"Julley" : From Ladakh with Love!

“Life is either daring adventure or nothing at all.”

This quote pretty much sums up all the reasons why I love to travel. Nature has always been a motivator for me. It’s a great source of learning new things, a medium to expand imagination and creativity; and undoubtedly travelling is the best way to get closer to the nature.

Ladakh!

My Ladakh journey has been one of the most memorable experiences of my life. It has brought me so much and changed the person I am for the better. There is too much to harp on about this memorable journey that I don't really know where to begin with. The magical word “JULLEY”, kind and generous Ladakhi people, picturesque landscapes, mighty mountains, majestic rivers, magnificent monasteries, starry nights....and of course the delicious food! There are so many stories to share.

The magical landscapes and cotton like clouds!

Never ending cold desert land on one side and greenery on the other! Ladakh has many surprises!!!

I was working with White Magic Adventure Travel, a renowned adventure travel company as an intern where I got this opportunity to travel to Ladakh for almost a month. It was a great learning experience for me to work as an assistant trek leader for the first time in Himalayas. I started my solo journey from Delhi. An overnight journey in the HPTDC bus was an adventure in itself. I reached Manali the next day, checked into a hotel and booked a shared taxi for Leh. We started our 470 km long journey at midnight around 02:00 am. My co-passengers were from Israel, Maharashtra and Karnataka. We all were excited about this road trip. They were surprised to know that I was travelling alone with all those big duffel bags.

An otherworldly landscape en-route Leh from Manali.

We crossed the mountain passes one by one and stopped in between for tea and refreshments. I was spellbound by the scenic beauty of the serpentine roads. Greenery vanished as we moved further and then only the mountains and rivers were visible on the other side of the road. There were many bike riders on their Royal Enfield bike with their Gopro cameras mounted on their helmet. I got a chance to interact with couple of riders who were planning to ride till Leh and return via Kashmir. Their energy and excitement was infectious. It all looked like a festival. Finally we entered into the military area in Leh region and by 06:30 pm we reached at the Leh taxi stand. I got a cab and reached my stay near the Lamdon School. The local manager Yuvrajbhai and other White Magic staff welcomed me and served traditional butter tea. I had headache because of the high altitude but the thought of reaching my dream destination made me forget the pain. My body got acclimatized really fast as the road journey allowed sufficient time to get adapted to the changing altitude and less oxygen levels.

I spent my next three days in Hemis Shukpachan, a small traditional village in the Sham valley in Ladakh. It was great experience to work with the White Magic Staff. Together we set up the tents in the campsite and made perfect arrangements for our clients.

Hemis Shukpachan Village.

Hemis Shukpachan is a perfect place to experience the traditional Ladakhi village life. The village has a beautiful monastery with a huge statue of Lord Buddha. From the monastery one can enjoy beautiful sunset and bird eye view of the entire village. Several treks are possible from and to Hemis Shukpachan village. The trek from Hemis Shukpachan to Lamayuru monastery via Ang village, and to Likir Monastery is among the most popular trails in Ladakh.

Buddha Statue in Hemis Shukpachan.

The classic off the beaten path trek known as the “Sham valley trek” is a gentle, easy and comfortable 3 days trek which takes one through traditional Ladakhi villages. I had a great time trekking through the otherworldly landscapes of Ladakh. Surprisingly I didn’t feel altitude sickness and completed the trek without any difficulties. However, it was challenging to trek at this altitude.

I returned to Leh and spent few days to acclimatize myself for my next adventure Stok Kangri Climbing Expedition. During my week long stay I went to some of the major attractions and got a chance to closely observe the lifestyle of Ladakhi people. I roamed alone in the markets, went to monasteries, met lamas, interacted with the locals and foreign tourists, tasted delicious cuisines and tried to explore as much as I could. What I realized during this time spent with the locals is that “Like people, cities also have souls”.

I am sharing my experience of visiting few places around Leh which I was able to visit before starting the climbing expedition to Stok Kangri (6153m).

Shanti stupa:

It is one of the most beautiful Stupas I have ever seen. The walls are beautifully decorated with paintings and carvings depicting different phases of Lord Budhha’s life. There is also a meditation hall near the stupa. This place is surrounded by mountains and offers best panoramic view of the Leh City and Stok Kangri peak at the distance. Every evening I used to sit here for hours, silently watching and observing the hustle bustle of Leh city at a distance while admiring the colors of sunset and this marvelous architecture. The time spent in solace was indeed a good break from the chaos in me gathered over the years from the hustle bustle of city life.

Shanti Stupa at night.

Shanti Stupa, Leh.

Leh Palace:

The Leh Palace of Ladakh still retains an old worldly charm about it. It resembles Potala palace in Lhasa, though in comparison is much smaller. There is an ASI office which looks after the monument. There are some murals still left in the palace that speaks of the royal glory of Ladakhi Kingdom. The palace exudes charm and provides wonderful views of the snow capped mountains and landscape. Blessed I felt to breathe in the same air, the royals of the palace used to, I can only imagine how it felt to wake up each day to the beauty of the mountains!

A beautiful painting inside the Leh Palace.

