Day 14: Leh

Namgyal Peak

Am left to Nubra valley today morning. She is staying there for 3 days. After breakfast I packed the handicrafts that I bought yesterday in a cardboard box that I got from the homestay family. I took it to the post office in the town to send it as parcel to my home. As with typical government offices in India, one needs a lot of patience if he wants to get something done here. It took almost 1.5 hrs for me have the lady in the counter look at my need. She said I have to open the box as she needs to recheck what is inside. So I cut open the neatly packed box and showed her the contents. She said I can’t send it as the article contains metals!!! I didn’t understand what she meant so I asked again what the problem is. She said since it is send by flight it is not allowed to send any articles with metal!!! I was surprised! It can’t be true that I can’t send any metal item by parcel from Leh. I came out of the office and asked the police man on street patrol whether there is any other possibility. He asked me to check the head post office about 2 kms further ahead. He also mentioned that may be I could ask the post office here whether its possible to send it from the head post office. So I went back and asked the lady in the counter the same. She said she doesn’t know!!!! That’s what one calls an “efficient and well informed government office”. Hopeless! I think I should tell myself “Welcome to India”. I think this is just a teaser for what to come in the coming days, months and years. Will I survive? I don’t know, but I have to, somehow!!

Day 13: Leh

Shanti Stupa

My flight back home is in two days time. I decided not to do anything and relax the two days here. After breakfast I wrote all the post cards that I wanted to send today. I didn’t have the mailing address of some of them, but the rest I wanted to post today.

I went to the town in the morning. Walked around the Tibetan refugee shops where they sold beautiful handicrafts. If I had the money I would have bought all of them. In the end I bought a prayer wheel and a statue of sleeping Buddha. I wanted to send it as parcel to home as my luggage is already a little bit overweight.

I went out in the afternoon again to have a small lunch in the town. I didn’t spend much time there, came back and had a shower. In the evening I did some timelapsing of the Santi Stupa. Am and I went out for dinner at night. I invited her so as to thank her for massaging my shoulders during the trek.

Day 12: Shang Sumdo - > Martselang -> Leh

Martselang

The rainy weather continued to today. It was raining when we woke up. The whole tent was wet and the wet conditions outside made the packing difficult. We had out last breakfast in the kitchen tent. The cook has prepared a special cake, which was very nice of them. Am didn’t want to walk in the rain with her knee problems and the other other british girls were also not keep to walk either. I didn’t mind walking as I thought the rains are part of the trekking experience. More over its walking and enjoying the landscape even if it’s raining. So Stan decided to call the agency to have the pickup arranged at Shang Sumdo for the 3 of them. The plan was that Stan and I will walk to Martselang village where our official pick up was supposed to be and the girls will start from the Shang Sumdo at a later time. And we all will meet at Martselang. But the plan didn’t work out as Stan couldn’t get any telephone lines to Leh. In the end we all decided to walk to Martselang. When we started there was no rain, but later on it started to rain again. It was not so much of fun as we were walking along the road and the landscape didn’t change much.

Once we reached Martselang our jeep was already there. Still we waited there for almost an hour for the pony guys with the luggage to join us. We could have left early and let the luggage come later on. But we wanted to say good bye to the guys properly. Our guide Stan, the cook, the pony man, the helper Gan was all very nice to us during the last one week. It was only apt that we thank them properly for all the services.

Markha Valley Trek

A visit to the monasteries on the way to Leh was included in the trek program. Since Am and I had already visited them we decided to go directly to Leh. The British girls went with Stan to visit the monasteries and Am and I to our homestay in Leh.

Once in our homestay, I decided not to go anywhere and have a shower and take rest. Am gone out to check the mail. The last 8 days had been incredible. A test of endurance and fitness!  In the end I think we walked more than 100 kms, climbed two high passes (4950 and 5300 m), walked through heat, cold and rains. I have never done anything like this before. But it was times well spend.

Day 11: Nimaling -> Shang Sumdo via Kongmaru La

Kongmaru La

 

It rained a lot yesterday evening and night. In any guide book it says that there can even be snow in the plateau in summer. Luckily it didn’t snow yesterday. But still it was very very cold. The rain continued into the night. So when we started our trek we all had to wear our rain gear.

The first phase of the trek was to climb to the Kongmaru La at 5300 m. The climb was steeper than what we had ever faced before. 4900, 5100, 5200….I was struggling to climb and also to breath normally at the same time. The final climb to 5300 m was very very steep. So steep and exhausting that I think I was moving at snail’s pace covering just few cms in each step. Once we were at the top of the pass it was a thrilling experience. In all these passes here there are Buddhist prayer flags tied at the top. So the moment you started seeing them when you climb, the thought that you are close to the goal is very motivating.

