Ladakh & Zanskar (India) - August 1996

Crossing a valley out of time

The main characteristic of Zanskar is its isolation. Ladakh is easier to get to: a jet plane flies from New Delhi to Leh, and once there, you will easily find tourist facilities. To reach Zanskar you then have to either cross several passes between 15000 and 16500ft, or join the valley at Padum by a bad track. In this last case however, you will have to walk anyway because the track does not go very far into this valley.

This isolation preserved the area from influences of India or the rest of the world. This hike was my first contact with the Himalayas. Life is harsh in these high mountains and neither altitude nor climate do any good for them. The mixture of the landscapes created by these high mountains and of the ever present Buddhist culture can make a very strong impression on the traveler. Even if it can look strange, I had already seen TV reports on this valley before going there, but it's only when I crossed it that I realized that this place was really existing and that people living here were really living as I saw on TV.

Photo gallery

Map

You will see below the trek map and its situation in the country.

trek map

Collection Microsoft® Encarta® 2002. © 1993-2001 Microsoft Corporation. Tous droits réservés.

trek map

Collection Microsoft® Encarta® 2002. © 1993-2001 Microsoft Corporation. Tous droits réservés.

trek map

Collection Microsoft® Encarta® 2002. © 1993-2001 Microsoft Corporation. Tous droits réservés.