31st July, 2020, Mumbai
“Julay”!
With this one word, literally any emotion can be expressed in Ladakh!
Hello, thank you, good bye, how are you, nice to meet you, you’re welcome!!
I can say hence my sportsmanship went to meet my adventure instincts first time there! An opening tryst with Himalayas was set to begin in heaven on earth, Kashmir! Heart on power dose!
One small decision to take a break for a fortnight to Leh-Ladakh opened the gates of high altitude mountaineering for me. What was it like then on first date with Himalayas? Now that there’s time on hand, I reminisce this past decade, but more importantly the first step, that was launched in Kashmir & Ladakh!
Diamox on safety net! High altitude in mind!
It’s been exactly a decade after I took my first high altitude expedition to Himalayas in Kashmir-Leh-Ladakh. The decade also coincided with my 30s when I grew to be an independent working woman, looking for existential sense in salaries earned.
Much before that, one more decade ahead when ‘I’ had begun, I was a rebel born in most conventional society. In India, with Rajasthani ancestry, Gujarati upbringing, feminine ceilings, Mumbaiya dreams, and Indian fighter spirit, I left my birth place for work. I was the first one in our family to do so in years to come. My helpless parents couldn’t understand their daughter’s actions (woman going away to earn while the house was running by patriarchs of family already, not considering matrimony in a race to make career, travelling on freewheel to parts of the world unusual, learning least of what women usually do in kitchens and with family). The phase was very tough on my parents under perceptions of generation gap with children. The routes I had taken in my life were even more unconventional, on top of their challenging life already. I was on my own. God was supportive. Things didn’t turn into any worrisome disaster ever in neither career nor life.
But today I was looking back, far back to lengths of roads I had taken. Two decades of work, with half of it having soul wrenching learnings from mountains, oceans, and all my adventures across width of life, were fulfilling I sensed. The reflections went on the other side of ocean the humanity is swimming currently. New wave of pandemic was setting new order. Almighty seemed to have taken control of world again, for better existence I sensed. These were peaceful reflections.
I was back on the grounds of tough terrains I’d set foot on this past decade; this time with memories online, obeying Corona specs.
I went back to the days I travelled, backpacked, and spent on the shoulders of mountain gods. I just reached heaven on earth Kashmir, in its capital Srinagar. How easy was it to go to the heaven! I just took a flight from Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport Mumbai to Srinagar Airforce Base Kashmir! Routes of my first expedition took me there! Any woman would have felt lucky that God first made a tough girl and then sent her to tough terrains driving soul nuts in a Jeep Safari, for exactly 15 days! Baggage and bodies dumped together longest for the first time, with strange new people to spend a fortnight with!
I must add God never disappoints on first adventures, seeming risky. Fear’s first destruction unfolds courage beautifully, on the paths of inner GPS!
Once in the heaven, we took pleasure in setting foot on magical lands.
Srinagar – Uley Tokpo – Leh – Pangong Tso - Tso Moriri – Sarchu – Keylong – Manali – McLeodGanj – Dalhousie – Amritsar! [Place the cursor on each word to see its quick description]
It felt great to put our souls exactly on the same route on Google Maps today.
Memory of this route was dug a decade later from an old email sent to us to the participants of “Nature Knights Himalayan Safari”. Time frame was set! 14 nights 15 days, July 2010!
Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab! 3 States!
Refilling the route with emotions called for some time travelling. We lived in Srinagar in houseboat under Muslim vibes, took jeep safari to Drass, Kargil, Leh and then to Buddhist Ladakh valley across river Indus. Eyes could witness ranges of The Great Himalayas, Karakoram, Zanskar & Ladakh! How rich could one be in the lap of reality perceived only through pictures until then? The trip was set to enter Himachal Pradesh, the land crafted from history and mythology, and Amritsar Punjab!
Visuals here are of moments we witnessed ourselves on the way.
Srinagar
Our excitement of noted houseboat stay in Dal Lake was palpable on day one. Enjoying the pace of life in Shikaras, moving with floating shops selling precious stones & jewels, was an experience! During the day, we climbed up Shankaracharya hill, enjoyed royal vistas at Chashma Shahi mughal garden, and had our rich Mughlai food in the houseboat.
