Ladakh Summer 2019

South Col Expeditions did two treks in Ladakh this summer in the Shang Sumdo to Rumbak region.
For detailed itineraies and route planning please do visit
http://sujoyrdas.blogspot.com/2019/09/ladakh-shang-sumdo-to-rumbak-trek.html

http://sujoyrdas.blogspot.com/2019/08/ladakh-shang-sumdo-to-stok-across-shang.html

 Here are some photos from our treks.

For more details on our treks and photo workshops do visit www.southcol.com

For more photos do visit www.sujoydas.com

Bhutan | Photographs from the Land of Happiness

Prayer wheels at Chimi Lakhang near Punakha

I was in Bhutan last month and also did the Druk Path trek which we could not finish due to heavy snow.  Here are some photographs from this beautiful country.

Taktshang  Tigers Nest Monastery

Prayer wheels made out of bottles Tigers Nest in the background

Close up of a prayer wheel

Students working on wood carving at the Zoric Chisum Institute Thimpu

Punakha Dzong in the late afternoon

Doorway at Punakha Dzong

Chortens at the Dochu La pass

A woman leaves the butter lamp room at the Changangkha Lakhang in Thimpu

Dechen Phodrang interior Thimpu

Entrance to a restaurant Paro

Paro valley in the autumn with paddy ready for harvesting

Drying red chillies in a Paro street

Paro Dzong and the National Museum (on top) at night

Bonde Lakhang outside Paro

Spiti Homestays in the Left Bank Villages

The village of Lhalung 

The village of Lhalung (3800 metres)  is now connected to the district headquarters of Spiti, Kaza, by a motorable road but is also possible to walk to Lhalung from Komic and Demul. We stayed at Khabrick Homestay in Lhalung run by Tashi Khabrik and his charming wife Dolma.  Tashi is extremely knowledgeable about the region and also works as a trekking guide in summer for treks across Parang La  to Tso Moriri and other areas in Spiti. He can be contacted at tashi.bodh@yahoo.co.in and +91 9418962704. Lhalung has a splendid monastery on top of the hill and for tourists visiting Dhangkar, a visit to Lhalung just an hours drive away is strongly recommended. Alternatively, the Spiti left bank trek starting from Lhangza passes through Komic, Demul, Lhalung and then onto Dhangkar.

Tashi , Dolma and their little girl outside their homestay

 In the village of Komic , we stayed at the Kunga Homestay at an altitude of 4500 metres. Kunga Chorden, a young lad of 23 years who runs the home stay with his wife provides very comfortable accommodation with good food. Kunga later accompanied us on our three day trek from Komic to Dhangkar. His phone nos are 01906 200050 and +91 9459981295. He can be also contacted through Mr Ramesh Lotay of Spiti Holiday  Adventures in Kaza at +91 9418439247/ +91 1906 222711. Ramesh Lotay is also on e mail loteykaza@yahoo.co.in 

A sunny room at Kunga Homestay, Komic

The village of Komic

For more information on Spiti and the Spiti Left Bank trek please do visit  http://sujoyrdas.blogspot.com/2012/05/spiti-left-bank-trek-outlook-traveller.html

Everest May 29th 1953 | Sixty Five Years since the 1st Ascent

Hillary and Tenzing arriving at Advance Base Camp 30th May 1953 after the successful summit.  On the left is Charles Evans and to the left of Tenzing is Tom Bourdillon and George Band. 

Today is sixty five years since the first ascent of Everest.

On 29th May 1953 at 11.30 am, a Sherpa and a New Zealander became the first men to stand on top of the highest peak on this planet.  However the intervening years has seen a sea change as far as Everest is concerned. The mountain   has now become a playground for guided expeditions, with clients paying between twenty five to sixty thousand dollars or more to stand on the highest point on earth. The South Col route climbed in 1953 is now disdainfully referred to as the “yak trail”. The dangerous icefall below the Western Cwm is maintained by a team of sherpas right through the season led by a senior “Icefall Doctor.” 

In order to make it possible for the clients to summit Everest, the entire mountain has fixed rope from bottom to top. This year 2018 the first ascent of the mountain was made by a team of  sherpas from different expeditions who fixed  the rope right to the summit and they were followed by the guided clients. 

 The summer of 2018 has been a record year on Everest. There has been 700+ summits till date from both the south and north side and for the first time there were eleven straight summit days when the weather was favourable for the climb.  Kami Rita Sherpa made his 22nd ascent of Everest - the highest number of Everest ascents till date. Lhakpa Sherpa climbed Everest from the north for the ninth time - the most Everest climbs by a woman. 

A Chinese double amputee Xiya Boyu made a successful ascent of Everest while astronaut Maurizio Cheli also successfully made the summit becoming the first man to have flown in space and climbed the highest mountain in the world.

There was also a major problem this year  with faulty oxygen bottle regulators on the Tibet north  route and some teams had to cancel  their summit attempts. 

However, this post recounts through photographs,  the 1953 climb, the historic ascent of the first two men to summit Everest and the team of climbers and sherpas who supported them through this endeavour.

Bourdillon and Evans on their return from the South Summit on May 26th 1953 - Bourdillon had wanted to make a push for the summit

Nawang Gombu crossing the icefall ladders - Gombu later became the first man to climb Everest twice in 1963 and 1965

The five men who helped  Hillary and Tenzing to carry to Camp 9  27,800 feet - John Hunt, Da Namgyal, Alf Gregory, Any Nyima and George Lowe - Photo George Lowe Collection

The map of the Khumbu icefall and the route followed by the 1953 expedition

From left: John Hunt, Ed Hillary, Tenzing, Ang Nyima,  Alfred Gregory and George Lowe after the ascent

The code which was later used in the telegram to send the news before the Queen's coronation

The telegram sent by John Hunt after the ascent

Hunt, Hillary and Tenzing in London

The full expedition team with the sherpas

Tenzing and his mother at Tengboche monastery after the climb

Tenzing and Hillary at Tengboche monastery after the successful climb

Sketch map drawn by Tenzing for his biographer James Ramsay Ullman 

The signed colour supplement of The Times

All photographs in this post are copyright the ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY and the respective owners.

Soednam Zinghka - Heritage Farm House | Bhutan | Haa

One of the finest properties which I have stayed in recently in the Himalayas must be the Soednam Zingkha Heritage Farm House in the remote Haa valley in Western Bhutan. My group was on a trek to the Nob Tshona Pata lake and on the way we stopped for a night at Haa.

This beautiful homestay has been carefully restored keeping in mind the ethnic architecture and designs of Bhutan.

It has all the conveniences - temperature controlled heated rooms,  abundant hot water in the showers, spotless toilets, excellent wi-fi and cosy rooms with lovely views across the valley.

It is family run with with the son of the house, Penjor, having studied hotel management in India and he has been able to put his management experience to good use in this property.

The meals are to die for and are personalised service with a smile is the hallmark of this heritage home.

I wish there were more such properties across the Himalaya.

Some photographs from my visit are below:

View from the farmhouse

The prayer room

The entrance

The courtyard

The drawing room area

Soednam Zingkha

Haa Valley

+975 17170507 / 77170507

szingkha@gmail.com

penjoree@gmail.com

www.soednamzingkha.com