Tucked away in the south-eastern corner of Himachal Pradesh lies the Sangla Valley, part of the region of Kinnaur. The Valley, also known as the Baspa Valley, has been called the `most beautiful valley in the Himalayas’. Although the indignant residents of countless other valleys across the mountains may disagree, there is definitely some justification for the claim. Stretching for 95 km, the Sangla Valley is watered by the Baspa river, which meets the Satluj at Karcham, and by several smaller streams and springs. The first 18 km of the valley are fairly narrow, with cedar, chilgoza pine and bhojpatra trees covering the slopes on either side. At Kupa, however, the valley opens up and widens into an unforgettably lovely vale, dotted with a pretty-as-a-picture villages, right up to Chitkul, beyond which habitation is almost nil.

The Sangla Valley stretches across what was once a glacier moraine but is today a gorgeous swathe of green, dwarfed by the surrounding mountains. The clear waters of the Baspa run between orchards of apple and apricot, through villages where the houses have exquisitely carved wooden doors and steeply sloped slate roofs; an area so amazingly lovely that the natives actually say that this is where the gods live.

A week of trekking through the Sangla Valley and you just might end up agreeing.

When to go
Winter, keeping in mind the Sangla Valley’s northern location, is not a good time to go trekking here- it’s bitterly cold from November to March. Summer, too, tends to be rather drippy, because of the monsoons. The best time to visit the valley, therefore, is late spring or early autumn- before or after the monsoons. Time your trekking visit for April to end of May, or September to mid-October.

Access
The Sangla Valley’s largest and most important village is Sangla, which has regular bus connections to Simla and Rekong Peo. Alternatively, if you’re coming from Rekong Peo (which has direct bus connections to Delhi, Chandigarh, Kalpa, Kaza and Simla), you can take a bus to Sangla. For most visitors, the most convenient route is by rail, plane or bus to Simla, and from there to Sangla by bus. The journey from Simla to Sangla is about ten hours; it’s a distance of 230 km.

Vehicles can also be hired at Simla, Delhi or Chandigarh to get to Sangla.

Precautions and Essentials
Even though the Sangla Valley lies fairly close to India’s national border, no permits are required to visit the area. Don’t venture beyond the valley without a permit, though, as treks to Spiti and northern Kinnaur require an Inner Line Permit.

As far as packing is concerned, you’ll need to carry all the necessary equipment- tent, sleeping bag, cooking stove, fuel and the like. It’s also prudent to take along supplies of food, just in case you set up camp at a place away from the larger villages of the valley. It’s also recommended so that you don’t put an unnecessary strain on the rural economy of the valley, a subsistence economy which depends almost entirely on the local annual crop.

Adequate woollens must be packed, too: the Sangla Valley is far enough north to be fairly cold even during the summers. Between June and September, make sure you’ve got a good raincoat, waterproof boots and extra clothing to cope with the frequent monsoon showers.