Humbled by the Himalayas - Discovering Wild Ladakh

[Jayanth Sharma]

The Himalayan Cold Desert is one of planet earth's most stunning terrains, famous for the insurmountable peaks, valleys, plateaus and wilderness second to none. Tonnes of tourists visit Ladakh every year for the beautiful landscape attraction amidst the most interesting Buddhist settlements with monasteries, passes, lamas, the Indus Valley and very rarely noticed wildlife of ladakh around the highest motorable road on earth.

Wildlife in Ladakh? - Yes! Coming soon is a trip report to this cold desert where some of the most rarest animals and birds survive.

Highlight: One of the most spectacular and rarest cranes that come to ladakh for breeding in the summer. The most adorable Himalayan marmots, and tonnes of other exciting species on its way to your desktop. Stay tuned!

I estimate to complete this by friday! Please tolerate the delay
_________________
Cheers,
Jayanth Sharma
jay@wildlifetimes.com

[bneloy]

Hi Jayanth,

Good to see you are back, awaiting for the superb images from Ladakh. One question - Did you see any Black-neck Crane there at this time? What are the birds did you notice in Tso Moriri, Tso kar area?
Waiting eagerly for the new post......

Regards,
Neloy
_________________
Neloy Banerjee
Shoot with Canon 350D and assorted lens

[caesar]

Great... had been waiting to see some excellent breath catching snaps of yours... and again... many congrats for the cover page of India Naturally... wish you achieve greater heights
_________________
Dr Caesar Sengupta
workcaesar@gmail.com

"Nature speaks, men have forgotten how to listen"

[Guest]

saw the humbled by himalayas icon ... the ungulate (think urial) in the foreground and mountains in the background .. stunning !! cant wait for the big pics

Anand Narayanan

[sriharsha ganjam]

good to see you back man! Sounds like you had an excellent trip. Cant wait for the premiere of the Humbling Himalayas.
_________________
Harsh

[Santosh Saligram]

I'm waiting in eager anticipation.
Something tells me that it's going to be one big treat. This is one Friday when folks should look forward to the release of your trip report rather than the release of any film in theatres. Thanks in advance for sharing.

Santosh
_________________
Beauty is actually spelt in five letters: T I G E R

[Jayanth Sharma]

Please download the flash slideshow of the Ladakh Photographs. I am sure you all will enjoy the Buddhist background music on the slide show.
It is an EXE file for Windows Users.

Mac Users please download this file: http://www.wildlifetimes.com/Ladakh_Mac.zip Have a nice day.


Humbled by the Himalayas – Discovering Wild Ladakh

Ladakh – a land of high passes is a region in Jammu and Kashmir around the Great Himalayan ranges inhabited by races that descend from Tibet. One of the areas of Ladakh is supposedly believed to be the home to the most pure Aryan race. Buddhism is a way of life in Ladakh and it is very well known across the world for its rustic mountain beauty amidst challenging conditions during winter. Also known as “Little Tibet” Ladakh is a land of beautiful peaks, monasteries called Gongpas, the pious Lama, and some of the wildlife found nowhere else in India.

During June, July, August and September Ladakh sees most of its tourists as the conditions during these months are the best. Snowing is limited to mountain peaks and it is summer in the Indus Valley. Leh is the biggest city in Ladakh after Kargil and most of the tourists spend maximum time in Leh which also is a base camp for most of their activities.

Six years back, Leh would be the most adventurous and thrilling destinations I could imagine as a Bike lover. Plenty of fellow bike riders plan their tip to Ladakh during this season to take on the challenge of the mountains and its thin air. After years of wishing and dreaming to see the highest parts of the Indian Sub-continent my trip fell in to a great perspective and I was all set for my visit to Ladakh.

The trip spanned between 30th July 2008 till 17th August 2008 and these three weeks in the mountains was a great eye opener for me. Rahul Rao, from Foliage Outdoors – Pune, was my trip consultant as he had done Ladakh more than six times before. I also thought it was important for someone like Rahul with extensive wildlife knowledge to accompany me as Ladakh was not just Mountains, Landscapes, Lamas and Monasteries for me. Exploring every opportunity to sight and photograph the amazing wildlife of Ladakh was my objective on this trip. I had seen plenty of people share photographs from Ladakh and had seldom seen anyone do a wildlife centric trip to this region. In fact many of my friends were amused to know I was heading towards Ladakh for wildlife and not for other reasons for which most people go.

