Nature · Cho La
Photographing the Chola range
The Chola range above the Silk Route offers some of the widest high-altitude views in Sikkim: bare ridges, frozen lakes, snowfields and Tibet's Chumbi Valley below. How to photograph it well within strict border rules.
The drive to Cho La passes high lakes, snowfields and bare, rolling ridges above 4,000 m, with the Chola range forming the border to the north and east. In October and November the air is clearest and the grass gold; in May and June, snow still lies on the higher slopes.
This is a sensitive border zone. Photography of troops, posts, vehicles and installations is forbidden, and rules on landscape photography are set on the day by the escort. Drones are banned. Ask before every photograph near the pass, and delete images if asked to.
Keep camera batteries warm in an inside pocket, as they drain quickly in the cold. Use the homestay night for sunrise and sunset photographs of the Silk Route villages, where restrictions are lighter. Above all, keep your movements slow at altitude: no running up slopes for a better angle.
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Questions travellers ask
Before you book
Is photography allowed at Cho La?
Only as permitted by the escort on the day. Photographing soldiers, posts, vehicles and installations is forbidden, and landscape photography may be restricted near the border. Drones are completely banned. Always ask first and follow instructions without argument.
What camera gear should we take to Cho La?
A phone or a light camera with a wide-to-standard zoom is enough. Bring spare batteries kept warm inside your jacket, a polarising filter for the deep sky, lens cloths for snow and dust, and gloves you can operate a camera with. Leave drones at home.
When is the best light at Cho La?
Mornings usually have the clearest skies before cloud builds, and visits are scheduled in the morning anyway. October and November are the most reliable months. Use the Silk Route homestay night for sunrise and sunset photographs, where fewer restrictions apply.
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