THE SATLUJ
RIVER RAFTING EXPEDITION
The Satluj river basin in Himachal Pradesh covers
an area of about 6,553 square kilometers. To the
east lies the Ngari region of Tibet; the Dhauladhar
range forms its southern boundary, separating
it from Uttarkashi District of Uttar Pradesh and
the Shimla District of Himachal Pradesh. In the
west, the Srikhand Dhar marks the boundary between
Kinnaur and Kulu. Spiti is on the northern border
of Kinnaur -- the boundary being formed by the
rivers Spiti and Pare Chu near the Indo-Tibetan
border.
The source of the Satluj lies in near
the Mansarovar Lake at 18500 ft. in the Tibetan
Plateau. The Satluj is one of only three Trans
Himalayan rivers originating in the high Tibetan
Plateau that cuts across the mighty Himalayan
ranges. The other two are the Indus and the
Brahmaputra. It enters India through a fearsome
gorge near the Shipki La. Thereafter, it flows
through the cold tracts of Kinnaur to the hamlet
of Wangtoo. It is one of the major tributaries
of the Indus River system. In its passage across
Kinnaur, the Satluj River successively crosses
three great mountain ranges -- the Zanskar range,
the Great Himalayan range and the Dhauladhar
range. To the east of the Satluj the valleys
are narrow while in the west, they are wide
and open. Many tributaries join the main Satluj
River one after the other from the south. The
Baspa is one of the major tributaries of the
Satluj. The valley of the Satluj extends on
both flanks of the Satluj River - from where
it enters Kinnaur to the place where it makes
its exit. It is the largest valley of Kinnaur,
extending in a northeast to southwest alignment
for a length of about 140-km along the Satluj
River. The northeastern part of this valley
is drier and conditions become humid towards
the southwest. The Satluj River has carved a
deep gorge across the main or Great Himalaya
near Pshong- Tong. In the southern part of this
valley, there is extensive cultivation of fruits
and agricultural crops. Barring some parts,
extensive vineyards, thriving crops and orchards
of apricot, apples and grapes are to be found
in the entire region.
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