Kunzum Pass

Kunzum La sits on the watershed between the Chandra valley of Lahaul and the Spiti valley, on the old Gramphu–Batal–Kaza road. From the top there is a sweep of the CB (Chandrabhaga) peaks and the snout of the Bara-Shigri glacier. A cluster of chortens and the Kunzum Mata temple stands at the pass, and drivers traditionally circle it clockwise for a safe journey. The pass is also the start of the roughly 14–15 km walking trail down to Chandratal, and it is snowbound and closed for about seven months of the year.

1. Approach from the Spiti side via Kaza and Losar, or from Lahaul via Gramphu and Batal (the Batal side has fifteen hairpins).
2. There is no scheduled transport; travel by hired vehicle, shared taxi or on a bike tour.
3. The Atal Tunnel has made the Manali–Gramphu–Batal approach faster in season.

Late June to early October, once the Border Roads Organisation clears the snow. Exact opening and closing dates shift each year with the weather.

• At over 4,500 m the pass is a place to stop briefly, not linger — altitude sickness is a real risk if you have come up fast.
• There is no fuel, food or reliable phone signal at or near the pass; carry what you need.
• Snow or a landslide can shut the road at short notice; check conditions in Kaza or Manali before setting out.

Individual pages for these are added as they are reviewed.