I'm in love!!!!

With the Himalayas! I love these mountains!

On top of Ganda La Pass

After our epic 24 hour bus ride Carl and I laid low for a couple days. We ate at all four (count 'em four!) restaurants in Leh and walked around the outdoor mall area, which I referred to as Pearl Street (outdoor walking mall in Boulder, CO). It was under massive construction though and Carl thought it looked a war zone.

Prayer flags over Leh

Carl enjoying the weather and views

Monastery in Leh

Once we recovered from the bus ride, explored all that Leh had to offer and acclimatized to the altitude we decided it was time for an adventure into the mountains. We went to many travel agencies checking about prices and options for a 4 day trek in the Himalayas surrounding Leh. We got lots of varied answers and were pretty confused about what we should do, so we decided to think about it while exploring a little more. While I was looking at Tibetan jewelry Carl asked a man at the Tibetan Refugee Market if he knew any trekking guides. The man told us he was a guide and gave us a couple of options for treks and a basic idea of what prices would be. Since we wanted to cut out the middle man and he seemed like a good enough guy (that you find on the street) we decided to hire him as our guide! 

Over looking Leh

We knew we needed to prepared for the trek so Carl and I started shopping which we have been avoiding. Bargaining and sifting through all the crap in India is not our forte. However we did manage to get all the essentials, mainly a wide section of cookies but also warm clothes, a small camping stove and water. 

The next day we left the majority of our things at the hotel (for free!) and met our guide, Dawa outside the market. We hired a taxi to drive us to the start of the trail. The weather was amazing and the drive to the trail head was breathtaking. I tried unsuccessfully to take pictures from the moving car. 

Car photo

Once I told Carl to look out the window at the river below because it was a light bright blue, he gave me a look like "What are you asking me to look at, my slow painful death when this car rolls off the edge of this cliff?" Well at least I enjoyed the views....

Another car photo

The beginning

The beginning of the hike was on a four wheel drive road in a beautiful valley. A small stream ran by the the impossible to drive road, thus why we were hiking on it, not driving on it. Carl and I decided we came at the prefect time of year because all the trees next to the stream were turning  vivid colors. Aspen-like trees with bright yellow leaves weaved through the valley along side trees with shockingly red leaves. 

The trees!!

The colors! 

The road slowly transformed into a trail that zig zagged over the river while yellow and red leaves floated to the ground. We stopped for lunch in a field littered with cow poop. Snow peaked mountains with icy ridges rose sharply behind us and the valley in front us glittered with transforming autumn leaves. Carl made green tea with fresh lemon and ginger on a camp stove while I while made peanut butter and honey sandwiches.  We oooed and awed over the mountains and discussed how it's the little things like a hot cup of tea in the middle of the mountains that make life great. 

Enjoying some tea

The landscape and the mountains changed and transformed around us so many times. It's so hard to describe. You really have to go and experience it yourself. Seriously, if you like hiking or mountains you have to go Leh. I can't wait to go back and do a longer trek, followed by 3 or 4 days raft trip. Who wants to come?! 

Blue sheep (hard to see) 

The river

Tibetan mantra: Om mani padme hum (this was written and carved everywhere) 

We stayed in home stays during the trek. The first night we stayed in the "willage" (Indian people pronounce a V like a W) of Yuruste. Not sure if you can cal it a willage though. It was only one house, a large house but I'm not quite sure how one house can be called a "willage." But hey, it's on a map!

Our home stay the first night

There were two other groups staying in the house with us. A brother and sister from England and a couple. I taught a yoga class for Carl and our new friends in a bedroom. It was freezing, a pretty tight squeeze and since we were at such high altitude(13.5k ft) we were all breathing pretty hard. I was nervous teaching my first yoga class to strangers but I think it went okay. I can't wait to get in some more practice though. After yoga we ate dinner, drank tea mixed with rum, commiserated on how freezing it was and laughed a lot with our new friends. 

Yoga outside

Yoga class

I mentioned that we saw the couple around Leh and complimented the gentlemen on his dreads. They mentioned they also saw us. Apparently their attention was directed towards Carl when some local where discussing what Kurt Cobain was doing in Leh. The couple started referring to Carl as Kurt. Carl happily admitted to being Kurt Cobain and confessed that yes he actually is alive, just hanging out and doing some trekking in the Himalayas. 

Yummy chai

Dinner

So cold! 

The next day we hiked over Ganda La Pass (16,305 ft). The day was filled with incredible views and I was filled with so much gratitude for being surrounded by such an amazing landscape.

That view! 

On top of the world!! 

Coming down the pass

Mountain ranges layered and circled around each other. They didn't continue in straight lines, they popped up from behind other mountains and fully surrounded us. Thick papery rocks turned into hard granite, then changed into petrified sand dunes, only to morph into red sandstone. I have never wanted to know about rocks and how and why they look the way they do until the geography was changed so rapidly around me. 

Panoramic views

The last day we woke up early and headed out around 8. The canyon we hiked out of changed landscape so many times. Yellow and red trees began to dot the bottom of the canyon again as we got to a lower elevation. As we neared the pick up location an icy blue river carved through the twisting winding canyon.

Willage of Shingo. Our second home stay

Sunrise on the 3rd morning

Bridge

Carl trekking

That river! 

The drive back to Leh was even more terrifying than the drive a few days before to the start of the trek. We got  back into town around 3 and wandered around for a bit in order to find a new hotel which actually had hot water because we really needed a shower. The next day we took a shared taxi to Srinagar, which is a whole other story (and blog post). 

Love you all. Keep in touch.