*3:30 AM- The
chest feels heavy, breathing falls short, the air feels deprived of every bit
of oxygen, a pounding headache with a feeling of nausea. At 14,500 ft and 8
degree, the chilling wind is swaying my tent walls rather dangerously. This was
by far the WORST night of my life!!!
Rewind…..
Day 1, Delhi (1, 043
ft)
5:00 PM- Tomorrow
early morning I will be on my way to the Himalayas. My first ever trip! Till
now I had only heard of these gigantic mountains and seen endless photographs
of them. I was warned against AMS, so first thing, I head and buy some Diamox
and Crocin. With my checklist complete, I am all set!
Day 2, Delhi (1, 043 ft)
– Manali (6, 726 ft); Distance to be covered-585 km
04:00 AM-. We start
the day pretty early. The drive was pretty much the normal highway driving
through Haryana and then Punjab, where we drive via Ambala and Mohali. By nightfall
we reach Kulu and in some time, touch Manali, our first destination.
Quick bath, dinner and I crash into my bed.
Day 3- Manali (6, 726
ft) to Jispa (10, 500 ft) via Rohtang pass (13, 054 ft); Distance to be
covered-140 km
08:00 AM- Morning
came in with a pleasant surprise as we got to see Manali in daylight with all
its greenery! I was super excited because we were to pass the famous Rohtang pass
today.
Waterfalls’ cascading from the enormous green mountains and the chill in the air makes the drive towards Rohtang truly amazing.
One would
think Mumbai had the worst traffic jams, but once you see the traffic waiting
to cross the pass, you will appreciate Mumbai traffic...really! We wait for 2
hours to pass the pass which as people say is not bad. But the 2 hours wait was
worth it.
Once on the top, the view is amazing. My first pass of the trip and I
was super excited by now! And if the fog plays spoil sport, dig into some
seriously delicious maggie & chai!
For lunch we stop at Sissu. A calm village ubiquitous with
honey boxes and a view of the waterfall, we eat while soaking up the warm sun!
Back on the road, we reach Jispa by evening, and spend the
night resting in our tents.
Day 4- Jispa (10,
500ft)
11:00 AM- The
next day I gawk at the beauty of Jispa in all it’s glory. A beautiful valley
with brown mountains and lazy river, it is serene and tranquil. We spend an extra day here acclimatizing and
hoping it pays off.
While in Jispa, we spent hours idling on the porch, sipping
endless amount of tea, while consuming the sound of bubbling brook and charm of
the mountains.
Day 5- Jispa (10,
500ft) to Sarchu (14, 500 ft); Distance to be covered-80 km
As we move towards the “dreaded” Sarchu, we get mesmerized
by the amazing sights! Humongous dry mountains tipped with white tips against
the blue sky!
En route we pass the pristine lakes Deepak Tal and Suraj Tal and
through one of the highest motorable passes Barlacha-La(17, 000ft). Though the
thin air can make you uncomfortable, being here provides one of the most
excellent panoramic views of the high rising mountain ranges touching the sky.
We reached Sarchu early enough to get used to the place. The
Sarchu plain is barren except for some campsites dotting the landscape.
The place didn’t seem as intimidating as I expected it to
be. In fact most decided to explore this desolate piece of land. Some slowly
scampered towards the hills behind the campsite, where hundreds of Marmots
dwell within their complex underground tunnels.
As the sun set, we could feel the chill in the air. By
nightfall, the cold was seeping through even the thickest of woollens. One
thing you cannot miss doing here at night is gawk at the milky way overhead.
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| Photo Credit: Nitin Yadav
With no electricity or network, we quickly wash up with some icy cold water and head towards our beds. Little did we know, sleep would be evading us...
*This is where the article started- Sarchu.
The night in the lonesome tent was near terrible, not just for me but everyone. Most were suffering from AMS and I actually thought I was going to die..
Day 6- Sarchu (14, 500 ft) – Leh (11, 562 ft); Distance to be covered- 105 km
The next day was a sight. Everyone was bundled up with clothes that we never used, before or after Sarchu. Crocin was passed around like tic tacs and everyone was just dying to move out. We followed the route along the river and en route witnessed some of the most amazing and mystical wind sculptures.
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By evening, as we near Leh, white chortens across green
fields become ubiquitous to the landscape. We slowly roll into Leh just in time
to witness the beautiful orange splashed across the sun kissed evening sky. I
was thrilled and excited, as we had completed one half of our journey.
Day 7- Leh (11, 562
ft)
10:00 AM- Today
we decide to explore the town of Leh. After a heavy breakfast at German bakery
(* a must visit), we heard towards the Hemis monastery that is 45km from Leh built
by the royal architect, Singe Namgyal. Hemis,
lies inside a valley, not visible from outside, but looms suddenly as a mass of
splendid architecture as one approaches it. Its gleaming white washed walls and
brightly coloured fluttering flags made a brilliant splash against the blue
sky.
On our way back, we stop for a brief visit to Tiksey monastery,
perched atop a hill, overlooking the green valley of the Indus. The 12 storied Thiksey Monastery is about 800
years old and houses nearly 60 Lamas. This monastery also houses the 49 ft
Maitreya statue, the largest in the Ladhak region. Quickly we hogg on some
juicy momos along with yummy Thupka, and we are all set to move again.
For a gorgeous sunset, we reach the Shanti Stupa. The view
from here of the entire valley is just perfect. Afterwards, we end the day with dinner again at
the German bakery. The pizzas loaded with thick yak cheese and desserts were a
real treat! *Burrrp
Day 8- Leh (11, 562
ft)- Nubra Valley(10, 000 ft )via Khardung La(17, 582 ft); Distance to be covered-
150 km
From Leh we make a one night trip to Nubra valley. On the
way, we stop at Khardung -la which is the highest motor able road in the world,
39km from Leh. This pass with its awesome view of the valley and mountains tops
touching the blue sky is for most, a destination by itself.
