Summer Drive – Lahaul & Spiti Valley

Summer Drive into the valley of Lahaul & Spiti is for those who want to experience adventure at the same time have a nice relaxed vacation with the family

The best time to visit Lahaul & Spiti is from April to June. The temperature ranges from 0 – 15 degree celsius making it an ideal time for a relaxed vacation. Winters in Spiti are for the daring. The road connectivity is unreliable during the winters with Manali-Kaza highway being cut-off.  It is best to avoid planning a trip to Spiti during the monsoon months (July- September), since the continuous heavy rainfall, followed by landslides and slippery roads, may spoil your holiday mood to a great extent.

The Route

Narkanda – Rampur – Chitkul – Kalpa – Pangi – Pooh – Khab – Nako – Tabo – kaza – Mudh – Kaza – Pangmo – Batal – Chhatru – Gramphu – Marhi – Manali

Trip Details

There are two ways to reach Spiti in the summers; from Shimla via the NH-22 highway through Kinnaur, or from Manali crossing  Rohtang La and Kunzum La. I prefer a ride from Shimla because of 2 main reasons.

• One tends to gradually climb the altitude while moving from Kalpa to Kaza. This will help ease the acclimatization process
• One does not need permits to climb Rothang La when entering from the other side of Manali.

Day	From	To	Kms
Day 1	Thane	Udaipur	750
Day 2	Udaipur	Delhi	650
Day 3	Delhi	Narkanda	410
Day 4	Narkanda	Sangla or Chitkul	160 / 180
Day 5	Chitkul	Nako	150
Day 7	Nako	Kaza	110
Day 8	Kaza	Mudh (Pin Valley)	50
Day 10	Kaza	Batal	90
Day 11	Batal	Grumphu	50
Day 12	Grumphu	Manali	70
Day 13	Manali	Delhi	540
Day 14	Delhi	Udaipur	650
Day 15	Udaipur	Thane	750

But before you travel into such a cold desert in winters, knowing a few essential things will help in better planning and enjoying the overall experience of such an adventure trip.

Also Read

• How to plan a trip Spiti Valley
• Acute Mountain Sickness – Precautions and Remedy