From Manali the road strikes north along the Beas River and climbs slowly through pine forests and endless switchbacks to the bare rocky slopes below the spectacular Rohtang La (3978m). The name literally translates as ‘pile of dead bodies’ – hundreds of travellers have frozen to death here over the centuries. At the pass, look out for the small, dome-shaped temple that marks the source of the Beas River.
In the height of summer, the pass is chock-a-block with Indian tourists riding horses and enjoying the novelty of a snowball fight.
