[trippytragopan]

Originally Posted by Samba

On the day we were going, it was snowing. More or less everything was shut apart from the army canteens.

Most cafés located nearby Rampur (at Jhakri, Jeori and Badhal) remain open in winters. Some cafés before (Powari petrol pump), near Shongtong, also remain.

Originally Posted by Samba

Vodafone will go offline after crossing Rampur.
Airtel and Jio will work throughout. You will get 4G in Kaza too.

BSNL (for voice calls) works too.

[ARAY]

Thanks Samba for putting together this trip.
This was my first trip with a group after a long time. We maintained adequate pace while covering all the areas.

I was worried a bit as my duster was the eldest among the lot and this trip too it came back avoiding classic Duster 110ps known issues.

What you have put together is a template for any long trip, brilliant photography too. Look forward to next expedition with the team.

Sharing few pictures.









A short video of the beautiful drive amongst the breathtaking valley.

https://youtu.be/Vmw6hGAEejE

[arghyaheart]

Well, as you know it, uncontrollable emotions kept me away from this travelogue all these days.
There's friends like you who's ready to do many things to accomodate something/someone who treats you the same way; and then there are people who camouflage themselves so well that you take them as friends and they don't hesitate to backstab you at the first available opportunity. You know what I mean. Anyways, lession learnt. Hopefully, won't let it happen again.
I have a confession. I still haven't gathered enough strength to read this travelogue thoroughly. I planned for over a year; saved everything I could for over a year, For this this trip. Thought of so many things to be done But nothing happened. But when I realised that I just can't join you guys and make this roadtrip happen, it left me shattered. I was so sad that I had to go to Lucknow to visit the famous kebab joints and find solace for my soul. It was painful yet delighting to taste the best kebabs of the country.
It's needless to say anything about the photographs or the narration you come up with. Your photos are awesome and so are your words which don't require any preamble.
Keep going. Hope I'll be able to take this roadtrip once the situation permits

[DogNDamsel12]

Samba, when you write the log, very few things are left to be added. Excellent photos and journaling.

Spiti was a dream trip and I always wanted it to be special and in the company of the special - and that is actually how it all happened.







Here are some shots that to me represent our route in a few snaps:



















As I said very little left to be said and yet I am greedy about sharing the experience from my side, so those of you reading on please excuse my lack of brevity.

I will dive straight into the woes of a trip like this because this needed planning and scheduling and packing, and not bathing and these are some of my weakest points.

Tackling the Indian family system:
“Who goes to Spiti in winters!”, my father retorted often, and very valid one at that. There are so many places like Goa, Andamans, Bali, Seychelles – places, the very names of which ring in a sunny image, and a balmy weather.

I have had to respond to my father’s questions with a tell-tale silence, quietly slipping from one room to the other, to avoid meeting his questions. A few nights prior to our departure, I have had to wake up at 4 AM to quietly pack my bags, to avoid my father’s frenzy as I amble from one room to the other collecting stuff that we would need to keep the death-degree-Celsius temperatures at bay.

How I packed:



I have a handy packing list always, that I can use for my travels. It saves me a lot of thinking. I am not good with reusing my clothes, and even worse at skipping baths.

While I was being cautioned about the packing, quite fervently by the team leader, I did launch my own procurement project, to ensure that if hell came tumbling down on us, we had it covered.

For example, my boots. My old snow boots had run out on me, and I needed a pair that won’t irritate my legs, give me sores and yet keep me warm. So, I turned to Amazon for buying a pair of Columbia boots that had enough insulation, and was waterproof, and flexible at the sheen. I know my foot size as 3.5, Columbia offers a 3.5 wide, which I felt would be reasonable with all the inner layers of socks and stockings. But the boots were showing up a price of anywhere from INR 15K-24K and it got me into a frenzy about looking them up every night at all odd hours, until one day the shopping gods smiled through the darkness, and I grabbed my favourite boots for a steal of INR 9000.

For indoors, I picked up a pair of faux-fur slippers right off the pedestrian vendor at the Green Park Market during my trip to New Delhi.

