"Aur thoda rice doon bhai" (Shall I serve some more rice) was a voice that stood out quite clearly in a quite hut which was almost full with travelers but busy savoring the delicious rajma chawal on a hot afternoon. The only settlement in the radius in Batal called Chandra Dhaba, run a family who provide only the standard basic food to travelers on the Gramphu-Batal-Kaza road in Himachal Pradesh, India. People going along the route stop here as this is the place right at the mid-day meal time in the middle of nowhere and also given that the travelers have no other option on the route. The dhaba is quietly nestled besides the gushing Chenab river and is operational only in the summer's; winters can become unbearable as well as with the road closed it would not have any visitors. The rajma chawal was delicious and was served piping hot to the travelers along with other options like maggi and wai wai (the local ready to eat noodles)
Having started way early in the morning and making our way through the arduous state highway 505, we badly needed a break for our growling stomachs. As soon as one crosses over from the deadly 'Rohtang pass' which literally means 'pile of bodies' given to represent the people dying due to the bad weather trying to cross the pass, you would hit more barren lands stretching miles into the horizon. The Manali side of the pass is pretty green with ambient weather supporting its growth however once you cross over, it is completely opposite with hardly any vegetation around. Though beautiful passes make you forget the pain the journey elucidates, the roads can be a havoc for people averse to road travel!
We start again on our journey after the lunch and a good ginger tea towards the next hurdle on this highway which is the Kunzum La pass, another dangerous road prone to regular landslides and traffic snarls! Atop the Kunzum La pass is an adorable Gompa, blessing the travelers on their way through the pass. Accompanying peaks covered with snow year round is another bliss to watch, atop the mountain pass. After probably 8-9 hours of absolutely no road - just a pathway - one hits upon a tarmac road and the blessings are suddenly all answered!
Kaza is the main village base where we had to reach by end of the day counting on the endless views of the peaks and valleys along the way and a glorious sunset in the Himalayas - trust me it's a blessing to witness one. Kaza is a village with ample accommodation avenues including zostel - which is an economical place to stay for solo travelers and for those on a tight budget. Kaza situated along the Spiti river - we left the Chenab river when we started climbing the Kunzum La, is a quiet hamlet with a population of 3,000 people and most of the others being visitors to the place and is situated at an altitude of 3650 meters (11,980 feet) above sea level.
Kaza hotels for your booking: http://app.makemytrip.com/162tqy-d2
Homestays are also a good option: http://stayzilla.com
Gear for the travel:
A glimpse of the road can be found in this video, shot during the travel:
Having started way early in the morning and making our way through the arduous state highway 505, we badly needed a break for our growling stomachs. As soon as one crosses over from the deadly 'Rohtang pass' which literally means 'pile of bodies' given to represent the people dying due to the bad weather trying to cross the pass, you would hit more barren lands stretching miles into the horizon. The Manali side of the pass is pretty green with ambient weather supporting its growth however once you cross over, it is completely opposite with hardly any vegetation around. Though beautiful passes make you forget the pain the journey elucidates, the roads can be a havoc for people averse to road travel!
We start again on our journey after the lunch and a good ginger tea towards the next hurdle on this highway which is the Kunzum La pass, another dangerous road prone to regular landslides and traffic snarls! Atop the Kunzum La pass is an adorable Gompa, blessing the travelers on their way through the pass. Accompanying peaks covered with snow year round is another bliss to watch, atop the mountain pass. After probably 8-9 hours of absolutely no road - just a pathway - one hits upon a tarmac road and the blessings are suddenly all answered!
Kaza is the main village base where we had to reach by end of the day counting on the endless views of the peaks and valleys along the way and a glorious sunset in the Himalayas - trust me it's a blessing to witness one. Kaza is a village with ample accommodation avenues including zostel - which is an economical place to stay for solo travelers and for those on a tight budget. Kaza situated along the Spiti river - we left the Chenab river when we started climbing the Kunzum La, is a quiet hamlet with a population of 3,000 people and most of the others being visitors to the place and is situated at an altitude of 3650 meters (11,980 feet) above sea level.
Kaza hotels for your booking: http://app.makemytrip.com/162tqy-d2
Homestays are also a good option: http://stayzilla.com
Gear for the travel:
- GoPro Hero http://amzn.to/2juGCL1
- Nikon D3200: http://amzn.to/2jEQTH3
- 35 mm Fixed lens http://amzn.to/2iQBr5U
A glimpse of the road can be found in this video, shot during the travel:
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