Himachal Pradesh offer several opportunities of trekking and camping on its hills and valleys. Camping is an important activity for adventure tourists and honeymoon couples. At higher altitudes such as the Leh-Manali Highway, the tented camps are the only accommodation available for overnight stay. Camp accommodation is fast gaining popularity near the wildlife parks and sanctuaries. The trekking routes of Manali, Leh, Nako, Shimla and Ladakh have such camps being set up mostly during May-October. These camps usually do not serve tourists during the winter months as the highways are closed and there is heavy snowfall.
About Kinner Camps :
Kinner Camps have its presence in both Sangla and Nako. Sangla Valley is part of the Kinnaur district in Himachal Pradesh and the Tibetan border is only few kilometers from here. It is also situated along the Baspa River offering picturesque views and forming the perfect base to campers. Nako Village is also part of Kinnaur district and is well known for the Nako Lake.
Activites at Camp :
Camping is perhaps the best way of enjoying the wonders of nature given to Kinnaur. There can be nothing more peaceful than sipping your morning tea at the campsite and spotting the wide array of bird life like the Himalayan whistling thrush, flower peckers, sun birds, Barbets, to mention a few or watching the evening sun as it sets upon the valley while you sit around a cozy bon-fire enjoying the delicious cuisine that Kinner Camps has to offer. Kinner Camps Sangla, has a variety of activities you can indulge in during your stay with us like river crossing, angling, yoga and meditation, rock climbing, rappelling, bird watching, nature trails, overnight camping with shepherds, botanical tours and distinguishing medicinal plants, village tours, visits to glacier, day treks along the Baspa river with packed lunch and visits to apple orchards and other farms.
Treks :
Kinner Camps conducts specialised soft to hard core treks all over Himachal Pradesh. Since Kinnaur has Garhwal in the south which connected to it by 6 main passes that are still in use it opens up several trekking opportunities. Kinner Camps has conducted treks even on passes which are not in use. To the North of Kinnaur lies Spiti that has 2 passes in use.We have been conducting treks in this area since 2000. Several times the passes are opened for the season by our camp.
Kinner Kailash Parikrama, Bhaba – pin Valley, Sangal Valley – Gangotri, Rupin Pass, Shubaling Pass, Dewar Kanda, Shivling, Sangala Har ki Dun.
Kinner Camps organizes numerous package tours in and around Kinnaur, Spiti and Ladakh. Some of the itineraries are given below with costs. We also can design specialised tours as per individual requirements.
Culture and People :
The Kinnauris have a strong culture and follow a unique blend of Buddhism and Hinduism. It is believed that the Pandavas came and resided in this land while in the exile. In ancient mythology, the people of Kinnaur are known as Kinners, the halfway between men and gods. Thousand year old monasteries still exist in this area. Each village temple has its own deities whom the people of the village communicate with and several decisions in day to day life of the villagers are taken with their consent.
Farming :
Himachal is one of the pioneering states in the country to initiate modernisation of horticulture. Kinnaur enjoys the ideal natural conditions to grow multiple crops. Apart from traditional crops like buckwheat, millet, peas, potato, rajma, maize, Kinnaur produces the best quality fruits like apples, chilgozas, kiwis, pears, almonds, apricots, peaches and walnuts.
Village Tours :
The district of Kinnaur which has rivers like the Satluj, Spiti and Baspa flowing through it, is made up of approximately 77 villages. Some of these villages are modern, some semi modern and some haven’t changed at all over the decades. But however modern these villages maybe the villagers are very traditional and protect their culture and beliefs very fiercely. We organize day tours to some of the villages like Batseri, Sangla, Kamru, Chasu, Raksham, Chitkul, Kalpa,Malling, Yangthang and Leo from Sangla and Nako camps.
