High on Lakes

Ladakh they say is a mystical place. Time and again explorers make their way through treachourous terrain and respond to its calls. Last year we endured this treachery in trying to get the cheapest car in the world on top of Khardung la, the highest road in the world. This year we have embarked on a journey to travel to the highest lakes in the country. Admittedly though this time we are in a vehicle better suited for the journey – a brand new HM-Mitsubishi Montero.

We make our way to Manali, a popular destination for tourists from all over, from where our journey really starts. However as we start our drive to Rohtang Pass, we receive the grim news that the pass is closed, thanks to landslides. Nevertheless we drive till Marhi, where the climb to Rohtang starts, and wait along with a million other tourists most of whom will go no further than the snowy slopes at the top of the pass.

As hours pass, some decide to return to Manali. We however decide to wait it out. Suddenly we hear commotion. Bikers running to their bikes, drivers running to their cars. The police are letting cars through towards Rohtang!

But as we rearch the summit, we see a couple of cars stopped ahead. There's been a fresh landslide! It's total chaos with people scampering away and BRO workers trying to ensure no one gets hurt and so on. A couple of hours later however the BRO manages to clear the road. By this time heavy rains have turned the road into a slush pool. Regular 2wd cars have already started spinning their wheels in search of traction. However we are part of a happier lot. We slot the shifter in 4wd and the Montero eases out of the slush.

Soon this results in us being far ahead of the crowd and we reach the top of Rohtang. Thanks to the road being closed for a while, the top is filled with snow. It's a lovely feeling. As we drive down toward Keylong, we realise trouble ahead. The only fuel pump at Tandi has shuts at 8pm and the next fuel station is a full 365km later! We decide to hole up for the night at nearby Keylong.

Full of enthusiasm after a good night's sleep we decide to push on to Leh next morning, certain that the Montero's large fuel tank has more than enough fuel to make it. This ensures we are amongst the first to hit the road as the other few travellers head back to Tandi to refuel. En route, we cross the snowy Baralacha La at 16,043 feet before descending to Sarchu and heading towards the 21 loops of Gata and the More Plains beyond. Further on lay the icy Tanglang La at 17,500ft. Only then will we start the descent towards Leh. By the time we reach it's well after dark.

The next morning begins our quest to get to the first of the lakes we intend visiting – Pangong Tso. A virgin destination till recently, Pangong Tso has suddenly become popular after some scenes from Aamir Khan's 3 Idiots was shot on its shores.

But before we can drive off to Pangong Tso, we must get a permit – an Inner Line Permit to be precise. We get one from the Deputy Commissioner's office in Leh and then head off. For those of you who will read this and go off to see the lakes, please keep about two hours in hand to get the necessary permits. Also, please remember that the DC's office only starts functioning at 10am.

Formalities done, and permits in hand, we start driving towards Pangong which is around 161km away from Leh. As we move out of the world of tarmac and start our ascent into the mountains the roads get narrower and the climes colder. It takes us a couple of hours to reach Chang la, which at 17,586ft is the world's second highest pass after Khardung La.

We are pleasantly surprised to see that the ever present Indian Army is not only serving hot tea, free of cost to all tourists, but is also selling souvenirs! We take a break and sample the army's hospitality, which is cordial and warm, despite the biting cold in the air.

From Chang La we start going downhill to reach our destination around 75km away. Now that might not sound much to you but believe you me in these conditions it takes a hell of a lot of time to travel 75km.

As we begin our descent, we spot short cuts through the mountains. Confidently, we slot the Montero into 4wd and go for the kill. In just a while, we have a feeling that we might have chewed more than we can swallow. However thanks to the Montero's capability we actually swallow the problem. Its superb ground clearance and ramp and departure angles ensure that we can comfortably play mountain goat.

We make it to Pangong Tso just as daylight starts to fade. Unbelievable shades of blue mesmerise us all. There aren't too many places to stay at Pangong Tso. We chose tented accommodation at a property called Martsimek, which also has cottages.

High on Lakes (contd..)

The next day once again brings along bad news. We had decided to get to our second lake, Tso Morriri via Chushul and Loma. But the Section House Officer of Chushul informs us that we cannot travel via that route since Loma is too close to the Sino-Indian border. He suggests we head back towards Karu and take a detour via Upshi. With no way out, we head back. As we climb Chang La again it starts snowing heavily. So much so that the Montero is soon covered in snow and the road is slippery. However it is here that the Apollo Hawkz on the Montero show their mettle as they provide the much needed traction.

