Chitkul

Chitkul sits at about 3,450 metres in the Sangla valley, the last inhabited settlement on the Baspa before the ground rises toward the old route into Tibet, and the road ends here. Houses are built in the Kinnauri manner, stone and timber laid in alternating courses with slate roofs and carved balconies, and the Mathi temple in the village is a timber structure with fine carving. Buckwheat and potato are grown on terraces along the river, apple orchards fill the valley below, and the Kinner Kailash and Baspa ranges close the view. The village empties in winter when families move down.

What you actually see

• The Kinnauri houses - alternating stone and timber courses with slate roofs.
• Mathi temple - a carved timber shrine in the village.
• The Baspa river - fast clear water with camping meadows along it.
• The end of the road - the last settlement before the high ground.

When to go

May to June and September to October; the road is snowbound in winter and the village largely empties. The monsoon brings landslides on the Kinnaur road, which is prone to closure.

Honest expectations

The Kinnaur road is narrow, exposed and frequently blocked by landslides. Altitude is felt at 3,450 metres. Accommodation is basic homestays and camps, cold at night. Restricted-area rules apply further up the valley.

Nearby

Sangla lies down the valley; Kalpa is north.