Parang La to Spiti

Leh to Spiti; Caravan In The Sky

22nd June - Arrive Delhi
Joel or one of our drivers will be at the airport to meet you; look for the sign with your name on. A short drive takes us to our hotel in Karol Bagh, a quiet Delhi suburb. Over dinner we will discuss your gear; and our adventure!

23 June - Fly Leh 3500m
Did you get any sleep? We are up early to board the spectacular flight to Leh, crossing the main Himalayan Barrier to the capital of Ladakh, Tashi Namgyal's 15th century Himalayan capital at 3500m. The clear high air will catch at the throat when we arrive, and now we start the serious business of acclimatization; and eating, as after we settle into our hotel we have a long leisurely breakfast. It will take your body a few days to adjust to this high altitude. It is important to drink plenty of (non-alcoholic) liquids, and do not attempt to rush around. Even walking up the stairs of the guest house will make you breathless at first! We will discuss this in detail. Note that we have planned plenty of acclimatization time into our itinerary.

24 - Leh 3500m
We have a day for relaxing and enjoying the peaceful atmosphere of this little bit of old Tibet. Joel is virtually an honorary resident, and he will be your guide to shopping, gompas, and more. There is lots to explore in this wonderful Central Asian town; the fort and palace, colorful gompas, the mosque, a museum, back alleys with steaming Muslim bread and tiny antique shops tucked away, colorful bazaars and even polo fields...

25 - drive Tsokar

We drive to camp at the incredible salt lake where locals still harvest salt annually.

26 - drive Korzok

Another (incredible) jeep day to the tiny settlement of korzok huddled on the shores of the 26 KM long turquoise lake Tso Moriri

27 - to Kyangdom (Tso Moriri) 4530m
An 8 hour, flat, magical walk along the lake to Kyangdom, 'The Kingdom of the asses'.

28 - Kyangdom 4530m
Tso Moriri is a magic place, a huge lake. Watch the wading birds, yaks and wild ponies around the lake and its grasslands, or the storms that seasonally move up and down the lake, which creates its own weather.

29 - Dungri 4460m
An easy two hour walk across the lake end to the nomad settlement here, followed by a post lunch acclimtisation walk.

30 - Norbu Sumdo 4400m
Distant Kyang, nomad herds, and lake Tsomoriri drops slowly behind as we walk across classic central Asian grassland to the river junction with the Parang Chu.

1 - Umlung (rock camp) 4700m
A valley the size of Nepals' Kali Gandaki, but empty...a cold river crossing to kick off before 5 hours walking brings us to a camp we have named after the boulders that hem it in. The fit can try their hand at climbing them!

2 - End in sight camp 4850m
Why the name? Because from here you can just make out the ice ridge that marks our last pass, the Parang la at 5700m.

3 - Parang La high camp 4955m
Situated among rocks at the foot of the glacier, a good meal and an early night are in order, we have a long day tomorrow.

4 - chicken run camp
Away at 6am and on to the ice that curves up to the pass; soon we are among sasturgi with the pass a seemingly impossible climb; by 12 noon we are on top, and by one we are lunching at the bottom, then a long hot gorge and a final climb to the pleasant meadow named after our 2000 chicken dinner! Seriously, this is probably one of the best days trekking in Northern India, probably the planet.

5 - Kibber 4700m
An easy mornings walk to our delightful hotel in the quiet village of Kibber, where we can shower and slowly ease back into civilisation. We arrive at lunchtime, and spend our last day in the hills in mellow surroundings.

6 - Spare trek day

7 - drive to Manali.
An early start for a spectacular jeep ride to Manali via the Kunzum and Rohtang Passes. We arrive in Manali about 6 PM after a long dusty day on the road.

8 - Manali
Washing, shopping, eating, relaxing, this is your day of rest.

9 - drive Delhi
We have most of the day in Manali then around 5pm take the luxurious Himachal Pradesh night bus, arriving in Delhi early the next day.

