The valley of Lahaul and Spiti in the Himalayas is a mystical land. You could also call it the gateway to the rooftop of the world, as the mountains look stunningly beautiful and are home to some of the world’s highest motorable roads. But there’s a lot more to the region than just the natural beauty or the scenic roads that draw thousands of tourists every year, because Spiti is also home to some very special places. We are talking about places that can be categorised as wonders, or crown gems, and help in adding to the mystique surrounding the region!
What also makes Spiti special is the fact that no matter how many times you visit it, you can never have enough of the topography, as there’s always more to explore. Heck, Spiti has almost been an annual pilgrimage for me now! So when the mountain passes opened up this year, I decided to drive up to the region yet again, to explore some of its wonders – natural and manmade. This time, in Volkswagen’s flagship SUV, the Tayron R-Line. The Tayron impresses for a long list of reasons as a full-size premium SUV with three rows of seats, as it boasts excellent space all round, and the spacious cabin adds to its credentials as an SUV for long journeys. Enthusiasts though will be quick to highlight its 2.0-litre TSI engine that puts out 204PS and 320Nm as a star of its show. And mated to a 7-speed DSG, the engine sends its power to all four wheels via Volkswagen’s 4MOTION all-wheel drive system.
Besides its powertrain, the Tayron also impresses with its trademark German build quality that ensures it is equipped to take on some of the most challenging driving conditions possible. The 4MOTION system is a world-class piece of kit too, as it helps you get to places where two-wheel drive SUVs cannot even imagine. For the matter, Spiti is a cold desert with sub-zero temperatures, but the Border Roads Organisation’s consistent efforts ensure it is home to excellent driving roads, making the Tayron a great choice for an excursion!
As a region, Spiti is also steeped in history, and is home to several Buddhist monasteries that are many centuries old. So the first wonder I wanted to head to on getting to Spiti was the Key Monastery. It isn’t just the largest one in Spiti – Key Monastery is also more than 1,000 years old! The Key Monastery also looks mesmerising thanks to its Tibetan architecture and sits at over 13,000 feet above sea level, looking like a fortress. It houses ancient murals, rare manuscripts and an extensive collection of weapons used by monks for their protection back in the day. Its solid architecture also means the Key Monastery has withstood the harsh and extreme weather in the Himalayas for more than a 1,000 years! To draw parallels, Volkswagen’s SUVs, like the Tayron, are engineered to withstand the tests of time, and last an eternity too.
And besides its build quality and sharp looks, the Tayron also boasts luxurious interiors and an elaborate feature list that can put luxury SUVs to shame. We’re talking stuff like front seats that are powered, heated, ventilated and massage your back, a high-end, 11-speaker Harman Kardon music system, 360-degree view, a 15-inch touchscreen and dual wireless charging! You also get a massive panoramic sunroof, three-zone climate control and catchy-looking ambient lighting inside. There’s Volkswagen’s IQ.LIGHT HD Matrix LED headlamps, and a host of driver aids like 9 airbags, Level 2 ADAS and more too. It’s the brilliant 2.0-litre TSI motor that impresses the most though, given its seriously quick acceleration and the fact that 320Nm is available from just 1,500rpm. The DSG and paddle shifters add to its sporty feel further, and arguably, the transmission is among the best driving enthusiasts can have today given its seriously quick gear changes and intuitiveness.
I then drove to the Chicham bridge, which is Asia’s highest suspension bridge – it sits at more than 13,500 feet above sea level, right above a 1,000-feet deep gorge! But while the world talks about it being an engineering marvel, there’s a lot more to the Chicham bridge, as it has helped in reducing the distance between the villages of Kibber and Lossar dramatically, by about 40km. It is a crucial lifeline for locals, having improved access to essential services like schools, health centres and administrative offices tremendously, and cutting travel times from hours to minutes. More importantly, it has replaced what was the only choice for locals to get across earlier, a rather dangerous ropeway.
Driving across the bridge saw me head to the Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary, India’s only cold desert wildlife sanctuary. It is home to highly endangered species of animals, especially the snow leopard that can only be seen during winters in snow, besides the Siberian Ibex, Himalayan wolf and rare birds. I drove through the village of Kibber to get there, a tiny hamlet perched at a staggering 14,000 feet. As I crossed the village I also found the Tayron to be perfectly at ease negotiating through the tiny bylanes despite being a full-sized SUV. But a bigger surprise was the wildlife sanctuary itself, as it is spread across over 2,000km, at over 12,000 feet above sea level, which are numbers unheard of for a national park. Kibber is also where the tarmac ended, but the Tayron had no trouble treading off the beaten path, as its 4MOTION all-wheel drive system and excellent ground clearance helped me make light of the terrain.
Driving further ahead had me reach the world’s highest post office! Yes, Spiti is also home to the world’s highest post office, which sits at a dizzying 14,500 feet above sea level. It was opened more than 40 years ago to help locals stay connected to the world, and has become a bucket list item today!
Getting to Hikkim is a challenge in itself given the risk of altitude sickness due to the lack of oxygen in the air. But tourists brave the conditions, to simply send postcards from there. And considering the popularity of the place a new post office has been established, in the shape of a letter box. While its popularity is one thing though, what’s truly noteworthy here is that Spiti has been home to the world’s highest post office since 1983, despite the altitude and extreme weather, which is quite the matter of pride. The post office is also known to handle passports for monks from nearby monasteries and is a savings bank for locals, making it far more than just a phenomenon for tourists. But what lay ahead of Hikkim was a place I’ve always wanted to visit…
Imagine living in a place where you wake up to stunning views of snow-clad mountain peaks, every morning. That’s the life people in the village of Komic live, because Komic is among the world’s highest continuously inhabited villages. That being said, this is a life that’s easy to dream about, but certainly not an easy one, because Komic’s inhabitants choose to live there, at more than 15,000 feet above sea level, braving the extreme weather, especially the harsh winters, as temperatures stay below zero degrees for days.
This makes Komic very special, as its inhabitants are a great example of human grit and determination. Komic is also home to a 500-year old monastery, besides which the hills surrounding it are rich in ancient marine fossils, pointing to Komic’s rich geological history. Even today Komic is home to a handful of families only, who live in traditional mud-and-stone houses. These are set against some stunning backdrops, including panoramic views of the Himalayan mountains, making Komic yet another bucket list item.
As I got back into the Tayron, I realised it was time to start driving back to the ‘normal world’. On my way back I couldn’t help but reflect on the time spent in Spiti, yet again, and this time, in the company of an SUV as luxurious and as capable as Volkswagen Tayron R-Line. It was the end of yet another road trip in the mountains thus, but just like every single trip to Spiti before this, I was heading back with more than just memories. Because soaking in the history of the region, learning more about it and exploring its wonders is an always experience of a lifetime!
Words Abhay Verma
Photography Saidatta Naik, Akshay Jadhav, Alex Toppo
