Arrive at Manali, there are multiple buses plying from Delhi to Manali. You can spend one day in Manali. Manali is the hub of all adventure activities in Himachal. You can even visit Old Manali which is slow paced part of Manali and boasts some very good cafes. Also there is the city forest and Hadimba devi temple which makes for a good visit.

The distance between Manali and Kaza is 202 kilometers and it takes around 9 hours to cover the route. The HRTC buses ply between Manali to Kaza starting 6:00 AM in the morning. The newly constructed Atal Tunnel cuts off the travel time between the Manali and Kaza by atleast 1.5 hours by bypassing the Rohtang Pass. The route takes you to Kunzum Pass before entering the Spiti Valley. From Kunzum Pass Kaza is 3.5 hours away. Reach Kaza, explore the markets and have a fulfilling meal at one of the many cafes. Here is our Guide to Kaza .

The distance between Kaza and Chicham is 18 Kilometers and buses from Kaza ply to Chicham in the morning. Check our Spiti Valley bus guide for bus schedule. You can also take private taxi and visit the Key monastery. The Chicham bridge is among the highest bridges in Asia and connects chicham village through a deep gorge, this gorge has a lot of snow leopard sightings in the winter season. After reaching Chicham find yourself a homestay and eat out at the homestay. Homestays cost around 700 per person. However you can get a better deal if in a group.

There are two approaches to the Parang La route.One starts from Kibber and the other from Chicham Village. The one from Chicham is shorter of the two. You will start from Chicham towards Dumla which is at a height of 3890 meters this is where the trail coming from Kibber meets the one from Chicham. It take 2-3 hours to cover the same distance from Kibber. The route to Dumla is a steep ascent through loose soil and gravel sections. You will be able to see small bushes on the trail these are native to Spit and are called Thumla. From Dumla Intersection the trail passes through a relatively flat and dusty terrain in a zig zag manner. You will be able to see the towering mountains around you from here. The Kanamo peak is also prominently visible from here. The trail passes through classic Spitian outback, totally barren and devoid of any lifeform.It takes around 3 hours to reach Thaltak from Dumla. Thaltak is a campsite located on a flat terrain and in some ways like a high altitude meadow. You might find some grass there depending upon the season.

From thaltak the trail to borochin goes down a deep gorge. The descent is steep and has a lot of scree and moraine. Bring situationally aware is very important while coming down towards the gorge. The trail descends down to the bottom of the gorge. The bottom of the gorge has a gushing nallah flowing through it. This is the Rong Nallah. The stream should be to your right and you have to walk in the direction opposite to the flow of the stream. The gorge is so deep that direct sunlight barely penetrates through it. Gradually you will find that the valley opens up. You will come across a bridge at some point, cross it. Now the stream will be to your left. The trail moves up to reach for Jukhta. The ascent is through moraine and loose soil making it challenging. After the climb you will notice the terrain opening up. You will be able to see the quintessential spitian landscape all around you. Towering naked mountains surrounding you and mars like barren landscape. A further walk will take you to the campsite of Borochen which is also the basecamp for the push to Parang La.

The ascent Today is the day you cross the Parang La. You will have to start very early from the Borochin campsite to cover as much distance as possible before sunlight makes your life on snow difficult. Start from the Borochin campsite as early as 5:00 AM for Parang La. All your fitness and acclimatization will come in handy today. The initial 1.5 hours are steep and through loose moraine. You will come across another campsite. The campsite is known as Thakchu. This campsite is closer to Parang La but is suitable for smaller teams, it also has a small water stream passing near it. You can refill your water bottles here and march forward. Trail is well marked till Parang La. The trek route now advances in a zig zag fashion non stop for the next 3.5 to 5 hours with a gradual ascent. 5 hours from the Thakchu campsite you will be on the Parang La at a height of 5580 meters. The highest point in the trek. On your one side is the Spitit valley and to the other side the famous Changthang plains of Ladakh, the parilungi peak is also visible from here. The Descent From the Parang La pass the descent to the other side is through the Glacier. You will have to traverse through the Parang La glacier with water flowing underneath the massive sheet of ice. Like any glacier this one also has crevasses and it is a good idea to rope up while traversing through a glacier. The glacier is pretty big and the descent through the Glacier takes around 2 hours. You will have to traverse to the left side of the glacier towards the riverbed where the glacier drains. The trail will take you to Lakku campsite which is near the glacier. However you must move forward. The walk The Kaharsa Yongma Campsite is 1.5 hours away from the snout of the glacier and is located on the left bank of the stream flowing out of it. Camp here for the day and relax.

