Fresh Snow

This weekend meant snow at last , in Kinnaur , Lahaul and Manali, maxing out in Keylong : sixteen centimeters of snow. In lower regions it came down as rain , feeding both irrigation and the the starving hydel power plants that have been been down to fifty per cent of normal capacity after the long dry winter. Kalpa in Kinnaur was coldest at -2.5 degrees , and had less snow : snow is a warm weather phenomenom.

The Manali-Leh road was closed for lighter vehicles from Kothi , at the 2500 meter level , with snow falling all the way up to the Rothang pass the BRO had to call it a day early in the afternoon.

Chamba region also reported heavy (no numbers given ) snowfall , probably affecting the clearing of Saach Pass.

UPDATE 25/3 : Two more feet of snow around the Rothang and Marhi , work to resume when the weather gets better. Road open to Gulaba (with eight inches of fresh snow, BRO crew just short of the Rothang.

High Politics : Saach Pass Opens For Elections

A winter with low snow levels and the upcoming elections means that the opening of Saach Pass may be preponed (lovely Hinglish expression) before June :

“Though the highway is officially opened for vehicular traffic in the first week of June every year, now with the announcement of election schedule efforts would be made to reopen the highway in advance before the prescribed date so that transportation services could be resumed,”

Swedish trekker henko went over the pass last year in July (photo below) , and mentions snow stiil being cleared from the road. Haven´t been able to pin down the actual opening date.

Sadness at Saach Pass

The 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.

Saach Pass reopens

Chamba, July 1
The highest road from Chamba to Killar crossing over the Saach Pass situated at an altitude of 4413 metres linking the Pangi tribal valley with Chamba was reopened for vehicular traffic on Friday, Jagdev Singh Pathania, resident commissioner of Pangi, told The Tribune over the phone.

Pathania said the pass overlooking the snowy Pir Panjal ranges of Jammu and Kashmir was closed for traffic due to snowfall in November last year. — OC

Saach opens , 07

“This year, the road was opened by the PWD for vehicular traffic on June 26, after clearing the heavy snow from both sides from Bhagotu towards Saach Pass and from Satrundi to Saach Pass. Again the bus service between Chamba and Bhagotu was introduced from June 30.On transit shipment basis, two light vehicles (maxi cabs) of the HRTC carry the bus passengers from Bhagotu to Killar through the 30 km jeepable stretch between Bhagotu and Killar.”

Full story

Cold wave intensifies in HP

Shimla, December 6
Wintery conditions intensified in Himachal Pradesh following a fresh spell of snowfall in higher altitude areas and rains in mid and lower hills of the state during the past 24 hours, the met sources said today.

Intense coldwave conditions were prevailing in the high-altitude areas of Kinnuar, Lahaul Spiti, Kulu, Chamba, Kangra, Sirmaur and Mandi districts following snowfall for the fourth day today.

Dhundi and Solang Nullah, both in Kulu district, had recorded 48 cm and 13 cm of fresh snowfall last night.

Patseo and Keylong, the district headquarters of Lahaul Spiti, also recorded 25 cm and 6 cm of fresh snowfall during the night, plummeting minimum and maximum temperatures in the tribal areas.

Saach Pass in Chamba district has so far recorded over 2 feet of snowfall during the past four days, disrupting traffic on the Chamba-Pangi road, besides other link roads.

Vehicular traffic has also been suspended on the Manali-Leh road following over 5 feet of snowfall at 13,050-foot high Rohtang Pass, the gateway to Lahaul Spiti district.

Kinner Kailash peak and Srikhand in Kinnuar district, Kunzum Pass at over 14,000 feet, Dhauladhar Ranges in Kangra and Churdhar Ranges in Sirmaur district also experienced snowfall during the past 24, the sources said.

Pangi subdivision of the district has been cut off from the rest of the state following heavy snowfall during the past few days.

The minimum temperatures had plummeted below minus degrees, with Kalpa in Kinnuar district recording a night temperature of minus 2.5 degree celsius, they said.

Highest road in Himachal gets bus service

 

The Satrundi-Bagotu portion of the 167-km Chamba-Killar highway was declared fit for plying of bus service over the 14,500-foot Saach Pass, the highest road in the state, with Mr Virbhadra Singh, Himachal Chief Minister, flagging off the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus service at Tissa to Bagotu.

October 19 would be marked as a ‘golden chapter’ in the development history of Chamba district in the state, he said.

The highway had been inaugurated for plying of light vehicles two months ago while the road on the side of the Churah valley had been widened and declared fit for bus services on October 19.

The Chief Minister on this occasion congratulated the people of the state especially of Chamba. The Pangi valley which had so far been accessible through Kangra-Mandi-Kullu-Lahaul and Spiti districts covering a distance of over 700 km with a journey time of over 40 hours had now been reduced to only 167 km.

The Chief Minister said that the Pangi valley people would now be in a position to travel conveniently to their district headquarters. He said that another milestone had been added in the history of roads network in the state with the completion of the road through Saach Pass.

Saach Pass opened for pedestrians

“Chamba, June 6
The Saach Pass situated at an altitude of 4390 metres in Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh has been re-opened for pedestrians after nearly seven months.

The pass which provides vital Link between Chamba and tribal Pangi valley is the shortest route for pedestrians visiting the district headquarters of Chamba from Pangi.

The pass was closed for pedestrians in first week of November 2003, following first heavy snow and its opening would encourage trekking and mountaineering and tourism in the Pangi valley.”

Tribune , June 6