Leh Ladakh – Travel to a Celestial World

 

Leh Ladakh – Travel to a Celestial World !

 

“The beautiful memories created in our life’s journey so far,

The memories we cherish and long for,

Will take us through this Pandemic.”

 

One of such most cherished memories in my life is my trip to Leh and Ladakh in 2018. 

‘Once a year’ vacation to explore the world had become a ritual for me and my family. These breaks gave us a way to relax, refresh and rejuvenate ourselves. It is the time when we consciously were able to be with our family, detaching ourselves from everything other than the moment. 

Hindi movies had been an addiction since my childhood. Many Bollywood movies had introduced me to the breathtaking landscapes of India’s cold desert Ladakh. Leh-Ladakh by road was on my bucket list for a long, but apprehensions of the altitude-related health hazards made me procrastinate the travel. Finally, in June 2018, we decided to defer this no further.

 

Let me first share some basic information about Ladakh:

A land like no other with a superabundance of attractions to visit and fabulous landscapes, amazing people and culture, Ladakh is truly a heaven on Earth. With a population of just 2.8 lakh,  Ladakh is located in northern part of India. Till 2019, it was part of Jammu and Kashmir state of India  Following a long pending demand to make Ladakh a union territory, it was finally given status of Union Territory on 31 October 2019. The Union Territory of Ladakh has two districts – Leh and Kargil.  Leh is the capital  of Ladakh. 

 

There are two routes to reach Leh:

• Route 1: Manali – Jispa – Leh (Ladakh)
• Route 2: Srinagar – Kargil – Leh (Ladakh)

A drive from Manali to Leh was the route that we chose. We had been to Himachal earlier and were already entranced in its beauty. Honestly, very few write-ups can do justice to the experience of that journey. The transition from life, softness, and green of Himachal to the ruggedness and barrenness of the less explored Himalayan terrain was nothing short of transitioning through a Never Land. 

 

The Journey

We took an overnight bus ride to Manali from New Delhi. Today it feels like a dream – how crowded was the IST Bus stand in Delhi from where we boarded the HPTDC bus. These places today stay deserted. Heaven knows when the vibrance will return to human lives. 

The next morning on arrival at Manali we were greeted by Tenzing who would drive us through this journey to Leh in his Tata Aria the next day.

 

Day 1 – Manali – Rohtang Pass – Jispa

Rohtang Pass

Rohtang Pass was the first stop. It is a high mountain pass at an altitude of 13050ft. It covers the eastern part of the Pir Panjal Range of the Himalayas. We had to start very early in the morning, speculating the rush of cars in that tourist season; there is a cap on the number of vehicles that would be allowed to Rohtang. It took about 2+ hours to cover the 52km stretch from Manali. There was still considerable snow in early June, good enough to enjoy making snowballs. The altitude did speak on us; light dizziness and heaviness in breathing could be felt. Being a populous tourist spot, we could get coffee from the ladies down below, waiting to sell their stock to the long queues of tourist vehicles. Summer is the only time they can earn – most of the other seasons are tough at this height.

 

Jispa

The first night halt in this journey was in a quaint small village – a scenic and picturesque stretch of land, Jispa. Situated at an elevation of 10500 ft, its located on the banks of the quietly flowing Chandra, a tributary of river Beas. Jispa is part of the Lahaul district of Himachal Pradesh. Few tents and cottages on the banks of the river and a single hotel are all of the tourist accommodations that Jispa offers in that tranquil, quiet serenity. We had put up at that hotel Ibex. It had the necessary amenities including a heater; which, later in the trip, seemed a luxury. 

This stop was intended to acclimatize us to the steep climb on the trip ahead.

 

Day 2: Jispa – Baralachala –TsoMoriri

Bara-lacha la

‘La’ in the local Tibetan language means Pass. Bara- lachu-la was the next high altitude pass on this highway; at an elevation of 16040ft. The uniqueness of this pass was mind-boggling the experience was breathtaking. Snow walls on both sides of the entire stretch of the Highway and traversing through it, in reality, were both mesmerizing and tense. The driver warned us against any slightest disturbance to nature. You are supposed to be dead silent lest you create any turbulence in the ecosystem.

The adventure had had just begun. The snow was melting and at places flowing at great speed. Vehicles as big as army convoys came face to face and the only way to pass was when one vehicle had to reverse in those conditions; wait for the other to cross and then slowly move on; it needed precision and experience to keep the nerves right. 

Tenzing had asked us to keep camphor with us and smell slightly in case of any uneasiness. Though he suggested against getting down a photo shoot break was deserved and earned; for having survived and been witness to this magnificent natural abode. We got down here only for a few minutes, took a few clicks, and back to the car. We do not know what the temperature had been then, but it was quite difficult to withstand it and remain outside the car.

By now we were convinced that this journey was worth it.

 

Sarchu

A mention of Sarchu – a very small village on the Himachal – J&K border is needed. Though we did not do a night halt here, this place provides some basic tented accommodation in the folds of the Himalayas, especially for bikers. Leh is known as a biker’s paradise. With Sarchu we entered J&K – the real Ladakh started. The transition to the world of barrenness. The cold desert, a concept only read in Geography so far.

Tso Moriri

We had decided to take a diversion from the Manali-Leh highway for our next stop at Tso Moriri. Tso Moriri or the Mountain Lake is at an altitude of 14,836 ft, virgin and unscathed. Tso means Lake.

The drive was rough; the tiredness associated with barrenness, coupled with the daytime heat and altitude impacted most of us. When we reached TsoMoriri, we were almost all panting from the lack of oxygen, failing to stand steady at that altitude. We somehow managed to scramble through to the homestay we had booked. After dropping us, Tenzing drove to the nearest Army camp and brought along an army doctor and oxygen cylinder. The support helped us back to our feet by the next morning.