At the top it was very windy and cold. So we didn’t stay there longer. The first 300 m descend was very steep. It puts a lot of load on ones knees. We descended almost 1000 m in one stretch. Afterwards it was pretty challenging walk through the rocky canyon. We had to cross the Shang river at many points as the paths were not clear. Sometimes we had to climb up and come down again as there were no trekking routes available. It was pretty stressful walk. The rains in between made our trek more difficult as the wet rocks were very slippery. We had our first tea stop at a tea tent at around 1.30 pm. We still have to walk around another 2 hrs at least to reach our camp at the Shang Sumdo village.

The walk in the afternoon was not so stressful as most of the time we were walking at the same altitude. But it was a long and tiring walk. Am was still having problems with her knee. So our helper Ganga and I slowed down to keep her company. Stan went ahead with the two British girls. The landscape was very beautiful, just like our trek in the last days. But the slow and long walk made the journey very tiring. It also started raining again in between. Finally we reached the camp at around 4.30 pm. So altogether we were trekking for around 8 hours today! Now all I could think of is to hit my mattress in my tent!

 

Day 10: Tahungste -> Nimaling

Kang Yatze

I slept really badly yesterday night. I tried some star trail timelapse yesterday night. Till 12 I was rolling around in my sleeping bag. Finally when I managed to catch some sleep I was awaken by the cry of a donkey. The donkey was tied near to our tent. Somehow the stupid animal found it funny to give a loud cry at every hour!! That meant I was woken up every hour at night!

We started early like before at 8 am. My GPS showed an altitude of 4310 at our campsite. And the next camp is at 4700 m. Our guide Stan said it will take only 4 hrs to reach there. It was a gradual climb throughout. Probably because of the lack of sleep I was more tired than before. The thin air meant my climbing rate was very low when compared to others. I was making really small steps so as to have a tolerable breathing rate. Still whenever we stopped I was breathing at a very high frequency. It was not at all an easy climb for me.

All through the climb we had the beautiful view of Kang Yatze (at 6400 m), which was snow-capped, at our tight. After about 2 hrs we stopped at a pond made from spring water. It was quite refreshing to wash the face with the cold water from the natural spring. We spend almost half an hour there relaxing, and enjoying the view of the mighty Kang Yatze in the background. There is one more pond, about 10 m from where we stayed. I think the water from that pond flowed into the pond where we stayed before trickling down through the mountain valley.

Afterwards we proceeded to our final trek to the plateau of Nimaling where our camp is. Slowly, breathing heavily and exhausted I somehow managed to reach our campsite. On the way we could see our trek route for tomorrow high up in the mountains. We have to climb to the Kongmarula at approximately 5300 m tomorrow. That’s going to be a tough one. I have to make sure that I stay fit and catch some good sleep today.

We reached the campsite at around 12.15 noon. Our campsite at Nimaling is a very beautiful plateau with no shades. Quite windy and cold when the sun is behind the clouds. The Nimaling Chu flows with full strength on one side of the plateau. My GPS showed an altitude of 4850 m. I was breathing more frequently even while moving around. Not a comfortable feeling! I tried to catch some sleep in the tent after lunch, but with no success. I walked around the plateau and went to the tea tent, where one can have beer also in addition to the tea. I met the 2 Austrian and 1 German lady there, enjoying their beer. I met them in our first camp at Jingchan. Since they also had the same schedule as us we met each other irregularly during the last days of the trek. I ordered a tea and chatted with them for some time. For me it was an opportunity to rehearse my German so as not to forget it too soon.

Tomorrow is going to be a long and exhausting day. I hope I will be able to get good sleep tonight. After climbing the pass we have to reach the village of Shang Sumdo tomorrow. It would take at least 8 hours of trek I guess. The toughest day of the whole trek probably!!

 

Day 9: Markha -> Tahungste

We started the trek early today. Stan made sure that we left at 8 am. It was a good idea as we will be reaching the camp earlier than before, giving us enough time to rest.

We climbed the cliff at Markha where the monastery is situated. Once above we had the beautiful view of the valley on one side and the village on the other side. After about 40 min we had our river crossing. I made sure that I had the sandals this time. Though that made walking through the rocky river bed easier and the water was only knee deep, the water was colder than yesterday. At midway through the crossing my feet started to paining because of the cold temperatures Still it was an interesting experience.

