Ride with me #9 : To the Moon Lake - Paradise on earth!

bikergirl (60)in #travel • 7 years ago

Namaste Steemit!

The Moon Lake or the Chandratal as known in India is deep inside the Spiti Valley at an altitude of 4,300 meters. Chandratal lake in the lap of the Himalayas is the best place for those who seek to travel to an offbeat place, away from the crowd. The lake is surrounded by snow capped mountains ranging a maximum altitude of approx 6,000 meters.

In order for me to reach Chandratal, I had to ride through the Rohtang pass, which is one of the highest motorable passes in India, which remains closed during winter due to snow. The border roads organization (BRO) carves out the road at the beginning of summer by cutting through the feet of snow that collect there. I then continued to ride through walls of ice on either side and over little streams that were formed from the melting ice. The view from Rohtang is gorgeous as on one side are high ranges and on the other side, one can catch sight of the green Spiti valley, which stretches for miles till the horizon. The Spiti region is in a rain shadow region with blue skies and patches of white clouds, which look like scenes right out of a post card.

On the day I set to ride towards the moon lake. The sky was clear but the road was rugged and thus made it tough to ride through the rolling mountains. I was passing through lush green meadows, dry grasslands, huge rock formations and several tiny streams, mostly from the melting snow. Usually, one bigger than the other and I had to wade through ankle deep icy cold water to get pass it.

Finally after hours of riding... I reached the parking spot, parked my bike and walked 2 km towards the lake. I passed by shepherds and their flock, a few bikers and after a few minutes my eyes were set on the gorgeous emerald colored lake which was nestled between the snow clad mountains.

I must say the Moon lake looks much more sublime than in the photos. It was so worth it! as to traveling on the dangerous roads, along with experiencing the chill waves, harsh sunlight and all the discomforts. It was the most pristine and clear water I have ever seen and I couldn't stop myself from swimming in the lake.*

The next thing I know, I was in the water... an adrenaline rush and chill ran through my body. The freezing Himalayan waters didn't allow me to stay in the water for long and after a short swim, I was back on the land.

That's when something struck me. I was not carrying my saddle bags and I had no clothes to change into. I was shivering nonstop 😆

Thankfully there were a few biker guys from Bangalore and they spared their thermals with me... Which really saved me and I'm still alive.

After that funny episode, I lay by the lake for 4 hours, even took a small nap and then walked back 2km to where the bike was and rode back to the camp.

Chandratal offers a magnificent view at night, where the temperature drops below Zero degree Celsius during pre-winter and the sky is filled with countless stars that offer a Spectacular view of the Milky Way.

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With the moon lake, nature sure seems to have painted an enchanting frame with every possible myriad hue. Steemians, you have to visit this place to experience the captivating beauty of the Himalayan meadows, cold desert, flora and fauna of the Spiti valley. This ride will definitely quench your desires for riding in the Indian Himalayas.