10 - Depart
You arrive in Delhi sometime between 8am and 11am, so you could fly out sometime after midday. Most flights are at night so either you can spend time in town or we can arrange a hotel room for the day.
We hope you had a great trek!

Welcome!

December 2006

Welcome...

This goes up on my blog at regular intervals, but welcome anyway to my collection of images and writing. I am in the Everest region currently, and moving on in quick succession to Nanda Devi and Sikkim, part of what our trekking organisation (Project-Himalaya.com) being about is exploring new regions of the Himalaya, our home.
Enjoy!
Joel
.

Birthday Planes, Jeeps and trains....

The journey from the end of our Sikkim trek to Darjeeling and Bagdogra has to be the loveliest in the Himalaya; forested hillsides, tea plantations, and views of Kanchenjunga seemingly suspended in the sky; afternoon tea at the Windermere and strolling along the mall in Darjeeling, a night introducing my friends to the momo and Chang bars of the Tibetan quarter (and no headache for me!!) then the Windermere for breakfast before the Himalayan Mountaineering institute, and another beautiful drive to our flight. My birthday did not officially begin until we boarded our first class train..how we got the reservations, I do not know!! But I was treated to fresh bread, great Cheese (wine for the others) and breakfast in an exotic destination. And presents wrapped in pink? ooh. Pics soon. And now Kathmandu and work.

Kanchenjunga Sikkim

Within 24 hours of a pre dawn arrival at Delhi with our Nanda Devi group,
Alison and I were flying the length of the Himalayas to Sikkim, the tiny
Himalayan kingdom sandwiched between Nepal and Bhutan. Despite a previous visit
20 years ago, nothing prepared me for the forested beauty of the hillsides,
even through the pouring rain as we slogged up muddy trails,and nothing
prepared us for the sheer etheral beauty of the peaks, shyly greeting us
through low mist and cloud at first, then in full, stunning, awe inspiring
beauty as we took a torch lit 3 AM start for the Goecha La and sat and
marvelled at the huge south face of Kanchenjunga.

Sikkim is incredible, with
the loveliest middle hills, well maintained trails and a strict campsite policy
that keep the upper pastures that lead to the high places pristine as all
sacred places should be. Along with our other recent Indian delight, Nanda
Devi, a place to return to soon.
Thanks to our new friends in Sikkim, Bikash, Purna, Sagar, Bhim, Sanjay and the
team, and all the many Gods living on the Sikkimese heights, for being so good
to Alison and I.

NANDA DEVI...

Our Indian autumn started with Alison from the UK, Dennis from the USA and Kit from Malayasia heading for the lakeside resort of Nanital, then on to Munsiari where Lobsang and Tenpa greeted us with dinner. Our fifth outing along the old trade route to Tibet was blessed with superb weather as we forded the Lwanl Gad, and made our way along exposed trails to a true sanctuary in the hills, Nanda Devi East Base camp, beautiful wide pastures in autumn colours to complement the massed snow and rock above. Then on to the pachu valley for more views and delightful camps, and time to explore the old flagstoned lanes of Milam, Martoli and Pachu.So many thanks to our great Nanda team, Gopal, Bill Murray, the 70 year old horseman, Big Agnes, Nosh from Australia, who was backpacking the PH itinerary (not Gosh, Alison!!) Jody the Scot, and Dennis and Kit, tyro trekkers who coped with humour with their first trek; and of course Lobsang, Tenpa, and Alison.

NEW TREK DATES 2007

First up!

Zanskar Spring Traverse
As spring lays its magical hand over the passes and pastures, we set out again in a season and in a style we have made our own. This journey is a wonderful blend of challenging trekking and warm village welcomes, with insights into a culture that we love.

