The Indian Himalayan Grand Traverse - a Review

We haven't quite decided whether the Indian Himalayan Grand Traverse was our favourite ever trek but it's definitely up there with the very best.  It managed to combine novelty, adventure, great scenery and excellent company with good organisation

We've got Valerie Parkinson to thank for the idea of going on the trip.  Valerie is the Asia Base Manager for Exodus whom we met for the first time on the Annapurna Circuit last year. Valerie is a trekking legend.  She was the first British woman to summit Manaslu, has been working for almost 30 years in Nepal and Kashmir, and leads for Exodus on the development of new treks in the area.  After listening to the amazing account of her attempt on Everest we asked our usual question "what's your favourite trek" and without hesitation she came back with the "Indian Himalayan Grand Traverse".

So where is the trip and what makes it's so good?

The Indian Himalayan Grand Traverse crosses Ladakh, one of three provinces in the Indian state of Kashmir and Jammu.  Geographically it's in an interesting place.  Kashmir and Jammu is the bit of India that inserts itself into central Asia and, from geological point of view, Ladakh is really part of the Tibetian High Plateau.  It's very high and very dry with long cold winters and short hot summers.  It's also interesting from a geopolitical point of view. With the Indian Army facing up to the Pakistan and Chinese armies over contested borders, it's one of most militarised parts of the world.

Indian Himalayan Grand Traverse - Day 11 - Korsok

Dreadful nights sleep and it was probably my fault.  At 5,166 metres the grim camp at Gyam was our highest yet and anticipating a bad night I took my first diamox, the drug supposed to help with the altitude symptoms.  Christine has been taking them since we got off the plane at Leh but she is into drug assistance of all kinds and even bought some sleeping "pills" (had the size and look of rabbit droppings) from the monks in the monastery at Thiksey.  Whether it was caused by the diamox I don't really know but I just couldn't get my breathing to work on automatic.  It was like my body had forgotten how to do it and needed reminding every 90 seconds or so by which time it was 30 seconds too late requiring a conscious gasping double dose.  It was miserable and I thought the night was never going to end.

Climbing up the Yalung Nyau La 

Indian Himalayan Grand Traverse - Day 10 - Gyame

After a relatively easy day, today's walk was tough.  It involved crossing two passes over 5,400 metres and everyone found it a hard day.  Helen Marie, who has struggled with the altitude, decided that she would make use of the spare pony.  She is clearly thinking that she might have to abandon the trip which would mean leaving it the day after tomorrow at Korsok.

A flock of sheep getting ready to depart.

Indian Himalayan Grand Traverse - Day 9 - Rajung Karu

After three tough days, an easier one today.

We saw signs that the Changpa nomads were about yesterday but today we got to meet them. The Changpa live on the Changtang plateau most of which is in Tibet. They are semi-nomadic moving their herds of sheep, goats and yak in rotation from one campsite to another, moving on when the grass runs out.  The permanent features of the regular campsites, stone animal enclosures and stone foundations on which a single room yurt is assembled, are scattered across the landscape and used each time the nomads visit.  Dilip says that they are up here in th high mountains all the year round including the 9 long winter when the temperatures get to minus 35.  He tells me that it's so cold in the winter that the nomads congregate in a single yurt and sleep around the fire huddled together in a kneeling position.  I must admit I wonder if this a Ladakh version of urban myth but Dilip definitely believes it.

Leaving the camp a passing an empty nomad settlement

Indian Himalayan Grand Traverse - Day 6 - Kyamar

Dilip is a really nice guy.  He knocks on the tent at about six with the morning tea and asks how we are and whether or not we got a good night's sleep.  He was genuinely concerned, it's like having your mum with you on the trip.  Although Christine was still pretty rough, I was already on the mend.

The man with the drugs - Dr Nick

Indian Himalayan Grand Traverse - Day 5 - Rumtse

I'm not well, nor is Christine, but my guts are just a bit more violent.

Despite churning insides I managed to survive the journey in one of three mini-buses from Leh to Rumtse.  Shared the bus with Christine, Ralf (a German but long time resident of France) and Sven from Sweden.  Ralf is a university lecturer in Paris, something to do with computers but with a massive interest in European History.  I had retired to an audible book (Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn - brilliant) but Christine dragged me away and we were soon in a conversation with Ralf about the parallels and disjuntures between French and British history - the time and journey just flew by.

Indian Himalayan Grand Traverse - Days 2-4 - Leh

Have had three nights in Leh, the capital of Ladakh, for acclimatisation before starting the trek proper.  I guess one of the downsides of this trip is that you have to hang about to get ready for the altitude - no opportunity for a gradual climb - and after three days in Leh (3,500 metres) it's a car journey to Rumtse (4,200 metres) after which you're quickly into 5,000 metre plus territory.  Theoretically the Leh stopover provides a chance to rest and recover from the journey but unfortunately that didn't work out for Christine and me.

Catching the early morning flight from Delhi to Leh required a 2 o'clock wake up call but with the air-conditioning in our bedroom on full blast and the ceiling fan set to maximum we were in any event wide awake.  If you're lucky you get to see K2 on the flight but today it was just too cloudy.  The landing however was spectacular with the plane spiralling down and almost touching the mountains in its descent to the airport.

Indian Himalayan Grand Traverse - Day 1 - Delhi

The hottest London July in 10 years did little to prepare me for the heat and humidity of Delhi and the start of the Indian Himalayan Grand Traverse. After about 60 minutes of fitful sleep on the overnight flight from Heathrow all I wanted to do on arrival was hide in an air conditioned room and recover.  No money though so I had to venture out and find an ATM.

If you're foreign and look slightly vacant for more than a second in Delhi the tuk tuk drivers spot their chance.  Everyone here seems to be a hustler.  I told Billie, who was soon to be our best Sikh friend, that I didn't have any money but that didn't put him off and he insisted that I could pay him later.  He had a special affection for the British, London was his favorite city, and he had many friends in Southall.  He had only come back to India because his eyesight was failing and repatriating bodies would be a terrible expense for his relatives.