Lahaul Valley of Himachal Pradesh in the northern part of the country has become the most popular tourist destination of Himachal due to its easy approach after the opening of the Atal Tunnel, Rohtang. Thousands of tourists are visiting Lahaul Valley every day to enjoy its breathtaking beauty. In 2022, as many as 6,22,988 vehicles carrying about 20 lakh tourists entered Lahaul valley via tunnel from Manali besides some tourists reaching here via Leh-Keylong and Kaza-Koksar road. Lahaul Valley, which further has many small valleys, is home to the beautiful landscapes, towering peaks, deep valleys, hanging glaciers, rivers, monasteries, temples, a mix of Hindu-Buddhist cultures and winding roads. Lahaul and Spiti are two sub-divisions of Lahaul-Spiti district. Lahaul and Spiti are divided by the mighty Kunzum pass. However, jurisdiction of Spiti valley begins from Koksar, beyond Gramphu, but its first village is Losar, on the other side of the Kunzum pass. Keylong in Lahaul is the administrative headquarters of the district. Lahaul-Spiti is the largest district of Himachal in terms of geographical area. Lahaul-Spiti is popularly known as mini-Ladakh for its Ladakh-like landscapes. Lahaul-Spiti is also known as the cold deserts of Himachal due to its high altitude barren lands and extremely cold temperature. The district is the coldest in Himachal, with temperature at many places plunging below minus 25 degrees Celsius in winter season. Spiti is colder than Lahaul but many places of Lahaul also record below minus 20 degrees C of temperature. How to reach Lahaul Valley Lahaul valley is just 33 km from Manali along the Manali-Leh highway. The valley starts from the northern end of the Atal tunnel. Atal tunnel is the bridge between Manali and Lahaul. Before tunnel, Lahaul was reachable via Rohtang pass. Rohtang top, 51 km from Manali, is the boundary of Manali
Lahaul Valley of Himachal Pradesh in the northern part of the country has become the most popular tourist destination of Himachal due to its easy approach after the opening of the Atal Tunnel, Rohtang. Thousands of tourists are visiting Lahaul Valley every day to enjoy its breathtaking beauty. In 2022, as many as 6,22,988 vehicles
Snow Marathon Lahaul is being organised in India for the first time ever with participation of nearly 100 runners from across the nation who will be running on snow covered terrains of Himachal’s Lahaul valley on March 26. The event is being organised in association of Lahaul-Spiti administration, Reach India and a group of adventure sports enthusiasts from different parts of the country. Runners from other countries are not participating this season due to travel restrictions. Besides Indian armed forces, marathoners from many states are taking part in the Snow Marathon Lahaul. As Lahaul-Spiti administration has announced to make it an annual event that will be held every year in winter season, runners from other nations will also be allowed from next year onwards. Lahaul has been chosen for this extreme winter sports event as the valley remains covered with snow for most time of the year. Lahaul-Spiti deputy commissioner Neeraj Kumar chaired a meeting at Solang valley to discuss the event on Saturday. Chief event advisor Col Arun Natrajan, event founder Gaurav Schimar, event execution head Rajesh Chand, Army’s Palchan transit camp commanding officer and seasoned marathon runner Col Santosh Barmola briefed in detail about the Snow Marathon Lahaul which is expected to change the definition of extreme marathon in the country. Rajesh Chand said the snow marathon will be organised in five categories – full marathon (42km), half marathon (21km), 10km, 5km and 1km (joy race). “The marathon is being organised under the leadership of Winter Sports Federation of India president Col Jodh Dhillon. Lt Col Bhuven Khare, a well-known outdoor and winter sports exert is also part of organising committee while ultrarunner Kieren D’Souza is the brand ambassador. The event will be held in Sissu area and the marathon will have altitude gain as well which will
Snow Marathon Lahaul is being organised in India for the first time ever with participation of nearly 100 runners from across the nation who will be running on snow covered terrains of Himachal’s Lahaul valley on March 26. The event is being organised in association of Lahaul-Spiti administration, Reach India and a group of adventure
People from across the country will get access to the snow-bound tribal Lahaul valley in the winter season for the first time as the government has decided to keep the valley open for tourists even after snowfall. Tribal development minister Ram Lal Markanda, after holding a meeting with the officials of Lahaul, said there will be no restriction on tourist inflow to Lahaul valley in clear weather. He said outsiders, for the first time, will get to experience the winters of this tribal belt which used to be cut off from the rest parts of the world after the snowfall. He said the road to the valley via Atal tunnel will be kept clear of snow. He said tourism infrastructure in the valley will be developed on a war footing so that tourists get all basic facilities. “Tourist footfall in the valley has increased suddenly after the opening of the Atal tunnel. There will be no restriction on the movement of tourists if the weather is clear. We shall organise skiing, a winter carnival, and other winter events to attract more tourists this season. Meanwhile, we need to develop our infrastructure to meet the demand of the growing tourism,” Markanda said. He said a Yatri Niwas at Sissu, adequate parking at Keylong, a large bus stand, parking, and cafeteria at Trilokinath will be built very soon. He said parking spaces, dustbins, waste management facilities, viewpoints, parks, tourism activities, exploration of new destinations, and organising cultural events for tourists are proposed. Lahaul-Spiti, popularly known as the cold deserts of Himachal, gets very heavy snowfall from November to March. The area is coldest in the state with minimum temperature at some places plunges below minus 25. Visiting Lahaul valley in the winter season was impossible until recently when the Atal tunnel connected
People from across the country will get access to the snow-bound tribal Lahaul valley in the winter season for the first time as the government has decided to keep the valley open for tourists even after snowfall. Tribal development minister Ram Lal Markanda, after holding a meeting with the officials of Lahaul, said there will