Dave Donaldson and 6/8 trekkers are booking, along with Corrine Keller.
27 May-25 June, 33 days -- expedition style -- leaders: Joel and Lobsang

Caravan; a Mountain Passage - Ladakh to Spiti
Ten years after they first explored the region, Joel and Lobsang lead a short but stunningly beautiful trek from turquoise Tso Moriri (lake) on the Changtang to the Utah-like valleys of Spiti via the magnificent Parang La (pass).
22 June-10 July, 19 days -- expedition style -- Joel & Lobsang

Custom trek for Per and family.

14 July/30 July, a custom trek for a family.

Ladakh Meditations

This trip combines trekking, meditation, and learning qigong in a high-altitude wonderland. We will traverse the highlands of Ladakh, going over passes and across land which is politically Indian but culturally and geographically Tibetan. We will trek to three ancient Buddhist temples, each of which has unique Buddhist art found nowhere else in the world. We will combine the trek with daily meditation practice, and each day learn some Dayan (Wild Goose) qigong, a 2000 year old form of movement which opens and heals the acupuncture meridians. Both the qigong and meditation are optional -- you can come to just admire the scenery and the art. But if you choose to participate, by the end of the trek you'll be able to do the whole form (which is part of traditional chinese medicine), and at each gompa, you'll have time to participate in a longer (half or full day) meditation retreat. All this with horsemen carrying your gear (you carry only a daypack) and Lopsang preparing delicious, healthy traditional 3-course meals every evening!

Dates; 1 - 25th August

http://web.mac.com/brosenbaum1

Jumlam *Exploratory
Our very favourite autumn trek; and this time we do the Jumlam gorges full justice with time to explore all the stunning canyons and passes where snow leopard and ibex roam.
28 Aug-25 Sept, 29 days -- expedition style -- Joel with Lobsang -- US$2820

High Roads to Asia; return to Devi

From one trade and pilgrimage route to another...Joe and Brenna made some Koras around Bodnath with me, Marcus and Christina from my Chadar 2005 passed through, and I was happily out of the high season Thamel I detest to an autumn Delhi I love - time for tea with Druk, and Ali, Kit, Dennis, Lobsang, Tenpa and I head north east to Nanital, Kumaon, and the sacred sisters...small is beautiful, and in the words of the fifties saturday morning serials, to be continued!

Welcome...

This goes up on my blog at regular intervals, but welcome anyway to my collection of images and writing. I am in the Everest region currently, and moving on in quick succession to Nanda Devi and Sikkim, part of what our trekking organisation (Project-Himalaya.com) being about is exploring new regions of the Himalaya, our home.

Enjoy!

Joel

(Pic, Joel at Phu gate, Nepal, 2004)

Everest; a pilgrimage

It suddenly occured to me that this trek, this year, marks my moving into my third decade of Himalayan trekking, and there is little or nothing on Everest on this blog.

Today I was lucky enough to trek to a remote Gompa near the main tourist route, rarely visited by trekkers, which sums all up all that I love about trekking and in particular the Solu Khumbu.

The sense of peace and tranquility has to be felt; prayer flags cracking in the wind, autumn clouds moving across the face of the Himalaya, and of course, tea with the lama in his delightful garden.

Singge

Ice cream....

Anyone reading our website or talking to us will know the story of one of the children we sponsor, Singge.

I was lucky enough to have a little spare time in Manali, and we all got out for ice cream, shopping, and planning the camping trip that looks like it is happening in December, Lobsang, Tenpa, a couple of Tsaraps horses and a few of his schoolfriends.

Enjoy the pics...Kim gave him a groovy bag that he found a little bright, so he hid it under his shirt...such a guy...

Joel

The Autumn of 2006

Manali in the late autumn is stunningly lovely, made more so by the approach; a 17 hour jeep ride starting at midnight and crossing the highest pass, the Taglang La, by starlight; by mid afternoon the wonderful scenery of west Lahul was all around me, clear blue skies, glacier fed rivers running so blue and trees in all their autumn finery.

A brief stop to put a fresh Katag at Jason's cremation spot on the river bend at Keylong, the Chandra valley, and a warm and touching welcome from Tenpa and Nyima Lhamoo, then pizza from the ever better Al forno looking down on the lights of the Kulu valley.