Watching the evening wear deep silence was soothing. Getting clicked in Kashmiri Pheran (traditional dress) under twilights of dusk, shopping famous Pashmina shawls & Kashmiri handicrafts in Dal lake ticked our to-do list in ‘Venice of the East’!
We signed off Srinagar with next morning Shikara ride to the floating vegetable market (the only one of its kind in India), sipping Kashmiri Kahwah!
It was time to hit the roads for onward journey!
Srinagar – Uley Tokpo (Lower Western Ladakh)
The route had commanding views of Sonamarg, historic Sindhu (Indus river), Amarnath Yatra camps, and steep ascents of Zojila pass that negotiated a deep canyon. Due to snowfalls and extremely unstable terrain, the narrow pass was rough & perilous to negotiate. The road was mostly broken and strewn with stones during much of its length. Zojila had the distinction of being the highest place on earth where a tank war was fought (India claimed the pass from Pakistan in Nov 1948).
Descending from the pass, the road came to flat area and followed a few more villages for 20-25 kms before reaching Drass, the coldest inhabited place in India. In January 1995, mercury plunged to -60°C, claimed to be lowest temperature recorded anywhere outside Siberia. Drass had mountains in the distance where famous Kargil War was fought in 1999 to dislodge Pakistani infiltrators. The place still struck the patriotic chord with us Indians. Just beyond the town, a war memorial was built in memory of fallen Indian soldiers.
Beyond Drass, the terrain got increasingly barren before reaching Kargil, biggest town between Srinagar and Leh. The road wound through fields and villages with LoC (Line of Control – border with Pakistan) visible a few miles away across the hill. Kargil from Drass was roughly halfway to Leh.
Leaving Kargil, the Leh road crossed Suru towards Wakha river. Continuing along the river, we approached Mulbek (45 km from Kargil). We had a brief stopover there to look around the 8th century rock carvings there. The place had distinct 9m/30ft high sculpture of Maitreya, the future Buddha and a few roadside restaurants around.
It was almost dusk by now. We moved further crossing dramatic terrains of giant mountain humps before reaching Fotu-La pass late in the night. It was the highest pass on Srinagar-Leh road. Somewhere in the night, we crossed Lamayuru and giant crater-like depression called ‘Moonland’ before reaching Uley Tokpo for our night stay.
Uley Tokpo – Leh
Uley Tokpo was in the valley of the great Indus river, we followed all the way to Leh, driving upstream along its north bank. Our night halt at Uley allowed us some time the next day to explore interesting sites before reaching Leh. Alchi, Ladakh’s most historic monastery, Confluence of Zanskar river (greenish white) and Indus river (muddy brown), Magnetic Hill, where if vehicle’s ignition was switched off, it would begin moving mysteriously for a short distance. We also visited a small Sikh temple called Patther Sahib Gurudwara on the way.
It was lunch time and hotel Kaal was awaiting us at Leh. Rest of the day was spent relaxing, chilling in lawns of the hotel and later shopping at market nearby.
It was good fun to go for river rafting the next morning. Chilled waters and long river stretch of Zanskar made us hanker for food by the afternoon! Delicious meals were so deservedly served to us too!
Next up was Thiksey. The hill over which Thikse Gompa sprawled was a near perfect pyramid before the monastery came up, striking in its proportions well. The main temples were on the top of the hills while monks’ quarters mainly crowd the lower slopes. Due to its location and spread, it felt great to spend time enjoying vistas around.
We visited Shanti Stupa in the evening. Built by the ‘Peace Sect’, an association of Japanese Buddhists, and inaugurated by the Dalai Lama in 1983, the Shanti Stupa crowned a hill on the western edge of the Leh Valley. It could be reached by flight of steps (157 in all) that rose just off Changspa. The chalk white stupa was a place of peace and reflection. The walls of the dome inside were embellished with Buddha images.
Remote Ladakh
Away in the eastern highlands of Changthang bordering Tibet, were Ladakh’s most spectacular destinations, the great lakes of Pangong-Tso and Tso-Moriri. These vast bodies of shimmering water were hemmed in by barren mountains at altitude well above 4200m/1400ft. The only habitations were isolated camps of the Changpa nomads but there was plenty of wildlife – marmots, kiangs (wild ass), migratory birds like bar-headed geese and much else. Both lakes were in restricted zones, tourists required permits, easily obtained from DC office.
