View from the Lamayuru meditation hill, Ladakh, India
View of Fotu la as we climbed up the meditation hill in Lamayuru. Lamayuru is a small town in Ladakh famous for its moonlike landscapes. Fotu la or Foto la is the last and the highest pass on the Srinagar-Leh highway. The roads are in an excellent condition and it is a pleasure to drive. Read more on the Himalayan Passes at Mountain passes we crossed.
Stupa at Lamayuru Monastery, Ladakh, India
These were the most decorated stupas we saw in Ladakh. They are otherwise only plain white in colour, without any embellishments. We saw them on the way to the Lamayuru meditation hill.
Foto la or Fotu La on Srinagar - Leh highway, Ladakh, India
The last and the highest pass on the Srinagar-Leh highway. The roads are in an excellent condition and it is a pleasure to drive. Read more on the Himalayan Passes at Mountain passes we crossed.
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Foto la or Fotu La on Srinagar - Leh highway, Ladakh, India
The last and the highest pass on the Srinagar-Leh highway. The roads are in an excellent condition and it is a pleasure to drive. Read more on the Himalayan Passes at Mountain passes we crossed.
Foto la or Fotu La on Srinagar - Leh highway, Ladakh, India
The last and the highest pass on the Srinagar-Leh highway. The roads are in an excellent condition and it is a pleasure to drive. Read more on the Himalayan Passes at Mountain passes we crossed.
Foto la or Fotu La on Srinagar - Leh highway, Ladakh, India
The last and the highest pass on the Srinagar-Leh highway. The roads are in an excellent condition and it is a pleasure to drive. Read more on the Himalayan Passes at Mountain passes we crossed.
Foto la or Fotu La on Srinagar - Leh highway, Ladakh, India
The last and the highest pass on the Srinagar-Leh highway. The roads are in an excellent condition and it is a pleasure to drive. Read more on the Himalayan Passes at Mountain passes we crossed.
Foto la or Fotu La on Srinagar - Leh highway, Ladakh, India
Tech-break on Fotu la, the highest mountain pass on the Srinagar Leh highway. This is an army setup just at the end of Fotu la near a small town called Lamayuru, famous for its moonlike landscapes. Read more on the Himalayan Passes at Mountain passes we crossed.
Foto la or Fotu La on Srinagar - Leh highway, Ladakh, India
The last and the highest pass on the Srinagar-Leh highway. The roads are in an excellent condition and it is a pleasure to drive. Read more on the Himalayan Passes at Mountain passes we crossed.
Foto la or Fotu La on Srinagar - Leh highway, Ladakh, India
The last and the highest pass on the Srinagar-Leh highway. The roads are in an excellent condition and it is a pleasure to drive. Read more on the Himalayan Passes at Mountain passes we crossed.
Foto la or Fotu La on Srinagar - Leh highway, Ladakh, India
The last and the highest pass on the Srinagar-Leh highway. The roads are in an excellent condition and it is a pleasure to drive. Read more on the Himalayan Passes at Mountain passes we crossed.
Foto la or Fotu La on Srinagar - Leh highway, Ladakh, India
The last and the highest pass on the Srinagar-Leh highway. The roads are in an excellent condition and it is a pleasure to drive. Read more on the Himalayan Passes at Mountain passes we crossed.
Foto la or Fotu La on Srinagar - Leh highway, Ladakh, India
The last and the highest pass on the Srinagar-Leh highway. The roads are in an excellent condition and it is a pleasure to drive. Read more on the Himalayan Passes at Mountain passes we crossed.
Foto la or Fotu La on Srinagar - Leh highway, Ladakh, India
The last and the highest pass on the Srinagar-Leh highway. The roads are in an excellent condition and it is a pleasure to drive. Read more on the Himalayan Passes at Mountain passes we crossed.
Foto la or Fotu La on Srinagar - Leh highway, Ladakh, India
The last and the highest pass on the Srinagar-Leh highway. The roads are in an excellent condition and it is a pleasure to drive. Read more on the Himalayan Passes at Mountain passes we crossed.
Foto la or Fotu La on Srinagar - Leh highway, Ladakh, India
The 420 km national highway NH1-D from Srinagar to Leh connects Ladakh, a high altitude cold desert to the rest of India. Brown landscapes of the Greater Himalayas through high mountain passes give you company through this route. Read more about the Himalayan Passes at Mountain passes we crossed.
Namika la on Srinagar - Leh highway, Ladakh, India
Namika la is a high altitude Himalayan pass on the Srinagar Leh highway. Read more on the Himalayan Passes at Mountain passes we crossed.
