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Delhi to Chandratal Lake, Spiti Valley | Travel Guide

By on February 28, 2010 10:13 pm in Travel Guides / 23 comments

 

Chandratal Lake, Spiti Valley

At an altitude of 4300 Meters approx. Chandratal lake in Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh lies between a low ridge and the main Kunzum range. Mostly surrounded with snow, this deep blue-water lake has a circumference of 2.5 Kilometers. Some people also call it Moon Lake and is the source of the violent Chandra River. Moulkila and Chandrabhaga mountain ranges having peaks snow caps and snow slopes around the valley measures from 3000 Meters to 6500 Meters approximately. Locales there believe that it is this point from where Yudhishtra (Eldest among Pandava of Mahabharata epic) was taken to heaven in his mortal form. It’s a very luring place.

Enroute Chandratal… It’s not Chandratal …

Location of Chandratal

Himalayas — Spiti Valley, Himachal Pradesh

Altitude of Chandratal

4270 Meters or 14220 Feet (approximately)

Climate at Chandratal

Very cold during winter and temperature may drop well below even – 20 degrees. Although cold during summer, snowfall can happen anytime of the year here. Do not forget to take heavy woolens any time of the year you are going.

How to reach Chandratal

Possible road route(s) from Delhi to Chandratal by road are:

  • Delhi – Kullu – Manali – Rohtang La (3978 Meters) – Gramphoo – Chattru – Battal – Chandratal
  • Delhi – Shimla – Narkanda – Karcham – Powari – Puh – Nako – Tabo – Kaza – Kunzum La (4551 Meters) – Chandratal

Nearest Airport is Bhunter near Kullu and Jabbar Airport near Shimla and Nearest Railway station is at Shimla connected with Kalka through toy train.

Preferred Vehicles

If you are driving choice shall be SUVs style for sure (Safari/Sumo/Xylo/Scorpio/Jeep etc). 4X4 is not really required but it’s an added advantage anyway for such terrains. If you are riding Motorcycles, Mountain Bicycles just be sure to be careful at some of the stretches as bike may skid due to heavy filthy roads and water crossings.Apart from those Heavy-duty trucks, ATVs (All Terrain Vehicles) may do the job anyhow for you :) . Well human feet are almost always required to trek some part in this journey so be ready to use them anyway ;)

Road Conditions

Road conditions are not so good once you are off the Manali – Leh highway i.e. when you take a right turn from Gramphoo towards Battal. It is basically a Dirt track all the way till Chandratal . Same applies when you cross the Kunzum La and move towards Chandratal till Kunuzm La crossing board. At this crossing taking a right will take you to Chandratal and left will lead you to Battal – Gamphoo – Manali (Left) / Leh (Right)

From Battal to Chandratal from Manali side or Kunzum La crossing board to Chandratal from Kunzum side it gets even worse due to the presence of boulders  / rocks throughout the stretch and you need higher ground clearance vehicles at many places most of the time of the year. You shall have to be extremely lucky negotiating with this stretch with lower ground clearance vehicles. It’s almost a kind of off-road driving experience :) Presence of snow may make it more difficult.

You will also have to clear two water crossings during this stretch of Battal / Kunzum La Crossing to Chandratal and the current depends upon the time of the year. When I was there the latter one (near the lake) was very violent.

Season to visit

Pre-requisite: Any one of the passes viz. Rohtang La (Rohtang Pass) or Kunzum La (Kunzum Pass) are open for traffic.

June Last Week to September Second Week

It will be the best option to visit Chandratal in July-August month window when the roads are cleaned up by PWD till very end and Chandratal becomes accessible by road. So you can take your vehicle at the parking point of Chandratal from where you need to walk about 2 KMs for the rest of the journey.

June first three weeks / September last week

Well you may try your luck first week June onwards but it’s highly likely that trek from Battal onwards will be tough due to the presence of snow and for sure not motor able till the very end. You may just reach Battal and then need to trek in the presence of snow which makes it all very tough. We went Delhi to Chandratal via Manali in June first week 2009. Here is my experience for the same: Visit to Chandertal

Rest of the year

As soon as the passes (Rohtang La and Kunzum La) close, Chandratal gets disconnected via road from Delhi-Manali or Delhi-Tabo/Kaza route. Now if the passes are closed then being at much greater height than passes it would be inaccessible via road by any route. The whole valley from Chattru onwards get’s loads of snow. So only means left is TREK in too much snow :)

Things to Carry

If you are traveling in a pleasant time window i.e. July-August you don’t really need any special thing apart from you basic travel kit and few medicines of AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness). It’s a must if you are a first timer to such an altitude just to mitigate the risk of getting hit.

