impressions...: Ladakh Marathon-2/3 - Travel and Acclimatisation.

Live, travel, adventure, bless, and don't be sorry - Jack Keruoac

Preparation for the Ladakh Marathon was a bit different compared to other events. The organizers want the runners arrive at Leh atleast a week in advance.To enforce this,BIB collection is 1 week prior to the race and it is strictly in person. Most runners use this time to take a full week off and visit various places close by. Our plan was no different.

Day1 : Landing & Rest: The effect of altitude hits you immediately. In 30mins even within the airport, I could feel a difference.As we stepped out .the sun was bright and harsh.But what was striking was how blue the skies looked.With very less pollution,the skies looked clear and 'bluer' :)

Touchdown of TRYSquad at Leh !!

As advised by many I spent the rest of the day at the hotel (The Grand Himalaya, Leh) taking complete rest with no activity at all .I felt better by night time though trivial tasks like walking up the stairs felt a bit breathless.

Beautiful scenery on the terrace of our hotel !.

Day2 : EXPO day and Leh Market : The rest day continued. I started the day with a short pranayama session.I felt a bit energetic after that.Then we visited the Martahon EXPO to pick up the bibs.

At the EXPO with Race Director and Founder - Chewang Motup Goba

On the way back we visited the iconic Leh Market.As I searched for this place on the internet,I realized that has been around since the 15th century.

Leh Market is so beautiful !!

The place was so beautiful and loved it.I can see why some runners raved about the atmosphere in Leh Market.

Day3 : Leh to Nubra valley.: After proper acclimatization,the team was ready to start our road trip to Nubra valley via Khardung La.5 of us( Aravind,Anu, Manvi,Bhasker and Siva ) decided to cover the distance on the bike.The bikes and the gear looking impressive !!I admired their courage and passion to drive such long distances on the road.

Signage at Khardungla top.

Our first stop was at Khardungla top. At a height of 17,982 ft, it is the second highest motorable road in the world (Behind Umling La, which was completed in 2017).

From there we went downhill towards Nubra valley.The winding roads by the sides of Shyok River was a sight to behold.

Our next stop was Diksit Monastry.The star attraction at the place was a 106ft tall Maitreya buddha , that looked very majestic.

Maitreya Buddha at Diksit Monastry.

Young monks from the Diksit monastry.

We rested for the day at the town of Hundar. Our stay was planned 'camp style' in the middle of the

desert ! (Grand Ghazi Clover Camp, Nubra) At night we were treated with a charming Ladhaki follk song performance.

Day34 : Nubra valley to Turtuk. Our first stop was the Hunder Sand Dunes.We took a short ride on the Bactarian (Double Hump) camels. The Bactarian camels are shorter than their single hump ones but they more resilient ,especially at the varying temperature conditions above 10,000 ft.

Camel Ride at Hundar Sand Dunes , Nubra Valley.

closeup with a Bactarian camel during my morning run

We travelled east towards the India/Pakistan border. We reached Thang, the last town of India before halting for a night at Turtuk.

The Town of Turtuk was part Baltistan ,mostly controlled by Pakistan.Its one of the 4 towns that came under Indian control during the war of 1971. The people in this region speak the Balti language.

Though most of their community are still part of PoK/Pakistan the people in Turtuk consider themselves fortunate to be part of India!

The town is blessed with good water and great soil and we could see a lot of small farms cultivating Buckwheat, Apricots, Walnut and vegetables.The hotel (The Stone Palace ,Turtuk) we stayed was run by a family (as with many hotels in the town) and they were really great hosts. The dinner that day was 100% organic with produce from the farms beside the house . It was so good

With Hasan the owner of hotel.

The next morning we went on a walk around the village and I can say this town was one of the mos scenic places that I have ever been to. I felt that if The Shire was a real place then it would look somewhat like this. If you are a nature lover then highly recommend an additional day of stay at Turtuk to enjoy the scenery.

A buckwheat farm at Turtuk. .

The scenary was just awesome !!

Day5: Turtuk to Pangong Lake: The last place on the road trip was a visit to Pangong Tso. The journey to reach Pangong Tso was the most tiring of all. 50% of the route had no paved roads and we were literally traveling on the river bed. After a grueling joureny we finally reached Pangong Tso on time for the golden hour. The lake was really beautiful nestled within the mountains. Being such a remote place, there are limited resources.

Sun Rise at Pangong Tso.

We spent the night at a cottage (Go Green Cottages Pangong Lake) with limited electricity .It was quite an experience.Easily one of the coldest nights of my life.The morning sun was splendid and the lake was glittering in various shades of blue.Those views were worth the treacherous travel we endured to reach this place.

Day6: Pangong to Leh via ChangLa pass: The journey back was better as we took a different route and not the same off-road path from Turtuk to Pangong. We took a break at the high altitude to join the Janmastami prayers/lunch hosted by army men there.

There were some tense moments as some of us started feeling Altitude Sickness due to the long break we at high altitude approx 16,000ft. Thanks to the resourcefulness of our guide Rigzhin,we overcame it quickly and reached Leh on time!

Dont take altitude lightly. Esp novices: A key take away is that,for novices like us, AMS can strike very fast especially at > 16,000 ft. The symptoms may not be always obvious and its wise not to linger in these places for long.

I really want to thank our guide Rigzhin for being such an excellent guide.Besides being a guide, he is also an avid wildlife photographer and part of the rescue squad for the Siachin Warriors.I loved his passion and work ethic.

One my best road trips: This was one of the best road trips I had in a long time.I made new friends and got to know more about some of my other running buddies.