Chandratal to Sarchu... a picturesque drive through Lahaul
Chandratal to Sarchu... a picturesque drive through Lahaul
Lahaul and Spiti are some of India’s
remotest regions. Spiti is characterised by completely barren, snow capped
mountains in a high altitude cold desert. Sparsely interspersed by small
patches of greenery, it has picturesque villages of whitewashed mud and brick
houses clinging to snow fed streams and rivers.
The Spiti valley ends at Kunzumla
where Lahaul starts and together, they form the district of Lahaul and Spiti. Lahaul
is greener, though it becomes arid and a cold desert as one drives away from
Keylong and towards Leh on the Manali-Leh highway. Our exploration of Lahaul
started with Chandratal yesterday. We look forward to traversing through to the
northern most point of Lahaul with Sarchu being our destination today.
Yesterday, we entered Lahaul via the
Kunzumla and saw the beautiful Chandratal. This morning our aim is to make it
from Chandratal to Gramphoo before the water crossings become even more
hazardous due to swelling waters closer to mid-day. Our tight schedule puts
paid to any idea of visiting Chandratal once more in the morning!
19
Jul 2014. We leave after a quick breakfast by 0630 hrs. Monsoon is making its
presence felt in this rain shadow region with the slow drizzle refusing to
stop. The fog hugs the mountainsides and progress is correspondingly slower. We
cross the bridge across the Chandra and reach Batal. Batal is a two shop and a
HPPWD guesthouse place with nothing else around. A couple of bikers are sipping
steaming tea in the chill of the morning.
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| Road from Chandratal |
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| On the banks of the Chandra |
The
(dirt) road winds along at the river level and what a road it is! The track is
filled with jagged rock fragments from weathering like scree and the smooth water
worn pebbles and stones. Huge boulders intrude on it arbitrarily. There are
uneven overhangs and blind foggy corners when the river is running close and
the road rises up the cliffs. Streams take possession of it whenever it is
convenient...! There are still snow drifts along the path and at times, the
road has been cleared through them or around them.
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| Road from Batal to Chota Dhara |
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| Rock scape |
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| Between Batal and Chota Dhara |
We
cross Chota Dhara and the not so ‘chota’ water crossings thereafter! Driving
through the water is rough because the mud and finer gravel has been washed off
leaving the larger stones and sharp rock fragments. At one point I see an i20
being driven ahead of us. It stops at one of the large water (almost river!)
crossings and the passengers all get out. They wade through the rushing waters
and the car is laboriously and precariously driven over with much stopping and
pushing. Only after it crests the incline on the other side are the passengers
allowed back in. In fact this continues in the next big crossing too but we
find some space and overtake this adventurous bunch! The pictures below will
give a better idea of the nature of the roads...
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| Almost a river crossing! |
We
reach Chhatru which is the end point of the Hampta pass trek starting at Manali
and crossing over the Rohtang range to end here. We cross over to the left bank
of the Chandra and the ascent towards Gramphoo begins. The streams still cross
the roads with impunity but in between, the road improves. An abundance of tiny
colourful flowers in patches of lush green grasses signals the beginnings of a
wetter biome.
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| Ahead of Chhatru towards Gramphoo |
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| Colourful flowers in grassy patches |
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| White capped water redstart with nesting material |
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| White winged water redstart |
On these roads, distances do not
count. Time taken for travel is hugely dependent on the condition of the roads,
the terrain one is traversing and the magnificence of the landscape which will
force numerous (photo) breaks. We take about 4 hours to drive the 50 odd Kms to
Gramphoo and we count 36 sizable water crossings on the way!
Gramphoo
welcomes us with very heavy traffic creeping through the thickest slush I have
ever seen on the roads. I can feel the vehicle slip and slide loosing traction
on the stretch. Very dicey with over laden trucks for company!
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| Gramphoo |
Once
on the other side, it is smooth sailing. The water crossings are a breeze after
what we have just gone through and the well tarred road a luxury! The green all
around is a feast for deprived senses. Hypnotic though the charm of the spartan
Spiti Valley, Lahaul entices us with abundance... and we are captivated!
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| Chandra Valley near Khoksar |
Henceforth, it is a straightforward
route to Sarchu with mostly good roads and even better views.
The Chandra River originates at the
glaciers near Baralachla and heads south, flowing past Chandratal, Batal...
