A friend of mine recently sent me a few pictures of a group of guys who just made a trip to Sach Pass in October first week. I just wanted to share those pictures in the post below for anyone who is thinking of making this trip in next few days. You can see in the images below that there is a lot of snow and slush at the pass. Even though the road right now is open, It may close any time now and I think it is safe to say that this may not be the best time to visit Sach Pass.
Sach Pass is usually the last one to open among them all and the first one to receive snow each year. While chances of snowfall at other passes starts after mid October; at Sach it can snow anytime after mid September. This year however was an entirely different story altogether. An early spell of snow all across the Himalayan region buried most of the areas of Lahaul, Spiti and Chandratal under a several feet of snow at higher areas. The effect can be seen at Sach Pass as well in the images below.
Also Read: How to Plan your Trip to Sach Pass?
I did not click these photos and not claiming ownership of these. I am merely sharing the photos here as an FYI for anyone planning to go towards Sach this year. It cannot be considered as safe any longer and you are better off postponing the rip for next season.
How to Plan a Trip to Sach Pass in October?
On a general note though, for anyone wanting to go to Sach towards end of September or early October, there are a few things that must be kept in mind in order to ensure a safe and hassle free trip. You need to remember that while crossing Sach, you will be traveling through some remote and “hardly traveled on” roads. So if you ran in some trouble and weren’t prepared for it, your chances of getting stranded in a cold weather too will drastically increase.
Plan before 10th October
This pretty much becomes the deadline. Even 10th October is a bit late in the season actually but just assume this as the official closing date. If your plans were for later than 10th October; then better visit some other place and leave Sach for next year.
Also Read: How to Prepare your Sach Pass Itinerary?
Do your Homework
This will be the second most important thing to do. Read, research, talk to people but make sure that you have complete knowledge of the weather and road conditions ahead. This will also include getting updates while on the road. Talk to locals and find out how the situation ahead is. Cab drivers will be the best bet on getting the most accurate information. If any of them tells you about risks involved in traveling ahead, pay heed.
Prepare for the Cold & Snow
It may or may not snow but one thing you can be sure of indeed is that it will be extremely cold; specially if you were on motorcycles so make sure you are packing and preparing accordingly. Don’t forget to put a pair of thermals in your bag. A heavy windproof jacket and some excellent quality gloves will be your best friend out here.
Beware of Black Ice
This will be more of a risk on the stretch between Bairagarh and Manali. Black Ice usually forms on the roads overnight and then melts after sunrise. As an additional safety measure, do not start the first thing in the morning. Wait for the sun to come up so that any risk of black ice has melted away before you hit the road.
Also Read: When is the Best time to Visit Sach Pass?
Do not be an overconfident fool
I know they keep saying that line “Darr ke aage jeet hai” in Dew commercial but come on, that’s just TV. In real life you got to practice caution. If you were going towards Sach Pass in October and it started to snow, then head back. If there was snow on the road and you weren’t too confident or sure about going any further, then listen to your gut. A couple of days of fun isn’t worth losing your life over.
I hope the information above was of help. If you have any further questions; or need any other details; please feel free to ask in the comments section below; or at our Community Forum; and I will be glad to answer.
