Rohtang-Pass

View from Rohtang Pass towards the north-east (Central Lahul Massif)

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The Rohtang Pass ( Hindi: रोहतांग दर्रा; German " pile of corpses " ) is a strategically important mountain pass in Northern India in the interior of the Himalayas ( Pir Panjal Range) on the route of the Leh-Manali Highway.

It is located in the state of Himachal Pradesh and connects the valley of the River Beas in the south ( Kullu Valley) with that of Chandra, a source of the river Chenab, to the north. The pass officially reaches a height of 3978 m above sea level and is located about 50 km northeast of the town of Manali. About him there is a passable only during the summer months road link, the National Highway 21 that connects the north-western Indian Punjab with the mountain ( and border regions ) of Ladakh. The pass is both weather and Culture vagina by separating the rather damp, monsunbestrichenen Hindu dominated regions of the hills and the Central Plateau of the buddhist dominated desert high mountain regions of the Himalayas.

The pass is depending on weather conditions in the winter months, which can last from October to June, locked. Until the opening in June ( in extreme cases, the end of May ) usually pass four to six weeks, in which the workers used as road construction crews in the summer the pass rid of the snow. At the foot of Rohtang is a small winter ski area, which is a popular destination especially for wedding parties.

Since the spring of 2010, a 8.8 km long horseshoe shaped tunnel with two lanes will be built in 3100 m above sea level. Under the main road an escape tunnel is integrated in the tunnel cross-section. Completion is scheduled for late 2015.