Bum La – The Line of Actual Control

Posted on by Parul Thakur
A panoramic view of the region

Since VT and I started exploring places on our road trips, we have come to know that we love going to borders. First it was Turtuk, then the one in Rajasthan cutting across the Thar Desert and the recent one was Bum La.

To travel to Bum La which is a pass (as the name suggests) one has to get permissions at Tawang and head up North. A short distance of ~40kms takes over two hours and only if the weather is on your side. Roads laden with snow look beautiful and dreamy.

Roads..

When we reached Tawang later that afternoon, it seemed things may not go as planned. The District Commissioner’s office was closed for the day and we had no permits. Most hotels or homestays manage the permits for travelers but there were some hiccups and ours hadn’t come. To add to that, it had started raining in Tawang. That meant it was snowing in Bum La. All in all, it was clear that we may not get permissions the following today.

It was a minor heartbreak and we had a lots of questions for our guide, Tashi who was going to be our man for the next day. However, universe was on our side and Bum La happened.

Before you plan a trip to Bum La, know these few things that we got to know:

  • The Tawang DC issues a permit but the final decision to allow civilians to Bum La is with the Army.
  • Personal vehicles are not allowed.
  • Only AR (Arunachal) registered vehicles driven by locally approved drivers can go up to the border.
  • If it rains the previous night, it means snow in Bum La and army shuts the gate for the next day.

Over our travels, one thing that we have learnt is to seek help from the local people. As much as we want to do things on our own, the local people know the way around and are mostly willing to help. While you can get the permits yourself, check with your hotel guy on the process. I am sure when they help, they pass on some blessings to tourists too. After all that’s how the economy runs.

Signs on the road – watch time when you go

The next day: By the time Tashi got our permits, it was late and I was skeptical about the time window we had missed to drive up.  Tashi on the other hand was confident that we had some 60% chance. So we continued. The landscape was unbelievably beautiful. Snow clad mountains all around us reminded me of how beautiful India is. There were many lakes and even Tashi did not know the names. So we started calling them Anamika (one with no name).

Anamika

Then we reached a point where the Army had to look at our permits and give us a nod. A huge queue at this Y junction indicated that people who had started early morning were still waiting at this point.  Tashi went to meet the men and I stepped out of the jeep feel the cold outside. A little pressure on the snow and my shoes were already soaked in ice-cold water. Bummer that was. In another 10 minutes when the vehicles ahead of us started moving, I saw Tashi running towards us. A paper in his hand, he was waving. I knew we were going up. The next hour and a half were equally mesmerizing. With a light snowfall, the scene was straight out of a story book.

Bum La: We got out of the car and started walking toward the border. The army releases batches of people to walk toward the border. This is a good way to manage crowd and ensure that the people understand the importance of the border and not view it as a tourist spot. We were lucky to get into in the initial batch. As we walked, an Indo-China welcome gate, started showing up. No barbed wires and no walls.  An army officer was sharing facts about the border and most tourists were listening patiently. Far and away there was no one to be seen. Just the mountains and snow. I wondered what would be life here for our army men. Guarding this border and talking to tourists on the days it was allowed. These men had a lonely and hard job.

Briefing by the army officer

Line of Actual Control: LAC as it is called is a demarcation line that separates the Indian controlled territories from the Chinese controlled territory. A LAC was further ahead of the gate. Tourists are allowed to go until this gate. Beyond that, the area is strictly reserved for the army. The army officer told us that the Chinese would be watching movements and any deviations from the norm aren’t taken lightly.

Heap of Stones: There are five mutually agreed upon official meeting points for the Indian Army and the Chinese Army.Bum La is one of those meeting points. When ever there is a need for consultation or a face to face chat, the Chinese army crosses the border and comes to the Indian side for a sit-down. Everytime that happens,  a stone with the dates is added to the heap of stones.

The heap of stones
The heap of stones

Due to security and the location of Bum La, the army does not allows pictures of the mountains or a video of how the place looks like. But that wasn’t needed too. What’s itched in the memory stays there. Isn’t it?

After soaking on all those stories that Bum La had to offer, we began our return journey that happened to be harder than the onward one. Cars got stuck in snow and the convoy was delayed. Snowfall made things harder and it took us 4 hours to reach home. Inspite of the cold and the challenges and my wet socks, the day was memorable.

Every time I will think of Arunachal Pradesh, I will be reminded of Bum La and the border which is India Army’s workplace.

In April 2018, we went on a road trip to Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya. Check this space for more travel stories and pictures. 

32 thoughts on “Bum La – The Line of Actual Control”

  1. On a recent trip to Tawang, my parents secured permit online before their departure. It makes things simple. Otherwise, as pointed out by you, the locals in Arunachal will always come to your rescue. The scenery is stunning. I guess this is unique to this region. Do you find any similarity with Ladakh, Parul?

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    1. We also had the inner line permit that is issued online. That’s to visit Arunachal. The one to Bum La needs to be requested separately.
      Arunachal’s range is the little
      Himalayas. So the mountains do appear similar but they also look way closer. 🙂 the difference I felt was due to snow and the height is less making is much easier than Ladakh.

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  3. I remember a holiday in Arunachal Pradesh ( NEFA as it was then called) I think we went to a place called Bomdi La which was on the way to Se La and the scenery was mind blowing . I was a kid way back then but still remember the beauty of the mountains and the rhododendron in bloom . Your post brought back those memories.

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  6. I’m always amazed by the intrepid nature of you two as travelers. And what wonderful places you visit too. Such picturesque locations with a bit of history thrown in for good measure. 🙂

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  8. Indeed they have a really lovely job. Absolutely loved reading this post… And admire your quest to find these beautiful locations that are off the beaten track. It’s interesting to know about the story behind those stones.

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  10. I loved the heap of stones. It seems that they have met quite a few times. Recently I visited Nathu La and had a similar experience with permit. I love reading your travel tales Parul. Keep them coming.

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  12. This was an amazing traveling experience, Parul. I am so glad that you got to experience Bum La. So fascinating. I would love to go someday. A visit to the North east has been on the cards for me for ages. Don’t know when it will materialize. And like you I have the highest regard for the people in the Armed Forces. What they endure can never be repaid. Loved this!

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  13. First of all, I love the title of the post!

    While we went to Nathu-la lasy year, there was an issue with the permits as well. Finally, we had to pay extra and get it done. I’m waiting to explore more of the East now. Bookmarking this post for the near future 🙂

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  14. What an amazing post on picturesque bum-la. The pictures are mesmerising. Loved reading this. Thanks for sharing Parul.

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  15. Beautiful, Parul. This made me think of my Dad. Although he never spoke of it until a few months before his passing, his batman told us tales of how Dad and a very small contingent of soldiers collected and buried bodies of the Chinese and Indian soldiers, post the 1962 operations, ensuring that they were given dignified ‘send-offs’.

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