The easiest way to reach Leh is to fly from Delhi. But I was advised that the easiest way was not the best way for me as the destination was probably not as exciting as the travel itself. I flew to Delhi to meet Rahul and we both boarded the Himachal Tourism bus that takes nearly 14 hours to reach the beautiful honeymoon town of “Manali”. It is to be noted that plenty of people who visit Ladakh or any high altitude area for that matter need to get acclimatized. Acute mountain sickness, headaches, vomiting sensations, insufficient air to breathe, restlessness, and fatigue are some of the harsh ways in which the mighty mountains can welcome you. By choosing to reach Leh by road than by flying, I set up a natural and gradual ascend to the mountains and it proved to be a great way to beat the mountain sickness and get acclimatized.


Manali and Vasistha
Manali is a tourist town in Himachal Pradesh at an altitude of 8612 ft from the Sea and is a nice point to start ones travel in to the Himalayas. During winter Manali receives snow fall and it is a part of the Greener Himalayas. Vasistha – on the outskirts of Manali is a very popular tourist attraction with hot-springs and ancient temples. Rahul and I ventured out towards “Jogini” a small waterfall near Vasistha. It was a moderate climb with the equipment to Jogini that afternoon which introduced me to the tiny Himalayan birds. Rock bunting, Yellow-billed Magpie, Canary Flycatchers, Treecreepers and various other birds were sighted on the way to jogini. Recently I had been walking in a similar altitude near Corbett and knew walking in the mountains is no mean task. But the walk to Jogini was probably the easiest of hikes and it was a good way to introduce one’s body to the hills.


Rohtang Pass - 13051ft – Jispa , Sarchu -14075 ft
After spending a night in Manali, Rahul and I started our journey towards Rohtang La, a pass in Himachal Pradesh which has to be crossed over to start entering the Jammu and Kashmir state. Rohtang was a very popular destination and we kept watching hundreds of tourists who visit this place to see snow and also skate during this season. Himalayan Griffon and Lammergeier vultures were sighted all along the way to Rohtang. For the first time in life, I sighted snow in an Indian territory and the feeling was amazing. Asiatic Ibex were the first mammal I spotted on this trip and having sighted them just before I ended the first day was the most rewarding experience. A small herd of Ibex were trying to get down to the river while Rahul spotted them. We camped at Jispa that night and after half a day’s birding we headed towards Sarchu, our next destination for the day where we camped in tents in the fields around the mountains.


Bharal – Blue Sheep
The morning in Sarchu was probably not the healthiest of mornings I have experienced. There was something about this place that was unusual and when I woke up I was welcomed by a mild headache. I hadn’t slept very well that night. After a mandatory “chai” in the cold morning our journey towards Leh via Taglang La started. During the course my head ache increased and I fell asleep. A few kilometres before the More Plains and Pang, Rahul woke me up with a message that he had spotted Blue Sheep up in the hills. After nearly five minutes we reached a curve from where the bharal were hardly fifty feet away. It was a bad angle and the bharal were against light which made me climb the slope and get higher than them to photograph them in good light. This was a very small climb but probably the most tiring I have ever experienced.
The already present headache became a nuisance and it started banging my head constantly. I reached the top, collapsed on my knees and grabbed all the oxygen I could in the air while I was panting like a dog. After nearly three minutes, I had the energy to lift my head and notice the bharal still standing there and observing me. I rested the big lens on a stone and started clicking the bharal. After nearly five minutes, they bid good bye to me and It was the first real effort I had put in this area and the result was rewarding. We reached Taglangla at 17,582ft which is the third highest motorable road on earth soon after that and then to Leh, our final destination of the day. A Kiang encounter in the more plains (pronounced as muur) was quite exciting before we ended the day planning the next few actions of the trip.


Sightseeing in Leh
Spending a day going to the market, visiting monasteries and monuments was highly recommended. Visits to the Thikse and Hemis Monasteries followed by short visits to the Stok Palace and Shey Marshes and the Shanti stupa in the evening were all I did on this leisure day. The Buddha at Thikse generated a positive energy in me and I loved the way it was created. Shanti Stupa it seems was a gift from the Japnsese to Ladakh and it is a must visit monument in Leh. In the interest of this report’s length I’d talk very less about these as most people who visit Leh can better narrate these experiences than me.


