The 125 Km road journey from Leh to
Nubra Valley was something that's going to engrave in my memory for long time.
The route was Khardungla Pass (40 km) – Khalsar (98km) – Diskit (118 km) –
Hundar (125 km). The high point of the journey was definitely crossing the so
claimed highest motorable road (not supported by many) in the world – the
Khadungla Pass. Gaining an altitude of around 6,818 ft from Leh at 11,562 ft to
Khardungla at 18,380 ft in just 40 km is something which makes this journey in
the bucket list of every traveler.
The first leg of the journey was smooth
with some fairly good roads with a mesmerizing view of beautiful landscape and
stunning valley. Road beyond South Pullu was in bad condition & gain in
altitude was quite substantial but the excitement of reaching khardungla top is
something which was making my mind go numb. As I was gaining altitude, I found
myself in the snow-clad mountains which were appearing far away from Leh. Sun
disappeared and the air became chill and thin, I could feel it in my breathing. After a point it started raining and by the time I reached 'K' top, the droplets of water in rain turned into ice flakes. The ‘K’ top arrived in about 2 hours’ drive from Leh. People had
advised not to spend more than 10 minutes at ‘K’ top, but I spent an hour and
half without any difficulty.
Khardungla to khalsar was a smooth
descend and the comparatively good roads added to the beauty of the journey.
There were snow-clad mountains on one side and a beautiful valley on other side
of the road for around 15-20 minutes and after that snow started disappearing.
Around 15 km from ‘K’ top, North Pullu check post came behind where a beautiful
stream was flowing. The view was spellbinding to the point that I ended up
spending almost an hour there.
The journey from North Pullu to Khalsar was very
smooth with some breath-taking view of the beautiful valley. Close to Khalsar, the
Shyok River started appearing which from far, looked like sand deposited in the
valley.
The whole picture of beautiful white clouds over blue sky, barren
majestic mountains and the Shyok River flowing in the valley, looked like a
canvas painting to me. It was hard to believe the reality of the place and I
had a feeling that I was in some dreamy state.
The 30 km drive from Khalsar to Hunder
was again very scenic and awe-inspiring. The colour and shape of the mountains
changed after every 15-20 minutes’ drive and the beauty of the landscape left
me spellbound. I couldn’t take my eyes off from the gorgeous sight.
After
Khalsar, the road was all along the River till I reached the pristine valley
where the Shyok River met the Nubra River.
The entire route looked like
postcard pictures and it left me saying ‘wow’ after every turn I took. It
looked like a miracle to naked eyes watching the barren landscape turned into a
beautiful green valley.
Finally, I reached Diskit which is
famous for the ancient Gompa believed to be more than 600 years old. The
panoramic landscape all around from the Diskit Monastery was something which I
couldn’t afford to miss. The monk in the monastery asked me to do 3 rounds of
Deity in clockwise direction to have a prosperous life. After Diskit, I moved
further to Hunder for beautiful sand dunes and ride of double-humped Camels -
The reminder of bygone era of Silk Route trade.
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