CHITKUL in HIMACHAL PRADESH

It was 8th of Dec 2018 and on the way to CHITKUL being about 590 km from Delhi so we started our journey by planning to take our first night rest at NARKANDA which is about 400 and some odd kms away leaving aside SHIMLA on the way via CHANDIGARH.

The place NARKANDA at an altitude of about 2710 mtr was equally awesome and night temperature was quite chilling.

The next morning we started for the famous SANGLA VALLEY which was about 160 km by road from NARKANDA and rich with APPLE ORCHARDS everywhere and our stay was in a beautiful hotel surrounded with apple trees.

Though the APPLE SEASON was already over but the very feeling of staying with Apple trees around made it a memory to cherish.

It’s a nice iron bridge in between Sangla and Chitkul .

The next morning we started for CHITKUL our ultimate destination hardly 25 km uphill and by mid day we reached there with chilling snowy winds taking the temp down to below zero and as predicted snow started falling as if flakes of white cotton falling from heaven and it was really a HEAVENLY AFFAIR.The night temperatures were around minus 7-8 degree Celsius.

By the next morning it was all SNOW WHITE everywhere around the hills and adjacent valley were all filled up with fresh snow.

This is the last DHABA on Indian side and we cherished a few cups of HOT TEA there amidst snow clad mountains all around.

Chitkul (Chittkul) at 3450 mtr altitude is a village in KINNAUR dist in HIMACHAL PRADESH. It is the last inhabited village near the Indo-China border.

The Indian road ends here. During winters, the place mostly remains covered with the snow and the inhabitants move to lower regions of HIMACHAL.

Chitkul is famous for its Potatoes and are one of the best in the world and are very costly.Chitkul is on the banks of Baspa river & is the first village of the Basra Valley and the last village on the old Hindustan-Tibet trade route. It is also the last point in India one can travel to without a permit.

I hope my readers would definitely enjoy the joy ride with me.

#PhotoBySiba