High 5's in Ladakh & Zanskar

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High 5's in Ladakh & Zanskar Nick Wood The path in front of me zigzags up a dry dusty hill. It's probably only 50 or 80 metres up but the way I1 feel it could be 500. I know that the Singge La is up there because l've been looking up at it for the last four hours. Out of the corner of my eye I can see Pema, our guide, sidling around on a higher path but still a bit behind me. Itell myself, "Don't even think about trying to get up there before him. n I've been doing all Io can just to get to the point where I know I'm going to make it up there. he day had started badly after an uncomfortable night. We'd been in the rarefied atmosphere of Ladakh, north of the Indian Himalaya, for 10 days but it was our second night in a row above 4,000m, and we'd been over the Sirsir La at 4,800m the previous day. My lungs had been working overtime, but l'd got up the 800m to the pass in about 2% hours and had felt OK. My body was still adjusting to the altitude despite the week we'dh had in Leh for acclimatisation. Butl last night I hadn't slept well and my stomach was telling me that all was not Relaxing on the Singge La, Zanskar Range, Ladakh Nick Wood well. Starting off this morning had been a chore. Whatever it breathing steadily and had some chocolate. I didn't feel was wel had for breakfast didn'tquite seem as appetising much better but at least it had renewed my motivation. as usual, but l'd forced something down. Looking up we'd been able to see the pass it had looked Wendy and Jane now seemed well ahead but I was betantalisingly close, and not all that high. As on the pre- yond caring about anything but getting myself up to the vious day, Andrew and Nola were soon well ahead but pass. I came across Pema, sitting by the path. He said today they seemed to disappear from view even sooner. he could see Mark well back. He hadn't been well the I settled down to a slow trudge, keeping pace with Jane previous day SO I started to wonder if he was going to and Wendy and enjoying the cool of the morning. be OK. But I was selfishly concerned for myself. soon came to a campsite, which I remembered had been de- Progress seemed dismally slow. Every spur we sidled or scribed in the guidebook as being at about 4,500m. "lt ridge we crossed had another one just the same in front. can't be true!" thought. That means I've only climbed And that pass was not getting an inch closer. Thel hours 300m with 500 still to go, and I've already been going passed and the heat became intense. Walking on the for close on 3 hours! western side of a north-south pointing valley, shade was non-existent. The heat and dryness off the air were mak- Reassuringly, the track did start to climb more solidly, ing regular drinks essential. This was when I started to not that that made it any easier. In fact, with every: step realise that my water system wasn't quite as useful at it seemed that I was taking in less oxygen. Fortunately, this altitude. The effort required to suck water along the started to feel a bit better. I found a rhythm and my legs drinking tube was leaving me breathless. just followed each other. I soon caught up to Wendy and Jane and continued as they stopped for water. I came My stomach was letting me know of its uneasiness and around a spur to a wide but shallow stream and met a could feel my energyl level falling. I started to wonder large party of Europeans scrambling down in the other ifl was going to makei it up to this pass. Time for a break. direction. "Really, it's not far now!" one of them said Imade myself sit down for ten minutes, concentrated on cheerfully. Yeah right! A long grassy: slope still stretched Tramping and Mountaineering 1997 out in front, a path zigzagging slowly upwards to another sidle and the final zigzag to the top. I was thinking, "This is crazy. can't believe l'm actually planning a tramping trip for this Christmas." " The air was getting thin now. I was making regular stops every 20 or 30 metres. As the pass slowly got closer my determination grew. So here I am on the final zigzag. Every step now is getting me closer to the top as Ipush myself to use every ounce of oxygen I can suck into myl lungs. I choose a shorter but steeper path halfway up eager to get there as soon as possible. But my body has taken over now. My lungs are straining, my legs pushing. Overlooking the glacier below Shingo La Nick Wood Suddenly I'm there. I'm on the Singge La. It's 5,000m up. I've never been up SO high. I'm euphoric. Andrew and Nola begins. The snow is getting deeper but is reasonably are here but I'm almost too breathless to speak. To my firm. Our guide and cook passed us long ago (which is relief they've only been here 30-40 minutes. I thought a bit of a worry - wouldn't like to say exactly which they would have been hours ahead of me. And Pema is way our route is heading) and even Andrew is well out still on his way up. I feel as if I've beaten him even of sight. Luckily we can follow their footprints. though know he was probably dawdling the whole way. Ireally enjoy the chance to relax up here as we wait for Despite the snow, the going is pretty good and the hills the others. There's a cold wind but the sun is out. There reasonably gentle (well, they would be if they were a are peaks all around and it feels great to be alive. couple of thousand metres lower). Suddenly it's snowing, but at least it's calm. Battling a blizzard in the >>>>Fast forward about ten days>> After a week of trudg- Himalayas might sound cool but it isn't on my "musting up and down passes, our route eased off as we do" list. It's just a slog now. dropped into the Zanskar Valley and made our way to Padum, the only "town" in the region. (The few shops We skirt a small dip, head over a minor ridge and down in the town were all out of chocolate by the time we'd the other side, trying not to break the ice as we cross a left!) Although we'd had a couple of rainy days around creek, and then there's a final climb up to the chorten Padum, we'dh had fine weather on the way up; however, and prayer flags marking the pass. it had definitely been getting cooler, especially at night, and there was more moisture in the air, evidenced by the Once more I'm at 5,000 m. It has still been a triumph increasing vegetation. This was all able to be explained of mind over matter getting up here, but it hasn't been by the fact that we were approaching the great Hima- quite the struggle of the Singge La. Maybe the extra week layan Range. In fact our route was taking us up over the or So has allowed my body more time to acclimatise. Himalayas at the Shingo La, another 5,000 m pass. Nevertheless, it's a great feeling to be up here on the Himalayas. Maybe it's not exactly the "roof of the world" It's a grey overcast day as we trudge up a narrowing but it feels like pretty close to the ceiling. Being up here valley. We cross a short patch of ice and skirt around the in snow adds a special sense of magic too. bottom part of a small glacier. As we start to climb, we see there's snow ahead and the pass seems ridiculously Standing still it's getting pretty cold. Checking the baclose. We're well and truly acclimatised now, but it's rometer on my watch, the air pressure reads 555 millihard to believe that we have already climbed the 800m bars. No wonder whenever I try to move quickly I run to the pass. But the altitude is taking its toll. Although out of breath! we've been moving around pretty comfortablyi vin the valleys, a steep climb is a good reminder that we're push- Once we're all on top, it's photo time. No one wants to ing our bodies beyond the limits we normally operate in. hang around in the cold, so we're soon heading down towards India, "civilisation", the rest of the world, and Sure enough, it's a "false" pass we've been climbing to- eventually (after various other adventures) home, "norwards. In fact, looking up it's pretty hard to see exactly mality" and the prospect of fun-filled days in the office where the pass is, or where the snow ends and the cloud (not). But it was great to be there. Tramping and Mountaineering 1997