 |
| Enduring Ladakhi mages |
Although this was my second trip to Ladakh and I know there will be many more in the future as well, but,no matter what I will probably never have enough of its sheer majesty and beauty. I am like many before me who have been enchanted by Ladakh, and I don't mind that one bit. Perhaps the isolation, harsh weather conditions and incredible beauty makes it such an enigma to mountain junkies like me. One can test their limits against nature in anyway they want. Mountain bike, hitch-hike, trek or do high altitude weather studies through Ladakh, It offers wide array of out door endurance tests for the adventurous, for me just breathing is fine. Breathing in high altitude cold desert can be quite tricky, you know :-)
So, in September, I set off to Ladakh with couple of my girl friends on a holiday with my head buzzing with excitement. It was six years since I have been there. We had precious two weeks at our disposal and we wanted to make it unforgettable. So, we decided on a road-trip as oppose to the 45 minutes Delhi - Leh, we wanted to do it the hard way and soak in all the sights on the way.
Last time I went was early in May 2009 and the passes were snowed under at that time and I had to take the flight. But this time no way I would do that and miss all the beauty on the way. Most of all we three wanted to have a glimpse of the original silk route and marvel at the thought how this trail thrived so long long ago without the 4 wheel drives. The sheer courage of all those who had been on mule track through the hazardous condition was unbelievable to us. Sheer grit and gumption! The road is dotted with signages marking the mule tracks, look out for them, they are bound to make you wonder. Moreover, the challenges of the road-trip by itself was something we wanted to try, as on the way we were to camp at Sarchu overnight, which was at an elevation of 4,290 m (14,070 ft), higher than Leh was another short endurance test we wanted to undertake, for no particular reason though. Lol!
 |
| Forever Ladakh |
The itinerary started with Delhi to Manali by bus. We set-off for Manali by HPTDC bus. These Volvo buses are an absolute must if you venture to Manali by public buses as the climb to the mountains is very treacherous and road condition is not too great either. It takes roughly 12.5 hours to reach Manali from Delhi, 456 Kms, with three pit stops on the way for dinner, night cap and morning tea. The traffic till you cross Delhi will be bad, upto Chandigarh the road is fine. But once it starts to climb up the hill the roads get really bad and the HPTDC bus drivers do their best to navigate well. So next morning by 8 a.m. we were in Vashisht. We stayed at Hotel Bhrigu at Vashisht (+919816165931). A budget hotel, neat and well appointed rooms, with sit outs offering excellent views of Manali 5 kms away and the meandering Beas and good service - translated to good food, which you definitely crave for after the long journey.
We spent the day catching up with some lazing about and then in the evening explored old Manali. In the morning we waited for our car to appear. We had booked ahead for a good 4 wheel drive vehicle which would take us to Leh with two night halts - first one at Jispa - 50 Kms after Keylong and the next night halt would be at Sarchu. The 520 Kms between Manali to Leh goes through five high altitude passes or 'La' as it is known in Ladakhi.
 |
| Manali from Vashist |
They are namely Rohtang La (3,980 m), Barlacha La (4650 m), Nakee La (4,740 m), Lachung La (5,065 m) , Tanglang La (5,328 m). We started for Jispa around 12.30 p.m. in the afternoon and experienced the worst roads ever to Rohtang Pass. Fortunately, we did not get caught up in any major traffic snarls as tourists have faced many a times. Nor did we have a out of the season weather phenomenon. As the road leaves the hamlets behind the majestic mountains take over. Although it was September but as we climbed towards the high altitude region it started to get cold. The mind blowing views keeps you glued to the camera and my heart started to sing. We couldn't stop smiling and feeling trigger happy. The cameras were out for good now.
 |
| First "Tho" sighting and us at Rohtang |
 |
| Rohtang valley, entry to Buddhas' world |
 |
Tantalizing Chandra river
We stopped for lunch at a Dhaba at Tandi which incidentally is the last petrol station between Manali and Leh. So naturally we filled up gas for the next two days. We gave Keylong a miss. Most of the crowd stays at Keylong with its crowded bazar, ATM facilities and eateries but we wanted to leave everything behind for a few days and hence headed towards Jispa. The road improved from here on, but, the cold winds got sharper and all consuming as we headed for Jispa. Here we were greeted by the beautiful Bhaga river.
|
 |
| Brave heart |
Jispa is an enroute stop over, one track village with magnificent views and enchanting Bhaga river. It has one proper hotel Jispa or Ibex (yes they are one and the same) and rest are tents around the river banks for the more adventurous. But we wanted warmth of beds and had opted for the hotel here. It's clean and safe with running hot water. Although the ancient boiler takes a long time to heat up, so be patient and wait for a while before you can have that shower. The food served is piping hot, service is good and just what your travel weary soul would want after the long treacherous drive crossing nallas and bumpy dusty roads.
