We got up at 5.30 for 6 o'clock breakfast, loaded the cars and off by just after 6.30. The drive up into the mountains began with a metalled road which had various roadworks and safety signs but was very scenic and included a series of zigzags up to the Rhotang Pass at 3,987 mts before going along the tops to the Kunzum Pass and then narrowing and dropping down into the Spiti Valley.
We had to stop at the checkpoint for permission to enter the valley. The number of cars and lorries allowed to enter the valley is limited and you can be stopped if the quota has been reached. While we were waiting we had a look round and found some tots of very pretty Anemone rivularis which grows around the upper meadows.
We drove ever upwards towards the Rhotang Pass where there is a small temple that we stopped at to ensure safe passage and we had a few other stops to look at the landscape which was quite awe inspiring.
On one or two corners we drove past the remains of glaciers that still lingered beside the road, in one place it continued on down the valley.
Winding our way along the tracks we stopped at the Kunzum Pass and temple before crossong over into the Spiti Valley. The temple was visible from miles away and aflutter with the pprayyer flage and prayer scarfs. There were a set of prayer wheels made from re-cycled tin cans.
The really interesting part of the drive was once we got over the Kunzum pass and started the drive into the Spiti valley. The road is basically a one car wide, with places you can pass, track gouged out of the hillside with rocks and potholes. It is closed in the winter and has to be checked every spring. In places the streams flowing out of the mountains cross the road, causing the surface to break up and in places you actually drive up part of the river. This causes real problems for non-4 wheel drive vehicles which routinely get stuck on boulders, ledges, and in one place an old metal pipe. That one lost us over 2 hours while the drivers tried to get themselves and everyone else over the pipe. All the drivers that are held up get together to help each other out shifting rocks and building up ramps in front of the problems.
The road is different every time as these streams can change their flow depending on the snow melt. The flowers along the way were stunning, with acres of flower-filled meadows so some of the time was spent looking at them while waiting for the cars to get through and in one place a lovely White-capped Redstart flitted about on the rocks.
Once into the Spiti valley proper, the environment changed to a much drier dustier landscape and the road was better. We eventually arrived at the hotel around 9.30 - a 14 hour drive. A light dinner and I went to bed, out like a light and slept nearly through.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
We had to stop at the checkpoint for permission to enter the valley. The number of cars and lorries allowed to enter the valley is limited and you can be stopped if the quota has been reached. While we were waiting we had a look round and found some tots of very pretty Anemone rivularis which grows around the upper meadows.
The really interesting part of the drive was once we got over the Kunzum pass and started the drive into the Spiti valley. The road is basically a one car wide, with places you can pass, track gouged out of the hillside with rocks and potholes. It is closed in the winter and has to be checked every spring. In places the streams flowing out of the mountains cross the road, causing the surface to break up and in places you actually drive up part of the river. This causes real problems for non-4 wheel drive vehicles which routinely get stuck on boulders, ledges, and in one place an old metal pipe. That one lost us over 2 hours while the drivers tried to get themselves and everyone else over the pipe. All the drivers that are held up get together to help each other out shifting rocks and building up ramps in front of the problems.
The road is different every time as these streams can change their flow depending on the snow melt. The flowers along the way were stunning, with acres of flower-filled meadows so some of the time was spent looking at them while waiting for the cars to get through and in one place a lovely White-capped Redstart flitted about on the rocks.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
No comments:
Post a Comment