BEAUTIFUL KINNAUR

Kinnaur is the area between Shimla and the border of Tibet.Kinnaur surrounded by the Tibet to the east, in the northeast corner of Himachal Pradesh, about 235 kms from Shimla is a tremendously beautiful district having the three high mountains ranges i.e. Zanskar, Greater Himalayas and Dhauladhar.To the north is the Zanskar Range, which forms the border with China and in the south is the Kinnaur Kailash Range, which has the mountains of Jorkanden (6473m), Phawarang (6349m) and Kinnaur Kailash (6050m). Most of the people in this region are of Mongol origin and follow Buddhism., enclosing valleys of Sutlej, Spiti, Baspa and their tributaries. All the valleys are strikingly beautiful. The slopes are covered with thick wood, orchards, fields and picturesque hamlets. The much religious Shivlinga lies at the peak of Kinner Kailash mountain.The Satluj river which rises on the southern slopes of Kailash mountain near Mansarover in Tibet flows through the Kinnaur valley.

1.) SARAHAN-
By National Highway No.22, is 175 km from Simla and is at a height of 1850 m. The hilly road passes through Kufri, Narkanda, Fagu, Rampur and Geori, and on both the sides there are pine and fur trees etc. Rampur was once upon a time the kingdom of the Bushahar kings. The residence of the kings is known as Padam Palace, made by King Padam Singh. The palace is on the road itself, the ground floor is made of stone and the first floor is made of wood. It was learnt that the palace is now closed for the tourists.Sarahan is surrounded by Himalayan snow-clad mountain ranges from east to west, of which the main peak is that of Shrikhand. Sarahan is popular for temples of Bhimakali, there are two triple storied temples side by side, one is older and the other is new.

2.) REKONG PEO-
There are some great views of the mountains from this town (2,000m), which is the capital & District head quarter of Kinnaur. It has decent facilities and you may have to stay here while getting a permit to Kinnaur, Lahaul or Spiti.The State Bank of India may change TCs. Rekong Peo is a good place to get supplies, as the villages in Lahaul and Spiti have limited supplies.The Kinnaur Kalachakra Celestial Palace is a colorful gompa that is a 25-minute walk above the village. There is a large statue of the Buddha.

3.) KALPA-
One can see a wide range of snow clad mountain peaks and amongst them, the center of attraction is the Kalpa peak. The prominent Kinnaur-Kailash (height of 6050m) looks like a Shivalinga. It is said that on a sunny day, the colour of the Kinnaur-Kailash changes along with the movement of the sun.Kalpa is a nice peaceful town, about 600m higher in elevation than Rekong Peo.According to local folks it is said that Lord Siva comes here in the winter. During the month of Magha (Jan/Feb), the gods are said to come here to meet with Shiva.There are some great views of the mountains from here and some good walks in the area. There is a tendency to get lost in this area, so you should stay conscious of the trail or take a guide with you.

4.) SANGLA-
The beautiful Sangla Valley is south of the Kinnaur Kailash Range. In the village of Sangla there is a temple dedicated to Nagesh. In the village of Kamru, 2km from Sangla village, there is a wooden five-storey fort. It has a temple dedicated to Kamakshi in it.The best time to visit this valley is in April and May and in September and October. The road up to the Sutlej Valley is closed part of the year in the winter. Sometimes it can be hard to find places to stay in this area, so a tent could be useful, because there are many places to camp.Sangla in the north, there are the Kinnaur-Kailash mountain ranges and in the south, there is the Garwal mountain range. River Sutlej is flowing aside.The lush green calm and quite Sangla valley is also known as Baspa Valley. This valley is also full of apples, peaches, apricot, nuts etc, and varied flowers. The houses are mostly of Tibetan style (Tibet is not far away from here). Surrounding the village there are lots pine and fur trees. Here, there is one temple of Berinag which is made of stone and wood, and the tomb is of gold. There is a bank, post-office and hospital in this village. Also there is a hydro electricity centre and a breeding centre for Trout-fish.

