Trekking in Ladakh

This travelogue describes my experiences on a five day trek from Lamayuru to Chilling in the mountains of Ladakh.

Written: Aug 08, 2002
Location: Ladakh, India

From McLeod Ganj I took a bus to Manali where I stayed only long enough to arrange transport to Leh in Ladakh. We travelled by Jeep as it was supposed to be more comfortable and faster than the bus. At 4am I walked to the jeep in the dark. The front and middle seats were already full leaving only space at the back. As we set off I realized this was not the best place to be. My seat was right over the back wheel and I could feel every bump in the road of which there were many.

The scenery was amazing but unfortunately I was too busy hanging on to my seat for dear life to appreciate it. We stopped at a roadside café and ate our packed lunches. I gave some kids a few slices of bread and was almost mobbed as they asked for more. I threw them a mango and they ran off squabbling over it. They soon returned.

We climbed a high pass of 5000m and then dropped down to a scruffy set of tents called Pang at around 4500m. I had a headache from the altitude and could only manage to drink a glass of chai (milk tea). Nava an Israeli lady was very sick and was tended to by a Tibetan woman. I had a sleepless night, kept awake by a nagging headache.

Next morning I persuaded Nava to continue the journey and carried her stuff to the jeep. She had not wanted to get up from her bed, but it was not safe for her to stay so high up.

The second day was the hardest journey I have made. We crossed a brain splitting 5600m pass. I thought I had made it OK but then had to stop the jeep to be sick. It seemed to take forever before we stopped. The driver picked up a monk who crammed in next to me. At the roadside café both Nava and I lay out on benches groaning.

A German fellow swapped seats for the final couple of hours and it was much less bumpy in the front. I had taken painkillers and pills for the altitude and soon felt better. If taking a jeep to Leh I would recommend avoiding the back seat if at all possible!

There were not that many tourists when we first got to Leh, it was nice and quiet. A lot of hotels were empty which was good as prices were cheap. I stayed in Changspa one of the villages just outside town. I met up with Alan a 63 year old from Cumbria, who was two years in to a three-year trip trekking around the world. This guy was an inspiration. He had so much energy and enthusiasm for travel. He had sold his house to travel and would live in a caravan when he gets back.

I liked Leh. It is surrounded by mountains and desert but is very green. Poplar and willow trees are everywhere. The fields are full of wheat and barley. During the day it’s quite hot, at night it’s cool. There are few clouds and the stars are very bright. Venus stands out very clearly.

Nearby is Shanti Stupa, a Buddhist monument built by the Japanese, on a hill overlooking the town. I staggered up the steep steps and was rewarded by awesome views over the town.

Walking along main bazaar with Alan we bumped in to Mehdi, a 24-year-old social worker from Belgium. Alan knew him from the bus ride up and it turned out he was starting a trek the following day. I was immediately invited along. I had wanted to do a trek but I hadn’t anticipated starting one so soon.

To celebrate I went for a haircut and decided to have it short. Alan was egging the barber on to give me a complete shave. I think I must have had a number zero, as I looked very monk like.

I meet the rest of the trekking crew next morning at the bus stand. Hugh an English trekker from Blackpool had been travelling for two and a half years. An extremely nice guy he has never had a proper job in his life. Two girls from Korea, Tin Young and Min Haeng also joined us.

The bus ride to the start of the trek at Lamayuru takes six hours. There are no free seats so periodically we sat on the roof until told to get down when approaching army checkpoints. I lost my hat in the wind. The views of the mountains were stunning.

At Lamayuru we walked up the hill to the crumbling monastery. A monk guided me to an old shrine, the paintings were peeling off the walls. Some ancient looking women were weaving wool out in the open.

We camped out for the first time that night. Hugh played his harmonica.

We trekked for six days. It was tough going. Our packs were heavy, as we had to carry tents, stove and food. It was much cheaper than hiring a horse and his man though. The landscape was very extreme. Very dry and hot. Along the river valleys poplars and willows grow. The villagers grow wheat and barley, which looked brilliant green in the sunlight. I imagined running through the fields as a child.

In Wanla village we saw a woman roasting barley, possibly to make Chang the local beer.
The villagers see few tourists here. A woman passed me with a child and smiled. I smiled back and her child started to cry.

The next village was Hinju. The valley floor was covered with wild flowers, which made a comfortable bed to sleep out under the stars. The village children were very inquisitive and watched us for a couple of hours. Mehdi gave an old man some medicine for his twisted ankle. Tin Young and Min Haeng had befriended a local monk who gave them potatoes and bread. The latter, thick round lumps of grey tsampa. An acquired taste but ok with jam.

We saw many satellites in the sky as we lay in our sleeping bags. My bag is thin though and I was cold and damp.

We started early the next day, as we had to cross the Konzke La at 4950m. The valley was in shadow for several hours. Hugh spotted a Himalayan fox and I caught sight of its grey bushy tail as it ran off up a gorge. Some flowers manage to survive the climate. Lavender is plentiful, the smell just like the perfume available at home. We saw forget-me-nots and wild rose also.

The path started off gradually but then got steeper and steeper. We stop and cram down biscuits for energy. In the distance a man with horse comes down from the pass. The last two hours are extremely hard work, the path very fine dust on the hillside. The views of the high mountains opposite are amazing. It was very quiet apart from the buzz of the occasional insect. No one else was around for miles.

Hugh and Mehdi were ahead of me and I kept saying to myself slowly, slowly as I tried to conserve energy inching towards the top. It was a great moment to reach the top, everyone taking photos. We stayed there for half an hour elated until it got too cold.

On the way down we reach some yak herders huts and are too tired to continue. They offer us butter tea but it looks disgusting and no one is brave enough to try it. I collapse for two hours with a headache but recover after taking an altitude sickness pill. Snow capped mountains are visible from camp with razor sharp ridges like the Alps.

That night we make a fire of yak dung and huddle round it in the cold. It is the wildest place we camp.

The next day was short as we reach Sumda and camp in the trees by the river. We make a huge fire. The following day is our last over the Dundunchen La 4800m. We eat two meals of noodles to build up our reserves for the final day. The following morning we have breakfast of cold noodles and biscuits.

The final day was very long. Tin Young, Min Haeng and I finally reach Chilling after 11 hours. Mehdi had arrived hours earlier and was on his second Kingfisher beer. The girls fell asleep straight away and I joined Mehdi in a drink. It is the last night of the trek. Mehdi is a little sad as his trip is nearly over. We have a very bland Thukpa (Tibetan soup) for dinner.

The bus back from Chilling to Leh is horrendous but that’s another story. Hugh is a sucker for punishment and continues on his own for another four days of trekking. The rest of us go out for a meal in Leh to celebrate.

I learned something about kindness and sharing on this trek. Tin Young and Min Haeng were so selfless. They would always offer everyone else food before themselves. They also never moaned although the trek was very hard for them. Tin Young had bad blisters on her feet and was reduced to walking in flip flops in the end. I doubt if I could have behaved the same.

Next entry due soon about Vipassana meditation course.