Video posted by munish , en route to Leh October 20th , 2008
Archive for October, 2008
Sadness at Saach Pass
October 17, 2008The harsh weather at Saach Pass caused many to retreat to lower elevations , but a group coming from Pangi judged that conditions were manageable , and continued. Sadly they were proven wrong , and all four perished in an avalanche.
Rothang , Kunzum closes
October 17, 2008Heavy snowfall on the high passes has closed the Manali-Leh road and the connection betweeen the NH 22 from Kaza to Manali.
The road is closed ( yes , this time it´s an actual barrier put up by the BRO ) at Marhi , elevation 3300, where tourists at the same time rush in to see the snow. Another barrier is on the northern side of the pass is at Koksar , at the foot of the pass.
The Kunzum La is also closed.
The closure affects a number of Lahaulis who have come to Manali and Kullu for the Kullu Dussehra festival and stocking up for the winter. BRO is using heavy machinery to clear the Rothang , but said earlier in the week that no efforts will be made/are possible after 31st.
UPDATE . 18th : Road cleared up to Keylong
Srinagar-Leh : Winter closure draws near
October 3, 2008Unnamed defence sources were quoted today on the news saying that the Srinagar-Leh road would close officially on October 31st. From the the 16th to the 31st the road will be open one way only :
*Srinagar-Leh : Monday , Wednesdays and Fridays.
*Leh-Srinagar : Tuesdays , Thursdays and Saturdays.
Meanwhile the valley has been stocking up for the winter break : 2.6 lakhs liters of kerosene, 3.6 lakhs of LPG gas and 5409 quintals of sugar will provide a fair amount of hot chai in the Kargil district. The amounts may seem staggering (2.6 lakhs being more than quarter of a million) but it works out as ten liters per inhabitant for the whole valley.
News stories went on to say : “The road is likely to be reopened in April-May next year.” Spontaneous tip : don´t expect it to open anywhere near mid-April after this years debacle.
