Day 6: Nubra to Pangong Pso
In 2009, the Hindi film 3 Idiots was released and went on to become one of Bollywood’s biggest all-time blockbusters. In the film, towards the climax, the heroine (Kareena) rides a yellow scooter in a bridal dress to meet and reunite with the hero (Aamir) on the banks of an expansive lake with its captivating, crystal-clear blue water, under a vast blue sky that provides the perfect backdrop. Ever since, more and more Indians have sought this location, and that is how Pangong Pso, or Pangong Lake, entered the collective consciousness of Indians. This led the authorities to develop this place as a tourist attraction, ensuring road connectivity and other amenities.
Located in Eastern Ladakh, Pangong Lake is 140 km from Leh and takes about 5 to 6 hours by road. The lake is 134 km long, of which only 1/3rd is in India and the rest in China. (Interestingly, the signboard at the site has the name China erased.) It is the world’s highest saltwater lake. We travelled from Nubra to Pangong Lake, a distance of 162 km. Unlike the roads covered so far, we encountered the most challenging road conditions on this journey. For more than 50 km, from Agham village to Shyok village, the roads were extremely uneven and, at times, completely missing. These roads are essentially rough tracks cut through loose rocks and river sand. We faced multiple rocky water crossings and stretches of severely dug-up mud. Therefore, the drive was arduous, and we were hoping and praying that not just our vehicle but even the vehicles in front of us would not break down, lest the entire traffic be stranded for hours together. Fortunately, though slowly, we navigated the terrain smoothly, thanks to our car driver, who was skilful and patience personified. As I write this, I understand that this route is now closed due to deteriorating road conditions!
Despite such gruelling road conditions, it was a pleasant surprise to see hordes of bikers not just on this route but all along the way from Leh. The sight of a group of well-kitted bikers – both men and women – riding in unison across expansive mountains and along flowing water, with the cobalt blue sky as a backdrop, is poetry in motion. Armed with GoPro cameras and other gadgets, these riders are riding the social media boom, with many of them being popular YouTubers/Instagrammers or aspiring ones.
Crossing Tangtse village, which has a heavy military presence and a tourist check post, we reached Pangong Lake by evening. The first sight of the lake as we drove along was indeed spectacular. We stopped at a stretch, a tourist viewpoint, and, not surprisingly, found a whole bunch of men trying to live their 3 Idiots moment on the multicoloured bum chairs placed all over. If you are a young girl, you could get your Kareena moment by riding a yellow scooter available for rent there! If tourists from all over India brave the harsh conditions and make it a point to visit this scenic place at the far end of the country, the credit goes to the makers of 3 Idiots!
An overnight stay at homestays or luxury tented camps and resorts is now part of the routine, and we proceeded to our hotel near Spangmik village, a few kilometres from the tourist viewpoints but right on the banks of the lake. In the evening, even as the weather turned cold, we could take a nice stroll along the lake and enjoy its cool, calm, and stunning beauty. The immersive time we spent just watching the picturesque lake remains one of the best-etched memories of the whole trip.
Now, this is where the romanticism ends. As night fell, temperatures dropped dramatically, and even in this “summer” season, the night temperature was close to -10 degrees. In Pangong, there is no electricity throughout the night, so there are no heaters in the room. Your assiduous preparation with respect to clothing seemed inadequate. It also rained heavily for some time that night. Combined with the low oxygen levels at high altitudes, this meant another sleepless night. I mention “another” because this has been the case ever since we left Kargil for Leh. Along with spectacular views and pleasant daytime weather, sleep deprivation has been our constant companion throughout the trip. If ever I thought that my Kailas Manasarovar Yatra experience would make me more seasoned to handle Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) and Diamox – the pill for AMS was not needed, I was completely wrong.
Day 7: Pangong to Leh via Chang La
Catching some sleep towards the tail end of the night, we woke up in the morning to hear that it had been snowing heavily all night in the mountains. We planned to leave in the morning and return to Leh, crossing the Chang La pass at an altitude of over 17,500 feet this time.
Our driver told us to delay our departure, lest we get stuck on the way to Chang La for hours. Our instincts said otherwise, that we should leave as soon as possible, as long as the authorities were letting traffic pass. This proved right. Though there were minor traffic holdups on the way, we could cross Chang La smoothly. We later heard that by the afternoon, there was a traffic pile-up in both directions. The Army and the BRO were in full swing, clearing snow from the roads and regulating traffic. So much snow had covered the road that the army vehicles had their tyres wrapped in iron chains to provide extra grip.
The clear cobalt-blue sky we left Pangong in soon turned cloudy as we neared the Chang La pass. The white, crystal-like flakes of snow in the mountains on both sides of the road towards Chang La were a sight to behold, inspiring a few enthusiastic travellers to throw ice and snowballs at each other and, of course, shoot reels of it for their next Insta post. We, of course, preferred the other popular activity at such cold heights, which is to have hot ginger tea and Maggie! In this part of the world, Maggie comes without the associated health pushbacks!
We know there are many ways to get into Guinness World Records. What if I say that our DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) made it into Guinness World Records by establishing the Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR) Centre at Chang La, at a height of 17,560 feet above sea level! Set up in 2015, this is the world’s highest terrestrial R&D Centre.
After crossing the steep stretch at Zingral, just below the pass, we reached Karu junction, where we had lunch at a military-themed restaurant. From there, we reached Thiksey. At Thiksey, the Thiksey monastery is a majestic Tibetan Buddhist monastery that resembles the Potala Palace in Tibet. Next stop was the Shey Palace, which we only glanced at from outside. At Shey, another popular tourist attraction these days is the “Rancho School”. This is the school featured in 3 Idiots. Thank God for small mercies, it’s not called the “3 Idiots School”! The actual name of the impressive boarding school is Druk Padma Karpo School. Tourists obviously do not have access to the school, but they can visit a café named Rancho Café in front of the campus! That was the last stop for the day.
Day 8: Rest Day at Leh
Only now was the acclimatisation complete, and we could finally sleep reasonably well. We spent the day walking around Leh, doing some shopping, and, of course, catching up on South Indian food at the Himsagar restaurant, which we came across while walking.
Day 9: Leh to Mumbai
We left Leh for Mumbai in the morning on a direct flight.
With this, we came to the end of our Ladakh trip, which was enjoyable yet adventurous and challenging. Travelling to Ladakh requires acclimatisation at two levels – physical and mental. Ladakh is not a place for a relaxed holiday. Ladakh is for exploration, discovery and experience. The scenic landscapes and the experience of high altitudes stay with you long after you return to base. So do thoughts and prayers for the armed forces.
If you haven’t read the other parts, you can read here:
Awesome, Anand! Lots of coverage and so well detailed. Must have been a “once in a lifetime” trip 👍