Rohtang Pass

Rohtang Pass, is a high mountain pass on the eastern Pir Panjal Range of the Himalayas around 51 km (32 mi) from Manali. It connects the Kullu Valley with the Lahaul and Spiti Valleys of Himachal Pradesh, India.


Geography
The pass provides a natural divide between the humid Kullu Valley with a primarily Hindu culture (in the south), and the arid high-altitude Lahaul and Spiti valleys with a Buddhist culture (in the north). The pass lies on the watershed between the Chenab and Beas basins. On the southern side of this pass, the Beas River emerges from underground and flows southward and on its northern side, the Chandra River (flows from the eastern Himalayas), a source stream of the river Chenab, flows westward.

At an elevation of 13,054 ft, Rohtang Pass serves as the gateway to Lahaul and Spiti valleys in Himachal Pradesh. About 53 km from Manali, it connects Kullu valley with Lahaul and Spiti which in turn provide access to Leh. Known for its scenic beauty, Rohtang Pass holds strategic importance for India.

The name Rohtang means ‘ground of corpses’ due to the number of people who lost their lives trying to cross it. The Rohtang Pass is on the Pir Panjal Mountain Range of the Himalayas.

Besides Lahaul and Spiti, Rohtang Pass also serves as the gateway to Pangi and the valley of Leh. Like the Zojila Pass, Rohtang also serves as the gateway to Ladakh.

The Pass offers beautiful sights of glaciers, peaks, Lahaul Valley and the Chandra River. The twin peaks of Geypan are also visible from Rohtang.

The Rohtang Pass is a natural divide between the humid Kullu Valley which has a predominant Hindu culture and the arid, high altitude Lahaul and Spiti Valleys which are predominantly Buddhist.

The pass is on the watershed between the water basins of the Chenab River and the Beas River.

Rohtang remains open from June to October. However, trekkers do head for the pass even before it opens for vehicular traffic.

Rohtang Pass figures high on itineraries of tourists visiting Manali, Kullu, Leh and nearby areas. The road remains jam-packed and delays are inevitable.

Besides sightseeing, tourists can also enjoy sledge rides and skiing. Ski sets and sledges are available on rent.

BEST PLACES TO STAY IN ROHTANG PASS

There are accommodation options in Rohtang Pass unless you bring your own tent and set up camp by the roadside. Manali, which is the closest big town, offers many options.

Manali offers wide range in accommodation which includes luxury resorts, river-side cottages, deluxe hotels and 3-star budget properties. Manali also offers homestays which are a good option to enjoy the nature and culture of the locals.

BEST PLACES TO EAT IN ROHTANG PASS
There are no food stalls or eateries at Rohtang Pass. You will have to carry your own food while crossing Rohtang Pass.

Overview
The pass is open from May to November. It is not particularly high or difficult to cross on foot by Himalayan standards, but it has a well-deserved reputation for being dangerous because of unpredictable snowstorms and blizzards.

This pass is an ancient trade route between the people on either side of Pir Panjal. The local name for this pass is a generic name of pass.[citation needed] There are many other passes in Lahaul and Spiti which have specific names (Kunzam La, Baralacha La, etc.). This is suggestive of the fact that this must have been the oldest and most frequented pass in the region, or the fact that it is the main pass leading from one cultural region to another, quite different one, to the north.

National Highway 21 (NH 21), the road through the Kullu Valley, past Manali and over the Rohtang Pass to Keylong, and Lahul and on to Leh in Ladakh, has become very busy during the summer months as an alternate military route, following the Kargil Conflict in 1999 in addition to tensions in Kashmir. Traffic jams are common as military vehicles, trucks, and goods carriers try to navigate the tight roads and rough terrain, compounded by snow and ice at certain points and the large number of tourists vehicles.


A waterfall on the way to Rohtang
Several episodes of the History Channel's Ice Road Truckers series spinoff IRT Deadliest Roads dealt with truckers crossing the Rohtang Pass to deliver supplies.

With increase in Traffic at Rohtang Valley, Environmentalists fear its impact on the fragile mountain ecology. Rise in Average Temperature and consequent melting of glaciers are also issues of severe concern.

The pass was featured on the Top Gear: India Special.


Rohtang road tunnel
Due to the military significance of the highway and the need to keep it open the entire year, the Indian government began building the $320 million 8.5 km (5.3 mi) long Rohtang Tunnel in 2010 to bypass Rohtang pass for creating a much safer and faster year-around link to Keylong, Lahaul and Spiti and Leh in Ladakh. The tunnel will also shorten the distance by about 50 km (31 mi) and reduce the travel time between the southern and northern faces of Rohtang pass by five hours. While it now takes 4 to 6 hours to ascend, negotiate and descend the Rohtang pass, it will take only about 30 minutes to travel through the Rohtang tunnel.