The Rohtang Pass, sometimes also called Rohtam Pass is a mountain pass in the Indian Himalayas. The pass connects Kullu valley with Lahaul. The pass lies at an elevation of 3,978 meters in Himachal Pradesh, India, northwest of the Himalayan Range, connecting Manali, Kullu District, Ladakh and the Spiti Valley. Closed from November to March with the access considered extremely dangerous, the pass is located on the Manali-Leh road, one of the highest in the world.
It is located in the state of Himachal Pradesh and connects the upper river valley of Beas in the south (Kullutal) with that of Chandra, a spring river of Chenab, to the north. The pass officially reaches an altitude of 3978 meters above sea level and is located about 50 km northeast of the city of Manali.
The pass is both weather and cultural segregation, separating the more humid, monsoon-clad Hindu regions of the hill and middle-land from the Buddhist-shaped deserts of high mountain regions of the Himalayas.
It is a road connection, which is only accessible during the summer months, the national highway linking the northwest Indian coast with Ladakh mountain and border regions. The pass is both weather and cultural segregation, separating the more humid, monsoon-clad Hindu regions of the hill and middle lands from the Buddhist-shaped deserts of high mountain regions of the Himalayas.
At the foot of the Rohtang pass in winter there is a small ski resort, which is a popular excursion destination especially for wedding companies.
The name Rohtang means “seem pile” because of the dangerous parts where the road runs above abysses. Because the south side of the pass road lies on the windward side of the Great Himalayas, there is often rain and snow there, which can worsen the condition of the pass road. This makes the Rohtang Pass even more dangerous than the much higher mountain passes further north in the Himalayas. Another reason why the pass is dangerous is a large amount of traffic compared to other passes over the Himalayas.
Since spring 2010, an 8.8 km long horseshoe-shaped tunnel with two lanes has been built at an altitude of 3100 meters. Under the main track, an escape tunnel is integrated into the tunnel cross-section.
Take a look at this scary mountain pass at the following video:
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