For my jacket, I wanted a long down coat. I used to have a very nice down-filled coat from Tommy Hilfiger that I had picked up for a steal in the US. 10 winters and some 10 kgs of weight gain, the coat has run out on me. So, I had to look for an alternative one. For the uninitiated, down-filled coats have feathers in them (look for the ethically sourced ones) and are very lightweight. An 800-fill is perfect for -20 degrees C, but it was tough to get one for a decent price. Also, I was also looking for a coat where the feather has been “ethically sourced.” Not much luck in terms of comfort, I got a down jacket from H&M, which teamed with inner and mid-layers, dd the job well.

Similarly, I had picked up a pair of crampons just in case one has to get down on black ice for any essential errand. Also, a rain cover to counter rain and snow. And then the regular muffs, hats, thermals, shades, etc. wet wipes, pee-safes, food packets, ginger candies and digestive candies, camphor wrapped in a handkerchief and locked in a zipouch, O2 cans, recyclable waste bags, extra zipouches, travel cubes to keep things organized, sunscreen, chocolates and gums, essential medicines – all packed in a suitcase, a duffle bag, and a backpack – no bags that have not previously comfortably traveled at the back of the Samba’s Duster.



We actually had a pilgrimage to the nearby Decathlon store, all of us travelling from Kolkata, in order to secure our clothes.

Need I say anything then about the car gear that went with us, thanks to Samba's planning about this.



The cold hit and how!

Imagine my delight when once we reached the Kaza Homestay and as per the house rules of the homestay we had to leave our shoes and boots outside the house at a place near the entrance!

I entered the homestay like a headless chicken and went straight to the “tandoor room.” I will say it lightly – but there was no denying how freezing it was! It was snowing outside, and it was beautiful.

And then we realised that there was no electricity. There were room heaters which were of no use. The bed warmers came to our rescue. They run on electricity from generators powered by petrol. Kaza boasts of housing the highest petrol pump station in the world.

The owners have had to get this extra petrol in jerry cans and store them in a manner that the fuel does not freeze. This fuel powers the generators that powers just one light in each room, and the bed warmers.

At Kalpa, we had already experienced the hoteliers at The Grand Shambala draining the pipelines at 10 PM, so that pipelines don’t freeze. Here, in Kaza, there was no water in the pipelines for obvious reasons. A half bucket of hot water at night, and a bucket of cold water to flush the toilet.

And then that experience that you do not want – happened! We had slept early at 10 AM. At about 2.30 AM, my stomach told me it was morning and that I have to go! I tossed and turned trying my best to fall asleep. I spoke to my poo coaxing it to go off to sleep. But when you have to go, you just have to. That fateful night at the homestay, I steeled my nerves as I picked up the tent light, stepped out of the blanket, and told myself that this hardship was about to build my character!

Electricity eluded us for all three nights. The second evening I did not want to get back to the hotel – the very thought that we would all be huddled in the tandoor room till 10, was making me uncomfortable. Changing from and to oodles of warm clothes had become the new normal.

But did I hate the homestay? Quite on the contrary, Jigme Homestay offered us the best stay in these harsh conditions - an attached bath to die for, and view rooms that opened into the expanse of Kaza Khas, a welcoming and helpful staff who cooked us some great meals

Skincare:

For my very dry skin, I was using loads of stuff so that my skin doesn’t come off. And it was annoying. I had carried light to very heavy moisturisers and body oils and wet tissues and cotton pads soaked in toners to alleviate the calamitic dryness that we had pre-empted. So with my extreme dry skin the routine was – first, a layer of body oil that I had carried in a tiny spray bottle (even this froze on the third day in Kaza); second, a layer of toner to hydrate; third, a generous layer of very thick moisturiser, fourth a gel to seal it in. And then some more of thick moisturiser on the fingers and the face, just in case!

All of that takes time. If you are a neat freak, getting ready for the cold does take time!




My team:

Here's what a bunch of crazies look like. And the crazymaking is all right on time, getting from one place to the other.

All the time that Samba mentioned that the group had started out late, it was primarily either me or Dyutimoy.

In an attempt to fetch sympathies, in my defence, with all the packing and unpacking and being on the road all the time, and bathless days and nights - it was testing me like anything, I had a lot to keep up with.

And I am not very used to timekeeping. I have been a solo traveller who has taken time with a place to absorb and connect. I don’t mind losing a few places from the itinerary, trading it for a few more hours of lazing around in the same place. But this time we were in mission mode. And this team, their age in numbers all garbled by their fitness levels, had some energy!

