Where to find the joy of snow till early March

Snowfall is a much-awaited occurrence in India, so much so that the first whiff of snow is followed by posts on WhatsApp groups and social media, and hordes rush from the plains to the Himalayas.

- Rishad Saam Mehta

Shimla, Manali and their environs become a heaving jumble of cars sliding on ice and fashionably but unsuitably dressed influencers making reels, making any trip to see snow a rowdy affair. If you want to truly enjoy the winter with snow and solitude, don't rush where everyone is just with the intent to frenetically send photos to everyone in December. Instead, plan your trip for the middle or end of January and pick a place from this list. At these locations, you may or may not experience snowfall, but snow on the ground is a certainty till the middle of March.

KINNAUR, HIMACHAL PRADESH
TEMPERATURE TO EXPECT: 2°C TO -12°C
National Highway 5 stretches from Shimla to Khab and roughly follows the route of the erstwhile Hindustan-Tibet caravan track along the Sutlej River. When snow falls in the region, it accumulates at Kufri, Fagu and Narkanda, the high points of this road, and this is where the hordes head. You should, however, head further to Karcham, a town 200km from Shimla. From here, turn off NH5 on to the road to Sangla (47km from Karcham). A good base is Banjara Camp and Retreat adjoining Batseri village, 8km beyond Sangla, on the banks of the Baspa River. It is usually draped in white from January onwards. Be sure to visit Batseri village and check out Shri Badri Narayan temple, constructed of local stone and carved wood.

About 10km from Banjara Retreat, heading into the valley alongside the river on the right, is the Rakchham village. The valley widens here into snow-filled fields and meadows bisected by the Baspa. A further 10km into the valley is the village of Chitkul, where the road terminates. The India-Tibet border is 30km from here. Chitkul is also snowbound, and the drive from Rakchham to Chitkul is stunningly scenic.

SPITI, HIMACHAL PRADESH