The Eight Day Escapade (See Red Route in the Map)
Spotting wildlife in Ladakh seemed to be no mean task. As it is not any forest where animals are confined to a few safari tracks and grasslands, sighting even a bird needs a different mindset and one should always be wary of their existence. I was happy to hear that we had been granted permission to visit places of Ladakh that is restricted to tourists. Only locals were allowed to visit these places due to the proximity to the Indo-China border. My crew consisted of Rahul and I along with Dorjee, our 43 year old cook and Tundup a naughty 24 year old driver. Dorjee seemed quite matured and looking at him one would get shocked to know his age. Tundup on the other hand was a typical spoilt brat with a gotty and funky hairdo and an eye for attractive things on the way.


Day 1 – Leh-Chang La -Pangong Tso -Chushul
The patriotic number from the movie Lakshya was constantly being played in the vehicle and we hummed along “Josh dil mein jagate chalo...”. Chang La, the second higest motorable road on planet earth at 17800 ft was crossed over and it was surprising to witness rain during this time. Rahul kept mentioning that Ladakh is changing and probably the amount of greenery that is increasing in the towns and villages where people are planting trees could be a reason why it is raining more often these days; we discussed. Ladakh is supposed to be a cold desert and trees are rarer. By lunch time the magnificent Pangong Lake was at our vicinity. A small tented restaurant was the only place where we could hunt for food and India’s favourite noodle pack – Maggi was waiting to enter our bellies. It was very cloudy and I was disappointed that I couldn’t see the blue sky in Pangong. The Itinerary for the day was to just spend time in pangong and camp at Spangmik that is the last village tourists can access. After Spangmik – the restricted area starts and no one is allowed there except the Ladakhis and the Army ofcourse.

Pangong is one of the biggest lakes of the area and lies on the border of India and China. In fact a major part of Pangong is in China than in India. After nearly an hour of wasting time under the clouds the scenario changed for the good. The rich blue sky started peeping out of the clouds and in no time sunshine slapped us inviting us to pick up our cameras.

I spent a few minutes photographing the beauty of the lake and I loved a panorama shot I got after stitching three images. Spangmik is just a few kilometres away on the banks of Pangong Tso and we headed towards our next destination. Tundup and Rahul discussed that we should probably stretch the day and go further and cross three more villages and camp in a village called Chushul. We all agreed and followed the Pangong lake for a while and ended in Chushul by eight in the evening.
This area around the Pangong is rarely visited by tourists and wildlife here is more active than in the tourism area. We spotted a beautiful stallion (Kiang) on the banks of Pangong who was elegantly walking towards the other side of the road. An amazing contrast of colors prompted my tired hands to pick up the equipment and take some cool pictures of the handsome ass. The road to chushul was scary and only God could have helped us reach our destination without any problems on the way. On one occasion the stream coming down from the glacier was so strong that we could have got stuck in the water and it would have been a great disaster! Thankfully Chushul seemed kind to us and we found space to pitch our tents in a monastery’s boundary.


Mission Cha-Thung thung – Day 2 at Chushul
Rahul had heard from one of his friends that Chushul is a place where the Black-necked Cranes could be found and we started enquiring about it from the ladakhis. Black-necked Cranes are called Cha-thung thung and the Buddhists regard this beautiful bird very highly in their culture. Most of the ladakhi’s at least who live in villages know what the Cha-Thung thung is and they directed us towards the marshes of Chushul. One thing I love about Rahul is his unmatchable knack of trying to find wildlife and the way in which he conveys the good news. In a typical Rahul Rao fashion, he scans the area with his binoculars and walks up to me with a large smile and shakes my hand and says “Sir...Milgaya” (We got it).

At a distance of probably 300-400 feet Rahul spotted the Cranes and it was a pair with one chick. It was a great sight of seeing them for the first time that too with a chick. In no time I had the energy to get down, carry the lens and tripod in the marshes trying to get pictures of this rare crane. We were at least 300 feet away when the cranes started moving and the wetland was so slippery and spongy that walking in it and running after the cranes seemed to be a funny task. After nearly thirty minutes of walking behind them, they were at the same distance from us and it was clear that they were avoiding us. Even Carl Lewis wouldn’t probably make it closer to them I thought and after a few document shots of the Cranes I got back to the vehicle. Rahul asked me if I had good pictures but my response was negative. I probably had good record shots but after an encounter with the Sarus Cranes in March, I wouldn’t settle for anything less than full-frame photographs of the cranes I told him. Rahul probably thought my expectations were a bit insane and we continued our journey back to the camp where we had break-fast and started travelling towards Hanle – the actual destination of our mission.

