Day 8 Leh to Nubra Valley ( 130 kms)

The trip to Pasong lake took us in a northeasterly direction so we had to come back to Leh to fuel up and head off in a northwesterly direction to go over the Khardung La. This is the big one (18380’) and if I’m going to experience AMS, then it will be today. As it turns out the road is very challenging and the riding effort high up seems to take something of you.

The road is the worst yet, kilometers of those back breaking compacted and frozen hummocks of grey moraine ‘sand’, which are worse than the ‘stony’ patches. There’s a piece of road on the ‘dark’ side of the mountain that the sun hasn’t got to and the road is a slippery icy track that is scary on two wheels.

We get to the top but it seems that this place has become a pilgrimage spot so it’s a matter of waiting your turn for  photographs against the backdrop of the sign. Bit of an effort, occasionally, breathing but no symptoms of altitude sickness so I’m happy.
You get a taste of that 'on top of the world' feeling with the the surrounding Himalayan peaks, although guys summiting Everest go up another 10,000'.The landscape is spectacular.

We head down and finally get to the Nubra valley. There’s a deal of u turning and blind roads before we find the camp, but it’s a great one, the best yet and a surrounded by poplars, a recent planting addition on Indian army land.

Some of the others go off to see bactrian camels but I just want vege out in the warm sun.

I think the Nubra Valley was an orchard area and in mid summer, like now, it's wonderful to be here.

We have a campfire that night after a quite professional dinner and the guys sing Hindi songs so I’m lost. The only one I seem to recognize is “Saturday, Saturday” a catchy piece of Bollywood

You tube track

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OljkSVLIt6c