Most of the time we walked along the Markha river. We passed the Umlang Gompa, which sits on a cliff overlooking the valley, on the way. Stan told us that there were only a couple of monks living there. We passed the Umlang village shortly afterwards before proceeding to the village of Hankar. We stopped there to have our lunch break. It was close to 12 noon now and the sun was getting hotter as before.

Once we passed the Hankar village we started seeing the peaks of Kang Yatze (at 6300 m altitude) at  a distance. We took a shark left turn from the valley and leading to a steep climb. We passed the ruins of a Gompa and ended up in a beautiful village with Mani stones, stupas, mustard fields and the ruins of the Hankar Gompa. It was so beautiful that the whole landscape looked like a postcard. Proceeding further we reached the Nimaling Chu river, which also opened up the entrance to a gorge leading to our camp. Strange rock formations on both sides of the Nimaling Chu river welcomed us as we made our slow climb towards the camp which is at approximately 4200 m high. At some stretches the climb was very very steep. The heat of the day made our ascend very stressful.

We reached our camp at around 2.15 pm. The camp at Tahungste is on the banks of Nimaling Chu river which is covered by green pastures. The river was flowing at high speeds and the water was muddy and ice cold. Still there are some springs around with crystal clear water. I washed my body with the cold water from the spring. Though cold it was really refreshing experience. Now the whole day left for relaxing which is really good. Tomorrow we climb to the highest camp of the trek at approximately 4700 m.

 

Day 8: Skiu -> Markha

It is going to be a long day today. We have to walk the whole way along the valley to Markha. We started up late at around 9 am. In hindsight we should have started early as it gets really hot later in the day. The valley is very beautiful with green patches along the Markha river surrounded by barren dry mountains. The contrast was terrific. It got really hot in the afternoon and the going got tougher. Even small slopes became difficult. We stopped at the village of Sara (a couple of houses) to have our lunch. We left at around 1 pm. Our guide Stan warned us that we have tor each the river crossing near to Markha at around 3-4 pm at the latest as afterwards it may be difficult to cross due to the possibility of high water levels. The water in the river comes from the glaciers. As the day gets hotter the glaciers melt faster leading to an increase in the amount of water flowing. There we had to hurry up to cross the river in time.

It was a difficult trek in the hot sun. Most of the places didn’t have any shade, exposing us to the hot midday sun. My video camera stopped working after some time. I guess it was the heat. Finally we reached the river crossing at around 3.30 pm. Luckily the river water level was only knee deep. I forgot to take my sandals with me. I sent it along with my main luggage with the ponies. That made crossing the rocky river bed in bare foot quite uncomfortable. In addition the water was close to freezing. But everything went on well. About 1 km after the river crossing we reached the village of Markha.

There is an old monastery on the top of the cliff overlooking our campsite. The Markha river flowed in full strength on the side of the campsite. I was completely exhausted from the long day of trek. Its already 4 pm and we walked more than 20 km today, most of the time in the hot sun. My shoulder was also paining a lot from carrying the backpack. Am gave me a shoulder massage again, though she herself was completely exhausted. We finished our dinner at 8.30 pm and I immediately went to bed. I also took a pain killer as my shoulder was not looking good.

 

Day 7: Ganda La Basecamp -> Skiu

Kanda La

We had to climb the Kanda La pass today which is at approximately 4980 m high. We started from our upper base camp at around 8.30 am. The climb was steep, so the going was slow. On the way we saw marmots. Though the climb was hard the scenery was breathtaking. We were climbing through the Stok range of mountains. It took almost 2 hrs to climb from 4545 m to 4980 m where the highest point of the pass is. After taking rest and taking photos I climbed to the ridge of the pass to take some ariel shots of the pass. The GPS showed 5026 m at the top of the ridge. It was a beautiful sight with the Stok range of mountains on one side and the Zanskar range on the other side of the pass.

Afterwards we descended towards the village of Shingo which is at 4150 m. Like all the villages in our route Shingo also has only a couple of houses. The village sits in a a gorge and there is a arrest camp at the entrance. We had our lunch there and around 1.30 pm we started walking towards Skiu where our camp for tonight is pitched. The walk towards Skiu from Shingo goes through a beautifully coloured rock laded gorge. A small stream flows along the gorge towards Skiu. Am was slower than the rest of us as her knee was not feeling well. So our guide walked in the front with other girls and I stopped in between so that Am can catch up with us without getting lost The walk through the gorge was fantastic. It took more than 3 hrs for us to reach Skiu.

