A Trip to Chitkul | Unknown Heaven of Himachal

A Trip to Chitkul | Unknown Heaven of Himachal: It is the last inhabited village near the Indo-China border in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh, at the height of 3,450 m. The Indian road ends here. Potatoes grown at Chittkul are one of the best in the world and are very costly. It's around 600 km from Delhi

How to reach Chitkul: 

You can take a bus for Chitkul or hire your own ride. You can also opt for free lifts. It's advisable to board the bus from Shimla or Recong Peo.

My idea of Chitkul:

I was warned by my friends that Chitkul is heaven on earth. I had spent sleepless nights imagining the beauty of this place but when I saw it for real, it blew my mind. Streams of the river (known as Khad by locals) flow all around this beautiful village. The fresh snow turns into chilly waters right in front of your eyes. Luscious Baspa river divides the snow-clad mountains filled with pine trees and the village. The color of this river changes as per the weather of the day. It is sometimes blue or green or turquoise or slightly brown if it has rained recently. Its every child's first drawing. Just imagine it 1000 times more dazzling.

Caution to be taken in Chitkul: 

• The air here is really frosty and the oxygen levels are low. So acclimatizing and resting for a day is a good advice (especially if you are going further north).
• The mountains are filled with the colorful Seabuck plant which is thorny so mind your step and all your falls.

A Trip to Chitkul | Unknown Heaven of Himachal: It is the last inhabited village near the Indo-China border in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh, at the height of 3,450 m. The Indian road ends here. Potatoes grown at Chittkul are one of the best in the world and are very costly. It's around 600 km from Delhi

How to reach Chitkul: 

You can take a bus for Chitkul or hire your own ride. You can also opt for free lifts. It's advisable to board the bus from Shimla or Recong Peo.

My idea of Chitkul:

I was warned by my friends that Chitkul is heaven on earth. I had spent sleepless nights imagining the beauty of this place but when I saw it for real, it blew my mind. Streams of the river (known as Khad by locals) flow all around this beautiful village. The fresh snow turns into chilly waters right in front of your eyes. Luscious Baspa river divides the snow-clad mountains filled with pine trees and the village. The color of this river changes as per the weather of the day. It is sometimes blue or green or turquoise or slightly brown if it has rained recently. Its every child's first drawing. Just imagine it 1000 times more dazzling.

Caution to be taken in Chitkul: 

• The air here is really frosty and the oxygen levels are low. So acclimatizing and resting for a day is a good advice (especially if you are going further north).
• The mountains are filled with the colorful Seabuck plant which is thorny so mind your step and all your falls.

Where to stay in Chitkul:

The hotel's charges are really high and so my advice would be to opt for a home-stay or dorms that cost nothing above Rs. 500. You can also camp by the riverside - Bapsa. Tents is somehow a cheaper and warmer option here over the cement houses and you will get a variety of tents to choose from. The cost may vary from Rs.500 - Rs. 5000 (depending on your choice of stay).
P.S. Try stays in wooden houses or tents if cold is a primary concern. Houses made of cement can get really very cold.

Options for Food | Restaurant in Chitkul:

There is just one cafe in entire Chitkul - Thakur Guesthouse cafe and it serves great food. You can start your day with oats or eggs of your choice but the lunch and dinner meals will be Indian home cooked food. Jeera Aalu (potato preparation), Dal and Jeera rice is the best combo and can never let you down. In fact, the steaming hot food helps you curb the cold. Another good choice is Rajma Chawal.
Two glasses of 'Ginger lemon honey tea' can eradicate the chills from your spine and gear you up for the innumerable treks available at this region.
P.S. Avoid meat in this area

Tips for acclimatization in Chitkul:

Well, there are 3 local tips that can keep you away from all the meds and save you from AMS (acute mountain sickness) -

• Jaggery: a small piece of jaggery in your mouth can provide you sudden heat and help you breath better too.
• Urak or Rum: Urak is local alcohol which can help you beat the cold. Rum is also a great choice for this weather
• Garlic water: you can soak 5-6 cloves of garlic in the water and can sip on it all day long, every day, to increase the acclimatization rate of your body.

Things to do around Chitkul:

• A brief walk of 3 km towards the military camp base is a good start for the first day. You need special permission to go beyond this base camp.
• Trek up the Chitkul mountains (right behind the village), to catch a beautiful sunrise and the view of Indo-China border.
• Walk by the river Bapsa - there is a bridge to get on the other side of the river which leads into the forest.
• Trek from Chitkul to Sangla by the river Bapsa which is 16 km long. It's a balance of both raw and local culture as the trek is divided into two parts:

1. The raw nature: Where the trek takes you through pine forest and wooden makeshift bridges that help you cross the river till Rakcham. From Rakcham to Batseri you can see many agricultural fields and homes.
2. The local learning: Where the local interaction increases from Batseri to Sangla as the river widens and the meadows grow larger, more apple orchards, farms, and cattle.

PS. Unlike other places in Himachal, this trek is best for winters and the river streams are narrow. In summers these streams widen up, making this trek rather impossible. However, there are many other trekking options available from Chitkul and Sangla which will take about 7 days up.