Forest walk in Sangla valley
Forest walk in the mountains near Rakcham in this region of Sangla valley was a beautiful trail. Pine trees dotted the entire stretch.
Most noteworthy aspect of this jungle walk was that the only sound was that of the breeze and the fast flowing Baspa river below in the valley. During the entire stretch, we did not come across a single soul. Finally, when we started going down towards the plain after the forest walk got over, we noticed an odd shepherd looking after his large flock.
Sangla Valley
Sangla valley is surrounded by forested slopes. It offers views of the high mountains. Furthermore, this valley is rich in apple orchards, apricot, Wall-nut, Cedar trees, and glacial streams with trout. Besides Chitkul and Kamru, main villages in the valley include Rakcham, Batseri, Themgarang, Chansu, Brua, Shong ,Kilba and Sapni.
Sangla Valley is a part of Kinnaur and inhibited by Kinnauris. The main livelihood is agriculture. Apples are a major cash crop here. This region grows some of the finest apples worldwide. The soil here as well as the weather contribute to the superior quality of the apples grown here. The valley is shut during winter due to heavy snowfall during the months from December to May. At Karcham, the old Indo-Tibet road connects Sangla to National Highway 05.
( Sangla valley, 2014 )