About Pin Valley National Park
Situated
in the Spiti sub division of the Lahaul and Spiti district in Himachal
Pradesh, the Pin Valley National Park came into being in January 1987. The
landscape of the park is desert like and the altitudinal variation, which
ranges from 3500 to 6000 mts make it a place ideal for flora and fauna
typical of mountainous regions. The park offers its visitors opportunities
to spot the rare snow leopard and other highly endangered animal and bird
species.
Most of the areas in the park remain inaccessible during winters and the
temperature may plummet to as low as minus 32 degrees in Jan-Feb. July and
August are the hot months when temperatures may climb to around 30 degrees.
The months of April and May are best for observing wildlife when the animals
come down to the lower regions of the park.
Wildlife Attractions in Pin Valley National Park
Because of the harsh climatic conditions, the park has sparse vegetation
with Herbaceous and shrub growth dominating the flora. More than 400 species
of plants are believed to be found in the area which also include some rare
medicinal plants. The amazing view of white flower covered valleys in summer
is a spectacle worth watching.
The park presents excellent opportunities for bird lovers owing to the thin
vegetation and the sparse forest cover. Some of the commonly seen birds in
and around the area include goldfinch, gold-fronted finch, brahminy myna,
grey wagtail, yellow headed wagtail, yellow billed chough, horned lark and
Himalayan griffon.
The park is home to mammals like the Ibex, Bharal, Snow Leopard, Red Fox,
Tibetan Wolf, Marmot and Woolly Hare.
Safaris
The
park has several trekking routes while there are no motorable roads. The
only way to explore the park is on foot. Take a trek to the pastures where
you may be rewarded with a rare sighting of the Ibex or the Blue Sheep.
There are various trekking routes available ranging from the difficult ones
to the easy for the 'not so fit' people. The Mikim-Debsa walk is a moderate
rated trek while the Pin Parvati trek is a difficult one suited for trained
trekkers.
Other Attractions
Kungri Monastery
Situated just 9 km from Pin Valley, the Kungri monastery dates back to more
than 500 years. The place has a number of other monasteries around including
the Tabo Monastery (45 km) and the Dhankar Monastery (35 km).
How to Get There
By Air : Jubbarhatti airport near Shimla is the nearest
airport. It is ideal to hire a taxi from Shimla to reach Spiti. Jagson
Airlines operates a Delhi-Shimla-Kullu-Shimla-Delhi flight on Monday,
Wednesday and Friday which takes off from Delhi at 7:15 and arrives in
Shimla at 8:15.
By Rail : Kalka is the nearest railhead with a broad
gauge rail line, connected by daily trains from Delhi, the Paschim Exp.
(9:40) & HWH DLI KLK Mail (22:20). Mumbai is connected with Kalka
through the Paschim Exp. (11:35).
By Road : The route from Shimla is NH22 to Sumdo via
Narkanda, Rampur Bushehr, Wangtu, Karchham, Spello, Pooh, Yangthang and
Chango. From there, follow the state highway to Atargu via Tabo and Poh,
from where a link road leads to Mudh village via Mikim. The route from
Manali is through the state highway to Atargu via Kothi, Rohtang Pass,
Gramphoo, Batal, Losar, Rangrik and Kaza. From here, take the link road to
Mudh village.
Distances from Major Cities
Shimla : 390 km (NE)
Manali : 248 km (SE)
Kalka : 480 km
Travel Tips/Important Information
- Indian nationals do not need a permit for visiting the area while
foreign tourists can easily obtain a permit from Kaza or Rekong Peo.
- Entry to the park is free.
- All the trekking routes in the park are at high altitudes of over
3600 mts. Choose the one that suits your physical condition.
- To acclimatise to the conditions, it is advisable to break journey
at towns like Shimla.
