Summer Adventure - Impressions of Nature

One of the big questions many of us ask ourselves when heading for a summer vacation is, “do I want to be at a hill station?”

Take a break from your hill station holiday and venture into some of the most unexplored and beautiful reaches of the Indian Himalayas – the valleys of Lahaul and Spiti and Kinnaur district. Explore the region with a combination of motoring and trekking. Not everyone’s idea of a summer break involves life – threatening rides on rivers or uphill treks on mountain faces. Still, if you are aching to be in the high mountains and don’t mind stretching those legs a bit, try various virgin treks in Western Himalayas. Though the region is well connected by motorable roads, there is no better way to experience the dramatic landscape of Western Himalayas than by trekking through it. The numerous treks and trails on offer are any adventurers and nature lovers dream, the treks traverse thru virgin forests to the expansive meadows with scintillating views of the valleys and the snow capped great West Himalayan ranges, the treks in true are a complete natural experience: walk through pretty villages along terraced fields, waterfalls, streams, pine, cedar, oak and rhododendron forests.

The highlight of the region is the 800 years old Bhimakali temple at Sarahan, gateway to Kinnaur and monasteries at Tabo and Kaza. A canvas of various hues, Dharanghati wildlife sanctuary, near Sarahan haunts every soul that has walked its wooded forests. Its charam ensures that you keep coming back to this storehouse of wonders. The Pin Valley National Park in the Spiti subdivision is known for large herds of ibex and bharal or blue sheep, and is one of the last remaining habitats of the snow leopard. Pin valley is a high-altitute cold desert, with no trees, and very little vegetation, most of its alpine shrub. But the rivers especially the Pin and its tributaries roar, and bright flowers color their banks. The only way to see the park is to trek.

In the past few years the locals have made various strides towards fulfilling its objectives of providing the road weary traveler with excellent accommodation and food combined with utmost levels of cleanliness and hospitality at very reasonable tariffs. There are a bunch of sweet hideaways, retreats and luxury campsites with modern facilities across these valleys. A lovely maintained orchard retreat at Sarahan, a rural villa perched high against the towering Kinner Kailash range at Kalpa, riverside adventure camp at Sangla; as well as traditional home stays at Tabo and Kaza. All have their own unique set of customer friendly rules and concepts designed to make ones stay memorable and a constant desire for them to revisit. Not to forget that you can experience high altitude camping in alpine tents during the scenic treks. What are waiting for? Get ready and soothe your senses with serenity of nature. Learn from our travel desk a tribesman upstream, veer off the beaten path, onto another, and expect the unexpected, destination unknown.