Six
Carnethy members, organised by Colin Pritchard, headed off for 3 weeks'
trekking in the Himalaya of North West India in July/August. Besides
Colin,
the group comprised Keith Burns, Mike Anderson, Jane Robertson, Hilary
and Andy Spenceley.
After a day looking around Delhi, our first change of plans was when
our Saturday flight from Delhi to Leh was postponed for 2 days while a
puncture was fixed! The airline would only put us up in a hotel for one
night, so we had an unscheduled visit to Agra for the other night where
we saw the Taj Mahal and some other sights. Second time around (after
4 years for Andy and myself, 30 years for Colin) the Taj has lost none
of its initial fascination but the heat, dust, and humidity were really
oppressive, the Delhi airport hotel horrendous (ask Keith about Health
and Safety) and we were all immensely relieved to arrive in Leh on the
Monday after a flight with magnificent views of snow capped mountains
including K2 (scrabble for the window seats) and very arid scenery interspersed
with green "oases"
Flying into 11500 feet takes some getting used to and we took it easy
for a few days, acclimatising to the thinner air, banishing headaches
(and worse), visited some Buddhist monasteries and palaces, typically
perched precariously on mountain sides, and did some essential last minute
shopping. Colin acquired some psychedelic silk trekking trousers which
he proceeded to mend every evening of the trek, Keith some snazzy pyjama
trousers intended for the same purpose but now probably adorning someone
in Pakistan, of which more later. For the next 3 weeks we were always
above 10500 ft.
Our trek started close to Lamayuru monastery after an exciting jeep trip
involving numerous hairpin bends on the diesel fumed convoy road which
links Leh with Srinigar in Kashmir. Lots of suggestions of pollution reduction/
efficiencies achievable if engines were forcibly tuned. Our party had
now grown to include a Sirdar (Guide), cook and 2 helpers, horseman and
2 helpers, 6 horses and 6 donkeys (donkey noises by Andy now a speciality!)
to carry all our stuff. We carried only daysacks but at that altitude
they felt like 40 lb. packs for the first week. Our first day's walk culminated
in torrential rain (Guidebook quote: "Ladakh is in a monsoon shadow
and frequently sees no rain from one year to the next") at the village
of Wanla with ancient mani walls and a monastery which we visited before
heading off next morning up the river in continuing heavy rain. Shortly
after a lunch stop, going along a steep cliff path cut into a gorge, disaster
struck when the leading horse stumbled and fell 50ft into the ravine,
struggling initially and then being swept away in the swollen torrent.
Tragic for the horse, the horseman...and it shortly emerged that its load
comprised all of Mike, Keith and Andy's kit bags, 2 tents and one of our
2 stoves.
Having charged down the river unable to rescue anything at all, we plodded
on and made camp at Hunupatta, and our Sirdar continued downstream to
see if anything could be recovered. Next day he appeared with Andy's bag,
contents thoroughly soaked, and after drying them out we were all set
for the rest of the trip with 4 sleeping bags and 2 tents amongst 6, 2
sets of men's clothing amongst 4 and of course Keith's plastic washing
up bowl which fortuitously he had packed in his day sack!
The weather continued poor for a couple of days as we climbed over several
passes just short of 5000m. and the highest point we had to visit on the
trek, 5060m the Sengi La. We did actually climb higher through diversions
from the main path to climb small peaks and scree run back down to cols,
and Mike climbed a higher peak later in the trip.
It brightened up as we reached Lingshed Gompa where we had the privilege
of watching the monks making a mandala - a very intricate mosaic which
takes several weeks' devotional activity to create and which they subsequently
destroy. In many monasteries Mike lent his craftsman's skill discussing
different construction and design methods with the monks. His musical
talents also gave him a splendid "way in" in to many situations
from having a shot at Buddhist horns to tripping along paths through flower
meadows followed by our cook and helpers, all on tin whistles- a real
pied piper! Local children when we camped close to villages were also
fascinated by the music and Keith's magical tricks with coins. The hidden
talents of Dr. Pritchard as Quack and also Horse Surgeon were also revealed!
Besides fantastic scenery, steep passes, cols bedecked with prayer flags
and chortens, snow capped mountains, deep gorges and rivers, "exhilarating"
bridges, moraine covered semi-permanent snow, we had glimpses of elusive
ibex, snow pheasants, sight of a distant lammergeier (an extremely large
bird), flowers, visits to monasteries and a convent where 5 ancient Buddhist
nuns plied us with tea, laughed at our attempts on the drums and attempted
to teach Jane to spin. Clear skies at night brought star watching activities-
I've still to see that elusive shooting stars that everyone else was spotting.
We had several very long days. Typically we were up about 6am (woken with
bed tea) and in bed about 8pm shortly after it became dark (and cold,
especially camping at 15000ft and short of sleeping bags though metal
water bottles filled with boiling water helped).
Our route was basically a panhandle with our first and last 3 days repeating
themselves. In the middle of the trek, because of a landslide rendering
the path impassable for horses, we had to send them another way to meet
us and proceed lightweight with porters for 3 days. What could have been
a gruelling experience watching men carry heavy loads of our equipment
turned into quite a party atmosphere, the father of one of our camp helpers
being persuaded to bring along his pals, and in enterprising style they
volunteered to take another village's fine Zanskari horses to high pastures,
not only loading them with gear but riding them until we reached the landslide
the next day, reducing the carrying time substantially (and passing we
trekkers in the process). We had camp fire singsongs, and an encounter
with an abandoned Yak, in a very remote virtually closed in valley, which
reckoned Mike's T-shirt would make a good after dinner snack, reducing
even more the amount of clothing he had. We were probably the first people
the Yak had seen all year so it kept near us all evening although, as
we were camped on the only flat spot in the valley, we had probably nicked
its sleeping spot.
The gorge with the landslide was really spectacular- so much so that
I don't think any of us dared release a point of contact to take photographs.
We left the Yak and climbed over the Tarki La (5050m) . From the col a
rocky peak at about 17500ft was climbed. This side trip also saw us drinking
chang while passing through one village which had seen no outsiders for
2 years, visiting another which had possibly never had a trekking party
pass through and led us to climb from our lowest point of the trek (3300m)
to the highest (5060m) in one morning, when we returned to the Sengi La
and rejoined our outward route. With the ups and downs, this turned out
to be a 2000m climb - at that altitude, not a bad morning's work. From
near this col Mike and Keith climbed to about 17500 feet and the next
day Mike made it to a personal highest of 18400ft on the summit of a snow
clad peak. Keith nearly accompanied him but turned back which was just
as well as it doesn't sound as if one ice axe between them would have
sufficed (Keith's having gone down the river).
When we were collected at the end of the trek it was to learn that there
had been a bomb in Leh the previous day at the new Buddhist monastery.
This coincided with an electoral campaign and there were 2 further explosions,
and curfews/roadblocks introduced. We were held up for 2 hours at one
of the roadblocks by a gang of stone wielding youths, although it was
made clear that Kashmiris were their target not tourists, on whom they
depended. It is to be hoped that these were isolated incidents.
This is a beautiful, interesting area, largely unspoilt though with road
building plans which will radically change the scenery and way of life
over the next few years. Visit now!
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