Our trip to the 'Land of High Passes' - Ladakh
Barren mountains, soaring snow capped
peaks, arid desserts and plunging valleys ….long drives, biting cold winds, high
altitudes and some deep breathing….there’s all this and so much more that we experienced
during our first visit to this exquisite 'Land of High Passes'.
(Part 1 of 3) : The excitement before the trip
For us this trip to Ladakh will
always remain a unforgettable one….the memories of which we will cherish for a
lifetime. If we look back, Ladakh has been on our list of ‘must
visit’ places for a long time. It all started with an innocent love for mountains, and us eager to make a trip to Ladakh this
year. As ardent travelers who love adventure, who enjoy being in the lap of
nature (particularly the hills and snow) and who enjoy exploring new places, we
were eagerly looking forward to our trip this summer to Ladakh. The hills
are mystical, magical and no matter when you visit them, they seem to have the
power to lift your spirits up to unbelievable heights. They seem to rejuvenate
you instantly and invite you to witness a new high, which is filled with a
quest to explore and experience life and everything around, in newer ways than
ever before.
We are a gang of 8 friends from
college days, lucky to still be in touch and like most close-knit circles, we aspired
to go on a holiday together someday. But when and where and whether that
holiday together would ever materialize…. was uncertain. So yes, like every
time, we bounced off our holiday plan to the gang and urged the group to come
with us for the Ladakh trip this summer. At first all the usual
apprehensions and doubts crept in from everyone…while some were excited..some
others were apprehensive. Off course it wasn’t a easy proposition either, given
our demanding work schedules, financial priorities, multiple views on places to
visit (lets go to Kashmir, no no Greece, or maybe Ladakh??), rigid bosses
and apprehensions about high altitudes, motion sickness, timing etc.
We went through multiple discussions
and deliberations and when we almost gave up and thought we’d have to go by
ourselves (just the 2 of us), this time to our complete surprise from 2…we
gradually got to 4 … and then to 6! 6 of us ready to go and 2 guys still on the
fence contemplating. We now had the last 2 to convince and needless to say they
were under tremendous pressure to make up their mind. …..Yes it wasn’t easy,
yes it needed a lot of convincing….for the last 2 guys in particular, there was
probably no other choice… Eventually in the end….as luck would have
it, all 8 of…yes yes all 8 of us… signed up to go together on ‘the’ holiday we
always wished for.…Whoa!!
Owing to the generation we belong to,
within seconds we had a Whatsapp group created which kept beeping away in
excitement with exclamations every few minutes (Julley!!). What followed next were booking confirmations,
whether updates, lists of must visit places, things we must do, eat etc. Some
eager ones instantly took leave from work months in advance, while for some
others we were collectively planning what excuses they would make to their
difficult bosses; some of us starting planning the trip, some started
exercising, while others were counting days and exclaiming from time to time
in anticipation..
Days passed and finally we were all
set .....One day to go… all bags packed,
travel checklists ticked, airport transfers booked, camera’s charged & the works. It now
came down to counting hours to board the flight the next morning to one of our
dream destination...
Ladakh...here we come!
Ladakh...here we come!
(Part 2) : Our Escapades in Leh, Khardung La and Nubra Valley.
