Spiti means the middle land, the place between India and Tibet, and Kaza is its capital in the way that a cluster of low whitewashed buildings in a very large landscape can be a capital. It lies at about thirty-eight hundred metres on the bank of the Spiti river, in a wide valley of grey and ochre mountains with almost no trees, where the sky is a hard dark blue and the air is thin and dry. The climate is cold desert, with snow in winter and little rain in summer, and the people live by barley, peas and yak herding, and by the monasteries that have shaped life here for a thousand years.
Key monastery, a Tibetan Buddhist complex stacked up a hilltop a short way from town, is the one to see, and the village of Kibber, higher still, has a claim to be among the highest inhabited places in the world connected by road. Langza, with its fossils from an ancient sea bed, and Hikkim, with a post office that claims to be the highest in the world, lie in the same area. The monks at Key welcome visitors, and a bowl of butter tea in the courtyard is part of the experience.
The ride here is among the great ones. Whether you come from Shimla by way of Kinnaur or from Manali over the Kunzum La, the roads are rough, narrow and often unsurfaced, with water crossings, loose rock and drops that deserve respect. Altitude is a serious matter, and anyone who climbs too fast can feel headaches, nausea and breathlessness, so spend a day or two acclimatising. Weather can change in minutes, and the passes close with snow from late autumn into the early summer.
Kaza has the one fuel station that can be relied on for a very long way, and it sometimes runs short. Fill every tank and carry spare fuel. Cash machines are few and not always working, and mobile signal is patchy. Guest houses and homestays are simple and welcoming, and the food is mostly thukpa and momos.
The best time is late June to September, though the monsoon can cause landslides on the approach. In the clear light the mountains look close enough to touch.