Day4: Leh...

Day 1: Delhi – Manali (Volvo)

Day 2:  Manali– Jispa (Car)

Day 3: Jispa– Leh (Car)

Day 4: Local Sight Seeing (Car)

Day 5: Leh– Pangong (Car)
Day 6: Pangong – Leh (Car)
Day 7:  Leh – Nubra Valley (Car)
Day 8 & 9: Nubra Valley– Leh (Car) + Leh – Delhi (via flight)

Day4: This was a pretty relaxed day compared to the previous 3 days we had. We started our day at around 10 AM.

Landscape near leh

Moving out of the city Leh

This day we visited Alchi Monastery, Likhir Monastery, Confluence of Indus and Zanskar river. We handed a copy of identity proofs to our driver to get us the inner line permit for Pangong and Nubra, which is easily available.

Near Magnetic Hill

On the way to Alchi we halted at a place having magnetic hill phenomena. If you leave your car in neutral it will start climbing the hill, against the gravity. We actually experienced the phenomena.
  

Confluence of Indus and Zanskar

Then reached Alchi. There are huge prayer wheels outside the monastery and they are filled with prayers printed on paper. It is believed that more you turn the wheel, the more the prayers are recited and sent around the world. Let's turn the wheel for good-luck for our trip....



Alchi Monastery

At the entrance of Likir Gompa

Entrance

Views from the Monastery

Main structure of Alchi Monastery

Outer View of the Monastery

Spent our evening roaming in the local market of Leh.

The Unforgettable Laddakh: Itinerary

Road Trip to Laddakh
Itinerary:
Day 1: Delhi – Manali (Volvo)
Day 2:  Manali– Jispa (Car)
Day 3: Jispa– Leh (Car)
Day 4: Local Sight Seeing (Car)
Day 5: Leh– Pangong (Car)
Day 6: Pangong – Leh (Car)
Day 7:  Leh – Nubra Valley (Car)
Day 8 & 9: Nubra Valley– Leh (Car) + Leh – Delhi (via flight)

Tips for Altitude Sickness: 

• Drink a lot of water while crossing high passes to avoid de-hyderation. 
• If you are prone to altitude sickness, carry garlic soup (if possible)/ juices and keep on sipping time to time help
• If you not feeling well then try to halt at places of lower altitude for example I have heard many people falling sick while staying at Sarchu, other option might be to stay at Jispa 

Excursions: Villages either remote or well connected you enter, any hill you climb, each and every turning of the road will lead you to an excursion to the place full of beautiful landscapes, huge barren mountains, beautiful cloud formations at the deep blue canvas of sky.. 

Still Below are the most famous excursions as ladakh has become a very touristy location (big thanks to bollywood movies showcasing Pangong) you might find a lot of people around!!

TSO Morori, TSO Pangong, Nubra Valley (Hunder & Diskit), TSO Kar. Lamayuru (The moon Village)

Places to visit:

In Leh: Sanchi Stupa, Alchi Monastery, Likhir Monastery, Palace, Confluence of Indus and Zanskar, Local Market, War Museum...

What to eat:
Must try tibetiyan food.. Khotey Momos, Thupka, Thantuk, Tibetiyan Bread, Tigmo and the list to be continued..

The Unforgettable Laddakh: Day 2: Manali to Jispa

Day 1: Delhi – Manali (Volvo)

Day 2:  Manali– Jispa (Car)

Day 2:  Manali– Jispa (Car)

Day 3: Jispa– Leh (Car)

Day 4: Local Sight Seeing (Car)

Day 5: Leh– Pangong (Car)

Day 6: Pangong – Leh (Car)

Day 7:  Leh – Nubra Valley (Car)

Day 8 & 9: Nubra Valley– Leh (Car) + Leh – Delhi (via flight)

Day 2: Next Day we started our journey towards Leh. Our driver told us to start at 4.00 AM to escape from Traffic Jam at RhotangLa* due to the landslide. But we couldn’t make it at 4 and finally we started at 5.00 AM in the morning.



The early morning views of Manali @ 5.30  AM

One of the many lush green mountains @ Manali

We were all sleeping in the car till we reached the landslide area at around 6.30-7 in the morning. Suddenly out of nowhere we saw a huge queue of trucks and cars waiting to go to the other side of the land-slide. We couldn't have done anything about the situation except for starting early (which could have saved 2-3 hrs). As we were stuck, we all got down from the car started roaming on the roads and enjoying the weather..

