to Sissu - 3100m: Finished the Spiti Loop, turning towards Leh - Racpat RTW 2015-2017

May 31, 2016

to Sissu - 3100m: Finished the Spiti Loop, turning towards Leh

“Its mornings like this that makes the hard days like yesterday worth it”, Rachel says. We broke camp early and started cycling through wide green pastures with horses grazing when we came upon herders shifting their goats and sheep to a new area, filling the road. We stop and sit quietly as they pass us watching a part of their daily lives.

After 10km, we reach Chattru and stop at a Dhaba for chai, and we roll an omelet between chapatis almost like the “rolex” in Uganda. Immediately after crossing the bridge in Chattru we climb about 6kms in 7 to 8 switchbacks then along a hillside to a chorten at the highpoint before going downhill back to the river and then back up. Looking at the greener hillsides, we start to see small trees, wildflowers like rhododendrons and wild Dutch irises. The road continues to have spots with water crossings and bad surface. There is another herd of goats and sheep coming down the road as we are climbing 2kms of switchbacks, about 5-6, to the junction with the Manali road.

This is the end of the Spiti Valley loop. Rachel jokes, “I want a T-shirt that says: I survived Spiti Valley’”. We start switchbacks down, lots of road construction, intermittent asphalt when reaching the town thinking we are in Gramphoo we stop for a meal of rice and beans. Just beyond the Dhaba, there is a rope across the road by a Police checkpoint of foreigner’s passport and visas.

Leaving the town, we see a Sissu distance marker 11kms. A nice surprise, we never found Gramphoo and this town must have been Khoksar. Road construction continues mixed with sections of asphalt with a final climb into Sissu. We stay at Aliyas Hotel, decent enough room, hot water shower and the best part was there were no stairs, yet a bit expensive we think at 1500rps. We are back into the tourist area prices. Patrick goes out later to shops for potato chips and coke and sees two other guesthouses around the corner.

Dinner is decent and we have a fine view over the valley and mountains from our balcony.