Miyar Valley : Unspoiled and Untarnished beauty of Himachal
Hello all,
With rain causing havoc in the mountains and now in Gujarat, we really can understand our infinitesimal status in comparison to the whole vast universe. How our hands are tied up in these calamities and how we are mere puppets in the hands of Mother Nature.
Seeing all the scary videos we just prayed for those magical mountains and their equally pleasant people. With the development of tourism, there is a rapid surge in hotels and homestays in Himachal. But this state has something for everyone. For those who want peace and tranquillity, this is a surreal valley with a total expansion of over 100 km. You can explore the depth of the valley via trek only. But there is some motorable road which can show you a glimpse of what lies beyond and trust us you definitely will want to go further!
I couldn’t help but dream about those stunning mountains of Miyar Valley. The valley is the least explored part of Lahaul. It is the combination of landscapes of Himachal and Ladakh.
We just passed a day there but we fell in love with its stupefying and simple scenery! You won’t be able to see many people there. The villages on the way are also very small like tiny settlements. But they are contended with what they have. One of the villages has the threat of hanging glaciers over it and the government is asking them to shift somewhere but they are reluctant for it and are not ready to move out! Such is their level of fulfilment and gratification!
This is the perfect place for the person who wants to hide from the chaotic world. The valley is disconnected from the rest of the world for many months in a year.
In a way it is a blessing in disguise that places like this are not affected by tourism because the valley is still in its pristine form. There are few homestays in villages like Urgos and Shukto but still, it is not tainted by touristy things! And we urge you to let it keep that way only. Even if we visit we should try to keep the valley in its unadulterated, untarnished, unspotted and uncorrupted form!
Miyar Valley :
It is also known as Valley of flowers of Himachal. You will see plenty of beautiful white, yellow and purple flowers on both sides of roads.
Location:
Miyar Valley is located between Pir Panjal Range and Zanskar Range. Miyar Nala runs through the valley and will keep you company along the entire road. It is jointly Chandrabhaga River at Udaipur.
Altitude:
The average altitude of the Miyar Valley is 3990 m. The villages at the far end of the valley are perched at around 3000 meters.
The Miyar Glacier is 36 km long and extends to Kang La (17,600 ft.) and Zanskar.
How to reach?
You can get a bus from Udaipur or Keylong to a village like Shukto. You can easily take a private taxi and visit. But if you want to go to the proper Miyar Valley then you have to do a trek only. The last motorable village was Shukto but with the recent opening of the bridge now it is Khanjar.
Where to stay?
Urgos, Shukto and Khanjar are the main villages. They have a few homestays there and if you want to trek further locals are ready to be your guide. There are a few campsites on the way and in Shukto but all were closed when we visited.
Don’t expect any luxuries here as you are in one of the remotest places in India. The homestays are also very basic and with basic food. But all vegetables are grown locally in the backyard of their home so you can’t compare it to anything! It is these simple little pleasures that make our experience more divine.
When to visit?
Summer and Autumn is the best time to visit. The best months are June and late September as well as early October. Winter is very harsh here. The valley does not receive much rain here as it is in the rain shadow region but Manali and Kullu receive heavy rainfall in July and August and are prone to landslides.
What to do in Miyar Valley?
If you are not a peace and nature lover then this is not the place for you. If you are a crowd and people lover then don’t even think about this place. But yes if you are looking for solitude and quietude, if you want to run away from your quotidian life and want the stillness in the mountains, don’t miss this place. You will definitely feel rejuvenated and relaxed after visiting this magical place. The villages are also rustic and raw. There is a small beautiful Gompa in Urgos village.
Treks in Miyar valley:
- Urgos is a base for the Menthosa peak hike at an altitude of around 6443m. It is the second-highest peak of the Lahaul Valley. If you want to go to the Menthosa Peak viewpoint, it is a day hike from Urgos.
- Trek to high altitude meadows of Thanpattan: If you want an easy to moderate trek and you are a beginner in the trekking yet you want a less explored isolated trail then this is the best place for you. The trail starts from Khanjar village. The distance of the meadows from Khanjar village is appx 13 km. Seasoned trekking can do it as a day hike and come back in the evening but you can also do it as two days hike with overnight camping in the meadows. Please take a guide with you as it is one of the least explored trails.
- Trek to Zanskar Valley via Kang La it is also known as Miyar Valley Trek. The level is moderate to difficult and one of the most underrated and isolated high-altitude treks. You need a guide on this multi-day trek.
So this was my last post about Lahaul Valley. And at the end of these posts, I was thinking was it really needed to write in such detail about just three days’ visits. But trust me when a place is this beautiful and magnificent then it is worth all effort!
Let’s leave life with building and cars, life with people and crowds, life with malls and theatres, life with chaos and charade for a while and go to places like these…where the world is filled with peace and calm, world of stunning sunrises and spectacular sunsets… world of waterfalls and glaciers… the mountains and rivers…those drifting clouds and those cold winds… world where even if there is misery, it is overshadowed by simple pleasures… simple pleasures like rain and snow, simple pleasures like starry nights and flowing streams…
Let’s go to our first home and that is Mother Nature. Let’s leave this forest of concrete and wires behind even if for a while. Let’s change the lens of our internal eyes and look for things that really matter! Because it is always such simple and smaller pleasures that pull our heartstrings and connect us to the universe while we are busy picturing and dreaming about so-called bigger things!
Thank you..
Saras
Thank you so much..
Hi author
dont know you personally but iff late am addicted to the site
simply simply selfless work which is probably heading perfectly and long long way to go
have made a point to read wikepedia about the place You post
Thanpatan is the roof of miyar vally and it’s nearly a plain grassland And it is a great attraction for tourists due to peaks near it
just wanted to know whether this is doable
Am a tech at Singapore and Nidhi informed me to read your blogs as she came to know about it when she was in india
Kudos to kids for earlier post
Thank you so much for appreciating…comments like these motivate us to explore more and write more.
Actually we went upto the last village and beyond that there is high altitude meadows and after that you have to cross passes and you will reach Zanskar of Ladakh. You can come back from meadows or can go all the way upto Zanskar according to your convenience. But I think you will need a guide as the valley is vast. This is the number of our oraganizer. He will definitely help you to plan. Hippie in Hills: 91 8978614753
Once again thank you.
Miyar valley is a paradise of Gaddi Shepherds, their flocks of sheep and goats graze there !
were u lucky to see that !
With kids around that would be icecream on cake
Did u explore and treks or hikes nearby
No we didn’t go the meadows. We had limited time so just did short hike from Shukto to Khanjar. But entire trail upto Zanskar is amazing as per our guide so definitely we want to do it once! Thank you for your kind words..
Mission Doable !
Great descritpion to a hidden gem
Thank you…
Fogotten Peak !
Did u happen to catch a glimpse of it .
its in my bucket list and this will be helpfull when we do it
Same here. We didn’t know about this peak. But definitely want to do entire trek one day! Thank you so much…
Wow !
went all way to Kangla Pass ! Memories rewind by reading it . We were off to zanzskar valley and diverted to this as weather was unpredictable .
Description to the Point and Yes by looking to your clicks it feels it is still unexplored
Meher recommended this to me as she belongs to west india and looks to your blog regularly
Thank you so much. We didn’t do the miyar valley trek per se but the experience of this was so amazing that now this trek is on our bucket list! And yes it is still relatively unexplored!
Lovrly thoughts about Mother Nature!!!❤️❤️❤️
Thank you…