Once upon a time, Khardung La used to be the highest motorable mountain pass in the world. Now it is the third highest. When we had visited Umling La, it was the highest located at 19024 feet. Topping Khardung La by 644 feet. Confirming the ephemeral nature of such records, another higher motorable road has since been built. Mig La is 19,400 feet. Very soon Mig La will be easily and comfortably reachable.

We have had the good fortune of moving through many a pass, Rotang being the most popular. We have crossed Sela, we have had snowfall at Kunzum and Naola, we have crossed other non-famous ones that you come across in any journey through the hills. One such being the pass that you pass on your way to Sinshore Bridge (and Uttarey) from Dentam Valley.

The cold was incredible. We were standing at an altitude higher than Everest Base Camp. This was proudly announced by a signpost that said you are now crossing that hallowed altitude.

The cold, incredible as stated, gave us a peek at what the climbers face on the paths to the mighty peaks of the world. Our faces were numb, we could barely breathe, and there was just a hint of light-headedness that the thin air inspires. Once you cross 16000 feet, oxygen levels start to play games with your mind.

We were, thankfully, not seriously affected. Jaya remained nearly unaffected. But we were not quite in the happiest state of physical being. We ordered a much-coveted cup of coffee at the small wind-insulated shop, but the proprietor had other priorities. After waiting for five odd, very odd, minutes, we left.

We took a few quick snaps, then we managed to get a shaky video (you can hear the wind), and we lodged ourselves in the happy enclosure of our car.

To be perfectly honest, the path downward looked warm and welcoming, even though it was only the second week of October, the rivers were starting to freeze and the Marmots were all in their burrows. Only two appeared to give us the consolation prize.

On the way down we had coffee at Chushingla. The weather was magnificent and the clouds gave the landscape a rather dramatic flavour.

We took the regular road this time.

On our way to Umlingla from Hanle we had a taken a very picturesque shortcut, a path that is almost worthy of off-roaders. We had ended up climbing a road that from a distance had had looked like slashes from Zorro’s sword.

Dorje, our intrepid driver with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, had promised something no tourist had seen, and this was indeed off the beaten tourist track.

Of course, so far the best drive that I have ever experienced, at par with the Keylong to Kaza drive through the cold desert, was the drive from Pangong Lake to Hanle.

Our entry into Hanle was something of an adventure. Since we had no idea of what our accommodation will be in Hanle, we had reached in good time. We visited a homestay quite close to the Observatory, but it was a tad damp. We were staying for two nights; thus we had to be a little picky. Then we went to another hotel and found it securely locked. We drove around looking at different kinds of accommodation. One had no running water (the owner did not seem like the running kind and we suspected that we would have to fill our buckets), then another said they would provide warm water either in the afternoon or in the morning. Another insisted we leave our shoes in the common area and stay in a room completely devoid of sunlight. Then Hanle House told us they had no vacancy. But a phone call from Dorje worked miracles. Apparently, he knew the owner and we learnt that the staff did not want the extra guests as they were leaving the next day. Soon the Owner’s wife appeared and everything was sorted out.

The best place to stay in Hanle is Hanle House. It is expensive by local standards, but the warm rooms, round the clock hot water, and a very friendly owner, makes it the best hotel. Choose wisely if you are there in winter or in pre-winter. Sub-zero temperatures under a tin roof or within damp walls may prove to be deadly.

Hanle Observatory is world famous. But do NOT miss the 400 year old Hanle Monastery. It is a very old one with its own share in regional history (this link will give you some info) and it gives you magnificent views of Hanle river valley on one side and the Hanle Marshlands on the other.

On our way back to the hotel Dorje took a rather unfrequented road. We would be eternally grateful to Dorje for taking that road – passing by the Monastery for women monks which was closed to visitors – which skirts the marsh. You find amazing wildlife. We saw many kinds of birds, one fox, and a lot of wild horses. Unfortunately, the Eurasian Eagle Owl remained elusive.

You can see a fantastic sky in Hanle. However, the oft presented photograph of the milky way staring at you in all its glory is not quite as clear to the naked eye. You need good cameras or phones to capture that image. But even without the spectacular heavens, Hanle does not disappoint. Here is a small video of the Hanle experience.