One normally needed 2 days to visit either lake as roads wound through amazing landscapes, rugged, empty, and silent. We visited both over next 2 days starting each day early. Pangong-Tso was 5-6 hours drive from Leh (154km east). It was great to allow sometime to savour the lake’s scenic splendor.
We then headed to Chang-La, which at 5270m/1729ft was, claimed to be the third highest motorable pass in the world before descending to Tangtse, the last major settlement on the route. It was our smart move to cover some distance by reaching Korzok village near Tso-Moriri. We lived there in tented accommodation overnight.
Madness prevailed with our group members during the trip. We, the fellow travelers, ended up clicking pictures mostly from so called ‘creative’ angles! Team attitude was cool; who cared how we came across each other? When we reached Chang La, the 3rd highest pass, I had often wondered why didn’t we go to 1st or 2nd highest pass instead of 3rd first?! We concluded orderliness had nothing to do with sequences in the life of abnormal people! It was a land of high-altitude so our words maintained higher altitude !
- “Speed Thrills but Kills”
- “Life is a Limited Company with Unlimited Dreams”
- “Hell was full so I am back”
- “Drive Don’t Fly”
- “Be Soft on My Curves”
These were some of the lines written on signages dotting roadsides there. What a facility to refill souls whenever it slipped into forgetfulness!
Next day, starting again early morning, we visited lake Tso-Moriri. It had incredible vista, pristine deep blue waters, and sparkling landscape. Tso-Moriri was a birdwatcher’s delight. From there towards Sarchu were the most remote, untouched, and beautiful landscapes of the region. It was a visual treat. The flat land was surrounded by distant hills in various shades of brown, ash, and purple. It was barren, empty wasteland, stretching seemingly for miles filling one with that sense of complete isolation areas of Ladakh evoked.
The drive continued into dirt tracks south-eastward passing between two hills, one reddish, the other slate-colored, to emerge in another vast desolate stretch called Morey Plains. The dramatic flat land extending some 50kms had surreal beauty about it, best captured when scattered clouds threw patterns of light and shade on the terrain creating magical landscape!
Entering Himachal Pradesh at Sarchu, Lahaul & Spiti Valley
We continued way long towards rocky coned landscapes and arched natural gateway, just before Pang. Pang was a usual stop for lunch, with an array of eateries with tables in the open. Once done, we moved ahead and crossed beautiful Lachulungla Pass. Zig zag road called Ghatta Loops comprising 21 hairpin bends added great excitement as we gained height and peered down. We clicked a few snaps at Nakeela Pass and hurried to reach Sarchu, a vast camping ground, with colonies of tents pitched on flat grassy valley.
Himachal Pradesh encompassed all five mountain ranges that comprised Western Himalaya (Shivaliks, Dhauladhar, Pir Panjal, Great Himalayan, and Zanskar). While being in Himachal, one always sensed that the land existed for ages under mythological significance. Colors of customs had thick layers seemingly never washed away!
Having spent a night at Sarchu, we began our journey in Lahaul & Spiti Valley. On the way was beautiful BaralachLa Pass. It was a snowy pass with Suraj Tal lake in the distance. We stopped there to get the feel of the place and snap pictures at the source of Bhaga & Chandra rivers. 40 more kilometers and we reached Darcha, the first permanently inhabited place after Himalayan wilderness. Across river tributaries and wide valley, we met Jispa before reaching Keylong for night halt. Two third of the Leh-Manali higway was covered.
Overall experience saw stunning landscapes, cultural hues, and vast remoteness. Tough drives with mild altitude sickness on one of the most sparsely inhabited region felt pleasing. Sensing country’s highest, coldest, and driest zone elevated our profiles with nature. Being citizens of megapolis pinched a bit.
Keylong was a small town sprawling on valley floor with a highway clinging to hillside. To reach a main street called mall road, one had to go down steps descending from bus stand on the highway. We spent sometime in the evening shopping and strolling on mall road.
Mornings were always fresh and energetic with charms of beautiful countryside added. 114 Kms more to Manali! The road upto to Rohtang Pass was free of chaos & traffic.
Manali, Kullu Valley
On the last 50 km stretch to Manali, traffic was barely crawling and winding descent was choking. The beautiful hillside of Solang valley hosted traffic jams of thousands of tourists on the way. Up there in the sky were paragliders adding contrast to overall vista in the valley. We reached Manali late in afternoon leaving all wilderness behind us, in Ladakh.
