Ladakh : Four days with the elements

Pangong lake

For millennia, humans have tried to break down what they see & perceive into basic building blocks, fundamental causations; elements if you will. Artists would capture earthly beauty in different forms, and men of science would strive to find the reasons for their existence. But, the elements themselves were rarely an object of praise and awe, in fact they are more likely to be described in stories of destruction – tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis etc.

But, now in 4 days, we were to experience them as never before, in the world’s highest ecosystem – Ladakh, a barren wasteland that rarefies life itself so that the elements might surface in all their glory!

Now, a 4 day trip is quite normal for most places, but here one element was going to make that a bit tougher – Oxygen. It’s a precious commodity at 3500mts in Leh, dropping by about 40% in density from sea level. AMS is common and we had to rest on day 1 to acclimatise, but the threat was always around the corner as we took on the passes of Khardungla and Changla. But as the air gets thinner, life giving water comes forth in more ways than one.

Snow near Khardungla

Enjoying the snow after Khardungla 

We travelled in September, the shoulder season, when the weather transits from a pleasant summer to the blistering cold that freezes all activity quite literally. The passes though, are still open and Khardung la, once the highest motorable road in the world, promised a lot. It is a fairly quick ascent as you leave Leh behind, soon a little larger than a speck on the barren landscape. But, after South Pullu, the frost begins to appear – as icicles, retreated glaciers and finally hardened snow at Khardung la itself. But, the real treat was to come during the descent from K-la. Mere moments after we crossed, the normally blue skies gave way for grey clouds and fresh snowfall that followed us for at least 1000m of descent, and as the earth gets covered in sheets of snow, it becomes for a coast dwelling Bombayite nothing short of winter wonderland. Lower, down towards Khalsar en route to Nubra, small villages appear amidst the barren landscape, clinging like parasites to a river along the slope or one flowing through the valley. And so they must – in this moonland of a world, water is a precious resource. But not all water is life giving. The next day we travelled to Pangong lake – a high altitude salt water lake that does not support much life (no fish). It’s only fitting that here surrounded by lifeless mountains, the lake does the same. But the hues of brown with the strikingly blue water lashing upon the shore of balancing stones is an allure for most. So much that it brought the production team of the Bollywood movie ‘3 idiots’ here. The movie was successful and made Pangong famous. But, with that came hordes of more idiots to her shores, many looking for that selfie on Kareena’s scooter or for that award winning accomplishment – to tell the world they stood where the 3 idiots stood! On the fourth day, my travelling colleague overheard a tourist screaming out a famous line from the movie – “All is hell” (All is well). Please save Pangong lake.

A sparkling river in a lifeless gorge

Night sky @ Pangong

The colours of Pangong aren’t specific to the lake. Our trips along the Skyok river and in Panamik were a feast for the eyes. Red to purple to green – who says the earth is just brown?! For a change, it was the rocks, boulders and sand rather than the flora that gave us colour. Speaking of sand, we got yellows and greys too – amidst the dunes of Hunder. These are the images that can test a Sony Bravia!  

Shades of Panamik

Crossing the dunes

The Shyok route throws some wide valleys at you

Sunset at Tsemo Gompa

Mist at Panamik

Leaving a mark @ Hunder

Apples from the hotel garden@Hunder

The elements tested us too, physically. But, they left us better and in rapture. Earth, water & air left us with a high. Before you ask about fire – well, yes we didn’t get fiery sunsets or an orange autumn. Perhaps, we needed more time.

*Thanks to Sidney & Nyzel for the photographs

ITINERARY

Day 1: Fly to Leh + Acclimatize

Day 2: Leh to Panamik to Hunder (via Khardungla)

Day 3: Hunder to Pangong (via Shyok)

Day 4: Pangong to Leh via Changla

Day 5: Fly back to Bombay

Stopover in Lahaul - Keylong

It was thrilling to peer down at the panorama below – the green canopy dotted with tiny houses, the fields and the winding roads on the mountain slopes -a somewhat familiar yet satisfying experience, especially since I wasn’t looking at river fed plains from just another hill station – this was the Kullu valley, already at over 1,500 mts! We are taking the last few curves in the road before we cross Rohtang la (3998 mts) into Lahaul. (This time with a colleague of mine, SP)

You follow the Chandra river (above) till Tandi, from then on it's the Bhaga

The Rohtang pass is often visited by tourists in Manali – It is a sure way to touch and feel snow, which for largely tropical dwelling Indians is a fantasy in itself. But, today I want to cross over to the other side of the pass. A quick glance towards the end of the road before it turns left and down into Lahaul, reveals snow capped ranges with mountain sides barren and bereft of life. We were now moving into the famous cold desert of North India, which stretches from Himachal Pradesh to Ladakh.

