Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2013/09/11
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]The Nubra Valley is accessed through the highest motorable road in the world, touching 18,380 feet at a pass called Khardung La. From there you descend gradually into a valley, of altitude of an average of around 10,000 feet, which was a part of the ancient Silk Route - it leads to Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan on the western end, and into Xinjiang in China through the famous Karakoram and Saser La passes on the north western end. The northern end is the high altitude battlefield, between India and Pakistan, of the Siachen Glacier. I never got past the valley, which has a tributary of the Indus, the River Shyok, flowing through it. Another river the Nubra or Siachen, drains into the Shyok. The valley is famous for its sand dunes, though why it beats me, because I found them rather underwhelming. The area around the dunes has wild Bactrian Camels (double humped), which are also captured and tamed for use as beasts of burden. The usual monasteries are there and a small town called Diskit is the administrative centre: Camel Ride 1: http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/India/Ladakh/Ladakh_20130901_0336.jpg.html Camel Ride 2: http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/India/Ladakh/Ladakh_20130901_0366.jpg.html Football: http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/India/Ladakh/Ladakh_20130901_0338.jpg.html Diskit Monastery: http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/India/Ladakh/Ladakh_20130902_0452.jpg.html Maitreya Buddha: http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/India/Ladakh/Ladakh_20130902_0492.jpg.html Please see LARGE (I have posted LARGER as per Philippe's request!) Comments and criticism, as ever, welcome. Cheers Jayanand