The pass does not welcome you
Baralacha La sits at 4,890 metres, and it does not care that you drove fourteen hours to reach it. The road surface breaks apart in places. The wind comes sideways. There is no arch, no signboard with fairy lights, no dhaba with a cheerful owner who will tell you this is the most beautiful place on earth. There is just the pass, the sky pressing down hard and blue, and the moment you realise your body is working harder than usual just to breathe.