In case you plan to visit Kaza and Keylong do add a day at Jispa just to breathe the fresh air and take in the beauty around you. You could pre-book at Hotel Ibex- Jispa - +919418036860, mind you this is not suitable for children. Essentially suitable for city weary souls without children who want to just walk about and can enjoy their own company for a while. We met some bikers who were heading back to get away from the cold as they did not prepare well for cold desert conditions thinking it to be just September. They told us they had to drop the idea to go further ahead as Sarchu was mighty colder and they did not know how to cope in these conditions without proper gear. So, do pack well with thermals, snow jackets and sleeping bags if you are biking.
 |
| Abandoned Zing Zing Bar |
Now we were happy with our packing, which seemed a tad bit too much at Delhi. Our heavy jackets were already in use to face the extreme windy condition, so with trepidation we started off for Sarchu via Zing Zing Bar. Views on the way becomes more and more enigmatic as you approach Patsio ahead of Zing Zing Bar. Now this bar was just ahead of Baralacha La a thing of the legend for the roadies on this route. I was very keen to check it out, but as luck would have it had already closed down for the winter. The abandoned bar was not a sight which pleased me at all. But I soon got engrossed in the beauty around as we approached Baralacha La.
The awe- inspiring Gata loops where you can see many cyclists checking out their endurance levels and looking kind of unworldly if you know what I mean ;-) are something of s must see. The endless rapid hairpin bends are not for the lighthearted.
The cold winds knocked our senses. We needed some hot food. We made a stop after crossing Baralacha La. The markets here move as they find it convenient. As winter was almost at the doorstep, they were about to close and move down to Manali within the fortnight.
 |
| Sheer gorgeousness and the psychedelic tents |
The vast expanses though beautiful would now soon will get covered with snow and the mountain passes will close down. All the women were knitting to keep their hands warm i suppose and they also ran the roadside Dhabas. These colourful hand knit mittens, caps, socks, shawls were sold all over the Dhabas from Himachal to Ladakh. We bought shawls, caps and winter stockings. Again we met a group of bikers who were very tensed about staying at Sarchu at night as they were not sure how will they beat the high altitude motion sickness. Someone had told them to continuously drink water so they have been stopping intermittently and drinking water but that only made them more cold. Unfortunately no one told them it had to be warm water to keep the body hydrated in the cold conditions. One could also take medicines both homeopathy and alopathy to control the altitude sisckness. Thanks to my journo friends and my prior experience we were good on that count. We were on Coca 30 and Diamox from Jispa on wards. The psychedelic tents and the wind make a deadly combination. Soupy instant noodles and loads of hot tea made us journey worthy yet again.
The fabulous views just blow your mind as you wind your way up, up, up. The hairpin bends, the bumpy narrow roads did not bother us. The only thing which got to us was the bone chilling winds. We were in Sarchu by 3 p.m.
 |
| Sarchu camping sites |
 |
| Enroute Sarchhu |
The myriad shades of mountains, the shifting clouds, and the barrenness makes it beautiful beyond words. Our camp was one of the last ones in a row. The tented accommodation had enough blankets to keep us warm. We were the first people to reach the camp. Immediately after an Italian couple came looking for shelter as they were cycling weary and could not go on any further in the prevailing weather conditions. Then followed in an elderly Belgian couple. So, it was just the seven of us and four staff members and the two drivers in the camp. End of season is a good time to head for the mountains me thinks!
As the wind was very strong we stayed put in the tents. Any exposure could do us in as we all felt mild breathlessness. We stayed in the sit outs in the sun for a while though but then decided against it. The camp supplied tea and some biscuits around 4 p.m. and were we glad or what. Dinner was also served in the dining tent. It was a great treat to get fresh chapatis, dal and vegetables in these barren lands. Evening was spent singing and snuggling under the blankets. This was first time we had to use the sleeping bags. I discovered I had got the bigger bag by mistake, the confused packer that I am. There is no electricity here and we use solar lanterns in the evening and tents look as cosy as us! You even have a mirror too for self appreciation in case you want to check out your freezing face. Lol!
