Leh Ladakh Road Trip : Road Trip Past Compare

The Leh Ladakh road trip of April/May of 2012; what do I say!? We have done road trips in several parts of the world. But this Leh Ladakh road trip was a road trip past compare for us as a family.

It all started with my wife and I talking about where we should go for our family holiday during the kids summer vacation. We are a family who are not “resort people”; people who prefer to check-in to a resort and just relax. Instead we prefer a bit of adventure; sights, sounds, food, culture different to what we get to see in our regular life. So when the suggestion of going for a road trip to Ladakh came from Himanshu (my wife’s acquaintance from school) it seemed to fit. After some deliberation including reading up on the internet, seeing videos on youtube etc. we decided to go for it. The entire logistics for the trip from New Delhi to Leh was to be organised by Himanshu through his travel company. He himself would be accompanying us on the trip. Himanshu had done it several times and having him coming along provided us the comfort that we were in experienced hands; this was important given that the terrain is rough and can be unpredictable being literally near the top of the world.

The trip was to be for 10 days. From our side it was going to be the four of us and Prantik, my wife’s cousin. There were going to be two other guests and then Himanshu. The high level route for the road trip was to be:

New Delhi –> Manali –> Leh –> Nubra Valley –> Leh –> Pangong Tso –> Leh

New Delhi to Manali

We landed in New Delhi airport late morning and took a taxi to one of my wife’s friends place. We had not met them in a really long time. So it was good to catch up with them. Towards late afternoon it was time to leave as we had to meet Himanshu at the designated place in time to catch the overnight bus to Manali. The taxi ride was uneventful except towards the end where there was some confusion on how exactly to get to the spot. We eventually made it.

Himanshu was waiting for us along with the other two co-passengers; a doctor and his son. Once the introductions and pleasantries were done it was finally time to board the bus. The bus journey to Manali would take us all night. We would get dropped in Manali early next morning. And that is what happened. The trip up to Manali was certainly scenic with mountain streams and views from up above. We were starting to get a preview of the beauty that was to going to unfold in the days to come.

Exploring Manali

We were going to stay one night in Manali. So we first checked into the hotel and freshened up. The room balcony gave us our first views of the pine covered hill tops.

 A quick breakfast and we were ready to explore Manali. It would be a good way to start getting acclimatised to the high altitudes though it was nowhere near the altitudes that we would be going through during the road trip. The day was spend exploring the surroundings. This included visiting the famous Hidimba Devi Temple,

cuddling a local rabbit

 

dressing up like a “pahadi kudi” (girl from the hills),

and sitting besides the Beas river. All in all a very enjoyable, relaxing and invigourating day. It ended with dinner and retiring early to bed as we were to start the journey to Leh in Ladakh next dawn.

Manali to Leh

Our rides came at the break of dawn; they were going to be two Toyota Innovas. It was to be four of us in each vehicle plus the driver. Our driver was Lucky ji.

The drive to Leh would take us two days. The journey would see us travel through various terrains; across mountains rivers and streams from melting glaciers, past lakes, through plains and villages as well as numerous mountain passes some of which are the highest in the world. The road for most parts would be just a path cleared using bulldozers, possibly the only way as most of the route is covered with snow for a significant part of the year. It is also common to have landslides occurring in parts of the route. The altitude would vary from 6400 ft (at Manali) to 17582 ft (at Tanglang La mountain pass) and finally 11483 ft. (at Leh). It was also possible that one would experience altitude sickness owing to rarefied atmosphere at these altitudes. Much of the route would have very less human settlements thus adding to the risk in case of any emergencies. So yes, there were enough perils in the journey to dissuade any one from taking it. But if one does undertake the journey you can be assured that it will leave an experience that one will never forget. And we can vouch for that.

