Thursday 22 August 2019

Spiti circuit in early August 2019

I have recently completed the Spiti circuit along with my husband ( Aug 10-Aug 20). We came back to Manali on Aug 17, 2019 at 2.50 pm from Chandrataal. Had we been lagging little behind the time, we could have stuck in somewhere between Chhatru and Gramphu. When we had been crossing those areas, we were guessing the places would overflow in sometime as it was raining continuously. I am writing this to share my observation hoping it would help in minimizing chances of few mishaps.

1. We always made a time schedule about departure from all the halts. And kept an estimated arrival time on mind.
2. We left Chandrataal at 4am so that we can cross Pagal Nala and Chhota Dhara at the earliest possible.
3. We assumed that we could get stuck because of bad weather so we were carrying 15 litres of water and a lot of dry food, sufficient for 2 days.
4. We had sleeping bags, mats, tent and even a light weight blanket in case we need a temporary shelter.
5. We always carry trekking poles and shoes for this kind of trips as it's helpful in case we need to walk.
6. We used our Ecosport for this trip, the 200mm ground clearance and 205/60 R 16 tyres surely helped us a lot.
7. We watched numerous videos which showed the risky areas between Batal and Gramphu to have an idea about what we are getting into and do's and don'ts while driving.
8. Going to Spiti via Narkanda/Shimla is recommended due to gradual increase in Altitude.
9. A lot people ignore AMS or don't know about it. AMS could be fatal so please take precautions about it.
10. Keeping 1 or 2 buffer days at hand to avoid time crunches.
11. Please share the map, the name of the places and the car number with your family before starting your trip. It will help in tracking in worst scenario and your loved ones won't be in dark. Also keep on updating your family/friends wherever there is network.
12. There was a couple with a baby around 1 year old at Chandrataal. Requesting to avoid bringing so little babies. AMS could be a big trouble otherwise as babies can't express in words.
13. People don't have knowledge about the places they are going to. Please keep in mind this is not a leisurely vacation.

PS- Carrying few extra things was possible due to own vehicle and two occupants. If anyone has any question or if I have missed to mention anything, please let me know through your comments.

Courtesy: Sarita Santa Gomes. 

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