Eric Hanson did the unthinkable. He traveled Patagonia in the winter.
Wild, Desolate Lands: Off-Season In Patagonian Winter
Alchi Circuit, Ladakh – day 3
trip report by besthike editor Rick McCharles
day 0 | day 1 | day 2 | day 3 | not recommended
About midnight I felt droplets of rain on my face. For the first time in Ladakh I got up and put the fly on the tent.
Opening the fly next morning I was surprised to see a winter wonderland.
Yet more new snow dusted the mountains.
I’d tented out of sight in these trees.
Dropping further down the valley I finally saw some people. An elderly couple bringing up their goats to graze.
It’s a nice valley, for sure. Some of the buildings impressive.
My face somewhat burned from reflected snow the previous day, the shade of the creek foliage was appreciated.
I saw some unusual Buddhist flags and scarfs en route. Like wash day at the monastery.
This is some significant Buddhist site. Unusual rock formations.
I know because a foreign tourist arrived by car to take photos. Here. On this excellent black top roadway.
A road? What?! 😦
There are no people in this valley. Yet the Indian government built a road up this valley?
I’d planned two more nights on the Alchi circuit. But right here I decided my trek was over. I don’t hike roads.
Then – despite my protestations – I proceeded to hike the road all the way down to Sumdha Do.
Mountain people want roads and electricity. Both degrade the hiking experience.
AND it’s nearly impossible to maintain these roads. Washouts, rock slides and collapse are non-stop.
At Sumdha Do I had trouble finding out how to escape. Indians feel it’s polite to give strangers an answer, even if it’s incorrect. Finally I collected 3 independent answers that concurred.
This was the road heading in the direction of Leh.
It was 21km to Nimmu village on the main highway.
Would I have to walk it?
NOPE. 🙂
The second vehicle to pass picked me up. An Indian Army jeep.
They dropped me – after a rough ride – at the highway crossroads. The second vehicle to pass picked me up. Turned out it was a jammed, shared taxi. For $2 it delivered me back to Leh by 1pm.
After a hot shower I was just in time for the closing ceremonies of the annual Ladakh festival. Speeches. Ethnic music and dancing.
I didn’t last long. I headed, instead, to the excellent Leh Ling Cafe & Bookstore for Chai.
See all the high resolution photos from this day.
day 0 | day 1 | day 2 | day 3 | not recommended
inspiration to visit Ladakh
Markha Valley trek, Ladahk, India
by site editor Rick McCharles
Locked and loaded. I land in Leh September 11th, 2015. I’ll be doing Markha and other local treks.
AT A GLANCE
- the most popular hike in Ladahk, northern India, bordering Tibet
- easy access out of Leh
- 6-8 days
- 111km (69mi)
- early June to mid-October
- moderate-demanding
- big risk of altitude sickness
- 2-3 high passes (4900m-5200m)
- several nights at very high altitude
- sleep in tent or in “homestays”
- frequent flights from Delhi. Infrequent flights from Srinagar and Jammu.
- hike independently or with a Guide
- check the confusing tourist visa requirements for India. Some nations can get a visa-on-arrival at airports.
Click PLAY or watch 3minuteAdventures – Markha Valley Trek, Ladakh
on YouTube.
That’s the toughest itinerary, starting out of Stok village rather than the more popular trailheads of Spitok or Zinchen.
2 hikers dead on the Kepler Track
Thinking of Étienne Lemieux and Louis-Vincent Lessard today. 😦
Police in New Zealand believe two bodies found in avalanche debris are Louis-Vincent Lessard and Étienne Lemieux, two Quebec travellers who went missing during an outdoor adventure trip. …
The first body was found over the weekend in a field of avalanche debris about 350 metres below the Kepler track, where the two had planned to go hiking. A second body was discovered Monday at about 10:30 a.m. New Zealand time. …
“The majority of people who walk the Kepler track do it in summer and there’s seldom any snow. Totally different story in winter, when large volumes of snow can fall in that area. Not many people at all walk the Kepler track in winter.” …
Yukon Ho
We like the Yukon even better than Alaska for hiking. For one thing, the weather is better.
If you need some inspiration, click through to Zi-Ann Lum Yukon photo essay. 🙂
For the hiker, the Tombstone Mountains are an obvious attraction. It offers a dramatic feast for eyes — a range of wind-whipped granite cathedrals are overshadowed by a towering 500-metre vertical face. In August, the wild terrain changes hues: summer’s green moss fades into vibrant shades of gold and orange, broken up by ripples of crimson and the occasional mountain lake. …
31 Photos That Will Make You Want To Visit The Yukon Right Now
More photos from our Tombstone mountains hike.
(via Dave Haley, organizer of that trip)
6 day B.C. Coast Mountains traverse
Arc’teryx sponsored 5 women on a remote six day adventure. Part of their “Where We Belong” promotion.
The Coast Mountains of B.C. are crazy wild and inaccessible. I’m impressed.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
(via Hiking in Finland)
Langtang village destroyed by avalanche
😦 Details on the 2015 Nepal earthquake are still emerging.
I trekked Langtang in November 2014.
The 2014 Nepal snowstorm disaster had just happened, killing at least 43 people including at least 21 trekkers. That was in Annapurna and Dhaulagiri. 😦
I loved Langtang village in 2014. Everyone did.
😦
Robbie Barnett relays information from Austin Lord on the Modern Tibet Facebook page:
“The village of Langtang was the site of the largest single catastrophe, as the entirety of village was completely buried by an avalanche that came from thousands of feet above on the southern slopes of Langtang Lirung and Langtang II.
Smaller settlements on the outskirts of Langtang, such as Chyamki, Thangsyap, and Mundu were also buried. It is impossible to determine exactly how many people died there, but the estimate is perhaps over 300 people in total.
The handful of survivors, roughly twelve locals and two foreigners, walked down to Ghodatabela below after spending the night of the 25th in a cave – thus there is no one at Langtang itself. This avalanche is perhaps 2-3 kilometers wide …
Above, at Kyangjin Gompa, there were reportedly fewer casualties (perhaps 5-10) yet many injured. …”
Sad. Sad. Sad.
But there are a few miracle stories to celebrate. Pemba Tamang, the 15-year-old who was rescued after being trapped for five days under rubble.
And 4-month-old Sonit Awal pulled from underground.
Expedition Alaska Adventure Race
I’m planning to volunteer for Dave Adlard’s NEXT expedition race. Social media. Photos. Video.
June 28th – July 4th, 2015.
Over almost 7 days, teams will undertake a 340 – 600 km (200 – 350 miles) expedition over some of the most beautiful, epic and challenging terrain on Earth.
Racers will use a map, compass and their own wits to navigate their way over a (mostly) unmarked route by mountain biking, rafting, paddling, trekking, canyoneering, coasteering, glacier travel, orienteering, trail running, fixed ropes, and a few other surprises through the amazing expanse of Alaska’s Kenai peninsula!
Banff Alberta in winter
I stayed a February night in Banff, one of our top 10 hiking towns in the world.
Wanting to do some day hiking, I stopped by the National Parks office for advice.
Unfortunately, the local trails are a mess in winter. Snowy, icy and often CLOSED.
I still managed a short afternoon walking from town to the Banff Springs Hotel.
Shortly after I gave up. And caught the bus up the mountain to the Hot Springs.
I’ll come back in summer. 🙂
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