July 11 - August 01: Kun Expedition
“On July 26 just after 6 AM, finally I stood atop the icy, thin-aired summit of Mt Kun. At 23,250 ft (7077m) my fingers, frozen from the subzero temperatures, fumbled with the 'High Asia For Aphasia' banner that I had tucked carefully inside my down jacket. I managed to slowly unfurl it and hold it across my chest as my Sherpa climbing partner Nima snapped some photos. The batteries died after two pictures and Nima extracted them from the camera, rubbed them vigorously between his hands, reviving them enough for a few more exposures. Over the next 10 minutes, the other members of the climbing team trickled to the summit one by one. We had really done it, climbed a technical 7000m peak in the far western Himalaya, high above the clouds, closer to the stars, living out our dream, sharing the moment. No doubt the final summit push on Kun was the hardest I’ve experienced as a climber. My lungs strained to inhale enough oxygen to sustain the strenuous efforts of the steep relentless ascent. My stomach ached from a week of poor nutrition since one's apatite often diminishes at altitude; and my feet were frozen and my body shaking from mild hypothermia. Still, I was grateful to be on the summit, carrying the High Asia For Aphasia banner. I was equally grateful to begin the long descent, into the direction of the warming rays of the orange sun, back towards high camp, and home.”
- G. Leonard (Kun expedition journal)
The journey to the summit really began months earlier and included the kick-starting of the High Asia For Aphasia (HAFA) awareness and fundraising campaign. Thanks to many people this has been a great success. The awareness campaign reached the minds and hearts of hundreds of people from at least 4 continents, and the effort continues. Janet Hawley from the University of Arizona's Speech Sciences Department and I will appear on a local Tucson radio show at the end of August (2013) to report on the success of HAFA, and the details of the climb too. We are now seeking to get onto local television and into the newspapers as well; and we are also planning further aphasia awareness and fundraising events. Additionally, and importantly the fundraising campaign has also been highly successful. We have raised $2400 which will enable at least 4 persons with aphasia to begin or remain in the adult aphasia group therapy program at the University of Arizona for a full semester. We anticipate more donations after we get onto the radio. This can and will make a big difference in the lives of these people who wish to continue to engage in meaningful communication with their families, friends, and within their community. Thank you everybody who have donated to this program.
And now for all of you adventurous souls who want further details of the Kun expedition, I offer this brief accounting beginning in Leh on July 11, 2013 where I met with five other climbers and the guide and support team for the expedition. After a couple of days acclimatizing and sightseeing around Leh, our expedition commenced with a 4-5 day trek starting from the Indus River Valley, over the Kanji La (5300m; 17,490 ft) and into the large Zanskar valley near Rangdum. The trek had us traversing rugged trails and scree-filled slopes, crossing freezing rivers, spotting marmots and yaks, and enjoying the spoils of fine alpine camping. On the final day of the trek, atop an alpine track lined with mountain wildflowers we caught our first views of the Nun-Kun massif. Even from several tens of kilometers away it became obvious that these were indeed gigantic mountains; outside the Himalaya only Aconcagua in South America (6962m) approaches these lofty heights, although the Aconcagua summit it can be gained without need of specialized equipment or technical skills.
After the Kanji La hike we camped at the mouth of the Shafat Valley into which we would trek towards our climbing base camp, surrounded by glaciers. The trek into base camp was spectacular with panoramic views of numerous un-climbed alpine big walls and peaks (including the ice-capped Z1 peak at 21,120 ft, 6400m). After traversing across a good stretch of blocky, bouldery, ice-cored glacier moraines, we were eventually rewarded with incredible, if not intimidating views of the icy slopes leading up to our next couple of high camps.
