Ladakh - The Land of Las, Gompas & Tsos

Ladakh is the highest inhabited region in the world and is also one of the coldest. It is also known by many a name, The Little Tibet, The Last Shangrila, The Moonland, The Khapa Chan ( snowland) . Ladakh is a high altitude desert, as the Himalayas create a rain shadow forming an entry barrier to the monsoon clouds. The hills give out contrasting colors, the skies deep blue, brink  sunshine, keen air and green river valleys dotted with oasis in a vast desert present a destination worth visiting. It is a matti desert with hardly any shrubs with no trees and natural forest either. The slopes of the lower mountains have little vegetation. However as the mountains rise higher up, the mountains tears the snow line, their slopes start playing hosts to herbs, wild roses and willows, the zone becomes alpine. It is a photographers delight to be in the midst of such exemplary beauty, featuring some mind blogging sand and rock formations to only to be seen, to believe it.
 

The district of Leh is bounded by Pakistan occupied Kashmir in the West, China on the North and Eastern part and Himachal Pradesh in the south east.  There are three parallel Himalayan ranges, the Zanskar, the Ladakh and the Karokaran. In between the ranges the Shayok, the Indus, locally known as Singhe Khababs (out of Lion’s mouth) and the Zanskar rivers flow.
 

The principal town of the Ladakhis is Leh, situated at a height of 11500 ft above sea level. During winters Leh touches minus 30 degrees at night and around minus six during noon time. The best time to visit Leh is from mid April to mid September. Due to the high altitude visitors flying into Leh should allow themselves enough time to acclimatize. Owing to the rarefied atmosphere, low air pressure at high altitudes less oxygen is breathed in and many travelers experience acute mountain sickness. The period of acclimatization is directly proportional to the period of stay. That is the more the days of stay, more should be the days for acclimatization. Any strenuous physical activity should be avoided. Each person behaves differently to the weather and environmental conditions of the cold desert. Casualties due to High Altitude Sickness  in the cold desert is high and it is important to take utmost care of ones health. It is once a lifetime opportunity to bask in the scenic beauty of Ladakh and it is disappointing to fall ill during the course of the visit. In the cold desert we can get a sunstroke and a frost bite at the same time. This is due  to lightness of the air and low pollution makes the sun rays are very sharp and the other is the prevailing cold conditions. There is a famous saying in Ladakh “ In the land of Lamas do not be a Gama “.
 

La means Passes and dhak means many. Ladakh is a land of many mountain passes. The Khardung La ( 18380 ft ) known as the Pass of the Lower Castle which gives way to the Shyok and Nubra valley and leads to the famous Saichen glaciers, believed to be one of the highest motorable mountain pass in the world. The Chang La (17590 ft ) known as the Pillar of Sky passes leads to the famous Pangong lake. The Tanglang La (17480 ft ) in the Zanskar Range used by the nomadic changpa herdsman, The Lachulung La (16600 ft) separating the valley of Tsarap Chuchu and Tozey, The Baralacha La ( 16040 ft) and The Fotu La ( 13478 ft) in the Zanskar Range, The Zoji La ( 11575 ft ) leaving the green hills of Kashmir and connecting the dry mountains in Drass and the Namika La ( 12139 ft) on the Srinagar – Leh Highway  are the ones to look out for. The surrounds and the environs of these passes are amazing  and the landscape  a photographer’s dream.

Gompas or Gonpas are Buddhist temples. There design and interior vary from region to region, however all follow a general layout of a central prayer hall containing a Buddha statue, benches for the monks to engage in prayer and meditation and attached living accommodation. There are more than 100 Gompas or monasteries in Ladakh. Most of these Gompas are situated in remote areas usually at great heights and are Buddhist ecclesiastical fortification of learning. The main attractions of the monasteries are its architecture, murals, thangkas stupas and the lines of prayer wheels. Numerous rock carvings constitute an important evidence of the early Buddhist artistic heritage of Ladakh. These carvings and inscriptions can be found on large rock boulders along pathways.

Some notable Gompas in and around the town of Leh are Namgyal Tsemo founded in 1430 founded by King Tashi Namgyal of Ladakh is located above Leh Palace, Stok Gompa around 14 KM south east of Leh where the present royal family resides, Thiksey Gompa 17  KMs south of Leh close to Shey Palace is one of the most beautiful and recognizable monasteries in Ladakh. The 12 storey Gompa sits high in the Indus valley and a popular destination for tourists. Stakna Gompa meaning the tiger nose is  25 KMs east of Leh situated on the left bank of Indus River founded in the 16^th century , Hemis Gompa in Karu around 45 KMs south of Leh is the most famous and largest monastery of Ladakh .

The monastery existed before the 11^th century and re-established in 1672 AD. An annual two day Hemis festival is held at the monastery to celebrate victory of good over evil.  Sptuk Gompa 7 KMs to the south of Leh is a 15 century monastery perched atop a hill near Indus River, Physng Gompa another 15th century monastery is situated 17 KMs west of Leh, Likr Gompa 53 KMs west of Ladakh established in 1065, is one of the oldest and well maintained monastery in Ladakh and not the least  Alchi Gompa located 60 Kms west of Leh off the main Kargil- Leh route was established in 1000 AD. The monastery is famous for the murals which adorns the walls of the Gompa.

