Day 4 saw us wake up with a lot of excitement and some apprehensions. Today we would be traversing nearly 120 Kms, (driving for over 5 hours) to Hunder in the Nubra Valley, where we would be staying overnight. The drive would take us over the Khardung-La Pass which at 18,400 feet is the Highest Motorable Road in the world. A short halt there and we would descend to Hunder which is at 10,000 feet After having been in Leh which is at 12,000 feet for the last 3 days, today we would drive to Khardung-La at 18,000 feet in about 3 hours and then rapidly descend to about 10,000 feet two hours later. We hoped we would be able to cope without any issues. Today’s drive was not going to be on any paved highway. Rather, it would be a winding mountain road, with a non-descript surface all the way. These are the kinds of roads which call out to adventurers, narrow and winding paths with mountains on one side and a sheer drop on the other. This is one of the most popular stretches which beckons bikers from all across India. We met our fair share of biker groups at regular intervals, some from as far away as Bengaluru and Pune. The occasional Harley group but mostly Royal Enfields. While many of them had their own bikes transported to Leh from their home stations, others had rented them from Leh. Plenty of female riders too, not just pillion riding but actually at the handle. Often with another female on the pillion. We even spotted a group of mountain bicyclers.
For the first hour or so out of Leh, the road is actually good. Not a tarred highway but a good surface nevertheless. But as we went further, the road got worse and by the time we reached Khardung La, it was a nightmare. One must remember that for six months of the year, all through winter, the ‘road’ is closed as it is buried under several feet of snow. They are opened as summer approaches when the snow starts melting and the roads then become a mass of slush and stones. At this time, the authorities try hard to keep it motorable, but beyond that there is very little else that they can do.
Khardung La itself is just a 60m stretch of road at the cusp of the mountain from where we will start our descent. Dorje advised us not to linger too long as we were not acclimatized to this altitude and may feel uncomfortable. But it was not the shortage of oxygen rather the excess of vehicle fumes from the parked vehicles that became bothersome. We had of course alighted from our car, like everybody else because we wanted to take in the sights of the place, and more importantly because we needed to us the restroom. Unfortunately, they were filthy beyond words, choked and sickening. People were standing at the edge of the mountain and peeing into the valley. What a shame.
The place was jam packed with travelers and tourists, all vying with each other to take their selfie at this memorable point, the Khardung La Sign Board. We were waiting patiently too and would have probably ended up waiting a lot longer had it not been for this biker group who came to our aid. They chased everyone away, loudly announced let Uncle and Auntie take their picture first. They gave us an Indian Tricolour, showed us how we should hold it, and then took several good pictures with their phones, our phones and our cameras.
We thanked them and headed to our car, on the way, we stomped in the snow for a while and then started our drive onward. Just 10 minutes further, there was a quaint little Café with a nice restroom, no crowds and we were able to use it comfortably. It was a relief. At this point Tiny thought she was feeling a bit nauseous, but Dorje had an oxygen cylinder in his car, and a couple of whiffs made a big difference.
The road continued to be pretty bad for another 45 minutes or so, but started getting better after that. Several military units posted all along the route were making sure it is properly maintained. In any case, here it is not snow covered in winter which makes keeping it in shape easier. Whatever the road condition, the view all along was just spectacular. The huge Karakoram and Zanskar range going along with you all the way.
Closer to Hunder, we were joined by the River Shlok. This again is a sandy coloured mass of thick turbid water. The colour of the water is exactly that of a sandy beach, as is the colour of its banks. From a distance, as your point of view changes, and as the direction of the sunlight changes, it becomes difficult to tell where the water ends and the river bank starts. We followed the river for about 20 kms arriving at Diksit. Hunder was 7 Kms further.
Our room in the resort was a Tent House. Very comfortable with a large size bed in a room and an attached bathroom with a ceramic washbasin, a western style WC with flush and a shower with running hot and cold water. After a bone rattling journey, we needed to stretch our backs on the bed. The hotel obliged by sending us hot pakoras and some masala chai.
There is only limited electric supply here, restricted to a couple of hours in the evening and early night. Security reasons, or so they said. We were given a battery operated electric lantern to use in case we needed to go to the bathroom after the lights went off. We were told to charge our phones when the lights came on.
Somewhat rested, in the evening we drove out to the Nubra Valley. This valley is an oasis of sorts, and at first sight, the camels in the distance and the sand dunes all around remind you of Jaisalmer. But as you come closer, you realise that the landscape is snow-capped mountains in the distance, there is a stream flowing rapidly in front of you, and the camels are Bactrian (Double Humped). We stayed here for a while and then headed to attend a Ladakhi Cultural program where we saw some local dance and folk song routines.
Back at the camp, the lights had just come on and we met some of the other guests who had arrived by then, including a family from Pune. We chatted for a while and it was not just us who were tired. We all had to start a fresh day tomorrow, some going back to Leh like us, others going forward towards the base camp for Kargil.
It had been a good day.
Here are some more pictures from our day at Nubra Valley
