
• Travel Insurance (compulsory)
• Occasional optional items not identified in itinerary description
• Tipping and personal expenses
• Bottled water and other beverages not included with meals

Trip Leader

Sharon Thrupp, Ekno Experience Director. She is Australia and has lived and worked running a hotel, restaurant and travel business in Dharamsala, India for the past 5 years. While living in Australia, she spent most of her holidays travelling to far flung places travelling and trekking. She has also spent time living and working in the UK, Japan and Nepal and spent most of her spare time getting to know those countries by travelling independently and in groups.

Sharon is passionate about India and the Himalaya region and has spent a lot of time trekking at high altitudes in the mountains of Nepal, Tibet and India. She has an interest in Responsible and Sustainable Tourism and is involved in local projects with NGO’s in both Nepal and India. She is also a Buddhist.