“Julley ji! Aaj aap bahut achhe time pe aaye. Aaj hamara bahut achcha festival hai.” With his bright smile, Tashi leads us up the narrow lanes of Demul – a tiny village, high above the Spiti Valley. It is summer in the Himalayas, and Demul is celebrating the Namkhan, its annual harvest festival. The whole village is gearing up for festivities, and ready to welcome…
In search of the Ghost Cat
Nearly twenty years ago, a teenage climber sat on a ledge overlooking a gorge in the Pir Panjal mountains. He saw a couple of Bharal grazing on the cliff face across the gorge. The sun was low, the weather crisp and a hot meal waited back at the camp. All was well with the world, when hell broke loose. The Bharal started running helter skelter,…
Ghost Cat Diaries
Continued from…. They say well prepared is half done. And prepare we did for this trip. After all, we were going to a place where the slightest mistake could kill us. The roads would be some of the world’s most dangerous. We would be walking in knee deep snow or along precarious ledges. All of this when daytime temperatures would be below freezing, and at…
Symbol of Spiti
The gompa (monastery) at Ki is said to have been founded in the 11th century. The largest among all monasteries in Spiti, it rises above the Spiti river valley and is visible from miles around. Home to more than 250 monks, it is among the most iconic symbols of the region and sight for sore travellers coming up from the lonely road from Losar.