It is important to understand that a trip to Ladakh is not one that can be made on a whim. It’s not like a weekend getaway. It requires some level of mental as well as physical preparedness, more so when you are on the wrong side of 60. We were quite determined to make the trip sometime during this year, so we began our preparations for the trip in February starting with research on what to expect while we were there and whether we were going to be up to it.
For a start, Ladakh is a High Altitude destination and there is the issue of all the mountain pass roads being closed for a major portion of the winter due to snow. It is accessible only for part of the year. One needs to check when the roads will be open and pick a time accordingly. Flight and Hotel Bookings are also an important consideration. It’s not just us who have bright ideas about travelling there. We don’t want to land up there in the midst of the peak season. With all these constraints, we thought July would be a good time (we were right) and we started planning accordingly. Another major consideration while visiting Ladakh is Altitude Mountain Sickness. Ladakh is at an altitude of about 11,000 feet. At this altitude, the availability of oxygen is significantly less than it is in the plains. So when you suddenly come from Delhi to Leh, your body feels deprived of the oxygen that it has been used to. This can cause minor symptoms like nausea and giddiness. However, at times the consequences can be more serious and even life threatening. All Hotels and even Taxis are equipped with oxygen cylinders and breathing oxygen for a few minutes usually resolves the problem quickly. Even at the airport, there is an oxygen tent in case you feel uncomfortable as soon as you arrive. Most people are able to cope with altitude sickness quite well, some people may not even notice it, and it is difficult to predict who will get affected, when and why. But it can happen to anyone and it is not something to be taken frivolously, one needs to be prepared for it in case it happens to you. Since I am hypertensive as well and on medication for it, I was even more concerned and sought a medical opinion. The doctor prescribed Diamox Tablets 1 x daily, (which we took) and also advised we carry a personal oxygen cylinder which we did not since our travel agent said he would arrange one locally in case it became necessary. Our own research corroborated this advice.
However, the most important factor towards keeping AMS at bay is acclimatization. Acclimatization simply means giving your body a chance to get accustomed – or acclimatized – to the change in the environmental conditions by allowing it to get used to them slowly rather than suddenly. The best way to do this is to take things easy on the first day of your arrival, refrain from any strenuous activities like trekking or hill climbing, as all these push the body’s need for more oxygen. We followed this advise and let me tell you right at the start that we did not have any problem relating to AMS during our entire stay.
Next came the planning of the trip in finer detail; deciding where all we wanted to go and how long we wanted to stay there. Our initial plan was very ambitious. After Leh, we would spend two days to take the picturesque but difficult 480 Km drive from Leh at Manali, staying overnight en-route. We would stay at Manali for another two days to recoup and then head back to Delhi. Unfortunately the only way from Manali to Delhi is a 12 hour road journey and we decided that all this driving may be tough. So we dropped that part. No sense in trying to do everything at one time and then finding it difficult to cope
Next was to pick up a good tour operator who would make the necessary arrangements for us in Ladakh. There were several we looked at, MakeMyTrip, Thomas Cook, but we spotted some good reviews in Outlook Traveler about a local tour operator called Mountain Trails based in Leh. We coordinated with them and let me tell you, they did a fantastic job. We had absolutely no problems at any point of our trip. We were hesitant to pay them over half a lakh in advance based only on a few phone conversations, but our trust paid off.
A last minute hiccup occurred when I got a severe catch in my back just days before our departure. But with all air tickets and hotel bookings paid for and in place, and so much effort having gone into the planning, calling it off at the last minute would in all certainty have meant we’d never do Ladakh again. Some aggressive physiotherapy, some painkillers and we decided to go on ahead as planned.
So, on the morning of the 17th July, we hailed an Uber, loaded our bags into the cab and headed to the airport to catch our Go Air flight to Leh. A smooth check-in, a relaxed hour in the Premier Lounge and it was time to board. We settled into our seats for what was going to be a holiday of a lifetime. The 80 minute flight left on time, was smooth, taking us over Chandigarh and Manali, giving us exceptionally beautiful views of the Great Himalayan Range as we approached Leh. We took just a couple of pictures on the phone, but otherwise preferred to simply enjoy the view.
Upon arrival, we were met at the airport by Mr. Stanzin Chhospel, from Mountain Trails the tour operating company. He was the person we had been talking to on phone and we were now seeing him in person. He welcomed us and then introduced us to Dorje, our driver. Dorje and his spotlessly while Innova would be our constant companions throughout the 8 days of our stay.
We checked into our hotel, Hotel The Kaal at around 10 am. The hotel is barely a 5 minute drive from the airport. A nice, comfortable and good hotel which was going to be our headquarters for our stay, even as we flitted in and out from there while we went to other places in Ladakh. Not wanting to take any chances, and as advised, we mostly relaxed and rested in our room, reading the newspapers and glancing through literature about Ladakh.
Surfing the net or posting on Facebook while resting is not really an option. In Ladakh, internet and phone services are almost non-existent. Internet will come only from your hotel service and that also only when it is working – it is often down. No mobile network will work here except POSTPAID BSNL. There are business centres in the bazaar which also offer internet and phone services, but they are expensive. All this is in Leh, the capital. Once you are on the road, even that is not possible. You will need assistance from your driver to make a call if you do not have a Postpaid BSNL. But all drivers are happy to assist.
After lunch, we rested some more and then after tea, took a stroll around the hotel. Dorje, realising we were reasonably acclimatized, drove us to the nearby Shanti Stupa for our first glimpse of a monument and of the city.
From there we went to the Leh Bazaar for some window shopping. We returned in time for dinner and all set and determined to face the next 8 days in Ladakh, which we knew were not going to be as easy as the first day.
Here are some more pictures of our First Day in Ladakh :
