8th july 2008 – Leh – Khardungla – Diskit – Leh
Everyone was excited as we left around seven from Leh. In no time we started gaining height. After 20 mins we could see Leh far behind as a green patch.
We could also see the Shanti stupa on the right hand side lower corner.
It was a cloudy day. Sun was playing hide and seek with the clouds.
In no time mist started covering the mountains…
“There is a way out of every dark mist, over a sunbeam trail”.
This rock formation is lovingly called India Gate. By the time we reached India gate it was a total misty affair.
We could hardly see any mountain peaks around… It was still beautiful even though we couldn’t see anything at all. :)
Around 8.30 we reached Khardungla top. We immediately jumped out of the car and started clicking. I took few photos of us with Khardungla sign board and around.
Khardung La (la means pass in Tibetan) (elevation 18380 ft) is a high mountain pass located in Ladakh.
The pass on the Ladakh Range lies north of Leh and is the gateway to the Shyok and Nubra valleys. The Siachen Glacier lies partway up the latter valley. Built in 1976, it was opened to motor vehicles in 1988 and has since seen many automobile, motorbike and mountain biking expeditions.
Maintained by the Border Roads Organization, the pass is strategically important to India as it is used to carry essential supplies to the Siachen. Khardung La is historically important as it lies on the major caravan route from Leh to Kashgar in Chinese Central Asia. About 10,000 horses and camels used to take the route annually, and a small population of Bactrian camels can still be seen at Hunder, in the area north of the pass, mute witnesses to history.
Pradeep looking over the road from where we came.
After spending a good half an hour we decided to move on further. We started descending towards North Pullu, where we found an Army camp.
It is said to be an advanced acclimatisation camp for jawans en route to Siachen.
Saw this truck taking supply further towards Hunder
And I felt they were singing…
I want to break free… I want to break free…
We had a break in North pullu and had tea before moving further.
Plan was to go to Diskit which was still another 66 kms.
After a while we saw green patches in between mountains
We kept on moving in between the mountains. It looked like a day where I could see all different kind of mountains.
We passed by one army caravan.
And we could see green patch again. This time we were on the mountain and could see the settlement below next to the river.
Milestone showed 18kms for Diskit and the road was about to start it’s descend.
We started climbing down on those curvy roads.
The view was lovely!
Further ahead, I saw this one road cutting across and it looked like it was connecting to mountains on the other side.
There was a fork, one road going down and one was leading towards Diskit.
We kept moving towards Diskit
It was a lovely patch of green and yellow near the village.
We went further and saw sand dunes.
And then we saw these bactrian camels.
Looking at me he must have been wondering where this creature came from? Can’t she stop taking photos and let me be at peace?
We spent some good time there and decided to head back as it was almost four.
While going back we decided to explore the road down from the fork. We passed by another caravan of army while going down.
Reaching the middle of a long stretch of thisroad we saw… golden sand shining in evening sun..
We came back from there and started moving back.
Around seven we passed by Khardungla again, Light was going down.
"In the presence of eternity, the mountains are as transient as the clouds."
We reached back Leh around 8.30. It was long day, had dinner and went straight to bed.
Everyone was excited as we left around seven from Leh. In no time we started gaining height. After 20 mins we could see Leh far behind as a green patch.
We could also see the Shanti stupa on the right hand side lower corner.
It was a cloudy day. Sun was playing hide and seek with the clouds.
In no time mist started covering the mountains…
“There is a way out of every dark mist, over a sunbeam trail”.
We could hardly see any mountain peaks around… It was still beautiful even though we couldn’t see anything at all. :)
Khardung La (la means pass in Tibetan) (elevation 18380 ft) is a high mountain pass located in Ladakh.
The pass on the Ladakh Range lies north of Leh and is the gateway to the Shyok and Nubra valleys. The Siachen Glacier lies partway up the latter valley. Built in 1976, it was opened to motor vehicles in 1988 and has since seen many automobile, motorbike and mountain biking expeditions.
Maintained by the Border Roads Organization, the pass is strategically important to India as it is used to carry essential supplies to the Siachen. Khardung La is historically important as it lies on the major caravan route from Leh to Kashgar in Chinese Central Asia. About 10,000 horses and camels used to take the route annually, and a small population of Bactrian camels can still be seen at Hunder, in the area north of the pass, mute witnesses to history.
Pradeep looking over the road from where we came.
After spending a good half an hour we decided to move on further. We started descending towards North Pullu, where we found an Army camp.
It is said to be an advanced acclimatisation camp for jawans en route to Siachen.
Saw this truck taking supply further towards Hunder
And I felt they were singing…
I want to break free… I want to break free…
We had a break in North pullu and had tea before moving further.
Plan was to go to Diskit which was still another 66 kms.
After a while we saw green patches in between mountains
We kept on moving in between the mountains. It looked like a day where I could see all different kind of mountains.
We passed by one army caravan.
And we could see green patch again. This time we were on the mountain and could see the settlement below next to the river.
Milestone showed 18kms for Diskit and the road was about to start it’s descend.
We started climbing down on those curvy roads.
Further ahead, I saw this one road cutting across and it looked like it was connecting to mountains on the other side.
There was a fork, one road going down and one was leading towards Diskit.
We kept moving towards Diskit
It was a lovely patch of green and yellow near the village.
We went further and saw sand dunes.
And then we saw these bactrian camels.
Looking at me he must have been wondering where this creature came from? Can’t she stop taking photos and let me be at peace?
We spent some good time there and decided to head back as it was almost four.
While going back we decided to explore the road down from the fork. We passed by another caravan of army while going down.
Reaching the middle of a long stretch of thisroad we saw… golden sand shining in evening sun..
We came back from there and started moving back.
Around seven we passed by Khardungla again, Light was going down.
"In the presence of eternity, the mountains are as transient as the clouds."
We reached back Leh around 8.30. It was long day, had dinner and went straight to bed.
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