Pare Chu - Story of a fascinating river in the western Himalaya.

Pare Chu - Story of a fascinating river in the western Himalaya.

The Himalayan germ, once caught, works inside like a relapsing fever, it is ever binding its time before breaking out again with increased virulence.
____ Marco Pallio.

The Pare Chu is a fascinating river that originates just outside the Spiti valley. The river runs northeast of Parang la to Norbu Sumdo in southeast Ladakh. It flows about 30km in Ladakh, turns southward towards Chumar and enters Tibetan territory at Lemarle. The river crosses another 85km until blocked by the Drongmar range, then re-enter Indian Territory south of Kaurik village. From here it converts another 12km before it joins the Spiti River near Sumdo. Strategically Pare Chu makes a complete circle east of the Spiti valley and provides all access routes to India from Tibet, via small tributaries along narrow valleys; the approach routes are difficult. It is not possible to ford the river at any time of the year as it is very fast flowing.