ROAD TRIP TO KASHMIR-LADAKH-HIMACHAL By Mohan & Shoba

Srinagar – Ladakh – Manali  in 16 Days, over 1800 Kms on road, 7 destinations covering two states, 10 high mountain passes including Khardungla, the world’s highest motorable pass.

SRINAGAR: Kashmir was the flavour of this summer as tourism returned to the valley after years of strife and though one would like quiet and peace on a vacation, for once you don’t mind the general bonhomie and bustle. Srinagar is filled with domestic vacationers escaping the heat of the plains and every houseboat, hotel, restaurant and guesthouse is packed to capacity. Still the crowds take nothing away from the sheer beauty of Srinagar, gently rising, high mountains hugging two large lakes, which form the iridescent lungs of the city. 

Around, the city has grown and spread right to the foot hills, through the old city along the over-burdened Jhelum river, up to a plateau which is Srinagar’s scenically lodged airport among the hills.  A tree lined promenade skirts the Dal lake and is quite the ‘it’ address of the city; every prominent address is a short road up from the promenade. And then there are the Moghul gardens at least four important ones and many others that are part of buildings and mosques. And it is not only the tourists that you see at these gardens, every true-blue Kashmiri loves his walks in the beautifully laid out gardens, a paradise of Chinar (Same family as the Sycamore) and flowering trees of almonds and cherry. In full bloom sometime in March the gardens are resplendent transforming the city to one of exquisite beauty and you know why poets and lovers alike have lauded it. 

Srinagar offers many excursions around and within the city. A cultural tour visiting the mosques followed by a walk through the old city is to travel back in time, garden visits, Shikara rides on the lake are addictive, the gentle gliding of the boat, the views and the reflections lull you into a loose limbed stupor, to wake up to indulgent shopping by other shikaras peddling artefacts, costume jewellery to woollen shawls to locally made apricot chocolates. Your visit to Kashmir is not complete without tasting Wazwan, a multi-course Kashmiri meal, which is mostly meat, based serving up more food than one person can logically consume. And to top it all there is the Kahwa, Kashmiri green tea flavoured with green cardamoms and served with crushed almonds. Some excursions include a visit to the picturesque site of Pahalgam and Gulmarg (a skiing destination in winter) and Naranag, the site of an ancient temple complex now in ruins.

Options for stay in Srinagar are many though houseboats are a popular option. Houseboats are a relic from the Raj days.  As acquiring land was not allowed in Kashmir, the British conceptualized the houseboats along the edge of the lakes, made of sturdy walnut wood and comfortably fitted with baths and pantry. Houseboats are now an indispensable part of Srinagar’s tourism and you will see them lined along the edges of the Dal Lake and Nigeen Lake.  Taj Hotels has a sixty room hotel perched atop a hill close to the Char-Chinar area with spectacular views of the lake and city, while the Lalit is a grand complex of gardens and buildings set in massive estate with 161 rooms, both outdoor and indoor restaurant, bar etc.  Srinagar also has a few well located homestays like the Almond Villa – a beautiful colonial house offering 8 large rooms set on a sprawling estate of almond and cherry trees, just a short walk away from the promenade of the Dal Lake. 

SRINAGAR TO LEH: Srinagar to Leh Via Kargil and Uley: This is a drive of about 422 Kms and is best done with two nights enroute to break the long drive – at Kargil  (205 kms) and at Uley(200) . The first part of the drive on the Srinagar – Leh highway (NH 1D) is though large stretches of valleys, spectacular meadows, mountains all around and almost always travelling alongside a river or it’s tributary.  This highway follows the historic trade route along the river Indus and passes through places like Dras and Kargil which were prosperous towns when trade on this route flourished. Virtually snow bound in the winter months, this highway is maintained by the Border Roads Organization who are seen constantly at work repairing the roads, plowing snow off the road close to the high passes. Boards strategically placed along the highway advise “BRO tips” for safe driving along the highway. Some like “ Don’t be gama in the land of Lama or Driving is Risky after Whiskey” 

                                         
A quick lunch stop at Sonamarg set amidst the famous meadows of Kashmir and from here the landscape changes dramatically – dry and in myriad shades of brown over the Zozila Pass (11, 640 ft) along to Drass for a brief stop for tea.  After Zozila is when you first set foot into Ladakh and there is the tangible change in landscape and dwellings.  Drass at 10, 659 ft is considered to be the world’s second coldest inhabited place after Siberia. We glimpse our first prayer flag adorned Chorten just off the road.  A war memorial dedicated to the martyred soldiers of the 1999 Kargil war is located at Drass. We reach Kargil around 6 pm. Kargil is a somber little town that lies crowded down the middle and scattered on the hillside above and close to the Suru river below. Being a popular stop over, there are many hotel options one of the oldest being Siachen right in the market place. Adequate for an overnight stop with decent food and rooms, Siachen has friendly all-male staff; young men who make their way from the plains of Punjab to work here. 