We established our base camp along a high-alpine stony meadow at 4800m, and after acclimatizing for a day we began to systematically establish the three higher camps. Camp 1 (5200m; 17,160 ft), was situated on the upper portion of the glacier on the south slope below the Nun-Kun ice-field plateau. Camp 1 served as our logistical bridge to Camp 2 which is located on the south edge of a vast icy plateau surrounded by an amphitheater of peaks, including Nun and Kun. Between Camp 1 and 2 was a feature we dubbed ‘the wall’, a moderate to steep section of ice and snow that we had to surmount with full packs. The wall represented 700m of vertical gain between the camps and was an extremely exciting and rewarding day for us all. We were rewarded with stunning views of the surrounding region with its seemingly endless sweep of snowy peaks. The clear views would be short-lived. As luck would have it, a strong wind and snow storm barraged us, keeping us tent-bound for the next 40 hours! The storm finally subsided, although without having the benefit of long-range radio communications (two-way radio comms are deemed too sensitive to carry in Kashmir) we could only rely on our wrist-watch barometers and sky observations to guide our climbing strategy relative to the weather. In fact the barometric pressure was unsteady and dropping, with thick clouds continually approaching from the west: both typically indicators of poor weather conditions in this region. However, there was just enough barometric stability and permissive ambient conditions to continue our upward progress to Camp 3 located near the eastern end of the vast ice-field, and situated at 6300m (20,790 ft). We arrived at Camp 3 near noon on July 25th and decided to make a push for the summit that evening, after resting and eating for the afternoon. No one slept that afternoon and in fact it had become increasingly difficult to get restful sleep above Camp 1: yet another physical challenge of high altitude climbing.
On our summit attempt, we had a ‘super-alpine’ start time, beginning towards the steep slopes of Kun’s south eastern ridge line at 9PM. This provides increased assurance that slopes would remain stable in the chill of the night, compared to daytime travel when slopes are more subject to slide. So we climbed all through the night, up moderate and some steep icy-snowy slopes, across knife-edge ridges with rather precipitous and unforgiving drop-offs. All of this and the immense Nun-Kun ice-field was illuminated by a fat waning gibbous moon that shone across the region, magically lighting up the snow, ice, and the few rocky ledges that poked up along the delicate spine of ridges that rimmed the ice field. We also observed an incredible lightning storm raging within a (fortunately) distant and isolated storm cell on the western skyline, and some of us were also fortunate enough to catch sight of a singular brilliant meteor that dropped vertically into the western sky. A good omen as it turned out!
By about 4-5AM we had all assembled at an icy col below the summit ridge at ~6800m (22,440 ft). After negotiating a short section of steep, irregular ice we roped up again as a team and plodded upwards. Above the col my pace slowed significantly partly due to the increasing hypothermia I was experiencing, resulting from freezing toes, but mostly due I’m sure to the ever-thinning air we were ascending into. I began to notice the eastern horizon behind me filling with a faint orange glow…sunrise was on the way and my bones would soon be warmed by alpine sunlight! However, it seemed to take forever for the sun to rise, surely due to my impatience and the incessant glances over my shoulder to view the moment the sun peaked above the horizon. Surely somebody had stopped the Earth from spinning …whence will the sun rise!
Partway up the summit slopes, Nima Sherpa plucked me off of the multi-climber rope and he and I began ascending together on a single rope. Nima’s encouragement really helped to propel me towards the summit, and by about 6:15 we were standing on the top of Kun together. The rest of the team soon joined us and we all congratulated one-another and captured the requisite photos from our triumphant efforts. After roughly 20 minutes at the summit, I was glad to begin the long descent into increasingly warming sunlight. Like the ascent, the descent also took great care, concentration, and stamina since we had to negotiate the same steep and icy ridges and slopes; the difference was that now we could clearly see the objective hazards before us! Fortunately the descent went without incident and by about 10am all of us had returned to Camp 3 where we collapsed in our tents and tried sleeping through the day. Slumber wouldn’t come until evening for many of us as the day’s sunlight, heat and UV (at nearly 21,000 ft) were crazy intense, even under cover of our tents. After a good night’s sleep for all (finally), the next day we made our descent, across the ice-field, past Camp 2, all the way down “the wall”, past Camp 1, and back to base camp. We celebrated that evening with alpine pizzas and double-layer chocolate frosting cake, triple portions for all! The next day we trekked carefully down valley, over the ice-cored moraines and back to the verdant green pastures of Shafat. Along the way, one of our Sherpas had bargained with a local herdsman for the fresh carcass of a hapless goat who had been killed earlier that day from a falling rock. Therefore that evening we gorged on goat curry. The next day most of us drove through the lovely farming villages of Kashmir, where we continued our celebration in Kargil town with beer, chicken curry, and my favorite, the rice pudding (kheer). The next day we drove another 8 hours over the outrageously steep, ever-crumbling, heart-stopping switchbacks of the Zojila Pass roadway into Srinagar from where we all flew back to Delhi.