The last two days have seen my small home coming together, with new coats of paint, and sorting out my books which, tolerant like all old friends have to be, have been housed in collections of bags and boxes for years...having tea with karma in his shop in Leh, I found a pile of metal and silver horse stirrups, all odd ones, which now make perfect book ends.

Ends and beginnings!

Joel

Pictures from top...Tibet colony, Manali, where I live, a fine umbrella, 3 generations in my old family home, and an eternal chorten in Ladakh.

The Summer Of 2006

Over!

Lobsang and all our staff left this morning, and I am left free in a wonderful autumnal Leh to pack up my gear for the treks and the year ahead.
Our Jumlam trek with 9 trekkers was the toughest yet, with washed out trails, high (cold) water but clear skies.
Tomorrow I have a night enjoying Pangong Lake, then overland to my apartment in Manali.
Already 2007 offers some exciting prospects; from a Zanskar film project to a couple of family treks, and of course, my trademark, new trek regions in a professional and responsible manner...
Enjoy the pictures, with more soon.

Joel

Top pic; the custodian of Markha Gompa, bottom pic, classic Jumlam scenery.

The Summer of 2006

From the Top; Wolf print in the Jumlam, fields around Yelchung, Lingshed Monk ees, trail to Snertse, camp at Zangla, distant Ladakh chorten, dancers at Leh festival.

Full circle, ends and beginnings

A few days ago I sat outside the Dragon guest house in Lamayuru catching the last of the September sun; our trek that started in summer was finishing in Autumn, with a chill in the air and frost on our morning flysheets.

Kim and I have one more trek to go before parting ways and the summer could not be a better one to end on, with a wonderful mix of trekkers from around the world coping with extreme weather conditions and the challenges both physical and spiritual that we met every day.

The Leh and Ladakh I cycled into nearly two decades ago has not changed that much, and the evening air as I take my ritual stroll still smells of fresh harvested barley and woodsmoke and the sound of running water that has provided life for this wonderful place for centuries is still all around.

The last five years up here on the roof of the world has been amazingly beautiful, and amazingly hard, and I am looking forward immensely to many more summers here, and watching the seasons change in this special place.

Joel

Welcome....

Welcome to Kingdoms in the sky, a very personal collection of words and images from twenty years of Himalayan trekking and travel.
Enjoy!
Joel

NANDA DEVI TREKS

The fact of the matter is that once you trek to Nanda Devi nothing will ever be quite the same again...

accept no substitutes!

(for details go to project-himalaya.com...soon!)

Ghost traders of the Himalaya; Nanda Devi

Pic; Tibetan salt left to dry in Milam. One of many puzzles in the ghost town.


Every year hundreds of trekkers make their way to Milam., high on India's border with old Tibet, despite the fact that the glacier they come to see has retreated and there are better places for looking at the sacred peaks of the area.


Pic; interior of traders house


What many trekkers miss is the beauty of some of the old towns of Milam, Martoli, Burphu and Pachu; looking like a bombed out london blitz site from the distance, the careful and seeing trekker finds evidence of the old trade with Tibet in Salt, grain, and livestock.

Pic; village square, Milam in early spring

Below the villages on the nutrition rich flats are long abandoned barley fields. The heavenly sisters of Nanda Devi and Nanda Devi east still see the villagers returning to graze their flocks, but they no longer bless the huge caravans of salt and wool laden yaks and goats that Bill Tilman saw on his way back from climbing Nanda Devi in 1936.

This collection of images gives some idea of the size of that trade.

Pic; trekkers on old trade route

NANDA DEVI

Both of our spring 2006 Nanda Devi treks were real all round Himalayan adventures, from the night time craziness of loading our gear at Delhi railway station to the cool serenity of middle hills camps under the pines.




