leh – opendurbar

Leh – Ladakh

A Barren Beauty That Bedazzles The Brain!

‘Jullay’! This Ladakhi greeting is your gateway into the hearts and hearths of the friendly Ladakhi people, and will serve you well while travelling this desolate, cold desert full of natural wonder and earthly delights.

*A mesmerizing place, Ladakh is –*
*as Yoda from Star Wars would put it*

There are so many sights to see that the Ladakh region, along with its most populated city, Leh, exceeds any amount of time you stay there for. From one of the highest motor-able roads in the world, culminating at Khardung La (‘la’ means mountain pass) to the ultimate beauty that is on display at the Pangong Tso (‘tso’ means lake), Ladakh is a rainbow of sights and sounds – just try standing quiet for a moment next to any of the streams along the mountain roads, and listen to the wind and water roar!

If driving to Ladakh under your own steam, make sure you obtain your vehicle passes and Inner Line Permits from the government administrative offices in Leh for visiting Pangong and/or Nubra valley, since they are towards the Line of Actual Control towards China and Pakistan, respectively.

Extraordinary Travel Experiences

CANNOT MISS: In Leh city:
- Leh Palace is the most important landmark, with a treasure trove of history and special significance for Buddhists. More than five hundred years old, this royal residence rises through narrow, steep wooden staircases in a maze-like setting to nine floors! From the top, a marvelous panoramic view of the snow-capped peaks in the distance and the entire valley of Leh is visible, although in recent years the level of construction activity following the cloud burst in 2010 has expanded to the upper reaches of the mountainside on which this Palace stands. Far off in the distance, the Stok Kangri rears its mighty head, which you can see if luck shines on you in the form of sunlit and cloudless skies!
- Tsemo Castle or Namgyal Tsemo Monastery is the highest point of Leh, and is barely five minutes uphill from the Leh Palace. Must visit for its truly immense golden Maitreyi Buddha statue
- Shanti Stupa (Peace Dome) built in 1991 atop a part of the relics of the Buddha through Kushok Bakula (an Indian lama after whom the airport is named) as well as the Japanese’s efforts to promote world peace
- War Museum is a showcase of the bravery and solidarity of the Indian Armed Forces, reached by driving or walking a short distance down the Leh highway
- Datun Sahib, a tree so named due to an auspicious visit by the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, located right in the main market
- Spituk Monastery, near the Leh airport which is also named after the monastery’s founder
EXCURSIONS:
- Pangong Tso is unique in that it is shared by India and China! Get a visitor’s pass before you head this way through Chang La, the actual pass – where the highest seed vault in the world is maintained in collaboration with DRDO! Pangong is spectacularly beautiful in the mornings and evenings, so there are multiple tent-hotels along the shore if you want to catch both the sunrise and the sunset colors as they change the surface of the lake into a fireworks display!
- Monasteries – Thiksey and Shey, fall along the route to Pangong, while Stok is in the opposite direction, an equally short drive away from Leh city. Alchi is a one thousand year old (thus very historical) architectural site, located sixty kilometers from Leh towards the west.
- Khardung La claims to be the highest mountain road in the world, and it is not far off the mark, at a mind-numbing, bone-chilling 17,500 feet! En route Siachen Glacier (not accessible to civilians), this road leads to Nubra Valley and its major towns, Diskit and Hunder, where you must go to see the double-humped Bactrian camels! Grab as many Leh berry juice boxes as you can, for a shot of nutrients straight from the source! Head on to Turtuk, the last village in India proper, for chilling – literally – amidst apricot groves and pristine cold sand dunes!

Out-of-the-Ordinary Tourism Options

Trekking is not for everyone, and especially in high altitude regions like Leh – Ladakh. For the adventurous (and in tip top shape) people, Chadar trek in the Zanskar valley and bicycle trips along the Leh-Srinagar and Leh-Manali highways have become popular in the past few years. There is also a Ladakh Marathon, for those so inclined (no pun intended)!

Take some time to acclimatize to the scarce air, so that you can enjoy the local cultural dishes and culinary preparations. The Buddhist, Tibetan and Muslim convergence throws up an array of souvenirs and keepsakes that are unique to Ladakh.

Visiting The Vicinity

Best Months To Visit: Peak summers, May to September

Height Above Mean Sea Level: ~11,000 feet, 3,500 meters

Cities: Leh, Lamayuru, Diskit, Kargil

Airport: Leh

Leh Ladakh June 2017: Part 4

Leh – Pangong Tso Lake (night stay) – Leh

Above: Pangong Tso, looking towards China

After a refreshing night’s sleep, we obtained our permit for Pangong from the SDM office in Leh. The pass to Nubra valley was closed due to inclement weather, else we would have preferred to go there first, intending to spend the night at Diskit or Hunder, and taking in Turtuk (with its apricot trees and double humped (Bactrian) camels).

We tanked up on fuel at Leh, and retraced 35 kilometers down the way we had come from Himachal through Baralacha La and Tanglang La. From the well-settled town of Karu, the road to Pangong begins with an upward cut from the main Leh highway. It is best to prepare for the drive ahead by lunching at Karu, which we did.

Above: the turn towards Chang La, for Pangong Lake

The pass ahead is called Chang La, and is a muddy, slushy road due to the snow that borders the track. We were glad to give a lift to a few local ladies till Shakti/Sakhti, about 10 kilometers uphill from Karu. The road worsened steadily, till we reached the top, where DRDO has its highest Research & Development Centre (update: India’s seed vault is also managed by DRDO at Chang La!). I got a lucky frame of a mountain dog (we used to call them ‘gaddee’ in Sanawar, I couldn’t find out the local names for these shaggy dogs) perched on the snow with the sun shining feebly through the snowy clouds.

