There are some incidents that are life changing, and the extent of their magnitude may not be known at the moment when you are actually in the midst of it. But the memories keep surfacing long after the deed is done. And the Darcha to Padum trek (Lahaul to Zanskar) has been a monumental journey…
Category: Lahaul
Wanderings in Lahaul : Gemur Gompa (Monastery)
It had been a strange sort of a day. The sun had played hide and seek till the afternoon and the clouds had their way thereafter. I was acclimatising in Keylong, and was exploring monasteries of Lahaul (Lahul) for good measure. It must have been good fortune that day, because I had already seen Wanderings…
Wanderings in Lahaul : Trilokinath Temple
It was turning out to be an epic trip of sorts. On this sojourn, I had entered Pangi Valley across Saach Pass and after exploring this forbidden region had reached Udaipur in Pattan Valley (Lahaul). In more unforgettable adventures, I had totally fallen for Miyar Valley and after missing the only bus of the day;…
Khangsar, Kwaring, Sarang, Kolong – Exploring Lahaul Valley
Yonten asks, ‘Shubham; Lahaul chalega?’, and I take no time to nod my head and say yes! It is already chilly in Manali as we are in the middle of November. I have long suspected that while the Rohtang Pass officially closes on October 15th, it is kept open for much longer for the locals…
Wanderings in Lahaul – Tayul Monastery
Although this wasn’t my first trip to Lahaul; this was turning out to be the first time I was really focused on exploring the ancient monasteries dotted on hilltops. Since the travel industry seems to have an affinity for numbers, it was my fourth or fifth trip to Lahaul in July 2015 (I have made one more after that)….
Wanderings in Lahaul : Kardang Monastery
Most travellers just pass through Lahaul as an overnight stop at either Keylong or Jispa on their journey on the famous Manali – Leh highway. I had done so too, on my first trip on this magical road. Over the years I have kept returning and explored Lahaul in bits and pieces; it is too huge…
Doing the unthinkable – Solo Trekking to Zanskar
My Lahauli friends chide me for being too upbeat about trekking to Zanskar, all by myself. ‘Even we locals don’t go alone’, they say. The trek path begins from Darcha on the Manali-Leh route, just an hour’s drive away from the district headquarters of Keylong. Cloudy weather has caused the atm machine to not work for…
Chandrataal Lake and a Night at Chandra Dhaba, Batal
Altitude Mountain Sickness (AMS) had already resulted in me being alone after just having entered Spiti from Kinnaur. A stroll in Chitkul at 3450m had caused breathlessness to my co-travellers and the short walk to Nako Lake had proven disastrous. The check post officer in Sumdo complicated matters further by asking them ‘Why have you…