NSW Nordic Ski Club
Across the Chander-Khani Pass
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This is taken from an email which our Vice-President, Steve England sent from one of his trips in the Indian Himalaya earlier this year.
I don't know how to describe our last trip. We decided to go up and over the Chanderkhani Pass and down to Malana.
We left Vishisht on the 26th of April and were driven by Sungeeve's Uncle Chuni (appently the best skier in India) via Naggar to Rumsu. Rumsu was a village about 500m vertical up on a spur. We arrived looking like people from outer space I'm sure (though other trekkers would come through the village, particularly in summer).
Anyway, we got there about 4.30 pm in the afternoon, and we were surrounded by kids. They were entranced by the video so I was the centre of attention for about 2 hours. The kids followed me everywhere and wanted to perform for the camera, and then insist that I play the action back and of course giggle themselves silly as the saw themselves on the tiny screen. The boys in particular wanted to show off their athletic prowess. Then some of the older men wanted to get in on the action.
We got going the next morning. Huge packs probably weighing almost 30 kgs since we had skis and boots strapped to the packs as well. We walked up the ridge line for around another 300 or 400 metres before we hit the snow line. Skis on - great. Then we only skied a short way before we found a fantastic camp spot on a patch of grass with incredible views over the Kullu Valley and Manali. Although it was a little early, we decided to take advantage of the spot and camp there. We had a fire that night.
The next morning we got the skis back on and just climbed all day - in beautiful sunshine. Most of the time we were on the ridgeline, but this became difficult and narrow at times. We then traversed back into a gully on the left hand side of the ridge and got better going. We could see the huge headwall of the ridge running across the skyline. It was on this ridgeline that the Chanderkhani Pass provided access over to the Malana Valley. However, we came to a point late in the afternoon when we could go now further because the slope we were on plunged down at an alarmingly steep rate - we would have to climb steeply to regain the ridge line. We decided to camp where we were and get a really early start the next day.
We did this - up at 5.30 am and just cold muesli for breakfast. A really hard day skinning up in bright sunshine, lovely snow and along a spectacular ridgeline, heading for this bigger ridge line which formed the headwall to the valley.
We got to the point where we thought the pass might be - But it wasn't. Bill had been right all along in thinking that we would have to traverse the ridge line for a couple of kms. We started off doing this on skis and dropping down a little - quite intimidating as the slope was really steep and big cornices on the headwall making us think of avalanches. It got so steep that Bill couldn't traverse anymore - his skinny skis and wide bindings making him catch his edges all the time - so he took off his skis and started kicking steps up to the top of the ridge line.
When we were all together again, we all decided to continue on foot right on the very top of the ridge, which was a series of bumps and pinnacles with some cornicing. Just spectacular!!
The weather looked like it was closing in and we were still not sure where the pass was. When we looked over the ridge, it was very steep down the other side, though we figured we could get down the slopes and gullies we could see. The question was what was below that and whether we would get ourselves into a difficult situation below. We had to make a choice. Give up and return the way we had come down to Rumsu (at least we would have had some great downhill skiing). Camp where we were on the top of the ridge and try to work things out the next day. Or plunge down and try to camp in a more protected spot in trees some 300 metres below.
We decided to press on and Bill led the way, plunging downhill on foot in knee deep wet snow (and deeper in places). We lucked out and got to a spot where we could see a sole roof top some 400 or 500 metres below us. We set up our tents just as the snow started and a huge storm moved across us (thunder and lightning etc). Luckily this only lasted some half hour or so and it was past us and we could look on at the storm's antics on the next major ridgeline across.
There was very little snow on this side of the Pass. The next morning we descended some 500 metres or so to Malana walking all the way (really, really steep).
Malana was fascinating and a total contrast to Rumsu. The locals treat all strangers as "untouchables". You are not allowed to touch any of the houses or the people. Little kids look really scared if you go near them. Seems the local god is a very strong god, and if they touch a stranger they have to wash immediately and make a sacrifice. Malana is famous in this part of the world for the quality of its hash - Malana cream it is called. More info on application.
We stayed with Sangatram who runs the Renuka Guesthouse. Sangatram is an untouchable himself (though a very well off one) and is able to provide hospitality.
Sangatram gave us poor info also, though. He told us there was good skiing further up the Malana Valley. So the next day we did an exploratory trip further up the valley. The idea was that if we could find some good snow we would haul our packs back up there and base camp for a week. By this stage we were desperate for a decent ski.
We had hauled heavy packs for 3 or 4 days with no reward. No such luck. We were so desperate that Paul and Steve Poole donned their gear and skied a snow filled stream bed which was no more than about 12 metres wide and full of dirty wet snow. Bill and I just couldn't be bothered.
So, yesterday, we hiked down the Malana Valley to Jari. They are building a fairly large dam and hydro-electric power station a few kms below Malana and we managed to get a lift from there the last 20 kms into Jari. By 7.30 pm we were back in Vishisht overcoming a fallen tree across the road to Manali along the way.
Gee, my typing fingers are tired. I'd better go. The hot springs are beckoning.
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