On the other side safely, we carry on towards Chumathang on the banks of the mighty and green Indus. After 142km, we reach a Y-junction. As we had been told, the road ahead disappears giving way to a barren rocky flat land.

As we momentarily hit 100kmph, the Montero's suspension soaks every bump, rut, pothole and what have you, like it's a piece of cake. As the speedo hits 100kmh, we hit a immense hump and the huge hulk of the Montero leaves ground momentarily! As the traction control light comes on, we try everything possible to ensure we don't crash. Thankfully we land safely on terra firma. With our confidence in the Montero growing, we decide to plough on at the same speed hoping the numerous computers on board the vehicle and the fantastic traction offered by the Apollo tyres will see us through.

Far away, we spot a bit of blue! Is it Tso Morriri? Some nomads' tents being the only place where we can confirm whether it is indeed the lake we are looking for, we head towards them. Turns out the lake ahead is not Tso Moriri but another one called Kyagar Tso. This was certainly a bonus for we had only bargained on visiting three lakes and this was not one of them.

After reconfirming that we are on the right road, we head off towards Tso Moriri. A few kilomtres ahead the flat lands disappear. A small lane is what we are on with a drop on one side and mountains on the other. True to the words of the nomads, we spot a lone metal bridge. We cross it and spot the massive Tso Morriri! It's a sight to behold as the clear blue skies reflect off the waters of the lake offering a spectacular panorama!

In our enthusiasm we plough on ahead only to realise that there are no signs of life. We are all a little confused, for we have definite information that there were camps and places to stay and a huge ITBP camp at Tso Moriri. It is only now that we spot the camp, but it's on the other side of the lake!

We make our way back to the bridge and turn off into what looks like no road at all. Snaking through we reach the ITBP tent and show our permits. Miles away we spot the road we were on and thank our stars that we have had the good sense to stop and look for the little cluster of buildings that passes for the village that is Korzok.

Unlike at Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri offers three choices of accommodation – a guest house, a tourist centre and a camp overlooking the lake. However we decide to pitch our tent that night! With sleeping bags laid, and tent pitched, we head into the village for food. The night is a cold one and it starts snowing! In our little tent we feel one with nature in a way that touches our soul.

We wake up to the beautiful rays of the morning sun bouncing off the waters of the lake. But as we take in the drama of the sight in front of us, we realise it has been a while since we have had any contact with folks back home!

Not knowing where else we could turn for help in a land where connectivity is as rare as a blue moon in the sky, we went to the ITBP camp and asked if they could point us to a phone booth or something.

Again, to our surprise, they rose to the occasion in a way we hadn't imagined. Instead of giving us directions to a phone booth, they showed us into their communication centre from where we could use their satellite phone to call home. It's at times like these that one realises that though we live in a world where calls on mobile phones, text messages, BBM-ing are the norm, there are still places where connectivity with the outside world commands a high premium.

To get to our next destination – Tso Kar, we head back the same way for around 43 kilometres and reach a small village called Tsumdo. As we approached the village it started snowing again. Yes you read it right! Snowfall in the month of June when the plains are burning. In a hurry to record the awesome scene with our cameras we jump out of the cosiness of the Montero's heated seats. The cold is shocking and numbing. The snowfall is so heavy that in the brief few moments of our stopover, we and the car, is covered with a thin white layer. Hurriedly we jump back inside. We turn on the heater and very soon, are back to feeling cosy in a cabin that seems as warm as toast at 22 degrees!

We trundle through the snow and after a few more moments are blessed with bright sunshine. It's a crazy world here. Ahead lies a stretch good enough to tear away tyres to shreds and it is on this path that we encounter an oncoming truck. It suddenly dawns on us that this is the only vehicle we have seen on this desolate road since morning. We ask the driver for directions to Tso Kar and he tells us to carry on on the same road.

En route we tackle one of the worst mountain climbs we have faced so far with gradients beyond belief. In addition, every turn was strewn with rocks and gravel so that tyres were fighting for grip. Suddenly it all ends and from the top of the mountain we spot Tso Kar, and beyond it pristine tarmac!

Even from a distance we can make out that Tso Kar is partially frozen, which isn't something we had expected. Parked by the lakeside, we realise that while Pangong Tso still had a road, Tso Morriri and Tso Kar are relatively virgin territories. And that we have charted a new road which even Google Maps says does not exist. And most of it through snow, gravel and slush!