This is the story of our first Ladakh trip. Twelve women from many different cities met at Delhi airport and started this captivating journey of a life time in May 2014. We were happy, stunned and humbled by its stunning beauty and the biting ruggedness :) We are set to travel this summer tpp.. from May 2015 on wards:):)

1. Our first trip to Ladakh – through its beautiful mountains, puffy clouds, ever smiling people, Thupkas and Captivating lakes
and a sense of serenity impossible in city. To the 12 women that made the trip even more beautiful, through innumerable
stories, loads of singing and learning a bit of Ladakhi – Khung Sung Ina?

2. Day 1 views - Waking up to the clicking sounds in the aircraft. The snow peaks playing peek a boo through the puffy clouds!.

3. Day 1 views - Piling out of Leh Airport.. All are a little concerned , about Altitude and breathing is heavy now. At 11,500, you
need to listen to your body and see what it tells you about high altitudes. That is the top Priority on day 1

4. Day 1 views - Captivating snow peaks against blue skies.

5. Day 1 views - See the sand-dune like mountains at the backdrop! Let us take a few landing pictures! Kudos to Minu
& Renji who stepped out on their own for the first time from Cochin!

6. Day 1 views - Short drive to our Hotel and Waiting for our Tea in the Garden area. No one cares to get into the rooms!

7. Day 1 views - Question :- Have you seen that building? Is it a monastery? Can we climb it? Ans : nah, you cant climb
there.. We are better oFf enjoying it here with our tea 

8. Day 1 views - What is this Landon written in the sandy hill? That is a School .. found out after 3 days of intense research!

9. Day 1 views - Another perhaps monastery in another hill. Clouds are so beautiful!

10. Day 1 views - No one can resist the views.. More of the team joins us!

11. Day 1 views - Sheetal could not resist the apricot bloom!

12. Day 1 views – We were asked to move in, drink loads of water and sleep to acclimatize.. This is the view from our room
Window!

13. Day 1 views – Better views.. From our rooms.. It is heavenlacious!! – Yes, we just made up the word!!!

14. Day 1 views - Ladakhi woman in her daily chores. As we acclimatize, sleep and taking the 4th bottle of water to drink.
Suma asking “how much do you drink Jo”?!

15. Day 2 views - Hemis – The monastery of the Kings!

16. Day 2 views - Hemis from the same angle as the National Geographic team that was covering it.. Yea, they also don’t get it
right the first time.. sometime at least!!

17. Day 2 views - One of the many beautifully bedecked Statues at Hemis

18. Day 2 views - And we climbed up the monastery.. To check if all the 150 monks are around.. found just a bunch..

19. Day 2 views - Atop Hemis.. Nice and ancient looking roof.. Ruhi had to pose!

20. Day 2 views - They paint every corner.. That too in real gold pigments.. Beautiful door atop the monastery!

21. Day 2 views - Sheetal with an ancient musical instrument. (She actually struggled hard to balance it… Shhhh!!)

22. Day 2 views - This was our best moment.. Monks are so .. so.. what shall we say.. monk like!!.. Kind, very accommodative to
Our request for pictures, before they went back to their chants – without any change of expression.

23. Day 2 views - Lunch near Thicksey Monastery (It was closed for lunch when we reached) when we reached. First time with
Thupka, which was nice and tasty. Some others tried to sell their smoked fried rice(yea, it was more smoked than needed) to us
After struggling for a while. As usual, Maggie is a good savior when you are in doubt!

24. Day 2 views - This statue is so beautiful & big and intricate. Thiksey monastery

25. Day 2 views Tara Temple in Thiksey. And reflections on the water offered to deities

26. Day 2 views - intricate paintings and idols again. Beautiful.

27. Day 2 views - Shey Palace Buddha. We got Marie Biscuits here as prasad!

28. Day 3 views – what do we prefer? The beauty of the paintings in monastery or the canvas nature paints for us? Which is
more beautiful? We are in love with the skies and the clouds and the hills and the monasteries!!
Long day today to Changla and then Pangong Tso!