Chhatru to reach Tandi. Bhaga flows west from Baralachla and then southwest
through a series of gorges to emerge near Darcha in a wider valley finally
reaching Tandi. At Tandi we see the confluence of the Bhaga with the Chandra. Here
onwards, it is known as the Chandrabhaga which gets renamed as the Chenab once
it enters Jammu and Kashmir. This stretch through Khoksar, Tandi and Keylong is
quite verdant before the drier regions start after Jispa, Darcha and get really
bone dry around Zing zingbar and onwards to Sarchu.
Spring,
summer and autumn are compressed into just a third of the year in these parts.
This time brings new life and it is bursting out with a vengeance. The trees are
all luxuriant with new leaves and laden with fruit. The birds are busy feeding
the young making sure they get strong enough to withstand the harsh winter to
follow. Lunch at Keylong at a roadside Hotel Padma and then off again.
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| Bhaga valley just ahead of Keylong |
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| Black redstart chicks |
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| Black Redstart |
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| White wagtail feeding its young |
Jispa
passes by followed by Darcha, all the while the flora declining to just stunted
bushes and then grasses as we head higher towards the mighty Baralachla pass. Deepak Tal is a glassy turquoise pond near
Patseo, a little before we start uphill for the pass. As the road ambles up, a
good smattering of snow patches gives a very dalmatiany look to the mountains
around. The snow patches get denser as we reach higher and many a times the
road has been carved out of the frozen slope.
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| Somewhere around Darcha |
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| Ascending the Baralachla |
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| Our Scorpio against the snowy slopes |
Suraj
Tal, literally the ‘Lake of the Sun God’, is an exquisite emerald green lake bounded
on its left bank by the Leh Manali Highway. The lake is fed by glacial melt and
its pristine waters form the source of the Bhaga River. Our attention is caught
by a little bird with a wavering gait on the snow near the road. It is a Horned
Lark juvenile, learning the ropes! We drive just three more kilometres. And we’re
at Baralachla (4883 m) ... an exhilarating feeling!
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| Horned Lark chick |
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| Suraj Tal |
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| View from Baralachla |
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| Baralachla Top |
The
other side of Baralachla also has a river flowing down, the Yunam river, a
tributary of the Zanskar which in turn joins the Indus. In fact, the pass acts
as a boundary between the watershed areas of the Bhaga and the Yunam rivers.
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| Picture in picture |
The
Yunam is just a little sliver on the riverbed contrasting sharply with the dry,
rugged terrain around. For kilometres there is no road to speak of, just a dirt
track kept distinguishable from the rest of the debris dotted area by the
occasional vehicle plying on it. Right there, is a bright splash of red. Turns
out to be an elusive Crimson fronted Rosefinch. There are surprises in the most
unexpected places!!
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| Crimson fronted rosefinch |
Just this morning I was overwhelmed to see the
abundance that water has bestowed in the southern part of Lahaul. I thought
that is glorious. And now I stand awestruck in this dry and desolate landscape where
soaring mountains surround a vast high altitude rolling plain through which is
a deep gorge and a river flowing through it... We are a little short of Sarchu
and these are the Lingti plains where there is virtually no precipitation even
in the winters...
And
finally, Sarchu! There is almost nothing in the place except a few tented
camps during the summer months and a small army detachment year round. The wind
howls making me burrow deeper into my jacket the minute I step out. We take a
walk around the place and soak in its unique charm. But nature has been kind in
all its adversity. Or maybe it is the stark unspoilt and unpolluted beauty that
I am so taken with. Such places need no adornment, no embellishment. Just this
raw, unadulterated nature is enough. This is a place one must travel to at
least once in this lifetime!
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| Sarchu |
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| Snowfall in the higher reaches at Sarchu |
This morning started with this grey
overhang of clouds accompanied by a drizzle which gives us company till
Gramphoo. On and off, it has been with us through the day and by now, the ominous
clouds are threatening to open up and the biting wind drives us indoors. In
minutes, it is snowing on the higher reaches of the surrounding mountains.
The team is happy to have come this
far mostly ticking off all the points on our agenda. The Docs’ have been
dishing out AIDS advice and awareness at every opportunity be it tea stalls or
remote camps. Tomorrow will be the last leg of our journey when we reach Leh.
The journey continues...
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