Ladakh- The Land of Wildness and Adventure

A Journey to MOONSCAPE

Overwhelm yourself with the virgin beauty of shimmering lakes, gurgling rivers, proude mountains, mystic lamas and loving people. Ladakh is an adventure lovers dream come true and a retreat for the urban dweller from the daily humdrum of cosmopolitan life in to the caressing lap of nature.

Ladakh is the highest altitude plateau region in India (much of it being over 3,000 m), straddling the Himalayan and Karakoram mountain ranges and the upper Indus River valley.

Although the Ladakh range has no major peaks; its average height is a little less than 6000 metres, and few of its passes are less than 5000 m. Within Ladakh it forms the northern boundary wall of the Indus valley, though when the river enters Ladakh at Demchok, some 250 km south-east of Leh, it is actually flowing along the foot of the northern flank of these granite mountains, which it crosses by a great gorge close to its confluence with the Hanle river.

Popularly known as "Hermit Kingdom", Ladakh is a land of snow carved peaks, translucent Lakes, barren terrain and mystic culture. The district of Ladakh lies at the border with Tibet at the most eastern corner of the State of Kashmir.

Places to visit; Destinations to wonder

Drass LadakhDrass (3230 m), 60 km west of Kargil on the road to Srinagar, is a small township lying in the centre of the valley of the same name.

Leh LadakhLeh is the the largest town of Ladakh with an area of 45110 Sq Km. The district is bounded by Pakistan occupied Kashmir in the West, China in the north and eastern part, and Lahul Spiti of Himachal Pradesh in South East.

Kargil LadakhKARGIL is (2704 m), 204 kms from Srinagar in the west and 234 kms from Leh in the east. It is the second largest urban centre of Ladakh. Kargil once served as important trade and transit center in the Pan-Asian trade network.

Suru Valley LadakhOne of the most beautiful regions of Ladakh , the Suru Valley forms the mainstay of Kargil district. Lying nestled along the north-eastern foothills of the great Himalayan Wall, it extends from Kargil town, first southward for a length of about 75 Kms.

Zanskar LadakhAbout 20 kms. South of Rangdum stands the Pazila watershed across which lies Zanskar, the most isolated of all the trans Himalayan Valleys. The Panzila Top (4401 m) is the picturesque tableland adorned with two small alpine lakes and surrounded by snow covered peaks.

Padum LadakhOnce the capital of the ancient kingdom of Zanskar, Padum(3505 m) is the present day administrative headquarters of the region. With a population of nearly 1500, Padum can be described as the most populous settlement of Zanskar, otherwise a very scarcely inhabited valley.

Places of Interest Ladakhi Festival:

This festival showcases the best in Ladakhi culture and traditional sports like archery and polo. Admission to all events is free. The polo grounds within Leh is the hub of most activities. The inauguration ceremony is a must see. Colourful processions start the parade. Contingents in their traditional costumes come from every part of the district. Some contingents represent particular arts (theatre for instance), rather than regions. The inaugural show at the polo ground is virtually an abridged version of the entire festival.

Stok Palace:Lying at height of 3600 metres in the lower part of the big valley of Stok, was built in the beginning of the 19th century. It is the residence of the Rani of Stok – the queen of Ladakh. The palace is now converted into a museum, where exquisite collections of the royal family is displayed. Stok was the Palace of the banished royal family. This is the only inhabited palace in Ladakh. A museum in the palace displays fabulous period costumes and jewellery of the royalty. Interesting historical objects like coins, seals, armour, weapons, precious jade and porcelain can also be found on display. The palace is about 200 years old.

Spituk Monastery:Close to Leh airport, this monastery is about 1000 year old. It has three chapels, from the highest, perched on the top of a hill, there are superb views over the Indus valley. One of the lower chapels has some very fine (new) wall paintings. There are fine tankas and silver Chortens and a statue of Kali, the face of which is only shown once a year. Spituk stands on top of a hillock overlooking the Indus valley. This 15th century monastery houses a collection of ancient masks, antique arms, and an awe-inspiring image of Kali. The face of the Kali image is kept covered and revealed only at the annual function in January every two years.

Drang-Drung Glacier , Zanskar- The three day voyage from Leh Zanskar valley is crammed with natural marvels like stunning glaciers, spectacular mountain ranges and fruit orchards.

Suru Valley , Kargil-Kargil is a part of Suru Valley and this valley forms the mainstay of Kargil district, situated on the north-eastern foothills of the great Himalayan Wall. The valley is picturesque especially in spring when the apple, apricot and mulberry tree are all in bloom and in autumn when they are laden with fruits. It is worth visiting place to experience the serene beauty of nature.

