Jalori Pass (October 12, 2014)
Sadly, we had to take our leave of Himalayan Trout House, the village of Nagini, and the Tirthan Valley. Breakfast the next day was
a long round of good-byes, until we pulled ourselves away and started on the
drive to Shimla. Raja had
recommended that we go via the Jalori Pass, a longer route on a country road,
because it would be far less crowded and the views were spectacular. I was hesitant to do a 7-hour journey
on winding mountain roads because of motion sickness, but it turned out to be
worth it. The views were majestic,
and no amount of description could do them any justice.
 |
| Spectacular view from Jalori Pass road |
 |
| Majestic Himalayan mountains |
 |
| Close-up of a peak viewed from Jalori Pass road |
 |
| Long view |
 |
| More amazing valley views |
The Himalayas have had a mystical hold
on me for much of my life. These
mountains are the birthplace of many of the gods of Hindu mythology, and the
setting for many archetypal stories.
For years, I have wondered what it would be like to live as a Himalayan
hermit; I have closed my eyes and imagined viewing the earth from its high
ridges. Jalori Pass is the
mountain pass at the top of a particular range and the views from the road
approaching the top filled me with awe and wonder at this incredible place we
call Earth. She is a mother and
she is beautiful, and we must learn to respect her. A camera cannot capture the three-dimensional perspective
nor the multi-dimensional feeling of gazing out around you from a height of
10,800 feet. I can understand why
people endure extreme conditions in search of the last great wild places on
Earth. There are so few left, and
that feeling of being surrounded by nature is as close as some people get to
seeing God. The silence, the
reverence, in the Golden Temple of the Sikhs and in the temple complex of the
Dalai Lama had the same quality as out here, in the temple of nature, above
these majestic mountains steeped in snow and silence.
As we left the high pass and descended down the other side of the mountain, the landscape changed again. Finally, we approached the seven hills of Shimla as the sun was setting, and a long and beautiful day of travel came to an end.
 |
| Seven Hills of Simla |
 |
| Approach road to Shimla from Jalori Pass |
 |
| Descending into the valley from Jalori Pass |
 |
| Seven Hills of Shimla |
 |
| Approaching Shimla at sunset |
 |
| Sunset over seven hills of Simla |
 |
| Another sunset shot |
 |
| Last sunset shot |
No comments:
Post a Comment