Leh Ladakh June 2017: Part 2

Rohtang pass – Koksar – Keylong – Jispa [night stay]

A small glimpse of the natural wonder on the way to Ladakh from Lahaul valley

Resuming our journey from Part 1 (Delhi to Manali)

Permits for both cars had been obtained for the next day, so we bought snacks, water and sundries. Chess was played and mobiles were toyed with as we nodded off to sleep.

Chess for the brain, fresh mountain air for the mind

The decision to stay in Vashisht rather than Manali or even old Manali (a charming place still) was to avoid the serpentine queues of tourist cabs and the ubiquitous Tempo Travelers leading all the way up to Rohtang pass. Our stay was arranged by our good old friend, Amit.

Spot the paraglider! Seriously, though, start early from Manali to avoid the tourist jam at Rohtang Pass

Early next morning, we started well and made it to the check point of Rohtang pass following the line of slow moving vehicles. There was only one booth that was operational (standard, by my previous experiences) so the passage made for slow going; still we made it through and got our permits checked and stamped. There were many tourists for a few kilometers, but soon we descended the rocky, damaged road and were on our way through the valley of Lahaul-Spiti.

Snow makes the world a more beautiful place

This valley lies in Himachal Pradesh, and has two district headquarters – Keylong for Lahaul, and Losar for Spiti. For tripping to Spiti Valley’s Kaza and Chandertal, READ THIS POST about our journey and circumlocution of Chandertal last June (2016).

The way you can be sure of your timely progress is to keep driving till Koksar (where they check your permit), which is a small settlement along the valley’s major bridge. Keylong is a smooth ride from here on out, which is a huge relief after the traffic at Rohtang and the rocky road till Koksar.

We had stayed in Keylong last June, and we knew through research and folks’ tales that Sarchu, a popular name but unfortunate night-stay option, was quite far. Hence, we had settled it previously that we would stay at Jispa along the banks of the Bhaga river, and what a great decision it turned out to be.

With the sun setting behind the Himalayas, we stuck to our decision of staying overnight at Jispa, NOT SARCHU

Earlier in Manali, we had casually enquired a local who had ‘Jispa Journey’ emblazoned on his jeep’s windscreen about the place. That got us the number of Mr S Gyaltsen, a Jispa native. Even though there is mobile coverage in Jispa, it is rare and erratic. As a happy consequence, while tracking the particular Jispa Journey place, we chanced upon a young lad, Gaurav Katoch, who had just set up two brand new tents. We were to be his very first guests at a very economical price, including dinner! We would be glad to refer you to him for advance bookings for adventure sports and accommodation, right on the river’s edge. Connect with us at @opendurbar on Twitter, @opendurbar_aa on Instagram, or opendurbar@gmail.com!

Our stay location at Jispa – courtesy Gaurav Katoch

It was pretty windy, and Jispa is on the riverbank, making it colder still. The fun began as soon as we settled into the 5-man tent (4 of us, so plenty of room) and set up our seating spot plus table behind it, shielding us from the wind. I made a time lapse and it was everything I hoped it would be.

These interesting trees are concentrated at the end of the adjacent melting-snow stream

As evening drew on, Gaurav built a fire, and we hustled around it, reliving the drive up to Jispa and discussing the way ahead with our young host. He commended our decision to eschew Sarchu, as will become clear when we move on to Baralacha La and Tanglang La tomorrow. At Jispa, however, we had a simple, nutritious dinner and slumbered comfortably to the sound of roaring wind and rushing water.

Part 3: Baralacha La and Tanglang La – nearly snowed under!