The 08/09 before taking again the road to cross once more the Rothang-La towards the Spiti valley, I updated my website and I went shopping to food purchases for two weeks. Little before 16:00 I found my bivouac at the Rothang-La in front of the tourist shops.

It rained all during the night. At the morning the temperature was only of 4°C outside. After the descent of the northern face of Rothang-La I found the junction to the Spiti valley at Gramphoo. It is a dirt road, however the surface is correct. Speed was reduced. I stopped to lunch shortly after Chhatru and I decided to bivouac there. The 10:09 I stayed there to do the servicing of the truck, the body and to have rest.

 
The road to the Spiti valley 
le 09/09/2007 

September 11 was a driving day with the crossing of Kunzum-La, GPS altitude 4565 meters high which is the watershed between the Lahaul Valley and the Spiti valley. After the police checkpost of Losar I stopped at the exit of the village to setup my bivouac. As the day before the road is actually a track out of ground and stones rather painful. Here as in Ladakh landscapes are dramatic of austerity. At the beginning of day the weather was gloomy then after the pass the wind rose and the sun appeared.

Chorten at Kunzum-La 
the 11/09/2007 

 
Spiti Gateway 
Losar 
the 11/09/2007 

From Losar the road is asphalted except in areas of landslides. Narrow gorges and plates occupied by villages and cultures, the landscapes are varied and fairy-like making the way less painful. Kaza is a village separated by a creek. I stopped there to bivouac and send an email to Man-Force. Indeed I have a leakage at the expand tank of the hydraulic clutch actuator above the clutch pedal. Vibrations of road involved a longitudinal crack in lower part of the higher pad. I tried to seal it with glue, without much success.

Spiti river 
the 12/09/2007 

 
Village & farming 
Spiti valley 
the 12/09/2007 

Before leaving I consulted my mailbox. The response time of satellite connection was better than yesterday. The road from Kaza to Kee Monastery up to the Kibber village is asphalted and some sections are under repair. The monastery of Ki was built on a rock piton dominating the Spiti valley. It dates from the 16^th century. Its interest lies in the very old thankas of the prayer room. The village of Kibber claims to be the highest in the world at 4123 meters of GPS altitude. The houses are of Tibetan style directed southwards. I establish my bivouac on a carpark at the entry of the village after a chorten.

Kee Monastery 
the 13/09/2007 

 
 
Kibber village 
the 13/09/2007 

It snowed during the night. The 14/09 I left Kibber early to take an Inner-line Permit from Kaza to Recong Peo. Indeed the road skirts a protected area of the Chinese border. Alas the ad hoc office opened only at 10 a.m. Moreover I awaited during one hour the arrival of the head of department to sign the permit, that also it is India! I remained the day in Kaza to go shopping the purchases of food for one week.

Chorten at the Kibber entrance 
the 14/09/2007 

The road from Kaza to Dhankhar Monastery is asphalted, without hole however embossed. The up-hill eight kilometres from the main road to the monastery meander around the line of greater slope with an altitude increase of about 600 metres. Some curves required two operations. It was the most extraordinary road which I drove. The monastery of Dhankhar is enchased between needles of a rock piton. The gompa presents some beautiful frescos in their original state, degraded enough. I found a bivouac along the road at mid-downhill.

 
 
Dhankhar Monastery 
the 15/09/2007 

Tabo Monastery 
the 16/09/2007 

The following week was dedicated to Kinnaur valley up to Shimla.