Route library · Outstation · High passes
Delhi to the Pin Valley & Mud
The Pin Valley branches south off the Spiti river below Kaza — a dead-end valley protected as the Pin Valley National Park, home to ibex, blue sheep and a rarely-seen snow leopard population, with the old Kungri monastery of the Nyingma school. The road runs to Mud, the last village at about 3,800 m and the roadhead for the Pin-Parvati and Pin-Bhabha passes. It is the quiet arm of Spiti.
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At a glance
- Round trip
- About 1,500–1,600 km
- Riding days
- 6–7. Three days in via Kinnaur (split at Narkanda, near Sarahan, Kalpa), a valley day to Mud and back, and the ride out
- Nights
- Nights on the road: 6–7
- Start point
- Delhi (via Shimla, Kinnaur and Kaza)
- Highest point
- About 3,800 m at Mud
- Difficulty
- Expedition. Sustained altitude, cold, and a rough national-park road, three days from the plains.
- Surface
- Sealed but variable to Kaza; the Attargu–Sagnam–Mud road is graded dirt and loose rock with stream crossings
- Best season
- June to September only. The Kinnaur approach slides badly in the monsoon; the Pin road opens late and closes early with snow.
The ride
Delhi → Shimla → Narkanda → Rampur → Kinnaur → Kalpa → Nako → Tabo, then turn off the Spiti circuit at Attargu bridge (below Kaza) into the Pin Valley.
Up the valley: Kungri monastery, the villages of Sagnam and Mikkim, the national-park boundary, and the road-end at Mud. From Mud you can walk toward the Pin-Parvati base or the Bhaba pass side. Base at Kaza and ride the Pin Valley as a long day, or overnight at Mud if you are acclimatised.
Day by day
Delhi to Narkanda
Delhi → Shimla → Narkanda (8–9 hours). Overnight Narkanda, ~2,700 m.
Narkanda to Kalpa
Rampur → the Sutlej gorge → Kalpa (6–7 hours). Overnight Kalpa, ~2,960 m.
Kalpa to Kaza
Kalpa → Nako → Tabo → Kaza (7–8 hours). Overnight Kaza, ~3,650 m. Rest.
Acclimatisation day
Key monastery and Kibber, or a gentle local ride. No big height gain.
Pin Valley to Mud and back
Kaza → Attargu → Kungri → Sagnam → Mud and return, or overnight at Mud. A rough day in the park.
Kaza to Kinnaur
Retrace toward Kalpa or Sangla while the roads are quiet. Overnight.
Back to Delhi
The long highway legs home over one to two days. First light.
Fuel & services
- Fuel is easy to Shimla and along the valley to Rampur.
- Fill at Rampur and Reckong Peo. Kaza has the only pump in Spiti — fill completely before the Pin Valley, which has none. Carry a 5–10 litre spare for the whole Spiti section.
- Kaza has hotels and homestays; Sagnam and Mud have village homestays only, basic and seasonal. Nights are cold. Carry cash and rations; the Kaza ATM is unreliable.
Road & conditions
Sealed but broken and cliff-cut through the Sutlej gorge and Kinnaur, then a mix of blacktop and rough patches to Kaza. The Pin Valley road from Attargu through Sagnam to Mud is graded dirt and loose rock with unbridged stream crossings that rise through the day. It is the altitude, the surfaces and the crossings, not obstacles, that make it hard. Ride the valley in the dry morning, in a tight group with spotters at the crossings.
Bike, fuel & getting help
- Suggested bike
- Needs a dirt-capable bike (an ADV or a light dual-sport) and off-road experience. Not a commuter route.
- Fuel gap
- A serious fuel gap on this route — carry spare fuel and fill every chance you get.
- Spare fuel
- Carry 10 litres or more of spare fuel.
- Emergency & logistics
- Hospital at Kaza; nothing in the Pin valley; no signal past Attargu; stream crossings rise through the day — cross early, carry a satellite messenger.
Best time to ride
June to September only. The Kinnaur approach slides badly in July and August. The Pin road opens late (often late June) and shuts after any snow. September is the clearest and coldest. Respect the national park — stay on the road, keep noise down, and do not drive off-track.
What to add to your kit
Beyond the standard ride kit: expedition cold layers, a down jacket, thermal gloves and socks, a balaclava, a fuel spare, full tools, spare levers and cables, two tubes, a puncture kit, a first-aid kit with altitude medication (discuss Diamox with a doctor first), water treatment, high-calorie food, a power bank and ideally a satellite messenger. Binoculars for the wildlife. Cash for the whole trip.
Ride this with a group
We run the Pin Valley and Mud as a vetted six- or seven-day expedition — a graded climb through Kinnaur, an acclimatisation day at Kaza, the park road ridden only in the dry morning with spotters, and a village-and-trailhead clean-up hauled back to Kaza.