About us

About Ecosphere

Ecosphere is a collaborative effort of the local community of Spiti and professionals from diverse backgrounds, with a wide spectrum of skills and experience, effectively spanning the bridge from the general to the niche. 

Our focus is to re-establish the critical link between the custodians of Spiti’s natural and cultural resources, and travellers, through the promotion of responsible tourism in Spiti. We aim at providing the local community with a sustainable source of income and an incentive to conserve and revive their unique natural & cultural heritage.

Itinerary

The Journey

Day 01: Delhi to Chandigarh to Manali                 O/N MANALI

Mode:            Train and Jeep
Gradient:        Straight to gradual ascents and descents
Duration:        12-13 hours
Accommodation:    Hotel

Day 01    : Today is a long day. We catch the train to Chandigarh the capital of Haryana and Punjab and through the Shivalik ranges gradually making our way to the Middle Himalayan ranges to Manali.

Day 2: Manali S/S (Naggar & Solang)                O/N MANALI

Mode:            Jeep
Gradient:        Gradual to steep ascents and descents
Duration:        4-5 hours
Accommodation:    Hotel

Day 02    : Manali is a small little hill station bustling with tourists. Today we visit Naggar, which is famous for the Russian artist Roerich’s gallery and the Naggar castle. We also go to Solang, which is the paragliding and skiing zone of the area.

Day 03: Manali to Kaza                            O/N KAZA

Mode:            Jeep
Gradient:        Gradual to steep Ascent & Descent         
Duration:        10-11 Hours
Accommodation:    Hotel/Guesthouse

Day 03: Today is an early start. We drive over the Rohtang pass (separating Kullu from the Lahaul valley), and descend into the valley of the Chandra river and over the Kunzum la (pass/4551mts), which divides Lahaul and Spiti.

Day 04: Kaza  -- Day S/S trip to Kye, Kibber and Tashigang    O/N KAZA   

Mode:             Jeep & Mountain Bikes               
Gradient:        Gradual Ascent & Descent         
Duration:         3 Hour    (travel time)    1-1.5 hour biking       
Accommodation:     Hotel/Guesthouse

Day 04 : Today we travel to the highland villages of the left bank plateau for altitude acclimatization and return to Kaza for overnight stay. We visit the Kye gonpa, the largest monastery in Spiti. We also visit Kibber which is the road head for the trade route into Ladakh over the Parang La. We continue to the villages of Gette and Tashigang and then back to Kaza. On our way back we will take the opportunity to bike back on Fire Fox mountain bikes.

Note: Biking is an option for a group size of maximum 4 people.

Day 05: Kaza to Pin to Tabo        O/N TABO

Mode:            Jeep
Gradient:        Gradual ascent & descent
Duration:         4 Hours (travel time)
Accommodation:    Hotel/Monastery Guest House
Day 05    : After breakfast we leave Kaza for the Pin Valley which is a tributary of the Spiti River. En-route we will get the opportunity to see some of the other initiatives of Ecosphere pertaining to promotion of solar energy in the Spiti valley as a means to reduce fuelwood consumption and carbon emissions of the local community (these range from solar passive houses, green houses, solar cookers). Ecosphere also works on other livelihood initiatives from the regions herbs and berries. If time permits one can stop at their Sebuckthorn processing unit to get an insight into their initiative aimed at empowering the women of Spiti.
While in Pin valley, we meet the Bhuchens, a unique and rare sect of Tibetan Buddhist theatrical artists that preach religious, social and ecological morals to the locals through a set of diverse performances.

Day 06: Tabo to Giu to Dhankhar         O/N DHANKHAR

Mode:            Jeep
Gradient:        Gradual Ascent
Duration:         3-4 Hours (travel time)
Accommodation:    Homestay/Monastery Guest House

Day 06    : Tabo is famous for its over 1000 years old Monastery. Today we spend time exploring the Monastery and the numerous temples at the monastery, before heading to Giu (1 hour). Giu is the furthest and most isolated village of Spiti, lying close to the border of Tibet (China). Be ready for a surprise as we witness a rare relic of the human spirit here. From Giu we retrace our steps back to Tabo and head to Dhankhar.
Day 07: Dhankhar to Lhalung to Demul         O/N DEMUL

Mode:            Jeep & Hike (optional)
Gradient:        Gradual to Steep Ascent
Duration:         3 hours (travel time)
Accommodation:    Homestay

Day 7: Dhankhar was the erstwhile capital of spiti and is one of the most striking villages in terms of its location. It houses one of the oldest monasteries of the region. We will also visit the Dhankhar lake which offers stunning views.

After Dhankhar we head onto Lhalung which is the largest village of the Lingti valley (a tributary of the Spiti River). We visit this unique temple and head onto Demul village for the night where we will stay in homestays. Homestays have been developed in numerous villages by Ecosphere to ensure direct economic benefits to the local communities and to enable a more enhanced understanding of the lifestyles of these hard working mountain folk.

