—Categories: himachal pradesh, himalayas, mountains, nature

Kinnaur – Kalpa Village

Travelling in Himachal in June – 2007
Shimla >> Manali >> Rohtang >> Chandratal >> Ki/Kibber/Tabo >> Kalpa >> Shimla
+ Previous: Highlights of Kinnaur
+ Next: Infomration on Lahaul, Spiti and Kinnaur
+ Go to beginning of the story or index page

Kalpa Village in Kinnaur was our next stop in the journey.

Being in Rekong Peo, the big town just before Kalpa, is like returning to ‘normal world’ from mountains of unlikely scale, desert like climes and altitudes running to five digits. And life is also ‘normal’ – almost like in the plains – motor traffic increases several folds, there are people everywhere, and the town has every kind of commerce you will see in a town of its size anywhere in the country. Wide roads with good tarmac that was unimaginable till now in Spiti, takes you through the town and then into Kalpa. It is still not a place flat enough to have football grounds, but is a far less forgiving landscape than in the high altitude desert we had left behind.

The road climbs steeply from Rekong Peo to Kalpa but driver Mangal takes it fast and easy, after being through the terrible roads for many days. Apple orchards and other cultivation dominate the vegetation, with a few small strips of coniferous growth here and there.

Kinner Kailash

Once in a while we see signs of guesthouses indicating that it is a well visited place. There aren’t too many of them though, and fortunately bigger and plush hotels have not yet arrived here. But that doesn’t mean Kalpa can be be put in ‘undiscovered’ category. Tourists from Delhi, tired of going back to Shimla every year and wanting explore newer locations, come here in good numbers to escape the summer heat. Once entering the village, small guesthouses are everywhere, and a construction in progress springs up every hundred meters. It can almost get classified as a hill station sans the Raj influence. Don’t be surprised if you arrive here ten years down to see a few Obeois, Tajs and Hiltons complete with a mall-road where people juggle for space.

Kinner Kailash, Kalpa

Kalpa’s pleasant weather is only second of its major attractions. It is the view of Kinner Kailash ranges on the other side of the valley that pulls in people here. Nearly every guesthouse proudly displays posters of these mountains bathed in golden light of early winter evenings. Unfortunately we were there on a time when it was cloudy half the time, although not completely betrayed of the views. But having been soaked in the grandeur of Spiti where we walked right in those high mountains, Kinner Kailash suddenly seemed far away and less impressive from the distance we were in. But that is not to undermine the great views of these snow-clad peaks. It is a good place to rewind and relax and is an ideal long weekend getaway from heat and dust. And yes, definitely much better than Shimla.

Information
Kalpa is known for its pleasant weather and views of Kinner Kailash range of mountains. Legend has it that Kinner Kailash is the winter abode of Shiva. At a distance of approximately 250km from Shimla, it can take the whole day to reach here. Roads are decent, at least for the standard of terrain, and it is not too hard to drive. Buses connect Shimla with Rekong Peo town, and Kalpa is a short 30 minute away from there. You can combine your visit to Kalpa with Sangla and Chitkul known for their mountain scenery. There are some budget to mid-range accommodation available in the village, and should not be hard to find a place except in weekends of peak seasons. Summers here are pleasant, and I was told that it can get really cold in winter.

Continued at Information on Lahaul, Spiti and Kinnaur

—Categories: himachal pradesh, himalayas, lahaul and spiti, mountains

Compilation of posts – Lahaul and Spiti Valley

List of posts from Lahaul and Spiti

* Driving to Batal from Rohtan Pass
* Batal and Chandratal
* Kunzum La, Kaza, Ki Monastery, Kibber Village
* Tabo Monastery and Nako Village
* The hurried women of Nako

—Categories: himachal pradesh, himalayas, mountains

Kinnaur

Travelling in Himachal in June – 2007
Shimla >> Manali >> Rohtang >> Chandratal >> Ki/Kibber/Tabo >> Kalpa >> Shimla
+ Previous: The hurried women of Nako
+ Next: Kalpa Village
+ Go to beginning of the story or index page

The journey beyond Nako was hardly exciting. It was a descending road all the way and landscape changed considerably after driving for a few hours. Mountains got smaller and a few trees started appearing here and there. Sun became bearable as we progressed. Once we left Spiti behind and drove into Kinnaur region, mountains became greener and apple orchards could be seen on the slopes. Prosperous villages with large houses that flourished by farms of exotic fruits and vegetables could be seen on the top of the hills. Sutlej grew wider as we descended but never lost steam. A few things worthy of mention.

* Roaring Spiti meets an equally wild Sutlej coming down from river. Together, they become a force that deserve fear and respect. Our road followed Sutlej for many many hours from here on and she doesn’t loose her energy one bit all through the journey.
Confluence of Spiti and Sutlej

* It is too fearsome and fast for boats. At places far from bridges, people crossed the river in manually operated cable cars. What do they call them?

Sutlej River

* Mountain walls were no longer loose sediments but were solid and rocky. Fear of landslides here would be lot less than Spiti but not completely alleviated.

* The road cut from near vertical rock cliffs at places. A narrow groove in the rock, a couple of hundred meters above the river forms the road just wide enough for two small vehicles to pass.

Spiti Valley

* Sun mellowed down as we descended and reached tree line. It was pleasant weather in Rekong Peo and Kalpa village. But we no longer had clear deep blue skies that were characteristic of Spiti. It was cloudy or hazy most of the time.

* The road to Sangla and Chitkul were blocked by a landslide. Another disappointment after missing out Dhankar Monastery. Just the way people told me that Dhankar is one of the most beautiful places in Spiti, I had to hear ravings on Sangla and Chitkul that were supposed to be prettiest region in Kinnaur. Murphy’s law was working.

* There is a large hydro-electric project under construction beyond Rekong Peo. They have drilled large tunnels all over the mountains, probably to pass water. In one such place where a dam was already commissioned, water gushed out from a tunnel in full force into Sutlej.

Sutlej at Kinnaur

* Unlike deserted and forbidding Spiti, Kinnaur’s weather is much pleasant and favourable to horticulture. In effect, population density is also much higher. You never have to worry about getting lost anywhere.

* Landscape becomes prettier again and the slopes are filled with dense deodar forests once the road leaves Sutlej valley and climbs up towards Shimla.

Continued at Kalpa Village