Foto la or Fotu La on Srinagar - Leh highway, Ladakh, India
The 420 km national highway NH1-D from Srinagar to Leh connects Ladakh, a high altitude cold desert to the rest of India. Brown landscapes of the Greater Himalayas through high mountain passes give you company through this route. Read more about the Himalayan Passes at Mountain passes we crossed.
Sunrise at Kargil, India
Kargil is the midway of the Srinagar-Leh highway, NH1-D. It is suggested halt for the night before reaching Leh for altitude aclimatisation. Our bus left Kargil at around 4 AM. Just as we were getting out of Kargil, we were greeted with this sunrise.
Summer landscapes of Kargil, India
Kargil is the biggest town after the Zoji la pass. It gets cut off in winter when the Zoji la gets covered in snow. Summer is a time for all construction activity here. People make their own bricks here from the local mud for their houses. Rows of mud bricks set to dry is a common sight here in the summer. As our bus left for Leh, we saw these bricks bathed in the golden light of the sunrise.
Sunrise at Kargil, India
Kargil is the midway of the 420 km Srinagar-Leh highway, NH1-D. This highway connects Ladakh, a high altitude cold desert to the rest of India. Kargil, at an elevation of just over 2500 meters is a suggested night halt for altitude acclimatization. This is a sunrise at 5AM just out of Kargil on the way to Leh.
Volunteers from Europe on cycling their way to Zanskar
These French cyclists were cycling from Kargil to Padum, a 250km gravel road, in Zanskar valley. In Zanskar, they were going to volunteer as teachers in a school they had helped build earlier.
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Volunteers from Europe on cycling their way to Zanskar
They were cycling from Kargil to Padum, a 250km gravel road, in Zanskar valley. In Zanskar, they were going to volunteer as teachers in a school they had helped build earlier.
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Landscapes en route Zanskar
Rangdum, Kargil, India
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Dinner at Padum, Zanskar, India
At Mont Blanc, our guest house in Padum, they made chapatis specially for their guests, though it is not a part of the traditional diet of Zanskar. Ceramic bowls like this one are a common feature across kitchens of the Zanskar valley.
Landscape around Bardan Monastery, Zanskar, India
The Bardan monastery is now accessible by a motor-able road. Climbing a few steps on the top take you to inside this monastery. Read full stories on Trek to Phuktal Monastery
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End of the trek to Phuktal monastery, Zanskar, India
Work is on to make a motorable road to Phuktal. Parts of the trekking route are blasted to make way for the road. This makes it risky for the trekkers to cross some patches; but it is no big deal for the locals of Zanskar. Read full story of our visit to Phuktal monastery, the most remote monastery in Zanskar on Trek to Phuktal Monastery
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End of the trek to Phuktal monastery, Zanskar, India
Read full story of our visit to Phuktal monastery, the most remote monastery in Zanskar on Trek to Phuktal Monastery
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Family from Anmu village en route Phuktal monastery, Zanskar, India
Anmu is a village on the way to the Phuktal monastery just after the end of the motor-able road. While crossing through Anmu, a family invited us over for tea. We had some tea, home made bread and the most amazing yogurt. Read more stories of such warm hospitality at Friendly families from our travels in Himalayas
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Family from Anmu village en route Phuktal monastery, Zanskar, India
Anmu is a village on the way to the Phuktal monastery just after the end of the motor-able road. While crossing through Anmu, a family invited us over for tea. We had some tea, home made bread and the most amazing yogurt. Read more stories of such warm hospitality at Friendly families from our travels in Himalayas
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Kitchen of a house in Anmu en route Phuktal
This device, part of every kitchen in Zanskar, is used to make the traditional yak butter tea. Anmu is a village on the way to the Phuktal monastery just after the end of the motor-able road. While crossing through Anmu, a family invited us over for tea. We had some tea, home made bread and the most amazing yogurt. Read more stories of such warm hospitality at Friendly families from our travels in Himalayas
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Kitchen of a house in Anmu en route Phuktal
Anmu is a village on the way to the Phuktal monastery just after the end of the motor-able road. While crossing through Anmu, a family invited us over for tea. We had some tea, home made bread and the most amazing yogurt. Read more stories of such warm hospitality at Friendly families from our travels in Himalayas
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At a house in Anmu en route Phuktal.
Pretty plants like this one decorate the window sills of most houses in Zanskar. We saw this at a house in a village called Anmu. Anmu is a village on the way to the Phuktal monastery just after the end of the motor-able road. While crossing through Anmu, a family invited us over for tea. We had some tea, home made bread and the most amazing yogurt. Read more stories of such warm hospitality at Friendly families from our travels in Himalayas
At a house in Anmu en route Phuktal.
