Why it is
called that everybody doesn't deserve Leh....
Leh-Ladakh-
At top of the world
Leh Ladakh is
called heaven on earth...It lies in trans Himalayan region and known for its
pure atmosphere, deep blue skies & unforgettable experience. Bounded by two
of the world’s highest mountain ranges, the Great Himalaya and the Karakoram,
the Ladakh range and the Zanskar range. Here natures beauty is both raw &
naked, barren & rusty, desolate & remote and yet live & colorful !!
Words seem less to describe the virgin beauty of this land famous for the
highest passes.The peace, beauty of the place can not be expressed in words.
Right from Highest passes to gompas to the local markets & vibrant culture
everything is unique, the superabundance of attractions to visit makes this
city heaven on earth.
It is said
that only in Ladakh is the only place where you will get sunburn &
frostbite at the same time. The place holds so many surprises together that one
can’t help but be awed.
There are
people who visit foreign land to see beauty and miss the very place in their
own country. No wonder even foreigners are crazy for this place. Seeing is
believing.
Things people should know before they visit Leh.
How
to reach: By Road & By Air.
Road
status:- Closed
Best
time to visit:- Mid
of May till end of mid of October.
(All depend
on the amount of snowfall)
Flights:-
From Delhi
Jet Airways
(Daily 2 flights)
Go Air (Daily
2 flights)
Air India
(Weekly 3 flights)
From Mumbai:
Go Air (Daily
1 flight via Delhi)
Leh ladakh
can be reached by Flight and road via Srinagar & Manali.
Leh is open for 4-5 months only.
The main
reason is Zojila pass and Rohtang Pass. Rohtang pass (If you go Via Manali)
& "Zojilla Pass (via Srinagar) remain closed from October till mid of
may due to snowfall in that region.
Although the 434 KM long Srinagar –
Leh Highway open earlier this year in March.There was only about 8-10 feet of
snow between Baltal to Zojila this year. (keep in mind that even when the
highway gets open it needs at least couple of weeks to settle or get stabilized
from initial snow sliding that happens due to quick melting of snow)
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BRO (Border
Road Organisation) is the force behind making and maintaining the beautiful
roads you see in this region.
Climate:
Climate is at
extremes, oscillating between 36c & 60c. Because of incessant snowfall
during winter.
AMS -Acute mountain sickness or High Altitude Sickness:-
Acute Mountain Sickness occurs due to scarcity of oxygen at high altitude, and
inability of our bodies to adjust to low oxygen content in air. Acute mountain
sickness is defined as: In the setting of recent ascent to high altitude,
headache with at least one of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting,
anorexia, fatigue or weakness, splitting headaches, mild breathlessness,
dizziness or light heartedness, lack of sleep & hallucination. The way out
is to give your body time to acclimatize to high altitude. In our briefing for
Leh Ladakh tours we give advice on how to stay fit. We plan tours in such a way
that people can avoid AMS & stay fit
to enjoy entire trip.
Things
to keep in mind :-
Once you
arrive in Leh (either by land routes or by flight), you should still be
cautious about your sleeping altitude and only gain it gradually by doing Nubra
Valley first, followed by Pangong Tso and then Tso Moriri, Hanle etc.. This is
due to the fact that even though you have to travel on the highest motorable
road, Khardung La, to reach Nubra Valley, it is lower in altitude than Pangong
Tso and Tso Moriri.
In fact
irrespective of your mode of transport and route, you should aim to spend at
least first couple of nights in Leh, in order to acclimatize and unwind, before
proceeding to any of the above destinations.
#Don't stress
your body- You should avoid overexerting yourself and take frequent breaks
while walking or climbing stairs.
# Drink
plenty of water (warm water preferably)-You should drink water at regular
interval and water mixed with glucose or electrolytes to keep yourself hydrated
and keep your energy levels up.
# Avoid
smoking & Drinking, especially in Sarchu (Don't Drink) avoid till you are
fully acclimatized, since alcohol is known to cause dehydration.
# Keep
yourself dry and Hydrated.
# Try and
take srinagar route (As in this route your body get acclimatized automatically
as your body get enough time to adjust to High altitude.
# Start
taking medicine whichever you choose to avoid AMS.
# Always
remember precaution is better then cure.
# Always keep
your head , forehead ear covered even if it is sunny day.
# Don't do
heavy exercise, instead you can still do yoga it will help.
# Avoid
spending too much time at high altitude passes.
# You should
avoid overeating and eat light yet frequent meals.
# Approach
hospital or an army base if you or a fellow traveler starts showing symptoms of
severe AMS.
#And of
course, travel to Ladakh with an open mind and an open plan, and avoid trying
to stick to a plan/itinerary at the cost of your own health and wellbeing.
# Last but
not the least DON'T BE A GAMA IN THE LAND OF LAMA.
Medicine
:-
Diamox: While
Diamox can somewhat speedup acclimatization process, by making your body
breathe faster and help increase overall oxygen intake, it isn’t a surefire way
to avoid AMS and it will not help if you take it only after you start feeling
the effects of AMS. It is better off as a preventive medicine.