Tsemo Namgyal Gompa:

One evening I climbed a nearby hill which was leading to the well paved footpath to reach Tsemo gompa or monastery. There is also a roadway reaching at the rear of the gompa, below the castle. From here it is an easy walk down to the Leh palace. It has a three-storey high gold statue of Maitreya Buddha, ancient manuscripts and wall paintings. I met backpackers from Bangladesh, Austria and Israel. The young travelers from Austria were travelling across the North India during their gap year. We talked for almost an hour about Buddhism, Hinduism, Cultural diversity of India and lot many things. We clicked photos together and started our walk down the hill to reach the street. I helped them to find their hotel and we finally exchanged goodbyes.

After the arrival of client group I escorted them for the sightseeing around Leh with my friend Nawang. I visited Thicksay, Shey and Hemis Monastery and learned some interesting facts and history of these places.

Thicksay Monastery:

It has a huge complex that houses many ancient art pieces such as stupas, statues, thangkas, wall paintings and swords. It contains a 15 metres (49 ft) high statue of Maitreya, the largest such statue in Ladakh, covering two storey of the building. I was amazed to see the marvelous statues and splendid wooden architecture of these monasteries.

Thicksay Monastery.

Shey Palace and Monastery:

Shey was the old capital of the upper Ladakh region. The palace, mostly in ruins now, was built first in 1655, near Shey village, by the king of Ladakh.

Hemis Monastery:

It is situated 45km from Leh and is biggest gompa in Leh. The annual Hemis festival honoring Padmasambhava is held here in early June.

Hemis Museum inside the Hemis Monastery.

Hemis Monsatery, Leh.

Finally the day arrived and we embarked our adventurous mission to reach the top of Stok Kangri Peak! We geared ourselves and started our expedition to one of the most popular 6000m peaks in India. The Stok range lies on the southern skyline of Leh and Stok Kangri is the highest mountain in the range. Stok Kangri is also known as the “Common man’s Everest” as it has the height of 6153m which is almost 70% of the Mt. Everest. It provides a great introduction for anyone graduating from high altitude trekking to climbing in Himalaya.

Stok Kangri Climb.

View from the shoulder.

This expedition was indeed a life changing experience for me. The most important thing I learnt during the trek is “NO PAIN, NO GAIN”. Mountains test our patience and passion both. At the same time it rewards us with mesmerizing views! I used to walk for hours on narrow trails, rocks and moraines crossing many high passes and rapidly flowing rivers. The journey was tiring, but the breathtaking view would always make me forget the pain. There are so many things and experiences to share, but there are two special memories that made this journey unforgettable; like stars studded into the night sky, these memories have become a part of me and has made an impact on my outlook towards life.

Campsite at Manokarmo.

Camping under the stars.

We started our journey from the Matho village and reached our first campsite. We witnessed a beautiful sunset that evening. Around 7:30 pm it was all dark. I came out of the kitchen tent after dinner and helping the Kitchen staff with the preparations for the next day. Millions of stars were shining bright in the sky and the entire valley was covered in the darkness. I had never seen such clear night sky in my life before. It was around 11:30 pm and the stars were sparkling bright. I took out a mattress and sleeping bag and sat down for a while staring at the gorgeous sky. I was awestruck! In the middle of nowhere, the moment, whole atmosphere felt like it was Diwali! I was envious of the locals, since every night was Diwali for them, the Himalayan Diwali.

Mother's love!

It was the fourth day of our trek. After breakfast we were preparing to leave the Mankarmo campsite when I witnessed life! We had horses and mules with us to carry the luggage and other camping equipment. I was helping the staff to wind up the campsite and the owners of the mules were loading the bags. All of us were busy in our work when the shuddering sound of a bell tied to a horses’ neck got our attention. The next thing I saw was truly amazing. One white mare (female horse) gave birth to a baby in front of my eyes! She gave birth to a black colored baby at the altitude of almost 4500m! All were happy and delighted to see birth of the baby girl and congratulated the owner. This horseman was very excited about the birth of the baby and asked us to suggest a name for her. I suggested the name “Samsara” which means wanderer. Everyone liked the name. Everyone was eager to click this new born baby’s photographs. It made me emotional to see the mother cleaning the baby by licking her softly. The baby started crawling but was unable to stand on her feet. The mother steadily moved closer, calm and unfazed. I could see the love in her eyes for her child. They seemed to be lost in the moment, it seemed they were conversing, but in silence. I think love doesn’t really have a language, lest confined to humans. After just half an hour of her birth the baby was standing on its feet! I am not able to express the joy and the sense of amusement I got after watching this creation of god. In those simple moments, I remembered a humble soul that is praying for me all the time, my own Maa.

I successfully completed the trek and reached up to 6000m height. Though I couldn’t reach up to the summit due to bad weather and exhaustion there was an absolute sense of satisfaction and I feel proud of myself. With lots of memories captured in my heart, mind and camera I returned to Delhi via Manali.

Group picture at Stok Kangri Base Camp.

Feel free to contact me if you need any assistance in planning a trek in Ladakh. You can connect with me on my Instagram page: www.instagram.com/umangdavevisual

JULLEY!