20-01-2017, 1630 hours, Ki Monastery, Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, India:

My first thought on reaching the Ki Monastery was to head up a little higher and get a view of the valley as seen in many of the photos used on various calendars and posters. But before that I paid my respects at the monastery. I then took a small trail uphill, which eventually leads to a small hamlet Gettey on top of the hill. Though I couldn’t make it all the way to the top (where Abhishek and Sanjay Mehta had gone), I got to a point from where the entire valley could be clearly seen. Upon reaching back we even got to witness a ritualistic prayer which was being performed by the monastery monks.

Observing the elements at play at Ki Monastery; Photo: Abhinav Kaushal

The view from higher up the mountain-side; Photo: Abhinav Kaushal

Spotting Ki village amidst the snow covered landscape; Photo: Abhinav Kaushal

Entrance to Ki Monastery; Photo: Abhinav Kaushal

Lamas on their way back to the monastery after performing rituals; Photo: Abhinav Kaushal