We bid a fond farewell to Hanle and to Hanle House. The journey back was as magnificent as the one earlier. One perfectly pyramid-shaped hill caught my eye! The rest of the landscape was equally brilliant.

We saw the red-breasted ducks (the Ruddy Shelduck) while we were returning. The Indus was full of the mallards. Hanle, Umlingla and the surroundings were very kind to us.

Our initial plan was to stay at Tso Moriri while coming back from Hanle. But since we had visited Siachen and had spent a night at Sumur, our plan had to be altered. We told ourselves that this Tso can wait for our next trip, but Dorje would have none of it. He said tomorrow is the most undependable day, and ‘next time’ is the worst plan possible. Even though it was a detour, he took us to Tso Moriri.

We also found flocks of birds near the edge of the lake.

If you ask me, Tso Moriri is as lovely as Pangong. And with less people, definitely more serene. We stayed for a handsome amount of time. Since the car required a change of tyre, the time became more handsome. We took photos to our hearts’ content. But I’ll share a bit of politically incorrect opinion here: the Tso I absolutely loved came just before Moriri. Kyagar Tso is neglected, but has a very serene charm.

Before we reached Leh, We made a quick stop at Chumathang Hot Springs. We weren’t particularly impressed, especially because after all the serenity we saw throngs of merrymakers all around the boiling waters. We retreated quite quickly.

We will always carry the serenity of Hanle with us. It seems like a dream landscape. I don’t know whether life will give us another chance to visit those wide wild spaces, but we will always have very fond memories.

Returning to Leh from this trip was satisfying, and since Leh feels like home now, the satisfaction was quite doubled. I will tell you the Leh story soon.

RELEVANT INFORMATION

Hanle is 310 kilometers from Leh.

There is hardly any regular public transport.

There are good places to stay in Hanle. Hanle House is recommended.

Hanle is extremely crowded and is full of bikers.

The weather is generally good.

One needs to stay at Hanle as it cannot be visited as a day trip from Leh. Since stargazing is a nightly activity, at least one night’s stay is necessary.

There are many checkposts on the way. Make sure you have the necessary permits.

Nearest town and airport is Leh.

The roads are generally great, but there are a few patches of natural damage.

Earlier Posts

1. Old Lucknow 2. Colonial Lucknow 3. Going Downhill – Versey to Dentam 4. Going to Garhwal 5. The Walkers 6. Palamau 7. Rishikesh 8. Kolkata Kolkata 9. The Roar of the Clouds – Santiniketan 10. Of Pests and Men – Uttarey 11. Where Hikers Fear to Tread – Rudranath 12. Old Times 13. History in Ruins – Pushpagiri 14. Once There was a Heaven 15. Serenity 16. Pilgrim’s Progress – Kedarnath 17. Unfinished – Gaumukh 18. Ghatshila 19. Nothing Important 20. Manu’s Alaya – Manali 21. Santiniketan 22. Little Lhasa – Dharamshala 23. From Varuna to Assi – Varanasi 24. Tunganath 25. Transitory Blues 26. Gurudongmar 27. The Beginning 28. Yumesamdong 29. Bangali in Bangkok 30. Mukutmanipur 31. Rasvanti 32. The Old Town and the Sea 33. Budapest 34. The Last Post of 2019 35. Travel Travails 36. Cluj-Napoça 37. Presenting the Past 38. Far From the Urban Crowd 39. Silent Night Sleepless Night 40. Norwich 41. Photo Essay – The Road 42. Photo Story – The Days of the Goddess 43. Badrinath 44. Monumental Mistakes 45. Odyssey Now 46. To the Mountains 47. Keylong 48. Where Moon River is Born 49. Kaza 50. Through the Valley of Spiti 51. Kalpa 52. Sarahan 53. Un-happy Journey (Meghalaya) 54. Shimla 55. Bhalukpong 56. Rissia Nature Camp – Kuldiha Forest 57. Arunachal Diaries – Dirang 58. Arunachal Diaries – Sela to Jong 59. Quest for Quietness – Barot 60. Chindi to Chail 61. Baranti 62. Clouds of Tawang 63. Kumaon Diaries – Binsar 64. Ladakh Diaries – Siachen 65. The Aran Islands – Inishmaan 66. Ladakh Diaries – Hunder and Turtuk 67, Ladakh Diaries – Journey from Pangong to Hanle