Ladakh & Life Lessons - Part 12: Night at Pangong Tso

19th July 2023, 3.00 to 10.30 PM  

After a rather uninspiring lunch at one of the many eateries at Pangong, we made our way to Spangmik where our resort was. It was past 3 PM when we checked in and by then the heat was intolerable. It would be another two hours before the sun dipped behind the mountain and the cloud cover wasn't sufficient to give us relief from the sun.

We thought it would be a great relief to take a nap after the bumpy nine hours and eagerly moved into our cottage at Misty Hills Cabins. Imagine our dismay when we discovered that inside the cottage was a furnace compared to the outside! To add to our woes, there was a transparent portion on the roof that let in the sunlight! Since we were at an elevation of 4258 metres (almost 14,000 feet) it would be foolish to expect an air conditioned cottage. Not only that, the resort ran on solar power during the day and on diesel generators late night. I chose to sit outside till the room cooled naturally. 

I was left wondering about the scary tales told by others before our trip. We were told that Pangong Tso being at a much higher altitude than Leh or Nubra valley, would be very cold. Not just that; very vivid descriptions of cold winds sweeping across the lake and shaking the tents so badly that it could fly off. It would be freezing in the tents, was what we were told, so we had made a wise choice and booked the wooden cabin. 

At the end of it we were left wondering if a furnace like cabin was better than a cool tent! Mercifully for me, I was kept busy by a few birds, just outside our cabin. A pair of black redstarts were busy gathering feed for a chick in their nest, hidden in a crevice, among the rocks that were used to build the wall. 

Another wagtail juvenile was calling for its food. It was the fag end of breeding season and the growing juvenile birds were keeping the parents very busy.

We caught up on sleep and while we slept the sun slipped behind the brooding clouds and allowed a quick drop in the temperature. Though we knew that our desire for a colourful evening was going to be unfulfilled, we decided to walk down to the edge of Pangong Tso. After all, the highlight was the lake. I carried my photography gear, just in case. We didn't want to trouble Tsewangji. He had been at the wheel since dawn, so we walked down to the lake shore. It was down the slope from our cabins and the walk didn't require any effort. With the clouds gathering over the mountain tops on either side of the lake our hopes for another Milky Way shoot was also fading.

The only consolation was a horned lark, so called because of the two tufts of feathers on its head that resembles two horns. Like its other feathered companions, it was also gathering food for some hungry chicks in its nest.

Night falls quite late here but the wind was picking up over the lake and it was getting a bit nippy. Our expectation of a colourful sunset was ruined by the clouds. It was more of browns and greys, than blues and shades of orange or pink. Since there wasn't much to do on the lake's edge, we decided to return to our cabin. I wasn't sure if I could make it back on foot. I had my heavy camera bag and the route to the resort was a gentle upward slope. I decided to call for the car. It was almost 7.00 pm anyway, though the skies were still bright.

 At a half past seven it was still bright. The Milky Way would appear only a little after 9.00 PM. 

Finally it became sufficiently dark by 8.00 PM so we decided to go across to the dining area for dinner. We were all set for another round of astrophotography.

By nine we realised the true meaning of teeth rattling cold. Despite the clouds that was obscuring the sky partially, we managed to get some shots of the Milky Way again, though it wasn't as good as the ones from Terith. Besides the clouds, the lights in the resort and surrounding buildings were  causing light pollution. 

The Milky Way over Pangong wasn't so impressive because of the ambient light and the cloudy sky but we could take pride that we had managed to shoot the galaxy from two of three locations in Ladakh.  It was a quarter past ten and the atmosphere outside the cabin was getting uncomfortably cold. It seemed a good idea to hit the bed. We had another drive the next day; to Tso Kar and the black necked cranes.

The Link to the previous post is here

Ladakh & Life Lessons - Part 10: Maitreya and Milky Way

 18th July 2023, Afternoon and Night

Khalsar - Diskit - Hunder - Terith

After the early lunch, our plan was to go to Diskit and Hunder, in the Nubra valley. We'd have to  backtrack towards Khalsar, cross the Shyok onto the road to Sumur and Siachen glacier, to reach Terith where our resort was. We were on our way to Diskit a little after 1.15 pm. The sun was beating down so mercilessly that it was hard to imagine that we were in a valley between the Himalayas and the Karakoram ranges. These are the two highest mountain ranges in the world but at that moment we felt like we were in Thar desert!

While this area with popular tourist spots is called the Nubra Valley, it is actually the Shyok valley. The river that runs south of Karakoram range is actually the Shyok, which eventually merges with the Indus in Pakistan near Skardu. The Nubra river itself flows south east through the valley and flows into the Shyok near Diskit. (Red arrow)

The road to Diskit and Hunder was being widened and repaired, as was the road from Khalsar to Pangong Tso. We made slow progress as we were occasionally forced to halt in the interest of safety, while the mountain sides were being ripped apart by earth moving equipment. The traffic build-up that was a consequence of this halt-and-go process ensured that looking at our watches was a futile exercise!

While doing my research for Ladakh, as I mentioned in my last post, I had been drawn towards a face. The face of Maitreya Buddha. He sits tall, below the Diskit Gompa, looking across the Shyok river and the mighty Karakoram mountains. I don't know what the magnetism it was, but though I hadn't been keen on exploring the monasteries in detail, Diskit was an exception. I had made a mental note to spend a few extra minutes here. 

