[praveen789]

Covid has hit travel plans of almost all regular travelers. From traveling multiple times a year to being cooped up at home for more than a year was quite a torture. When Nidhi and Satty from Wander Beyond Boundaries (WBB) sent out their brochure for their upcoming trip to Zanskar and Beyond a few months back, it didn't take more than a few minutes for me to come onboard. When I discussed this with my wife, she was all in as well. The biggest challenge that remained was to leave our 3 year old daughter behind but with the support of my in-laws who agreed to take care of her for 2 weeks, the plan was on!

Having been with Nidhi and Satty on an earlier expedition (Authentic Mustang 2019 via Mahindra Adventures), I was familiar with their style of functioning and that this was going to cover everything except the typical tourist spots (yes, we went to Leh but did not visit Pangong Lake or Nubra Valley!)

Some stats:
Dates: 21st Aug to 2nd Sep 2021 (though we returned on 4th Sep - reason being potential RTPCR test requirement for returning to MH)
Starting/ending point: Leh
Cost: INR 1.47 lakhs per head (which includes the car, stay and all meals. Fuel not included)
Cost spent on Fuel - INR 13280
Approx mileage - 8.8 kmpl

Total number of vehicles - 8 (5 Thars and 3 Fortuners) - 5 participant vehicles and 3 for crew
Number of participants - 11
Number of organisers/support staff - 4
Photographer/Videographer/Journalist - 3

Itinerary:


Photo credits: All photos with the watermark of WBB were taken by the professional photographer (Sandesh R) hired by WBB. The remaining were taken by my wife from my phone

[praveen789]

Day 1 & 2: Leh

We reached Leh around 1 pm from a through flight via Chandigarh. We were given strict instructions to not exert ourselves for the first 2 days so that we acclimatize well. Plenty of water and rest was the mandate and that sounded like a good relaxed start to the trip! Though a few participants were eager to venture out and see the local sights, we were asked to wait till we returned.

The hotel and food at was very good so we didnt have much problem adhering to the restrictions!

On Day 2, we were briefed on the daywise itinerary and also given a big duffel bag per car which contained snacks, beverages, essentials such as tissue papers, mouth wash, sanitiser, torches, etc.

First views of Leh/Ladakh:







The hotel meeting area:





Nidhi is a certified Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician (WEMT) and holds an urban EMT registration with NREMT, USA. We had a very informative session on the second day on the basics of medical treatment in case of emergencies. Satty was the gracious host and a patient participant in this exercise!



The cars and the gang all eager to hit the road - Still 2 days away from driving though!

[praveen789]

Day 3: Leh to Dha

The day began with a briefing on basics of car maintenance - checking fluids and air pressure which was to be done by the participants for their vehicles on a daily basis before the drive began.

Nidhi explaining how it needs to be done:






The driving part finally begins:





















After reaching Dha, we settled in at Aryan Residency and rested for the afternoon. In the evening, we took a leisurely stroll up to the local villages to see how they live locally. We were invited to the house of a local and it was very interesting to hear about their stories while sipping over hot butter tea:







It is not known as the land of apricots without a reason. You could find fresh apricots everywhere and many locals are involved in drying and selling them as well:



Back at the hotel, we had a nice conversation with 3 generations of the locals - the difference between the grandparents and grandchildren is very stark:



We finally called it a night after attempting some not so successful attempts at night photography!

[praveen789]

Day 4: Dha

Day 4 was a rest day at Dha. But WBB had planned a few activities for the day so it was quite an interesting experience.

We started with a short drive up to a local monastery to get familiar with 4x4 driving as not all of us had driven such vehicles. Techniques such as not touching the pedals while on 4L and steady acceleration when climbing were practiced which would come to use later on:





Post that we returned to the hotel for lunch and then set off to visit a local museum which was set in one of the old houses. We were given a nice tour by one of the locals and it was fascinating to see the colony of interwoven houses with narrow passages to deter raiders during those times:





We then headed to a local stream to dip our feet (and some chose to dip their bodies!) which was then followed by a cultural dance performance by the locals:

[praveen789]

Day 5: Dha to Kargil

So the day of actual dirt road driving had arrived. The route we took to Kargil was via Sasi La. We did a bit of off roading at the top of Sasi La as well. I will let the pictures do the talking of the landscapes:

















At the top of Sasi La















At the end of the off roading track:





An interesting feature of the drive was the Bonnet Cafe. We were carrying hot flasks filled with water from the hotels we were staying at and set up the Bonnet Cafe for a quick tea/coffee at picturesque locations!



Packed lunch for the day was paratha and aloo jeera - staple food but yummy!



At Hambuting La just before the descent to Kargil





We chose some shortcuts over the tar roads to get down to Kargil:

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Day 6: Kargil to Drass

The plan was to drive from Kargil to Drass via Umba La. Though the drive was not too long, we had an early start as there were 3 events planned after reaching Drass so it would be a packed day.

Pre dawn starts are always beautiful as the first rays of the sun open up views that take your breath away!









































There were some small streams we crossed to come across a beautiful picnic spot where we lazed around for quite some time!

[praveen789]

Day 6: Kargil to Drass (Contd.)

Immediately after reaching the hotel in Drass, the group set off to the War Memorial. Though some parts of the memorial are closed currently for the general public, Satty being an ex-Colonel, managed to get special access for us.






Post that, a horse polo match was organised exclusively for us. What was interesting was that these are wild horses and bought from the mountains just for the matches. Post that, they are let loose again.