Just outside the Chushul village another pair of Black-necked Crane was spotted and we again spent two hours walking in the spongy wetland largely unsuccessful in getting closer to them. I started to think if setting up a hide and waiting for them was the only way. May be I would have done that in Hanle where I had three days to spare for the Cha-thung thung.


Day 3 – Drive to Hanle
On the way to Hanle from Chushul, we spotted nearly fifteen to twenty Cha-thung thungs and it was never expected to see them in these numbers. I heard that probably a maximum of 100 pairs live in Ladakh and we had already seen 15-20 of them and after a while we stopped counting. Just before a bridge with a large army presence, we took a break to eat lunch and a casual scan through the binoculars amused us with a sight of eight BNC (Black-necked Cranes) in the horizon. A few of them were sitting while most standing tall and having a look in all directions.

The day ended with more and more BNCs on the way and the number reached thirty by dusk. A life time sighting of Saker Falcon on the outskirts of Hanle and a Wolly hare that ran across the track were some other species we could spot that evening. Thankfully we didn’t have to pitch our tents in Hanle as we found a decent shelter in the Forest Department Guest house. We had an attached toilet and floor of ply-woods to spend the night on. I must mention that if anyone travels here on their own, they are most likely not going to make it as at some places there are no tracks and one has to find ways between the small bushes to cross the streams. Tundup vanished that evening as he had to meet his relatives in the village of Hanle. Tundup came very late in the night and informed us that he enquired about the BNCs and his cousin “Karma” would accompany us the next day to take us to the spot.


Day 4 – Cha-thung thung in Hanle
Hoping this would be an exciting day, we picked up a cute and innocent looking Karma from his house. We probably woke him up and didn’t even let him visit the toilet that morning – Sorry Karma. Karma took us to a place from where we had to walk a small distance. I picked up the big lens and the tripod and started walking behind the tiny cute man. What Karma called a short walk was at least two kilometres of walking next to the wetlands crossing a monastery where I found only female monks. It seems monasteries can either have male lamas or females and they don’t co-exist. The beautiful looking monks found the big equipment amusing and they all mustered near a tired and panting Jayanth with equipment looking like a missile launcher to them. Soon we spotted plenty of Common Hoopoe and Desert Wheatear while I sat on the rock parking the tripod and lens beside me trying to catch up with breath. Rahul said he would scan the wetland for a while and walked up to a curve from where the other part was not visible to me. He shouted “Jayanth...aajao......milgaya” and I was delighted. I briskly walked up to him and got a sight of yet another pair of Cha-Thung thungs from a distance. Their movement suggested that they would walk past us and we quickly setup our bunkers beside the rocks waiting for our innocent targets to arrive. Meanwhile we chased Tundup and Karma away asking them to be back with breakfast as we had no plans of moving out of the area till the end of day.

For nearly four hours we sat in our bunkers waiting for the Cranes to walk past us but they always maintained a healthy distance from the camera and I was getting very concerned if I would ever get close to them. The mid day’s heat was so strong that we had to change plans and get back to our shelter to rest till the afternoon. We found two more pairs near the village while on our way back to the guest house. During lunch Rahul and I started planning about the ways in which we could tackle these shy birds. Post lunch we went to the same spot where four cranes were busy feeding and a Kiang was on guard around them. We decided to come back to this place after checking out on the Pair and the chick we had observed in the morning. Something told me, that I should get back to the four cranes and let the pair with their chick carry on. I also had a feeling that the two pairs were a better bet than the parenting BNCs which would be extra cautious as safety of the chicks could be their highest priority. We had a nice view of the parents and the chick before we decided to head back to the area near the village with four cranes.


The Red Fox Surprise
On our way back, a Red Fox panned across the road and climbed up a boulder and sat as close as 20 feet from the car. I quickly picked up the compact 100-400 lens and aimed at the beautiful and cunning fox before he ran up the hill hid behind another boulder. We played hide and seek for nearly ten minutes before which he got up and ran as fast as he could from us. It was a great pleasure to see the fox and I was laughing at this being the first fox species I sighted or photographed in all these years. It was great fox luck!