But yes if you are traveling in a dicey time window to a terrain like Chandratal Lake in snow times better prepared with the following must haves –

  • Snow Water proof shoes, preferably comfortable, light weight (as you need to trek a lot) with powerful grip in Snow or slippery surface.
  • Strong easy to grip wooden stick for holding gripping snow while trekking
  • Snow Water proof clothing i.e. Jackets and Lower
  • Heavy Woolens
  • Medicines
  • Torchlight
  • Woolen socks [carry 2 extra pair incase one any gets wet] for your backpack. Wet socks won’t let you walk with all strength
  • A small towel in your back pack to keep yourself dry as much as you can
  • A water bottle say 1 Ltr for your backpack
  • Camping equipments if you need to setup your own camps
  • A bottle of Rum which may be used after you complete thread either to celebrate it or fight the cold :D (Never consume alcohol while trekking)

Apart from the above list you can check my list of things to carry on a trip at the link : List of things to carry when you go on a trip

Accommodation Options at Chandratal

Well there is all famous Battal Dhaba which has room for 7-8 people on one side and one the other side they may allow you to stay if there is space available. Most of the space where food is served is occupied by PWD workers and the Dhaba family itself, so if you are lucky you may get space to sleep there as well. They charge 100 Rs for night stay and provide quilts as well. You can take as many quilts as available with them and not in use by anyone.

As far as accommodation at bank of Chandratal Lake is concerned, it has been banned by the GOVT. lately so you need to pitch tents along side the parking site which is about 2.5 KMs from the lake where you need to trek this remaining distance

One more possibility is you can come back on Manali-Leh highway and rest at Khoskar (right from Gramphoo towards Leh side) in any guest house or cross Kunzum La – Losar and reach Kaza for the stay at night

Now there is always an option of taking your own camping stuff or getting them in a package with a guide or a porter. You can either hire camps from Manali or Delhi or buy your own if you are planning to camp many a time in future and serious about it. In case you are interested in camping then you will need tents, sleeping bags (-5 to -10 rated) and mattresses. Check out Adventure Gear: Hire Charges for a rough idea about rental charges (they have increased slightly), you can rent out gear from them or from any of the other camping equipment shop in Delhi (here is a list of them: Camping and Trekking Equipment in India)

Some more Tips to visit Chandratal

  • Never cross the water nallas in way that may wet your clothes or socks. It will lead you to a big trouble if you have wet clothes in such freezing conditions as chilly winds bites your bones. So try to protect your clothes as much as you can. So while crossing Nallas just fold your lowers up to knee and remove shoes and socks before jumping in to cross it.
  • Use your towel from backpack if you get wet, to dry yourself as soon as possible
  • No Alcohol shall be consumed while trekking.
  • Do not forget to read about acute mountain sickness and importance of acclimatization at the link below: Acute Mountain Sickness and Importance of Acclimatization

Around Chandertal

  • Kunzum Pass At an altitude of 4551 m, is the main access to Spiti Valley from Lahaul Valley.
  • Bara Shigri Glacier The largest glacier in Himachal Pradesh is located in the Chandra valley of Lahaul and it feeds the river Chenab. This glacier, 25 km long and about 3 km wide, lies on the middle slopes of the main Himalayan range.
  • Sissu At an altitude of 3170 m, this place is famous because of a magnificent waterfall.
  • Darcha At an altitude of 3360 m, Darcha is ideal place for trekkers. You can start off trekking from here to Padum, Zanskar Valley passing through Shingola as well as Baralacha/Phirtsela. It is around 24 km from Keylong and offers facilities for camping.
  • Bara Lacha La This pass which is cross roads on the summit is 75 km from Keylong. It is on Manali –Leh road. It is also the watershed for the Chandra Bhaga and Yunam Rivers.
  • Suraj Tal You can trek from Chandratal to Suraj Tal and Baralacha La, however that is a 2-3days trek
  • Kaza and TaboYou can visit the essence of Spiti Valley in the form of their famous towns of Kaza and Spiti too.