There is a monastery at Skiu at the entrance of the village. Other than that there are probably about 20 houses in the village. Since our pony team reached the village late we didn’t get any camping place directly at the village. Our camp was instead pitched at the beginning of the Markha valley, on the banks of the Markha river.  I actually loved that place as it was far away from the crowd, peaceful and quiet with a fantastic view of the Skiu monastery at a distance. All of us were really tired from the long trek. I unpacked my bag and headed to the river to wash my body. The water was freezing cold, still it was so refreshing that I am glad that I did that.

At dinner Stan organised some local beer, called Stang, made from barley. We talked about it before, I never thought that he will take time to organise it. I just had a cup of it. It was a sweet beer, more like the Cider. I don’t know how strong it is. As even after a mug of it I felt alright.

 

Day 6: Jingchen -> Ganda La Basecamp

Yurutse

We started at 8.30 in the morning after breakfast. Initially we trekked along the Jingchen gorge crossing the Jingchen river many times and slowly climbing altitude. The route took us through the Hemis national park. The river crossing was not at all difficult. It was a long day of trek with the temperature rising as the day progressed. At around noon we reached the village of Rumbak which is at 3800 m.  The route bifurcates here, one going to towards the Stok La and the Stok Kangri mountain and the second towards the Ganda La basecamp. Here one or two houses constitute a village. There is a tea tent run by the Ladakhi women where we had our tea and a long break.

Afterwards we proceeded towards the village of Yurutse which is at 4120 m altitude. The hot climate, the thin air and the weight of my backpack was making my climb difficult. Am and I were moving at snails pace where as the girls and the guide were usually moving pretty fast at the front. There is also a homestay at Yurutse. Just one building and it is the Yurutse village! It is a beautiful location. The homestay sits on the side of a green lush valley surrounded by barren mountains.

We were so tired that we decided to take a break and take our lunch there. We still have to climb 400 m today. After an hour break we stared our climb again. It was a slow climb, but the landscape was really beautiful with the mountains half blue in colour. We could see the Stok Kangri mountains at a distance. After about a tiring 200 m climb we reached a  camp with a small tented restaurant. This is the lower Ganda La camp. We were so tired that I thought we will be camping here. But our ponyman and the cook had already climbed further and pitched the tent at the upper Ganda La camp!

We took a half hour break  and climbed again. Slowly, but steady, we reached our final destination – upper Ganda La base camp at 4545 m – at around 4 pm. The tiredness made all of us to lay down on the mattresses and sleep for a while. Later on we had our tea with biscuits. I tried some timelapse photography while Am did her meditation. I had some slight headache, probably from the high altitudes. My shoulder was paining a lot. After sunset the temperature dropped drastically. I guess it should have been between 5  - 10 degrees. After dinner we quickly went back to the warmth of our sleeping bags in the tent. Am gave me a shoulder massage using the pain balm that I had with me. It was very helpful and it was really nice of her to do so. Tomorrow is going to be a hard day. We have to climb the Ganda La pass which is at 4900 m. Hope my headache will be gone by then. Fingers crossed!!

 

Day 5: Spituk -> Jingchen

Our trek agent picked us up from the homestay at around 8.30 am. For the trek there was also two British girls joining us. The agent’s jeep took us to Spituk first, from where our trek starts. It is also the place where the cook, pony, horses etc for the trek joined us. The trek to Jingchen is supposed to be not so stressful.

In the beginning the trek went through a desolate plain which ran parallel to the Indus river. After sometime the path split into a narrow gorge where one gets an impressive view of the Indus gorge. We could see some people doing river rafting in Indus. Leaving the Indus gorge we turned left to enter the Jingchen gorge. The day was getting hotter and we took a couple of breaks in between. We walked parallel to the Jingchen river which runs through the gorge. At around 2 pm we reached our campsite at Jingchen situated at the banks of the river. The camp was crowded with trekkers and their ponies/donkeys. We had 2 tents with Am and I on one tent and the 2 girls on the other. In addition there was a kitchen tent where the cook prepared our food.

After taking our packed lunch almost all of us took a nap in the shades. All of us were very tired. We had nothing to do for the rest of the day except relaxing, which was nice. The Jingchen Nala river water comes from the glacier in Stok. So the water was very cold. But the fresh water also helped me to refresh myself. We had a wonderful dinner. I was very surprised that they managed to make such delicious dinner in that tiny tent. After dinner I tried some star photography. Our camp is at an altitutde of 3380 m. Tomorrow we have to try to reach the Ganda La base camp which is at 4545 m. That’s around 1200 m climb in thin air. It is going to be a lot stressful day.