Day Six, Zanskar Trek - Stayang to Lingshed

Stayang Chai Shop. C0urtesy Ani

It's day six of our trek and fatigue has finally set in. I can’t seem to be able to even get up or eat. Yesterday’s ‘Lion’s Pass’ really made a meal out of me. Incidentally, Sengge La means ‘Lion’s Head,’ and is usually impassable before June because of snow. Even yesterday, there are was a thick line of snow over the pass though mercifully our path had none. By the by, we walked only 31 mountain kilometres yesterday. One mountain kilometre, if it gently undulates, is two and a half plain kilometres. So, yeah, do the math.

Rajesh (our guide) and team are amused at our fatigued faces (what’s new about that), and tell us to hold up our chins. Today will be a “relatively” easy day and we won’t have to walk much though there are two passes to climb. I am really straining my intellect to understand which part of “climb” is supposed to be easy!

Climbing towards KiupaLa (14,600 ft)

Nevertheless, we fill our bottles from a mountain stream and are on our way. The other campers have already left and we follow the haphazard footprints of their mules. The path begins to climb only to go down and an hour later we can see the first pass of the day, KiupaLa (14,600 ft) looming ahead. Rajesh was right, the climb isn’t too difficult and we reach the chorten at the pass fairly soon. It’s really windy up there and I can barely stand straight, but the prayer flags look beautiful. I quickly chant the Tibetian-Buddhist mantra “Om Mani Padme Hum” and pray for the safety of the team. The climb down starts gently but we have been warned, it will be a steep descent. And it is! I have to force my body to resist the sheer momentum of the scree slope and hug the mountainside whenever mules coming down behind us. The narrow trail holds no place for two people let alone a loaded mule and a person. These mules incidentally are a mean lot and given a chance will insist on throwing me off the trail. Gah!

Chorten at KiupaLa

It gets worse when Rajesh insists Naveen and I take the shortcut to catch up with the android (Ani) who as usual has taken off. I reluctantly accept but ten steps into the path I start wailing and cursing Rajesh. “Why this trail? There is no path! It’s slippery! Am gonna fall! Are you mad? Are you trying to kill me?” And other such hysterical exclamations. Poor Naveen has to bear with me and tries to instil some confidence by praising my trekking boots. Their soles apparently have good traction. Apparently, I won’t keel over. Sigh!

I am not exaggerating. The descent is quite precarious and exposed at many points. The scree path is quite unlike any we have come across so far and it takes effort not to lose footing. I even slip at one point and fall on my arse. Luckily Ani, who is right behind me, helps me up. It takes us hour and a half to reach the bottom of a narrow valley where two streams meet. There’s a tea tent there though it is shut today.

Steep, scree slope coming down from KiupaLa. Courtesy Ani

The path from here starts climbing and it is quite steep though not as bad as our descent. Also, the trail is solid, though rocky in parts. I stuff my face with some Snickers bars and start climbing. A kilometre later, we come to another chorten and a tea stall. A huge group of firangs are coming from the opposite direction who, like the many we met on our trek, seem very fit and cheerful.

We continue to climb and the slope gets steeper though after an hour the path levels off, bends and drops before the final climb to the day’s second pass MargunLa Pass (14,370 ft). We are given a breathtaking view of the Lingshed village and its terraced fields nestled within the bowl of the mountains. The sight isn’t too different from my imagination of The Shire in Middle Earth. Did Tolkien ever come here?

Panoramic view of Lingshed village

The descent takes us another hour and it’s very dry and dusty. The sun beats on our backs though Ani and I make quick of the walk, making plans for future, more luxurious trips. Anything that will not involve walking!

Soon we reach the town of Lingshed looking like dusty-Yetis. Every part of my being is covered in thick layers of dust. There are dirt cakes under my nails and no amount of washing has helped so far. Our rucksacs look like they have been transporting dust. Our shoes are unrecognisable. Despite being on the mountains, I feel as if I have been trudging across the Thar or Sahara.