29. Day 3 views - Changla Tea Shop@ 17,688 feet!! We were all wondering how we cope here. Indian Army had a board that said
Free Hot Tea. All we saw was Hot Javans minus tea cup. Dhokka ye Dhokka…

30. Day 3 views - Suma Showing off at Changla.. For many women, first time in snow 

31. Day 3 views - Prayer flags against snow peaks – Changla

32. Day 3 views - Yea, we were there! Though you cant stay here for more than 20 mns before altitude starts hitting you!

33. Day 3 views - Girls having fun with the snow! Nisha, Anu, Sheetal, Susy & Ruhi.. Don’t get impressed by the skirt.. That is just
Another layer!!! Layering is the key in cold cold weather

34. Day 3 views – how do you describe this? The clash of colors, textures and even temperature. Warm sun beating down the
Snow carpets

35. Day 3 views - Tsering, our driver first showed a dull steel colored dried lake and said it is Pangong Tso and we all screamed ..
Then here are the first glimpse of the real lake. Is it as beautiful as in pictures? We dunno yet

36. Day 3 views - Wow!. It is stunning.

37. Day 3 views - And we need pictures! We look like penguins as it is still v v cold out there!

38. Day 3 views - And each step reveals a different color. This is so so beautiful. Let us take a walk.

39. Day 3 views - And sit down after a few kilometers of walk. How long do we have to walk to reach China boarded one asked!

40. Day 3 views - Where should we look? The clouds, the hills or those different shades of water .. Each frame gives out another
mesmerizing view

41. Day 3 views – some more pictures from here.. phlleeease

42. Day 3 views – Sheetal will say wrong company, but right picture 

43. Day 3 views – Time to go back .. Look at the hills. And Army truck.. Half the girls wanted to shift to one of those!

44. Day 3 views – Different shades of hills. Cloud formations

45. Day 3 views – We had slight delay due to the heavy traffic on the roads!! Can we transport these roads to Bangalore?

46. Day 3 views – Why on earth all the beautiful corners migrated to Ladakh? V unfair

47. Day 3 views - And a bridge

48. Day 3 views - Chocolate pudding hills with a dash of icing sugar at the top

49. Day 3 views - Icicles in different shapes.. Susy wanted these pictures

50. Day 3 views – The gradients are beautiful. No camera can capture the real beauty that nature bestove!

51. Day 3 views – Ice ice baby!

52. Day 3 views – Ice ice baby! Susy this time!

53. Day 3 views – These icemen are captivating.. What is this shape? Sugar Candy?

54. Day 3 views – Shey Palace in the evening!

55. Day 3 views – Near Shey palace during our drive back.. Very rare showing of some green in the otherwise barren desert!

56. Day 4 Khardungla
18,380 ft
Day 4 views – Shorter drive today but to 18,380 ft up from 11,500. Worlds highest motorable road – no less!

57. Day 4 views – Chocolate hills follow us every where… We need some ice-cream please!!!

58. Day 4 views – This is the best view point as per Tsering

59. Day 4 views – And this is what we do when we see something beautiful  

60. Day 4 views – Khardung La also has a Gompa and a tea Shop!! Nice lemon tea!!

61. Day 4 views – What captures you is the contrasts.. Rocks, ice, clouds.. Incidentally not much water in Ladakh since it is in the
rain shadow area

62. Day 5 views – Hall of fame. A true tribute to those who guard our boarders when we sleep peacefully every night

63. Day 5 views – Hall of fame. Backside view

64. Day 5 views – Magnetic hill was not up to expectations. We could not see / feel / any magnets other than two bikers trying
some stunts perhaps seeing a bunch of women!

65. Day 5 views – Confluence.. next time enjoy rafting here! We are told rates are about INR 1,400/ for two hours

66. Day 5 views – Leh city from the Shantistupa. We could locate our hotel from here!

67. Day 5 views – Shantistupa!!

68. Day 5 views – Monks climbing up the stupa.. Some of us wanted to.. May be next time

69. Day 5 views – And the best place in any get-together was under the blanket!! Usha, Minu, Jyothi & Anu got the hot seats this
time

70. Bleary eyes waiting for the flight to arrive. Did we want to get back? No. Do we want to go back once again ? Yes yes 
Leh airport has additional security measures that bans clothes, cosmetics, toiletries etc from our carry on bags .. New
friends found in Minu, Renji, Usha, Nisha, Chandrika, Aruna, Sheetal, Ruhi, Susy, Anu, Suma & Jyothi. Juley!!

71. Day 4 views – There again.. Everywhere. Let us start some Antakshari.. Can we?