The route was to be:

Manali –>Rohtang La –> Gramphu –> Kokhsar –> Tandi –> Keylong –> Jispa –> Darcha –> Zingzingbar –> Baralacha La –> Bharatpur –> Sarchu –> Gata Loops –> Nakee La –> Lachulung La –> Pang –> Tanglang La –> Gya –> Upshi –> Karu –> Leh

There is no way to really write about this journey. One just has to experience it in person to really understand and appreciate it. So I am going to just leave  some of the images captured enroute.

Cold yet Colourful : Bharatpur

It was here that we bid goodbye to Lucky ji, our expert driver from Manali. He would be heading back to Manali the next day. We then checked into the hotel which would be our base for the next two nights.

Exploring Leh

The following day was primarily going to be just doing a bit of exploring around Leh. But first we had the luxury of waking up at our own pace in the morning. Ah! The joy of simple luxuries 🙂 .

The place where we were staying was a bit of a distance from the centre. However it gave us wonderful views of the Shanti Stupa from the terrace.

We could also see snow capped peaks in the other direction. What bliss to experience them in the warmth of the morning sun!

The plan for the day was to visit Sangam, the Magnetic Hill, Pathar Sahib Gurudwara, Shey Monastery, Thikse Monastery and the Shanti Stupa. Once our rides for the day came, we were off. Our driver was Tashi, a wonderful chap whom we all grew fond of during the two days he took us around. As we drove into Leh we noticed a giant prayer wheel in the middle of a main road.

Tashi explained that it was a way of integrating prayer into every day level even when they are out on a drive. In these places where landslides are common on mountain passes one could do with all the prayers!

Our first destination was to be Sangam. But we would first stop to get a good view of the the Indus river

as well as experience the Magnetic Hill enroute.

The Magnetic Hill is a location which seems to defy gravity. If one places a tin can on the road at the location the tin can will roll against the slope of the road thus defying gravity. It is quite bewildering to actually see it happen.

Driving further on we finally reached Sangam. Sangam is the confluence of Zanskar and Indus rivers. One could clearly see the difference in the colour of the two rivers.

We were able to walk down all the way to the meeting point. It felt good to stretch our legs and have some fun.

The return trip from Sangam had us make a stopover at the War Memorial. This was followed by heading over to Pathar Sahih Gurudwara (you can read more about it here).

All people are welcome. Whoever enters the Gurudwara is required to have their head covered. For this they provide complimentary scarfs that they tie for you. I loved the overall atmosphere in the Gurudwara.

It was nearly lunch time and hence we decided to join the langhar (community feast) at the Gurudwara. I had always wanted to sit at a langhar. I surely was not going to miss my chance.

It was a simple but tasty feast which followed. More so it was joyous to see the food being served by people from different communities; here all were equal in front of the Supreme.

Tummies full and hearts content we left the Gurudwara and headed towards Shey Monastery. Enroute we saw the magnificent Spituk Monastery but did not stop to pay it a visit.

Finally we reached the Shey Monastery. The stupas opposite it were a sight to behold.

Tashi dropped us off at the base of the monastery. We walked up to the top turning all the prayers wheels while going up.

Our next stop was the Thikse Monastery. I had read somewhere that it is probably one of the most photographed monasteries in Leh. Well I had to make my contribution to this as well!

The monastery was very calming especially the prayer hall with the large Buddha figurehead. Life has its own pace in such monasteries where one’s mind is not pulled in different directions by modern day distractions.

The monastery was built on a hill top as is the case with most monasteries. I guess it provides the necessary seclusion to its inmates to help them in the spiritual journey. Often they have steps that lead up to the monastery from the base. It is said that walking up the steps to the monasteries since it is physically exerting, help the visitors get their mind focused in the moment. It possibly also dissuaded the less determined to not go up 🙂 . Below is one of the views from the top.

Our last stop for the day was the Shanti Stupa. It was built by Japanese Buddhist and is part of the Peace Pagoda Mission. You can read more about it here.

Leh to Nubra Valley

Next morning post a hearty breakfast we were headed towards Nubra Valley. We were going to spend the night there.  To reach Nubra Valley we would have to pass through Kardung La, considered one of the world’s highest (if not the highest) motorable road. Again passing through such high mountain passes has its own perils such altitude sickness, landslides, avalanches etc. So we were indeed happy to go around the giant prayer wheel on the road before leaving Leh.