The stay at Manali was refined compared to earlier stays in Ladakh. We looked more civilized. Famous Mall Road was there too in Manali. We shopped quite a bit for mid-night birthday celebrations for Rakhi & Bindhu. There were apple orchards and a well-tended garden in the hotel courtyard. We relaxed, chattered, and ate a lot in the few hours of reaching. With a day of shopping, walking, and strolling, it was time to go to our next big destination, McLeodGanj, where we would spend next 3 days.
Long way to Dharamsala & Mcleodganj, Kangra Valley
After the rugged drives in Ladakh, it was our plan to include relaxed forest stays and hilltop treks for rejuvenation. Mcleodganj was the perfect place. With 7-8 hrs drive via Mandi and Palampur, we reached Mcleodganj, elevated at 2000m on lower slopes of Dhauladhar above Dharamshala.
Known as Little Lhasa, the place was the home of Tibetan government-in-exile as India gave refuge to Dalai Lama when he fled from Tibet. The place unfailingly lived up to its name (Dharamshala) welcoming tired travelers in search of spiritual bliss. It could be a person’s last temptation, a final backward glance, at all pleasures to forgo before hard climbs ahead!! Over the time the place had reinvented itself from halting station to a destination, with upper half being Mcleodganj and lower half being Dharamshala.
Authentic homestay food, lush green Triund trek, forest walks, evening strolls near centers of meditation & performing arts, German bakery & café, shopping at the main square, visiting temples & monasteries were the experiences in lap of serenity.
Changing course to Chamba & Dalhousie
We extended our trip into Chamba region, tucked between Dhauladhar & Pir Panjal and fed by the great river Ravi. A few hours to chill at Chaugan, Chamba’s central promenade and a recreation ground was good enough on last legs of our journey. We didn’t miss to visit the ancient Laxmi Narayan Temple complex though in Chamba.
It was adventurous to visit abandoned remains of Dalhousie (one disowned by Lahore due to the partition). During our stay at Gandhi Chowk, we did a walk around and it gave sense of exactly why it was called a bit lousy and dull.
Catching Punjab at Amritsar
An evening flag-lowering ceremony at Wagah-India International Border woke lighter moods of patriotism! We were on the historic grand trunk road between Lahore & Amritsar. It was the closest I had ever been to Pakistan!
On the last day of our journey, we spent peaceful time visiting Golden Temple and historic Jalianwala Bagh.
Ladakh saw fabrics of time weaving new layers on climate every day! In a moment, bright shiny azures changed into sparkling dark twinkles or into hues mesmerizing! It was worth savoring the moments of grandeur and beauty of life.
Ladakh felt rock solid with men and machines on tests often. The scenes took breathes away when hordes of motorcyclists, with their paraphernalia, zoomed past! Instantaneously the beautiful terrain would turn into practice grounds of toughness!
Being live in wallpaper frames, witnessing the very frames turn into new contours and changing landscapes reminded something profound. If the life of rigid mountains could create art of life, why couldn't we, the flexible souls, create life of art?
When we started, we were strangers to each other. Today a decade later, we were definite in the list of close friends often out on lunches together! The friendship had lifelong warranty.
My first step into thin air turned out to be a fascinating trailer of geology & mythology. It had natural episodes of thrill-rides in mighty Himal-yan. It felt as if the silent landscapes were making secret pacts of later journeys into thinner air! For long, I didn’t understand that mountains took preliminary tests before qualifiers!
For anyone planning to go to Leh-Ladakh, I would suggest a few tips.
- Soak yourself into readings beforehand. Order a related book online if you're in need of one. Once you're in Ladakh, you would want to enjoy the raw beauty of being there. Reading and seeing the landscape can't be done together; mild headache and slight sensations of altitude would anyways won't allow you to do so.
- Savour the local food - Thukpa, Momos, Maggi/Noodles..
- Look for doing a small adventure. You can choose to do a trek, river rafting etc.
- Visit Gompas / Monasteries to understand Buddhist Culture
- Leave the environment clean wherever you go (support staff or no support staff). Never throw garbage outside dustbins.
- Refer these two links for quick look on wikipedia: for Srinagar-Leh route, for Manali-Leh route
- The picture gallery embedded here has lots of visuals and storytelling. Have a look at it in case you are looking for greater details
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