Ladakh is a land
like no other. Bounded by two of the world's mightiest mountain ranges, the
Great Himalaya and the Karakoram, it lies athwart two other, the Ladakh
range and the Zanskar range.
In geological terms, this is a young
land, formed only a few million years ago by the buckling and folding of the
earth's crust as the Indian sub-continent pushed with irresistible force
against the immovable mass of Asia. Its basic contours, uplifted by these
unimaginable tectonic movements, have been modified over the millennia by
the opposite process of erosion, sculpted into the form we see today by wind
and water.
Yes, water! Today, a high -altitude desert, sheltered
from the rain-bearing clouds of the Indian monsoon by the barrier of the
Great Himalaya, Ladakh was once covered by an extensive lake system, the
vestiges of which still exist on its south -east plateaux of Rupshu and
Chushul - in drainage basins with evocative names like Tso-moriri, Tsokar,
and grandest of all, Pangong-tso. Occasionally, some stray monsoon clouds do
find their way over the Himalaya, and lately this seems to be happening with
increasing frequency. But the main source of water remains the winter
snowfall. Drass, Zanskar and the Suru Valley on the Himalaya's northern
flank receive heavy snow in winter; this feeds the glaciers whose meltwater,
carried down by streams, irrigates the fields in summer. For the rest of the
region, the snow on the peaks is virtually the only source of water. As the
crops grow, the villagers pray not for rain, but for sun to melt the
glaciers and liberate their water. Usually their prayers are answered, for
the skies are clear and the sun shines for over 300 days in the year.
Ladakh
lies at altitudes ranging from about 9,000 feet (2750m) at Kargil to 25,170
feet (7,672m) at Saser Kangri in the Karakoram. Thus summer temperatures
rarely exceed about 27 degree celcius in the shade, while in winter they may
plummet to minus 20 degree celcius even in Leh. Surprisingly, though, the
thin air makes the heat of the sun even more intense than at lower
altitudes; it is said that only in Ladakh can a man sitting in the sun with
his feet in the shade suffer from sunstroke and frostbite at the same time!
Starting from US$ 44
Per Night
Accommodation with Transfers in Delhi :: 24 - Hours :: 365 Days/
Year
or Submit
Your Request