After a long wait of passing army convoy, we move to Nubra
valley, where we pass grasslands of grazing yaks, some steep cliffs, motorist,
and finally see what seems like sand dunes!
At Nubra valley, we make a quick visit to the Ladhak sand dunes, home to the exotic double humped or bacterian camels. Apart from the fact that they stink real bad, they are quite cute and tame creatures. Their natural abode is quite stunning with white sand dunes existing alongside small crystal clear streams snugly surrounded by big protective mountains.
Day 9- Nubra (10, 000
ft) - Panamik- Leh (11, 562 ft); Distance to be covered-50 km
The next day, we head back to Leh but before that we make a quick
detour to the hot springs at Panamik. More like hot water streams, the water
here is said to have healing powers. Many tried to validate that fact and I
wonder if it worked though.
We sit around and have some butter tea, which is
salted and has ....butter....hmmm. Not so bad I say! Just it smells like
....yak!
After this we move back to Leh via Khardungla.
Day 10- Leh (11, 562
ft)- Pangong Tso(14, 270 ft )via Changlang La(17, 590 ft); Distance to be
covered- 210 km
The road from Leh to Chang La, which is technically and
logically the highest motorable pass is fantastic, further down from here, the
road gets scary with boulders hanging precariously from the cliffs. But the
drive is something else. As we descend towards the valley, the green meadows
with the stream swamped with yaks makes for a beautiful sight! And as we head
closer to the lake, the terrain gets further barren. After waiting patiently
for the a view of the lake for a few hours, suddenly looms into view, the
Pangong Tso(lake)! Vast, barren and blue are a few words that can describe this
enchanting lake. The water though chilled didn’t keep us from getting in. ¾ parts in China, this lake is saline and
completely void of any vegetation of aquatic life!
Day 11- Leh (11, 562
ft) - Zozi La (11, 575 ft) - Srinagar (1, 730 ft); Distance to be covered- 450
km
4:00 AM- We brace
ourselves for this long journey and set out quite sleepily. Due to early
morning darkness, we missed stopping at some interesting places like the
Magnetic hill. The drive from Leh to Srinagar was particularly interesting not just
because of the amazing moonscape mountains on the way or the beauty of the
passing passes. But as one moves from one region to another, everything along
with the landscape changes gradually. From the village houses, facial features
of the locals, the clothes, the vegetation etc.
Slowly the colourful prayer flag is replaced by the edifice of mosques.
Our next stop was Kargil, where we fuel up and move towards
Drass. On our way to Drass, we witnesses the enemy warning boards, reminding
everyone that where we stand now is only due to the brave soldiers who stand watch
at inhospitable conditions to keep us safe. At Drass, we pay homage at the
Kargil War memorial. It’s hard to believe that this very place, which has the
face of stillness about itself, few years back, had been a raging battleground,
where many brave soldiers sacrificed their lives for their country! God bless
their souls.
5:00pm- Humbled
after the stories of bravery, we move towards Zozi La, where we witness more
stories of bravery in their own way. Atop the Zozi La, we wait for the BRO to
finish blasting the rocks to make way for the convoy to pass. Fresh landslides,
always bad news!
We wait for an hour, two, accompanied by heavy rains. More bad
news as the day light slowly fades away. We fight the cold, rain, and hunger
together, when one borrowed a stove from the nearby truck driver. Under an
umbrella, tea was made and we sipped hot tea in shared cups made of cut bisleri
bottles. Here, one could witness, how adversity gets people together. After a
few hours, the roads are clear, and we start our descent. Easier said than done,
this was by far the scariest drive ever. Going down Zozi La slowly, taking the steep
scary bends one at a time, in pitch darkness and heavy rains, it was every man for
himself. We prayed not just for ourselves but for everyone else on that road.
As we neared the base of the mountain, the sight of a fallen BRO Bolero made us
thank god for making to down safely. By late night we reached Srinagar, ate the
specially prepared wazan and tuck ourselves into the wooden houseboats at
Nageen lake, hopeful of a good nights’ sleep...
Day 12- Srinagar-
Srinagar (1, 730 ft)
5:00AM: The
shikara guy is at our houseboat porch ready to wake us up and adamant on us
visiting the floating vegetable market. For a moment we contemplate wriggling
out of this and get some more cozy sleep. But the shikara guy managed to get us
out onto the dark cold lake.
I think to myself, ‘this better be worth it’!
This market which is held only between 5:00AM to 7:00AM is
one of the rare floating vegetable markets where merchants sell all kind of
greens and colourful flowers. As the light sets in, we float past gardens of
lotus to the action scene. The tranquillity of the lake is lost among the
voices of the merchants bargaining fast and hard. As fast as day breaks, the
market also disappears quickly! Now that trade has concluded, we head back. En route
the shikara man, treats us to some freshly made Kawa(spiced tea) and local
bread. Only my slurps hamper the silent sound of the splash...
Once back we get ready to feast on some good food at Ahdoos.
After a heavy meal of Rogan Josh, Yakhini and Rista, we bloat our way to the
houseboat and spend the rest of the evening simply digesting the food!
Last day of my trip, I sit and look at the sun go down over
the lake, and I remember these lines rightly said by a friend,
There are 3 kinds of people in the world:
Those
who have NOT been to Leh.
Those who have flown to Leh.
And
then there are those who have driven to Leh.
And
if you are among the first two, you don’t know what you are missing...
Period!