The slow climb upwards towards Kardung La offered us some fantastic view of the Karakoram mountain range.

As we headed to the top of Kardung La Tashi kept us enthralled with his experiences of having been on expeditions to Siachen Glacier with the Indian Army.  Having Tashi as our driver for the trip and his stories was making it even more memorable. Well, things were going to get even more memorable. Our path was temporarily blocked by rocks from a recent landslide. Thankfully there was a man from BRO (Border Road Organisation) working on clearing it with a bulldozer.

Once moving on we were given some fantastic views of the path below from way up on top. Oh, the Himalayas have a charm that it will be difficult to experience anywhere else in the world!

Finally we were at the top of Kardung La pass.

We could feel the significant difference in the effort to breath at this height. It is advised not spend too much at these heights if you are not used to it. Even the tolerance levels for the cold is different. You can see from the photos that we were all wrapped up in fleece jackets (and some layers inside) whereas Tashi was in his t-shirt.

The people of Ladakh are really hardy folks. Tashi had said how he was able to carry thrice the weight when compared to the folks from the plains when he had gone on the expeditions to Siachen Glacier.

We drove away from the top of Kardung La and heading towards Nubra Valley. Our first destination was to be the Sand Dunes. We first passed through some villages that had a small lake giving us an almost mirror reflection of the mountains alongside them.

Finally we neared the Sand Dunes.

It was interesting and surprising to see the sand dunes in between these mountains. This is the only place in India where can find the two-humped camels; a species that is more commonly found in Central Asia. Anyways, it was time for all of us to ride these camels.

The camel ride was interesting. It certainly gave a perspective of how people travel in the deserts. The “weirdest” part is when the camel stands up after you have sat on it. You better hold on!

Camel ride done it was time to go the Diskit Monastery. So we started headed back to the car. A dog  decided that it wanted to accompany us on this walk back. I managed to get a photo with it.

The drive to Diskit Monastery was short. We could see it “perched” atop a cliff at a distance. Again this monastery too had a fairly steep stairs that one could use to walk up to it from the base. We however chose to be driven up in the car.

The monastery has a very high statue of Maitreya Buddha hosted on an open platform. We spent time walking around the monastery as well as enjoying the view that was offered from it.

As dusk was going to descend upon us soon we decided to move on to our place of stay for the night in the Nubra Valley. The drive yielded an amazing view of the sun rays “breaking” through the clouds; breath taking!

Next morning was clear and had a nip in the air. My son had the right idea; just laze around and warm oneself in the sun.

Post breakfast we headed to the Santanling Monastery nearby. We greeted by saying “Juley” when we met anyone at the monastery. The greeting was promptly reciprocated.

At the monastery we we able to get into the prayer room . We could easily see how spiritual most folks in the area were. There were several locals who had come to the prayer room at this time of the day and where offering prayers. We stood quietly and offered ours as well in our own way. Tashi told us a bit of the history of the place. This was his village.

Next we moved to the courtyard. There we joined in the people offering help with cleaning the vegetables; this is another way of offering service. It was really nice to the children go in and join in this.

The place was very serene. One could just sit, do nothing and stare into the world and be at peace. Or one could sit and meditate; or may be read from some holy scriptures like an old man I noticed doing.

It was soon time to start back the drive to Leh. But not before we took a picture with all the child monks that were around 🙂 . They were still children at heart. It must take a lot to get initiated into the journey of becoming a monk at such a young age.

On the drive back we stopped at a vantage point to admire the road that we had driven; it was as if someone had drawn black lines on an otherwise brown canvas.

We reached back at Leh some time in the afternoon. We spend the rest of the day exploring the local market. We bid Tashi goodbye at the end of day. He was not to be joining us for the trips over the next days. We would certainly miss him.