I can say that all of my climbing team mates were fantastic partners; everyone was strong, positive and really fun to be with. I would climb with any of them, all of them again, anytime. Thank you Arvin, Subbu, Anna, Anirudh, and Avni! In addition, the organizing company, White Magic Adventure were top-shelf in their professionalism, logistics, guiding, attention to safety, and services provided. I recommend them highly.
So now after three weeks, from the comforts of my home in Tucson, Arizona I write this final chapter in the Kun mountain climbing expedition. A few of my toes remain slightly numb from the frostnip I experienced on the climb. Remarkably I’m still 10 pounds below my pre-climb weight, this after my food intake has surely doubled over these three weeks! I must have lost 15-20 pounds total on Kun, >10% of my normal body weight. I’ll need to bring more candy bars on the next climb. Stay tuned for more information on continued awareness and fundraising efforts for the High Asia For Aphasia campaign.
PS: Being quite satisfied and exhausted from the 7 weeks in the high Himalaya, I promised myself and Barbara that I would not be thinking or planning for other mountains for quite some time. Well...perhaps alpinism is an addiction for some, and my heart is beginning to pine for more high ice in distant lands... Next climb Barbara is coming too!
- G. Leonard (Kun expedition journal)
The journey to the summit really began months earlier and included the kick-starting of the High Asia For Aphasia (HAFA) awareness and fundraising campaign. Thanks to many people this has been a great success. The awareness campaign reached the minds and hearts of hundreds of people from at least 4 continents, and the effort continues. Janet Hawley from the University of Arizona's Speech Sciences Department and I will appear on a local Tucson radio show at the end of August (2013) to report on the success of HAFA, and the details of the climb too. We are now seeking to get onto local television and into the newspapers as well; and we are also planning further aphasia awareness and fundraising events. Additionally, and importantly the fundraising campaign has also been highly successful. We have raised $2400 which will enable at least 4 persons with aphasia to begin or remain in the adult aphasia group therapy program at the University of Arizona for a full semester. We anticipate more donations after we get onto the radio. This can and will make a big difference in the lives of these people who wish to continue to engage in meaningful communication with their families, friends, and within their community. Thank you everybody who have donated to this program.
And now for all of you adventurous souls who want further details of the Kun expedition, I offer this brief accounting beginning in Leh on July 11, 2013 where I met with five other climbers and the guide and support team for the expedition. After a couple of days acclimatizing and sightseeing around Leh, our expedition commenced with a 4-5 day trek starting from the Indus River Valley, over the Kanji La (5300m; 17,490 ft) and into the large Zanskar valley near Rangdum. The trek had us traversing rugged trails and scree-filled slopes, crossing freezing rivers, spotting marmots and yaks, and enjoying the spoils of fine alpine camping. On the final day of the trek, atop an alpine track lined with mountain wildflowers we caught our first views of the Nun-Kun massif. Even from several tens of kilometers away it became obvious that these were indeed gigantic mountains; outside the Himalaya only Aconcagua in South America (6962m) approaches these lofty heights, although the Aconcagua summit it can be gained without need of specialized equipment or technical skills.
After the Kanji La hike we camped at the mouth of the Shafat Valley into which we would trek towards our climbing base camp, surrounded by glaciers. The trek into base camp was spectacular with panoramic views of numerous un-climbed alpine big walls and peaks (including the ice-capped Z1 peak at 21,120 ft, 6400m). After traversing across a good stretch of blocky, bouldery, ice-cored glacier moraines, we were eventually rewarded with incredible, if not intimidating views of the icy slopes leading up to our next couple of high camps.
