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The Trans Himalayan regions of the states
of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh are a moonscape land
- an arid high altitude desert unlike any other part of the
Indian subcontinent. The stark landscape is a panorama of high
snow-capped peaks and bare multi-hued hills sculpted by the
forces of nature. The high dusty valleys spotted with lunar
rocks have altitudes ranging from 2500 m to 4500 m.
The climate is extreme with long snow bound winters and a
short 3 months summer. Cut off from the water laden monsoon
clouds by the Great Himalayan Range, rainfall is a mere 2
inches per year and it is the melting snow flowing swiftly
down the rocky streams and rivers that sustain habitation and
meager crops of barley, wheat, fruit trees and vegetables.
During the short summer season, the villages are splashes of
green providing relief to this stark grandeur with their
patchwork of fields, groves of tall polars and willows and
little whitewashed flat-roofed houses.
Within this area falls the division of Ladakh with its Leh and
Kargil districts in the state of Jammu and Kashmir and the
adjacent district of Lahaul and Spiti in Himachal Pradesh. For
centuries these trans Himalayan tracts remained locked behind
formidable mountain walls linked to the outside world by
barely penetrable passes and narrow mountain paths. Despite
this isolation and the harshness of the climate and
environment, the people are endowed with a hardiness of
character and natural gaiety.
For the visitor, this region is a dramatic escape into an
unfamiliar world with marvelous opportunities for an unusual
holiday. It is an ideal place for trekking, mountaineering,
camping or white water rafting; for discovering the treasures
of Buddhist monasteries (Gompas); for shopping in bazaars; for
participation in the excitement of a local festival or for
simply experiencing the highs of this lunar landscape! Since
the best time to visit this area is from early June to end
September, it is an ideal destination during the
monsoons-especially as it does not rain here! |