Queue of Vehicles near the Landslide

View behind the traffic Jam

We were carrying cup noodles which helped a lot in that particular situation. Every now and then small stones were falling from the top, and there was a huge slush on the road making it difficult for vehicles to cross. There were two bulldozers to help vehicles to cross that landslide area. Most of the trucks and small vehicles were pulled or pushed by the bulldozers to cross the landslide area.

The LANDSLIDE

 Finally after spending 9-10 hours there, our Innova managed to cross that slush without the bulldozer’s help. But we had lost precious time and Aakash and summi were feeling sick because of the sharp sun they were exposed to.

RohtangLa Amidst of Clouds

@ Rohtangla

We had to deviate from our original plan of staying in Sarchu. We had to take shelter at Jispa for the night and cover the remaining distance in next day.

On the way to Keylong: 1

On the to Keylong: 2

The place we stayed, Jispa is small village having the river Chandra flowing by one side and a huge mountain range on the other side. The river was 10 mins walk from our hotel, we could easily hear the sound of water from our room. Stay was very comfortable and good break after such long a day. The place is very scenic, it’s a small adobe in the lap of Mother Nature, surrounded by nothing but mountains.  

Somewhere around Jispa

Our hotel was very comfortable, but there was no networks in the mobile phone till you reach Leh. Only BSNL phone will work for some distance. The hotel manager was a very helpful guy, he gave his phone, so that we can make calls to home.

*LA means Pass in Tibetan Language

Stay tuned for the rest of the Journey...

The Unforgettable Laddakh: Day1: Manali (Delhi to Manali)

Day 1: Delhi – Manali (Volvo)

Day 2:  Manali– Jispa (Car)
Day 3: Jispa– Leh (Car)
Day 4: Local Sight Seeing (Car)
Day 5: Leh– Pangong (Car)
Day 6: Pangong – Leh (Car)
Day 7:  Leh – Nubra Valley (Car)
Day 8 & 9: Nubra Valley– Leh (Car) + Leh – Delhi (via flight)

It was in the summer of 2011 and this was the third time I planned my trip to the Serene land of Laddakh. As usual all of my friends backed out from the plan at the last moment. Luckily one of my college friends Aakash was also planning to go to laddakh same time. And I was so eager to go, I pounced upon the opportunity, without even knowing anyone else in that group, though later all of us became very good friends.

Before starting let me intorduce our photographer for the trip: Lalit.. 

Lalit AKA Tiwari ji ;)

 Day 1: Our trip started on Saturday evening when we assembled at Canaught Place and took the volvo from Delhi to Manali. The Volvo was quite comfortable till the time we started ascending the mountains. We had 6 seats for 4 of us me and one other girl (Summi) in the group, quickly grabbed two seats each leaving the 2 boys (Lalit and Aakash) to adjust in 2 seats. That move of ours made our journey much comfortable than expected.. ;-) And we happily went off to sleep after having dinner at some roadside dhaba.

The entire night passed by tossing and turning on the seat. And there comes the Sun peeping from the huge Blue Mountains, pinking the white patches of clouds and slowly covering the entire sky to welcome our arrivals in the Himalayan Region!!

Our bus halted at some dhaba near mandi for tea break. We reached Manali at 7 AM on Sunday Morning, took a hotel with bare minimum facilities, got ready and went ahead to explore Manali… 

We hired a local cab with Rs 800 for a Day tour of manali. Started with visiting Hadimba temple/ Hidimba Temple. It is located at a distance of 1.5 Km from Mall Road amidst of Green Forest. This is one of the oldest temple in manali dedicated to Goddess Hadimba, wife of Bhim (one of the five pandavas). The legend goes that Padavas stayed in Himachal during their exile, and Bhima married Hadimba and they also had a son named Ghatotkacha.

@ Hadimba Temple

Our next destination was vashisht temple. The temple is dedicated to Lord Rama and Guru Vashisht. There is also a hot water sulphur spring known for its medicinal power. There is a separate bathing area for men and women.

Vashisht Temple, Manali

Priest @ Temple

Souvenir  shop near the temple

Spending time by the river side is best the best way to utilise your time and if that river is Beas then you can easily be lost in its vibrant flow.

River flowing by the road side

The after a walk at the Mall Road we were off to bed..

