Today was a lot of hiking with a bike with a 400meter altitude gain up to the Summit of 4590 meters and ending at 3900 meters in Batal.
We are up early; eat our cornflakes and cycle out of Losar under the sign reading from the other direction “most welcome to Spiti Valley”. It’s cold and we don’t get too far when Rachel’s fingers feel frozen. Patrick switches gloves, his old Dutch army wool gloves for Rachel’s gloves. We continue on as the day warms up slightly, the road surface goes from rocky, to big rocks with many melting snow crossings to high snow banks. This is a very awesome yet hostile terrain.
Almost to summit, we stop to filter water, a little further there is a chorten with prayer flags, then a few more switchbacks and we finally reach the summit at 4590 meters. The wind is very cold. A hundred meters down a side road is a line of chortens, more prayer flags and mani stones. Patrick explores and Rachel tries to stay warm protected from the wind by a concrete road sign.
We start 12kms downhill with some 20 switchbacks. The road in sections is muddy, snow walls on the hairpin curves, big rocks, shale, riverlets down to the Chandra River and the Lahaul Valley. Across the valley are fantastic views of peaks and glaciers. As we get to the base of pass we find a bridge across the river and the little “wasteland oasis” of Batal, and none too soon, because there are dark clouds racing up the valley with a threatening storm. The first “building” is Chandra Dhaba. Bodh Dorjee and wife Chandra known as Chacha and Chachi run this place for the four months a year this road is open. They are known to have enough supplies to feed 10 people for a couple of months as travelers and road workers sometimes get stuck because of the road conditions. The road beyond is still blocked by snow slides, but the road crews got their bulldozer running again and will try to break through tomorrow. Either way we should be able to get through or over the snowbanks with our bikes tomorrow.
There are motorcyclists, some we talked with in Kaza and a jeep full of tourists staying here, also waiting for the road to be cleared. We have a small stone hut with a plastic tarp roof for 50 rupees ($0.75) each rather than camping. We ask where the toilet is and Chachi does this waving arm motion and says “open”, meaning anywhere.
Late afternoon there are light snow flurries and some rain so it is nice to be inside, and not to have to pack up a wet tent tomorrow. We spent the afternoon in the dhaba talking with several of the motorcycle riders while downing cup after cup of hot chai supplied by Chacha and Chachi. Dinner of rice, beans and potatoes tastes great. This is the first in over a year to be with so many other travelers.
Nearing the headwaters of the Spiti River. We cross a wide floodplain, then the road picks one of the smaller rivers and starts climbing towards Kunzum La.
Downhill from Kunzum La towards the Chandra River. The road has been cleared all the way to Batal, so technically the pass is open. Problem is that the road past Batal towards the Manali-Leh highway is still blocked by snow slides. For now this road is a dead-end, but that might change tomorrow!
Snowbanks on the downhill from Kunzum La. In places the melting water has no place to go, but run down the road or form large pools. Our goretex socks are a lifesaver keeping our feet dry and warm in our wet shoes.
