The Piti-Dharr International Ice Climbing Festival is an initiative of the Himalayan Outdoor Development society to share a unique wilderness experience in the remote and cryptic valley of Spiti.

Winter, which embraces Spiti in the first week of November, and stays on until the fourth week of March, is a cold, harsh and tough time in the high altitude valley. Everything – every house, hamlet, road and village – dons a cloak of white. With temperatures going below -20 degrees centigrade, the Spiti river is the only water body that continues flowing as everything else freezes.

Over the past few years, our team of climbers have relentlessly seeked out frozen waterfalls that lie hidden deep inside the many gorges in the valley, exploring and establishing the possibilities of water ice climbing. In this attempt we uncovered frozen treasures that will change the way an adventurer sees Spiti.

The festival is a platform seeking to promote the sport of ice climbing in India while preserving the space that we call our playground and involving the local community who’ve opened their homes for us. It is aimed at mountaineers, rock climbers, seasoned high altitude trekkers and outdoor enthusiasts who want to experience and learn to navigate on steep, vertical icy terrain and is structured to give you grounding in the technical discipline of water ice climbing.

Throughout the five days you will be lead under the supervision of our seasoned mountain guides who have been returning to this region every winter in search of more routes and climbing opportunities for the past 5 years. Also be sure to expect world-class athletes and guides who will take up the stage as guest speakers, technical workshops, discussions on outdoors, inspiring films about our fellow climbers from around the world doing cutting edge climbs, unlimited chai, evening entertainment, and the warmth of a community brought together by their love for all things cold!