We plonk our dusty arses outside the bench of a closed shop, relieved over the day’s shortish walk. It’s barely 3 pm in the afternoon and is quite hot. The cook and his assistant are setting up the kitchen tent. I decide to take advantage of the sunny afternoon to wash six days worth of dirty laundry – a track pant & my mountain-hiking socks. Life’s so simple up on the mountains! Though the cold mountain stream stings!

Our tents are set. I have managed to take a semblance of a bath, though my dirt streaked thighs did make me shudder. Rolling out my sleeping bag, I am out in a lark. Ani meanwhile decides to accompany Rajesh to the nearby monastery. Incidentally, Lingshed is one of the ancient Buddhist centres of India, and the village is so remote that it takes four days of walk to reach a tarred road.

The day passes quickly. We can see the next day’s walk far near the horizon and I have started quaking in my boots already. The climb looks formidable. Rajesh tells us that it will take only three hours to get to the top from the base of the mountain. “Only”?! Sigh, tomorrow is another day. For now, I plan to pig on the delicious momos the cook has made for us.

Day Five: Photaksar to Stayang via SenggeLa Pass

Rajesh has already warned us. Today will be a very long and tough day. We’ll climb up to the highest altitude on this trek today and then quickly climb down. In short all the altitude variations could hit us despite taking medication. It was Ani’s brainwave to take Diamox which helps counter altitude sickness. Altitude can really create havoc on your system. Headache, mood swings, fatigue… you’ll want to be a teenager instead.

Nevertheless, after a trip to the loo wading which involved walking through ankle deep muck I am ready to take off. We walk past verdant barley fields of Photaksar and its village perched on the plateau above the river. There cannot be a more serendipitous moment. The village sits prettily at the bottom of the Photang valley surrounded by snow capped mountains and the feeling is of walking within a bowl of choc sundae topped with cream frosting. The sun’s still climbing the skies and as light filters through the crags of the mountains, I feel like Alice in Wonderland.

The path here on starts climbing and continues till after two hours we are on top of BumitseLa Pass at 14,430 ft. From here we can see the snowline of SenggeLa Pass. Rajesh wickedly lets us know that it will take only six hours to get there. Groan. The path climbs, levels off, descends, climbs up again; goes past charming mountain streams,lazily grazing yaks, marshy slushes and towering snow capped mountains. The sky is a brazen cobalt blue.

Ah if only I can continue in the same vein. It’s getting mind numbingly tiring. We have been walking for six hours now and there’s no sight of the basecamp of the pass even. The altitude is making things worse. Every step is an effort. Gah@%^@! It takes us an hour more to reach basecamp. Ani’s reached already but the three of us are exhausted and irritated, minor unmentionable skirmishes follow. Luckily, we remember it with laughter later.

The climb starts again and Rajesh decides to accompany me. Can’t complain, it’s actually reassuring. Traverse the mountains on sane-zig zag paths while Naveen follows Ani’s lead to take the insane-zig zag path. It’s shorter and steeper. It takes an hour more but we are there and the view is breathtaking. We can see all the way to SirsirLa. Hugs and congratulations follow. Ta da!

The day’s walk is not done yet. We have three more hours to go. Down we go. It’s precarious in phases, though shrubs of violet keep us company. In a while, we spot the campsite. But why is Rajesh standing past it and waving his hands. My stomach falls to my knees. That’s not our campsite is what he’s trying to tell us and more importantly to hurry. It’s already four and getting chilly. We need to reach our camp by six latest.

Ani and I are leading. We set a brisk pace; the well-laid out path traverses high over the mountains, almost near the ridge which means a panoramic view of the valleys & terraced fields of the Yulchung village. Is that where we camp for the night? If so, we have a long, long way to go! Think my numbed legs cannot comprehend that but they seem to have a life of their own. They are on auto mode, even if I were to stop them, they may not. Help!!! I am grateful for the wide, stone paved path though the wind is beginning to pick up and it isn’t warm. I pull on my gloves.

It’s six and just when I despair aloud about a non-existent camp, we spot it just across the bend sheltered within the curve of a mountain wall. I carry my frozen self straight to the kitchen tent. I haven’t been happier to reach our camp. Warm noodle soup makes me feel human again.