The Journey Continues...

The Unforgettable Laddakh: Day 3: Jispa to Leh via Sarchu, Pang, More Plains

Day 1: Delhi – Manali (Volvo)

Day 2:  Manali– Jispa (Car)

Day 3: Jispa– Leh (Car)

Day 3: Jispa– Leh (Car)
Day 4: Local Sight Seeing (Car)
Day 5: Leh– Pangong (Car)
Day 6: Pangong – Leh (Car)
Day 7:  Leh – Nubra Valley (Car)
Day 8 & 9: Nubra Valley– Leh (Car) + Leh – Delhi (via flight)

Day 3: On Monday we started at 8.AM towards Leh. The landscape was changing every 15 mins from the time we started. Our first halt was at a small lake, having clear still water to give perfect reflection of green mountains.

Deepak Tal around 20 Km from Jispa

As the altitude was changing very quickly, it was little difficult to acclimatize our self to atmosphere. The only saving grace was awesome and ever changing surrounding, I felt as if I have entered a different world. Life is so still that the only the moving the is your imagination, so quite that only noise you can hear is of your own heart beat, the only thing you see are those huge barren mountains, in different shapes, sizes and colours, creating breathtaking landscapes on the canvas of nature.

Suryatal @ 9.40 AM in Baralacha Ranges

Our Next stop was at Barachala Pass, the route passing through the snow patches. We were excited to see and play with snow at this point.

 @ Baralacha La

Our driver warned us to take baby steps and walk slowly to avoid breathlessness, so we followed his instructions. The barachala pass is a beautiful sight having snow on both the sides of the road and having loads of stone piles which are considered auspicious in Tibetiyan culture.  

Few miles ahead of Baralacha la

After spending sometime there we moved forward for our journey. Our next stopover was sarchu.. There stood huge barren mountains gazing at you from the height of few thousand meters and in its laps, a small establishment of camps ready to provide shelter to tired travellers. Though we couldn’t spend much time here due to our tight schedule. 

Landscape @ Sarchu

Sacrhu lies at the border for Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashimir. Once you cross sarchu you have entered the blissful land of Kashmir. The mud mountains, strange sand formation are common the only landscape available.

Camps at Sarchu



Mountains covered with beautiful clusters of clouds

The road we travelled

Sand Formations on the mountains

At the beginning we were excited with the tarmac but as we travelled further altitude sickness started taking over our heads. And we were all down by the time we reached pang. Pang has 3-4 small shops to help you acclimatize with high altitudes. We halted here to take some refreshments, the aunty who was running the shop was very helpful, she made tasty garlic soup for us, and believe me garlic soup is like an ultimate remedy for altitude sickness. We bought some munchies and juices from here and continued our journey further. 

Aunty who saved our lives ;) @ pang

Morre Plain is a desert mountain plateau, surrounded by the Nakee La Pass and the over 5000m high mountain Lachulung La. Its an amazing experience to drive through a 40 Km stretch of straight road at the altitude of around 4000 meters, while being accompanied by the breathtaking views of the valley on the one side of the road. 

By the time we reached here Two member (Sumi and Aakash) were totally down, they didn't get down from the car. Myself and lalit didn't wanna miss even smallest of the opportunity to embrace this beautiful landscape and here it was the Baap (father ;-)) of all opportunities.. 

Without a wasting even a Nano-second we jumped out of car, and started suddenly a thorn pierced my feet that's when I realised I was bare feet. Myself and Lalit spent some time in open.

I was awed with the magnificence of nature. I had never-ever witnessed something like that in my life didn't know how to vent my joy out so kept mum and just admired the nature with bare eyes and bare feet too.. 

More Plains:1

More Plains: 2

We resumed our eventful journey from here didn’t stop till Taglang La, this is the world second highest pass. We crossed it in the evening and the wind was on full blow at this our. Me and summi decided not to go out, but the other two guys went out to get the feel of chilled wind.

@Taglang la

Finally we got relived once we plateau by the river side and Leh was around 70 Kms from here, but the journey was much more relaxing as we were not going up and down on the mountains.

First Sight of Vegetation after a Looooooooong Day :)

We reached hotel at 8 PM had our Dinner, and were off to bed after a few gup-shup. This was the end of the most difficult and beautiful day of the tour.

Stay tuned for remaining journey....