Chitkul to Kalpa – Road to Eternity

As you have guessed, Chitkul is the last village of India.

But there is a catch. It is for sure a remote tiny tiny hamlet in Himachal Pradesh, of Kinnaur district to be precise, at a height of 3450 meters or 11300 feet, in the serene, picturesque valley of Baspa river.

The village is so small that only around 800 people live here, that even for 7 to 8 months a year. In winter, real harsh winter, the village is covered by 20 feet of snow and cut off from the mainland. Nearly all move down to lower places then. So it is not the last village all the while. And then again, it is the last motorable village actually, upto which you can go without any permit.

It is just 40 km away from NH-22 or the famous ancient Hindusthan-Tibet road. The diversion from Karcham brings you to Sangla, then comes Rakchham, then Chitkul. This place is only 120 Km from Tibet in the North-East, and just 20 Km from Uttarakhand in the South-East. Though the path to Uttarakhand is not exactly National Highway. You need to cross Borasu Pass midway, at a height of 5450 meters or 17880 feet, of a four-day trek to Har Ki Doon.

You knew it, right? Eh!

So the best season to visit Chitkul, if you want lots of snow, will be April to May. By air you can reach Chandigarh, by train you can reach Kalka, and by road you can reach, you wouldn’t believe it, both the places. You can rest for a day at Narkanda. Next day you will be at Chitkul by evening.

This is the way.

Give it two days. Go down to the Baspa bed. Walk to the ITBP camp. Watch the Himalayan birds. Don’t want to? Well, do nothing. Chitkul now has some hotels. Choose one.

Take some snaps, if you wish.

Now you are ready for Kalpa. In the way back to Sangla you might meet some aged Kinnauri local and have a brief chat with him. They are humble, honest, hard-working and well, handsome. But you are always flummoxed by their unique hats.

While you move forward, look around once in a while and enjoy the dangerous beauty of the region. Both the roads from Chitkul to Karcham (the Baspa-Sutlej confluence is here) and Reckong Peo to Kalpa are extremely narrow, landslide prone and really weathered, bearing steep gorge at one side and lofty rock walls at the other.

May Force be with you.

I mean, Force Traveller. It has a lot of ground clearance. Ideal for bumpy hilly rides. Rekong Peo is the district head quarter. Kalpa is just 12 Km away. As you cross the Chini village moving upwards, by chance you may witness the entire village to be engulfed by the swiftly appearing stream of clouds within minutes.

Kalpa demands another two days from you. You may loiter a little up and down the roads or you may undertake an arduous hike to Chakka peak, but definitely the whole next day you will be busy being mesmerized by the snow clad majestic peaks of Kinnaur Kailas. At different times, at different angles, at different colours.

Next day, while you will be heading to Sarahan probably, for a night halt, there is every chance that you will be looking back many a time at the opposite face of the receding peaks you just left behind.

This is the allure by which the Himalayas beckons you. How long you will be savouring the lingering impression of these few days and how soon you will again be arranging your gears suddenly at the middle of nowhere, in the middle of nothing, that depends on you. Meanwhile, the roadside Himalayan grandeurs will keep looking for you.

I have spoken.