Current
recommendations are 125 – 250 mgs twice daily, starting a day before ascent and
continuing for a couple of days at the height or even for the entire duration
of stay. If severe symptoms develop, Diamox will not be useful and in such
cases, descent is the best way out.
Side effects:
Ranging from
numbness and tingling in the fingers and toes, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea,
drowsiness and confusion. It will also make your cold drinks taste flat and increase
urination. So make sure to drink water regularly to keep yourself hydrated.
You should
consult with your family doctor, before taking Diamox, especially if you are on
any medication. Also since Diamox is a sulfur drug, it cannot be taken by those
who are allergic to sulfur drugs.
Taking a test
dose a few weeks before your trip to see whether you experience any severe side
effects of Diamox is a good idea.
Dexamethasone: 2-4 mg of Dexamethasone every 6
hours is also effective in preventing and treating AMS. The mechanisms of
action of dexamethasone in relieving AMS symptoms are unknown. Its relative
effectiveness compared to Diamox has not been established, but it likely is
equivalent to Diamox. Dexamethasone should only be taken in consultation with
your family doctor/physician.
Disprin/Aspirin: Those who do not wish to take Diamox,
blood thinners like Disprin, Aspirin etc. can not only help reduce some of the
symptoms of AMS eg. headaches, but also help your blood carry more oxygen.
Oxygen Cylinder: You should also carry portable oxygen
cylinders, which are available at chemist shops and should provide you
temporary relief, in case you or those traveling with you start to feel uneasy.
We always carry oxygen cylinder & medicines while on expedition to Leh
Ladakh.
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Highest Passes u will cross on Manali
to Leh Highway(475km):-
Rohtang Pass -3979 m.
Baralacha- La- 4890 m
lachulung- La - 5059 m
Tanglang- La - 5328 m
Highest Passes u will cross on
Srinagar to Leh Highway(435km):-
Zoji-La - 3528 m
Fotu-La - 4108 m
Highest Passes in Leh & around:-
Chang-La- 5360 m
Khardung- La - 5359 m
Attractions:-
Rohtang Pass
Tandi (the last petrol pump on Manali
Leh highway)
Zing zing bar
Sarchu
Pang
Tso Kar
Tso Moriri (Lake)
Khardung-La - (5359 m) Highest motor
able road in the world:
Pangong Tso Lake: The lake from 3
Idiots, that changes colors.
Nubra Valley
Hall of Fame: experience the
patriotism.
Shanti Stupa
Thiksey Monastery
Gurdwara Pathar Sahib
Deskit Monastery
Confluence of the Indus and Zanskar
Rivers
Magnetic Hill
Prayer Wheel
Spituk Monastery
Stakna Monastery
Leh Royal Palace
Stok Palace Museum
Shey Monastery
Lamayuru
Moon Land
Kargil War Memorial in Drass (A must
visit)
Gumri Post (A cafe is also there run
by Indian Army)
Sonmarg.
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Ladakh is a
very friendly place and you’ll find many people willing to share their own
experiences and stories of Ladakh with you. The monks and children are
particularly helpful and will go out of their way to get you accustomed to the
culture of Leh and make you feel at home.
But there are
few things to keep in mind while hiring & driving vehicles coz of rules
& regulations.
Hiring
Vehicle from Manali & Srinagar for Leh.
There are
unions that run the business of rented vehicles (Bike/ taxi) and because there
is tussle between these three unions (Leh union- Srinagar Union- Manali Union.)
Hiring is bit complicated and rules & regulations keep on changing.
The thumb
rule is -Outside commercial vehicles are not allowed in Leh Ladakh area. So you
have to keep your vehicle and hire another from leh only to roam around.That
why srinagar and Manali unions also dont let Leh vehicle in their area.
(unofficially)
Communication:-
Network is
available in Leh, BSNL works at most of the places whereas Airtel &
Vodafone (postpaid) also work at some places. But communication with the
outside world is extremely limited. Usually in our trips hotels we provide have
wi fi in most of the places like nubra valley as well. but camps site like
sarchu and pangong is out of question.
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The first
thing to know about this trip is that it’s not for everyone. There are 100's of
kilometers of barren land and no signs of human habitation.
Now to the
first point why we say that everybody doesn't deserve Le.... coz it tae the
hell out of you... which people are not ready for (specially who r glued to
phone) Its a an experience... like meditation..in our trips.. the most common
thing are...
people loose
weight without knowing (6-10 kg)
they lost the
count of the dates
they lost the
count of the hours
They forget
all the deadlines set for them
they forget
official politics..
all the world
is forgotten
And they
become like child friends fighting to each other and in the end they realise
they found their best friends....
You need to
learn to cherish each moment. Its not about reaching destination in leh. Its
like life, where 90 % of the time you will take to reach to the destinations,
so if you don't enjoy the path, you are wasting most of your time. Go there to
Enjoy the route, not to reach to Pangong, khardungla or Nubra valley. Fall in
love with the roads, the turns, the broken paths, snow covered paths, the
difficulties, the mess that a single truck causes, Landslides. Fall in love
with almost everything that you see around, embrace every little experience, as
you don't know it yet, but you will cherish these moments for the rest of your
lives. believe us ... this will be best trip of your life.
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