Continuing Up the Spiti Valley

We were going to delay departure until around 10:30 AM. This gave us time after breakfast to walk over to the Tabo Monastery.  Lynn, Neil, Charlie and I took a weaving approach thru small alley ways and along the borders of homes and small hotels.  At the monastery there was a large new addition. But there were also preserved and restored older buildings, some of which dated back many centuries.  The construction of these seemed to be mostly a combination of rock, mud and timbers for the ceilings/roofs.  We had to take our shoes off prior to entering the interiors and no photography was allowed.

Stupa

Neil and Charlie Work at Spinning the Prayer Wheels

I saw two touring bikes. Robert was standing with them while Jan was checking out the monastery.  Rob and I talked a bit.  They were holding up ok.  When Jan came back to that Rob could take a look, I took a photo.  Jan's a tall and strong specimen!

Gents and Ladies Suits

Back at the hotel, I saw a motorcycle being lifted and manhandled into the back of the pickup by Sanjay, Baloo, Damon and a local guy.  Robin, the 65 year old woman from Australia, was apparently suffering from the symptoms of altitude sickness and so it had been decided that she would also ride in the truck.  She took the front seat and so I would take photos out the side window.

Tabo to Kibber

Spiti River Rushing Down the Valley

The road along the river continued to be primarily gravel.  Much dust was raised.  Gradually we climbed above the valley, with many switchbacks on the hillsides to gain elevation.  We stopped at some point to view a monastery and the river valley.  On the way back down I saw Jan and Robert grinding their way up the hill.

The Key Monastery

Key Monastery In Winter

Constantly Hand-Rotated Massive Prayer Wheel

View of the Valley from Key

The road kept climbing and climbing and we eventually climbed up to the Village of Kibber  which is over 14,000 feet in elevation.  I'm impressed!   I used to mountain climb in North America and never summited much over this elevation.  To actually dwell at this height is pretty incredible.  Over 90 families live and winter over here. There are herds of goats and yaks pastured nearby and there are fields of fields of barley and legumes such as various peas.

Kibber Women Hoeing Barley (from Wikipedia)

My Room

Norling Homestay was where we were staying for the night (owned by one of the two prominent families in the village.  I was assigned my own room, with a rudimentary toilet down the hall.  The mattress on the bed was a thin, depressed slab. Fortunately, I had brought in my duffle a small Thermorest Inflatable mattress and so I didn't suffer from a hard surface. 

Besides housing, Norling can provide treks into the Kibber Wildlife area. Check out their website!

The evening meal was an interesting mix of flat breads, a rice dish and some various pastes and dal. They had chai (tea) with yak butter for a beverage.  Since I don't drink tea, I stuck to bottled water.  At this altitude I didn't have much of an appetite.  The hostess was very Tibetan looking and wore what looked to be traditional working clothing.  In fact, everyone in the village I saw was of Tibetan ethnicity.  We're very close to China and Tibet. In previous centuries there was no border. Animal herders came over the nearby passes with their flocks and would find protected areas and enough pasture to put up shelters and fence the areas to protect from the predators (leopards and wolves).

There is a wildlife sanctuary nearby and apparently it has over 30 snow leopards living within it.

Snow Leopard Poster in the Lounge

I've never slept this high.  I woke up several times in the middle of the night, fighting catch my breath. Also, I noted that my dreams were very rudimentary. There was not enough oxygen in my blood to support anything coherent other than some random images.  I found this Very Interesting!  

Dining Room and Lounge