Day 08:  Demul – Komic/Langza                   O/N KOMIC/LANGZA

Mode:            Yak Safari
Gradient:        Gradual ascent & descent
Duration:         4 – 5 Hours
Accommodation:    Homestays
Day 08 : Today we adopt the local mode of transport, Yaks. We explore the Trans-Himalayan Deserts and travel into the grazing pastures of the local livestock and wild herbivores (such as the Blue Sheep). This is also the hunting ground for the Himalayan Wolf and Snow Leopard. We will continue to the village of Komic which is Asia’s highest village where we halt for the night in a homestay.
Day 09: Langza - Kaza                             O/N KAZA

Mode:            Jeep
Gradient:        Gradual Ascent
Duration:         1 Hour (travel time)
Accommodation:    Homestays
Day  09    : We head back to kaza in our jeeps today and have the rest of the day to roam the markets and do any last minute shopping.
Day 10: Kaza to Manali                           O/N MANALI

Mode:                       Jeep
Gradient:                  Gradual to steep ascents and descents
Duration:                  10-11 hrs ( travel time )

Day 11: After an early (7 am) breakfast we drive back to Manali along the same route that we took to reach Kaza over the Kunzum La and Rohtang La.


Day 11: Manali to Chandigarh to Delhi

Mode:            Train and Jeep
Gradient:        Straight to gradual ascents and descents
Duration:        12-13 hours

Day 12    : The last day of the journey and we retrace our steps back to Delhi via the same route as we took to come to Manali. It’s a long day on the road and takes over 12 hours all the way up to Delhi.


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Please Note:-
a) Accommodation: the following are available as per your preference
Homestays - provide you with a clean and comfortable room in a local house with     environment friendly and clean toilets. Hot water can be made available on     request. Cuisine comprises of local delicacies. However if you would prefer     to stick to basic Indian meals (lentils, pulses, rice, chappati/ local bread) you can     inform your hosts in advance. Boiled water is provided for drinking purposes.  
Hotel/Guesthouse – comprises of a clean and comfortable room with attached bath and toilet.
b) Kindly inform us in advance of any food preferences.
c) Spiti is a high altitude region. Since few people have been to such altitudes, it is hard to know who may be affected by high altitude sickness. There are no specific factors such as age, sex, or physical condition that correlate with susceptibility to altitude sickness. Some people get it and some people don't, and some people are more susceptible than others. If one has not travelled to these altitudes before, it is recommended that you consult your doctor. We usually advise dosage of Diamox or alternate medicines for high altitude (however please consult your doctor before getting onto any medication) 2/3 days before reaching kaza as a safe precautionary for this trip. Please refer to the attached document for information on high altitude mountain sickness and possible precautions you could take. Please note that we do not take responsibility for reimbursements in the event that you are unable to complete the trip due to high altitude sickness and/or other personal reasons.
d) Please note that additional costs entail where ever the options for Yaks and mountain bikes are given.

Making a difference

How this Trip will ensure Responsible tourism in the Spiti valley and benefits to the local community and the environment:

With a clearly defined mandate of developing Spiti as a responsible eco-travel destination, all travel experiences offered by Ecosphere have been carefully designed to incorporate aspects that directly and indirectly contribute to nature and culture conservation and economic benefits to the local community.

Ecosphere generates and maintains a development & conservation fund which is derived from the earnings from its travel initiatives. This fund is diverted towards development and conservation activities and capacity enhancement of the locals in the entire valley. Local service providers (homestay providers, pack animal providers, porters, etc) also set aside a percentage of their earnings towards a village conservation fund, which is utilised in their respective villages towards activities pertaining to nature and culture conservation and other socio-economic issues.

Moreover all our travel experiences have an inbuilt conservation cost charged to the visitor and all revenues generated are utilised for furthering our objectives of linking livelihoods to conservation. Hence at every level – the Local community, Visitor and Ecosphere – we ensure participation by the stakeholders towards conservation and responsible travel. We ensure that your travels have minimum impacts and contribute maximum benefits to the region.

Economic Benefits:

Ecosphere’s mandate is to provide the local community with additional sources of income through diverse livelihoods that are linked to conservation. We believe that economics is an important medium of involving people in conservation. In order to achieve our objective we ensure maximum economic benefits to local people from all our products. The homestay providers, field experts, interpreters, guides, porters, chefs, pack animals, cultural troupes, musicians and other contingency staff are all hired from amongst the local populace. All our travel experiences are designed to ensure that maximum economic benefits are accrued to the local community.

Homestay accommodation is an easy and sure shot way of ensuring that the locals gain from the benefits that accrue from tourism. Homestays have been developed in the Spiti valley with the aim of ensuring culture conservation on the one hand and economic returns for locals on the other (www.himalayan-homestays.com/spiti) . These homestays function on a rotation basis and instead of villagers competing with each other they work in a mutually complimentary and collaborative manner. Families that are not providing homestay accommodation either provide the field experts, guides, chefs, porters, pack animals or other related services, thus ensuring equitable benefits from tourism to the entire village.  A village co-ordinator is assigned the task of ensuring the rotation in the homestays and maintaining their standards. He earns a portion of the homestay cost for his services. Our attempt is towards ensuring that every possible family in a village benefits from tourism and understands the importance of working in collaboration.