If you are wondering if I am unhappy with my fellow travellers, they are the best one can ask for - collaborative, accommodating, and energetic!

[DogNDamsel12]

Now that I have expressed my woes, I can certainly talk of what was thrilling about the trip.


The monasteries and Buddha's footprint:

The Grand Shambala at Kalpa has a library in the attic that I would like to go back to someday and just read my heart out. There are books on Tibet and Buddhism that offer detailed insight into how Buddhism was born and how it spread across India, Nepal, China, and Tibet through alliances that included matrimony, academia and trade. A lot of Ladakh and Himachal were a part of Tibet's journey.

The monasteries bear a lot of semblance to those in Tibet put together by the different lamas and saints to spread Buddhism, until the 14th Dalai Lama was ousted from Lhasa, when China took over, and sought refuge in India.

The monasteries in Ladakh and Spiti stand in their might and glory housing prayers, rituals, and silence. I find myself home here.

We were not able to enter Kee, Komic, Dhankar monasteries because of the weather. But Tabo was a pleasant surprise.

Kee Monastery:






Kaza Monastery:



Buddha Statue at Langza:









Komic Monastery:







Dhankar Monastery:

The peace at Dhankar

Tabo Monastery:




















Nako Lake:



And some more:

[DogNDamsel12]

The Terrain was different through fog and snow everywhere

Here are the links to videos of the road :

• Part 1 - Plains and smog

• Part 2 - To Kalpa

• Dreamy snow drive to Kaza

And without repeating some of the frames that Samba has already captured so well in his photographs, I will put across some of my favourite shots taken from the navigator's seat.

From Kalpa:




Construction work

And this never bothered me more than it did not. Such highways on the mountains.. are they good for the ecology and environment?



Men clearing the way after rockfall:


The stunning Spiti river







And everything was frozen, yet life continued:































The infamous Malling Nala





Chitkul













And though the Duster was a bit lazy in the morning, with a little anxious pampering, it was back on track.

Duster resuscitation in Kaza

[GhostRider28]

Some beautiful frames capturing the theme of the place nicely; you have great flair in capturing the moment, with the light and colours. Enjoyed all the pictures, the picture of the the Nako lake being one of my favourites. Keep shooting and posting!

[Mountain_Deep]

I love travelling with Bhpians. They plan the trips from scratch, they help you with all the preparations, they click awesome photographs and then they write a splendid travelogue keeping all the memories alive.

Travelling with Bhpian Samba, DogNDamsel12 and Aray was a delight as they do all these things perfectly to the T and all I had to do, was get my leave sanctioned, pack my bags and fill up the tank to the brim.

I quietly waited for them to finish up this wonderful travelogue with all the details and wonderful images so that every part is done perfectly and I can just post a few pictures clicked on my phone and not worry at all.


While it is a dream to travel to the exotic places of the Himalayas and that too get a chance to drive your car and experience the changing terrain, culture and wildness of nature, driving in the winter, filled with snow with friends who are now family and 3 Dusters together is a charm of its own. This trip initially was a bucket list to be ticked off but ended up as a journey worth the memory of a lifetime.

The Team:



This is how fast the Red Duster can go: (PS - It's always on Steroids)



Objects in the Mirror are Closer than they appear:


Yours truly enjoying the Purvanchal Expressway while the camera timer does the wonders:


The Sector 1 Team:



Stop on ALE just for a photo:


The foggy night drive from Gurgaon to Karnal:


On the way to Theog:



Posing at the resort in Theog:


Yours truly with my parents:


On the way to Kalpa:


The Beauty of Kalpa:






The Team at Kalpa:


The Journey from Kalpa to Kaza:








My Dad enjoying the Snow:


The beauty of the road continues:

[Mountain_Deep]

Just letting the pictures do the talking here.

