It is never
that we go and see the mountains, it is the mountains that see us, watch us
grow, evolve and surrender while they stand there in all their majesty-unaffected.
Such as the Himalayan
frontier of Ladakh that houses centuries of secrets all wrapped in its sky high
mountains, hypnotic lakes and tricky passes, this is my story of unfolding the
beauty of Ladakh.
Today we
were heading for Nubra Valley after a night full of good sleep and ample of
recharge at Leh. We were all set for the journey ahead. By now we
were familiar with the rough and rugged terrains. The sight of this barren land
had now started to make us feel like home as if we have belonged to here forever.
Getting cozy and comfortable is not what a road trip is all
about, especially one to Ladakh.
The first
destination on the list was Khardung La( La in Tibetan means “Mountain pass”). Khardung La – The name itself excites anyone
who plans a trip to Ladakh. It is the highest motorable mountain pass in the
world at 17,982 feet! It is like driving over a summit!
The road to Khardung La is a steep climb. It is a short distance of only 40 Kms from Leh. The climb is steep as we go from 11,000 feet to 17,982 feet. The road is excellent as the BRO (Border Roads Organisation) maintains this diligently. Khardung La is an important pass as the troops and supplies to Siachen is routed through this pass.
The road to Khardung La is a steep climb. It is a short distance of only 40 Kms from Leh. The climb is steep as we go from 11,000 feet to 17,982 feet. The road is excellent as the BRO (Border Roads Organisation) maintains this diligently. Khardung La is an important pass as the troops and supplies to Siachen is routed through this pass.
A steady
climb over a winding road gave us a panoramic view of Leh town below
with a Stok Kangri peak in the background. A stream has created lush
green fields with houses around it. An isolated Gompa on a small hill
provided an enchanting picture as we climb up.
As we
ascended the slopes the temperature constantly dropped and we could see patches
of snow here and there. You cannot
predict the weather at such a high altitude. Many of us witnessed the first
snowfall of our life. Soon later heavy snowfall was observed at Khardung La
due to which the road at the top was closed.
We had to wait at a bikers halt point. We were only 25 KM away from our destination. I remember none of us had spoken a word since the last two hours, we were that awestruck by the beauty that surrounded us. The enthusiasm of all bikers was amazing. A couple of them were dancing, having a hot cup of tea and yummy Maggie. From a distance we heard people yelling as “Road is now OPEN... Chalo chalo ruko mat..😃“ We all were super excited to ride ahead.
We had to wait at a bikers halt point. We were only 25 KM away from our destination. I remember none of us had spoken a word since the last two hours, we were that awestruck by the beauty that surrounded us. The enthusiasm of all bikers was amazing. A couple of them were dancing, having a hot cup of tea and yummy Maggie. From a distance we heard people yelling as “Road is now OPEN... Chalo chalo ruko mat..😃“ We all were super excited to ride ahead.
Again we started
our ride, you can say adventures one. By now the visibility of road due to
snowfall and fog was so poor say approximately 10%, we could barely see anything. We were not able to identify our group members so we were following blindly to bikers which were in front of us. Bikers coming from opposite direction were also guiding us like "Go slow and stick to the right side". This was the time when all the bikers were helping each other irrespective of the identity. All the riders were
following each other. Slowly we were moving ahead. We were in a dilemma whether to open our helmets visor shield glass or not, if we open it, then snowfall was hitting us and if not then fog was making it difficult to visualize. It was challenging to breath in low oxygen level area. In between we were inhaling Camphor, it was a saviour.
Throughout
the drive I was kept amused by the quirky milestones by the BRO (Border Road
organization). Hurray! We are on top of the world’s highest motorable pass –
Khardung La. This was definitely a
moment to celebrate, so we got down for a few photographs.
One should
not expect much to do while here – except walk around a bit and feel the cool
air (which can turn windy anytime) against the face and admire the views. It is
not advisable to expose oneself to the elements for long anyway at these
altitudes. But you can actually do some shopping here – at a souvenir shop run
by the Army.
Pretty soon we
found ourselves swirling at sharp bends of the mysterious loops to Nubra Valley.
That can give enough adrenaline rush to the riders to sustain for really long!
Nonetheless, the views from these passes were breathtaking.
While
driving, we passed through winding mountain roads, areas that were dry and arid
as well as some lush green areas. It was as if some art master had his whole
collection to showcase and we were looking at a breathtaking watercolor in HD
one after one.
By 7 in the
evening we had touched down at Nubra Valley.
The unique
thing about the Ladakh terrain is that it has mountains, forests, deserts,
lakes, rivers, waterfalls in one beautiful and dynamic geography. This trip has
given me memories worth a lifetime, a trip that has permanently inscribed
startling sights of this enchanting place in my mind!
The open
vistas of Ladakh left us wondering, how badly we are trapped in the city life.
Whereas this is where we should be Wild – into the nature.
