Wander through India : THE SPITI EXPEDITION ( DAY X- RANGRIK TO DHANKAR GOMPA & BACK)

DAY X – KAZA TO DHANKAR GOMPA ( 84 KM)

1. After the long previous day we got up to a splendid morning at our hotel which is actually located in an extremely serene surrounding with the hills rising up in the distance. After a hearty breakfast the first thing I did was to get the car washed by the team of the hotel itself and they did a good job of it .The agenda for the day was a visit to Dhankar Gompa and Pin valley if circumstances permit.I had reached where i had set out to be 10 days ago from the western seashores and 2590 km distant.apart transversing six states.

2. By 0845 hrs we were off and our first stop was the highest retail petrol pump in the world at 12270 feet operated by IOC.There was a wait out there as there was no electricity supply since the previous night and the generator was not online. However soon they were able to start the generator and I topped up the INDOMITABLE. The next stop was the Maruti Service Centre where I had to finalise the final logistical requirement of ensuring the spares needed were transported from Mandi to Manali.That done after a series of phone calls and we were off towards Schling from where the left diversion takes one to Dhankar Gompa situated at a height of 12774 feet. The Gompa is over 1000 years old and is situated overlooking a cliff and one can see the spiti and pin rivers meeting. Hence the name Dhankar meaning “fort on a cliff “and was in ancient times the capital of the Spiti Kingdom. We went first to the old gompa which is managed these days by junior monks and were shown the three caves which are open to visitors. The remaining rooms containing sacred manuscripts and paintings are all locked up. It was my first visit to a Gompa and I really felt quite good and happy to have come here all the way from Mumbai.

3. After spending a good amount of time we then decided to visit the new gompa .At the new gompa I decided to give it a miss as I wanted to visit Dhankar Lake which was around one hour trek from the road. This was one of the three lakes that I had wanted to visit and I was determined to see the lake. Asking the initial directions I set off, the climb actually took my breath away owing to the steepness and the sharp pace that I was setting .Literally struggling and with a will to continue I finally reached the lake surrounded by mountains on three sides and with not a single soul in sight during the entire trek or at the site of the lake.

4. I had the entire lake to myself and I firstly sat sound to get my breath back and offer thanks to the local stupa out there. There after I soaked in the feeling of having made it and the scenic beauty of the place and I marvelled at the thought of the beauty of this place during the winter with the snows all around. By the time I reached back it was close to evening and we had a late lunch at the restaurant at the Gompa itself.

5. We then started back towards Kaza for I wanted to check the status of the spare that was also travelling and was about to reach Manali around this time and I wanted to be present in telephonic range when the next crucial part of its journey towards Kaza commenced in case some issues came up. Finally after a few telephone calls the item was safely deposited in a taxi bound for Kaza and thereafter I made my way back to Rangrik .I was not able to visit Pin Valley because I had spent quite some time in the Gompa as well as the trek and had to be back to the service centre too in time.

6. It is interesting to note that Kaza has been without any STD connection for more than a year now and there are actually no STD booths in the entire region that are functioning. Hence it is imperative to have BSNL prepaid connection in these parts. There is one internet VSAT connection at Kaza but the charges are extremely high and the speed is quite slow. Power cuts have been the norm this year with no electricity for more than 48 hours at a stretch on may occassions.The petrol pump too thus cannot guarantee a assured supply at all times.

7. Final Odometer for the day. Rangrik: 57075 – Rangrik: 57159