| Ladakh |
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| Introduction |
Ladakh has the most spectacular landscapes of India, and according to many also the most fascinating culture. Being part of the Tibetan Plateau, and bigger than the American state Wyoming, it is a high altitude desert where rainfall is as sparse as in the Sahara. It is India's highest inhabited region, and very sparsely populated. In the eastern part the population is predominantly Buddhist. Ladakh is also referred to as the Trans-Himalaya. Going there involves crossing the Himalayan Range, just as a journey to Tibet would.
Ladakh's culture and landscape are very reminiscent of Tibet, historically its most influential neighbour. Ladakh is a land of emerald green oases of carefully managed barley fields, speckled with white-washed large farm houses, and set amidst brightly colored slate and sandstone mountains that run up to a dazzling 7672m (25170 ft.). Ladakh and the lesser known neighboring Himalayan areas Zanskar, Nubra, Rupshu and Spiti are certainly remote and isolated. Isolation breeds uniqueness, if not splendour. Life in Ladakh among the barren, unforgiving mountains seems hard at first glance, yet travelers and trekkers come away with a feeling of timelessness and magic. We invite you to come and experience it for yourself! But please realise that timelessness can't be experienced in a hurry.
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| Over the high passes |
The greater area commonly referred to as 'Ladakh' is bounded by two of the mightiest mountain ranges in the world, the Great Himalayan Range and the Karakoram. A number of parallel running mountain ranges divide this area further into regions with its own distinct but similar subculture: Ladakh, Zanskar, Rupshu and Nubra. Spiti lies further to the southeast and is most easily approached from Shimla or Manali in Arunchal Pradesh. Out of the other four regions Ladakh is easiest approached by air. It's capital Leh is served by three flights a day. But due to the high altitude this is not necessarily the wisest approach. After reaching Leh, it will not just be the awesome mountain vistas that will take your breath away, but the rarified air as well. Two or three days complete rest are advisable. This process of acclimatisation will continue during your stay and gradually improve the feeling of fitness.
The other option is embarking on one of the most spectacular road trips in the world, either from the green valley of Kashmir or via pine-scented Manali in the mountains of Himachal Pradesh. The road trip takes at least two days from Kashmir or three days from Manali. Getting to either place from Delhi takes one day by plain or bus. But taking more time is advisable. For the Manali route we advise six days (from Delhi) in order to enjoy the journey to the fullest. This will also enable your body to get gradually acclimatised to the altitude, effectively saving you recovery time when you reach Leh.This route is open form end of June till October. For this 485 km journey we advise three days, but it can be done in two.
From Manali (1800m/5400 ft.) the road climbs the Pir Panjal range, crossing it at the 3978m/13,000ft high Rohtang Pass. As the landscape becomes more barren and Buddhisme gradually replaces Hinduism, another climb brings you into the glaciar-clad Himalayan Range, which you cross at the Baralacha La (4830m/15,800ft). 'La' means pass in Tibetan and Ladakhi. Slightly descending you traverse the majestic, empty and colourful Lingti Valley, part of the high plateau of Rupshu. After the final assault of the highest of all, the Tanglang La (5360m/17,580ft), it is almost 2000m (6500 ft.) down to Leh in the Indus Valley (Ladakh).
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| Beyond Leh and the Indus Valley |
Zanskar is tucked away between the Great Himalayan Range and the Zanskar Range, which effectively closes it off from Ladakh for eight months per year due to heavy snowfall. It is a trekker's paradise where every pass conquered means a new Shangrila opening up in a hidden valley below. In summer, many popular trekking routes lead you there, but also an adventurous two-day jeep or bus drive through Kargil, crossing the 4200m high Pensi La. Exploring the Zanskar valley around its tiny capital Padum, visiting its many beautifully located gompas (Buddhist monasteries) by jeep or on foot is a delightful and rewarding experience. It will charge you with memories that last you a lifetime.
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Nubra Valley is actually very close to Leh, but hidden behind the 5400m high Khardong La.one of the highest motorable passes in the world. The jeep tour that leads you there along either of the two available routes fully justifies the journey in itself. Nubra is made up of the upper Shyok and Nubra rivers, draining the easternmost outcrop of the Karakoram. The wide valley floors are covered with thickets of sea buckthorn interspersed with extensive sand dunes. Bactrian camels would be perfectly in place here, and when you think you see them you may not be dreaming. A healthy population of these two-humped desert dwellers has evolved of animals that stayed back after the caravan routes were cut of in 1962. The villages are large and prosperous and have thick plantations of willow and poplar. The average altitude of the valley is 10,000ft and summer temperatures vary between 15 and 28 deg C.
Nubra is criss-crossed with millennia-old trading routes leading to Yarkand and Kashgar (these days in Chinese Turkmenistan). Avid trekkers can still tread in the footsteps of Sven Hedin and many others.
Nubra has cute little villages where the beating of bells attached to giant prayer wheels seems to define time and the daily agenda runs from the departure and the home coming of the yaks and cows. It has hidden Buddhist monasteries, friendly unassuming people, seemingly unexplored Karakoram mountain masses and, moreover, an empty vastness that is hard to find elsewhere. Half of the fun of a trip to Nubra is getting there. The 5600m/18,380 ft high Khardung La (officially, actually it is about 5400 m, which is still high) is one of the highest motorable passes in the world. It rewards the traveler with views of Leh town as well as some extremely high alpine pastures where yaks graze away at lichens and hardy grasses.
Rupshu is as barren and desolate as it gets in Ladakh, attracting more people these days than ever. Bordering and being apart of, the western Tibetan plateau of Changtang, most of its valleys are so high that no crop will grow and its winters so cold that only yaks and pashmina goats can survive. The little goats beat the climate so well that their wool -considered the warmest on earth - makes the Changpa good money. For that, they have to follow their animals to where-ever the sparse grasses and sedges will surface, even in the midst of winter forever unfolding and packing their black yak-hair rebos (tents).
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