An early start the next day gives us a chance to stop at an interesting Museum in Kargil which has put together a collection of clothing, religious texts and other knick-knacks carried by trades men during their arduous journeys on the historic trade route through Kashmir, Baltistan, Afghanistan, Central Asia, Sinkiang, Tibet and via Zanskar to Jammu and Himachal.  The drive on this day is through a different terrain, the air is cooler and rarer, the skies wrought an intense blue due to the intensity of light.  Having heard of the almost desert like terrain of this region and its stark beauty, it was a pleasant surprise to see the area dotted with villages and fields of buck wheat, barley and plantations of willows, poplars, apples and apricots. An unexpected stop was at Mulbek Monastery, right on the highway and towering granite statue of Maitreyi (future Buddha) standing in resolute welcome.  

From Mulbek, often referred to as the gateway to Ladakh, the route to Lamayuru in the Zanskar vallery take you through Namkila pass at 12198 ft high and Fotu La, at 13,479 ft is the highest point on the Srinagar - Leh highway.

Lamayuru is one of the oldest monasteries in the Zanskar valley and has an impressive collection of old manuscripts. We noticed that almost every monastery has a snow-covered range behind it as a backdrop and are usually set high on a hill.  Close to the monastery access is a restaurant that serves Tibetan specialties and is a popular lunch stop for travelers on this route. After Lamayuru you encounter the Indus River, revered as the foundation of Indus Valley civilization. Driving along the Indus River, you descend to Uley to the popular Uley Ethic Resort.

Uley Ethnic Resort: Developed in the early 70’s close to the river Indus the resort has modern cottages with attached bathrooms and small canvas huts with common bath and toilets. Set amidst apple and apricot trees, Uley resort right from origin propagated the organic lifestyle of the locals and today with close to 46 cottages, still functions as a eco resort relying on organic home grown food from the gardens on the campsite, electricity produced by mini hydro generators on a campsite that is a model for sustainable tourism. A morning walk along the river, climbing over boulders smoothened over centuries by the Indus flowing over them was probably one of the memorable moments on this trip. 

From Uley, Alchi is about an hours drive and is very distinct from the many gonpa’s we visited on this trip. To begin with it is spread flat over an area of over 5 acres with the river Indus flowing nearby, and considered to be the largest of all the Gompas built by RInchen Zangpo, the Great Translator in the 11th century. The monastery comprises of several shrines dedicated to Manjushri, Lhakang. The temples are independently placed and inside are some of the most beautiful paintings and inscriptions believed to have been made by artists from Kashmir. In the monastery campus you also have Zimskhang hotel and restaurant. A sublime place to stop and soak in the tangible and restive atmosphere of Alchi.  From Alchi the drive to Leh is about 69 kms and the landscape and mountains appear like high mounds of gravely shifting sands, at some places packed as high porous mud hills like a giant termite hills.

A short drive from Alchi is the Likhir monastery; the drive is for 30 minutes through a sandy plateau that takes you off the Srinagar- Leh highway. Passing through an arched gateway with the monastic crest on top, and flanked by two large prayer drums the Likhir Monastery. Also counted among the most ancient of Gompas, the main statue inside the temple is that of Avalokiteswara. Towering over the monastery is 75 feet Buddha with his hands folded in a Dharmachakra mudra.  The last lap of the journey towards Leh is an effortless drive through bright fields and glacial streams emptying into the Indus. At Nyoma village just before you sight the sweeping valley that is the city of Leh, you pass the confluence of Indus and Zanskar, a sight to behold! You herald Leh with the stunning sights of Phyang monastery highlighting a snowy line of mountains, followed by the Spituk Monastery to your right. All monasteries have timing and are typically closed for a couple of hours over lunch. 

LEH:Leh is a curious mixture of development and enduring Ladaki architecture, and has the atmosphere of every tourist hot spot within a wide circle of snow-tipped mountains. Innumerable cafes and restaurants line the deep lanes of the city interspersed with hotels and shops selling Tibetan jewelry to Kashmiri Shawls, Thankas to t-shirts and trekking equipment. Days are abuzz with activity and movement while nights are a hush, softly lit restaurants behind chalk-calligraphed black boards inviting you to grilled trout, spare ribs, pizzas and sizzlers. At a height of 11,500 ft. Leh is low on oxygen and hence proper acclimatization is recommended especially for those who fly into Leh usually from lower altitudes. This is accomplished by complete rest (doctor’s orders) on the first day after which the body is tuned to the rarer atmosphere. 

The city of Leh is usually a 3-4 days stop; to explore Leh would be to visit the monasteries of Shey and Thiksey and also the Stok Palace. For birding enthusiasts a walk along the Indus River for some endemic species is recommended. Visits to the villages close for a glimpse of the ladaki way of life is to understand the regions culture and life in an area, which is cut-off from civilization for about six months in a year. Their life, work, cuisine and clothing are adapted to the extreme temperatures in winter, altitude and pleasant summers. A trek to Stok Kangri and river run on the Indus are options for longer stays. 