Although I have no pictures of the dining facilities nor the staff, but I must congratulate their sheer grit to run any kind of small businesses here. The Ladakhis have really adapted well to tourism. However, the support staff mostly I noticed were from Nepal. They kept moving from one place to another throughout the year and then headed back home in October for Dushera, which incidentally is Nepal's main festival. My interactions with them revealed they had left their families and moved to India for work. Most of them were migrant workers and not necessarily affected by the earthquake. and like all migrant across the world the need for regular employment sadly gets them out of their countries, homes and families.
 |
| Yaay! We made it! |
Next morning packed in hot parathas, pickle and tea before our last leg of the journey to Leh. The victorious smiles on faces says it all. We crossed the first river crossing without any fuss and approached Nakeela at 4740 mts. The wind was like needles here in September. I couldn't help wondering how will it be in December!
 |
| Kasturi and Radhika desperately trying not to shiver through the photo op |
The landscape here was dotted with charming "Thos" or a seat in remembrance for the loved ones so that their spirit could rest. Next stop was Lachung La at 5019 mts. Right after crossing Lachung La the first true moon scape rock formations appear taking your breath away.
 |
| Moonscapes between Lachungla and Leh |
Finally we crossed Tanglang La and getting ever so close to Leh.
 |
| Keeeping away from the treacherous winds at Tanglang La |
We stopped ahead of Leh at a village for tea and some restoration after all the many many hair-pin bends. After couple of cups and lungful of fresh air we were ready to hit Leh.
The four-day road trip from Delhi to Leh came to an end as we spotted Stok Kangri. Though our weary bodies were tired but our hearts were brimming with joy. And I stared out from my hotel room as the sun was setting on Stok Kanri and quietly sipped on my favourite cuppa!
 |
| View of Stok Kangri from my room at Hotel Oriental Guest House, Changspa, Leh |
Hotel Oriental Guest House is my pad for Leh. http://www.orientalhotel-ladakh.com/ A family run establishment at Changspa village at the foot of the Shanti Stupa. For bookings don't rely on the net as the net connectivity is pretty unreliable. You could call Phutsung (+919622229296) and Dawa (+919419178774). They can help you plan your trip, provide good cars and reliable drivers to make your trip a memorable one. You could also book directly through tripadvisor and other travel portals. They are listed everywhere as they are one of the oldest guest houses in the business and many people like me make return trips from all over the world.
Keep traveling and keep growing in 2016 is what I wish for everyone!
Photos: Pragya Majumder, Kasturi Banerjee, Radhika Shasranaman
In case you plan to visit Kaza and Keylong do add a day at Jispa just to breathe the fresh air and take in the beauty around you. You could pre-book at Hotel Ibex- Jispa - +919418036860, mind you this is not suitable for children. Essentially suitable for city weary souls without children who want to just walk about and can enjoy their own company for a while. We met some bikers who were heading back to get away from the cold as they did not prepare well for cold desert conditions thinking it to be just September. They told us they had to drop the idea to go further ahead as Sarchu was mighty colder and they did not know how to cope in these conditions without proper gear. So, do pack well with thermals, snow jackets and sleeping bags if you are biking.
The awe- inspiring Gata loops where you can see many cyclists checking out their endurance levels and looking kind of unworldly if you know what I mean ;-) are something of s must see. The endless rapid hairpin bends are not for the lighthearted.
As the wind was very strong we stayed put in the tents. Any exposure could do us in as we all felt mild breathlessness. We stayed in the sit outs in the sun for a while though but then decided against it. The camp supplied tea and some biscuits around 4 p.m. and were we glad or what. Dinner was also served in the dining tent. It was a great treat to get fresh chapatis, dal and vegetables in these barren lands. Evening was spent singing and snuggling under the blankets. This was first time we had to use the sleeping bags. I discovered I had got the bigger bag by mistake, the confused packer that I am. There is no electricity here and we use solar lanterns in the evening and tents look as cosy as us! You even have a mirror too for self appreciation in case you want to check out your freezing face. Lol!
Comments