Kunzum Pass (

Tibetan Tibetan may mean: * of, from, or related to Tibet * Tibetan people, an ethnic group * Tibetan language: ** Classical Tibetan, the classical language used also as a contemporary written standard ** Standard Tibetan, the most widely used spoken diale ...

: Kunzum La, elev. ), is a high

mountain pass A mountain pass is a navigable route through a mountain range or over a ridge. Since many of the world's mountain ranges have presented formidable barriers to travel, passes have played a key role in trade, war, and both human and animal migr ...

in the eastern Kunzum Range of the Himalayas. It connects Lahaul valley and Spiti valley. It is on the route from Gramphoo in Lahaul to

Kaza A kaza (, , , plural: , , ; ota, قضا, script=Arab, (; meaning 'borough') * bg, околия (; meaning 'district'); also Кааза * el, υποδιοίκησις () or (, which means 'borough' or 'municipality'); also () * lad, kaza , ...

the subdivisional headquarters of Spiti. Kunzum Pass is from Manali, and from Kaza. The road from the Gramphoo side climbs steeply through fifteen (15) sharp hairpin turns from Batal (el. ) on the Chandra River, testing the driving skills of even experienced drivers. On the Kaza side, the road from the small town of Losar (el. ) runs on the right bank of a tributary of the Spiti. It climbs through a dry, semi-desert landscape up to the Kunzum Pass. The Kunzum Pass is normally open from June/July to October/November. The dates of opening and closing are dependent on the weather and road repair by the

Border Roads Organisation The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is a road construction executive force in India that provides support to and is now a part of the Indian Armed Forces. BRO develops and maintains road networks in India's border areas and friendly neighboring ...

. Many drivers and travelers seek blessings of Kunzum Mata before continuing on the dangerous journey. There is also a 15 km trek to Chandratal, the Moon Lake, from the Kunzum La.

Gallery

File:Young Tibetan couple at Kunzum Pass.jpg, Young Tibetan couple at Kunzum Pass File:Kunzum Pass between Lahaul & Spiti.jpg, Kunzum Mata temple File:KunzumMilestone.JPG, Kunzum La, Lahaul & Spiti

Himachal Pradesh Himachal Pradesh (; ; "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen mountain states and is characterized by an extreme landscape featuring several pea ...

File:Mountain peaks as seen from Kunzum Pass between Lahaul and Spiti.jpg, Mountain peaks as seen from Kunzum Pass between Lahaul and

Spiti Spiti (pronounced as Piti in Bhoti language) is a high-altitude region of the Himalayas, located in the north-eastern part of the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. The name "Spiti" means "The middle land", i.e. the land between Tib ...

References

{{Mountain passes of India Mountain passes of Himachal Pradesh Geography of Kullu district Geography of Lahaul and Spiti district