We established our base camp along a high-alpine stony meadow at 4800m, and after acclimatizing for a day we began to systematically establish the three higher camps. Camp 1 (5200m; 17,160 ft), was situated on the upper portion of the glacier on the south slope below the Nun-Kun ice-field plateau. Camp 1 served as our logistical bridge to Camp 2 which is located on the south edge of a vast icy plateau surrounded by an amphitheater of peaks, including Nun and Kun. Between Camp 1 and 2 was a feature we dubbed ‘the wall’, a moderate to steep section of ice and snow that we had to surmount with full packs. The wall represented 700m of vertical gain between the camps and was an extremely exciting and rewarding day for us all. We were rewarded with stunning views of the surrounding region with its seemingly endless sweep of snowy peaks. The clear views would be short-lived. As luck would have it, a strong wind and snow storm barraged us, keeping us tent-bound for the next 40 hours! The storm finally subsided, although without having the benefit of long-range radio communications (two-way radio comms are deemed too sensitive to carry in Kashmir) we could only rely on our wrist-watch barometers and sky observations to guide our climbing strategy relative to the weather. In fact the barometric pressure was unsteady and dropping, with thick clouds continually approaching from the west: both typically indicators of poor weather conditions in this region. However, there was just enough barometric stability and permissive ambient conditions to continue our upward progress to Camp 3 located near the eastern end of the vast ice-field, and situated at 6300m (20,790 ft). We arrived at Camp 3 near noon on July 25th and decided to make a push for the summit that evening, after resting and eating for the afternoon. No one slept that afternoon and in fact it had become increasingly difficult to get restful sleep above Camp 1: yet another physical challenge of high altitude climbing.
On our summit attempt, we had a ‘super-alpine’ start time, beginning towards the steep slopes of Kun’s south eastern ridge line at 9PM. This provides increased assurance that slopes would remain stable in the chill of the night, compared to daytime travel when slopes are more subject to slide. So we climbed all through the night, up moderate and some steep icy-snowy slopes, across knife-edge ridges with rather precipitous and unforgiving drop-offs. All of this and the immense Nun-Kun ice-field was illuminated by a fat waning gibbous moon that shone across the region, magically lighting up the snow, ice, and the few rocky ledges that poked up along the delicate spine of ridges that rimmed the ice field. We also observed an incredible lightning storm raging within a (fortunately) distant and isolated storm cell on the western skyline, and some of us were also fortunate enough to catch sight of a singular brilliant meteor that dropped vertically into the western sky. A good omen as it turned out!
By about 4-5AM we had all assembled at an icy col below the summit ridge at ~6800m (22,440 ft). After negotiating a short section of steep, irregular ice we roped up again as a team and plodded upwards. Above the col my pace slowed significantly partly due to the increasing hypothermia I was experiencing, resulting from freezing toes, but mostly due I’m sure to the ever-thinning air we were ascending into. I began to notice the eastern horizon behind me filling with a faint orange glow…sunrise was on the way and my bones would soon be warmed by alpine sunlight! However, it seemed to take forever for the sun to rise, surely due to my impatience and the incessant glances over my shoulder to view the moment the sun peaked above the horizon. Surely somebody had stopped the Earth from spinning …whence will the sun rise!