Boy, today was some day.

Day four, Zanskar Trek: Hanupatha to Photaksar (again)

Today we start early, having set into our schedules comfortably. The path starts climbing, we pass our little rock beds (yesterday they had served us well) and start traversing across the mountains, following the river down in the valley. We are walking upstream; despite our climb, the valley narrows out, the river levels up to our path and we can see the pass looming ahead of us.

It is going to be a steep climb but before we do that there’s a small bridge to cross. The river has narrowed down to a forceful stream, and the bridge across it is nothing but a few planks nailed together. A fall in the stream won’t be a good idea at all. But it still is the sturdiest one that we have come across so far. Rajesh asks if I need any help. Nada.

Climb to SirsiLa

I progress slowly over the sharp climb; Ani & Naveen are little ahead of me. It’s getting chillier as we scale the altitude and there are sharp drops along our path. Suddenly the path levels out on a plateau and there’s a small chai shop ahead. It just so bizarre to see a chai shop whose roof is an old, discarded parachute but the cheerful face of the stall owner tells me it’s not so insane after all. Apparently this is the ‘basecamp,’ but we are not to stop. The climb continues; I can see our cook, his assistant and mules climbing on the steep, muddy path snaking up the mountainside. It’s a short climb and in an hour we are on top of SirsiLa at 15,615 ft. Whoopeee! I just can’t stop myself from breaking into a small jig, whoop and run around! Neither can Naveen! It just feels unbelievable that after all my nervousness, we made it past a pass.

On top of SirsiLa (15,615 ft)

Before the climb down, Rajesh warns, “Thoda steep hai”. Argh, I didn’t realise how steep until I am on the 60 degree decline. Takes us an hour to get down and it’s almost 2 in the afternoon. Lunch boxes out, munch on sandwich, a bite of the staple hard-boiled egg, boiled potato and watch the marmots scamp from hole to hole.



Back on our feet, it takes us another two hours to reach camp. We hop over a smallish canal of a mountain stream when we see a mountain in the backdrop. The peak looks like its flicking the middle finger and we burst our laughing. Ani portends it’s an ominous sign from the mountains, especially since I made light of the day’s trek and said it was rather easy. Ha, ha.



It’s only four but already getting chilly though the hot soup waiting for us in the kitchen tent made up for it. Mmmm! To top that the cook tells us that dinner will be a surprise. Can’t wait! Meanwhile, back in the tent, we freshen up. I continue with the story of Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows. We have been entertaining ourselves over the past few evenings with stories of Harry Potter. Don’t ask why.

We are in for a treat for dinner. They baked pizzas and a cake for us! Brilliant! At 13,610 ft in Photaksar, a pizza and cake was more than food.

Pizza & Mashed Potatoes. Feast for the kings here. Pic by Aniruddha Das

Day three, Zanskar Trek: Hanupatha to Photaksar

We wake up to the sing-song voice of Yash saying - “SIRJI, CHAI”. After our tent-chai, everything goes like clockwork. Brush, loo, fold sleeping bags, pack the day pack, fill water bottles, pull down the tent, breakfast, pack the lunch box and we are off. We have already started climbing, the path is steep and narrow, and I can feel my t-shirt soaking up my sweat. But in an hour and a half, we have stopped, Rajesh looks worried. We are to wait for the mules to catch up again. Apparently, the horseman was still searching for his mules when we left camp.



An hour goes by while we perch on rocks which overlook the valley. It’s a beautiful sight – undulating mountains ahead, a greenish valley below and a river flowing in between. Ani comments about how in Bangalore we would have been attending yet another weekly meeting time in coopy conference rooms. We feel sorry for our colleagues slaving away indoors while here we are – basking in the sun, high up on a mountain with a gentle breeze almost lulling us into sleep.

We want to see more, but Rajesh does not want to go yet. If the horseman does not find his mules before two in the afternoon, we will have to abort the day. Oh no, I don’t want to climb down and climb back up tomorrow. What a waste. But it’s safer to do so. If we reach the next camp and the mules don’t, we will have to camp under the stars. Without food and temperatures reaching sub-zero in the nights, we might as well call a heli-lift for three almost dying trekkers. So we wait and another hour goes by, yet no sign of the horseman.