Personal Travelogues

Guide Map for Chandratal

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23 Comments

  1. Mohit Bhagat says:
    November 19, 2011 at 7:55 pm

    Hi i am planning to go to Spiti vally around 24th dec this year, so wanted to ask that is there is any possibility to reach Spiti in dec and if it is, which would be the best rout to Spiti via manali or via shmila

    Reply
    • Dheeraj Sharma says:
      November 19, 2011 at 10:59 pm

      Hi Mohit,

      Well, Spiti Valley in December… you just provoked a chill through my spine :D … Just kidding… Yes, you can reach Spiti Valley upto Kaza but only from Shimla side because there is no high mountain pass. Shimla – Rampur – Powari – Karcham – Puh – Spillow – Nako – Tabo – Kaza will be your route. The connecting roads to excursion around like Dhankar, Pin Valley, Kibber o rmay be Key as well, Lingti, Comic, Hikkim etc will not be operational at that time due to heavy snow on roads. Also, the road connectivity remains open upto Kaza but incase of heavy snowfall the road may get closed for few days until the roads get cleared up by BRO eventually. Also, finding accommodation in Spiti Valley will be tough and your best bet will be major hotels or PWD Rest Houses / Circuit Houses along the routes and in Tabo and Kaza as well. Not to forget the snow will be in abundance and expect temperatures to be way below freezing point… When I went to Spiti Valley last month in October the temperatures were already into -2 or -3 degree Celsius types at night.

      I hope this helps. Feel free to let me know for any queries or doubts you have.

      Regards
      Dheeraj Sharma

      Reply
  2. The Nomad Cottage in Losar, Spiti Valley | Hotel Review says:
    October 15, 2011 at 9:54 am

    [...] I say must stay at Losar … Firstly, Losar is quite near to Chandratal, The Moon Lake (Read Travel Guide for Chandratal) and hence, people can easily make a day trip to the lake from Losar. Secondly, it cut short the [...]

    Reply
  3. Places on Manali – Leh Highway | A Detailed Description | DeViL on WheeLs… says:
    August 1, 2011 at 11:19 am

    [...] After you descend towards northern portal of Rohtang Pass, you reach Gramphu. At Gramphu, there is a diversion towards right which will lead you to Spiti Valley via Kunzam Pass. If you want to visit Chandratal then you need to take the diversion towards Spiti and once you reach Battal, go straight towards Chandratal. There are no stay or food options at Gramphu. If interested in knowing more about Chandratal then read its travel guide at: Delhi to Chandratal, Himachal Pradesh | A Travel Guide [...]

    Reply
  4. Michael Lucas says:
    July 26, 2011 at 3:04 pm

    Hi guys, hope you still check this page.

    I am travelling from the UK to visit this stunning area and wanted to ask your opinion on a couple of things. My plan is to rent a jeep and drive from Shimla up to Leh, via places such as Sarahan, Chitkul, Dhankar, Kaza, Losar, etc.

    I am on a tight schedule so I am planning to spend maybe 7 or 8 days doing this. I have a young kid with me (six) – so unfortunately I wont be able to do many long treks and she might not share my enthusiasm for spending hours on hours staring at the landscapes and studying the intricacies of all the various gompas.

    I have already organised some homestays along the route and might dabble in a yak safari as this should be fun for Grace (the six year old).

    Anyway – questions are:

    1. Do you think I am completely insane doing this drive without being able to read Hindi?
    2. Do you forsee any real dangers for Grace (if we are spending a week acclimatising to the altitude?
    3. Are there any places that you would say are unmissable?
    4. Do you think the journey is actually achievable – leaving some time obviously to explore?

    I would really appreciate your input, my biggest regret being that I dont have more time to enjoy and explore the region. But – I can always come back : )

    Thanks again

    Michael

    Reply
    • Dheeraj Sharma says:
      July 26, 2011 at 7:34 pm

      Hello Michael,

      First and foremost you are planning 7-8 days for Shimla – Leh which may be less and could be like rushing through the places instead enjoying them. In 7 – 8 days you could be doing something like below as I assume –

      Day 1 | Shimla – Sarahan
      Day 2 | Sarahan – Sangla/Chitkul
      Day 3 | Sangla/Chitkul – Tabo / Dhankar (you will be skipping Kalpa)
      Day 4 | Tabo – Dhankar – Pin Valley – Kaza
      Day 5 | Kaza and around like Ki, Kibber, Komic, Langza etc
      Day 6 | Kaza – Losar – Keylong / Jispa
      Day 7 | Keylong / Jispa – Sarchu / Pang
      Day 8 | Sarchu / Pang – Leh
      or
      Day 7 | Keylong / Jispa – Leh (very long journey so try splitting up in two days like above. You will be acclimatized by the day you reach Sarchu. So, nothing much to worry again if you chose to do so.)

      Now coming back to your queries, here are my replies in the same order.

      1. Well not really, Hindi may not be necessity and with little trouble only here and there you will be able to do it. This circuit is indeed common among foreign tourists and people may understand you for basic requirements for sure. So, don’t worry too much about that.

