Hi there,
In winter people get ample time to look into issues that remained neglected due to other priorities of the summer.
The weather is still great also very sunny and we from LOTI (Leh old town initiative) organization had just arrived from a wonderful tour of the Nubra valley beginning our journey from Oct 8 until Oct 12, 2021 touring from Warila pass into Shayok valley and returning from Khardong la pass into Leh valley.
The weather being great we had an excellent drive over the northern mountain ridges thanks to the driving skills of Yutaka Hirako and Mouli Mishra. Our small Maruti borrowed car traversed between the Ladakh and the southern Karakoram gorge ranges which inhabits small hamlets of Tangyar and Digar also the hidden inner hamlets of Khema, Khungru and Kongtoh.
These are really very isolated places and people are living very close to mountain eco- system. They are agro-pastoralists managing micro agriculture and live stock raising.
While we drove from Warila pass we encountered two wolves and a fox at very close proximity. The fox wanted food and we passed on chapatti and it came very close to our halted car so much used to traffic now?
A demo (she-yak) was also seen chasing away a lone wolf that had threatened its calf. Marmots were not to be seen may be taken to their barrows and swooning for the long winter spell.
Also a lone eagle was seen circling looking for its prey and a lone hare seems to be lost and ran across two boulders its fur absolutely camouflaging it against being noticed by any one?
Speedy wintery wind seem to be turning all green into golden brown and the herd of Yaks eating these foliage very aggressively. Luckily, there was less traffic on this highway and we enjoyed very much!
By evening we reached Tangyar village where two women had just returned from pasture area with a large herds of cows it was their turn of cow-herding and two more days to go before another family took turn to the cow-herding. The villagers still have goats in the upper pasture area where the shepherds live for next one month. The shepherding also happens on turn basis.
The woman stated that she had the key of the Gompa (temple) and on return she asked us to have ‘khunak’ (salt black tea with stampa, butter and fresh fatless cheeze) at her place. During tea session the woman and her husband stated that lots of Ibexes frequented their farm and damage the crops and they appoint guards to scare away the folks of Ibexes on family turn basis.
The Kurgon temple was located very steep and it houses the relics of the upper body of the great saint ‘Panchen Lhastun’ who belonged to Udmaru village and who had attained the great seat of Panchen Lama of Tibet.
It is said later in life he returned to Nubra valley and benefited the people there. The lower part of the body is housed in the Charasa Gompa of Nubra valley. It is said that if a pilgrimage is carried out in a day of both the Gompas one collect lots of merits and this is the tradition!
Bye for now!