Lahaul and Spiti :India

The remote valleys of Lahaul and Spiti, at an altitude of some 2,750 metres (9,022 feet), border Zanskar and Tibet and are much drier and more barren than the fertile Kullu Valley. There is no monsoon here, although in the cool summers the valleys are green with grass, alpine flowers and the famous seed potato crop. Two rivers, the Chandra and the Bhaga, run through the Lahaul Valley which is surrounded by (he great Himalaya to the north, the Pir Panjal to the south and the Spiti-Chandra watershed to the east. There are many high glaciers in Lahaul, the largest being the Bara Shigri.

Lahaul is also culturally very different from Kullu. The, area has a strong Tibetan Buddhist tradition and the monasteries, known as gompas, have rich collections ol Buddhist art.

Much of the area is now open to tourists during the short period from July to October. During the summer buses ply regularly to Keylong, the administrative headquarters of Lahaul, 117 kilometres (73 miles) north of Manali and to Kaza in Spiti. Between July and mid-September the bus route extends as far north as Leh. There is a PWD Resthouse and a Tourist Bungalow in Keylong, which makes it a good base for exploring the surrounding countryside.