Kashmir (Ladakh - India, Indo-Pakistan border to Indo-China border): June 2016 - Second time above 15000 ft. for us and 9.7 years old Sid by terrestrial route. An out-of-the-world experience for us. From violent Himalayan waters, to melting glaciers, to extra-terrestrial appearing landscapes, this was a journey that will haunt us (in a good way) for our lifetime. We were above 12000 ft. most of the time. The air was dry, the land was arid and colors of rocks forming mesmerizing + awe-inspiring mountains were simply indescribable. It was difficult to capture the experiences in camera - our own eyes were continuously amazed by the wonders of nature. Below are some pictures of Uleytokpo on the banks of the mighty Indus. From here, we hiked 15 km (return) to Rizong monastery, accompanied by Chandra Prakash (fondly called CP) who forged a nice bond with us, especially Sid. Complete silence and a few monks, surrounded by the vastness of nature - this is not a place frequented by visitors. In complete silence was the love from monks who opened the doors of every corner of the monastery for us to just marvel at the temples of faith and human endurance in such environs.
Kashmir (Ladakh - India, Indo-Pakistan border): June 2016 - Turtuk. We stayed in the last village, called Turtuk, on the Indo-Pakistan border that was acquired by India in the 1971 war. The region is called Baltistan. Here we enjoyed our toughest hike so far. In spite of the warnings of the locals who were convinced that we would not be able to complete the hike, the three of us (with the help of Rigzin and Rahmatullah) managed to reach a waterfall nestled in the middle of mountains with not a single soul in sight. While the distance was only ~6 km, the challenges faced were remarkable. There were no hiking trails and the landscape was such that even one small slip would result in eternal discarding of the physiological form. The adrenaline rush from the hike was unparalleled and sitting at the bottom of this waterfall was an out-of-body experience. We also managed to see K2, also called Mt. Godwin-Austen and Chhogori, the second highest peak in the world (after Mt. Everest).
Kashmir (Ladakh - India, Indo-China border): June 2016 - Pangong lake. From the Indo-Pakistan border, we traveled to the Indo-China border for another out-of-body experience. Staying on the shores of the Pangong lake was an ethereal experience. Changing colors of the sky, water and mountains were a feast for the senses.
Kashmir (Ladakh - India, Indo-Pakistan border to Indo-China border): June 2016 - The journeys we took during this trip showed some amazing marvels of nature to us. In the same day, at one point we were playing with big icicles made from melting glaciers and at another point we were on sand dunes surrounded by mountains.
Kashmir (Srinagar, Gulmarg - India): June 2016 - We also enjoyed staying in the inhabited parts of Kashmir during the trip. Our super-luxurious stay, including several hours spent in star-gazing and enjoying in our Jacuzzi, in a very beautiful houseboat on the Nigeen lake in Srinagar was matched by the unparalleled beauty of the meadows of Sonamarg. Sid also enjoyed Asia's highest (and longest) gondola ride in Gulmarg.
Kashmir (Sringar, Gulmarg, Ladakh - India, Indo-Pakistan border to Indo-China border): June 2016 - Over two weeks of indulgence in sensory luxuries was also accompanied by sightings of (sometimes very rare) wildlife. As remarkable as the landscapes around us, we saw life being more beautiful and resilient in the most challenging conditions - of course, the lack of human interference allowed the living systems (including us) to just "be" in their full glory.
Bumla Pass (Arunachal Pradesh, India, Indo-China border): May 2014 - First time above 15000 ft. for us and 7.7 years old Sid by terrestrial route. The most challenging journey undertaken by Sid and us so far. After obtaining special permits from the Indian army, we had an extremely adventurous journey (combination of very tough driving and tougher hiking) to Bumla Pass (Indo-China border) at an altitude of ~ 16500 ft. Picture in the center (below) is ~100 feet beyond the Indian border (courtesy Indian Army - Jai Hind!). Might of the Himalayas with melting snow in the peak summer resulting in very fast flowing rapids everywhere, including our hiking paths, was awe-inspiring. Sid suffered from some altitude sickness, but after some rest, was up and excited to play with icy-snow for the first time. He kept a daily account of his trip too!
Tawang, Dirang, Bomdila (Arunachal Pradesh, India): May/June 2014 - Sid explored the pristine beauty of the Himalayas in full glory. From exploring natural lakes above 10000 ft. with amazing views and even more amazing flora, to staying in wooden cabins, Sid and us had almost fantasy like experiences. Feeling the Bernoulli's effects of standing close to violently magnificent waterfalls, standing close to rivers flowing with dizzying super-fast white waters, Sid enjoyed skipping stones in numerous natural water bodies. Coupled with this natural exploration were a few emotional visits to war memorials with preserved bunkers from the 1962 Indo-China war. Visits to Buddhist monasteries had a very calming effect (we stayed in a monastery guest house for a couple of days).
Shillong, Cherrapunjee (Meghalaya, India): May 2014 - Sid's first stay in an "off-the-grid" farm. Meghalaya is almost a whimsical fantasy land. Brooks, streams, monoliths, dense forests, living root bridges, green valleys, challenging dark caves, huge (almost scary) canyons, waterfalls - Meghalaya's beauty was unparalleled.
Darjeeling (West Bengal, North-east India, Nepal border): May/June 2012 - 5.7 years old Sid's first 24 hr train journey. Sid hiked 8-12 Km nearly every day for 10 days and also had a very adventurous trip (including short treks) to Sandakphu at an altitude of ~12000 ft. He kept a daily account of his trip too!
May/June 2012 - My favorite part of the trip to Darjeeling was the combination of hiking and trekking to Sandakphu through the Singalila National Park on the West Bengal-Sikkim border, while going in-and-out of Nepal. The surroundings reminded me of the forests of Fangorn (Lord of the Rings). Eventually reaching the top was simply amazing! It was very misty/cloudy and with sounds of only wind and birds around us, the experience as magical.
May/June 2012 - Sid learnt quite a bit about the vegetation. He now knows which wild berries are safe to eat, how to pick them carefully, and, which plants to avoid (he is an expert in identifying poison ivy).
Naukuchiatal, Mukteshwar (Uttarakhand, North India): June 2011 - 4.8 years old Sid's second hike on his own ~ 11 Km (6.875 miles). He also caught a fish on his first attempt at fishing (it was the first attempt for all of us!!)
Dalhousie (Himachal Pradesh, North India): June 2007 - 10 month old Sid's first hike of ~15 Kms (9.375 miles) as my back-pack
