Tucked
away in the far northern corner of Himachal Pradesh, the valley of Lahaul lies in what
would surely rate as some of the most beautiful alpine territory in the Indian
sub-continent. Lahaul is a sub-division of the district of Lahaul-Spiti (of which Spiti is
the other sub-division); the main town of Lahaul is Keylong, which is also the district
headquarter of Lahaul-Spiti.
The valley is bisected
by the Chandra River, and lies along the border between the states of Himachal Pradesh and
Jammu and Kashmir. To the south are the apple orchards and green pastures of the Kullu
Valley; to the north is the vast alpine desert of Ladakh. Sandwiched between these two
extremes of terrain and vegetation lies the Lahaul Valley- with its glaciers, its barren
mountains and the idyllic Chandratal Lake. A region of harsh terrain, friendly people and
mountains which make for some memorable treks.
When to go
Lahaul is connected to the rest of Himachal Pradesh by the Rohtang Pass, which is snowed
under eight months of the year. When the snow melts somewhat during the height of summer,
it’s possible to pass through and get to Lahaul- usually between July and October,
depending upon the condition of the road.
Entry
Lahaul was opened to foreign tourists less than a decade back- in 1992- and even now, any
foreigners headed for the area require to get permits. Entry permits can be obtained from
the District Magistrate at Simla or Keylong, or the Sub District Magistrate in Keylong or
Udaipur. Foreigners travelling in a group of four or more can get a permit from the
Additional Deputy Commissioner in Kaza.
In all cases,
foreigners will need to go through a recognised travel agency. A prepared itinerary, along
with a passport, three photographs and the completed application form, will have to be
submitted to the concerned official in order to pave the way for a permit.
Access
Lahaul’s capital, Keylong, is connected by bus to Manali. It’s a seven-hour
ride, and during the summer months- July to October- there’s a fair amount of
transport on the road. A number of buses, both state-owned as well as those specially
operated by the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation, go from Manali to
Keylong and back. Manali, in turn, is linked by bus to nearby Kullu, which has a small
domestic airport at Bhuntar, 10 km from the city, and a busy bus station.
Alternatively, you can
hire a vehicle and go all the way from Simla (158 km from Keylong), Delhi, Kullu,
Chandigarh or one of the other main cities of northern India. Vehicles can be hired in all
of these cities, although you won’t be able to drive yourself. What you’ll get
is a vehicle driven by a chauffeur who knows the mountain roads like the back of his hand-
hopefully.
Precautions and
Essentials
Trekking through Lahaul require some preparation; a rucksack and a stout pair of shoes is not
enough. Heavy equipment- such as tents and sleeping bags- will necessarily have to be
carried, along with basic cooking equipment and food. Heavy woollens, waterproof jackets
and spare clothing must be packed as well, because even during summer much of this
area’s bitterly cold, wet and windy. Other essentials include a good sunscreen and
sun glasses- the air’s so rarefied that the sun can really burn when it’s bright
and shining.
In all cases, hire a
qualified guide to lead your trek; it’s mandatory when foreigners go trekking, and
highly advisable for Indians.
Accommodation
Lahaul is still pretty undeveloped, at least as far as tourism is concerned. Keylong has
an HPTDC tourist bungalow, and a few hotels, but there’s nothing in the way of
luxury. Elsewhere, in Chhatru, Chota Dara and Batal, are PWD resthouses which offer very
basic boarding and lodging facilities. The rest of the way you’ll have to pitch a
tent- out in the open, as there are almost no designated campsites as such.
Trekking Routes
The entire Manali-Lahaul area offers plenty of scope for trekking, whether you start
off at Manali itself or strike base camp at Keylong and then go hiking through the
surrounding area. Among the most popular trekking trails in the region are:
- Manali-Chandratal-Keylong: A 120 km trek which takes
you to the pristine blue lake of Chandratal, possibly the loveliest in all of Himachal
Pradesh. Surrounded by mountains and glaciers, Chandratal- `Moon Lake’ is situated at
a height of about 15,000 ft, and is aptly named; it’s actually crescent shaped.
From Manali,
take the road up to the Rohtang Pass, and from there onto Gramphu, where you
can then walk beside the foaming waters of the Chandra River, travelling eastwards
to Chandratal. The river takes you to Dorni (which can be the first halt;
you’ll have to pitch a tent here); then comes Chhatru. From Chhatru, continue
to Chota Dara, the latter a major tourist centre as far as Lahaul is concerned- it
has a PWD rest house, where you can actually get a hot meal and a room.
From Chota Dara, take
the trail past the Bara Shigri glacier to Batal, at the base of the Kunzum
Pass. Batal is the final halt- a windy and chilly campsite which has a PWD resthouse-
before the final lap to Chandratal. Once you’ve ogled and taken all the
photographs you want, head back- past Gramphu, to Keylong.
The trek from Manali
to Chandratal and then on to Keylong should take about 10 days; it’s high altitude
and an arduous trek, so take it easy.
- Manali-Bara Shigri Glacier-Keylong: A slightly shorter
version of the Manali-Chandratal-Keylong trek, this one passes through Rohtang,
Gramphu, Dorni, Chhatru, and Chota Dara, and up to the Bara Shigri glacier. The
glacier’s the longest in Himachal- all of 55 km long- and its mouth is 4 km from
Batal. Bara Shigri’s melting waters eventually feed the Chenab river.
- Manali-Keylong-Suraj Tal-Baralacha La: 65 km from
Keylong, the beautiful Suraj Tal lake is the source of the Bhaga river. It lies, hemmed in
by soaring mountains, below the Baralacha La, the pass which connects Lahaul to Ladakh.
Baralacha La, at a height of 16,400 ft, stretches for 8 km and lies on the road from
Manali to Leh.
From Manali,
take the road to Gramphu, then walk along the Chandra river till you get to Tandi.
At Tandi, leave the Chandra and switch to its tributary, the Bhaga, which will take you
onwards, 8 km to Keylong. Going along the Bhaga, travel north, pitching camp at
either Jispa (which offers some accommodation) or Darcha, a campsite where
there are a few tent restaurants. If you have the time to spare, do a short trek to the
lovely Deepak Tal lake, 16 km from Darcha, before heading on north to Surajtal
and Baralacha La. Once you reach the pass, you can either trek back or take one of
the many buses which travel along this route between Leh (in Ladakh) and Manali.
Other possible
trekking routes can be from Keylong to Udaipur and the Mrikula Devi Temple (a
westward trek along the Chandra River and into the Pattan Valley); or from Manali to
Koksar, the coldest place in Lahaul. Koksar, 21 km beyond the Rohtang Pass, is at an
altitude of about 11,000 ft and is subject to sub-zero temperatures through much of the
year; in summer it’s a little bearable.
Further information on
trekking routes, weather conditions, and other details may be obtained from the HPTDC
Tourist Information Office at Manali (Tel. 01902-253531). Another good source for help
on trekking and climbing is the Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports in Manali
-(01902) 252206 - 252342), which organises regular courses in activities
ranging from mountaineering and climbing to white-water rafting and trekking. The
Institute also organises regular treks, and equipment may be hired from them for hiking.
There are, in addition
to the Institute, a number of private tour operators and travel agents who organise treks.
Besides providing information, they also provide trained guides for groups interested in
going on a trek. |
