Crossing Sela Pass: Notes From the Tawang Expedition

The road to Sela Pass climbs steadily out of Dirang, pine forest giving way to bare rock and, eventually, snow — even outside the depths of winter. At 13,700 feet, the air thins noticeably, and the temperature can drop ten degrees in the time it takes to stop for photographs.

What struck our group most wasn't the altitude, but the quiet. Outside of a handful of army convoys, the road was nearly empty — a rare thing on any Himalayan route these days.

Sela Lake, just below the pass, freezes over for much of the year and turns a deep, still blue in the warmer months. From there it's a careful descent into Tawang, monastery bells audible before the town itself comes into view.