When it’s not just about sightseeing but catching hold of those fleeting moments that take you to such humble places. In the silence of the snowfall, you here the mountains call. Ladakh here I come!

Anirudh Ahlawat is a passionate traveller from Rohtak, Haryana, who is a Commercial Pilot under training with an Indian Airline. In the month of December, he planned this trip alongside a cousin of his that turned out to be nearly two weeks long. Traveling to the best of places in the worst weather conditions. How did he manage to beat the impossible cold? Let’s find out. 

‘ A lot of people like snow. I find it to be an unnecessary freezing of water. ’ 

Anirudh marked the first two days as a time to acclimatize to the -10 degree freezing temperatures. For this, he recommends a course of Diamox medicine that’ll help prevent acute mountain sickness. 

On Day-3, they explored the nearby areas like the markets and monasteries. The streets of Ladakh were idle and hardly any locals were seen. Most of the places were filled with a tourists crowd. And the following day it snowed heavily. Roads were blocked and plans canceled. 

The next day began with a moonscape to the Lamayuru track. And on the route, they visited an Ancient Monastery which was undoubtedly one of the oldest and largest monasteries of Ladakh. They also came across the magic of the Magnetic Hills where on the upslope when they parked the car in neutral it started going up instead of coming back. While returning they stopped by at the Sangam Point where the river Indus and Zanskar meet (Zanskar is the river where the Chadar trek happens during January). 

Nubra Valley

After the adventure of yesterday, Anirudh couldn’t wait to head out to their next stay at the Nubra Valley. Crossing the mighty Khardung La pass with -25 degrees and a height of 18,000ft, it took roughly seven hours to reach due to heavy snowfall. So they ended up resting after the tiring journey. 

There wasn’t a site in Nubra that they left unseen. And their first destination was a mini-trek to the Yarab Tso lake hidden between the desert mountains. After which they proceeded to Panamik and Sumur to explore its monastery and enjoy a medicinal bath at the hot spring. That night they had a blissful sight as they gazed into the blanket of stars above them. The snowstorm at the Chang La pass made them cancel their plans to visit Frozen Pangong Lake, so they headed back to Leh. 

Let’s just say that even with canceled plans, they still didn’t miss out on catching hold of a glimpse of the frozen lake. Anirudh thoroughly enjoyed his time here and spent some more at the Rabsal cafe that welcomed him with the pleasing smell of coffee and pizza. 

Day-10 Perched over the hills, they discovered the Lachen Palkar Palace that overlooked the city of Leh, Ladakh. Further, they explored the local markets and visited the Sky Wok cafe. Here they rented mountain bikes for an evening of the expedition. 

Adventure Awaits!

Ice Skating on a cycle? Sounds as fun and jeopardizing as it seems. Cycling upslope was tiring but worth it. With every pedal forward, they could feel their heart pumping faster. Anirudh wore two linings of gloves to keep his fingers from freezing and falling off. Being a bike enthusiast, he didn’t miss out on mountain biking with the Royal Enfield Himalaya during the last days of his trip. 

For their twelfth day, they had a wonderful experience visiting the War Memorial of Leh. Hitting the local cafes to try out butter tea with bread. And stopped by the local monastery one last time as their trip came to an end. 

On his last day, he woke up to see their garden covered in thick white snow. And as he couldn’t manage to drop off his bike, the rental guy made a sweet gesture by picking it up even in such conditions. The heavy snowfall delayed their flight and they got to spend a while before heading back home. 

Traveller’s Wisdom:

• For extreme winters, wear at least four layers of clothing (Inner body warmer + Full sleeves T-shirt + Warm inner jacket + Outer stuffed jacket). And the best place to shop for thermals was from Decathlon stores.
• Drinking warm water to stay hydrated is the ultimate way to avoid cold/flu. Our immune system slows down in cold temperatures which is why we tend to catch that cold/flu virus during winters a bit more. 
• The locals are welcoming and helpful. It is definitely safe and friendly travel for solo or female travellers.
• Lastly, since only postpaid local sims work there. It is better to buy it from a local market for better network services. 

Budget: INR 40,000 per person. Photography equipment: (iPhone 11 max pro) and DSLR – Canon 200D. 

Anirudh witnessed the most beautiful mountains of Ladakh and plans to go back to explore more. For more photos and videos check out his page @flywithanirudh

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