In comparison to other passes, Rohtang Pass has never been considered difficult to cross on foot. However, it gained a reputation of being treacherous due to the unpredictable weather of the place that experiences severe snowstorms frequently causing life-threatening risks to people trying to embark on the pass and this is where it got its name from ‘Rohtang’. Below discussed is the itinerary for a bike trip to Rohtang Pass from Delhi.
How to reach Rohtang Pass from Delhi?
The route that you will take is as follows:
Delhi – Panipat – Karnal – Ambala – Chandigarh – Bilaspur – Sundar Nagar – Mandi – Bhuntar – Manali
This complete distance is about 540 kilometres in total and the travel time can easily vary between 12-14 hours. Therefore, it is highly recommended to take an early start from Delhi in order to avoid the Delhi traffic.
The ride from Delhi to Chandigarh is pretty much a straight drive on NH1 and is the easiest part of the journey. Ahead of Chandigarh, you will encounter heavy traffic, also the hilly area will start after Kiratpur Sahib and for the next 125 kilometres be careful as you will be riding through a long line of trucks.
However, once you cross Mandi, the journey is going to get a lot better, beautiful and breathtaking. The scenic beauty of the place is extremely enthralling that it makes it a hard choice to take your eyes off. You are expected to reach Manali in around 14 hours tops.
By Bike
If you are travelling by bike you can easily take a day trip from Manali on whatever day suits you the best. It is recommended not to take the trip, the very next day you reach Manali because of these two reasons.
- The first reason being it will give you some time for acclimatization. As Manali is situated at an altitude of 2050 meters and Rohtang top at 3978 meters, with the doubling altitude there are high chances of suffering from altitude sickness. You can avoid this situation, by spending a day in Manali, and giving your body the time it requires to get used to the high altitude, and then further take the journey to Rohtang Pass.
- The second reason why we recommend you to take the trip after one day is that it will give you time to arrange for a permit if you have not got it online or beforehand.
Once you have the permit from the SDM office in Manali or obtained it online you are good to go. Also, remember that without the permit, you will be turned back from the Gulaba check post and shall not be allowed to take up the journey any further. Taking the permit is mandatory for both Cars and motorcycles and also a certain amount has to be paid in order to get it.