Partway up the summit slopes, Nima Sherpa plucked me off of the multi-climber rope and he and I began ascending together on a single rope. Nima’s encouragement really helped to propel me towards the summit, and by about 6:15 we were standing on the top of Kun together. The rest of the team soon joined us and we all congratulated one-another and captured the requisite photos from our triumphant efforts. After roughly 20 minutes at the summit, I was glad to begin the long descent into increasingly warming sunlight. Like the ascent, the descent also took great care, concentration, and stamina since we had to negotiate the same steep and icy ridges and slopes; the difference was that now we could clearly see the objective hazards before us! Fortunately the descent went without incident and by about 10am all of us had returned to Camp 3 where we collapsed in our tents and tried sleeping through the day. Slumber wouldn’t come until evening for many of us as the day’s sunlight, heat and UV (at nearly 21,000 ft) were crazy intense, even under cover of our tents. After a good night’s sleep for all (finally), the next day we made our descent, across the ice-field, past Camp 2, all the way down “the wall”, past Camp 1, and back to base camp. We celebrated that evening with alpine pizzas and double-layer chocolate frosting cake, triple portions for all! The next day we trekked carefully down valley, over the ice-cored moraines and back to the verdant green pastures of Shafat. Along the way, one of our Sherpas had bargained with a local herdsman for the fresh carcass of a hapless goat who had been killed earlier that day from a falling rock. Therefore that evening we gorged on goat curry. The next day most of us drove through the lovely farming villages of Kashmir, where we continued our celebration in Kargil town with beer, chicken curry, and my favorite, the rice pudding (kheer). The next day we drove another 8 hours over the outrageously steep, ever-crumbling, heart-stopping switchbacks of the Zojila Pass roadway into Srinagar from where we all flew back to Delhi.
I can say that all of my climbing team mates were fantastic partners; everyone was strong, positive and really fun to be with. I would climb with any of them, all of them again, anytime. Thank you Arvin, Subbu, Anna, Anirudh, and Avni! In addition, the organizing company, White Magic Adventure were top-shelf in their professionalism, logistics, guiding, attention to safety, and services provided. I recommend them highly.
So now after three weeks, from the comforts of my home in Tucson, Arizona I write this final chapter in the Kun mountain climbing expedition. A few of my toes remain slightly numb from the frostnip I experienced on the climb. Remarkably I’m still 10 pounds below my pre-climb weight, this after my food intake has surely doubled over these three weeks! I must have lost 15-20 pounds total on Kun, >10% of my normal body weight. I’ll need to bring more candy bars on the next climb. Stay tuned for more information on continued awareness and fundraising efforts for the High Asia For Aphasia campaign.
PS: Being quite satisfied and exhausted from the 7 weeks in the high Himalaya, I promised myself and Barbara that I would not be thinking or planning for other mountains for quite some time. Well...perhaps alpinism is an addiction for some, and my heart is beginning to pine for more high ice in distant lands... Next climb Barbara is coming too!
Pre-Expedition climbiNG
Early July 2013: Leh, Ladakh
Alas all things must end and sadly Barbara departed Leh and India several days ago. She is very much missed. Since her departure I was finally able to organized a mini expedition up to Stok Kangri (~6137m / 20,134 feet), the highest peak in the Stok Range just south of Leh. I have already trekked up to ~5000m, so this climb would test my altitude acclimatization and preparedness at over 6000m. Additionally it would personally be my highest altitude to date, and provide an opportunity to test some gear for the Kun expedition.
To cut to the chase, on the morning of July 8th, my guide Badal and I summited Stok Kangri just in time to witness a delightful sunrise. Conditions were calm and we snapped several photos before the steep icy descent to base camp. All in all Stok Kangri climb is rather scrappy with sections of boulder moraines and rockfall deposits alternating with crusted snow and perennial firn and ice fields on the lower portions. The upper slopes consist of moderate to steep ice crusted snow and ice which, after the tiresome boulder fields were a joy to ascend: plunge the ice axe, take two steps, plunge ice axe, take two steps...kitsh...chh-chh...kitsh...chh-chh. Twilight views of the surrounding icy peaks were magnificent and I felt elated to be back in the high mountains again. The summit ridge is mixed rock, snow, and ice scrambling, occasionally over exposed drop-offs. 5 hours up, 3 down. Not bad for middle-aged legs. See photos of the HAFA flag flying high over Stok Kangri!
Importantly, I’ve been able to continually spread the word about aphasia as people always ask me “what is aphasia”? So aphasia awareness is growing one person at a time here in the Himalaya!
I now await the remainder of the Kun climbing team most of whom will arrive tomorrow from Delhi. There are now 7 climbers on the expedition. We will enjoy Leh for a couple of days, then head up the Srinagar highway dropping south to Kanji village for the beginning of a 2-3 day acclimatization trek over the Kanji La (pass) at 5200m. From there we traverse up the glacier valley and establish Kun base camp at ~4500m.
