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Spiti Homestay Trek
Ideal for independent travelers, this trek is flexible and customizable to your specifications and additional days can be added to the tour as you wish. Each settlement in Spiti is roughly one easy day's walk from its nearest neighbor, and the Homestay Trek allows you to take advantage of this fact. The traditional hospitality of the villagers provides the day trekker with a comfortable home environment including friendly faces, a clean toilet, a hearty meal and a warm bed to rest in each night.
For those interested in learning more about Spitian culture, a guide and specially arranged cultural performance are available. The cultural programme entails a traditional dance by local dance troupes, nomadic monks and members of the heritage conservation councils. There are two traditional forms of Dance which can be enjoyed:
Bhuzen
Bhuzen dances are performed by wandering Lamas in Spiti Valley only. The dance involves a fantastic display of martial artistry and includes acrobatics, swordplay and the smashing of stones on the Bhuzen's stomach.
Chham
Chham also known as 'the devils dance' is a popular dance in Lahaul and Spiti performed by Lamas on auspicious days. Chham dance has a violent legend behind it: it is said that the performance was originally used to kill an evil king notorious as a persecutor of Buddhists. While the king was distracted by the performance, one of the monks killed him and escaped in the confusion.
The movements in Chham Dance are slow and circular and are accompanied by the beat of drums, cymbals and long pipes.
Features
• Tashigang, Langcha, Lalung, Komic, Kibber, Dhemul, Dhankar, Chicham
• Learn more about Spitian culture
• Traditional hospitality of the villagers
• The cultural programme entails a traditional dance by local dance troupes, nomadic monks and members of the heritage conservation councils.
Itinerary
Day 1: Kibber to Chicham
Starting from Kaza by jeep, we will reach Kibber in time for lunch after a short visit in Ki Monastery. From Kibber we must pass traverse a deep canyon to reach Chicham village. This route is very populated by local wildlife such as Blue Sheep, Ibex and Snow Leopard. Sightings of this rare creature are frequent along this route.
Day 2: Chicham to Tashigang
Reaching Tashigang from Chicham involves passing through the Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary, one of the most exciting locations for spotting several endangered Himalayan species including Tibetan Wolf and Snow Leopard.
We walk along the side of the mountain slopes to reach the main Spiti Valley where the village of Tashigang sits facing tomorrows destination Langcha, high on the opposite slopes of the valley.
Day 3: Tashigang to Langcha
The trek from Tashigang to Langcha is an easy downward trek to the valley floor(where we will stop in Kaza for lunch) followed by a challenging 4hr climb up the opposite slope onto the plateau overhead. The village of Langcha hangs over Kaza far below on the valley floor from an altitude of 4250m.
Traveling to Langcha From Kaza involves a journey along one of the world’s highest motorable roads. Winding along the mountain side above Kaza the traveler gets a spectacular view of the meandering silver waters of the Spiti River on the valley floor. The route gradually snakes in to the Shilla Valley, a high altitude valley on the upper plateau where yakmen graze their herds. Langcha Village is divided into two parts, Lower And Upper Village and is home to a 900 Year old Buddhist Temple.
Day 4: Langcha to Komic
An easy half days walk from Langcha is Komic, famous for its monastery. On the walk you will pass the ruins of the last monastery, destroyed almost completely in an earthquake in 1971.
Komic is one of the principle monasteries of Spiti and home to an unlikely guest - the stuffed remains of a snow leopard who wandered into the village many years ago and who, after gorging himself on a farmers flock of sheep, fell asleep never to wake up as the frightened farmer killed the unfortunate creature. Now he hangs at the entrance to the monastery, a reminder of the need for finding a balance between the needs of human and wildlife in the harsh terrains of the high altitude Himalayas.
Day 5: Komic to Dhemul
The walk from Komic to Dhemul takes you along the edge of the higher plateau overlooking the silvery Spiti river as it snakes through the valley far below. Straight across from you, you will see the endless rows of steep, sparsely populated mountains of the Trans-Himalaya and far away Tibet.
Day 6: Dhemul to Lalung
Today you come down from the high plateau and it is a nice downhill trek into the Lingti Valley. The Lingti River originates in Tibet and passes through the beautiful village of Lalung. The Lalung Monastery is famous for its statue of the Three Cornered Buddha, made with three sides to symbolize the Buddha looking in all directions at once. Legend has it that Rinchen Zangpo planted a willow tree in the soil above the village 1000 years ago and instructed the locals that should the tree survive, they must found a monastery. Today, in front of the 10th century monastery sits an ancient, gnarled and revered willow tree.
Day 7: Lalung to Dhankar
Today we will have to walk to the mouth of the Lingti Valley and from there turn right back in the direction of Kaza. We will climb from the valley floor to Dhankar fortress high above. From our homestay located at the highest point in the village you will get fantastic views of the entrance to Pin Valley.
Day 8: Dhankar to Kaza
Today we trek back to Kaza.
Includes
Transportation
Cultural Programme
Guide
Accommodation (Full Board)
All homestay accommodation options include
Warm Spitian hospitality
A clean room with clean bed sheets and pillow covers
Local cuisine
Boiled drinking water
Traditional Spitian dry eco-friendly toilet
Candle and lamps
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