Tag Archives: Ladakh

The (Mountain) Goats of Kyagar Tso

Posted on by

In the early evening we made it over to Kyagar Tso, the salt lake we had already passed on the way in. The idea was to get some insight into the life style of the nomadic people in the region and witness the vespertine arrival of the nomads’ sheep and goats.

As we got here early, there was a bit of time to kill; so, I made it up the hill behind the camp for a bit of workout (*breath*) and more great views of the lake and the surrounding area.

200m above Lake Tso Moriri

Posted on by

After lunch I decided to have another walk and made my way UP the mountain behind the village – first towards a small stupa on the slope and then up to the plateau – taking in the vista and the complete silence – and from here over to a viewpoint with great views of the lake and the surrounding mountains – at 170m above the village and 200m above the lake. Truly breathtaking …

At the Shores of Tso Moriri

Posted on by

It had been a restless night for me (and most others in the group) – the elevation was clearly taking its toll. After breakfast and many cups of tea things looked better and we were heading off for a leisurely, yet breathtaking (ambiguity intended) walk through the village, down to the lake and along its shore.

Tso Moriri sits at an elevation of 4522 m (14836 ft), it measures 26 km north-to-south and is about 3 to 5km wide. It is considered a holy lake, so there is no bathing or swimming here (even if it looks inviting).

Back to Leh – via Khardung-La

Posted on by

Today it was back to Leh, following the same route that we had come in two days ago – so again about 120km, four hours – and again going through thin air at Khardung-La.

This time we had a longer break a the pass – for a chance to check out the small shrines (both Buddhist and Hindu) at the top – and actually climb the last few meters to make it to 5400m above sea level (per my GPS measurement).

After arrival in Leh and a filling lunch, we had free time – for souvenir shopping, some fairly heavy bargaining and Bienenstich.

Of Camels and Sand Dunes

Posted on by

We made it to our accommodation in Hunder (about 12km down the road from Diskit) in the afternoon and in time for a late lunch and a deserved break.

We got together again in the late afternoon (once more after the hot hours of the day had passed) to make it over to the Hunder Sand Dunes. These (fairly unexpected) sand dunes are the result of sediment brought in by the two rivers over time. Today they are a major attraction here with a big parking lot and plenty of activities on offer – from camel rides, archery, ATV rides, a cultural performance tent, plenty of food options and Ladakh’s only toilet lounge (its official name).

We spent about two hours here – plenty of time for a camel ride or a walk out into the dunes (I opted for the latter; I did ride a camel before and cannot say that I overly enjoyed the experience), take in the atmosphere and (of course) get disappointed over overenthusiastic toilet marketing.