The Next Level of Riding - The SPITI Valley - Part 3 - Kalpa to Kaza

After a beautiful evening at Kalpa and a good night's sleep, I woke up to the magnificent view of Mount Kinnaur Kailash. Fresh and energetic, I saddled up, and we were ready to leave by 6.30. Kaza is around 200km from Kalpa and going by the roads so far, we knew it was going to be a long day of riding.

Just as soon as we descended from Reckong Peo, we faced roads that look very similar to the railway tracks minus the steel rails (only stones). The road was extremely narrow, filled with stones. The road would suddenly narrow down further, and when I looked down, I could see the long fall below. Scary. Each time I looked down, my adrenaline shot up, I felt scared, but each time a smile would also instantly crop up on my face and I would start laughing. It was an awesome feeling, and I was loving each and every second of it.



Around 20kms from Kalpa, we came across a bridge passing right through a waterfall. The water was gushing at high speed. The roar of the falls was loud and the view was truly breathtaking. Going through that bridge was incredible fun, with a continuous spray of ice cold water on us.

The roads got comparatively better, and so did the view. Curve after curve we rode on. The little stretches of clean, pot hole free roads were like a blessing, and the bike just ate it all up.

After riding a total of 40kms from Kalpa, which took us around 2.5 hours, we reached the village of Spello. Breakfast was Aloo Parathas with Rajma. We also met a couple of foreign tourists who were headed along the same direction as us. Just after Spello we also came across the board that said we were travelling through the World's most treacherous road.

The stone filled roads started again as we were nearing Poo. Our speeds were greatly reduced and our hands were strained to keep the bike steady. In that terrain, it was no surprise that a tyre would give way, and one of the bikes had a flat. On close inspection, I pulled out a 3.5 inch nail. The tyres had been filled with a special fluid known as Seelin, which would seal the hole and prevent leakage of air. Using an electronic air pump, I filled up the tyre, and we continued on. Ahead, the rest of the group had stopped at a military camp, where the officer had requested us to join him for tea.

Stone filled Roads

Frustration was apparent on the faces of the army men. It took 4-5 days for them to receive any news and supplies, and unlike the Leh circuit, due to the lack of tourists in this area, they were clearly desperate for any source of information.

The road after Poo was in better condition and the roads were cut through the mountains. Such roads are unique to this region. Take a look at the video.

There was also a stretch which closely resembled the famous Ghata loops of the Ladakh region and were a real treat to ride on.

Exactly 40kms from Poo, at Nako, we were forced to stop again. The seelin gave through and the tyre was flat again. This time around we had to change the tube. The rear tyre of the new Thunderbird is a pain to remove and place back due to inconvenient setup of the disc brakes. Changing the tube took only 15 mins, but putting back the wheel took close to an hour.

Nako also has a huge helipad, a monastery and a lake. Below is a picture of the helipad, though the bikes are not ours.

Ahead of Nako, we came across another board, one that we were looking for since the beginning of the ride. It read "Welcome to Spiti ", and just reading it brought so much joy. Yup, we had crossed into the Spiti Valley, the main intent of the ride had been accomplished.

A bit ahead, after a quick entry at a checkpost we were close to our destination for the day, Kaza. The roads were filled with sand and loose stones. The bike kept slipping and changing lanes on its own. Our hands were tired keeping the bike steady, and it was getting dark. As we reached Kaza, a drizzle started welcoming us in to the city.

A beautiful sunset, on the way to Kaza

There is only one person from Kaza called Jamaica who provides road updates through the internet. He plays a key role in helping tourists get there. He runs a hotel at Kaza and also is the only one to take tourists trekking to Chandertaal lake.

The 200 kms from Kalpa to Kaza had taken us 12.5 hours. This itself is enough to speak about road conditions in the area, and the challenge it is to ride throught the "Spiti Valley".

Part 2

Part 4