Go Tawang

Living up here in Tawang, you get used to the cold and the thin air pretty fast. We’re located in the Shyo area, which is a quiet part of town. Most of the time, we’re just helping people figure out how to get around this part of the world. It’s not like driving in a city. The roads here have a mind of their own, especially when the snow starts or the clouds come down low. We know these hills because we grew up in them. When someone comes to visit, we just tell them the truth about what’s open and what’s blocked. It’s mostly about being practical. We don't have a big fancy office with posters everywhere. It’s just a room where we keep our maps and talk to travelers. Sometimes we spend hours just explaining why a certain pass is closed or where the best view is today. The weather changes so fast here that you can't really plan everything to the minute. We tell people to just take it slow and enjoy the mountains. We’ve seen Tawang change a lot over the years, but it’s still home. Most evenings we just sit around, drink some hot tea, and wait for the next group to arrive. It’s a small operation, just a few of us who know the local spots. We don't try to make things sound better than they are. The mountains are beautiful, but they’re tough. You just learn to live with the unpredictability of it all.