Our first trip kicked off with a hitch; the army were refusing to let anyone, trekkers or locals, to trek up the Johar valley; it was a scant few days before Steve and Lois were due in, so some phone calls were made to our friends in Munsiari, and the alternative plan was hatched; trek across country to the base of the Pindari valley, then up to the Western side of Nanda Devi. We were told this was a good trek, but we really had no idea it was going to be that wonderful. From day one we were stunned by the beauty of the trails we walked through the middle hills; flowers bedecked passes, langur monkeys scattering from our path, deers shying from our camps, and campsites that were a vision of paradise. Yes, it really was that good. By day seven we were heading up the Pindari valley as thunderstorms and torrential rain drove us into the old bungalows that Lobsang warmed with huge fires. Our day to Zero point (if I did not know better it was Annapurna base camp, before the trekkers) was blessed with stunning weather, and we managed side trips to the Kafni glacier and 'Pungi top' probably one of the loveliest alps in the Himalaya.






Above right, post shower at our base in Munsiari at happy hour; Kim, Lauren, Cliff, Paul and Tom; snow pic, our first team en route to the base of Nanda Kot; Main pic above, old Mani stones in old corners of Milam evidence the lost trade from Tibet, and very top, wall art in Khati.

Above, Kim with Hardeol and Tirsuli (NOT Trisul!!) behind, below, the trek cake.

At the end of the first trip I heard that my mother, missing my late father, had passed on quietly in her sleep and it made this trek even more important to the memory of the woman who had, along with many others, taken great joy in what I did; and the group of Kim, Paul, Tom, Lauren and Cliff proved excellent companions as we shamelessly altered our itinerary, spending lazy afternoons at Milam and Burphu, and climbing high above our camps to see the heavenly sisters, Nanda Devi and her young Sister, the star of the east. My sister Kim, despite this being a holiday, kept the dining tent in line (shoes, cliff!) and all of our group got through tummy bugs and sore ankles.



Shipton and Tilman hovered around us as Kim and I laughed at Tilmans' descent of the Lwanl Gad, and we pieced together the scant history of the Johar valley from their accounts.

Lobsang and the horsemen and I built a bridge over the Lwanl gad that would doubtless have had the sherpas of the 1934 trips admiration, chopping down trees and swinging over awful drops to get it in place, and despite Joel and Lobsang crossing and recrossing it to show it was safe, our trekkers (probably wisely!) turned it down, and we had a great night in Nainital instead.

In a few hours we board the train to Delhi and sadly what Tom (or Peter as Lobsang calls him) called a real 'All round Himalayan experience, must end.

Thank you all!

Joel






above, the sisters.

Lobsang as a father

The night before we left for our trek, dinner in Manali, where I (Joel) also live.

Tenzin was born last August, and is huge, like Lobsang, with all the charm of the Khampas....

Nanda Devi!

Nanda Devi is the mountain named after the Goddess tucked away in a remote corner of the Indian Himalaya.

In 2005, after years of dreaming, I finally got the time to spend nearly six weeks in the region.

The area has attained an almost mythical status among trekkers for the Shipton and Tilman classic exploration in the thirties; at a time when all mountain exploration was going for throwing lots of gear, from india rubber bathtubs to gramphones and quails in aspic, they travelled light and fast.


In 1983 the inner sanctuary was closed to trekkers, but the areas around it, Nanda Devi east (in the picture) and the Pindari glacier, are incredible trekking.


This weekend the Nanda Devi treks start in earnest; Steve, Lois, Tom, Cliff, Kim and Lauren will be joining us over the next six weeks.

We travel up on the Ranikhet express (and sorry to Bill and Eric, first class!) to Kathgodam on the edge of the plains, then on to Munsiari by jeep.

Lois, Steve and I are pioneering a route from Munsiari to the Pindari glacier, hoping to put another side to the Mystery of the 'moving Traills pass'.

Then, in May, Kim, Tom, Lauren, Cliff and I are following the route below.

Expect photos and trip reports in Late May.

