As Robert Frost mentions in his 1916 poem "A road not taken" that the less traveled road has made all the difference, it stands out very well at least in terms of travel and I am glad that I could take most of the less traveled roads in India today!
Roads are meant to lead you to your destination, but there are some roads in the country that provide the most thrill - though dangerous - rather than the destination itself. Heavily experiencing nature's fury frequently, these roads often are termed to lead travelers to their death bed rather than their destination.
These roads are dangerous and tough due to their location in mountains and remote forests with extreme weather conditions, which make them the 'a road less traveled'. Here is a compilation of the top most thrilling and dangerous roads in India and my check list.
All photographs from deliberatecaptures.wordpress.com (My photography blog) and Videos from the Youtube channel - A Timeless Wander
While planning a ride here, one is spoilt for choice. The Khardung La top, the sand dunes of Nubra Valley, the path along the Zanskar river in Zanskar valley, the Buddhist monasteries of Lamayuru, the high altitude lakes like Pangong Tso, the beautiful city of Srinagar, they all look equally worth visiting.
Best time to go: April to September
Look out for: Acute Mountain Sickness, Dust and Rolling stone from cliffs
The Spiti Valley route in the east of Himachal Pradesh is geographically not far away from Ladakh, but it is not that famous as the above route, however the route isn’t any way behind in terms of the beautiful landscape and awe-inspiring roads. The Hindustan-Tibet highway is the road that leads into Spiti valley and to keep you up on your adrenaline, there are gravel roads which are paved regularly given the frequent landslides in the region. Video on Youtube about the latest trip to Spiti
This drive leads to one of the highest villages in the world. While Kaza, Tabo, Spiti and Pin valley make up for the real wilderness and inhabitant world, the Baspa and Kinnaur regions show a world full of eye-catching apricot and apple orchards added with Satluj river views and snow-capped mountain peaks in the background
Zoji La is a high mountain pass in India, located on the Indian National Highway 1 between Srinagar and Leh in the western section of the Himalayan mountain range. Though often referred to as Zojila Pass in the foreign press, the correct English translation is Zoji Pass or simply Zojila, since the suffix ‘La’ itself means pass in several Himalayan languages.
The road is very narrow and easily gets muddy during rains and becomes impassible during or after rain storms. The heavy snowfall, violent winds and frequent landslides make it one of the riskiest passes in the Himalayas.
Rohtang Pass is at an elevation of 3,979 mt above sea level and is located on the eastern Pir Panjal range of Himalayas. The path is situated about 53 km from Manali and is crossed by Leh-Manali Highway. It connects the Kullu valley with the valleys of Lahaul and Spiti.
The meaning of Rohtang, ‘Ground of Corpses’ would itself suggest a lot of evidence about it being dangerous. The pass encounters huge inevitable traffic jams and is usually open from May to November. The path could be closed for infinite time due to heavy snow fall with inevitable land slides.
A road that is listed in The Guinness book of world records, Khardung La pass is the highest motor-able road in the world. Local inhabitants and some sources claim that its actual height is 5,602 mt while its actual height is 5,359 mt above sea level. It is situated in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir State in India.
These roads are not paved given the heavy snowfall and landslides accompanied in the region and are slippery due to the frozen ice and dirt mix. The road has a narrow trail with deep valleys on one side. There are steep drops along the entire route and weather conditions. At times, these conditions might be harsh but that's what is called 'adventure'
Roads are meant to lead you to your destination, but there are some roads in the country that provide the most thrill - though dangerous - rather than the destination itself. Heavily experiencing nature's fury frequently, these roads often are termed to lead travelers to their death bed rather than their destination.
These roads are dangerous and tough due to their location in mountains and remote forests with extreme weather conditions, which make them the 'a road less traveled'. Here is a compilation of the top most thrilling and dangerous roads in India and my check list.
All photographs from deliberatecaptures.wordpress.com (My photography blog) and Videos from the Youtube channel - A Timeless Wander
1. Leh - Ladakh - DONE
The destination has two roads leading to it, both which are closed in the winter seasons. One road leading from the West, Srinagar side and other from South, Manali. Both roads are considered dangerous though Manali leads from the two. The high mountain passes and the steep valleys, one of the highest motorable roads in the world (Khardung La), the rich Buddhist culture and a feeling of being in heaven, when you ride through the passes, makes this ride a truly once a lifetime experience
While planning a ride here, one is spoilt for choice. The Khardung La top, the sand dunes of Nubra Valley, the path along the Zanskar river in Zanskar valley, the Buddhist monasteries of Lamayuru, the high altitude lakes like Pangong Tso, the beautiful city of Srinagar, they all look equally worth visiting.
Best time to go: April to September
Look out for: Acute Mountain Sickness, Dust and Rolling stone from cliffs
2. Spiti Valley - DONE
The Spiti Valley route in the east of Himachal Pradesh is geographically not far away from Ladakh, but it is not that famous as the above route, however the route isn’t any way behind in terms of the beautiful landscape and awe-inspiring roads. The Hindustan-Tibet highway is the road that leads into Spiti valley and to keep you up on your adrenaline, there are gravel roads which are paved regularly given the frequent landslides in the region. Video on Youtube about the latest trip to Spiti
This drive leads to one of the highest villages in the world. While Kaza, Tabo, Spiti and Pin valley make up for the real wilderness and inhabitant world, the Baspa and Kinnaur regions show a world full of eye-catching apricot and apple orchards added with Satluj river views and snow-capped mountain peaks in the background
Best time to go: May to October, though Shimla side road stays open all year round
Look out for: Acute Mountain Sickness, Dust
3. Zoji La pass - DONE
Best time to go: May to August
Look out for: Acute Mountain Sickness
4. Rohtang Pass - DONE
The meaning of Rohtang, ‘Ground of Corpses’ would itself suggest a lot of evidence about it being dangerous. The pass encounters huge inevitable traffic jams and is usually open from May to November. The path could be closed for infinite time due to heavy snow fall with inevitable land slides.
Best time to go: May to August
Look out for: Acute Mountain Sickness
5. Khardung La - DONE
These roads are not paved given the heavy snowfall and landslides accompanied in the region and are slippery due to the frozen ice and dirt mix. The road has a narrow trail with deep valleys on one side. There are steep drops along the entire route and weather conditions. At times, these conditions might be harsh but that's what is called 'adventure'
Best time to go: April to October
Look out for: Acute Mountain Sickness
6. Kunzum La - DONE
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| PIC CREDIT: KALPESH |
Kunzum Pass is another high mountain pass located in the eastern range of Himalayas in the Kunzum Range at about 4,590 meters. It connects the Kullu Valley and Lahaul Valley with the Spiti Valley of Himachal Pradesh, India. It is on the route to Kaza the subdivisional headquarters of Spiti. For the adventure seekers, this pass is also a base for a 9 km trek to the Moon Lake of the Chandratal from the Kunzum Pass.
With barely any paved roads, these roads are only traveled on from April to October. Other times it is inaccessible with heavy snowfall and extreme weather conditions. Winter temperatures reach upto -45 deg C with the wind chill even making it worse.
Best time to go: April to October
Look out for: Acute Mountain Sickness
Still on the bucket list are other dangerous roads in India -
7. Nathu La - Sikkim
8. Leh - Manali Highway
9. Meghalaya
10. Kolli Hills - Tamil Nadu
Hope you guys liked the list and you too have that flavor of adventure which will take you to these places! Do comment on what you think of the list and if there are any adventures I have missed.
Adios.
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