Sangla Village
(2680 mts) (Sang meaning torch, La meaning pass)
Situated at a distance of 5km from Kinner Camps, Sangla village is the biggest village of the stunningly beautiful Sangla valley. Being the biggest village it has all administrative offices on the block level and also hospitals, schools and banks. Situated on the banks of the Baspa river Sangla village has the beautiful Nag Devta temple and a monastery in the same compound, situated in the middle of the village. Since Sangla is quite popular with the tourists this village is mushrooming with shops with local handicrafts and restaurants and also several guest houses.
Kamru Village
Kamru village ( 2700mtrs)
Kamru village is the first village in the valley to be inhabited. Located on the mountain top it has a magnificient view of Sangla valley. It has a 15th century shrine of Lord Badrinarayan and a Gautam Buddha temple in the same compound. The village also has a fort which has an idol of Goddess Kamukumakhya which has been brought from Assam.
Nako Village (3662mts)
Nako village is an important centre of Buddhism. It is called as the gateway to Buddhist pilgrimage and leads to Tashigang and Somang monasteries and a few mythical places. This small village has seven temples of different periods distributed all over the village. The monastery at Nako with murals dating back to the 11th century is one of the important repositories of the ancient tradition of paintings in India. Nako also boasts of Saint Padmasambhavas (Guru Rinboche) footprints
Batseri Village (2700mts)
This is one of the most modern villages in Sangla valley as well as the entire state. Situated on the left bank of the Baspa river it is dotted with wooden houses built with modern and traditional building material. This picturesque village is covered with apple orchards and its clean pathways lead you to each and every part of the village. The presiding deity of the village Lord Badrinarayan resides in a beautiful wooden temple made with extraordinary wood carvings. These wood carvings depict several religions showing the villagers tolerance to other religious beliefs. There is a glacier point on top of the village which attracts many tourists.
Chitkul Village
It is the last Indian village bordering Tibet. This village is situated on the right of the river Baspa. The temple of Goddess Mathi, which is often visited by locals for wish fulfilment is a must see. A short 1.5km walk from Chitkul is Nagasti which is the last civilian point on the Tibet borber.
Kalpa Village
Kalpa Village (2760mts)
Kalpa is one of the oldest village, approximately 500 years old and there are documents to prove the same. The whole village has a stunning view of the Kinner Kailash and Jorkandan peaks. Kinner Kailash is said to be the winter home of the great Lord Shiva. And by its side there is 79 foot single rock resembling the Shivlinga that changes colours as the day passes. Kalpa is famous for its apples & Chilgoza Plantations &the Narayan Nagini Temple Complex, which has Shrines of Hindu and Buddhist deities.
Monastaries :
Kinnaur and Spiti are dotted with several very famous and some lesser known monasteries which are revered by the locals and are very popular amongst the tourists. Visiting these monasteries is an amazing experience since they are filled with dimly lit rooms full of ancient paintings, scriptures, thankas (artwork done on cloth) statues, and other treasures. Kinner camps organizes tours to monasteries like Tashigang, Somang, Giu, Ropa, Tabo, Kibber , Gumri, Nako, Key, Dhankar to name a few.
Temples and Ethnic Culture :
All the villages in this region have their own temple and its own local deity who plays a significant role in the day to day life of the villagers. The deity of the temple is called the Devta whom the villagers communicate with using one of the locals as a medium. Several very important decisions in the lives of the villagers are taken only with the consent of the Devta. The local Devta is invited for all weddings and important functions in a villagers family. The processions of the Devta are very colourful and a treat to watch.
School Groups :
The surroundings around Kinner camp, Sangla are an ideal setting for student groups of various ages. We have been conducting school groups since 2001. The students are taken for day treks under a specialised guide to identify various plant and bird life that is in abundance in this area. They also taught activities like rock climbing, river crossing, survival tips, campsite selection and tent pitching, team building exercise etc. Kinner Camps, Sangla has successfully completed school groups of students from prestigious schools like BCS Shimla, the Bombay Cambridge School,Lawarance School Sanawer and St Xaviers college Mumbai to name a few.