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Day Three Chilling Trek: Up and Over the Ganda la/Kanda la Pass in Ladakh

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Today would be, without question, the hardest day of the trek; up and over the Gandala/Kandala Pass. Plodding feet would need to ascend from 4,100 meters/13,451 feet to 4,900 meters/16,096 feet! An 800 meter/2,645 foot altitude gain may not seem like much to you (and it isn’t at lower altitudes) but give it a try in Ladakh’s rarified air and you are talking an entirely different ballgame!

After mulling over what could be done to make the ascent “easier,” we asked guide Riga to rent a horse; the horse could carry backpacks and be available for riding in case one of us had a problem.

 

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Shingo Home Stay in Ladakh

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on the trail to Ganda la pass, Ladakh

 

One of the Khangpa-Pa home stay women left early in the morning to get one of their horses in the high pastures while her sister made pancakes for breakfast. By 6:45a, we were on the trail carrying packs; the lady of the house and her horse would catch up with us on the trail.

It was a good thing the day was cloudy or the trek would have been a killer on this wide open trail from Shingo that just led up, and up, and up. A river area was filled with cute and fat, Himalayan marmots. Marmots have no predators here and it would have been possible to get close to them but a dog following us spooked the marmots who quickly disappeared into their burrows. Other than marmots and a few wildflowers along the trail, there was nothing but rocks, boulders, and stones…repeat… rocks, boulders and stones.

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Himalayan marmot along the trail in Ladakh

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little wildflowers among the rocky terrain in Ladakh

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Sheila plodding up the trail to Ganda la pass, Ladakh

 

Four long hours passed slowly, putting one foot in front of the other on an extremely long but gradual uphill. Woman, horse and dog would go on ahead, rest and wait for us. At each rest stop, Steve and I would stand on tired legs, gasping for breath, while Riga asked, “Do you want to ride the horse?” The horse had our backpacks on them which was all that mattered since I am not a “horse person”; the only way you’d see me on a horse would be as a dead body. Thoughts of how this pass will be a personal achievement kept us going. After all, a person is never too old have a goal…

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we hiked up from that little patch of green in the distance, Ladakh

 

Just when we thought the uphill would never end, the first crew with horses appeared coming down from the other direction followed by trekkers. The pass was in sight!

 

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trekkers on their way down from Ganda la pass, Ladakh

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Steve and Sheila at the top of Ganda la Pass (4,900 Meters/16,096 feet) in Ladakh

 

Tears…hugs… exultation next to the prayer flags flapping in a brisk wind as we added our prayers and thanks to those already being carried into the great unknown. We did it!  Nah, nah, nah, nah…nah, nah, nah, nah,…hey, hey, hey…

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Photos, a short rest before beginning the equally long downhill; 800 meters/2,645 feet. A stop on the way to eat a snack, watch marmots in a field, and trekkers struggling up to the pass before continuing all the way to Yurutse.

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nomad camp near Yurutse, Ladakh

 

Past a nomad camp/restaurant for trekkers, Yurutse was visible in the green valley and 6-1/2 hours later, we stumbled into our home stay..


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