Καταπληκτικές φωτογραφίες ενός από τους πλέον επικίνδυνους δρόμους των Ιμαλαΐων

Η National Highway 22 στην περιοχή Χιμάτσαλ Πραντές του Θιβέτ είναι μια μια εντυπωσιακή οδική αρτηρία που πλαισιώνεται εναλλάξ από άγρια, χιονισμένα βουνά και άγονες πεδιάδες μεγάλου υψομέτρου.

Κάποτε αποτελούσε μέρος του φημισμένου Δρόμου του Μεταξιού ωστόσο διανήχθηκε για πρώτη φορά το 1850 από τους Βρετανούς με σκοπό να συνδέσει την Ινδία με το Θιβέτ.

Το δρόμο ο οποίος βρίσκεται 3,6 χιλιόμετρα πάνω από την επιφάνεια της θάλασσας φωτογράφισε ο Βρετανός φωτογράφος Gareth Phillips κατά τη διάρκεια ενός ταξιδιού του στην περιοχή, αναφέρει δημοσίευμα του QZ.

Η Ομόσπονδη Πολιτεία Χιμάτσαλ Πραντές ιδρύθηκε το 1971 με την απόσχιση ανατολικού τμημάτος της Πολιτείας Παντζάμπ.

Πιο κάτω μπορείτε να δείτε ορισμένες επιλεγμένες φωτογραφίες από την περιοχή από τη σελίδα του New Yorker Photo στο Instagram.

The Old Hindustan Tibet Road. ​This is the last image from this part of my series on the Old Hindustan Tibet Road and will conclude my New Yorker Instagram takeover. I appreciate you all taking the time to look and comment on my work. Thank you all. Here people are forced to walk a section of road between two landslides, with the precarious fresh overhang of compacted rock above them and the Spiti river flowing below them. This organic and delicate landscape is in a constant state of renewal but maintains an air of unpredictability that envelops all that travel through this mountainous region. Photograph by @garethphillips_ #himachalpradesh #road #india #landslide #car #hindustantibetroad #nationalhighwaytwentytwo #spiti #river

A photo posted by New Yorker Photo (@newyorkerphoto) on Sep 27, 2016 at 8:24am PDT

​The Old Hindustan Tibet Road. Here the high sided mountainous road between Kaza and Nako is observed. The road is an engineering marvel and was made on top of an old bridle path that was used in the times of the Silk Route. Trade and commute is still its primary use with tourism forming a more modern interpretation of its usage. Photograph by @garethphillips_ #himachalpradesh #road #india #landslide #car #mountain #hindustantibetroad #nationalhighwaytwentytwo #kaza #nako #silkroad

A photo posted by New Yorker Photo (@newyorkerphoto) on Sep 26, 2016 at 7:13pm PDT

​The Old Hindustan Tibet Road. Here a wedding party that was travelling along the road close to the town of Sumdo, run over a recent landslide that fell and blocked all traffic for over eight hours. They put themselves at great risk to move across the landslide, as rocks and dust continued to fall upon them. For locals, landslides and their risk are a normal part of life in this region. Photograph by @garethphillips_ #himachalpradesh #road #india #landslide #car #risk #hindustantibetroad #nationalhighwaytwentytwo

A photo posted by New Yorker Photo (@newyorkerphoto) on Sep 26, 2016 at 12:42am PDT

​The Old Hindustan Tibet Road. Here a completely destroyed lorry is observed its metal structure decimated by the power of the stone after falling over the cliff edge. It is not know what happened to its occupants but one must imagine the worst. Photograph by @garethphillips_ #himachalpradesh #road #india #landslide #car #lorry #crash #hindustantibetroad #nationalhighwaytwentytwo

A photo posted by New Yorker Photo (@newyorkerphoto) on Sep 25, 2016 at 8:23am PDT

The Old Hindustan Tibet Road. ere a meandering road snakes its way along the steep sides of valley, with the Spiti River hundreds of feet below. Huge stone boulders pot mark the landscape giving a sense precarious balance that exists in his region. Landslides often occur too. Photograph by @garethphillips_ #himachalpradesh #road #india #landslide #car #hindustantibetroad #nationalhighwaytwentytwo

A photo posted by New Yorker Photo (@newyorkerphoto) on Sep 23, 2016 at 5:24am PDT

The Old Hindustan Tibet Road. Here a gang of road workers lay fresh tarmac onto a section of old dust road. The gang work at a frenetic pace to lay the road whilst a mechanical road roller follows them and presses the new road into completion. All the while a queue of traffic awaits its finish before travelling along the still steaming new tarmac. Photograph by @garethphillips_ #himachalpradesh #road #india #landslide #car #workers #newroad #hindustantibetroad #nationalhighwaytwentytwo

A photo posted by New Yorker Photo (@newyorkerphoto) on Sep 22, 2016 at 6:14pm PDT

The Old Hindustan Tibet Road. ​Here the beauty of the mountain landscape along this road is observed. The mountain range surrounding Kinner Kelash can be seen for miles around. Photograph by @garethphillips_ #himachalpradesh #road #india #landslide #car #mountains #kinnerkelash #kinnaur #hindustantibetroad #nationalhighwaytwentytwo

A photo posted by New Yorker Photo (@newyorkerphoto) on Sep 22, 2016 at 2:09am PDT

​Here a small tributary road off the main road to Chitkul is observed. The geology of the landscape changes vastly as you traverse to higher altitudes going from pine forest surrounds to arid altitudinal desert. Photograph by @garethphillips_ #himachalpradesh #road #india #landslide #car #hindustantibetroad #nationalhighwaytwentytwo

A photo posted by New Yorker Photo (@newyorkerphoto) on Sep 21, 2016 at 5:33pm PDT

Morning, this is photographer Gareth Phillips posting from my recent trip to Himachal Pradesh. I will be showing images from a project I am working on about high altitude roads in India. This week, you’ll see photos of The Old Hindustan Tibet road or National Highway 22 as its now known, In the central Himalayas, which has been dubbed one of the world’s most treacherous roads due to its perilous drops, continual landslides, frequent car accidents. The road connects the former British hill station of Shimla to the Indian border post of Shipki La. It was originally part of the ancient silk route and was then developed by the British in 1850 as a way of improving trade links with Tibet and China. Although the border between India and Tibet is now closed, the road supports a constant flow of traffic and daily commutes for locals, taking trade from town to town and attracting adventure tourism. The work I am showing focuses on the elliptical nature of the road, with fragility, destruction, renewal and beauty intertwining on a daily basis. As sporadic landslides destroy sections of the road, commuters are forced to take great risks to continue their journeys. As unfortunate drivers lose control and crash over the mountainous edges, the car wrecks are found and recycled. As road workers expose their bodies to the dusty sun scorched elements, their toil secures a temporary flow of traffic and movement. Its a delicate balance that binds all that use this road with the only constant being beauty and awe for anyone who travels along this ancient and vital road. Here the road from Khab to Nako is observed with the Spiti River deep below the valley. It is close the the Shipki Pass that takes you to the border of India and Tibet. Photograph by @garethphillips_ #himachalpradesh #road #india #landslide #car #hindustantibetroad #nationalhighwaytwentytwo

A photo posted by New Yorker Photo (@newyorkerphoto) on Sep 21, 2016 at 9:07am PDT

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