National Highway 505 (India)

National Highway 505 was designated as Himachal State Highway 30 prior to its being named on 4 March 2014 as a national highway. The highway runs through the high-elevation, cold desert area of the Lahaul and Spiti valleys of Himachal, which area receive negligible rainfall. The terrain is barren and treacherous, prone to landslides and disruptions. The road is narrow and rough at places, and crosses the high-elevation Kunzum pass, requiring good driving skills in mountains. NH 505 has been of key importance to the growth of a cash crop economy, mass tourism, and the expansion of telecommunications in Spiti. This highway provides connectivity to some major Buddhist monasteries and various other interesting places. == Route ==

The route of NH 505 starts at the Khab Sangam in Kinnaur district from National Highway 5. It runs along the Spiti Valley through Kinnaur and enters Lahaul and Spiti district at Sumdo. It continues up the Spiti Valley to Kunzum Pass. It descends and follows the Chandra River to the terminus at Gramphoo. en route to Kaza, the largest town in the Spiti Valley. Near Lingti, before Kaza, the road to Pin Valley National Park branches off over the Attargo Bridge to the right bank of the Spiti. On the Tabo side of Lingti is the road to the Dhanker Monastery. In this section, the riverbed is very wide, up to in places. The river itself is much narrower and meanders in braids along the broad riverbed. NH 505 continues on the right bank running through a flat, narrow valley in which the Spiti Rver has carved a gorge about deep. The road crosses back to the left bank before Kialto village. Here, the Kaza-Kibber road rejoins NH 505, a distance of from Kibber. After Morang and Hanse villages, the valley broadens before Losar village. After Losar, NH 505 turns up the right bank of the Lichu, a right bank tributary of the Spiti. The road climbs gradually up to Kunzum La, elev. . There is a temple at the pass. File:NH505 Spiti Kaza Losar Jun18 D72 7797.jpg|Spiti gorge above Kaza with NH 505 on the right bank (view from Kibber-Kialto road) File:NH505 Spiti Kaza Losar Jun18 D72 7800.jpg|Spiti gorge with NH 505 on the right and Kibber-Kialto road on the left. File:NH 505-F-Kaza to Losar-16-zwei Bruecken-Erosionsformen-gje.jpg|En route from Kaza to Losar File:NH 505-F-Kaza to Losar-14-zwei Bruecken-gje.jpg|Bridge across Spiti river File:Losar Jun18 D72 7824.jpg|NH 505 entering Losar from the east File:Losar Spiti Upstream Himachal Jun18 D72 7831.jpg|West of Losar towards Kunzum La, Elev. . File:Losar-Kunzum Road Jun18 D72 7836.jpg|Losar-Kunzum Road File:Kunzum La-24-pass height-gje.jpg|Kunzum La, Elev. . From Kunzum pass, the highway descends through steep hairpin bends to Batal village on the left bank of the Chandra River. Chandra Taal is a pristine lake on the Chandra River popular with tourists and high-altitude trekkers. The road to Chandra Taal branches off from NH 505 about from Batal and from Kunzum Pass. From Batal, NH 505 follows the left bank of the Chandra River, practically running on the riverbed in some places, as both sides of the narrow valley are very steep. This section is largely unpaved and impassable during the winter months. Passing through Chotta Dara, the highway reaches Chhatru, where it crosses to the right bank. It climbs steeply and runs along the top of a cliff overlooking the Chandra River until the terminus at Gramphu (Gramphoo). File:NH505 Chandra River Batal Chhatru Jun18 D72 8022.jpg|Bara Shigri Glacier on the right bank of the Chandra File:NH505 Chandra River Batal Chhatru Jun18 D72 8028.jpg|NH 505 runs along Chandra riverbed below Batal File:NH 505-J-Batal to Chhatru-02-gje.jpg|Batal to Chhatru File:NH 505-J-Batal to Chhatru-22-Schild-gje.jpg|Chhatru village File:NH 505-K-Chhatru to Gramphu-08-gje.jpg|Chhatru to Gramphu File:Gramphoo, Himachal Pradesh.jpeg|Junction with NH 3 on left at Gramphu == Junctions ==