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The Himalayan kingdom of Ladakh is one of the most remote regions of India, and lies embedded in the mountain world of the Karakoram in the northwest, the Himalayas in the southwest, and the Trans-Himalayas at its core. The Indus, rising in the interior of the Tibet, flows through the centre of Ladakh, going further on to the western part of Pakistan. Ladakh is a high-altitude desert and temperatures, which can reach as low as -45 C in winter, are the most extreme here.
The remote and inhospitable land of Ladakh has always fascinated city-dwellers with its images of a stark and barren landscape juxtaposed alongside lush green fields, monasteries precariously perched on mountain tops, and an intriguing blend of cultures. Leh, the present capital of Ladakh, was once the central meeting-point for trade caravans from Central Asia and the plains of India. Religious ceremonies, monastic festivals, and oracles who have the power to heal as well as divine are regular features of the Ladkhi landscape. Crafts such as metal-work, painting, weaving, and wood-carving are widely found in the region; archery and polo are the traditional sports there. One of the most visible features of Ladakh's rich cultural heritage are its ancient monasteries. Most of these are built on sheer cliffs and are still actively functioning. This is truly one of the last few places where one can experience Tibetan Buddhism being practiced in its original form.
Ladakh is a land like no other. Bounded by two of the world's mightiest mountain ranges, the Great Himalaya and the Karakoram, it lies athwart two other, the Ladakh range and the Zanskar range.
In geological terms, this is a young land, formed only a few million years ago by the buckling and folding of the earth's crust as the Indian sub-continent pushed with irresistible force against the immovable mass of Asia. Its basic contours, uplifted by these unimaginable tectonic movements, have been modified over the millennia by the opposite process of erosion, sculpted into the form we see today by wind and water.
Yes, water! Today, a high -altitude desert, sheltered from the rain-bearing clouds of the Indian monsoon by the barrier of the Great Himalaya, Ladakh was once covered by an extensive lake system, the vestiges of which still exist on its south -east plateaux of Rupshu and Chushul - in drainage basins with evocative names like Tso-moriri, Tsokar, and grandest of all, Pangong-tso. Occasionally, some stray monsoon clouds do find their way over the Himalaya, and lately this seems to be happening with increasing frequency. But the main source of water remains the winter snowfall. Drass, Zanskar and the Suru Valley on the Himalaya's northern flank receive heavy snow in winter; this feeds the glaciers whose meltwater, carried down by streams, irrigates the fields in summer. For the rest of the region, the snow on the peaks is virtually the only source of water. As the crops grow, the villagers pray not for rain, but for sun to melt the glaciers and liberate their water. Usually their prayers are answered, for the skies are clear and the sun shines for over 300 days in the year.
Ladakh lies at altitudes ranging from about 9,000 feet (2750m) at Kargil to 25,170 feet (7,672m) at Saser Kangri in the Karakoram. Thus summer temperatures rarely exceed about 27 degree celcius in the shade, while in winter they may plummet to minus 20-degree celcius even in Leh. Surprisingly, though, the thin air makes the heat of the sun even more intense than at lower altitudes; it is said that only in Ladakh can a man sitting in the sun with his feet in the shade suffer from sunstroke and frostbite at the same time!
Lamayuru To Alchi Via Stapski La
ROUTE: LAMAYURU TO ALCHI
- Day 1- Convene at “Indian Mountaineering foundation” New Delhi.
Overnight traveling by bus from here to Manali.
- Day 2- Arrive Manali, Drive in a taxi to Leh. Evening arrive Leh, O/night stay in budget hotel.
- Day 3- Acclimatisation.
- Day 4- Lamayuru to Pritikingi La- Wanla
- Day 5- Wanla- Hinju
- Day 6- Hinju-Kongske-La-Sumdha chenmo.
- Day 7- Sumdha-Chenmo- Sumdha chun
- Day 8- Sumdha chun- Alchi
- Day 9- Return to Manali, O/night travel to Delhi
Ablution kit- Soap, towel, tooth brush & paste.
- Clothing- Baseball cap for day and BalaCalava for night.
- First inner layer- thermal T-shirt and trousers.
- First layer-T-shirts, cotton shorts, and pants (2 pieces).
- Second layer-Fleece/ pile jacket/ gloves.
- Middle layer- Wind sweater, top and bottom.
- Fourth layer- four pairs of thick/sports cotton and thin nylon
socks.
- Comfortable rugged; good and strong flicking boots.
- Torch and extra batteries (candle and lighter)
- Raincoat/Ponchos
- Lunch box, spoon/fork and tumbler
- Pen knife, book and pen.
- Snacks-Chocolates/wafers/Peanut bars/Energy Drink/Mixtures/Dry
fruits.
- Sleeping bag- high altitude sleeping bag.
- Water bottle water purification tablets.
- Your personal and general medicines.
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