Queries on Kinnaur Kailash Parikrama in August '07

AndreasW

Hi Arun,

check out this thread: Kinner-Kailash Shivling Spire & Parvati Kund Trek

I saw "your" picture in your blog... but the shivling is higher than 5000m
Kinnaur-Region and Culture - Shivlingam - Worldisround photo

Reached 2005 only the pilgrim cave at 4000m high... I wasn't well acclimatized to ascent higher...





Arun, are you native from Asrang or Tokto, right? Look here for Taiti valley pictures...

AndreasW

Dilliwala

Pijush,
Just to add my 3-paisa worth -

1. U are right - the Parikrama does start in Aug itself. I don't know the exact date though - u can find out at Rikang Pio. I've read that Kinnauris do the trek by the thousand, so with any luck u won't be doing the trek alone, and won't have to carry a lot of gear. In any case, any food supplies u need u can pick up at Pio, don't bother bringing anything from Delhi/Shimla. BTW, the Flower festival is called Phulej.
2. Kinnaur is basically in the rain-shadow, so whatever rain it receives will be over by July-end. At most u'll catch the odd shower.
3. Re porters/arrangements at R/Pio - I stayed at the Jivan Jyoti Hotel in Oct last. The owner/manager is a nice young man called Anup Negi. He is from Purbani, one of the villages on the parikrama route (visible across the valley from Pio). If needed, I'm sure he cud help with arranging porters and other info about the route. If u don't have a place to stay yet, u cud think of staying there as well. Decent rooms, running hot water, and decent food. Rs. 350/night last Oct. The hotel is at the end of the bazar, 150 m from the centre, on the right when coming from Powari (opposite Khadi Gramodyog). The good thing here is that even being so close, it's mostly cut off from the hullabaloo of the bazar, unlike the other 3-4 hotels nearby.

P. S. Pio is the only place in Kinnaur I know of with an internet cafe (dialup). Certainly u won't find any on the Parikrama route!

uttam

It is upper Kinnaur which lies in rain-shadow zone. Lower Kinnaur (Baspa,Bhabha and Shorang valleys) lies in Monsoon zone. The transition zone between lower and upper arid zone which gets moderate amount of monsoon rain extends till about Kalpa. KK parikarma trek ends up in Chitkul (Baspa Valley). A uniform generalisation of climatic conditions in the district may turn out to be foolhardy!
Pijush, if weather is ok, u can think of doing Buran pass. However, for the fall-back plan, i sincerely feel that Avid and Andreas are better equipped to suggest.

arunnegi

@andreas,
It seems you are a google earth pro user... so that route have u plotted on basis of a rough estimation of the route that u took or was it aligned with GPS? the views from there must have been awesome.
do you come every year to kinnaur?
and oh yes i had seen my link posted earlier
i'm from moorang village.. u must have crossed it if you've done kinner kailash. from the highway when you take a righ turn for charang,its the village bang on satluj...

Dilliwala

I know where all these places lie - I've driven the length of the Baspa, also Pio-Akpa-Jangi/Lippa upto Puh and Khab. My monsoon info is based on what the locals at Sangla told me and what I saw with my own eyes - these parts of Kinnaur are much drier than Shimla district for example, which has what can be called a "normal" Himalayan monsoon. Pijush is not covering the whole of Kinnaur, he'll be covering the region I've seen, which will not receive the kind of rain in August that Shimla will - therefore there was no generalisation. In any case, the word shadow is not meant to suggest zero rain.

Dilliwala

Great pics of Taiti valley, Andreas.
So where does the motor road start? The Inner Line check-post is actually called Lippa post - I asked the cops there where Jangi was and they pointed upwards (so on the 'old' HTR as per some maps), and said the motor-road started about 2 km back - same road? I saw only one house below the road at the check-post. Is the rest of Lippa village "upstairs"? Does the motor road go upto there? What about Asrang and Tokto?

uttam

Friend, I have lost one of my trekking friends to bad weather in the Mountains of Spiti. People, understand weather pattern of hills according to their levels of experiences in Mountains. A lot of new and other people also look for general info available about the area they are interested to travel in/thru. I just wanted to minimise the chances of different comprehensions by new and rather in-experienced travellers to Kinnaur about its weather and climate pattern. I may not be making much sense coz all of you who have responded to the thread are seasoned travellers/trekkers but there are others also!
Dilliwala, whatever be my level of understanding about weather of Kinnaur, i do believe no body understands weather in mountains better than a local.. Sincere apologies to u n all if my post appear to mean anything else.

AndreasW

@Dilliwala: The awesome Taiti Valley road branches off near Aren/Akpa bridge to the villages of Jangi, Lippa and Asrang/Tokto. No permit required there!