On meeting the hosts of the homestay the next morning at the breakfast corner, we realized that the people who live here are used to oxygen shortness and have accepted the symptoms of lack of oxygen as normal. I wonder now how Ladakh is impacted by the 2nd wave of the pandemic – did not hear that in the media.

Anyways this day we were up fit and fine and ready to hit the roads again. The changing landscape made me again feel like Alice in Wonderland – where you drop in a hole and find your way to a world, away from reality.

 

Day 3: Tso Moriri – Chumathang – Leh

Tso Moriri Lake – so virgin, so unscathed, so pristine, so divine. We also drove past the Tso Kar Lake which is as beautiful but smaller – a lot of its area submerged with sand – eroded with ghastly winds blowing across its landscape.

Due to our deviation from the Manali Leh highway we missed the 2nd highest motorable pass in the world – the Tanglangla pass which according to many offers an awesome view of the terrain. 

 

Chumathang Hot Springs

We joined the Manali Highway back. This point where the diversion from TsoMoriri joins the highway is called Chumanthang. This village is famous for many small hot springs on the river Indus. Chumathang is close to the confluence of Beas and Chandrabhaga when both the rivers, then, together with the flow into Indus. It had a few small eateries around and piping hot Maggie noodles seemed a delicacy.

Home-stays made shift restrooms and hot noodles or Thukpa is all that you have to survive on, to enjoy this natural rustic splendour

 

Day 4: Leh and its Vicinity

Leh offers some striking landforms. All geography knowledge, however, falls short when you are out in that open vastness. Gigantic needle-like structures rising from the sides of the mountains – reminiscences of the mighty Himalayas withered by ferocious winds over several years. Golden yellow formations on the sedimentary rocks make some places have a moon land like appearance. 

We reached Leh that night. Personally, Leh was not a big difference from other hill stations with the many eateries and a Mall. The tourist attractions around Leh had almost the usual summer vacation crowd. Leh is connected by Air to Delhi we too flocked with the crowd. Mention of a few of the attractions that I can still recollect.

Monasteries

The Leh Ladakh region hosts many monasteries – Hemis, Thiksey, Alchi, Rhizong, and Lamayuru are some of them. Each monastery has its own distinct identity; we covered 3 in our trip for want of time.

The Lamayuru Monastery lies in the new Leh-Srinagar highway. It is situated, as if, a façade within the moonstone rocky cliffs. It is difficult to fathom that such a huge gompa could lie in the folds of the mountain, hidden from any normal view.

The Alchi monastery is one of the oldest, built sometime between 958 and 1055, and is on the banks of the mighty Indus. 

Indus Zanskar Sangam

The confluence of two mighty rivers Zanskar and Indus. River rafting is an adventure sport done on a 6km or a 24 km stress on the Zanskar. The distinct color difference of the two rivers at the confluence keeps one wondering how the difference is maintained by nature. One needs to be there in person to feel the tranquility and serenity of the place. How Zanskar flows from within folds of the mighty mountains is incredible.

 

Magnetic Hill

A signboard read “the hill which defies the laws of gravity”. Our driver also proved the same to us. On a plain road, the car moved on with the engine off. The mountain was pulling the car towards it till the driver took control and ignited the engines. They say the science behind this phenomenon is yet unexplained

 

Hall of Fame

An Army museum, this is one of the “Must See” attractions for every Indian and more so for a growing child. It recaps the memories of Indian soldiers who fought various battles and were martyred safeguarding India. How the Indian Army fought valiantly under such challenging weather and difficult terrain. A walk through the gallery of this museum raises a feeling of patriotism, ultimate respect for the Indian Army – Jai Hind. 

 

Day 5 : Leh – Khardungla – Nubra Valley

We stayed two nights in Leh and then moved towards our next planned stop – the Nubra Valley. 

Khardungla Pass

The highest motorable pass lies at a height of 17,582ft. We shivered and yet managed to stand straight for few clicks. To think of a road at that height, which provides for the entire supply to Siachen is in itself a big achievement for the Border Road Organization (BRO) of the Indian Army.

Nubra Valley

Camel Rides, Mountain biking, slow-flowing streams, sand storms all add to the diversity in nature, and amongst these stands the Buddha in the Dikshet Monastery. Folklores say that the structure of Buddha here is so placed that He can oversee our neighbouring countries and protect India. The feeling of nationalism is very strong and avid in the people of that area.

The overnight stay in the camps amidst bonfires is yet another experience worth a mention.

Almost entire Leh has limited electricity. The intensity and duration of solar radiation is being utilized to generate electricity; wastage is controlled and hence most places including camps and tents will switch off the power by 8 pm

Day 6 : Nubra Valley – Pangong Lake

Pangong Lake

The last stop in this thrilling adventurous travel was Pangong Lake. One of the most beautiful lakes in the world at a height of 14,270 ft. The blue waters with variations of color in different strands make this lake a treat to the eyes and mind. The night view of the lake under the moonlit sky was also something to behold. Pangong extends into China with its majority lying in the Chinese territory. We stayed in a well-equipped tent, the last one in the Indian Territory.

 

Day 7: Pangong – Leh

From Pangong, we came back to Leh – again surpassing the world’s 3rd highest motorable pass in world. We took a flight out of Leh to manage the entire trip; from Kolkata to a 10-day stricture.

 

While they say that snowcapped peaks, clear blue skies, barren mountains with meandering rivers encapsulates Ladakh, for me this trip reinforced my conviction that India’s varied natural beauty cannot be surpassed by any place in the world. It was also a trip that made me think about our Indian soldiers – their commitment to our Nation and how privileged and safe we are with them around.

 

Monideepa Chakraborty