Rohtang La

Rohtang Pass, the gate of paradise. One of the deadliest road journeys. On our Manali trip, Rohtang Pass is on our travel plan. No one out of 25 people barely knows anything about Rohtang Pass. But when the journey has begun, we were enjoying it a lot, but when halfway passed, we witness the original way of the Rohtang Valley, which was scary as hell. Almost all of us start puking one by one due to sharp turning roads. And some of us started feeling headaches. To be very true, it seems funny to me. Inside me, “If they are so sick by heart then why they come with us.” Huh. But when the bus moves ahead a bit more, even I start panicking. I got screwed up by witnessing the trucks, cars, buses were crashed in the ditch of the mountains. I can not forget that there must be 12-15 vehicles were lying crushed in the ditches below us. My heart was sunken. All I was doing was counting the cars or praying to God to help us to reach there safely. At that time, I agree with my parents’ point of view of not going on such trips. Before the trip, they were against my decisions, but somehow I managed to convince them for the same trip, which unfortunately I m regretting now.

Rohtang Pass is just 60 km away from Manali but seems like it will take my whole life. Finally, somehow we reached the pass. We all took a deep breath and thanked God for being alive. From recovering that hell journey, we forget where we are standing. When I noticed the view, all things just flew away from my soul, just peace make a home in it. All things vanished, my fears, worries, memories, arguments, screwed up things just flew away from my heart. All just is “me and the top of the mountain”. Nothing else. Oh my God. What a view. A view which I can die for. It’s heaven. I am now top of all odds. No worries, no tensions can touch me. For the first time in my life, I felt snow all around me. I went crazy after sawing that amazing view. On that day, I realized one thing to myself, “ Jannat ka rasta Jahnum se hokar guzarta h” (the path of paradise passes through the world).

Atal Tunnel, Rohtang

A child in me suddenly getting outrageous. I was playing with the snow and just clicking as many pictures as I could. I wish If I can take this view with me always. We ate Maggi there, which I think the most delicious Maggi in the world. Generally, I Don’t like Maggi that much, but there is something in that vibes, that I was liking everything around me. That Maggi cost maybe around 100 rupees, but I think it’s worth it. Everything worth just be here. The scary way, fighting with parents, the bucks I spent around the trip, Everything worth. I’m in love with that place.

So everything has an end, even we like it or hate it. We have to come back. I wish I couldn’t, must have to. We were returning to Manali, just from 2-3 km ahead of Rohtang Pass, our bus got spoiled & stop moving due to some technical issues. God might listen to my prayers. It’s around 7’O clock in the evening which is too late for the mountainous region. And here we are, at the spoiled bus. But we didn’t mind as in we are enjoying this kind of adventure, till temperature starts showing its vibes. It was summer season, & we all dressed up keeping the season in mind.. as the time starts passing slowly, the temperature starts dipping. Imagine, minus degree temperature, we are just in summer clothing with no sweater-no shawls, neither bedsheet nor blanket, without food, without network, just stuck in the bus middle of mountains. 

Where no one to help us

A morning in Rohtang Pass

Hence we all are abusing the driver and the travel company due to which we stuck there. Somehow, by God’s sake, we managed to spend that night in that freezing temperature. In the morning, we saw the most beautiful sunrise in our lives. Just in the ditch of peaks, the Chamba river making noise but the most beautiful noise. Special mention, ‘ Chamba river is linked between Bharat and Pakistan’. Isn’t it amazing? No matter how we spent that hell freezy night, the morning was heavenly again. I stated to me again “Jannat ka rasta aksar Jahnum se hokar guzarta hai”

In between 10 to 12 pm, we somehow managed to take a Himachal Roadways bus to reach Manali on time. And we reach Manali. Not here the journey ends. We just reached the bus stop in Manali, now we have to trek the whole mountain to reach our hotel. We were so tired but can take a rest at in hotel only. We were staying at ‘River West’ Hotel. 

While trekking we all tired as hell, but to keep ourselves excited, we were clicking group photos. It was a long journey for all of us. Finally, we reached our hotel and relaxed that whole day. So, this most amazing, peaceful, adventurous, scary journey of all time comes to an end now. I hope you enjoy this ride as well.