The walk from Kharsa Yongma to Kapapuche is a easy but long one, You will be walking through dry glacial beds for the most part of the trail. The valleys open up drastically with time and you will find mountains rising bang from the river bed. Walking through this setting is a pretty wholesome experience in itself. This route has two intermediate campsites on the way, the first one is Datang Yongma which is located before the Tsoma Nala and it takes 3 hours to reach here from Kharsa Yongma. The second one is one hour away from the campsite of Datang Yongma and is located after the Lasoma Nala. After reaching Kapapuche settle down and camp here for the day.

The travel distance and time taken is same as on the day earlier. The setting is also somewhat similar to the day prior. The day involves traversing through the vast riverbeds of the Pare river. There are multiple streams on the way and very less variation in altitude. On the trail you will come across two subsidiary campsites. First one is Phalmu Phada which is near small caves on a mountain. Earlier travelers on this route would use these caves as a shelter this campsite is market with big rocks in the vicinity. After the Phalmu Phada Campsite Falang Bado Nala joins the Pare chu river which is near the second campsite Racho Lamo. Continue forward on the river to reach the Kitpadansa Campsite.

The trail today has a lot of things to offer and the adventure quotient will also rise. The initial traverse is through the Parechu River bank. After a while you will reach Norbu Sumdo which is marked area. Earlier kings of Ladakhi kingdoms would meet at this place. The Norbu Sumdo is the point where you are supposed to cross the Parechu River, which continues its journey further towards Tibet. This crossing is the boundary separating the Ladakh region from the Spiti and greater Tibet. Crossing is meant to be done as early as possible because the water level rises with day. If you are in a team of atleast two then the crossing is easy as one can establish a rope line between the banks, while one secures the rope. Having a rope is really handy on this crossing if you are venturing without a guide. After you will have entered the gateway to Ladakh. The terrain will also change drastically with distant patches of green here are there a lot of flowers also dot the remote landscape. This region is specifically dense in Wildlife due to it’s remoteness. The Chumik Campsite is around one hour away from the River crossing. Retire for the day and have fun.

The travel today is oriented towards reaching the Tso Moriri Lake. The trail toards the Tso Moriri is dotted with meadows in the initial part but with time the meadows fade and give way to barren flat earth. The distant Mentok range of mountains visibly dominate the skyline in this leg of the Parang La trek. With towering white peaks some raising above 600 meters. The trail remains flat and takes you to the southern edge of the Tso Moriri Lake. This is where you get your first glimpse of the Lake and the views are wholesome.

The objective for the day is cover the gap between Kiangdom and the Karzok village. The trail for the most part hugs the Lake and the Lake is to your right while on the way to Karzok. It is a very picturesque setting with blue waters of the Tso Moriri and the white dominant peak of the Lunger Kangri. You will be able to see the Karzok village for the most part of youe trek. The final approach to the KArzok Village involves a steep ascent to the village via a ridgeline. After reaching the village you can wine and dine there after such a thrilling journey.

It takes 5-6 hours to reach Leh from Karzok. Shared taxis ply from Karzok to Leh on regular intervals. However the Bus service is far and few in between. Buses ply from Leh to Tso Moriri on 10th, 20th and 30th of every month at 6:00 AM from the Leh bus stand. The fare of a shared taxi is almost similar to that of the bus.