No civilians beyond this point

La is the local word for “pass” - as in Shangri la, Se la, Nathu la. I first went to Bum la when I was 14. I will never forget the snow desert I stood in, white as far as the eye could see and a tiny board that says, ‘Welcome to India’. My third visit to Arunachal is when I realised what going to Bum la actually meant. I was 25, well-travelled and aware of the political situation in the country. 

My dad served in the army, and in the 70’s commanded a unit in a village (now town) called Tenga in Arunachal Pradesh. The unit routinely ran exercises that required them to visit Bum la, a pass on the Indo-China border at about 16,000 ft above sea level. To get to Bum la you have to travel 150 km by road to Tawang – only that when we went there was no road, and the backbreaking journey took eight hours through narrow rock ridden bends that were sparse in vegetation and civilisation. Once at Tawang, we stayed overnight and then left early next morning, again by road, through the treacherous 40 km path that would take us to Bum la. The route? Head from Tawang to Maratha Ground, cross the gorgeous Pankongtang Tso , hit Y- Junction, divert to Klemta and risk it all to reach Bum la.

We trudged along the desolate region for 1.5 hours, through untouched natural beauty. As we hit Pankontang Tso, our minds were blown away. I have travelled across the breadths of this country yet never seen any lake this stunning and mesmerising. 

Eventually after covering more raw terrain dotted with small frozen lakes, we crossed Klemta, and our convoy stopped. The roads were all a sheet of ice. The only way to power through was to put anti-skid chains on the wheels. Our 4x4 looked helpless as the convoy jeeps all crossed ice road. The only way we’d get across is if we broke the ice. So we did and that too manually with stones. As our vehicle attempted to cross the ice-sheet we almost skid off the cliff and died! But a lucky save and five minutes later we successfully arrived at Bum la. 

Nothing you Google will ever prepare you for Bum la. The winds tunnelled across the barren snow desert we stood in and our feet planted in over 12 inches of snow. Breathing became difficult and my fingers started turning blue. We were advised to walk slowly to conserve energy as we headed to the watch point. A few hundred yards away stood a telescope that the jawaans 

used to keep an eye on the Chinese border a few kilometres away. Next to it, a board that said ‘Welcome to India’ and a pile of stones for Indo-China friendship. 

I stood there speechless – partly because my lips were frozen – but more because of the reality that struck me in that. I couldn’t last five minutes in these conditions, and yet there were soldiers here day in and day out, keeping a watch so we can sleep peacefully at night. As I walked back towards our vehicle, we were guided into a small hut to get warm. I thought I was hallucinating because right there in the middle of these inhumane conditions was a warm cozy, classy conference room and we were being served poori and halwa with hot tea for breakfast. As I sat there clinging to the weak warmth of the heater, sipping on tea I could only think about how inaccessible these regions have been for decades and how our borders are fiercely defended, despite the harsh conditions that exist. 

Bum la wasn’t just a trip or an adventure for me; it was an eye-opener. I now see our Armed Forces in a completely different light. 

Note: Special permits from the army and the Arunachal Government are required to visit Bum la.