The Spiti Valley
"At last they entered a world within a world - a valley of leagues where the high hills were fashioned of the mere rubble and refuse off the knees of the mountains. Here one day's march carried them no further, it seemed, it seemed that a dreamer's clogged pace bears him in a nightmare....
'Surely the Gods live here' said Kim, beaten down by the silence and the appalling sweep and dispersal of the cloud-shadows after rain. "This is no place for men"
Geologically and archeologically Spiti is a living museum. When part of the continent of Africa broke away and drifted north and hit the Asian plate 80 million years ago, the Tethey’s sea was thrown up and the Himalaya were formed. Hence this area is known as the fossil park of the world. The mountains of this area are devoid of any vegetation, the rocks have been laid bare by the erosion of wind, snow and sun over thousands of years.
The Spiti Valley is formed by the Spiti River which rises at the Kubzum-La pass and descends into the mighty Sutlej River which is 150kms down stream. The scenery is awe inspiring and has unforgettable beauty. En-route, the river receives waters from many side valleys. These valleys are narrow except in places where the width can be up to 3km, thus limiting the cultivatable land. Small plantations of willow trees and poplars are grown near the villages by the river to be used for house building in the local style. The hills are rich in herbs and rare medicinal plants which have been used in Tibetan Medicine for hundreds of years.