Since there will be no opportunity to post emails after our departure from Leh on July 13th, my next posting might be in early August from either Kargil or Srinagar (perhaps even Delhi). If that is the case, I will do my best to ascend up Kun Mountain, and more importantly spread the awareness about aphasia. For now, all the best from Leh.
Alas all things must end and sadly Barbara departed Leh and India several days ago. She is very much missed. Since her departure I was finally able to organized a mini expedition up to Stok Kangri (~6137m / 20,134 feet), the highest peak in the Stok Range just south of Leh. I have already trekked up to ~5000m, so this climb would test my altitude acclimatization and preparedness at over 6000m. Additionally it would personally be my highest altitude to date, and provide an opportunity to test some gear for the Kun expedition.
To cut to the chase, on the morning of July 8th, my guide Badal and I summited Stok Kangri just in time to witness a delightful sunrise. Conditions were calm and we snapped several photos before the steep icy descent to base camp. All in all Stok Kangri climb is rather scrappy with sections of boulder moraines and rockfall deposits alternating with crusted snow and perennial firn and ice fields on the lower portions. The upper slopes consist of moderate to steep ice crusted snow and ice which, after the tiresome boulder fields were a joy to ascend: plunge the ice axe, take two steps, plunge ice axe, take two steps...kitsh...chh-chh...kitsh...chh-chh. Twilight views of the surrounding icy peaks were magnificent and I felt elated to be back in the high mountains again. The summit ridge is mixed rock, snow, and ice scrambling, occasionally over exposed drop-offs. 5 hours up, 3 down. Not bad for middle-aged legs. See photos of the HAFA flag flying high over Stok Kangri!
Importantly, I’ve been able to continually spread the word about aphasia as people always ask me “what is aphasia”? So aphasia awareness is growing one person at a time here in the Himalaya!
I now await the remainder of the Kun climbing team most of whom will arrive tomorrow from Delhi. There are now 7 climbers on the expedition. We will enjoy Leh for a couple of days, then head up the Srinagar highway dropping south to Kanji village for the beginning of a 2-3 day acclimatization trek over the Kanji La (pass) at 5200m. From there we traverse up the glacier valley and establish Kun base camp at ~4500m.
Since there will be no opportunity to post emails after our departure from Leh on July 13th, my next posting might be in early August from either Kargil or Srinagar (perhaps even Delhi). If that is the case, I will do my best to ascend up Kun Mountain, and more importantly spread the awareness about aphasia. For now, all the best from Leh.
PRE-EXPEDITION TREKKING
July 2013: Leh, Ladakh
Apologies for the lengthy news blackout. Barbara and I just returned from 10 days acclimatization trekking through the magnificent Markha Valley and across the foothills of the Ladakhi Range. The Markha Valley route is one of Ladakh’s classic treks which weaves its way through the colorful valley sandwiched between the mighty Stok and Zanskar Ranges. The valley is dotted with small villages where locals work summer fields of wheat, mustard grass, apricots, and other assorted crops. Herders are usually women who tend to small flocks of goats, sheep, and yaks. We’ve been staying each evening in traditional local family homes (homestays) and we've enjoying learning some Ladakhi language and about the regional traditions. We have also delighted in the regional cuisine, typified by chapattis, butter and jam in the mornings; boiled potatoes and eggs, and chocolate bars at lunchtime; and vegetable momos (dumplings) and stews in the evening. We are also consuming copious amounts of sweet milk tea each day, and the odd salty or butter tea as well. Most villages have Tibetan Buddhist gompas that are usually situated along high ridges above the valley. These structures are magnificent, and the paintings, sculpted figures, and thankas (mandala paintings) they contain are equally stunning. In Markha village one evening I was fortunate to arrive alone at Shamunatha Gompa in time to witness a young monk reciting prayers and sounding Tibetan drums and cymbals. Barbara and I have really enjoyed learning more about the traditions, culture, and complex symbology of Tibetan Buddhists gods, deities, bodhisattvas, and figures.
