Days two and three of the Ladakh Sky Trail GHT, a three week hiking adventure in the Indian Himalaya unique to The Mountain Company. It took in more attractive monasteries, one of the most spectacular drives I’ve ever done, and the start of a challenging hike between Nerak and Zangla.
Warm light started the day in Wanla, with views from our homestay of Wanla monastery.
It was a short walk up to it.
These tsa-tsas are made by mixing the ashes of the dead with clay and putting into a mould. Over time they will dissolve in the elements, demonstrating the impermanence of life.
As usual photography wasn’t allowed inside the ancient temple but there was plenty outside to take photos of.
In particular of the wonderful views of the village, which lies by a tributary river of the Indus.
In June 2024 a large golden statue of Wanla Lonpo Tashi Nurbu Dadul Wangchuk was erected. In the 15th century, he ruled Wanla as its Lonpo, a title of high authority in the Ladakhi and Tibetan administrative systems, comparable to a minister or regional lord.
There were more views walking down into Wanla, home to a colourful prayer wheel and stupas.
We then started one of the most spectacular, if terrifying, drives of my life. The scenery was astonishing but the drive was frequently nerve-wracking, and quite an exhausting experience in the end.
Photos can’t really do justice to the scale of the landscape.
Sirsir La was a beautiful pass.
Passes in the Himalaya are always marked with prayer flags.
More phenomenal views coming down from the pass.
We had a packed lunch underneath an old parachute, which appeared not to be waterproof when it started to lightly rain.
More views from the road.
The 5,120m Singge La was a literal highlight, with views of the winding road ahead.
The 3,970m Chuchokhuri La offered more views.
We stopped for 20 minutes to cool down the bus brakes, which was somewhat ominous… There were great views of Nerak ahead.
The rationale became clear as we descended one of most terrifying stretches of road I’ve ever been on, with endless switchbacks on a dirt road dug into the steep hillside.
We nearly made it to the bottom when progress was stopped as construction work was ongoing. Rather than wait in the bus for over an hour and a half for the road to reopen (when the workers finished at 5pm) we set out on foot.
We descended and crossed the Zanskar River before heading steeply up to the remote village of Nerak.
It felt like a ghost town with almost no one around, but there was a sizeable monastery and a mani wall.
We waited for the bus and crew, after which camp could be established just above the village. A shepherd came by with his flock.
The morning brought sunshine, welcome for the views but hot work when hiking constantly uphill for the next three and a half hours.
It was basically a one view hike, but what a view!
It was slow and tough going with the heat, and more importantly the altitude, as we climbed around 800m over 5.4km. Although there were shortcuts I found it relatively easier to follow the rough road at a more gentle gradient, despite walking a longer distance.
We set up camp at around 4,600m, close to Laban La. We were near a small pond which is one of the main sources of water for Nerak, connected by pipes.
To further help with acclimatisation I walked up a further 200m, enjoying the varied colours in the landscape, and being careful around the huge drop offs to the left. Thankfully I got back before an afternoon rain shower, noticeably dropping the temperature. Overnight there was a decent amount of rain, not necessarily a bad thing as it kept the dust down.
