074 VIRGIN AUSTRALIA DECEMBER 2017
CLOCKWISE
FROM TOP LEFT
Khardung La; the
top of the Khardung
La pass; novice
monks relax at
Hemis monastery
during the Tsechu
Festival; Thiksey
village; prayer flags;
polo is a popular
sport, with a festival
every July. OPENER
Views over Ladakh
from the hills. NEXT
PAGE, FROM TOP
Morning prayer at
Thiksey monastery;
Chamba Camp.big-ticket items such as a visit to Hemis
— the region’s largest and wealthiest
monastery — for its annual two-day
Tsechu Festival, marking the birth of
Padmasambhava, founder of Tibetan
Buddhism. Hundreds of monks live here
and, during the course of the colourful
event, some perform a mystic mask
dance as locals look on. There’s also a
morning prayer ceremony, meditation
class, and exclusive experiences such
as a seemingly no-rules Himalayan
polo match. Two local teams come
together to play on a dry, dusty ‘field’
against a mountain backdrop that could
almost be mistaken for a film set, as
musicians provide the soundtrack and a
commentator amuses on a scratchy PA.
There’s a stroll through Leh’s old
town, which is flanked by mountains
and topped by a palace that afords
views across the urban hub. Leh was
an important trading centre on the Silk
Road, and Ladakhi culture has been
shaped by the transmission of goods
and ideas from Tibet and other areas of
China, Kashmir and Afghanistan. The
main goods carried were grain, salt and
Kashmiri wool, but in 1949 China closed
the border, blocking the route from
India to Central Asia and leaving the area
isolated. Geopolitical tensions still play
out west of here, in Kashmir, and there is
a strong military presence in the region.
In 1974, the border was reopened
and tourists slowly trickled in, mainly
intrepid travellers, climbers and snowe approach to the peak of the
isputed) highest motorable road
the world doesn’t exactly fill
ou with confidence. Flanked by
ufy piles of snow and profound,
ertical clifs, the at-times iced-
ver loose rock and dirt track is
ddled with hairpin turns and
cessant potholes, making the trip
lass. At times, it even makes you
question the very definition of a road. Not that this seems to
worry many of the gung-ho car loads or motorbike riders
who seem oblivious to pesky concepts such as functioning
suspension or vehicle quality. Tyre chains — who needs them?
The Khardung La is a mountain pass on the Ladakh Range
in the northern Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, bordering
Tibet. It sits just north of the Ladakh region’s capital of Leh,
and is the gateway to the deep-cut Nubra and Shyok valleys. It’s
a precarious trip, plagued by falling rocks, hazardous weather
conditions and drivers’ miscalculated skill levels. According to
the sign at the summit, the road peaks at some 18,380 feet, or
5602 metres, but after further investigation, that, too, is a little
gung-ho — it is in fact only 5359 metres high. Still impressive
though, especially when you consider Everest Base Camp in
Nepal sits only slightly higher at 5364 metres.
That’s one reason altitude sickness is a concern here.
When you fly in, it’s recommended to lay low for at least 24
hours to acclimatise. Even then, and with medication, you can
experience headaches, insomnia and tingly feet and hands,
and become breathless when engaging in any semi-vigorous
activity. That’s disconcerting given that many visitors are
here to conquer the surrounding ranges, including the king
of all Ladakh climbs, Nun mountain. It’s 7135 metres high,
but with its easy accessibility and the shortest possible
approach to reach base camp, it’s one of the most attractive
mountaineering destinations in the Western Himalayas.A DIFFERENT PACE
Sometimes called ‘Little Tibet’, Ladakh is as fascinating as it
is beautiful. Sitting between the two highest mountain ranges
in the world — the Himalayas and the Karakorum — it ofers
scenery on an epic scale. It’s arid, desolate and treeless plains;
snow-covered mountains and challenging passes; serene, calm
valleys spiked with stupas and Tibetan Buddhist temples.
Winter can be unforgiving, so the peak tourist travel
time is in the summer months; June to September. Yet locals
say it’s during the cooler months that the region is at its very
best. “Winter is hard, yes, but it has a beautiful way of living,”
says Rinchen. “We get cut of from everything; you can spend
more time with family and there are more celebrations.”
Rinchen is a local guide working with luxe small-
group tour operator Abercrombie & Kent. The company’s
12-day Ladakh expedition is one of its latest oferings, and
aligns perfectly with its ethos of taking people to intriguing,
rejuvenating and memorable destinations. The tour involves