After a short bout of “Delhi belly” (Greg) and some altitude sickness (Barbara), our acclimatization to the high altitudes of northern India continues. The capital city of Ladakh, Leh, is situated at 3500m (~11,500 feet), and access and exit from the Markha Valley trek requires passage over passes up to 5260m (~17,260 feet). We also had to cross over the roiling Zanskar River on a small, rickety cable cart....fun fun!
We are now enjoying rest and re-fattening here in Leh. In addition, Barbara and I have visited with medical professionals and a couple of patients with aphasia at the Leh (SNM) regional hospital. There, Barbara spoke with several staff members discussing techniques they can implement to improve communication with their patients who have aphasia. We also met with staff at the Women's Alliance of Ladakh and proposed a couple of ideas for new tourist-targeted products to support their programs.
Later this week (July 06-09) I intend to join a short alpine climb up Stok Kangri (6137m; 20,134 feet) to prep for the higher climb up Kun Mountain later this month. My next update will include results of the Stok Kangri climb!
Oh yes, a big thank you to our three new Spanish motorcycling friends who provided high altitude support / counseling for the High Asia for Aphasia campaign. Gracias mi amigos!
Thanks too for the help of Jigmat of Jigmat Couture in Leh for help with the HAFA flag.
Ma thukjeychey!
July 2013: Leh, Ladakh
Apologies for the lengthy news blackout. Barbara and I just returned from 10 days acclimatization trekking through the magnificent Markha Valley and across the foothills of the Ladakhi Range. The Markha Valley route is one of Ladakh’s classic treks which weaves its way through the colorful valley sandwiched between the mighty Stok and Zanskar Ranges. The valley is dotted with small villages where locals work summer fields of wheat, mustard grass, apricots, and other assorted crops. Herders are usually women who tend to small flocks of goats, sheep, and yaks. We’ve been staying each evening in traditional local family homes (homestays) and we've enjoying learning some Ladakhi language and about the regional traditions. We have also delighted in the regional cuisine, typified by chapattis, butter and jam in the mornings; boiled potatoes and eggs, and chocolate bars at lunchtime; and vegetable momos (dumplings) and stews in the evening. We are also consuming copious amounts of sweet milk tea each day, and the odd salty or butter tea as well. Most villages have Tibetan Buddhist gompas that are usually situated along high ridges above the valley. These structures are magnificent, and the paintings, sculpted figures, and thankas (mandala paintings) they contain are equally stunning. In Markha village one evening I was fortunate to arrive alone at Shamunatha Gompa in time to witness a young monk reciting prayers and sounding Tibetan drums and cymbals. Barbara and I have really enjoyed learning more about the traditions, culture, and complex symbology of Tibetan Buddhists gods, deities, bodhisattvas, and figures.
After a short bout of “Delhi belly” (Greg) and some altitude sickness (Barbara), our acclimatization to the high altitudes of northern India continues. The capital city of Ladakh, Leh, is situated at 3500m (~11,500 feet), and access and exit from the Markha Valley trek requires passage over passes up to 5260m (~17,260 feet). We also had to cross over the roiling Zanskar River on a small, rickety cable cart....fun fun!
We are now enjoying rest and re-fattening here in Leh. In addition, Barbara and I have visited with medical professionals and a couple of patients with aphasia at the Leh (SNM) regional hospital. There, Barbara spoke with several staff members discussing techniques they can implement to improve communication with their patients who have aphasia. We also met with staff at the Women's Alliance of Ladakh and proposed a couple of ideas for new tourist-targeted products to support their programs.
Later this week (July 06-09) I intend to join a short alpine climb up Stok Kangri (6137m; 20,134 feet) to prep for the higher climb up Kun Mountain later this month. My next update will include results of the Stok Kangri climb!
Oh yes, a big thank you to our three new Spanish motorcycling friends who provided high altitude support / counseling for the High Asia for Aphasia campaign. Gracias mi amigos!
Thanks too for the help of Jigmat of Jigmat Couture in Leh for help with the HAFA flag.
Ma thukjeychey!