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Visit Rohtang Pass: Enjoy snow in
summer
by Rajiv Kimta
Rohtang
(Himachal Pradesh): While elesewhere in India it
is scorching heat, tourists in Himachal Pradesh's Rohtang
Pass are enjoying the summer playing with snow balls.
Tourists are having a gala time with their family and
friends visiting popular places like Rohtang Pass and
Kullu-Manali in the scenic Himachal Pradesh. And, especially,
Rohtang Pass is witnessing a large arrival of tourists,
as it offers a refreshing experience to the people from
the plains. Located at about 51 kilometer from Manali
town at an altitude of 4,111 meters (13,400 ft.) on
the highway to Keylong, Rohtang Pass offers a marvelous
experience during summer.
It
is regarded as one of the most picturesque spots in
the country providing a panoramic breath-taking view
of the mountains, rising far above the clouds. Anand,
a tourist, said: "This place is awesome. We never imagined
it could be so beautiful. Till date, we had watched
a surroundings only on Discovery Channel or in the movies,
but to experience such a place in reality is simple
wonderful." A large number of adventure loving tourists
visit Rohtang Pass for an enthralling experience mainly
during June to September. The area gets maximum snowfall
almost nine months in a year allowing tourists to enjoy
skiing here. The trek along Rohtang Pass is another
cherished adventure pursuit. Neha, another tourist visiting
Rohtang Pass for the first time, said: "We are experiencing
the snow for the first time so enjoying a lot. It is
really wonderful being here at this time of the year."
Besides skiing and trekking beyond the Rohtang Pass,
one can also enjoy pony-riding, driving snow-scooters,
snow-sledge, and other sports. A good number of kids
as well the grown-ups enjoy snow- ball 'fights'.
Rohtang
is said to be the only hill resort in the country that
has snow even in June. Here, one sees the majesty of
the mountains at its height and splendour. At the top
of the Pass the air seems to glitter against the snow.
The pass is open from June to September each year although
trekkers can across the pass a little earlier. Rohtang
pass is the gateway to Lahaul valley just as Zojila
pass in between Kashmir valley and Ladakh.
- June
10, 2007
