A 5-Day Trip Made Me Fall In Love With The Mountains 

The excitement of passing the high altitude passes, whether it be Khardung La (18,400 feet) or Chang La (17586 feet) is beyond description. At Khardung La Pass, being at an elevation of 18, 400 feet, was an out of the world experience. The journey to the Changla Pass was another unforgettable one. Stuck in traffic, when I first stepped in the piles of fresh snow, the feeling was exhilarating. Road, valleys, slopes as far as my eyes could go, covered with pristine snow under the deep blue sunlit sky. It looked bewitchingly beautiful. Before going to Hunder, little did I know that there is a white sand desert that houses the double hump Bactrian camel. How can I forget the incredible monasteries? They are not only rich in Buddhist culture but also an architectural marvel. Another astonishment was the shadow of the clouds. We, the city dwellers, never think of it. I experienced it for the first time in my life while traveling towards the magnetic hill. White puffy low hanging clouds floating aimlessly creating a shadow on the slopes of the dark mountains below. I was staring in awe with my mouth wide open.

As they say, life is not measured by the breath you take but by the moments that take your breath away. This journey was full of such moments that made me awe-struck. This week long trip made me fall in love with the mountains.

Brief Overview of the Trip:

Meetings & Greetings

We were greeted in the New Delhi railway station and transferred to a nearby Hotel. We were exhausted by the long train journey. So, without any delay, we got fresh and gorged on a sumptuous lunch. The rest of the day was free.

Flight to Leh

We left for Indira Gandhi International airport by 2 am. It took almost one hour to reach the Airport. We were supposed to get there 2 hours in advance as our flight to Leh was scheduled at 5.30 am. After the security check, we boarded the flight. Air travel in this region means that you get to see aerial views of the entire Karakoram range. The snow- capped mountains and meandering river Indus below just leaves you spellbound.

The flight landed at Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport. Outside temperature was 9 degree C. As soon as I stepped out of the aircraft, the cool breeze hit me. I had to wrap myself with a thick jacket and other woollen gears.

The road from Airport to the hotel was very scenic, tall majestic poplar trees are lined up on either side of the road. The cool air was so refreshing. The elegant hotel Gawaling International greeted us with a small grove of lush green apple trees laden with red apples, as soon as we entered the premises. I heard the word 'Julley' for the first time when we were welcomed by the hotel staff with rose water and a white silk cloth around the neck at the entrance. The room was cozy and spacious with wooden furnishing, and a small balcony on the front side offered a spectacular view of the surroundings.

Acclimatization :

While flying down to Leh, the fast and foremost concern is to deal with the high altitude acclimatization to cope with the rarefied atmosphere. Although we weren’t feeling any uneasiness, still we were asked to take rest for acclimatization as the drastic change of altitude could cause breathing problems. So after breakfast, we lay on the bed and soon fell asleep. We experienced mild breathlessness when we woke up at the lunchtime and that occasionally felt it for the next five days whenever we climbed stairs or walked fast.

An evening in Ladakhi style

A beautiful dance programme by Cultural And Traditional Society (CATS) of Leh was arranged at the hotel backyard in the afternoon. We enjoyed the function with tea and pakodas.

A day in the city

The morning was cool and cloudy. We were feeling better. Having done our breakfast, we went for a full day sightseeing tour and covered the Gompas – the Hemis and the Thiksey, Sindhu Ghat, Hall of Fame, Ranchos school and post lunch Shanti stupa.

Hemis Gompa ( 12,000 feet) :

It is the largest and most famous Buddhist monastery in Leh. The road towards the monastery was spectacular. A giant prayer wheel stands at the entrance. The monastery houses a copper statue of Lord Buddha and a museum which is worth mentioning.

Thiksey ( 11,800 feet) :

Undoubtedly, the most beautiful monastery in Leh. Main prayer hall houses a 40 feet high statue of Lord Buddha seated on a lotus.Climbing up the staircase may cause some breathlessness but the roof of the Monastery offers a panoramic view of the surroundings.

Sindhu Ghat :

An elaborated ghat situated on the bank of the most important river of Leh - Indus.

Hall of Fame :

It is a museum constructed and maintained by Indian Army and offers a brief picture of the tough life of the soldiers at Siachen glaciers.

Rancho School :

Last we stopped for 3 idiot's famous Rancho's school.

Shanti Stupa( 14,000 feet) :

The Shanti Stupa was visible from our hotel backyard. It is one of the most beautiful Stupa that houses relics of Buddha at its base. It offers a wide panoramic view of Leh town.

Top of the World

The next morning we got ready for our epic journey to Khardungla Pass. The day was cloudy. We were going down the narrow twisting road through the mist. You will get to see beautiful views of Leh town below and spectacular landscape all around. As we crossed South Pullu, we started seeing the white patches along the road. After 4 hours drive, we reached one of the world’s highest motorable Pass the Khardung-La at an altitude of 18,400 feet. The Summit welcomed us with piles of snow and bone-chilling cold. We spent almost an hour playing with a snowball, having hot tea and maggi in the army cafeteria, admiring the stunning landscapes and experiencing the thin air. After the Pass, the rest of the road almost goes flat along the nonchalant Sayak river traversing some small streams. We reached Sumur, a tiny scenic village in Nubra valley for the night halt.

Another day in the City :

In the morning, we went to visit a few nearby places on Leh - Kargil highway. Journey through this highway is itself so fascinating – watching the shadow of the dancing clouds on the rugged mountain slope. We first stopped at Magnetic Hill to experience how the car move uphill when it put on neutral. Then we visited the picturesque confluence of mighty Himalayan rivers Zanskar and Indus. The stunning landscape of this place is a sight to behold. Next, we dropped at a beautiful gurudwara Pather Sahib. The afternoon was free and we set to explore the Leh market.

Good bye Leh :

We reached Leh airport by 6 am. As it is an army airport, its checking procedures are quite different from the metro city airports. The airport is crowded with more army men than civilians and tourists. Check-in luggage is checked manually and segregated and loaded into the flight. Once the luggage is tagged and put on the conveyor, it goes outside near to the boarding porch. After a while, one attendant called the passengers one by one and ask to verify the luggage. We had to go out to the porch and confirm our luggage. We gave a thumbs up to the responsible attendant and came back to the waiting lounge. After a while, we boarded the flight and reached Delhi by 9 am. We left for Kolkata at night.

In this trip, I stayed at an elevation of more than 11,000 feet; crossed the world’s two highest mountain passes and clicked more than 500 photos that I have never made on any trip. Although occasional breathlessness and bone chilling cold sometimes made it almost unbearable, but at the end of the trip, it's all worth it.

The memories of this trip that I took about 9 years back, is still vivid in my mind. It is those memories that always keep me motivated. And since then every year, I found myself at least once in the lap of the Himalayas to feel the crisp mountain air and behold the beauty of Mother Nature.

Itinerary:

Day 0: Kolkata to Delhi

Day 1: Delhi to Leh (11,500 ft.)

Day 2 : Leh sightseeing

Day 3 : Leh to Nubra Valley (10,000 ft.) via Khardungla Pass (18400 ft.)

Day 4 : Back to Leh

Day 5 : Leh to Pangong Lake(14,270 ft.) via Changla Pass(17,586 ft.)

Day 6 : Leh to Delhi to Kolkata

Things to keep in mind :

1. Prepaid SIM does not work in Leh -Ladakh. So always take Postpaid connections. BSNL postpaid connections are better.

2. Start taking the Diamox medicine 2 days before the date of the journey.

3. Drink lots of water to keep hydrated yourself.

4. Take sufficient woollens and thick jackets.

5. Take rest for acclimatization.