Ladakh

Ladakh

Getting There : To get to Ladakh, the quickest way is the one hour flight from Delhi over the Himalayas to Leh Airport, which happens to be the highest airport in the world. More strongly recommended is the overland route from Manali in Himachal Pradesh (not that far from the Dalai Lama's abode and the Tibetan Refugee settlements around the area of Dharamshala & McLeodGanj - worth visiting if you can put up with the rain) to Leh, which goes over some of the highest passes in the world - Rohtang Pass at 3,978 m (12, 900 ft), Baralacha Pass at 4,891 m (15,900 ft), Lachuang La at 5,079 m (16,500 ft) and the second highest drivable pass in the world, Taglangla at 5,500m (17,900 ft). The third and historically legendary route is from Srinagar via Zoji-la Pass, Drass and Kargil, but this is not recommended given the political situation.

Permits are required for some areas, these obtainable from the Collector's Office next to the Polo ground in Leh or from one of the many tour operators scattered around Leh. For places permits are needed for, that will have to be checked either at the Collector's Office or the tour agents, but if it's remote, a permit will more than likely be needed. This applies to Indian nationals and foreigners, regardless

About Ladakh

Leh (the capital) and in the Indus Valley - the main area holding most of the main monasteries, including Leh palace itself (derelict, but allegedly to be restored), a very impressive 'sort of' miniature of the Potala Palace. The main tourist trail will take you to the likes of Likir to the west, Shey, the highly impressive Tiksey (Thiksey) - very Potala like, Hemis, Stok, Alchi, Lamayuru, Chemrey, Thak Thog (or Tak Tak or Tak Tok or Thak Thok or any number of different spellings) and many more smaller monasteries - unlike Tibet, no Chinese Red Guards have been charging around demolishing them all. Side trips include Tso Moriri, a high altitude lake 210 km (130 miles) south east of Leh, with lots of high mountains, some migratory birds and the odd nomadic herder, and the Nubra Valley, accessible over Khardung La in the Ladakh mountain range, which at 5,602 m (18,380 ft), is the actual highest drivable pass in the world. Trekking options are extensive and rafting on the Indus is possible. There's a significant Moslem population in Leh itself, due to the trade route that used to pass through Leh on the way to Tibet. There's the aforementioned main mosque near Leh Palace, this dating back to the time of the annexation by Kashmir.
Zanskar Valley - split from the rest of Ladakh by the Zannskar range, is also Buddhist, but far less populated. Quite a few hardened trekkers end up here. The main route to get to Zanskar is via...
Kargil, Drass and the Suru Valley - situated in the far west of Ladakh, these also have a fair few trekking options, but the welcome received can be luke warm. The residents are almost all Shiite Moslem and are in favour of either joining up with Pakistan or Kashmir becoming once again independent. Buddhism stops at Rangdum Monastery (well, actually Juldo, slightly further on), coming down the Suru Valley and Mulbekh and Shergol coming from Leh down the Indus valley. These areas ended up Moslem, due to their leaders converting from Buddhism to Islam in the 16th century, with their subjects following suit. Western Ladakh, I would say that it would be better to steer clear of there if possible, being so close to the ceasefire line and areas of trouble in Kashmir proper.

Altitude Sickness: Altitude sickness can be a problem for many people in the Himalayas and Ladakh - Leh for example is at an altitude of approximately 3,500 m. Many of the high passes can reach above 5,000 m or 17,500 ft, thus taking account of altitude is of high importance for a healthy and comfortable trip

Weather: The best time to go to Ladakh and the high Himalaya is summer between late June and late October, when flight are more reliable and heavy snow does not block the high passes - any roads over high altitude areas are blocked during this time by snow (including the Leh-Manali Highway). The daytime weather is at least warm (25°C or 77°F maximum in Leh during the summer - it can get a little hotter), though chilly during the night, thus some basic warm weather gear is needed. During the winter, night time temperatures can sometimes drop to as low as -40°C (-40°F - daytime temperatures generally stay below freezing during the winter - Drass has the lowest recorded temperatures in India) and it's only possible to get in and out of the Zanskar Valley via the frozen surface of the Zanskar River.

What about altitude sickness?

The Tibetan plateau is nearly all at high altitude, and it is strongly recommended that on reaching Lhasa, you give yourself at least four days before travelling elsewhere in order to acclimatize. If travelling to high altitude (any height above 8,000 feet or 2,500 metres - Lhasa is at 3,660 m or 12,000 ft), beware of altitude sickness (symptoms include headaches, tiredness, dizziness, nausea). The same applies to higher altitude areas of Nepal - even the popular treks to Everest Base Camp and the Annapurna circuit should incorporate rest days to allow gradual acclimatisation.

If symptoms occur, do not attempt to increase altitude further. Decrease altitude immediately and take it easy until symptoms disappear. Failure to heed this advice could have very serious consequences. If symptoms last longer than four days, seek medical attention. This is available in any of the main tourist hotels inside Tibet, plus medical clinics and hospitals in the main towns. This will mean that those flying into Lhasa have a considerable advantage over those taking an overland route, as medical attention is only a phone call away. For people travelling overland, medical facilities (check with hotels, police and Public Security Bureaus if you see them and you have an emergency) of any type can be few and far between in remote areas. If you are taking an overland route, please allow yourself to acclimatise.

Within Tibet the scope for descent to lower altitude is limited, therefore if major difficulties are experienced, seek medical attention immediately. Oxygen may be made available and in severe cases, doctors may advise transfer to lower altitude on the next available plane, this being to either Chengdu in China's Sichuan province or for foreigners (if a plane is available), to Kathmandu in Nepal.

In Nepal, there are few places where first aid is readily available, either for altitude sickness or anything else (at least outside Kathmandu). Also, moving someone in an emergency case to lower altitude or for treatment can be very expensive (emergencies can only be moved around by helicopter), so comprehensive travel insurance is also advised (and for Tibet is necessary).

A bit of common sense for the first few days at altitude should avoid any major problems, for example, do not rush around on arrival, take gentle exercise at most (i.e. walking) and do not drink alcohol. Most symptoms where experienced should disappear after two to four days.

See your doctor if you are in doubt whether you are fit to travel. In order to obtain travel insurance (as mentioned above, necessary to be able to travel to Tibet), you will have to undergo medical examination. Ask at this stage, explaining that you will be going to high altitude. Unless you have any previous history of heart, circulation or respiratory problems and are reasonably fit, you should be okay. That said, physical fitness isn't a reliable indicator of whether or not a person will suffer from altitude sickness, so even the athletes amongst you need to take account of it.

Altitude sickness can be avoided, and acclimatisation encouraged, by slow ascent. Symptoms are usually avoided by pausing for one day at 2,000 m (7,000 ft) and by ascending no more than 600 m (2,000 ft) per day above 2,000 m, though this may vary from person to person. If travelling to Tibet via Nepal, spend a few days in Kathmandu at 1,220 m (4,000 ft) before travelling on to Tibet. If going overland, spend a day or so at an intermediate height, as medical facilities are basic between Kodari / Zhang Mu on the Nepal - Tibet border and Shigatse, a full day's drive away. Those tempted to travel straight through should bear in mind that there are three passes of over 5,000 m (16,400 ft) in between. (Some of the information on altitude given here has been summarised from Microsoft Encarta.)