Naveen & I, as we wait for the ponies to show up. Pic by Aniruddha Das

Meanwhile, we see a lone walker coming from the opposite direction who when asked tells that two aimless mules were seen at the next camp. Rajesh’s on his feet, tells us to wait there for the horseman and sets off to find the mules. Ani suggests going up the ridge of the mountain behind us to see if we can spot the horseman. I opt stay back claiming to guard our bags (while really I don’t want to trek more than already what awaits us. Ahem, I am reserving my energies). Naveen & Ani get back in an hour though there’s no sight of the horseman yet.

It’s almost one in the afternoon and looks like we might have to abort the day. Dang! As we are having our lunch, the horseman turns up. We tell him about the mules and Rajesh, and he’s off too. We snooze for a while on the rocks. Wake up and still no sight of Rajesh, horseman or the mules. It’s getting a bit chilly up there; Ani suggests we make a bonfire. We go about looking for dry brushwood and soon we have a small fire going.

It’s nearly three in the afternoon now and we spot Rajesh walking towards us. The horseman has found the mules but it’s too late to continue with the trek, even if we are to camp at the base of the next pass. Rajesh leads us back to our Hanupatha camp, disheartened we follow.

Peaks on fire at the Hanupatha camp

The aborted day though ended in the firing up of the peaks… kidding. I meant the sunset was so spectacular that the orange tinge of its descent gave the surrounding peaks a surreal look of being on fire. Nice!

Day Two, Zanskar Trek: Wanla to Hanupatha

Aniruddha Das (Ani) in his trekking gear

We are on the road by 8.30 am and the tar road takes us through the Wanla village and a narrow highway. We see uniform clad students waiting for their school bus and soon there’s nobody else around. For the next two and half hours we set a brisk pace until we reach a village and Rajesh calls for a break. He’s worried for our cook, Ganesh, who has caught a fever and wants the mules to go ahead. We plonk on chairs of a roadside chai shop.

It takes an hour for the group to catch up with us. Meanwhile a team of two Indians and their guide stops by the chai shop, and through cheerful conversation we are to know the group is on the last leg of their trek from Manali. They were on the same route as us but have come from the opposite direction. However, they had been ten-member group before eight of them decided enough was enough and took off after the first leg of the trek. Only the cheerful pair stayed on to finish the trek. I am envious of their confident and happy faces. Can’t wait to sport the same look.


Naveen Kumar on our way to Hanupatha

It takes us another four hours to reach our camp through dusty roads, under a hot, hot sun. In six hours we have walked 25 kms, and the sight of our camp is welcome. A local family takes care of the camp and our cameras capture their imagination. We are only too happy to take their pictures.

At the Hanupatha campsite

Naveen is exhausted and we all sense what lies ahead. Today is really a child’s play in comparison. Well, I don’t want to think about it. Set up tent, some delicious chai and French fries from the kitchen tent. Soon it’s time for dinner and the last of the mutton is served. Alas but yum!

Day One, Zanskar Trek: Lamayaru to Wanla

Today is an easy day with only five hours of walking but am already quaking from self-doubts. While checking out of the hotel in Leh, a naysayer of a cashier had looked at me in astonishment when I told him of our Lamayaru to Padum trek. The conversation went something like this –

Cashier: “Toh aap trekking karenge”
Me: “Haan”
Cashier: “Acchi baat he. Kahan par?”
Me: “Lamayaru se Padum”
Cashier (astonished): “Aap kar sakoge?”
Me (puzzled): “Karne ke liye hi aaye hain…”
Cashier: “Bahoot mushkil he. Aap kar sakoge”
Me (pissed off): “Haan kyun nahin?!”
Cashier (doubtful): “Achcha…”
Me (trying to escape quickly): “Thanks…” To myself - “… for nothing”

On top of PrinkitiLa pass (12,240 ft). Pic by Aniruddha Das

But my confidence is shaken and I send imploring looks to my friends and guide to help boost my confidence. Alas, there’s not much that they can do. We take off soon and in two hours we are at the base of the first pass, PrinkitiLa Pass which at 12,240 ft is the smallest of our climbs. But it tells us what to expect – huff-puff slow progress for me, Naveen’s form is taking shape while Ani’s being his usual android self, showing no inclination to tire at all (what does he eat?!).