We drove to the monastery first but the heat, with the very uncomfortable thermal wear inside, was unbearable. We were planning to check in at our resort only after going to the famous sand dunes of Hunder so getting out of the thermals was still a couple of hours away. We were hoping it would become colder as the sun disappeared behind the mountains on the west. So we abandoned the idea of a detailed exploration of the monastery and decided to go up to the Maitreya watching over the Shyok valley. 

The colossal statue of the Maitreya Buddha, 106 feet tall, can be seen from the monastery and is on a hillock across a small stream. Unfortunately, though the road goes to the base of the statue, vehicles were not permitted to go up when we went there. I wasn't about to allow the heat to stop me so I decided to walk it up. Maitreya had that effect on me. I had been reluctant to climb places that seemed to leave me breathless but it seemed that I was energised in his presence. 

A few minutes, sitting in contemplation before the serene Maitreya and I knew what I had to do with the rest of my life. I would have sat longer because I couldn't feel the heat any more but there were three people sitting in a baking car. So after a whispered prayer and a promise to be back, I walked back, spinning the many prayer drums as I descended. Something in me had clicked into place. I don't know what, but I felt that life was about to change sooner than later. 

We proceeded to the famous Hunder dunes hoping to see the double humped Bactrian camels. Sadly, the heat had got to them too. They weren't to be seen anywhere and the owner of a mobile food cart told us that they'd appear only after the sun went down. It was exhausting and the dunes weren't looking very inviting in the heat. Most of the wavy sand had been disturbed by the camels and tourists who had been there earlier. It didn't seem worthwhile to wait for a few hours till the camels appeared. 

For those staying in Diskit or Hunder, if you have the time, a two and a half hour (maybe more) drive will take you to Turtuk village, close to the line of control (LOC), on the border with Pakistan. Its fame is not only because it is the northernmost village on the Indian side of the LOC, but also because it is the largest producer of apricots in Ladakh.. Though many say it is a part of Pakistan, it was actually occupied by Pakistan after the 1948 Indo-Pak war, and later was wrested back from Pakistan by India in the 1971 war. Our itinerary didn't include Turtuk because of the limited number of days we had at our disposal. If you are intending to do everything possible around Diskit you might want to consider staying in Diskit / Hunder or even Turtuk for two nights. If you stay more than two days you can explore both sides of the Shyok, including Siachen. (More about Turtuk here)

All along the route there were talks of declining tourist footfall into Ladakh. The road access from Manali side was cut off due to floods, landslides and missing sections of the highway. Our trip itself was postponed by a fortnight and the weather in mid-July had us worried. There was talk about having to start the morning drive earlier than usual as the fast melting snow would flood the rivers by mid-day. In places where the rivers had to be crossed, the rising water could possibly block the already non-existent roads and tracks. 

The Milky Way was next on the priority list so we decided to go to the resort and check in. It had been a long warm day. and a little rest was welcome. At the Osay Khar resort we discovered that we were one of two families that had checked in. It was looking deserted. Terith, as I mentioned was on the opposite side of Diskit, across the Shyok. There was nothing else to do or see around the place. Siachen was too far for an evening drive. This property is on a private farm and has some 20 cottages, of which only two had occupants. It is totally cut off from civilization and meant for people who want some peace and quiet. The ATV rides, camel rides, go karting and zip line for the normal tourist is not on the road to Terith. So if you are that type of tourist better look for accommodation on the Khalsar - Hunder road, in or around Diskit.

Over a cup of tea and fresh pakoras, the manager told us about the resort and afterwards took us around. He, himself was from Himachal and was worried about his home and family there. During winter, when the resort closes for the season he returns to tend to his farm there. One of the reasons that Ladakh attracted me, besides Maitreya, were the birds. I could add so many new species to my life list, and Osay Khar was a good spot. Unfortunately we checked in in the evening and would be leaving by 6.30 am to avoid getting held up by a swollen Shyok. Birding in that area would have to wait for my next trip.

Dinner was served at 8, and having eaten, we went back to our cottage to set up for the Milky way. Fortunately, we wouldn't have to suffer light pollution. With only two cottages occupied the glare of artificial light interfering with our photography plans were reduced. Our postponed trip also turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The original dates for our trip fell during the week with a full moon day. A full moon would have spoilt our plans with its bright light. Our trip fell on a weekend when it was time for the new moon! We only had to worry about the clouds as the threat of rain still loomed. By the time the Milky Way made its spectacular display at half past 9, we were ready for it.

Of the top 10 locations in India to shoot the Milky Way in India, three are in Ladakh. Nubra Valley, where we were; Pangong Tso, to where we were going the next day and Hanle Dark Sky Reserve in the eastern side of Ladakh. We would miss the third location on this trip but that has been added to our bucket list! If you are keen on astrophotography yourself, plan your trip to coincide with the new moon day of that month.

The Milky Way was the icing on the cake for us. We had a long drive ahead of us the next day as the regular route to Pangong Tso was closed for widening. We'd be driving through the Shyok river bed for most of the route and didn't want to get caught in a flood. So we decided to pack up for the night and hit the bed. 

See you on the road to Pangong Tso!

Link to the previous post is here