The date with Black-necked Cranes
The BNCs were at least 400 feet away from the road and to get photographs that I wouldn’t be ashamed of showing, I had to get as close as at least 100 feet away from them. Concealing myself in the open wetlands trying to stalk them with a 600mm lens and a huge tripod was probably the most difficult things I had done till date. I would progress 20 feet, kneel down and pant, grab some oxygen. It also worked to my benefit as I didn’t scare them away with too many bold moves. It probably took thirty minutes for me to get as close as a hundred feet to them while my crew back in the car were wishing for me crossing their fingers. Rahul meanwhile had come out of the car and was a couple of hundred feet away from me. I started clicking pictures of the cranes when they were amused by the Locusts in the wetlands which made the cranes do the act of a jumping jack. It was an amazing sight to see Cranes suspended in air a few feet above the ground while I thought it was the best time to approach them even closer as they were busy. I was as close as 75 feet away and I spent the next 40 minutes clicking plenty of pictures of them. I waved at Rahul and called him closer as the Cranes didn’t have any problem with me being around. Rahul and I couldn’t believe our luck with this tolerant pair but we hardly knew what was coming.
Pic of me clicking the Cranes

After nearly ten minutes, a Ladakhi villager with a domestic horse appeared in the background as he started walking towards the BNCs. I thought he would shoo the birds away but to my surprise the BNCs looked at him while he passed across them and showed no signs of discomfort. I was amazed to see such contrasting behavioural difference in the Cranes. A little while later the cloud cover vanished and golden evening light fell on these mesmerizing birds. I am spell bound to explain the happiness that was generated in me when all the four of them started walking towards me may be out of curiosity and landed as close as thirty feet away. There came a time when they wouldn’t fill my frame optimally but extend out of it when I stopped clicking and picked up the binoculars watching details of their faces and the light falling on the red patch on the crane’s head which was shining. The Cranes had created magic and I hardly slept that night dreaming of them.


Day 5 – Tso Moriri
I was quite satisfied with the encounter and it was time to head towards another beautiful lake called the Moriri. We reached Moriri by lunch time on day five and found a wonderful house under construction where we camped that night. I didn’t like this place much as it was buzzing with tourists and it was disheartening to see construction happen all across the lakes. I saw plenty of sand being stolen from the area to facilitate construction in the nearby areas and I suspect that Moriri will be the first of the lakes where wildlife sighting will be zero in sometime from now.


Day 6 – Around Moriri and drive to Tso Kar
I found at least 5 horses dead in Tso Moriri and when enquired the locals told us that these horses were chased by the Kiang – Wild Asses and they had fallen in to the water and drowned. Wolly hares, Snow finches, Bar-headed Goose, Great Crested Grebe were some of the limited species we could sight near Moriri as we headed towards Puga village and then to Tso Kar my final destination of the Cha-thung thung mission. On the way out of moriri, I spent nearly an hour photographing the cute and adorable marmots that bask in the daylight coming out of their burrows. Golden Eagles, Lynx, Pallas’s Cat and foxes are some of their predators it is believed. The Marmots were very bold and tolerant towards humans as they got out of their holes play fighting and running across the open spaces. Moriri is a nice place to even sight the Plateau Pika as well as the Large-eared Pika and signs of them being killed on the road were plenty. Pikas run across the road and plenty of them get killed in the day due to speeding vehicles. I also spotted whiskered terns near Puga village and it started raining heavily. We landed at Tso Kar by evening and I was happy to find a nice hut with carpets and bedding. Tso kar seemed to be a heaven and I decided to camp here for at least three nights.


Day – 7 and 8 at Tso Kar
Amongst all the lakes I visited Tso Kar was the smallest and probably the best. Wildlife around Tso Kar was rich and happening. On both mornings, I would walk till the edge of the lake through the spongy wetlands and settle down near the rocks for the whole morning. One one such walk I was petrified when my leg sank in the wetland and got stuck till my knees. I exerted pressure and removed the right leg and in that struggle my left Leg got pushed deep inside the wetland and I started to fear if it was quicksand and I would die. But I still seem to have a lot of things to do before I go.

