Introduction
During August and September 2002, I spent three weeks in northern India visiting Ladakh - a region in the Himalayan
mountains. I travelled with three friends from university with the principal aim of completing a trek in the arid and
magnificent mountains of the area.
Ladakh is actually situated in the state of Jammu and Kashmir though is currently considered safe to travel to being
far enough from the troubled areas along the Line of Control with Pakistan. The landscape is incredibly dry in the main
though the valleys tend to be filled with lush green - part natural and part due to the ingenious irrigation systems of
the locals. The culture has more in common with Tibet than India with many locals having moved from that country in the
past fifty years since China took rule there. The principal religion of Ladakh is therefore Buddhism and the region is
scattered with Gompas, chortens and mani walls.
Our trip commenced with an internal flight from Delhi to Leh, the administrative capital of Ladakh and eastern J&K.
Leh is situated a few kilometres north of the River Indus which flows through the heart of Ladakh from its source in Tibet
to the east and on into Pakistan to the west. The airport in Leh is used for both civilian and military traffic and is one
of the highest airports in the world at 3400m. Landing at the airport on the outskirts of town is also one of the most
demanding landings in the world with planes approaching along the Indus valley and touching down at almost twice the speed
of a typical landing due to the altitude.
Air is the only year-round means of access to Leh with the roads being cut off for much of the year due to snow. This
has led to a four month tourist season during the summer when the area thrives with activity - the climax being the
Ladakh festival at the beginning of September. Many tourists visit the area to trek on one of the many routes through
the surrounding mountains. We completed the one of the most popular treks - the Markha Valley - a route to the south of
the Indus typically taking 8 days to complete. We also decided to attempt one of the trekking peaks in the area, Kang Yaze,
extending the trek to 10 days.
After completing the trek, we finished our trip by returning to Delhi overland. This included a two day jeep ride
along the Leh-Manali highway, a 450km route through the Himalaya and one of the most spectacular road trips in the world.
Tim Fairbrother
October 2002
If you are planning a trip to Ladakh, you may find my travel in Ladakh page of use.
The photo gallery has been divided into sections for easier viewing. A larger version of all pictures can be seen by
clicking on the relevant image.
Our Group us!
Leh and the surrounding area
The Trek the markha valley from spituk to hemis
People portraits and poses
Polo Match action on the highest ground in the world
Road Trips leh-manali highway and high road passes
Miscellaneous hemis monastery and delhi
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