Once we rounded the top of the pass marked by the DRDO facility (where you can rest and eat – but very basic facilities only), the snow stopped and we descended steadily, taking care to cross the river-inundated valley without damaging our cars. The road after Chang La is relatively good, reminiscent of the Roller Coaster Road before Tanglang La. Once the army camps start, you know you are at Tangste valley, home to Pangong Tso. We reached here at the ideal time of around 3:30 – 4 p.m.

We got our PERMIT checked at the ITBP-Army checkpost, and the 20-30 odd kilometers remaining between us and Pangong went by pretty smoothly, with a green, mossy swamp covering the middle of the valley through which the road runs. The last 5-8 kilometers are the usual mountain road – rocky, slippery but not too dangerous if you drive sensibly. Once you round the last mountain, the glimpse of the beginning of Pangong’s blue waters hits hard!

There was a broken down truck just beyond this last major turn, but we were fortunate to have space to just squeeze past it and descend to Pangong’s shores. From the beginning, the road runs along Pangong up to the border area of Chushul, about 30 kilometers ahead. We chose to stay near the brightly-lit and well-peopled (with tourists) eateries, and soon found a good tent with cots that could easily accommodate all four of us. The owner was from Leh, and with a hearty “Julley”, we settled in for the evening.

We were lucky to have a cloudless night. It was freezing cold (this is the second week of June, by the way – the hottest time of the year in most of India), but I took a couple of night time moonlit photos as we filled ourselves with food and drink. Around midnight, after watching the larger groups (mostly bikers on Royal Enfields and the like) gambol around the bonfires, we retired to our tent.

I woke up at 5:30 a.m. in the morning, and took a short time lapse of the sunrise over the mountains on the opposite shore of Pangong. It was windy and bitterly cold, so I crept back into our tent, under the quilt and arose again at breakfast time. Then we went down to the shore and I splashed around a bit – just face, hands and feet – the water is too cold, and combined with the wind, makes one feel frozen!

Now that we knew the lay of the land back to Leh like the back of our hands, we drove at a leisurely pace, enjoying the small hailstones that fell along the way up to Chang La. Our descent was muddy again, and there were significantly more tourists than yesterday. We had a late lunch at Karu, at the same place we had eaten before, and reached Leh by 4 in the afternoon. Thus, with time on our hands, we took in the famous Leh Palace and the Castle of Tsemo before returning to our hotel and indulging in some much-needed rest after so much of grueling mountain driving.

Update for the culmination of this trip coming soon: Leh – Lamayuru – Kargil – Zoji La – Srinagar – Pathankot – Amritsar – Delhi.

July 12, 2017January 19, 2019 by opendurbar

Leh Ladakh June 2017: Part 3

Baralacha La, Sarchu, Pang, Tanglang La, to Leh

[Prev: Manali – Rohtang – Jispa]

In the morning, we started towards Leh – our destination for the night. The check post at Darcha, just a few kilometers after Jispa, proved to be no problem as we had our permits on hand. We had filled up our fuel at Tandi (the last fuel station for 350-400 kilometers around, so pay heed, self-driven adventurers!) yesterday, so we embarked on the arduous (for the car) climb of the ice-packed Baralacha La. At a top height of 4830 meters above sea level, Baralacha La is the first of 4 passes before Ladakh valley, the others being Naki La, Lachung La and Tanglang La. Of these, Tanglang La is the last and highest, at 5360 meters. But we will get there at a steady pace.

After Sarchu (beyond Baralacha La), these are the landmarks

The road is broken and overrun by waterfalls – literally, there is a danger of being swept into the valley by the current of cascading water – which are difficult to negotiate if one is not careful. As for the moment, we climbed carefully through the packed ice that had formed walls on both sides of the road after being cut through. There is barely space for two cars to pass in most places.

Once you have negotiated Baralacha La, you will come to the settlement of Sarchu. While many people aim to cover the stretch from Manali to Sarchu in one go, we strongly advise staying at Keylong or Jispa to make sure you have enough time to cross Tanglang La the same day as Baralacha La.
In all of Ladakh, which starts after Sarchu, the wind is cyclonic. We had a quick, simple meal of local ingredients with rice and lentils at Sarchu, and pushed on to cross the relatively easy passes of Naki La and Lachung La, and thus reached the next valley – with a small group of tents announcing itself Pang – marking the transition. Be warned about the upcoming stretch of very, very smooth, asphalt road –we named it Jumpy Roller Coaster Road due to its regular drops that made our cars jump into the air at speeds close to a 100 kilometers per hour!

After the fun drive that lasted about 20-30 odd kilometers, we turned upwards towards Tanglang La, which tops out at 5360 meters above sea level. As soon as we looked ahead into the upward valley, we could tell it was going to be stormy. True to nature, snow started falling just as we started our climb, at around half past five in the evening. It is not too long a pass, but driving in fresh snow is a devil in itself.

We kept up our spirits and soon saw an Audi Q5 that we had helped replace its burst tire (seriously!) earlier, catching up to us. We let it pass ahead and followed in its tire tracks, and caught up with a few trucks that were paving the way through the fresh snow accumulating ahead. After three hours of painstaking braking, slipping, sliding, wiper-jamming driving, we felt the snow weaken, and as we rode down the smooth road after Tanglang La, relief was the most prominent feeling in our minds!

From here on out, passing a few quaint towns like Sosoma and Upshi, we crossed Karu (the turn for Pangong Tso lake (coming up next) and reached Leh at 11 in the night, booking a great room but getting overcharged for bread omelets and tea. Nevertheless, it had been an exhilarating day, and we looked back at our photos and adventures late into the night.

NEXT: Pangong Tso (night stay) and back to Leh.

July 9, 2017February 6, 2019 by opendurbar