 

Ladakh is a destination for the adventurist tourist and offers an assorted of sports and recreational avenues like Mountain biking, Jeep safari, Trekking, River rafting, Motor cycle bike trip, paragliding, Ice hockey, skiing, Horse polo in addition to its flora and fauna. Winters offer the Chadar trek connecting villages in the Zanskar valley with Chilling along the frozen Zanskar River. 
 

There are three primary routes one can take to reach Leh. The Srinagar – Leh National Highway 1 D, a 422 KMs follows the historic old Central Asia trade route known as the Treaty Road along the Indus River gives an opportunity for modern travelers to get a glimpse  of villages which are historically and culturally important. The route is opened from June to November and the road leads through the passes Fotu la and Zoji La and crosses Drass the second coldest ( - 45 C in winter ) permanent inhabited spot  in the world after Siberia and the top of the recall place for many a Indians in this region Kargil. The other notable route is the Manali – Leh Highway covering a distance of 490 KMs. Once it crosses the Rohtang Pass and entering into Chandra River valley that lies in the rain shadow, the greenery on the southern side of the mountain pass disappears and the mountain slopes on the leeward becomes brown and arcid. In this route one crosses the passes Baralacha La, Lachulung La and the Tanglang La through Sarchu the State border of Jammu & Kashmir through Karu to Leh. The third option is to travel by Air from Delhi to Leh.

We flew from Delhi and landed at the Bakula Rimpoche Airport at Leh in mid April and was fortunate enough to be welcomed by bright sunshine and beautiful surrounding in Leh. The scenic beauty with the tranquil and serene environment appeared to be unreal. The aerial view was fascinating and it set our benchmarks to our expectations of our holiday in Leh. Steps were tentative as we deplaned as the inner thoughts were concentrated on how the body will behave to the high altitude. As we reached our place of stay, we were welcomed by a person who checked our blood pressure, pulse rate and the oxygen levels in our body  and we were told to give our bodies a complete rest. Eating light, taking the prescribed medicines  and sleep was the order for the next two days. Twice a day the person religiously used to check the blood pressure, pulse rate and oxygen levels. There seems to be an improvement after every check and we were growing in confidence that our bodies was slowly getting acclimated to the low oxygen levels. However appetite was low with a feeling as if having a hangover but we managed to  sleep well through the nights. The feeling of sunshine was good during the day but once the sun set, the evenings were cold. Woolens, heater pillars and electric blankets became a part of life.  However drinking in the fascinating landscape, we lost all sense of time and space. The experience was similar to be sitting in a beach and watching the sea changing colors, in Ladakh it was watching the hills giving out contrasting colors.

Leh was the capital of the Himalayan kingdom of Ladakh, presently Leh is a District in the State of Jammu & Kashmir and the second largest in the country. First venture out of the house was to the place of confluence of the  Indus and Zangskar rivers known as Sangam Point in Nimo, about 50 KM from Leh on the Leh Srinagar Highway. The sight of the confluence can be clearly made out with the light blue waters of the Indus and the muddy water Zangkar The view from the highway is a sight to behold with nature at its best. With water levels low during the month of April, we could make it down to the white sand river bed. Due to the melting of snow during the summer months of June to August, the water levels remain high which is the best season for fascinating rafting expeditions which provides a spectacular view of the landscapes of the Ladakh  and Zanskar Ranges.

Another place of interest in the Leh Srinagar Highway is the Magnetic Hill located 30 KMs from Leh. This is a place which defies the law of gravity. We parked our vehicle in the box marked on the road, put the gears in neutral, put the ignition off  and our vehicle began to drift upwards, defying basic physics laws. It is fascinating and unbelievable and leaves one totally baffled. Many are of the opinion that it is an optical illusion but we for one experienced the movement, seating inside the car. The point is debatable, but do visit the Magnetic Hill in case one is in Leh especially with children.

Another notable landmark is the  Leh Palace, a former royal palace built on the similar lines of Potala Palace in Lhasa Tibet, built by King Namgyal in the 17^th century. The  palace in in ruins but the panoramic view of Leh town from the roof top attracts tourists.

Situated 5 KM from Leh is the white bodied Shanti Stupa, built on a steep hill facing the Leh Palace.The Stupa was built by the Japanese Buddhist monks in 1991 as a part of the Pagoda Peace mission which was enshrined by The 14^th Dalia Lama. One can reach the Stupa by taking the steps too, to get the breath taking view of the town of Leh and the surrounding mountain ranges.

Another stunning landmark is The Jama Masjid constructed in 1667, a historical mosque and the largest in Ladakh stands out in the heart of main bazaar of Leh.   

         

The Tso or lakes in Ladakh are the icing in the cake for lovers of ecology and bio diversity. It is a rarity to find water bodies and in such high altitude region and extreme cold conditions. The Himalayan lakes are classified in Glacial lakes, formed around glaciers, structural lakes, formed by folds or faults due to movement in earth crust, Remnant lakes, originally structural but represent the remnants of vast lakes and lastly the natural lakes.  