The cow dung cakes are left to dry for use as fuel in winter at a house in Anmu. Anmu is a village on the way to the Phuktal monastery just after the end of the motor-able road. While crossing through Anmu, a family invited us over for tea. Read the full story of our visit to Phuktal monastery at Trek to Phuktal Monastery
At a house in Anmu en route Phuktal.
Read the full story of our visit to Phuktal monastery at Trek to Phuktal Monastery
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Trek to Phuktal monastery, Zanskar, India
Zanskar is probably the most isolated valley in India and Phuktal is the remotest part of Zanskar. This was the landscape en route Phuktal monastery. Read the full story of our visitto Phuktal monastery at Trek to Phuktal Monastery
Trek to Phuktal monastery, Zanskar, India
Zanskar is probably the most isolated valley in India and Phuktal is the remotest part of Zanskar. This was the landscape en route Phuktal monastery. Read the full story of our visitto Phuktal monastery at Trek to Phuktal Monastery
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Trek to Phuktal monastery, Zanskar, India
Zanskar is probably the most isolated valley in India and Phuktal is the remotest part of Zanskar. This was the landscape en route Phuktal monastery. Read the full story of our visitto Phuktal monastery at Trek to Phuktal Monastery
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Tibetan scriptures on rocks, Zanskar, India
These rocks are an important feature of Tibetan Buddhism. They are a work of art and reflect the colours of the mountains found in these regions. We found many of these around Phuktal monastery, the remotest monastery of Zanskar, hidden in a cave. Read the full story of our visitto Phuktal monastery at Trek to Phuktal Monastery
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Trek to Phuktal monastery, Zanskar, India
Zanskar is probably the most isolated valley in India and Phuktal is the remotest part of Zanskar. This was the landscape en route Phuktal monastery. Read the full story of our visitto Phuktal monastery at Trek to Phuktal Monastery
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Phuktal monastery, Zanskar, India
After the long, breath taking (as well as breathless making) walk up at around 4200 meters, we were finally at the Phuktal monastery - on a mountain top hidden in a cave. Read the full story of our visit to Phuktal monastery at Trek to Phuktal Monastery
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Lunch time at Phuktal monastery, Zanskar, India
The Phuktal monastery is the epitome of monks living high up in the mountains, detached from the rest of the world. We reached the monastery at lunch time and had lunch with the monks there. Read the full story of our visit to Phuktal monastery at Trek to Phuktal Monastery
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Lunch time at Phuktal monastery, Zanskar, India
Little boys training to be monks wait for lunch to be served at Phuktal monastery. Take their maroon robes away and they could pass off as kids in a playground. But unlike other kids, the to-be monks live their lives in isolation, studying ancient scriptures in the highly remote monastery. Read the full story of our visit to Phuktal monastery at Trek to Phuktal Monastery
Lunch of the monks at Phuktal monastery, Zanskar, India
We reached the monastery at lunch time and had the same food as the monks. It was simple, mostly boiled, healthy food. Read the full story of our visit to Phuktal monastery at Trek to Phuktal Monastery
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Lunch time at Phuktal monastery, Zanskar, India
The Phuktal monastery is the epitome of monks living high up in the mountains, detached from the rest of the world. We reached the monastery at lunch time and this was the view for lunch! Read the full story of our visit to Phuktal monastery at Trek to Phuktal Monastery
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Young monks at Phuktal monastery, India
It was break time at the monastery for these youngsters. Their energy was un-missable. Take their maroon robes away, dress them up in clothes for “young adults” and they could pass off as school children in a playground.. Except, that, they WERE in their maroon robes, attended the monk school in the monastery, studied ancient scriptures and would go on to live their lives devoid of all worldly possessions! Read the full story of our visit to Phuktal monastery at Trek to Phuktal Monastery
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Young monks at Phuktal monastery, India
It was break time at the monastery for these youngsters. Their energy was un-missable. Take their maroon robes away, dress them up in clothes for “young adults” and they could pass off as school children in a playground.. Except, that, they WERE in their maroon robes, attended the monk school in the monastery, studied ancient scriptures and would go on to live their lives devoid of all worldly possessions! Read the full story of our visit to Phuktal monastery at Trek to Phuktal Monastery
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Young monks at Phuktal monastery, India
It was break time at the monastery for these youngsters. Their energy was un-missable. Take their maroon robes away, dress them up in clothes for “young adults” and they could pass off as school children in a playground.. Except, that, they WERE in their maroon robes, attended the monk school in the monastery, studied ancient scriptures and would go on to live their lives devoid of all worldly possessions! Read the full story of our visit to Phuktal monastery at Trek to Phuktal Monastery