Photo 977(12)

Genre: Landscape Photography

General view of the snow-covered pass: 'July 2nd. Marched up the Hamta Pass. Halted to breakfast near the top, and got a picture of the top of the range, showing the mass of snow and ice which filled the upper part of the ravine we were ascending, and fed the stream which ran past Chikkan, the Rainee. Heavy clouds kept passing over and obscuring the peaks in a manner very trying to a photographer's patience. The distance from our halting place at Chikkan to the top of tha pass is six miles, two furlongs, 110 yards. It was nowhere very steep, and as a good deal of snow was still lying among the rocks, our track was easy enough. On returning in September, the rains had washed away all the snow, but in the meantime I had had a good path made along the side of the ravine. We were unfortunate in the weather, for as we reached the top of the pass, the thick mist closed round us and shut out the view. On my return, too, my luck was little better. Occasional glimpses through the mist showed me that there was a splendid glacier among the higher mountains to the east of the pass, but I could not get a picture.' (Egerton, p. 10).

Subjects = Egerton, P.H., 'Journal of tour through Spiti...' (1864); mountain scenery; snow scenes

Location = Hamta Pass; Himachal Pradesh; India