abOvE lEft The expedition ran
for eight days, venturing deep
into the Indian Himalayas
lEft The group at 5,604 metres
on the Khardung Pass, one of
the highest motorable passes in
the world
abOvE RIght Despite its large
Hindu population, northern India
has many Buddhist monasteries
Thankfully – within this band of green
explorers – were some of the most seasoned
guides in northern IndiaSo commenced Asian Geographic’s
first expedition. Thankfully – within
this band of green explorers – were
some of the most seasoned guides in
northern India.
A train ride from Delhi to
Chandigarh and a Land Rover journey
later, the team spent their first night
at Nalagarh Fort, making for Manali at
daybreak. The latter is a peaceful town
in the alpine Kullu Valley, known for its
white water rafting, river fishing and
high altitude trekking.
The following leg of the ride uphill
to Keylong was a treacherous one,
navigating the sometimes impassable
roads and the encroaching fog that
reduced the tail lights of other vehicles
to dim red smudges in the grey.
As they broke through the clouds,
the landscape was revealed with
sudden clarity: breathtaking crags
that stretched into a ceiling of blue,
dropping off sharply into harrowing
gorges, painted with frozen streams of
white. The muscular vehicles hugged
the Khardung Pass.The next destination would prove
a challenge to some of the team, who
had thus far been unfazed by altitudes
as high as 5,100 metres along the
Lachulung Pass; they would push up to
a breathless altitude of 5,604 metres.
Lake Tsokar sits high on the Rupshu
Plateau, where trees give way to scrub
grass, bogs and rocks. Yaks forage
here, watched over by shepherds in an
interdependent relationship that has
remained unchanged since the time of
Genghis Khan.
On the final morning of the
expedition, the team visited the Thikse
and Hemis monasteries, filled with
reminders of their proximity to Tibet:
Portraits of the Dalai Lama grace the
walls, along with effigies of Buddha;
the reverent atmosphere is completed
by the scent of tea and candles.
The team’s final ascent to Tanglang
Pass – one of the highest roads in
the world – formed a highlight in the
host of memories that the team had
gathered during their journey into the
untouched Himalayas. ag