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The Kinner-Kailash range is silhouetted against the lovely town of Kalpa, the ancient capital of the Kinners of Kinnaur. Kalpa was the headquarters of the Kinnaur region till the town of Rekong Peo donned the mantle.

In ancient Hindu mythology, the Kinners were birdlike men akin to Gods - midway between man and God. Kinnaur is a land like no other, a realm as strikingly varied as the landscape you will encounter on the way.

Much of the excitement of visiting Kalpa lies in the adventurous journey to get here. The scenery changes dramatically from gorgeous valleys, green orchards and forests of cedar, chilgoza-pine and bhojpatra trees, to the starkness of the mountains, high altitude deserts and stunning gorges. The rugged mountains rise up dramatically from the riverbanks. The Sutlej carves a deep chasm through the Great Himalayas as it rages through Kinnaur, to meet the quiet Baspa at Karcham. This is one of the most breathtakingly vertiginous drives you will face. The road is literally carved through the rock face with a sheer drop down to the turbulent Sutlej.

Once you reach the town of Kalpa, you are rewarded by the most fantastic views of the Kinner-Kailash, of the 70 m Shivling that juts out of the peak and the striking sunrises and sunsets that light up the mountains.

Besides the fantastic scenery and drives, set aside some energetic moments for mountain-biking, mountain-cycling, jeep safaris, trout fishing in the Baspa, star-gazing, camping, hiking, trekking and river rafting adventures. Privately organized adventure camps are mushrooming around Kinnaur’s valleys, to cater to the audacious.

The villages nearby are abuzz with friendly folk who won’t let you pass their homes without an invitation for a cup of tea and a chat. Hindu temples, Buddhist monasteries and gompas stick out like Christmas decorations on the mountain slopes. The architectural style is a happy fusion and you are left marveling at how two cultures, Hindu and Buddhist, blend harmoniously in this land, making it impossible to tell where one stops and the other begins.