Spiti-Trek – Day 1: Road, Gorges and Skiing

14. October 2023

 

 

It seems to me I’m getting better at the art of the smaller lighter backpack for multi-day treks without a tent. Or I am getting stronger and notice the weight less. In any case, after breakfast I happily walked through Kaza to the main road. According to maps.me, I encountered another superlative:

 

 

However, as this is not indicated directly but only on maps.me, it is perhaps not the highest one after all.

 

We followed the road for a few kilometres until we reached the turn-off to Langza. Langza is about 15 km further and 800 m higher than Kaza, i.e. at an altitude of about 4,400 m. 2 years ago, a fancy tarred road was built past Langza all the way to Komic. Unfortunately, there are no alternative paths and so my plan was to hitchhike to the village. However, I noticed how I liked the steady slow uphill. Few cars passed me every now and then and so I thought that I could well delay the hitchhiking time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And as I looked down and around, I suddenly spotted two Bharals (blue sheep)! Yay! I had not expected that here. I had to take several pictures – even if they are a bit far away.

 

 

 

 

Spiti is somewhat similar to Ladakh and Zanskar – but what I find special and remarkable here are the very deep gorges that have carved themselves into the landscape. Then the next village doesn’t look so far away, but you have to make a long diversions around the gorge first. Here, the road at gorge went up one side, then along the top and at some point moved further uphill in the other direction.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In some areas, when you walk along a road, vehicles stop and ask if they should give you a lift. Not here. Until one did stop a few kilometres before Langza. And since I was getting a bit bored with the road and the sky was getting cloudier, I accepted the offer. In the car were a driver and Lara, who has a homestay in Langza. At first he wanted to take me to another one, as his was a bit more expensive. But the price was still well within my budget and I looked first – and immediately took the nicest room! I have never seen anything like it in a homestay in the Himalayas – such a beautifully furnished room. Some of the other pretty furniture is not even in the picture.

 

 

 

 

I ate the lunch I had brought with me and, despite the now rather uncomfortable weather, I strawed around outside. Here, too, the fields had been harvested, but no trees with golden leaves brightened up the landscape. No trees at all. On the other hand, the houses looked quite big and what was stored on the roofs for the winter was also nice to look at.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I didn’t see that many animals, a few donkeys, a large flock of sheep and 2 cows in the distance.

 

 

 

 

Here you can also see Chau Chau Kang Nilda in the background with its peak at 6,003 m.

 

In winter it is supposed to snow quite well here. But I am not sure exactly how to interpret this poster.

 

 

In any case, it was cold, the parlour warm for dinner and the bathroom attached to the room. However, they had just let all the water out of the pipes to winterise the house and not risk a burst pipe. And so my first day of trekking came to an end. Three superlatives awaited me on the next day – how exciting!