Trek details below.

Nanda Devi Pilgrimage

"An audience with the sisters of Kumaon"
Bob Rosenbaum on the 05' recce trip

The sacred peaks of Nanda Devi 7816m and Nanda Devi East 7434m cleave the skies in a remote corner of the Indian Himalaya, locked in a sisterly embrace on the border between the ancient kingdoms of Kumaon and Garwhal in the state of Uttaranchal. 2006 is the 70th anniversary of the first ascent of this mythical peak, the culmination of probably one of the last great epics of mountain exploration. This, then, is a good year to launch our treks here.

Our trek takes us from narrow gorges with rivers thundering far below, over snow bridges to high pastures, and the stone villages that were the homes of the pundits, the first real geographers of Tibet. And then to the peaks; we cross glaciers and crevasse fields to stunning views of the sisters, and their friends, Nanda Kot and Kat.

For lovers of the remote, and those wanting to linger and learn, rather then just pass through, this trek has it all.

Outline Itinerary

There is a detailed itinerary lower on the page. Joel and Lobsang spent six weeks in the area in 2005, this trek is the result of that research.

Day 1 - Saturday 8 April 2006 - arrive Delhi

Day 1 - Saturday 29 April 2006 - arrive Delhi

2 - drive Nanital

3 - drive Munsiari 2100m

4 - trek Lilam 1830m

5 - trek Bodgwar 2500m

6 - trek Rialkot 3000m

7 - trek Martoli 3374m

8 - trek Lwanl 3600m

9 - trek Nanda Kot Base camp 4100m

10 - trek Nanda Devi East Base camp 4250m

11 - trek Lwanl 3600m

12 - trek Pachu 3750

13 - trek high valley camp 4200m

14 - trek Milam 3500m

15 - rest day at Milam

16 - trek Bodgwar 2500m

17 - trek Munsiari

18 - drive Nanital

19 - to Delhi

20 - spare day

Day 21 - Friday 28 Apr - depart

Day 21 - Friday 19 May - depart

April 2006

I arrived in Manali yesterday, and since then of course, too much to do; getting gear both ready for the Nanda Devi treks, with endless phone calls to Munsiari, plus moving into a new apartment a few doors from Lobsang, and avoiding the shop closures; as ever, festivals that I never heard of just when you want to pick up some pasta.

Tonight I am having dinner with Lobsang, Tenpa, and families, and talking over the plans for the summer. Then tomorrow we head to Delhi, Steve and Lois arrive saturday, and we head north on the overnight Ranikhet express to Kathgodam, in the footsteps of Tilman and Shipton.

The only rest I will be getting in the next few days will be on that train!

Joel

Ice walkers 2006

A selection of pictures from our Chadar 2006 trek...details of 2007 treks can be found on project-himalaya.com
Joel




Left, Lingshed lady en route to a Losar (new year)
party, below, the bridge we cross every summer over the Zanskar below Neraks

Right, Denio and Raquel on the way to Lingshed village

left, moving gear along a narrow ice shelf; note the slush on the water surface gradually building up to freeze up

Walking on (frozen) water

The Chadar trek in Ladakh, NW India, is probably one of the hardest but most rewarding treks in a region known for the severity of its winters.

Traditionally most treks in this Tibetan region follow old trade or pilgrimage routes, and the Chadar ('White veil') is taken by Zanskaris in years past to trade butter, a product of their summer farming; but not able to travel in the heat of summer.

Most accounts of this journey are of the 'oh how we suffered' type, even when walking the route you will meet trekkers who constantly tell outrageous lies about the temperature (minus 40 was the biggest fib).

What they do not tell you is the stunning beauty of the ice, the friendliness of the Zanskaris, and the chance to witness a people whose winter life style has changed little for years.

Thank you Brian, Lobsang, Stanzin, Norbu, Ben, Peter, Denio, Laurence,

Diane, Tad, Markus and Christine for your great company on my four treks into Zanskar in winter.