Wander through India : NORTHERN EXPEDITION 2014 : DAY XI ,on the path that led to the mighty Pangong Tso....

# DAY XI: Tang Tse – Pangong Tso – Spangmik

#83. The night was pretty cold and I realized the drop in temperature that we were goin to experience as we continued out path towards Eastern Ladakh right on the pheriphery of the International Border. The Guest House was very rudimentary and this was how it was going to be in the days to come. Morning we were up and by 0730 was ready to go .

#84. I had mentally composed myself to the absence of a proper navigating tool and had to now rely on the printed maps and local guidance. The electricity in all these places was only for 04 hours the entire day i.e. from evening seven till night eleven. Hence all the gadgets were to be charged in that slot and one had to get used to this kind of a schedule.

#85. Our route for today was along the Pangong Lake Road towards Lukung and then onwards to Pangong. I wanted to spend a complete day at Pangong including the night unlike a day trip for a couple of hours. Pangong had to be befriended in a stately fashion. So soon we were speeding on the road ahead and I missed the Tang tse Gompa completely having not realized its importance. The 800 year old Gompa clings to the walls of the mountains and is very colourful to look at . Also known as the Skoba Jigstan Gompa.

#86. The sun was up and the morning was splendid even by Ladakh standards , the golden vegetation on the mountains coupled with the multi hued coloured rocks and eternal blue sky provided a feeling that infused one with vitality towards life. In around an hour and half I was at Chiagar Tso. This jewel of a lake on the right side of the road is passed by many in their hurry to reach Pangong however it is prudent to spend some time here and soak in this beauty. The lake has the capability to mesmerize and I definitely suggest a stop here.

#87. After Chiagar Tso we continued our journey and soon were crossing the Pagal Nullah which was a mere shadow of its former self . I could see the power of the nullah when there was no bridge. It had the power to hold any traveler crossing it. If the bridge would not have been there the Indomitable would definitely have to deal with a stream crossing that was formidable and challenging. In the month of September however early in the morning the challenge were the rocks, for the water flow was manageable.

#88. At ODO 75590 I witnessed Pangong , the lake of ethereal beauty. There will be many lakes in this world which are far more beautiful than Pangong but when one is at Pangong he never remembers the image of any other lake existing in this universe; such is the pull of this lake.

#89. Pangong Tso which in Tibetian means the “ Long Narow Enchanted Lake” is a 134 km long lake which is situated in the border between India and Tibet. The lake is a disputed territory and the LOC passes over the lake.

#90. Lukung army canteen was reached at 1000 hours where we had a nice breakfast looking at the shimmering beauty of Pangong in the morning sun. Thereafter I went to meet up with the Army officers who were stationed there and after a nice talk with them I was provided with a escort who would take me to the Northern dunes of the Lake past the shifting sands where the INDOMITABLE could be trapped.

#91. The route for this lay on the way to Phobrong and after a while one has to take a detour eastwards towards the track which leads to the Army posts up in the mountains on the opposite side of Pangong. After some time I realized that it would not be prudent to take the vehicle further on tracks meant for stallions. We thereafter walked ahead and reached the shore of the lake. Out here we were in the confluence of Pangong with its water, sand dunes and towering mountains, a surreal feeling indeed of sand , water , snow and mountains of rock.

#92. After spending some time clicking some pics we made our way and thanked the army for their assistance and thereafter proceeded ahead towards spangmik where we then booked ourselves into the very first GH which came our way.

#93. The entire day was spent on the shores of the lake taking in the beauty of Pangong and admiring the vistas that kept changing. Lunch was done with the water of the lake lapping at our feet and gull flying overhead. ODO for the day stood at 75630.