Recently I ticked off one item in my Bucket List- Winter Spiti Drive. The place is magical and healing beyond one’s wildest dreams. Spiti can deliver a plethora of experiences otherwise contrary to each other. I don’t know any other place that can offer adrenaline pumping adventurous drives as well as serenity inducing wide landscapes at the same time. It has ferocious gorges, shooting stones and treacherous crossing on one side whereas monasteries where breathing also seems like a sin lest it disturb the pious silence of the place. Doing all of these in company of your loved ones and a remarkable group of previously unknown people deserves that I share my experience with the world.
Part 1: Preparation and selection of Expedition partners
Spiti, once considered an offbeat location has been heavily commercialized in post-covid era, all thanks to Instagram and YouTube influencers. Hardly any place in and enroute to Spiti valley has remained unexplored. Scaling to the Highest Village, Highest Post office, Highest bridge hardly provides a sense of achievement when you have a hundred people eating Maggi and taking selfies before your arrival. Winter Spiti still remains a frontier worth striving for. It still offers a sense of achievement due to lack of people, oxygen, resources and amenities available at your disposal.
But harsh terrain, extremely harsh subzero temperatures and extreme unavailability of even basic resources demand you plan meticulously well especially if going with family (wife and an 8-year-old son). I went searching for good expedition organizers because it seemed impractical going solo in the conditions.
Let me reiterate for the unambiguity- Choosing a good expedition partner is absolutely essential for peak winter spiti experience. As I researched (with generous help of AI), I came to know the nuances and rantings of fellow travelers who fell in trap of great Instagram visuals or went with word of mouth. You will hardly find a hotel/homestay in and after Sangla which will provide even running water. Spotting a snow leopard in Kaza is more likely than finding a decent homestay providing attached washroom with WC. Dry pit latrines are norm, Common washrooms with commode latrine are luxury, attached toilet with running water is daydream.
Fortunately, Planet Way Round the expedition partners I zeroed on are one of the best if not the best in the trade. I came across Saurabh Rai
(Professor) and Rahul Chauhan (Dr MAT) and both of these fine gentlemen were absolutely fantastic in planning, execution and all the stages in between. Rahul was lead driver with another funny and truly helpful co driver Ricky. Rohit, the funnier one who goes by name of Chazing Sunsets was tour photographer. I can’t help but put few more words for Rahul. A medico turned full time traveler having decades of experience driving solo and arranging groups. During conversations we came to know he was the organizer who took a group of 100 bikers to Khardung La in early 2000’s, winning a Limca book entry for the same. Then got disillusioned by the quantity and went for creating a brand to bring together serious travelers who love the terrain, worship the driving and respect the local culture. As remarkable the group of organizers they were, so were the fellow travelers. Two professional photographer sisters going by the name CID, driving their Pajero Sport all from Kochi and A supercharged Overlander in his heavily modded Jimny were the only two vehicles accompanying our 11000 km run Black Bear D AT.
Saurabh has shared the list of bring in essentials well in advance. Whatever was left, we shopped at Decathlon Zirakpur and started our journey on 9th Feb 2026 from Chandigarh.
Part 2: Itinerary and Flexibility
Our itinerary was the most common for Winter Spiti expeditions. Chandigarh-Shimla(1N)-Sangla(1N)-Tabo(1N)-Kaza(3N)-Rampur(1N)-Chandigarh. What stood out was Rahul’s’ selection of stays and eating points. Instead of staying at Shimla, we stayed at Theog and had a great time to know each other. Then instead of Sangla, we stayed at a superb property in acres of apple orchards on the banks of half frozen Baspa River in a less known quaint village Batseri. Rahul’s ample knowledge of terrain and people came handy at each turn. He knew which local joint serves great Pahadi Rajmah with Desi Ghee, instructed the
hotels to curate meals according to local specialties and our preference. We savored Pahadi Mutton with Red Rice, Sweet and sour Sidu with cannabis seed chutney, and full fledged Tibetan breakfast, lunch and dinner in Tabo and Kaza.
Our day 2 itinerary initially had Breakfast and early morning departure from Theog, visit of Chitkul and Overnight stay at Batseri. However, some delay occurred due to initial adaptation of mountain driving, ample photo-shoto at Kinnaur gate and late lunch which resulted in skipping Chitkul and still reaching Batseri in late evening. During dinner, the idea came through that it will all be in vain to stay overnight and then go back in morning to Sangla (1.5 hours journey one way) if we don’t visit Chitkul. A quick referendum resulted in extending our whole itinerary by a full day to accommodate Chitkul (Which later came to be super worthwhile). Rahul intimated what one had to pay as cancellation and rebooking charges (which was very modest given the number of changes made) and we were good to go. So, the final itinerary went as follows- Chandigarh-Theog(1N)-Batseri(2N)-Tabo(1N)-Kaza(3N)-Rampur(1N)-Chandigarh
Part 3: The Actual Journey
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Original post – https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travelogues/306266-winter-white-spiti-expedition-my-mahindra-thar-roxx-4×4-black-bear.html
Posted with Permission from BHPian – wandering soul
