Photographical Memories from the Himalayas: Roads...

When planning a trip to the Himalayas, one of the major concerns that plays in the mind of the traveler is the ‘Condition of the Roads’. Road conditions can easily make or mar your trip depending on their moods. Smooth, rough, rocky or bumpy – you are sure to get a taste of all of it as you keep moving along. So no matter, how hard you try to plan around it, the unpredictability of the Himalayan roads is something that, can be said, is best left to the Gods!

Based on our experience, here’s what you can expect, the next time you plan a trip to the hills!

Snaky Sharp Rough roads: 

Tossing, jolting and bumping you - these rutted, uneven and narrow routes not scare only you on your way, but your near and dear ones back home too.

Rough and Bumpy terrain of the Himalayas

CloudBursts:

Look at the after-effects of the hidden side of nature! It's hard to believe an entire town existed here before losing it out to the anger of the rain Gods...

Aftermath of a cloudburst - Enroute from Rishikesh to Uttarkashi

Landslides:

These can hold you up for days but if your stars are bright, then chances are that you might get away with just a few hrs delay by taking a different route to reach your destination.

The barren valley lies open with huge crags and narrow tracks,

making it difficult to traverse

Construction Work in Progress: 

Today, if the Char Dham Yatra is no longer seen as being nightmarish or terrifying, then a major credit of it goes to the dedication and laborious efforts of some hardworking people like these - The BRO (Border Roads Organization) employees. May God bless these noble souls who work tirelessly so that people like us can keep our appointments with the Lords and travel safe. Hats off to them!

BRO Workers executing the road clearance work

Smooth Moments of Terrain: 

Roads are not always rough and rocky as shown above, or in TV programs or even in guidebooks. It does have its moments of calm and quiet. Passing through sparsely inhabited valleys, idyllic habitations and silent remoteness, these sure take you into a world unknown... a beautiful world full of Himalayan wilderness.

Silent moments adding to the rugged beauty of the Himalayan travel

Final Thoughts on Himalayan Roads:

Whatever, the condition of the roads, highways or routes may be;

There is something so exhilarating and thrilling when you travel through the middle of a town as historic, significant and gorgeous as the Char Dhams;

– Meeting nobody, doing nothing, reminding yourself of the momentous past, drinking in the magnificent present –

Road conditions hardly matter when you have

such beauty glaring at you from all ends, isn't it?

...that no amount of the supposed terrain fears can and will ever stop you from getting down to planning another one of your trips to the valleys of the Gods!