5.) CHHITKUL-
which is 26km away at a height of 3450m, the last village on the Indo-Tibetan Border. This village consists of 100 houses with 700 Indians. Here, river Baspa flows with a murmuring sound through the pine forest and starts from the Nee-La pass not far away. This side of Nee-La pass is India and on the other side is Tibet or China.Here you will find apples, peaches, nuts and lots of Primula, Poppy and Berch trees. For a nature lover, the exotic, serene and tranquil atmosphere will be really enjoyable & memorable. There are two attractions here – the wooden fort and the temple of Devimata.

6.) POOH –
also known as ‘Spuwa’ – is situated 58 km from Powari along National Highway 22, at an altitude of 2,837 m. This small town is well known for its natural beauty, green fields, apricot orchards, vineyards and almond trees. Historical evidences, such as inscriptions, suggest that Pooh was an important trading center in the early 11th century. The main attraction of Pooh is a Buddhist temple dedicated to Sakyamuni or Lord Buddha. The shrine has wooden columns supporting a high ceiling and a circumambulatory path around the altar.The local god is called Dabla, who neither has any dwelling nor possesses an ark. The only manifestation of the deity is a pole with a small idol set on its upper portion and adorned with yak tail hair and long pieces of coloured cloth.

7.) NAKO :
It is the highest village in the valley and the existence of lake formed out of the masses of ice and snow above adds to beauty of the village. Situated about 2 kms. above the Hangrang valley road and is 103 kms. from Kalpa on the western direction of the huge mountain of Pargial. Local village deity is Deodum and another Lagang temple with several idols exist here. There is a staying hut for visitors.

8.) KARCHHAM :
The confluence of Satluj and Baspa rivers marks the location of Karchham on Hindustan-Tibet road. Hydel projects on the satluj river are the main centre of attraction in this area, KARCHHAM WANGTU is one such project with 1000mw capacity.Various government & private compaines has turned the economic growth for this area.

9.) LEO :
Located on the right bank of the Spiti river. It is the headquarters of sub tehsil Hangrang in Pooh sub-division. There is temple of ‘Jamato’ worth visiting.Also know for the apples,leo has some specatular views .

10.) CHANGO :
It is in Kinnaur district and is a collection of four hamlets in pargana ‘Shuwa’ sub-tehsil Hangrang, on the left bank of Spiti river. It is encircled on every side by high hills which is a witness to the presence of a former lake. This village is under the influence of Buddhism, but there are some local Hindu deities too namely ‘Gyalba’ – ‘Dabla’ and ‘Yalsa’.One the best quality apples in India is produced by this place.

KINNAUR TREKS

In Kinnaur there are some mild treks and some difficult ones going over some high-altitude passes. Routes in the Sutlej Valley can often be done without the help of porters. In other places you will need a porter and will have to camp out and have your own food. Porters can usually be hired in Rekong Peo and Rampur for around Rs 150 per day. In Sept/Oct during the harvest time they are more expensive and may be hard to find.
Sarahan to Wangtu Trek

This fairly easy trek begins near Sarahan and goes to the village of Chaura, where there is the Hirmal Devi Temple. On Day 2 you can go either to Tranda (8km) or another 9km to Paunda, where there is a rest house.

The next day you go to the village of Sangra, where there is a rest house. At Wangtu you can get transportation back to Shimla or continue the trek to Kalpa.

1.) Wangtu to Kaza Trek
This difficult trek goes over the Great Himalayan Range going over Shakar La Pass and then goes through the Pin Valley. You definitely need a good guide, proper equipment and porters. The guide should ideally be arranged with an established travel agency. On Day 1 you start at Wangtu and then go to Kafnoo village. On Day 3, going over Bhaba Pass (4860m) is a tough walk through snow. Day 4 brings you to the beautiful Pin Valley and then it takes three or four days to reach Kaza.

2.) Kinner–Kailash Trek
To do this five to seven-day scenic trek you need to get an Inner Line permit. You first go to the village of Morang, which you get to by taking a bus from Rekong Peo or Tapri. You can then get a jeep to Thangi, from where the trek begins. On the second day it is a tough ascent to go over the Charagng La Pass (5260m).