Spiti Awakening

Tucked away from civilization, hidden from the bipeds, rests a surreal mountain scape in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh – Spiti. At an altitude of about 4500m, Spiti has many unexplored riding zones.

4 Hours of hiking up with the bike, for a view like this!

Ajay adapted to Spiti air instantly.

The past couple of years I’ve been wandering in this region, looking for trails and cliffs to ride off of and have started to see more in each visit. Having dug out some trails with ace trail creator Steve Storey a few seasons ago, my visit this time was circled up.

Natural berms were a good find on long descents in the valley.

Ajay hopping over boulders on the way home.

Joined by my team buddy Ajay Padval and videographer, Kaushik Sinha, we drove through the dry landscape, riding some marked and some previously untouched mountains. Camping, living in village homes, bunking in our truck, Spiti kept us powered up for our visit’s entirety.

Selfie Air

Ajay following sun light!

“Squid zone”

Huffing up the hill with our bikes followed by drifty descents at altitudes made riding in Spiti interesting! A week of spinning in, Spiti Valley has only shared its dusty crust. What’s hidden in this valley, only time will tell!

Rider/Photo: Vinay Menon

Shout outs:
Psynyde Bikes
Haul Apparel India
Freerider Mountain Bike Magazine
Loose Riders India
Sharptune