      2. Again this route provide good acclimatization by gradually increasing the altitudes starting from Shimla then Sarahan then Sangla/Chitkul etc and is mostly preferable route for Spiti Valley in terms of acclimatization over Manali route. Hence, again nothing much to worry but just follow the basic tips for acclimatization with most important being keeping the body hydrated. If you like you can check the below links for the same and some tips on acclimatization to remember -

      http://devilonwheels.com/index.php/acute-mountain-sickness-and-importance-of-acclimatization/

      http://devilonwheels.com/index.php/traveling-to-high-altitude-with-kids-or-babies/

      3. With limited time on hands, I am sorry but you can best manage the above destinations only. Generally, we do the Spiti and Pin Valley in 9 days to explore it with ease and yet they are not enough :) …

      4. Yes, assuming that you are following a similar plan as I am predicting above, I feel you will be able to do sightseeing as well on these places and yet complete the journey upto Leh in 7-8 days. Please share your plan if you have prepared so that I can better provide my inputs accordingly.

      I hope this helps you a bit. Feel free to ask any queries or doubts which you might have.

      Regards,
      Dheeraj Sharma

      Reply
  5. Dheeraj Sharma says:
    May 16, 2011 at 2:25 pm

    Karan, first of all Chandratal is not possible in May, so please take that out of your plan. Now, Pin Valley is just about 30 KMs from Kaza, mainstay for Spiti Valley and can be covered as a day trip or if you like to explore more than may be one night stay as well. I will suggest you do something like this

    Day 1: Delhi – Narkanda

    Day 2: Narkanda – Kalpa/Peo

    Day 3: Kalpa/Peo – Nako – Nako Lake – Geyu – Kaza (about 11 Hrs)

    Day 4: Kaza – Comic – Langza – Kibber – Gette – Tashigong – Till motorable Road Ends – Kibber

    Day 5: Kibber – Key – Pin Valley (30 KM) [Drive uptill Mud Village] – Dhankar Lake – Tabo (87 KM)

    Day 6: Tabo – Rampur/Sarahan (about 11 Hrs)

    Day 7: Rampur/Sarahan – Delhi (about 13/15 Hrs)

    If you can start the Day from Shimla, it will ease the drives on some days. You can also take the erefernces from the sample itinerary below for hotels and meal stops. But, please don’t take into account the distance as they might be worng.

    Sample Spiti Itinerary

    Regards,

    Dheeraj Sharma

    Reply
  6. karan88 says:
    May 16, 2011 at 1:53 pm

    thanks alot dheeraj . also should i be gng to pin valley first or spiti valley first . i have 7 days with me . if u could just tell me a bit of route i should be taking for 7 days . and can i still trek to chandratal lake ??
    thanks a lot for all the help , i really appreciate it .

    cheerz
    karan

    Reply
  7. Dheeraj Sharma says:
    May 16, 2011 at 12:04 pm

    Sonya, I am glad that the information was useful for you. Let me know incase you have any queries. Best wishes for your trip to Chandratal in August. do spare a day to visit Kaza as well in Spiti Valley.

    Reply
  8. sonya says:
    May 16, 2011 at 11:48 am

    Thanks for sharing such a wonderful experience with us.Your info is very useful.I’m planning this trip in aug…

    Reply
  9. Dheeraj Sharma says:
    May 15, 2011 at 11:16 pm

    Karan, well Spiti in itself has lots of things to offer. People do it clubbed with Pin Valley + Kinnaur Valley ( Ropa Valley too if you have plenty of time), depending upon the number of days in hand. How many days do you plan? You will need atleast 7-8 days ex-Delhi for Spiti and Pin to properly explore it. If you want a sprint through the places then it can be done in even 5-6 days. If you have about 9 days then you can cover the Kinnaur Valley as well along with Spiti and Pin, with just 1-2 hectic days. Yes, Chandratal will not be accessible to you.

    Reply
  10. karan88 says:
    May 15, 2011 at 9:48 pm

    hi..
    guys we r planning to do spiti valley on 20th may and wanted to know if it would be a good idea to go right now,reading the reviews i know we would not be able to make it to chandratal lake . but is it still worth the trip and how many days do u guys think would be enought for entire trip.

    thanks
    karan
    cheerz

    Reply
  11. Dheeraj Sharma says:
    May 10, 2011 at 3:10 pm

    Aniket, I will email you my contact number. I will do what all possibly I know :) …

    Reply
  12. Aniket says:
    May 10, 2011 at 2:01 pm

    Hey,

    Thanks so much! How do I contact you? It would be good to take your help in planning the trip.

