It was an early start on day three. We wormed our way out of our blanket nests and into the sunshine for one last Chitkul morning. We munched down on some hearty omelettes, packed our bags and sipped on a final chai before boarding our minivan bound for the Spiti Valley. We had been in Chitkul and the Kinnaur Valley for two nights and would miss its green mountainous beauty but we had booked on the Spiti Valley Tour and it was time to head deep into the mountains to this secluded valley.

Leafy green apple trees line the side of the stone walled road outside Chitkul. A snow capped Himalayan mountain rises in the background.

We pulled out of Chitkul and bade goodbye to its homely charms as we began our long journey to the town of Tabo. The roads were….interesting if we were being polite. An alternating patchwork of potholed tarmac, dirt, gravel and naked rock. Our faithful van and expert driver ploughed through it all, dodging the obstacles and occasional goat. Beside the road the apple trees were just starting to blossom. We don't know if we were lucky or if the valley’s micro climate was different from its neighbours, but this was the first blossom of the trip!

Our first stop was the town of Reckong Peo. The town clung to the road as it climbed, switch-backing up the steep slopes.

The main road into Reckong Peo winds steeply up a beautiful valley surrounded by snow capped Himalayan mountains.

We were here to pick up our permits to visit the Spiti Valley. When I say we, I just mean us Englishers, the rest of the group being Indian nationals had their passes pre-approved whereas we needed the full package.

Whilst everyone else made their way to the market in search of chai we filled out forms, had our photos taken and paid 500 rupees each (later reimbursed to us by Zostel). The result of all this was two a4 sized permit print outs that we had to keep on us at all times within the valley.

Back on the bus we trundled off again over the mountain towards the river on the other side. We passed massive hydroelectricity projects, dams and military posts all set in the stunning background of the Himalayan mountains. The development was massive in scale, with whole rivers dammed or diverted. Ominous tunnels gaped in the mountain side and warning signs cautioning against swimming were everywhere. Given the power of the river below we can see how much energy can be produced here. The valleys, although developed, had not yet lost their beauty.

Leaving the hydro plants behind we climbed again. The colours outside of the window faded from lush greens to shades of desert yellows and browns. The apple trees thinned out and then disappeared, replaced by gorse and scrub.

A brown river flows under steep, jagged grey cliff sides in the Spiti Valley.

We stopped for our lunch at a small dhaba in the tiny village of Spello. We were quickly joined by a large group of nuns and monks clad in burgundy robes. The monks and nuns chatted, giggled and sipped their tea and when a colder wind blew, put on Pink Floyd hoodies!

A large red and gold prayer wheel sits on the street side of Spello.

We ate a tasty lunch of rajma and rice. Rajma is a northern staple, a thick spiced dal made with kidney beans and is just what you need when up in the mountains.

Re-fuelled, we made our way back to the bus but not before spinning our first prayer wheel of the trip. These colourful wheels can be found everywhere and you spin them to send out their inscribed prayer into the world (and gain some karma). Just make sure you spin them clockwise!

As we left the village, we rose up and down from valley floors to peaks, crossing flag bedecked bridges and clinging to cliff sides. We pulled over at Khab Bridge, the confluence of the Satluj and Spiti rivers. From the bridge we caught a glimpse of the tallest peak in Himachal Pradesh Reo Purgyil, its craggy peak visible down the path of the valley.

Himachal Pradesh's highest mountain, Reo Purgyil is seen rising up above the Spiti river.

We now felt like we were on Mars. The Spiti Valley is a cold, high altitude desert and what little plants and flowers there are, looked nothing like those found at lower altitude. It's a land of rock, snow, dust and shrub.

It’s a landscape like nothing we had seen before. The description above probably doesn’t sound that appealing, but there is a strange and overwhelming beauty to this barren landscape.

The constant towering presence of enormous snow capped mountains gives every sight, every view an overwhelming sense of scale. Sat in our tiny van, we were utterly dwarfed by our surroundings.

Our next stop was the town of Nako and the Moon Lake. The lake was beautiful and set in incredible landscapes, you could even rent a swan pedalo if you wanted to! It felt like an oasis in the desert surrounded by the tall barren peaks with the lake reflecting the homely, coloured wooden houses around.

The tree ringed moon lake of Nako reflects a cloudy sky and is surrounded by Himalayan mountains in the Spiti Valley.

On the far side of Moon Lake you get a great view over farmers fields and the mountains all around.

Stepped farmers fields drop away into a deep valley. The towering peaks of Himalayan mountains zig zag away into the distance.

Just outside of Nako we stopped at the top of the mountain pass to take in the sights. Nako is the highest village in the Hangrang Valley and at 3625 metres high it really does give some incredible views.

A dirty white puppy looks on sadly over a concrete background. — *The dogs of India will melt and break your heart in equal measure.*

In front of us the road zig-zagged sharply back down the mountain towards our destination.

We snapped some photos, took a few selfies and stroked some adorable puppies before re-boarding the bus for the last leg to Tabo.

Farmers fields step away in the foreground towards the village of Nako. All around jagged snow capped peaks loom. — *The view from the pass at Nako was incredible!*

As we descended the mountain the apple orchards reappeared, with the blossoms and green leaves contrasting to the mars-like brown and yellows of the soil and slopes. We passed stone walled houses and brightly painted villages, the otherworldly landscapes of the high passes dissolved into the friendly and colourful Himalayan hamlets.

A humongous boarding school marked the approach to Tabo. Our guide told us that this was his old school and it needs to be a boarding school to allow children from all the remote mountain towns and villages the opportunity to attend. Tabo itself, in the evening light, looked inviting. It is clearly a town used to tourism with guest houses lining both sides of the main road, but it hasn't allowed the development to ruin its aesthetic. Traditional houses and restaurants were everywhere.

A wood fired stove sits in the centre of a common room at Zostel Tabo Homestay in the Spiti Valley.

Our Zostel homestay was one of the cosiest places we have ever been! We got lucky and nabbed a double room with a pile of blankets and pillows to keep us toasty through the night. The common room was covered in rugs and had a central wood stove to keep us all warm. We have a great night with the group playing a game called “Mr White and Black” - A sort of code name style group game where spies have to disguise themselves without knowing crucial information. After another brilliant dinner and a lot of giggles we retired to our bed.

There had been a power cut the whole time we had been in Tabo, we hadn't really noticed. Lit by candle light and kept cosy with wood fires this was the mountain escape we had fantasised about.

Day three had taken us from the alpine wonderland of Chitkul and the Kinnaur Valley. We had joined the Spiti River and were now fully immersed in the cold, barren yet beautiful landscape of the Spiti Valley. It was like another world and as we snuggled up in our cosy homestay, we were happy to be there!