The journey continues:















The night at Kaza:







The next morning views:





























My father enjoying the drive:



The trip continues:

[Mountain_Deep]

Splendid views of Winter Spiti:























































The Dusters enjoying the winter:



Basking the warmth of the sun:



Yours truly enjoying the snow like Oswald:

[Mountain_Deep]

The Beauty is mesmerizing:


























Enjoying Tabo:








Enjoying Nako:














The last Indian village:













This is how cold it was: (Left the bottle in the car at night)

[arindam_xeta]

This is a dream drive any bhpian will crave for. Great to see the lovely snaps and every detail of the drive captured immaculately.I'm privileged to know most of you closely from the driver's seat, it really is a great trip to have under your belt. Driven these lands a couple of times, but not in winter of course, can relate the sheer challenges and excitement you guys really went through. Kudus to the entire team to go thru this endurance along with your lovely machines. It's a great feeling to share and relate, enjoyed every bit of it!

[ritedhawan]

Originally Posted by Samba

Attachment 2412255

When I bought the Duster AWD in 2018, I had a couple of trips in mind. One was scaling Sandakphu & the other one was to enjoy the snow drive in winter Spiti.
.........

Enough of preparations done, let the journey begin, but before that I want to thank Bhpian Turbonath, Bhpian PointZero & Abhisek Toto Lahiri for their valuable inputs to help me plan this trip!

Amazing read. Albeit overwhelmed with pictures and videos. The day you posted this new thread enumerating your Winter Spiti drive the next moment I was reading it. However, due to innumerable photos and videos. Somehow, I got lost in that maze of pictures and videos and could never complete it. Nevertheless, the effort put into setting forth in detail this Winter Spiti drive deserves a resounding applause.

It requires guts to complete such a trip in the harsh conditions thrown up by the Himalayas. Credit to you and your compatriots who endeavoured on such a drive.

I am already aware of the niggles associated with your Duster. That is something you have set forth in detail in another thread. However, I can see the glimmer in the eyes of those who are fascinated with this travelogue and are inspired to attempt such a feat --Alluding to the number of queries people are sending about their plans of attempting such a feat. My advice is solely directing at them:

The initiator of this thread is well versed with niggles associated with his Duster. If you don’t believe it, read his separate Duster thread. It is highly likely that if something goes awry. He should be able to narrow down to the respective part in his car. He knows the issues associated with his car on the back of his hand. Thus, it is likely that he equips his car with the required tools or bottle of fluids or spares for that matter to deal with such eventualities like injector failure. Etc. and would more likely gets his hands dirty by fixing the issue with his hands rather than waiting for some mechanic to show up. --Correct me If I am wrong here Samba.

If I am not mistaken in my conviction, as stated above. Then I would like to extend the above by stating at the risk of being exaggerating that: Had there been an issue in any of the other Duster's that accompanied his; he would have been able to figure out the reason for it as well and may be able to fix it. He is the kind of person who can get through a drive which has inclement weather, minus degree temperatures, cold winds and coupled that with the Himalayan terrain. The harsh temperatures, the Himalayan terrain together can bring a new vehicle or a well maintained vehicle on her knees and the only one who can get his or her vehicle running is someone who:

(1) Has the required knowledge of what goes under the hood of his car.
(2) Has enough experience points or mileage under his\her belt in terms of one’s car driving acumen.
(3) Has enough spares, fluid bottles, required toolkit ..etc which would be utilized once the car comes up with a problem.
(4) and most importantly : willing to get his hands dirty in order to fix the issue.

Thus my advice: Those who intend to equal or excel such a feat must have the above stated in their stride, otherwise please find someone who has and take him on this drive.

People who tend to seek undue confidence in their new vehicle or their well maintained vehicle they intent to use on a similar drive --in their attempt to emulate Samba's feat-- may soon find their confidence shattered once they are faced with situations in which the weather, the terrain in unison seeps into your vehicle and tries to gnaw into it, to break it down and then these people will be at the mercies of a mechanic.

Let alone mechanic, you won’t even get a mobile signal!! and it is at that point, the resolution will lie between you and your vehicle.

[raghu4655]

Amazing post. Such posts brings back memories to the folks that have done a trip to the same place. This brought back memories from my Spiti ride in 2022, but mine was in summer. Now winter visit to Spiti is on my list (like they say God Willing, in my case it will be Wife Willing )
Such contrast in Summer and Winter landscape! Kudos to you for completing the trip with such great memories!

[raptor_diwan]

Wow, fantastic pictures! To be honest, I was staring at each image for almost 3 minutes. They are wonderful to look at. Thank you for sharing them.