 Alchi Monastery , Alchi- Alchi village in Leh is famous for the existence of one of the oldest monastery in Ladakh, Alchi Monastery. Located on the banks of Indus River, the monastery is also called as Alchi Choskhor. It is only the monastery that has been built on a flat ground. 

Hemis Monastery, Hemis- Hemis Monastery, located in Hemis town, 45 km southeast of Leh in Jammu & Kashmir was re-established by King Senge Nampar Gyalva in 1672. Built in Tibetan style of architecture, the monastery highlights the Buddhist culture and the Buddhist way of lifestyle. There are several shrines surrounding the monastery and statue of Lord Buddha, made of copper being the main attraction. It is a well worth place to visit.

Trekking :- Ladakh is "Trekker's Paradise" for that it mainly consists of rugged terrain and challenging peaks which has always intimidated trekking lovers and explorers to be there and set new limits after breaking the already set one. Trekking Season starts from beginning of June and lasts till mid October. The weather during this time is well suited for trekking.

Rafting:- Rafting in Ladakh is adventure par excellence. Here you get to enjoy the turbulence of Indus and Zanskar Rivers. Enjoying thrills and chills of Rafting and Kayaking from Grade-I to Grade-V through breathtaking landscapes and gorges of Ladakh Valley.River rafting in Ladakh is quite unlike anywhere else in the world.

Jeep Safari:- Several Exotic places in Ladakh are far off and inaccessible normally and can only be explored by a Jeep / 4 x 4 - wheel drive. The people of Ladakh have lived for centuries in barren inhospitable terrain , but Ladakh for traveler, Ladakh for trekker and Ladakh for climber  are different words. Some of the famous jeep safari tour are :-

Leh-Nubra-leh Leh-Pangong tso -leh. Leh -tso morori –leh Leh –sarchu-keylong-manali Leh- kargil-suru valley-kargil-srinagar Kargil-suruvalley-zanaskar-kargil.

Mountain Biking :- Mountain Biking in Ladakh gives you an opportunity to reach the roof of the world - the highest point, which you may have ever thought to reach but wasn't possible by any means .Mountain biking in Ladakh provides you with a great variety of trips ranging from daily trip to long and medium trips. It is one of the most challenging and physically demanding adventure sports you have ever indulged in.

Wildlife Tour:- Ladakh is also home to some beautiful and rear birds like the critically endangered black necked crane.Bar headed geese, woodpeckers, ducks, partridges, barbets, kingfishers, parakeets, swifts eagle, owls to name a few are some birds commonly seen in Ladakh. This rich rather exclusive wildlife however, is severely threatened by habitat loss and poaching.Yak , Nyan , Mouse Hare, Urial or Shapu are some of the wildlife species found in Ladakh.

Some of the famous treeking places in Ladakh are:-

Leh :- Leh, a paradise for trekkers, is attracted by many natural lovers and adventurous tourist. The snow covered Himalayan trekking terrains poses mild to very tough challenges to trekkers. The experienced trekkers got the competitive chances of highly challenging and breathtaking trekking trails in mountain ranges surrounding Leh.  Some popular trekking routes include Spiti to Ladakh, Markha Valley trekking, Ladakh Zanskar trekking and the Nubra Valley trekking.

Kargil:- Kargil in Ladakh is one of the popular destinations for trekkers. This mountainous district that lies at a great height offers excellent area for those who love trekking and mountain climbing. Without trekking, a tour to Kargil would be incomplete. Best time to trek is during June to October. Padum to Lamayuru trail is one of the most popular routes in Kargil.

.

Zanskar:- Zanskar provides a wide range of trekking opportunities from short walks through the undulating mountains to a frisky visit to the pleasing monuments and monasteries.  Most popular treks of this region are the 11-day Lamayuru-Padum traverse, the 4-day Stok-Khangri round trek and the 10-day Markha Valley trek.The hiking expedition usually starts from early June to mid-October.

Dras:- Dras, mainly popular for its rugged landscape, is a popular destination for trekking. The Suru Valley, located close to the Dras town is a main destination for trekkers, who traverse along the sub range in order to reach this valley. Another trek route is to the holy cave of Amarnath, starting from Minamarg below Zojila, which usually takes 3 days and involves crossing of 5200 m high pass. The place also offers several shorter treks and hikes to the upland villages.

CONCLUSION….

A land so remote yet your grasp, where the only noise that you hear are the silent echoes of your own thoughts amidst the sand dunes of Nubra or the barren landscape of Chumathang. Sit tete, a tete with yourself, your family or friends at the adventurous Trekking Route and enjoy the aproximity. Welcome to the Moonland…

Thank youAshish Barnwal

BBM(Hons.) in TTM