After stopping briefly at the pass to watch the setting sun turn the mountain tops orange, we hasten in the descent – the roads aren’t the best and we need to make the best of whatever light we have. We arrive at 8pm in a half-shut Keylong and make a beeline for Tashi Deleg, one of the better hotels near our drop off point and the marketplace.

Desert capital

Keylong, at over 3,000 mts is the capital of the Lahaul-Spiti district in Himachal Pradesh. She sits timidly on the banks of the Bhaga waiting to be discovered by travelers. The truth is many travelers do stop here. Given that it is a district capital, you will get mobile connectivity, a hospital if required, plenty of shops and hotels. It therefore becomes a convenient night halt for those going from Manali to Leh. But unfortunately, that’s how it remains – a night halt. That shouldn’t take anything away from the fact that it is a really picturesque little village. But before we explore Keylong and her people, we head out for a rendezvous with one of the highest lakes in India – Suraj Tal

Barren Lahauli landscape

 Water on high

When you are travelling through the hills, you inevitably end up following a river which is natural considering the landscape that it creates. Today, we travel along the Bhaga, still on the Manali-Leh highway. We soon leave the fields of Keylong, there isn’t any green to be seen anymore, only shades of brown with fine blue lines of the Bhaga creating a vein-like pattern over the land. After crossing the check post at Darcha, the climb gets steeper and the terrain still harsher. Landslides are more common and we are halted several times. This lifeless spectacle will continue for the rest of the journey. 

Landslides are common (Darcha down below)

For an urbanite, brought up in the one of the most populous cities in the world, the isolation is absolutely exciting.  It makes we wonder how much of a risk we are taking, traversing these parts in a Maruti van.

You can get some great reflections at Deepak Tal

Our first stop is at Deepak Tal near Patseo. It is just large enough to not be called a pond, but is definitely worth the visit. It’s crystal clear and the still waters are a photographer’s delight.  It’s also a nice place to stop before you ascend towards Baralacha La.

Baralacha La is one the higher passes on this route and the ascent can be taxing on your lungs, but it’s worth the effort. The scenery now starts to turn white – frost covers the sides of the road and the snow covered peaks that complete the horizon of the lower villages now seem closer than ever. We never really reached the pass – Suraj Tal, our real destination is just short. The L-shaped lake springs up on you without warning – not that you need one to appreciate its pristine settings. But the lifeless nature of the surroundings continues- we are the only ones here and it doesn’t seem like a much frequented spot anyway.

Suraj Tal

Khardung monastery

There are a few treks around Keylong - to her monasteries that sit atop her high mountains. We find ourselves heading towards the east bank to the Khardung monastery that overlooks the town. You pass the hospital, cross the prayer flag strewn metal bridge and begin climbing towards the monastery. The route takes you through Lahaul at its best. Away from the hotels, the bus stand and the main market on the west bank, Khardung village is a picture postcard of Lahauli village life with potato fields, cubical houses with flat roofs storing hay for the harsh winters, narrow dusty roads devoid of tire marks and the scampering of children and sheep alike in between. The people are friendly and will gladly engage you in conversation. Even the women are fairly bold – we had a bunch that stopped us to ask us for some chocolate!

Potato fields in Khardung village

This man claimed that the original Khardung monastery was down in the village and that he  was  its keeper. 

Got any chocolate?

1.5 hrs of climbing and we are finally there. Khardung monastery is a dainty white building with the front façade decorated with images of animals and men. The courtyard is lined with flower pots, a statue of the Buddha and prayer flags. Apart from that, it was quite the expected - monks solemnly moving around, prayer wheels, prayer flags and pin drop silence. One of the monks comes out to give us a tour of the monastery. The monastery belongs to the Drukpa Kargyud sect and is adorned with paintings on all sides. It also houses some ancient artifacts. But this isn’t the original building – the monastery has been destroyed and rebuilt several times before.

Khardung monastery

The highlight though, is the eagle-eye view of Keylong, right across the river where she lies nestled on the banks,  waiting for the next traveller to Leh to stop by– a perfect fusion of human life, marketplaces, quaint houses, terraced fields and a lifeless desert in the background with God himself standing guard over her!

Keylong from the monastery

Pointers

• If you are taking your own vehicle, tank up at the Petrol pump at Tandi. It is the last one until Leh.
• The roads are often washed away due to rains, melting snow etc and inspite of frequent repair remain in bad shape – account for plenty of time for travel (Manali to Keylong took 6 hrs for a distance of 120kms)
• There are plenty of hotels in Keylong of which the Chandrabaga is probably the best. However, it is not the closest to the market place. You can also choose to stay at the hotel Ibex at Jispa.