Travel in the valley of Zanskar
23 / 6
Manali - Darc
Start trekking.
We are at the camp. I am in a tent and I will be brief because the pain is felt in the mountains. It 'been a busy day. A beautiful and impressive transfer, but really exhausting, lasted about seven hours on a road impossible. Funny scene, Rhotang pace, more than 4,000 meters, where many Indians on holiday seek contact with the snow and ski equipment hire, obsolete for us, and then capture the historic moment. Some people prefer to dress "technical" with multi-colored suits and those who prefer more charming pellicciotti, both as a man that a woman, also available in versions of tiger and leopard.
From the pass you descend down towards Darc: the road is really a disaster, but finally open mountain scenery with a blue sky nitidissimo. There is more traffic area with great thrill to overtake a few inches from the precipice. In jarring contrast continues a little upset 'all, with me and we contend that Francis the palm of the sufferer.
After a brief stop in a de luxe dhabi to Keylong in that we come to give us where we meet Tashi who warmly greets Johann, Dad and Max and then knows me and Francis. I hit his teeth: so is blinding white, strong, healthy. He has a smile that gives security and serenity, and a leather and forged a physicist from the sun and the climate of the mountain where he lives. It comes after ten miles, on a road under construction, they work for Nepalese families living in our eyes dramatic, the starting point of trekking. Descend from the car and luggage are downloaded from the pick-up that followed us. Besides us, Johann and Tashi are a friend of Johann engaged in cooking, Cham Chu, and a Nepalese boy, Padan, an expert in climbing, which will give us a hand. Then we expect two men and eight horses employees who will carry air carrier and a horse rescue.
Our conditions, both for the trip is for the altitude (3,620 meters) are a little 'criticism so we can not help but observe, with a hint of envy, the local legs here and there to assemble the tents and prepare the field. We are in the valley. The landscape is rugged, with a rocky river that descends and impetuous waterfalls with spectacular jumps. Here and there glimpsed snow-covered peaks that stand out even more in the deep blue of the sky like a polar bear plunge into the sea.
Dinner is good, the cook's friend Johann prepare a vegetable soup with fresh pasta really tasty. Pity that the conditions a little 'state of the group do not provide a full taste. Then we all sleep a little after eight, when night falls. It 'the first time that I see you have a useless object to the wrist, and the day is marked here only by light and by darkness.
24 / 6
First day of trekking.
After a wonderful sleep of ten hours (luckily!) I wake up at 6 am fully recovered from the misfortunes of yesterday. Above all I have more nausea and I am stunned. After breakfast, accompanied by the first coffee moka, much appreciated by all, we leave. Today there are approximately four hours of walking and a little 'less than 400 meters in altitude. The walk hitch. Sure, you hear that we are at almost 4000 meters of altitude, but, all things considered, we are defending, although they can not emulate the Johann lightening shots that occasionally escapes forward to turn his film, leaving us under the reassuring protection of Tashi. We arrive in the clearing where we will camp for one after having walked the path along the river, we also had to wade while walking on rocks as young marmots test, with a square version of "Gran Mogol" she got us to the great. We stop, then, in a beautiful green open space crossed by a peaceful stream and surrounded by a long dry wall. After lunch, quick and not cooked, Johann with the other mounts the field, while we devote to various services, including a laundry at the river of the past. Then, rest and a nice refreshing shower and funny with the water of the stream, watching the valley awaiting us tomorrow with some fear, but I dream a partitella ball on this lawn to 4,000 meters.
25 / 6
Second day of trekking.
Today we came to the camp where you spend the night before facing the feared and fearsome Shingo-la. To tell the truth because I write on 26 yesterday I was unwell. And then let's talk about the past, The day had started well, despite the altitude climbing sent along with Johann and so did others, albeit with a slower pace. Among several stops during which delighted us to measure each other the pulsations, a practice that Tashi is subtracted, dating an austere valley, characterized by stony moraines and imposing. Turning our gaze upwards, and even better with the binoculars, we admired glaciers with vertical walls: I was surprised to see these formations that my eyes are still attached to the rock miraculously, despite some impressive crevasses that the inverted cross low.
Came to the camp, rather inhospitable, and after 5 minutes started to rain hard and do a cold. In the evening I was wrong, but I have not worried. I am pretty sorry to see the anxiety in the eyes of others, perhaps exacerbated by the fear of having to hold a day longer in this harsh and rocky due to the rompiscatole seminfermo that is writing.
26 / 6
Third day of trekking.
I have recovered. After a quiet, restful night, we leave for up Shingo-la. Should be the hardest days. It arrives to 5100 meters or more of the step covering 500 meters in altitude before falling back again and finally reach the region of Zanskar. I'm certainly better, but the fact that he had eaten little or nothing and that he treated even less on the day before makes me weak and so, when the real climb, mount a horse by following the advice of Johann. I regret not being able to go on foot with all the others, but perhaps are too debilitated to address this effort. The black horse that brings me heroically saves me a lot of effort but not more than a few thrills. The trail is narrow and landslide, and is truly a miracle (or at least so it seems to my eyes) that the four-legged will not fall in the gully carrying with them. Fear aside, it is not due to oxygen, better appreciate the landscape that gradually transforms itself. There is no longer even a blade of grass: majestic glaciers, a blinding white now that almost touch them. The weather is beautiful and does not threaten rain. Looking down (too much) of the saddle, I note with concern the very steep path that awaits the rest.
Prior to the step, turn the whole seat, apparently set by mal herdsman, and fell from his horse back, fortunately without consequences.
The arrival is exciting pace. There is a small plateau with ice and snow, melting, forming a small pond. Over the last salitina, there are other mountains. Typical is the wind blowing all the steps, intent and wheezing. There is enough snow, and some streams, to make even more "prehistoric" the scene, the herdsman, a Nepalese and squat down, which "takes on a leash" Prode my horse, take off shoes and socks and walk barefoot through the snow , streams and stony. I am appalled.
After the step, which is in a sheltered place, the arrival of others. E 'with great relief that I see the whole group comes out near the wall of prayer and the ba