Langza: The Himalayan Village that is known for Fossils of Marine Animals

Imagine this. A high altitude village in the Western Himalayas of India that is made up of a small group of people living in Tibetan styled mud and stone houses and who are surrounded by snow capped mountains and the rolling hills of the mighty Himalayas. Now, imagine their mountainous land being the home to a rich array of fossils of marine animals and plants from millions of years ago. Sounds impossible right?

Well, such a village exists at an altitude of 4400 metres above MSL in the high Himalayas of Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh. This village called Langza is a picturesque village that lies at the base of the Chau Chau Kang Nilda peak and that is just made up of a few hundred people.



The interesting thing is that Langza and most of Spiti valley was under the ancient Tethys sea many millions of years ago and it was home to many ancient marine flora and fauna. The entire mountain landscape that we see today was all under a huge ocean before the tectonic plates shifted leading to the Indian subcontinent shifting itself from Africa and banging against the Eurasian continent. And which led to the birth of the Himalayas and the Tibetan plateau.

Today, the Tethys ocean is no more, but the fossils of these ancient marine animals still exist in and around Langza and quite possibly other parts of Spiti valley too. All you need to have is a keen eye to spot these fossils or take the help of a knowledgeable local.



It doesn’t matter whether you are a trekker, a bicyclist, a motorcyclist, anthropology lover, mountain lover or just a good ‘ol tourist, this remote high altitude village of Himachal Pradesh is bound to bowl you over. It’s ancient monastery, its friendly citizens, its high altitude lakes (Chumo Tso and Tsonyeti) and other umpteen treks, its green pastures, its snow capped peaks, its rich wildlife including the elusive snow leopard and its many fossil trails are bound to keep you captivated. Do remember to pack for the sharp mountain sun and for cold nights to have a ball of a time at Langza.



How to get here:

The nearest airport would be Kullu international airport. From here, the route to Langza would be via Manali –> Rohtang pass –> Tandi –> Gramphoo –> Kunzum pass –> Kaza and –> Langza. Local buses, taxis or self drive vehicles are your best bets.

The other more popular airport would be Chandigarh. And the route to Langza from here would be Chandigarh –> Shimla –> Recong Peo –> Nako –> Tabo –> Dhankar –> Kaza –> Langza. This route takes you through the heart of Kinnaur and Spiti valley. The route can be long, but the experience will be remarkable.

Best season to go:

Langza is open all year round. Winters can be extremely cold. Summers are the best time to visit, but if you can handle the cold, try late autumn to early winter so that you enjoy the lack of crowds and the apple season.

Key things to keep in mind:

1) Most of these areas are high altitude places with low oxygen. Do plan for AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness) and ascend gradually.

2) Some of the high mountain passes can be blocked due to bad roads. Do check the status of roads before starting on your journey.

3) Buying or possessing fossils is illegal in India.



Other attractions nearby:

1) Komic – the highest village in the world connected by a motorable road at 4,587 metres

2) Kibber – a high altitude village known for its stone houses and easy access to snow leopards

3) Hikkim – home to the highest post office in the world at 14, 400 feet

4) Ki Monastery – located at 4,166 metres, it is the biggest monastery of Spiti valley

5) Kaza – the largest town and the headquarters of Spiti valley

6) Kunzum La – At 4, 551 m, it is a high mountain range in the eastern Kunzum range of the Himalayas

7) Chandra Taal Lake – A magical family camping destination in the Himalayas

8) Dhankar – the prettiest village of Spiti

9) Pin Valley National Park – A remote national park known for its high mountains, unique flora and fauna and medicinal plants

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Motorcycling through India’s highest villages

At the beginning of last year’s winter, I spent a good amount of time exploring the Kinnaur, Lahaul and Spiti regions of Himachal Pradesh. And that is when I got a closer look at India’s highest villages. I stayed in some. I trekked a little bit from one to another, but mostly I explored all of them by motorcycle.



The ideal way to explore these high villages is by foot or by bicycle. But, as I had already spent a good 3 weeks exploring, trekking and walking through the other villages and was running a bit low on time, I opted to explore these villages by motorcycle, which isn’t a bad option itself.



I hired a 500 cc Royal Enfield motorcycle at Kaza for INR 1500 per day and explored the villages of Ki, Kibber, Tashigang, Gette, Langza, Hikkim, Dhemul, Lhalung and Dhankar. The weather was pretty cold and the wind chill meant even during the day time, it was below freezing. But, thankfully, the skies remained clear and the sun shone bright. Had the weather not been good, some of the high passes would not have been motorable.

Langza – Marine Fossil Village



Located at about 13,800 feet, lies this beautiful village of Langza at the foot of the mighty snow capped Chau Chau Kang Nilda peak. An hour of riding through cold winding roads brought me to Langza, my first stop from Kaza. This village, home to about 150 people and 35 odd houses is famous for its rich marine fossil reserves. It is said that millions of years ago, Spiti lay submerged under the Tethys sea and thus fossils of sea life can easily be found scattered close to the village. I did not know about its fossil history, but the moment I walked into the village, an elderly lady came to me with the offer of selling some fossils. I didn’t know what to make of it and hence let it go.



I spent a night in this village exploring the Lang temple, the nearby fossil center and basically striking many conversations with the locals. Due to the extremely cold winds and the rarefied atmosphere, I didn’t venture out much, but if you are the hiking type and visit this place during warmer weather, there are a lot of hiking trails nearby. Or else, there is always a hot cup of tea and lots of interesting conversations like how I found out.

