Rohtang Pass at Sunrise: Where Clouds Float Below and Ghepan Raja Reigns
Today's post is from a trip I took in June. On this trip, I volunteered with my friends for a road running event, where we supported runners in a five-day foot race. This event was held on India's most famous highway, the Manali-Leh Highway. This highway spans five high mountain passes, with Rohtang Pass being the first mountain pass with lush greenery, beyond which the greenery leaves the highway.
To describe the location, this mountain pass is located in the Manali district of Himachal Pradesh, located in northern India. Reaching Manali is approximately 600 km from Delhi, the capital of India, and is only 50 km away. During the season, tourists come here to see the snow, and the highway is packed with vehicles. Traffic is often heavy during the season, and we were also in the same season.
The event started at 10 pm, with approximately 80 runners participating in the race. Our job was to support the runners. The vehicle I was in stopped every 5 km to provide hydration to the runners. After about 25 km, we reached the Gulaba checkpoint, where all our vehicles entered, and here we ate the packed dinner we had brought from down below. It was nighttime, and fog was everywhere, with visibility almost non-existent. Driving was still quite difficult, with the vehicle moving at less than 10 km per hour.
Madhi is 35 km from Manali, where we arrive at 2 am. Our work would begin in the morning, as other teams would be working overnight. We slept here for three hours. We woke up at 5 am and looked outside. The temperature was probably -3 degrees, dew was still falling, and sunrise was about to arrive. We waited a little longer, and when we received confirmation, we headed towards Rohtang Pass.
Looking down from Rohtang Pass towards Manali, clouds can be seen floating over the valley. The golden light on Hanuman Tibba at sunrise makes everything look absolutely beautiful. There's a dog here, seemingly searching for something, drinking water from a pond. Tourists' arrival has its drawbacks; you can see the amount of garbage in the pond. I hope people will be more vigilant in the future and stop littering.
A shepherd is heading towards the top, looking for his two horses. When I ask him, I tell him I saw some horses heading towards the top of Rohtang Pass a while ago. There are some ATV parks here, which are used to transport local tourists. We now cross Rohtang Pass and continue on.
The Rohtang Pass is approximately 3900 meters high, and from here, the Lahaul Valley is visible. The king of this valley is Ghepan, and the mountain here is called Ghepan Raja. Locals worship this mountain, and there's a temple named after King Ghepan. Ghepan Lake is also located amidst these snow-capped mountains, reaching which requires a trek of approximately 16 km. The Lahaul Valley is lush with greenery, and the locals earn their living through farming.
So that was today's blog, covering our journey from Manali to Rohtang Pass. The runners have already moved ahead, and we're slowly following. The journey continues like this, and I hope you enjoy it. I'm off to see you in the next blog. Until then, keep smiling and stay healthy.
Disclaimer: This post is originally written in Hindi and I have used Google Translator to translate the Hindi text in English. All the photos have been clicked by me from canon 77d (55-250mm) and edited on laptop lightroom app, and post thumbnail created in adobe photoshop.
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