This year, we planned a road trip to Lahaul Spiti, and it turned out adventurous, especially for our daughter V, who had never been at an altitude above 6000 ft.

As a homeschooling family, we wanted to experience the slow life and culture of offbeat places like Lahaul and Old Manali in Himachal Pradesh. On day one, we reached Manali and took a break to relax. The plan was to get accustomed to the altitude, so we took a walk in the neighborhood.

It was a special moment for me. As the daughter of a BRO employee, I have spent much of my life near borders, witnessing amazing projects. I wanted my child to experience this wonder. For Miss V, it was thrilling to travel above 10,000 feet in the longest highway tunnel at this height. We were excited to be here and minimized physical activity for V since we gained a lot of altitude quickly.

After crossing the approx. 9 km Atal Tunnel, we stopped at Sissu as V looked confused and quiet, which made us realize that she was experiencing altitude sickness. We told her to take some deep breaths, and then having water helped her a lot. Once she felt better and returned to her cheerful self, we resumed our trip.

The next morning, we left for Baralacha La with jackets, medicines, snacks, water, and a full tank of petrol. The drive from Keylong to Baralacha takes nearly 2 hours without any phone network after Darcha. After you cross the Darcha bridge, your name and car details will be recorded at the check-post since there will be no network beyond this point. The road to Baralacha La Pass is beautiful, rough, and difficult. In Zing Zing Bar, the drive becomes harder as you gain more altitude, with a river flowing alongside the road.

As V’s body was quite adjusted to the altitude, she was extra happy to see rivers and snow-capped mountains. My husband and I have been to altitudes above 18,000 ft in Ladakh, but for V, this was her first high-altitude trip, and she was so brave.

If you have been to Ladakh, then the trip to Baralacha (without snowfall) will remind you of Nubra Valley, the Moonlands of Lamayuru. You will be amazed to witness the transformations in terrain with the change in altitude. Beautiful autumn weather around Jispa and the beauty of the cold desert post-Darcha is going to mesmerise you.

The whole time, I was asking V if she was okay or needed help or how it was okay to feel nauseous and to let me know if she needed help, and this child of mine kept saying, “I am fine, Mama. I am fine.” She was playful, listened to music, danced, and then napped. I’m so grateful for this little human & my husband, who drove us there on his own, even in such challenging terrain.

After a couple of hours of driving, we made it to the Baralacha La Pass and this girl made it to above 16,000 ft without any altitude sickness, thankfully.