Tsomoriri, situated on the Changthang Plateau at 14836 feet above MSL is a water body measuring 19 KMs in length, with a width of 3 KM and depth of 105 M, with inflow of snowmelt during the summer months. It is 240 KM from Leh but can also be reached from Pangong Tso too, a distance of 235 KM via the remote region of Chhangang, considered one of the most beautiful drives in the entire Ladakh Region.
 

Tso Kar known as the white lake is a twin lake with the eastern part is fresh water and the western part salt water connected by a small spring. White salt deposits are seen all over the shore It is situated in the Rupshu Valley, 250 KM from Leh. The Tso Kar welcomes a amazing array of birds and home to the Kiangs, the breed of wild Asses.

Other notable Tso are Mirpal Tso, Changar Tso, Kyun Tso, Ryul Tso, Kiagar Tso, Stat Tso and Lang Tso but the must visit Tso is the Pangong Tso, which has further made attractive and famous by the likes of many Bollywood films,  and leading the pack is  The Three Idiots.  

Once we were acclimatized to the conditions of Leh,  we were all set to take off to the much awaited, the top of recall for any traveler in Ladakh The Pangong Tso.  There had been red alerts for avalanche in the area and there was no movement through  the Chang La for the past several days. We had almost given up hope of making it to the famed Tso. It was days before we received the all clear signal and we considered ourselves fortunate and our happiness knew no boundaries  to be making the trip to the famous Tso. We drove on the Leh Manali highway a picturesque road along the Indus River, passing the Shey Palace till we took a left from Karu.


Once we crossed the village of Shakti, the road began to climb and climb through the  steep, rough, zig – zag, dramatic mountain roads.  Soon the brown mountains tops gave away to snow laid landscape and as we approached the Chang La pass, the road became narrower and rougher with  snow seems to be all around us. The Chang La greeted us with a chill in the air, and left us feeling really cold and with the low oxygen at a height of 17590 ft added to our discomfort. But the efforts made to reach the La was rewarded with the spectacular view around and a sense of accomplishment to reach the dizzy heights.

The road was down hill from Chang La onwards but the road looked treacherous. Soon we crossed the place where the recent avalanche had swept away a vehicle. Rescue operations by the authorities was under progress, looking for the persons whose vehicle was swept away by the avalanche. With the rush of adrenaline secretion in our bodies at its peak, there was a equal feeling of fear and excitement and with  prayers in our minds , we moved downhill from the La to the lower reaches of Durbuk, Tangste, Lukung and Spangmik .

 

The drive was 170 KM from Leh and took us almost five hours with intermittent  halts on the way. Pangong in Tibetean is long, narrow enchanted. Situated at a  height of 14270 ft the Tso is 134 KM long, with width measuring 5 KM at its broadest point.  The line of actual control passes through this lake and approx. 60 % of the lake lies in Tibet. It is a separate land lock river basin and completely freezes in winter despite being saline in nature and life in winters is harsh and tough. The first sight of Pangong Tso and its surrounds left us in a daze, with most of the lake frozen but another part the water bluish  turquoise in color with the background of brown hills and behind them the snow clad mountains with mist and clouds playing its part on a The playful numerous ducks and gulls in the Tso added to the beauty. The pristine beauty of the Tso mesmerized us and will remain a part  in our living memories. Was this the place we could call Heaven.
 

We had almost reached the end of our stay at Leh, and it called for a last round of Golf at the Fire and Fury, a 18 hole Golf course established in 1967 at a height of 11500 ft, claimed to be one of the  highest Golf course in the world. The greens made of motor oil mixed with sand are called the browns. The fairway completely sandy and rocky, where one has to take the fairway shots off a mat. The Golf course is set in a bowl with a view of the Khardung

Mountains. Many of the tee off points are at considerable height and it required an effort to reach them. On reaching the tee off point we would require time to regain our breath but the satisfaction was the shots used to zip off to almost distance of PGA Tour standards, guess why, because the thin rarefied air make the golf ball travel to unbelievable distances. The Golf course is indeed an idiosyncratic piece of golfing terrain but provides an unique golfing encounter.

All good things end and it was a happy ending, as we woke up to a bright and sunny day on the morning of our departure from Leh. Both on arrival and departure days, lady luck smiled on us, as the previous day and the day after respectively, there was snowfall in Leh and the flights to and from Leh were cancelled due to bad weather conditions.  April being a month of transition from winter to summer the weather is very erratic. In the ten days of our stay in Ladakh, we enjoyed the sun, the rain and the snowfall. The hospitality of the people of Ladakh who are gentle and peace loving people was infectious. Visiting Ladakh is also an eye opener to gauge the living conditions in these high altitude, low oxygen and difficult terrains. We salute the men and women in uniform who are guarding our vast borders  along with offering of medical facilities to one and all and in gratitude dedicate this blog to the soldier standing guard, meeting eye ball to eye ball with the enemy in these harsh and inhuman weather conditions. Julley!