Hike circuit:
Kaza - to - Kakti - to - Kaza cliff - to - Komic - to - Hikkim - to - Kaza
Distance covered - 25 kms
Number of days - 13 hours
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Hike date: 28th April
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I stayed in Spiti valley of Himachal Pradesh in the month of April and May 2019. I stayed in Kaza for the first couple of days. However, the cliffs, ridges and mountains all around were constantly luring me to do a trek or a day hike at least.
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On 28th April, I started from Kaza at around 07:00 am with a small daybag comprising of bananas, 1 litre water bottle and 100 gm roasted peanuts. I was told about a village near Kaza named as 'Kakti' which had just one house. Yes, you heard it correct, the whole village had just one house. I started hiking in the direction of Kakti and when I finally saw the house I started walking fast towards it. Mr. Chering (the house owner) told me that he has been living in Kakti since his childhood days and the single mud house has seen 4 generations of his family. They had big agricultural fields in which they were growing pea, sattu and they were growing tomatoes in a green house. Chering Ji welcomed me in his house and offered me tea. I soon realized that he is super busy due to the 'sowing season' and he has to work in the fields with his wife. I therefore, took his leave and started walking inside a valley.
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To my utter surprise, within 30 mins I saw the very FIRST FROZEN WATERFALL of my life and I was simply blown away by its beauty. Seeing a frozen waterfall was completely unexpected because I was there in the last week of April, there wasn't snow even at high mountains and witnessing a frozen waterfall that too at a height of not more than 13,000 feet was something that I never could have imagined. I tried my best to get as close to the waterfall as possible. I realized that the waterfall still exists in a frozen state because it was surrounded by huge steep cliffs and boulder drops and the region was NOT receiving enough sunlight.
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After walking for few hundred meters I came across another frozen waterfall. This one had an easy approach and I was able to go close and behind this frozen waterfall. I touched it, sat there for few minutes and was just wishing to climb it (using Ice axe and crampons) in winter 2019.
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After spending quite sometime near the waterfalls I resumed my journey towards Komic (high altitude village claiming to be the highest village connected by a motorable road at 4500 m). I pass few frozen river patches, hiked up good gradient slopes and witness wild goats grazing in open fields. I finally reached the cliff which I used to see everyday from Kaza and the view of Kaza from that cliff was heavenly. I just sat there for 10 minutes feeling the high speed thermals coming from below the cliff.
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At around 12:30 pm I resumed my hike towards Komic (I was almost halfway there). I reached Komic at 02:30 pm. It was just a pit stop and I then ran from Komic to Hikkim (another high altitude village) crossing through the freshly sown agricultural fields.
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I said hello to the postmaster (Hikkim claims to be the abode of the highest post office in the world) and around 1 kilometer from Hikkim towards Kaza, I saw a goat lying on the ground. There was no movement in her body neither was he responding to my voice and touch. I looked around but could't find any person. I decided to go back to Hikkim and get some help because once the sun sets the goat will not be able to survive since it was an easy prey for fox and other carnivores.
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On my walk back to Hikkim, I saw Mr. Roshan (headmaster in Hikkim government school) and explained him the whole situation. We together then went back to the houses in the Hikkim village and asked people about their missing goat. However, we were not able to talk to many people since every person was busy working in their fields (sowing season). After huge disappointment, me and Roshan uncle came back to the place where the goat was. He asked me to leave as it was already 06:30 pm. He picked the goat and carried it to the village. After thanking him for all his kindness I started running towards Kaza.
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From Hikkim to Kaza there is an amazing ridge descend that ever hiker should experience. It took me 45 mins to descend down the ridge that ends at the kaza monastery. It was already pitch dark and after a walk of another 20 minutes I finally reached Old kaza.
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It was indeed one of the most fulfilling hikes. I brought wet and stinking socks along with muddy trek shoes to the homestay but I also brought back memories from my very first solo hike.
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