Brown-headed Gulls, Brahminy ducks, Lesser and Greater Sand Plovers, Red Shanks, Pied Avocet were my companions on both mornings and the Gulls showed a lot of curiosity in me when they flew very close to me providing ample photo opportunities of them in flight. I was quite amazed by the sight of a pair of Black-necked Cranes with two chicks. Usually one egg is produced and the chick is raised but this was a surprise sighting of two chicks with beautiful adult cranes that walked on the shallow waters of Tso Kar. From a distance I photographed them and watched them for a long time.

In the evening we spotted yet another pair of BNCs on the other side of the lake. A heard of Kiang was seen very closer to the village and yet another sight of the mesmerizing Red Fox was recorded. On the last morning, the Brahminy ducks swam very closer to the bank and took off from the surface of the water like Surface to Air missiles. By afternoon we reached Leh.


Leh – Khardungla, Nubra Valley, Hunder and Diskit
Being on the higest motorable road on the 15th of August was a dream come true and seeing people sing the national anthem in Khardung la generated a lot of patriotism in me. I spent a night in Hunder which is known for its Bactrian Camels and Sand dunes. White-winged Redstart, the Red and yellow billed choughs and a lot of marmots on the way treated us in this small trip after which we spent some time locating the Ladakh Urial on our way to the Lamayuru monastery. Ladakh Urials were spotted at least half a kilometre away climbing the slopes of the hills and on one lucky occasion they were crossing the road.

On the last day of my trip, a drive towards Zingchan from where the famous treks to the Rumbak and Markha valley start gave me a great idea of how difficult these treks are. Snow leopards are predominantly found up in the mountains and in the winter they probably come down a bit. Many people asked me if I saw Snow Leopards on this trip. I explained to them that probably one in a million people get to see them in the wild and even the regular Ladakh trekking guides and porters hadn’t seen them ever. Recently I saw pictures of the Unica Uncia in the National Geographic and the way in which they found the leos after months of struggle and tracking was remembered. Probably April is the right time to head towards these areas to try ones luck.

Ladakh – was a truly wild place and I realized a few things after my visit here. We who live in urban India are the most pampered lot without any clue of what difficulties are. Imagine people stocking food months in advance, not being able to get out of homes in the winter, imagine people working only 4-5 months a year when tourists visit their place and the rest of the year they hardly make any money waiting for the snow to clear and the tourists to come back. The Indian Army generated a herculean respect in my mind for them after seeing the circumstances in which they work. And how can I forget the efforts of the BRO – Border Roads Organization which is supposed to be the best in the world. Interesting slogans all along the way reminding people to be extra careful while driving was a very appreciated feature. One of the slogans read “Please be Gentle on my Curves” which was the most hilarious of them all.

Over all Ladakh seems to be a place wildlife lovers should visit at least once in their life time. After spotting wildlife here, I am sure the Ranthambhores and Bandhavgarhs will seem very easy. It was also an important trip for me to realize and educate other’s that Ladakh is not just landscapes and monasteries. Some of the wildlife present there are endemics and it would be really amazing to be a witness to them. The Black-necked Cranes are precious birds and I feel privileged to have sighted more than 40 Individuals in this trip.

Do have a look at the Audio-Visual I created using Photographs to Ladakh.


For a list of all the mammals and birds spotted during this trip, please download this txt file.



Some behind the scenes photographs by Rahul Rao:

A. Camping next to the Tso Kar lake. B. Photo of our transport vehicle that carried us with our tents and kitchen material.

Lying low on Tso-Moriri trying to capture Bar-headed Goose that swim very close to the edge of the lake.

Tundup our Driver and Dorjee our Cook making Momo the special ladakhi dish in our temporary hut at Tso Kar.


After a lot of pain and load carrying on the marshes of Chushul, and Hanle fatigue would be the only companion and such sights where standing amidst picturesque location panting and tired was common. But every dog has its day, this just wasnt mine.


But this was. BNCs allowing me as close as 75 feet on this occassion where I approached them while they were busy entertaining themselves by locusts.


The great evening where the BNCs came walking towards where I was sitting here. It was in the Hanle Marshes. Thanks to Rahul for capturing this moment where nothing other than the Cranes were on my mind.
_________________
Cheers,
Jayanth Sharma
jay@wildlifetimes.com

[Pramod Viswanath]

This is THE BEST trip and trip report by you so far, personally speaking. All the while I was imagining putting myself in your situation about the arduous trek. No matter how much I try to understand or put into words, the effort and sacrifices that has gone in for this trip is inexplicable. Just excuse me if I am incapable of commenting about the report correctly. It's just that these are beyond words effort.

