There's a moment on the drive from Sangla to Chitkul where the road rounds a bend and a cluster of dark wooden houses appears on the hillside above you, stacked between orchard terraces and stands of blue pine, with the Baspa River making its sound below. Most drivers barely slow down. The travellers who make their driver stop — and walk up into Rakcham village — are the ones who come back with the photographs nobody else has.
Rakcham sits 17 kilometres from Sangla and 9 kilometres short of Chitkul, at an elevation of around 3,050 metres. It is a working agricultural village of perhaps a hundred families, largely unchanged in its rhythms and architecture despite the slow trickle of tourism up the Baspa Valley. What Rakcham has is a quietly extraordinary built environment, one of the oldest functioning water mills in Kinnaur, apple orchards that produce some of the valley's finest fruit, and the kind of unhurried, watchful atmosphere that is becoming genuinely rare in Himachal Pradesh.
Where is Rakcham and How to Get There
Rakcham is on the road between Sangla and Chitkul — which means you'll pass through it whether you intend to stop or not. The village itself sits slightly above the main valley road. Look for a cluster of dark timber houses on the right side as you drive upstream toward Chitkul. The turn-off is easy to miss, which is part of why most people miss it.
Tell your driver in advance that you want to stop at Rakcham. They'll know exactly where to pull over. Budget 45 minutes to 2 hours depending on how long you linger. The most natural approach is to include Rakcham as a deliberate stop on your Chitkul day trip.
What to See in Rakcham
The Traditional Architecture
Rakcham is one of the best-preserved examples of traditional Kinnauri domestic architecture in the Baspa Valley. The houses are built in kath-kuni style — interlocking deodar beams laid between courses of dry stone — but what makes Rakcham distinctive is the density of the village and the quality of woodwork on the older houses. Look closely at the window frames and balcony railings: carved geometric patterns, sun motifs, and occasionally deity figures worked into the wood by craftsmen whose names have long been forgotten.
The Village Water Mill (Gharat)
At the lower edge of the village, a traditional gharat — a horizontal water mill powered by a wooden channel diverting water from a higher stream — still grinds grain for the village families during the harvest season. These mills, once common throughout Himalayan communities, have largely disappeared as diesel and electric mills took over. Finding one still in use is increasingly rare.
The mechanism is simple and ingenious: water falls through a wooden chute onto angled paddles attached to a horizontal shaft, which turns the millstone above. If you visit in September or October during the grain harvest, you may find it in operation.
The Apple Orchards
Like much of the Baspa Valley, Rakcham's hillsides are terraced with apple trees. But the orchards here feel different — they are older, less manicured, the trees larger and more gnarled. Walking through them in early October, when the apples are ripe and the light is turning golden, is one of those quietly perfect experiences that Kinnaur specialises in. Ask a resident before entering an orchard — most will wave you through, and some will hand you an apple without being asked.
The Village Temple
A small stone-and-wood temple sits at the upper end of the village, dedicated to the local deity. It's less ornate than Kamru Fort but has an austere beauty that suits the landscape. Prayer flags strung between the temple and nearest trees, and the sound of the stream and the wind through the flags, give the place an atmosphere of genuine quietude.
Best Time to Visit
Rakcham is accessible whenever the Sangla–Chitkul road is open — roughly May through November.
September–October is the finest window: apple harvest underway, golden autumn light, the gharat potentially in operation grinding grain. The colours — russet, amber, deep green — are extraordinary against the timber facades.
April–June offers orchard blossom and fresh mountain air. July–August brings monsoon mist and lush terraces — atmospheric and photogenic if roads remain open.
Morning visits are best — aim to arrive by 9–10am when light falls beautifully on the east-facing village facades and you'll have the lanes largely to yourself.
How to Walk Through Respectfully
Rakcham is not a tourist attraction. It is a village where people live and work. The difference in how you move through it matters.
- Walk slowly. The village is small; you can cover it entirely in 20 minutes if you rush. Don't rush.
- Greet people with a nod or a simple Namaste. Most residents will respond warmly.
- Ask before photographing anyone directly. A raised camera without acknowledgement is rude anywhere.
- Stay on the paths and lanes. Don't walk through orchards or private courtyards without being invited.
- Carry all your waste out. The village has no waste collection system.
- If a resident invites you in for tea, accept if you have time. These conversations are invariably the best part of any village visit.
Rakcham + Chitkul Day Itinerary
- 7:30am: Leave Sangla early while mist is still in the valley.
- 8:15am: Stop at river bank below Rakcham for the village view.
- 8:30–9:30am: Walk through Rakcham — gharat, temple, orchards, architecture.
- 9:45am: Continue to Chitkul (9 km, ~15 minutes).
- 10:00am–1:30pm: Explore Chitkul fully — end of road, Mathi temple, river bank, lunch.
- 2:30pm: Return drive. Stop at Rakcham again for afternoon light on the western facades.
- 4:00pm: Back in Sangla for tea.