Accommodation facilities used by Ecosphere other than homestays also
provide incomes to hotels and guest houses run by local entrepreneurs or Monastic Institutions.

Some of the indirect economic benefits accrued to the community pertain to their capacity building. Ecosphere organises various trainings for the members of the local community in collaboration with various experts and its partner organisations on aspects such as language and communication skills, nature and culture guiding, mountaineering, hospitality, guest management, cookery, etc.

As has already been mentioned, all other earnings of Ecosphere are contributed towards conservation and developmental activities within the region. 

Nature & Culture Conservation:
Nature and culture conservation form the basis of Ecospheres initiatives in the region and all travel experiences incorporate aspects that ensure the same. Separate funds at the village level as well as at a central level with Ecosphere are kept for undertaking a plethora of activities pertaining to nature and culture conservation.

Garbage is one of the major evils that follows tourism development in any destination. Spiti has also witnessed the impacts of unplanned tourism and subsequent garbage management issues. Garbage management and its proper disposal has been an important area of intervention, for the purpose of which Ecosphere is partnering with the Public Welfare Society, Kaza (PWS, a local body working on garbage management). Ecosphere supports PWS in establishing a network with other organisations working on similar issues in other parts of the country, besides assisting their capacity building. All garbage generated during the treks and trips is brought back to Kaza and handed over to PWS for its disposal. Ecosphere also works with villagers in managing garbage at the village level, besides involving the guests in cleaning drives in villages and wetlands.

In the highland village of Langza, activities pertaining to garbage management and maintenance of camp sites within the village area have been undertaken. Garbage pits have been dug and specific sites have been designated as camping areas. Other villages are also following the example of Langza and are contributing towards a common village conservation fund which is then being used in the villages as per the discretion of the villagers and the needs of the area. A participatory planning approach has been adopted for the same.

Spiti is regarded as a geological paradise and its geology dates back over 500 million years. Various fossils from the time whence Spiti was submerged under the Tethys Sea are found spread across the entire valley and serve as important tourist attraction. Their conservation forms an important aspect of Ecospheres travel initiatives in the region. In Langza village which has an abundance of fossils (ammonites and trilobites), a natural fossil centre has been marked where tourists are taken on a guided tours by the locals. This has been done to prevent the depletion of these fossils by locals and tourists alike. Ecosphere along with the locals are trying to develop mechanisms to conserve this rich natural heritage. Panchayat (village level government body) resolutions banning the sale and purchase of these fossils along with designating the fossil centre area has been a humble beginning of the local community and Ecosphere towards their conservation. Part of the earnings from the visits of travelers is set aside for management of the fossil centre.
Pack animals and safari animals are another important source of incomes for the locals. The use of donkeys, yaks and horses is an integral part of our travel experiences and treks and part of the earnings from the pack animals is ploughed back into a village conservation fund which will then be used for undertaking activities such as livestock insurance schemes, employing permanent shepherds, construction of proper enclosures for livestock, etc, primarily as a means to reduce livestock depredation and to prevent retaliatory wildlife depredation by the local community.

The Yak is an animal with a truly unique character and is indigenous to the high altitude regions of this part of the world. The yak safaris offered help promote the Yaks which are the lifeline of the highland villages and are used primarily for milk, ploughing and threshing. However, in the past few years there has been a rapid decline in the number of Yaks that are being used by the locals, especially in the low lying areas of the Spiti valley due to mechanization of agriculture and the advent of tractors. As a result of this there has been a decline in the sale of the yaks which has deprived the locals from the highland villages a valuable source of income. The Yak safaris provide an opportunity to use this unique animal, thereby providing the locals with an additional source of income and an incentive to preserve the animal and promote its numbers in the region.

Musicians form an integral part of Spitian culture. However their numbers are dwindling rapidly due to various reasons. The promotion of cultural performances during the trip is a way of ensuring that the tradition of local dances, dresses and musicians flourishes in the region. Since the number of local musicians is fast dwindling in the valley, your appreciation towards their art form is a great incentive for its continuity and conservation. Ecosphere is also attempting to organise trainings in music and dance for the local youth in collaboration with other local organisations. Likewise, the Bhuchen performance is another way of contributing towards the conservation and continuity of this unique sect of minstrel lamas and also providing them with an additional source of income. The Bhuchens who were flourishing in the Western Tibetan area are now found only in the Spiti valley.

One important initiative pertaining to the conservation of cultural heritage is the ‘Dhankhar Initiative’. Ecosphere is involved in the restoration and conservation of this ancient heritage as part of its larger objective and mandate of linking livelihoods to conservation. Part of the costs of the trips in Spiti are diverted towards the Dhankhar Initiative (for more details visit www.dhangkar.com). Ecosphere is partnering with the Monastery for not only the restoration of the Dhankhar Monastery but also in establishing systems for the management of the lake and garbage within the village.

Ecosphere is continuously evolving better and more contextual conservation based activities to ensure that tourism becomes a tool for sustainable development for the region and has minimum impacts on the nature and culture of the valley.