High Altitude Tso Moriri
Changthang is a vast high altitude plateau situated in the north-east of the region, bordering Tibet. The altitude varies between 14 to 15000 feet. It is the home of Changpa nomad tribes, a pastoral community who eke out living from their flock of pashmina goats and sheep. Temperature during winter falls below - 50 degrees C. It is a desolate wilderness, a haven of tranquility. No soul is seen for miles and miles. Occasionally tents of the nomads and their herd only are met with in these astounding landscapes.
In such absolute wilderness and an ocean of silence, at an altitude of 4572 m, 240 km from Leh lies a serene sapphire-blue lake, Tso Moriri, alive with variety of water birds during summer months. The region has many hot water springs and.abundance of wildlife enjoying their undisturbed habitat. There are three different routes to reach the plateau and Tso Moriri. Route that follows upstream of Indus River is the easiest, shortest and without any high altitude pass. We follow this route. It is a lonely and long way to the Lake.
On a beautiful tuesday morning,cool and pleasant with clear blue sky, we were all set for the night out and camping in the farthest land in Ladakh.On Leh-Manali highway, past Karoo we reached Upashi. Here we left the Manali highway and continue along picturesque Indus valley,past Himya and Kere we reached hot water spring at Chumathank on the bank of Indus.Steaming hot water oozes out at several places from the spring. From one of the locations it is piped to the bathrooms for bathing. The water of the spring has therapeutic value.
After a drive of 5 km we left Indus valley, crossed Indus River and turned east. We now followed a small singing brook passing through a narrow valley at times widening but mostly narrow with bare rocky hills staring from above.There was rich green vegetation on the valley floor and around villages. The rose-bush - the omnipresent flowering plant of Ladakh,was in bloom and showed its presence everywhere; in sheltered pockets and in bare rocks devoid of soil and the air was filled with their pleasant aroma.
The valley opened up at Kiari, became broad for some distance then closed into a narrow terrain. We reach a picturesque spot of Namshang on the edge of a stream carpeted with green grass on which stood a small parachute tent restaurant, providing snacks and hot cup of tea. This was a lone shop in a lonely place.Few pasmina sheep wee grazing nearby in a green patch.we were in Changthang Plateau, the high altitude bald pastures between 14 to 15000 feet elevation. This was an expansive empty space in the tranquil wilderness, where wild animals move about freely with the time and space entirely to themselves or to the animals of the nomadic herders.
We resumed our journey on the dirt road and after a short drive suddenly we saw a vast beautiful lake with clear blue waters surrounded by hills. The pretty lake dominated the landscape in which brahmini ducks and geese were wading in the shallow waters.
A small village Korzok with its hilltop monastery is the only habitation in the area. We walked along the periphery of the lake beyond Korzok Village to watch the amber-pink glow of the dying day. The sun was about to set. The long rays of setting sun turned the lake shimmer with golden hue. The low hills in the surround got lit up with faint glow. It was a beautiful end of the day. Soon after night felt and it was all quiet.
We settled for the tent colony called the Nomadic Life Camp (Tsomo riri), Korzok for our night sojourn. The double flapped, double bed tents with comfortable mattresses and comforters tents look brand new and were lined in two rows. It is a neat campus with hygienic toilets with flowing water taps and flushes. A water channel passes in between two rows of tents which makes the site more romantic. It is a nice tent colony with friendly and hospitable owner and workers. The food served was rich and tasty; organic as is claimed by the owner.
It was glorious to be out here far away from home at an altitude of 14500 ft on the bank of Tso Moriri to spend the night in the Korzok village of Changthang plateau.
It was a long and dreary night; extremely cold; temperature falling below zero degree.
It was an unforgettable experience. And I can not thank god enough for this great experience. I was amazed how the Changpa herdmen live in these high altitude cold and absolute wilderness and love it! I believe they have Angels for company and are in commune with God all the time. I feel that here the earth is very close to heaven and divide is so thin that you can feel His presence and hear Him talk to you.