LEH TO NUBRA: Driving from Leh to Nubra (100 Kms) is to ascend to Khardungla pass, which at a height of 18,380 ft. is considered to be the world’s highest motorable pass. After Khardungla where we encountered snow on the way down to Nubra and blizzard on our way back to Leh, can present unpredictable weather and the possibility of closure to traffic at south pullu for a few hours at a stretch till the weather clears over the pass. Around Khardungla on either side is a narrow road, gutted by frequent snow and ice-melts, which is tricky and dangerous to negotiate in bad weather. Nubra Valley is located to the North of Leh, its original name was “Ldumra” meaning ‘valley of flowers’.  Slightly lower than Leh, the main settlements of Sumor, Deskit, and Hundar villages along the Shayok and Siachen River. This is army-controlled area being close to India’s border with China and requires permits for foreign tourists from the district administration in Leh.  Some parts of Nubra valley represent high altitude deserts and you can see endless shifting sands and dunes especially between Diskit and Hundar.  A branch of the central Asian silk route used to pass through Nubra and we can see some traces of that even today. For example the double humped Bactrian camels still wander in the wilderness. 

Diskit Gompa, the Samsthaling Monastry in Somour where we stayed are worth visiting, while the walk from the Silk Route Cottages to the Samsthaling Monastery in Sumour is a beautiful walk through leh berry (sea-buck thorn) plantations, charming village houses, chortens, prayer drums along a glacial stream is memorable and highly recommended for nature lovers and birding enthusiasts.

LEH TO MANALI (Via Sarchu, Darcha and Jispa):The final lap of the journey is the most stunning and also extremely trying. Leh to Manali  (Kullu in our case) is over 470 kms driving over 5 passes – Tanglangla (17,469 ft.), Lachungla (16,616 ft.), Namkila, Baralachala (16,050 ft.) and in Himachal is Rohatangla (13,134 ft.)  The drive is adequately done in two parts; Leh to Jispa, 330 kms takes over 10 hours and traverses the upland desert plateau of Ruphso crossing over to Himachal Pradesh after Rumtse, the last village of Ladakh valley at 14,210 ft. The road conditions are quiet bad though you can see that the BRO is continually at work.  At one point after Pang, the drive weaves though endless miles of high sand colored moutains on both sides, it reminds one of the play station games where you are required to zigzag your aircraft though closely spaced mountains. The landscape you pass through are spectacular with narrow mountain roads descending to desert roads to velvety meadows that give way to high roads again passing through Sarchu at 14,035 ft. and then a snow streaked mountain stretch that ascends to Baralachala and finally to Jispa on the river Bhaga, a tributary of the Chenab – one of the main rivers that feeds Punjab. Overnight in Jispa was at the Hotel Ibex. The accommodation is clean and comfortable with a hot shower and a good dining facility. 

An early start on the next day for the final sojourn Jispa to Kullu covering 150 kms was the most tiresome part of the journey. Travelling though scenic mountain terrain driving over innumerable glacial brooks flowing over the very roads we were driving on, we made a quick drive upto Rohtang, the first mountain pass on the picturesque Pir-Panjal range of Himachal.  Rohtang at a height of 13134 ft. is just a couple of hours drive from Manali, a delectable draw for the domestic tourists who arrive by the droves to catch some snow and also for activities like skiing, yak rides or just photo-ops. This crowds the rather narrow, run-down highway prone to landslides to a painful bottleneck that can last for a few hours, with a long line up of cars and buses on both sides.  We heard harrowing tales of how it took some people 7- 10 hours to clear the route, we cleared the jam in about 4 hours thanks to some help from the army but by the time we reached Neeralaya our retreat for the next 3 nights in Kullu it was past 4 pm. Having been in a Innova from 5.30 Am to 4 Pm in the evening, arriving at Neeralaya was hailed with much eagerness and passionate assertions about how none of us will move out of the hotel for the next three days. 

Neeralaya is far from the crowds at Manali, it is in Raison between Kullu and Manali where all the orchards are situated on the bountiful banks of the river Beas. A small retreat of three cottages with extensive lawns and fruiting trees of plum, apples and apricots – Neeralaya is restful and private. Ideal for families or friends travelling together so that each cottage (of 2 bed rooms or three bed rooms, lounge, pantry, dining and sit-out) can be a personal abode. There is something therapeutic about rivers flowing close by as for the next three days we walked, relaxed and rested. Ate all our meals in the picnic benches laid our under the trees, crossed the river, looked out for birds, cycled, played TT, stood by the river’s edge while our children tried their hands at fishing – in short it was an idyllic end to a long, arduous yet fulfilling mountain journey. A visit into Manali about 25 kms from Neeralaya was only for an aborted attempt to walk along the crowded market area (so crowded that our group of five had to walk single file) and dinner at the famous Johnson’s café! 

The drive of 560 kms to Delhi was done at a stretch with a cursory stop for Lunch. We left at 7 Am from Neeralaya and reached our home in Gurgaon at 8 pm. Thinking back, though I would not change anything on our program, the only stretch that gave us anxious moments was between Leh and Manali. We named our album of pictures as ‘a trip of a lifetime’ not only because of the distance and destination we accomplished but also for the time and experience we shared with our children. Some moments can never be replicated as certainly as none of us can be 14, 19, 21, 43, 47 years again.  Besides though one may be tempted to drive this route again, the awe and adventure of a first time trip is unmatched