The Last Road to Spiti

The last petrol pump before the Kunzum Pass was at Kaza. We had roughly 200km left to cover, and the fuel gauge was reading just above the red line. It was September, and the weather had been closing in for days. This, I thought, is exactly what we came for.

Spiti Valley sits at an average altitude of 4,270 meters in the Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh. It's one of the few cold desert plateaus in India — barren, windswept, and impossibly beautiful. Getting there requires either crossing the Rohtang Pass from Manali or the Shimla-Kinnaur route from the south.

The Route

We took the longer, less-traveled path from Shimla, winding through Reckong Peo and Nako before descending into the valley proper. The road — and I use that term loosely — hugs the Spiti River for most of its length, occasionally disappearing entirely under rockfall.

“The mountains don't care about your schedule. They care about your patience.”

We camped at the confluence of the Pin and Spiti rivers on our second night. The stars at this altitude are something that photographs cannot capture — a density of light that makes the sky feel close enough to touch. We sat by the fire until 2am, each of us quietly reckoning with the scale of what surrounded us.

Camp Setup at 4,500m

Cold desert camping requires a different mindset than jungle or coastal camping. The days are warm — sometimes hot — but temperatures drop precipitously after sunset. We were dealing with -8°C at night, which demands a four-season tent, a proper sleeping bag rated to at least -15°C, and good moisture management.

Altitude sickness caught two of our group on day three. Headaches, nausea, and difficulty sleeping are typical symptoms above 3,500m. We slowed the pace, stayed well-hydrated, and avoided the mistake of ascending too quickly.

What to Know Before You Go

The Spiti Valley is closed for about six months of the year — roughly November through April — due to snowfall. The brief open season runs from June to October. Permits are required for foreigners in certain areas. Check the current restrictions before planning.

The nearest hospital is in Reckong Peo. Carry a basic first-aid kit, altitude sickness medication (Diamox), and enough food for an extra day or two in case you're pinned down by weather. Mobile signal is non-existent for long stretches.

And yet — for all the difficulty and risk — there are few places in India that feel as ancient, as raw, and as untouched. If you have the patience for the road, Spiti will give you something you cannot find anywhere else.