Komic – Highest Village in Himachal
   

From Langza, I rode higher on towards Komic. Korzok, located close to the Tso Moriri lake in Ladakh is technically India’s highest village, but Komic is Himachal’s highest village. At 4,587 meters (15,300 feet), this village is home to a small monastery and about 114 people. I didn’t stay overnight here, but spent a good part of the day striking conversations with friendly monks who offered me many glasses of sugary tea to keep myself warm. Also giving me company was this cyclist from Israel who was lying flat out on the floor of the Tangyud monastery trying to regain his breath while he enjoyed the absolute calm.



There is nothing much to do at Komic apart from enjoying the beauty of the snow capped Himalayas, the tranquillity, the fortified castle like Tangyud monastery and the cold winds. Upto Langza, the roads were alright, but post that I had thin ice sheets and rock paths to contend myself with. Hence, do make sure that your brakes are in good condition and that you can handle your motorbike well.

Hikkim – World’s Highest Post Office



From Komic, I headed to Hikkim. This tiny village tucked in the Himalayas at an elevation of 14, 400 feet, holds 2 great records. One, it is the world’s highest post office and second, it is also India’s highest polling station. There was nothing much to do here, but as I had spent a good part of my day at Komic, I decided to cosy up in a simple homestay here chomping on some hot potato momos and drinking butter tea.

Dhemul – Valley in the Mountains



Located midway between Komic and Dhankar is another four-thousander village of Spiti. It was a tough ride to reach this village from Komic as the roads were in terrible condition. I don’t think I ever went higher than second gear as I mostly rode on gravel, mud or ice. But, the good part was that I was descending from Komic and hence the oxygen levels improved a wee bit. This is another gorgeous village that is located in a valley in between the mountains. Although, I had the option of staying here at a homestay, I headed further to Lhlaung where I crashed for the night.

Lhalung – Land of the Gods



Home to one of the earliest Buddhist monasteries founded in the Spiti valley, Lhalung is located right below the Sher Khang Gompa or Golden temple. This temple was founded by Rinchen Zangpo in the late 10th century BC. Not in the league of the other 14,000 something villages, this village stands at 12,001 feet above MSL. The largest of the villages in the fertile Lingti valley, I like Lhalung for its monastery and the lovely view of the Tangmar mountain in the background. Like Tabo, even the Lhalung monastery was designed to be a learning center.

Dhankar – My Favorite Village of Spiti



My next stop on the route was Dhankar. I had already been to Dhankar on this trip (but I was on foot that time) and had stayed a good 4 days here exploring its monastery, lake, village homes and more. Hence, this time, i just rode through this scenic village that is located on a mountain spur overlooking the confluence of the Pin and the Spiti rivers. As I was returning to Kaza from Dhankar, I thought of heading into the Pin valley, but then decided to keep it for my next visit.

Ki – Stunning Monastery overlooking the Spiti River
   

From Dhankar, I rode all along the Spiti river to Kaza and then onwards to Ki monastery. As it had already gotten late, I stayed at the guest house inside the Ki Monastery. This was not my original plan as I wanted to stay at Tashigang or Kibber, but due to my situation, I changed my plans. The Ki (Key) monastery, one of the older monasteries of Spiti valley is famous for its stepped colorful appearance. But, during my stay, I found out that this was not the original look of the monastery. This look that we see today is after 2 major fires that this monastery has seen and the constructions that have happened after these near total wipe-out fires. It is quite a surreal feeling to stand on the balcony of this monastery and look at the lovely landscape of the Spiti river, the snow capped mountains and the barren agricultural land. I was lucky to have got to see this view both a sunset and at sunrise.

Kibber –  Famous for its Wildlife



About 7 kilometers from Ki Monastery lies another gorgeous high village of the Spiti Valley. Situated at 14, 200 feet, Kibber is famous for its Kibber wildlife sanctuary and for its ancient trading trail over Parang La to Ladakh. The local buses go here and hence this area has slightly better connectivity when compared to the other villages. Go here to see horses, yaks and may be even the elusive snow leopard. The Kibber monastery is also worth a visit.

After visiting Kibber, I headed further on a dirt track to Tashigang, another beautiful village. I didn’t stay here for long. All I managed here were 2 cups of hot tea and I was back on my way to Kaza after a short roundabout.

A lot of people explore these high villages as part of a homestay trek, which is quite popular during the summer months. The daredevils opt for bicycling. And lesser daredevils opt for motorbiking. Whatever mode you choose, these high villages of Spiti valley are sure to leave you spell bound. This time, I explored them on motorcycle. The next time, I want to cover them on foot and that too in the cold month of January when there is ice everywhere. I hope that day comes soon!

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Travel Photo: Off-Beat Langza Village of Spiti

The air is super thin here, but the views are super rich. Located at about 14,300 feet and surrounded by snow capped mountains, the Langza village came to be known after discovery of fossils here. It isn’t just about fossils here. For adventure lovers, this place is paradise. You are in nature that is as pristine as it gets, the world around you is as raw and wild as you can expect and you are in the company of toughened villagers who live amidst lots of history. This village located in the high mountains of the Spiti region of Himachal Pradesh is very much an off-beat trail.



The best ways to explore this village is by bicycle and/or foot and the best season according to me is the autumn season when there is a good nip in the air and snow on the mountains. More about this village and other high altitude villages of Spiti in my next posts. Do stay tuned if you are interested in some of these highest villages of the world.

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