Cawdor resident, Vicky Drake, has recently returned from the hauntingly beautiful and remote Spiti Valley, 4200 metres up in the Himalayas in Himachal Pradesh, Northern India.

She told the Ross Gazette:?“The Spiti Valley is one of the most beautiful places I have been to, every journey was an adventure.”

Vicky was privileged to travel with Joan Pollock, founder of The Spiti Projects Charity. This charity has made a huge difference to the lives of the inhabitants of the valley, having provided a hospital, clinic, school, and with their latest project, a Community Centre, which has now been handed over to the community to run. Also on the trip were Margaret Ring, of Adventure Ashram, and Ysanne Lewis, a supporter of Spiti Projects.

Vicky said:?“It was a privilege and a pleasure to travel with Joan to the Spiti Valley and live amongst the local people for a short period of time.”

It took a gruelling three days to get from Delhi to Kaza, the capital of the valley. This included driving the infamous Manali to Kaza road over the Rohtang and Kunzum-La passes and through the Kuluu, Chundra and Spiti valleys. This road is only accessible for four months of the year and is regarded as one of the most dangerous drives in the world.

Time was spent visiting the various projects and meeting the local people who are now running them. They were made to feel very welcome and enjoyed wonderful hospitality from everyone, including 75° proof Indian whisky.

Visits were also made to a number of impoverished villages where jackets, scarves, jumpers, shoes and other items were distributed – all kindly donated from the UK – to the children to help them have a more comfortable winter. This also involved washing and de-licing the children’s hair. Luckily, it was a warm day which meant that it became a fun bonding experience.

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