    Reply
  13. Dheeraj Sharma says:
    May 10, 2011 at 1:23 pm

    Aniket, thanks alot for liking the information. I hope it was useful for you. Nopes, it will be a great idea rather because Spiti Valley and Pin Valley are such places which definitely need solitude and peace. I am also eyeing on Solo trip to Spiti once in my life :) … You will surely enjoy it thoroughly. Let me know incase you need details on anything. I will try to transfer all my knowledge on Spiti and Pin :) …

    Reply
  14. Aniket says:
    May 10, 2011 at 12:16 pm

    Hey Dheeraj,

    Thanks for the great post and information.

    I wish to go to Spiti sometime between 20th to 30th June ’11, but alone.

    Want to know if it will be a really bad idea?

    Reply
  15. Reynaldo Welsh says:
    April 26, 2011 at 4:11 pm

    Your house is valueble for my situation. Thanks!…

    Reply
  16. Dheeraj Sharma says:
    February 18, 2011 at 11:42 pm

    Hey Shashank,

    Good to see you or a BCMTian at my blog as well. I hope you know me from BCMT as well (dheerajsharma14) :) … Well, buddy you can do Spiti in March but Chandratal is no chance. Every approach road is closed even in May. We did it in June, 2009 and we were the only soul to get so close to it. We had to trek from Chota Dhara to Battal first day and second day we did Battal to Chandratal. It was not motorable even in June that time and so did last year which is a complete exception.

    Also, I hope you have gone through the “Different Spiti” by Salil on BCMT, if you are planning Spiti in March :) … Good luck for you trip, will watch out for the pics and log on BCMT then.

    Cheers,

    Dheeraj Sharma

    Reply
  17. Shashank says:
    February 18, 2011 at 2:55 pm

    Hey Raghav,

    i am planning to ride to Spiti in March. I know some fellow BCMT guys have done it before. Am looking for bikers to ride together. Let me know if you are interested.

    BCMT handle shashank_s

    Reply
  18. Dheeraj Sharma says:
    February 8, 2011 at 10:03 pm

    Hi Raghav,

    Well you cannot visit Chandratal in March at all. If at all yo can be dropped at Chandratal, you will found it frozen and burried under snow :) … Best time to go is June End to September… In June itself due to the presence of snow it is difficult. Secondaly, both Rohtang Pass and Kumzam pass open by mid/end June and then only road to Chandratal is accessible. Once you reach Battal, you need to trek in early summers and near September you can take the vehicle further towards the Chandratal but before 3-4 KMs ahead.

    Please let me know, if you need any further details.

    Regards,

    Dheeraj Sharma

    Reply
  19. raghav says:
    February 8, 2011 at 9:02 pm

    is it OK to go in march…will it be to tough to reach chandertaal..!! keeping the snow in mind..n the rough treaking terrain..plus i’ll be travelling by volvo,cab, local transportation till i can..n then treak from there on..!!

    Reply
  20. SUNDEEP says:
    March 27, 2010 at 5:50 am

    I read your complete travel story..it was great and adventurous and risky trip for you guys as ur not from Himachal and not used to this cold.
    I too went for the same trip with a group of 5 more people and a guide.Since i am also a determined person and very stubbon i also tok all hardships to reach Chander taal lake ..Check some shots i took there on http://wittysam.shutterfly.com and even on http://hcvkullu.shutterfly.com. I did the same track in 2009 but on 11 JUNE 2009.We reached Batal on 9th June 2009 but road was full of many glaciers and decided to travel around other places and start the trek to Chandertaal from Kunjum Laa after 2 days.2 of our frinds one was a doctor and Nurse decided to quit the trek o Chandertaal..We reached chandertaal aftera long track of allmost 6 hrs instead of 3 hrs due to many Glaciers in between and many mountains to cross..Me and the group took so much risk to reach Chandertaal and take pictures of Chandertaal in good sunlight..We reacehed at 13.00 hrs and left in 90 min as we were going the motor road way while on return…But we were not sure weather we cud make it in time and we had no sleeping bags and tents with us..So we had to leave early as temperature falls to minus 25 there at night..We wanted to stay there overnight..But i will go prepared next time and spend a nigh there for sure one day in future..But yes this is my favourite place in World though i have seen more than 35 countries around the world…Keep blogging such articles..they are great..

    Reply
  21. Dheeraj says:
    March 24, 2010 at 7:59 am

    We didn’t follow and we were luck to come back ;) ..but actually it’s lethal while trekking…may be we would have gone on to see Chandertal if we didn’t consume it!!! but let’z make it next time

    Reply
  22. Saurabh says:
    March 24, 2010 at 6:56 am

    No Alcohol shall be consumed while trekking.

    hahahahaha…. I don’t think we followed this one…!!!! :-)

    Reply
 
 

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