All I cna say is you are doing great! Hats off!

OH BTW, report and images - THE BEST! I will put this at the top of himalayas for everyone to read and enjoy and cherish for a long long time.

[Kumar]

Jay went through your report, no words to be spoken, just stunned by the images. I know u have given the best of ur hard work. A visual treat, mesmerizing beauties of nature, boy they just takes us to a different world & the multimedia slide show its like a heavenly experience with a great great backgound music. Jay you rock.
Thanks for sharing.
Great clicking ahead .
Kumar

[Suksy]

Jay, Great work done!

I completely agree with Pramod.. This IS THE BEST of the lot - All your efforts have borne fruit dude.

The photographs show that indeed, this is heaven on earth! Keep 'em coming dude.. and wish you all the very best.

[kart]

"Humbled by the Himalayas" yes very true...wat an amazing work Jay...I'm speechless... pics are treat to eyes. I infact shared the ppt with my entire team. they asked me who is this great photographer? I smiled and said "my friend"...lol

[Guest]

Thank you sharing your trip report. Wonderful experince. Lovely and mindblowing pictures. Amazing!!! You are the best!

[devishetty]

Great report and Wonderful pics as usual Jay..

[kshitiz]

Loved the report and also the slideshow.. the music indeed adds a lot of value!
Keep up the great work Jayanth!

[Suresh Basavaraju]

Majestic glimpses of the creatures of this land one rarely gets to see. More power to your lens.

[anilranganath]

This out of the world, lack of words to explain. The BEST I have seen of Ladakh. Keep them coming...!!

[drkishoremurthy]

Awesome!!! Hard work rarely goes unpaid. Keep up the good work

Superb narration and brilliant photography. Kudos!

[jayanthilal chickmagalur]

hi jayanth, thanks for the wonderful travlouge, it was like travelling and experiencing leh ladakh first hand, and the beautiful pictures, wondeful, keep the good work going
best of luck and awaiting eagerly for ur next trip

[bneloy]

Jay - I am sure this was an amazing trip. I enjoyed the trip report very much. Thanks for sharing. And o yes the BNC's images are superb...
_________________
Neloy Banerjee
Shoot with Canon 350D and assorted lens

[kiran venkatesh]

Good stuff, wish you had taken a medium format camera out there (e.g. Mamiya) for those landscapes

Now after reading that you had been up there for 3 weeks, it would've been nice to see photos of the surroundings, the people, your gear, the car, candid photos, etc. Just to show the ligGood stuff, wish you had taken a medium format camera out there (e.g. Mamiya) for those landscapes :)hter side of your wildlife photography.

Kiran Venkatesh
USA

[sriharsha ganjam]

I stand humbled!!
_________________
Harsh

[dyount]

Jayanth,

This was truly a wonderfully complied report crowned with your usual extraordinary images that hold me captive with each click. Your ability to convey the true essence of the surroundings that you have visited and bring them back to this web page is impressive! You never let us down!!!
I look forward reading to the sequel of the 'behind-the-scenes' look at your adventure. Thanks for all your hard work and dedication to make it possible for everyone to share in the amazing beauty of this wild world of wilderness....
_________________
dyount

[suhas]

one of ur best trip reports and pics collection.....surreal shots, amazing landscapes and a well written adventure....luvd it

suhas

[pvijaykumar]

Dost...no words to describe the stunning pics. Eventhough Ladakh is barren and cold but simply stunning. The amalgation of snow, desert and the clouds makes it a heaven on earth.

Please correct me if i am wrong about the BACTRIAN CAMELS(the double humped ones) because to the best of knowledge, they are endemic to the Gobi desert in Mongolia.

by the way.....from the biker's point of view, did you visit Skarchu and the Changthang plateau? Did you get to see/meet any CHANGPAS ?

Cheers
VJ

[caesar]

It too hard to express in words. So I would better not try it. I believe this is the best trip report I have read from you.
_________________
Dr Caesar Sengupta
workcaesar@gmail.com

"Nature speaks, men have forgotten how to listen"