@arun: This is a normally Google earth screen shot... red lines edited with Photoshop... Not aligned with GPS!
I marked some places at Wikimapia and use this layer in Google Earth... Matt’s Wikimapia Blog » Wikimapia Invades Google Earth!
That's all!

Yes, I visited Kinnaur in the last 4 years every year for one month!

AndreasW

Dilliwala

I wholeheartedly agree - that of course shud always be, and I believe is, the aim of all of us who post their experiences here, to help the next traveller.
Always better that first-timers have more info rather than less, who knows which bit might turn out to be crucial! So no apology needed.

Dilliwala

Ah, now it's clear. I also see from your map that Lippa village is nowhere near the ILP check-post and Jangi is actually the closest - strange that the signboard therefore says "Lippa (Jangi) Check-post". Not that anyone cares - the cops the least.

Lucky devil!

From your pics, the Taiti valley certainly merits an explore, I've added it to my List. Doubt it'll be this year though . Oh well, maybe on the way when I finally do Spiti!

wandersUnlimited

Hello All,
I just joined this site as a new member.
AndreasW - Awsome pics man, they motivate me to do this trek
I am planning to do this trek in last week of Aug 07 & had some questions -
a. Do I need to get a innerline permit ( BTW I am Indian ) & if so where to complete the formalities ?
b. After the Charang village, how many halts do I have to take before I reach Chitlkul? I would like to carry food stuff only for that part which is inhabited.
c. I am carrying a basic 2 person tent & may end up doing this trek solo if my friend backs off. If need be do I get a porter on the way at either Lambar or Charang village?
d. Does anyone know the exact date & duration of the local Charang festival ?
e. Does anyone have a trek map of this route?

Thanks in advance.
WandersUnlimited

Pijush Kanti Mondal

Hi!

Am writing this mail frm Calcutta. So - ultimately completed this long coveted trek thr the mysterious valleys & Peaks - awesome - 15000 & 17000mt altitudes. Shall try to post the details & photos frm my digital cameras whn I will be back in Dubai. H'ever, few fast facts & recommendations for the new trekkers in this route.

My acknolegement to Arun, my wife & son who did their best to accomplish this trek thr this route.

a) Aug is not the right time as this route is tremendously prone to Landslide - I took this time as my son gets vaccation this time.

b) Innerline Permit is a big headache in this route - true for the Indians also. Meet the DC / AC in Rekang Peo's District Office for the permission. They will not issue it, but one can collect some circulars' frm their office. Meet Peo's Tourist Information Office. Don't forget to take yr ID like Votar Card or Passport. We kept our Passports. Shruting has a tough security check.

c) Myself, my wife, son - age 11yrs & my brother in law - four of us covered this route in the span of 10th to 14th Aug'07. People can stay in Kalpa - I stayed in RAKPA Regency - a nice one. Mr. Sanjeev Negi - owner of Pancharas Travels was my Tour Guide. My suggestion is to keep a professional Guide always. Do believe on the guide for the arrangement of Porters. Check the registration no.s of the Guide & Porters in this route. Otherwise, problem could accrue in Shruting.

d) To me this route is not for the solo-journey. Keep the dearest & nearest people with u. Janmastami is the festival whn one can get the villagers of Charang, Chitkul or Thangi with them - another one is Phulekh - Phulekh is in 1st / 2nd week in September. Janmastami varies. This year - it shifts frm mid Aug to 4th Sept almost. Route has gone thr the mysterious valleys & peaks.

e) Never think to make yr preparation in Thungi whn u r starting in Aug - sometimes Thungi might b disconnected because of heavy Land-slides. We started trekking frm very very difficult situations & road conditions from Moorang though this route has the motorable luxury upto Lambar. My suggesion to get prepared from Peo itself - not Thungi. Route Map is simple 1st day Thungi --> Lambar. 2nd day Lambar --> Charang. 3rd day Charang --> Lalanti. 4th day Lalanti --> Base Camp. 5th day Base camp --> Chitkul crossing the Charang Pass.

f) Consult with yr guide for the food stuffs u have take for this trek.

Shall b able to gv more details whn I will be back in Dubai. All the best.

uttam

Congrats, Pijus! Thank you for sharing details.

arunnegi

congrats pijush!!
we are eagerly waiting for your pics

AvidTrekker

Congrats Pijush!!

Good to see you back crowned with success!!

Where did your father stay?

There is some confusion about the inner line permit???

If the DC at Peo did not issue it, what document did the Shurting Army Post check?? "Some circulars"?? Your voter cards? When i had gone in 2006, they only checked for the foreigners' inner line permits, not that of Indians...

Could you elaborate??

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