Pangong Tso

There are many places in the world that take your breath away.  For me this beautiful mountain lake takes it's place among the top places in the world that make your spirit soar and your heart burst with wonder.  I am humbled and grateful to have had the opportunity to visit this place.

We hired Jigmet, our same driver from the trip to Nubra to take us along with our friend Craig and Katherine from Quebec (again the need for 4 people to get a permit since half of Pangong lake is in Tibet and of course India and China can't really agree on where the border is).  We headed up over the Chang La (one of the top five highest motorable passes in the world at 17,800ft) with quite a bit of snow.  We didn't need chains though and Jigmet is an excellent driver.  The small military/government outpost at the top of the pass reminds me so much of the remote settlements on Baffin Island.  The sense of man and his structures clinging to the land, allowed to stay only because mother nature hasn't really noticed they are there.  The cold half-frozen mud paths between quanset huts and hastily erected garages and sheds give the whole place a temprorary feel.

As we headed down the other side we stopped to take some photos of yaks along the side of the road.  There was a small camp of tents and stone wind breaks for the Changpa herders.  Katherine made the brilliant move walking down to the camp and offering the ladies there a bag of apricot nuts we had brought along for a snack.  What followed was a flurry of laughter, photos, gifts and memories that will last forever.  The power of a smile and a laugh really is a universal joy.  The life those ladies live - hearding yak & goats at 16,000 or 17,000 feet is truely staggering.

Once down in the valley, we crossed the Pagal Naala or "The Crazy Stream" which amazes those who have studied some hydrology.  Everyone else just laughs at you.  The crazy stream must have been active recently as they were rebuilding the road - for what looked like not the first time.

We finally arrived at Pangong Tso (tso means lake in Tibetan), which was really a sight to behold.  The waters are carribbean turquoise and aqua (partially due to there being no life in the lake, which is brackish from the high concentration of minerals in the surrounding mountains) and it extends 130 winding kilometers into Tibet.  Looking into those snowy mountain peaks was to hear an un-ignorable call.  The mountains all around the lake are a rainbow of browns, grays and oranges, so the contrast with the water is beautiful.  The lake is at 4250 meters or almost 14,000ft, so it was noticable colder than Leh and even though we've become quite rich in red blood cells, the air was noticably thinner.

Nichole was a champ on this trip.  She had been sick on the Khardung La and in Nubra Valley, but this time, she did great over the Chang La (thanks Chang La Baba) and spending the night at the highest elevation she's ever slept at.  I am always amazed at how well she adapts to these rather extreme environments.  Here's to high-altitude love!

We ate dinner and stayed at a tiny encampment at the northern end of the lake.  Forgeiners are only allowed to proceed 7km along the western shore, so we felt lucky to be able to stay so close to the lake.  The accomodations were....spartan.  No water or electricity, but lots of warm blankets, and tasty warm food.  We ordered bread with dinner and to my surprise, we got genuine bannok (Giff knows what I mean).  Delicious.

Sitting on the shores of the lake, staring off into the moutains of Tibet, feeling the freshest Himalayan wind on your face, flecks of snow in the air gave me a feeling of such profound spiritual contentment, it's impossible to convey in words.  This part of the world (Ladakh and Tibet) is one of the most spiritually saturated places imaginable.  I don't know if it's the energy of the people who have held their religion here for so long, or the energy of the land itself.  Whatever it is, it's powerful in a way I couldn't have imagined before I came here.

starting up the road to Chang La

looking back down towards the Indus valley

if only W had to live here instead of on Pennsyvania Ave

Luke decided to take a shortcut on foot...it was longer than he thought

...everyone had to wait.

the summit of Chang La

Our driver Jigmet and his cool sunglasses having tea

yaks and Changpa nomad camp

nomadic Changpa ladies

I was almost sitting in a pile of yak poop while taking this shot while everyone burst into fits of giggles

the scenery is just stunning

one of the best possible places for alternative energy

someone has to paint all those signs!

more amazing scenery

something about this place had all 4 of us running into the meadow laughing like kids

another small glacier for Giff

first view of Pangong Tso

Nichole and Craig take in the glory

alpenglow on the mountains across the border in Tibet

parachute tents in our little lakeside camp

more stars than you can possibly imagine

Gorgeous colors of the lake, hills and sky

the colors make it look a lot warmer than it really is

these guys were painting the toilets in the snow on our way back over the pass