We are accompanied by a rat pack of Czech adventurers. They are a motley group – two are struggling with their gear, two alpha-males are competing with each other and others are keeping a sensible but fast pace. Annoyingly, one of the alpha males even drops his bag to run up a hill on our path kicking up dust. We can even hear the hum of his footsteps. Soon the whole group overtakes us, though we do spot them again – ahem, skinny dipping in a cold, glacier-fed river. Nuts!

We are at Wanla by mid-afternoon but there’s no sight of our tent. Rajesh (our guide) tells that we have to learn to setup our tents. There’s no mistake of the message here, I think groaning inwardly. What about days when we are so dog-tired that breathing will seem like a chore? Will we still have to setup our tents? Nevertheless, the tent is up soon but it’s too hot to settle inside. I can feel the sun setting up his burn factory on my epidermis which makes me quite grumpy. To make matters worse, the boys want to go up to the river and Naveen is entertaining some strange ideas about jumping into the river. After a quick and easy wash (easy because unlike in other camps, the water is not sub-zero and I don’t have to do gymnastics to just wash my face), we saunter around, take pictures, have many cups of tea and relax.

A Glutton for Punishment…

Or at least that was my friend’s reaction when she heard I was heading off on a Himalayan trek for ten days. To be honest, I felt the same on the sixth day of my trek after a six hour climb up a steep mountain path which then had whittled down to a half metre ledge. However, I did reach the top and the exhilaration… well, that story is for later.

Nervous excitement for our three-member team – Naveen, Ani & me - had set in the moment our plane touched ground on the inconspicuous Leh airstrip. We had a day to acclimatize, wait for our guide (who was to come from Manali) and the next day travel to Lamayaru (five hour drive away from Leh). The day went by quickly with last minute gear shopping, specifically buying… ahem fake North Face gear.

It was dinner time and our guide hadn’t turned up yet, and we were worried. Will he or won’t he come? Did he find a group that would pay better? Thankfully, he turned up. At 3 in the night! Turns out he had had a harrowing, long drive from Manali.

It was dawn soon, and we were already bundled off in a rather derelict of a bus with all our gear secured to the carriage on top. A five-hour bumpy drive later we were in the Buddhist town of Lamayaru. The monastery in the town is one of the largest and oldest (founded in 956 AD) Tibetian Buddhist gompas in Ladakh, and lucky us, they were having a special prayer that evening. While our guide’s assistants set up the tents and got busy with making dinner, we shook off the cramps of our bus journey by taking the steep road to the monastery. When we quietly padded into the prayer hall, the monks were already chanting and singing, the monks-in-training aka little monks aka boy monks were proudly displaying their musical skills on cymbals, trumpets and drums, and curious tourists/spirituality-bums sat flanking the outer edge of the hall. We felt as if transported to another realm, and it all seemed surreal until a boy-monk came along with a tea flask and a carton of apricots. The older monks enthusiastically filled their cups to the brim and filled their laps with the fruit between mouthing the chants and singing.

Lamayaru Monastery

Back at our tents, incredibly, we can smell mutton. Whoa! Since it was the start of the trek, our guide and his entourage of a cook and assistant, have decided to treat us to a rich meal. For the next ten days, we may not even get a whiff of meat.

Lamayaru campsite. Pic by Aniruddha Das

The long overdue Zanskar Trek log

It's been more than three months since our momentous Lamayaru to Leh, but the memories of cobalt-blue skies, harsh winds, caramelised landscapes and Buddhist monasteries still singe our bloods. There's just no escape from the call of the Himalayas and, not too different from the enslavement of an addict, I can't wait until I set foot on those mountains again.