My main motivation to write the following is to give more people the ability to do this trail on their own. I did it alone in July–August 2014. Approximate elevations: Tabo 3,250 m, Poh 3,300 m, Dhanker Gompa 3,890 m, Lalung 3,560 m, Demul 4,400 m, Komic 4,500 m, Hikkim 4,400 m, Kaza 3,700 m, Kibber 4,200 m.
The Start — 23 July 2014, Reckong Peo
I opened my Leomann Sheet 6 and looked over the road ahead leading towards Spiti. I just knew that I wanted to hike, to walk somewhere, but had no idea where. I remembered the library at the Millennium Guest House in Tabo, which was just about to close when I arrived there last year. I thought to go there first and then decide, see where time and road would take me.
Early the next morning I took the bus and bought a ticket for Tabo. On the way, a native told me of a trail — hiking from one village to another, starting at Dhanker, all of them having homestays. That evening, in another conversation with a hotel owner, I heard of a shorter route going from Poh to Dhanker. My earlier plan of going to Dhanker via Schichling on the national highway changed. I asked for rough directions and landmarks, which didn’t really prove to be of much help.
What follows is written as a trekking guide rather than a first-person account, for whoever wants to walk it after me.
Tabo to Dhanker — 8–9 hours, around 30 km
The months of July and August become extremely hot in the afternoon, so starting very early is advisable. Carry enough water and food, since shops will be closed in the early morning and there is no water in between except near Dhanker and at Poh. The distance from Tabo to Poh by road is around 9 km, passing a few villages on the far bank of the river; this section takes a little over two hours with little elevation gain.
Past Poh, a large open ground strewn with rocks gives way to a clear, broad path branching off the road about 3.5 km out — marked by a huge pile of stones carved with Tibetan script. Follow it, gaining altitude, until it splits: take the narrower goat trail rather than the wider road, which loops around to rejoin it on a small plateau. From there the trail runs along a cliff face, then along the side of a steep slope strewn with small rocks — cross it horizontally, and don’t worry if you slip once or twice.
After four or five hours you’ll reach a deep, dried-up gorge joining the river Spiti — extraordinarily beautiful, towers of rock on all sides. Follow the gorge briefly toward its source and the path climbs out on the left. Around six or seven hours in, you might get your first glimpse of Dhanker perched on its rock cliff. The trail eventually connects to a helipad and the tarmac road between Sichling and Dhanker; from there it’s about 2 km by road. A guest house sits near the new monastery, with more homestays near the old gompa.
Dhanker is home to the oldest surviving palace of the Nono kings of Spiti, built here before they shifted to Kyuling, now a small village near Kaza.
Dhanker to Lalung — 4–5 hours, 12 km
Fully motorable — just ask anyone in the village for the road to Lalung. Along the way you pass the villages of Rama and Sanglung, across the Lingti River. Homestays are available in Lalung, which sits among lush green fields full of green peas.
Lalung to Demul — 4–5 hours, steep uphill, distance unknown
The Lingti river flows near Lalung. There are two ways across: descend to Rama by road and use the steel bridge to Sanglung, or ask about the suspension bridge directly below Lalung. Taking the suspension bridge, the trail on the far bank runs close to the river before climbing, past a bridge under construction, to Sanglung — a small settlement at the junction of the Khukse Nala and the Spiti river. From Sanglung the trail follows the Khukse Nala; after 35–40 minutes the gorge opens up and a bridge of steel girders on wooden planks crosses the river. A sharp two-to-three-hour ascent follows, past a line of Tibetan flags marking the entrance to Demul.
Unbelievable beauty resides in Demul — that’s all I can really say about it.
Demul to Komic — 3–4 hours, little elevation gain at first
Head north from Demul and the trail climbs for an hour to ninety minutes to a clearing with a small mane and a flag, with panoramas in every direction. It descends and moves northwest into a wide meadow — depending on the season you might find yaks and dzomo there, along with people collecting dung — before ascending again through open plain toward Komic, visible as a tiny speck of houses.
Komic is, indeed, a cosmic sight.
Komic to Kibber — 9–10 hours, mostly on foot, lots of descent then a climb
Most people continue toward Langza, but I skipped it and headed for Kibber instead. From Komic it’s a 30–45 minute walk to Hikkim, past a splendid triangular peak — Shilla or Cho-Cho, I’m still not sure which. Hikkim claims the highest post office in the world, signposted at 4,440 m. From there, shortcuts off the road eventually drop down to the highway connecting Kaza and Rangrik. At the Rangrik bridge there’s a sign for Kibber — still a long way off, with a lot of ascent from 3,700 m to 4,230 m, so hitchhiking is the better option, or the evening bus from Kaza at 5 PM. Kaza to Kibber is 18 km by road.
Kibber, and beyond
There are several villages close to Kibber. Chicham is visible across a gorge, reachable by a cable swing — not recommended for anyone with vertigo. Gete is a 60–90 minute walk from Kibber, a village of just four houses; Tashigang another hour further, with even better views. From Gete, a scenic descent leads to Kee Monastery — historically the route down during heavy winter snowfall, and still used that way.