Leh to Pangong Tso

The next day we were to journey to the famous Pangong Tso (lake). It is easily one of the largest lakes in the region and has India on one side and China on the other. Interesting though it is in the mountains the water is salty. This is because it was formed when the mountains rose up bringing with it the salt water from the erstwhile ocean.

To reach Pangong Tso we would have to cross Chang La. This mountain pass was at an altitude of 17586ft; considered the third highest in the world. One could easily see why this region was considered the roof of the world.

As we drove down into the valley from the mountain pass we passed several nomads. They were tending to their Yaks and Merino goats that were grazing on the mountains sides. It must be a very tough life that they lead in the parts. Being nomads they would keep moving where they were able to find fodder for their animals. We passed tents in which they slept.

We were told that the tents were made from mostly Yak hair. This helped provide excellent insulation. We also crossed pens in which they would herd their animals at night. All they had to do was to then obstruct the small opening into them to prevent the animals from wandering off.

I would think that these mountains would be home to the mountain leopards. I wondered if they would wander down to these grounds in search of prey. Hmmm!

As we crossed the plain and neared Pangong Tso we were treated to some of the local wildlife; a Himalayan Marmot and Tibetan Wild Ass.

Soon we were given our first views of Pangong Tso.

The blue turned mesmerising once we reached.

We of course had to take some family photos with the lake in the background 🙂 .

This lake is also the breeding spot for the Brown-headed Gulls. We could see a good number of them flying around and floating on the lake.

We spent the night at a camping site besides the lake. It was a tented accommodation. Post a simple dinner of freshly cooked vegetables a bonfire was lit. We spend time around the bonfire singing songs and sharing jokes. Soon after we all retired to our tents. Each of us were given a hot water bottle to warm our feet inside our quilts; bliss given the temperature outside.

I got up early morning before the sunrise. I wanted to see it coming up over the horizon.

Prantik was not satisfied getting a photograph standing up. So he decided to take a few lying down with the prayer stones on the side.

When returned to the tent I could see that the children had woken up. My son was lazing out on a chair in the front soaking up the sunlight.

Post breakfast we loaded the cars with our luggage and started the trip back to Leh. Enroute we again stopped to enjoy the Himalayan Marmots. This time there were four of them scurrying around eating the grass; fattening up before the onset of winter. A little further on we stopped to have our first Yak rides.

Yak rides done we headed back. We had seen a monastery called the Tangtse Monastery during out onward journey to Pangong Tso. We had not got a chance to stop at it then. So we decided to stop on our return journey.

This was our last sightseeing stop for our trip back to Leh. The evening at Leh was spent walking around the streets and shops nearby to the hotel. This was also to be last dinner together in the trip. So it was about reminiscing the moments and sharing experiences of the trip. All on all it had been a wonderful experience for all of us. Himanshu had done a great job of organising it.

The next morning bags packed we did our goodbyes to Himanshu and the two other co-travels and headed to Leh airport to catch our flight back to Delhi and from there to Bangalore.

Looking Back

Something has shifted inside both my wife and I in this visit to the Himalayas. There is a greater energy at play in these ranges. One also cannot but be touched by the harsh conditions that the local people have to live in and somehow at the same time by the simplicity and joy in their faces. It is a reinforcement that one does not need too many things to be happy. One only has to search for it in the right place.

Recommendations

In case you are planning to visit the region there are several things that I recommend:

• You should be of reasonable fitness. If you are having any breathing illness take advice from you doctor. Actually it is better that one takes their advice otherwise as well
• Try and travel in a group. The road travel between places are long with very limited facilities. So it always help to have other people in case of emergencies
• Go with other people who have done this before
• Take plenty of warm clothes, sunscreen and moisturizers. Also carry sunglasses and hats. The sun gets pretty strong in these heights
• Drink plenty of water always
• Do not spend too much time at the mountain passes
• Take some snacks for the road travels. You do not know when they will come handy

There are no proper toilet facilities enroute to places. So be prepared to go in the wild.