DAY 13:
LINGSHED TO BASE CAMP OF SINGE LA VIA MARGUN LA (4370M), KUPA LA (4430M) &
SENGE LA (4900M)
This
was the day that I crossed 3 passes and walked for 11 hours.
After a full breakfast of dal and rice from the previous night, I said goodbye
to my young lama friend. I started from Lingshed early, at around 7 a.m., with
full power.
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The view after an hour’s walk from Lingshed
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The
trail ascends gently, presenting gorgeous views of the nearby mountain ranges.
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Walking shadow
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After
around two hours of easy walking, I reached the first pass of the day, Margun
La (4370m). To be honest, it did not look like a pass, as it was easy to ignore.
From there, I could see Kupa La Pass (4430m) straight ahead. This was the first
time I could see a pass from another pass. The climb to Kupa La looked quite
steep from far.
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Under-rated Margun La (4370m) pass. Straight ahead is Kupa La
(4430m)
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The zigzag
trail looked daunting and interesting at the same time. Unfortunately, the road
has been built till Kupa La, and the thicker zigzag (in the photo) is the road.
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Trails like these make the day more interesting. I could see a few
people walking on it.
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Skyumpatta Village
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The
trail goes down to the scenic Skyumpatta Village. As I wanted to cover a lot of
ground that day, I went straight down without taking long breaks.
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The old lady had real difficulty walking. They had to go down and
then up again.
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It was
more of walking and less of photographing. The dal and rice in the morning
really helped me walk fast and I climbed the zigzag trail with ease, reaching
Kupa La at around 11:30 a.m.
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Kupa La (4430m)
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Wrath of the sheep
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At Kupa
La, a herd of sheep came out of nowhere and started eating the prayer flags!
They can eat anything!
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Spiritual Buffet!
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In the centre is Kupa La. Somewhere behind it and on top must be
Hanuma La.
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Not amused to walk on the road
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Did not leave my sole behind in Ladakh
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Since I
was in a rush, I did not take photographs of the dhaba at the base camp of
Senge La. I had another sumptuous meal of dal and rice here and left quickly at
around 2 p.m. for Senge La (4900m). Senge La is the highest pass of this
stretch and my third pass for the day.
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The road to Senge La, the plateau is the pass.
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| Snow graffiti artist Satnam Singh's masterpiece |
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To go
to Senge La, the ascent is moderate, but the altitude makes it tough. The weather
started getting worse and dark clouds loomed over me.
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Not looking good
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Hole in the sky
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| Hole gone |
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That is Senge La (4900m) for you
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Other side of the pass
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The highest pass has been conquered!
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The descent was long and tiring. I reached the campsite around 6 pm, exhausted but gratified.
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The dhaba at the base camp of Senge La
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Dinner - The Sku
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I spent
the evening talking to the dhaba owner and the horseman. After walking for 11
hours straight and crossing 3 passes, I felt like Hercules and slept off early.
DAY
14: BASE CAMP OF SINGE LA - PHOTOKSAR TO KHALTSE
I woke up early to a magnificent sunrise and
wonderful scenery all around it.
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Some peak over 6000m
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On the left is Senge La
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I was told that I could get a shared ride
from Photoksar. Since there was no trail after Photoksar, I would haveto walk
on the road, which I did not want to. Fatigue had set in, both mental as well
as physical. So, I decided to finish the trek at Photoksar.
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Boulevard of broken dreams
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I was told to walk on the trail, but I decided
to walk on the road instead. It turns out that there is a major river crossing
on the road, which vehicles could cross easily, but people could not. I had to
walk all the way up to the trail where the river was less turbulent. I spent an
hour in doing this. This was my first river crossing. Doing it alone was quite risky,
and I will not be repeating it in future!
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Baddass river crossing
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A landscape that belongs on a wallpaper
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The feeling had set in and I just wanted
to reach Photoksar as soon as possible and finish the trek.
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Horseman, red rock, rucksack and walking stick
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Another pass that I did not care about
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Welcome to Photoksar
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I reached Photoksar at around 11 a.m., but
could not immediately find a ride to Lamayuru. So I waited at the only tea shop
near the highway. While waiting, I had a great meal of sabzi and rice, while interacting
with some local kids.
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| Beauties |
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With a bribe of chips packet, love comes naturally!
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Weather changed drastically, rain, sun, then rain again
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| Wow |
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Finally, a shared cab arrived at around 4
p.m. and I got a free ride till Khaltse. I was so tired that I decided to skip
Lamayuru and end the trip in Khaltse.
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Goodbye, until next time
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