We then headed back to the hotel, where yet another cultural dance performance was organised for us on the lawns:













Finally calling it a day:

[praveen789]

Day 7: Drass to Rangdum

This was one of three days on the trip that involved more on being on the road than any activities. We set off at around 6.30 am with a target to reach Rangdum by 6 pm. Rangdum has no hotels and just a single homestay style accommodation which we had booked completely. It was shared accommodation with just 2 loos and no provision for a bath! The location though made up for all the inconveniences.















We took a short detour from our route to visit a stone statue of Buddha carved into the mountain.



Two tone colour schemes are not just for cars!





































This was outside the homestay we stayed for the night

[praveen789]

Day 8: Rangdum to Padum

Today was the most beautiful day of the drive for me. Right from the start of the day (views from the homestay), the cultural dance organised for us, the local breakfast, visiting the local monastery, Pensi La lake, sighting of the Drang Drung glacier, the lunch pitstop location and the surprising bit of tar road as we reached Padum - it was as perfect as it could get!

View around the homestay and the place where the cultural dance was performed:
























At the home of a local where we had a scrumptious breakfast:



On the way to the local monastery:









At Pensi La where we spent around 40 mins but didnt want to leave even then!











At the Drang Drung glacier - tough to imagine the scale of it from the pictures:











At the lunch pitstop:







Beautiful tar roads and our backs thanked us for it after a long day of dirt roads!

[praveen789]

Day 9: Padum

After a day full of sightings, today was a complete opposite in terms of activities. It was dedicated to rest, eating and chatting. We had a late breakfast and followed it by lunch at a local restaurant which went on till late afternoon.

The highlight of the lunch was the pizza. It took almost 2 hours to arrive and there were guesses thrown around as to whether it was in the menu just for show or the chef had no idea how to make it. It turned out to be surprisingly good enough to warrant another visit to the place (on the way back we were going to stop at Padum after 2 days)

[praveen789]

Day 10: Padum - Shinku La - Purne

This was the second longest driving day in the trip. The plan was to drive all the way to Shinku La and return to Purne to stay for the night. The drive began at 04:30 and the goal was to reach before last light. We managed to make it an hour before that due to good speeds the convoy maintained.

The theme of the day was blue, be it the blue skies, the blue lake at Shinku La or the turquoise blue Tsarap river.

Purne, the place where we stayed for the night was an even more basic accommodation than Rangdum. It was a shared accommodation but just a single loo, and that too a dry pit one!

















The might Gumbo Ranjan or God's mountain



















The drive up to Shinku La was the most challenging among the passes given the sharp narrow hairpin bends as well as quite a lot of traffic resulting in some really precarious driving.





At the top of Shinku La:





Return journey to Purne begins:

[praveen789]

Day 11: Purne to Padum

Today was a relatively relaxed day with less driving. We were heading back to Purne which was just a 4 hour drive. We started the day by heading down to the riverside followed by breakfast before the drive. The Tsarap river was a like a jewel though and each time it came in view, it was a sight to behold.

[praveen789]

Day 12: Padum to Lamayuru

This was going to be the longest driving day of the trip with a start at 04:00 and a target to reach before last light. We had to cross 2 known passes (Singe La and Sirsir La) and 2 more lesser known passes. Though the day was long, it was surprisingly not too tiring as the roads were wide (though still dirt roads) and the views were jaw dropping. Once we turned off from the river, the mountains showed their might and beauty. The sheer patterns and colours on the mountains made you forget everything else!











Look at the natural intricate carvings on the rock face and the colours at the base of the mountain:



No filters applied!

















The sheer scale of the place makes you feel even more miniscule:











Lunch for the day was freshly made Wai Wai noodles in the open!











We took shortcuts where ever we could to make it more fun:

[praveen789]

Day 13: Lamayuru to Leh

Today we finally headed back to our starting point in Leh. It was a smooth drive with fantastic roads. Most of us were reminiscing the mountains and the journey on our way back.

From our hotel in Lamayuru:









A few unknown camouflaged vehicles was doing some high speed runs on this route



This was how the vehicle looked after almost 2 weeks of tough roads:



There was a few kilos of dust in the boot area:



We ensured not to throw any plastics or litter the areas we went to. All participants responsibly carried back all dry waste to be disposed off in Leh:



After checking in to the hotel and resting after lunch, some of us headed to the Leh market to do some shopping as most participants were flying back the next day. Unfortunately, it was a very boring market with almost nothing of interest to shop.



There was an army band playing in the market:



We found a nice cosy cafe to catch up on some hot tea/coffee (after having premixes and tea bags on the whole trip):



The evening ended with a nice party and cake cutting!

[praveen789]

Day 13: Leh

With most participants flying out in the morning, only a few of us were left. After a boring stint at the market, we were wondering what to do with the spare day. We decided to first head out to lunch at a popular restaurant called Bon Appetit and it did not disappoint. Everything that we ordered was really tasty and we had a leisurely lunch.









Post that we headed to the market to pick up some local embroidered T-shirts and fridge magnets. We didnt want to go back without some souvenirs.

At around 4.30 pm, we decided to head to the Hall of Fame as it was recommended on Trip Advisor. We thought we had ample time as we had read it was supposed to close at 7 pm. We managed to enter at around 5.30 pm after buying the tickets and were surprised to learn that the place closes at 6 pm!

The museum was really good though and I would highly recommend to keep at least 2-3 hours to cover all the exhibits.

We got back to the hotel for final repacking and our last night in Leh. We flew back to Mumbai on the next day.

Thanks for reading and hope you got a good glimpse of the lesser known regions of Ladakh!