Himalayas: Weather

If you read any guide book on the Himalaya or on trekking in the Himalayan region, you will invariably be told that the post-monsoon season is the best time to trek in the mountains. Clear blue skies, superb mountain views, mild sunny days and crisp cold nights are all forecast for the trekker.

 You will also be told that the pre monsoon season i.e. March to May is the second best time to be in the mountains with mild showers in the evening but clear morning and the weather getting warmer as you approach the monsoon. Further, according to the guide books, trekking in the monsoon is strictly a “no no” and if the heavy rains and landslides don’t make your trek a nightmare, the leeches will! And of course the winter is so cold that no sane individual would venture into the high altitude at that time!

So what is the real story on Himalayan weather with the impact of global warming and climate change?

I have trekked in the Himalayas in all seasons, including the winter (Everest 2003-04), the monsoon (Sikkim 2000) and numerous autumn and spring treks.

One October I remember visiting Kathmandu airport every morning for the flight to Lukla and returning to our hotel at lunchtime. It rained for three days incessantly and the Lukla flight could not take off. Finally on the fourth day it did take off  and made a hair raising landing at Lukla narrowly missing the hill in front of the airstrip. Surprisingly the very next day the weather cleared and we did not get any rain for the next two weeks during our trek. In the October season in the Khumbu there are now more than 14,000 trekkers in one month!

Again, walking the Annapurna circuit in October I remember repeated day after day of afternoon rain up the Marsyandi valley. One downpour near the village of Chame was so heavy that we sheltered in a bamboo hut and managed to stay dry until the rain stopped.

In December 2009 I trekked with a South Col group to Poon Hill in the Annapurna region and surprisingly other than the morning at Ghorepani, the rest of the days had cold, cloudy weather very unusual for December.

The rain shadow regions of the Himalaya like Ladakh, Zanskar, Lahoul and Spiti possibly get the best weather in the monsoon season July to September.

So in my opinion, good weather is a gamble. What with global warming, rapid deforestation and urbanization, the weather is no longer predictable. Every season has something special to offer so select your season and hope for some great views and weather!

South Col Expeditions www.southcol.com treks in the Himalayas throughout the year. Do visit our web site for our treks both fixed departure and customised group offerings.

Himalayan Faces

 Watching from the ruins of her home - Kaule Village - Nepal after the earthquake April 2015

On my treks over many years in the Himalaya, I have been fortunate enough to photograph the people living in these remote locations and villages. Some of the interesting faces of the Himalaya are in this post.

At Tashiding monastery Sikkim - March 1987 

Porter in the Solu Khumbu April 2011

Boys from Photoksur village - Zanskar September 2007

Leh Ladakh September 2008

Samagaon - Manaslu region April 2017

Watching masked dances at Tabo, Spiti October 2011

For more photographs from the Himalaya please do visit www.sujoydas.com

Ladakh | After Dusk

Campsite on the first day of the Phyang to Hundar trek

Over the past few years in Ladakh,   I have been shooting a number of locations after dusk mostly using my tripod and sometimes with long time exposure. This post showcases some of the "after dusk" images.

Star trails over Mount Kangyatse

The Stok Kangri range and Leh town at dusk

Moonlight at Hanker on the Markha valley trek

Lamayuru monastery

The tea tents and campsite of Nimaling

For more photographs from Ladakh and Zanskar do visit

 http://www.sujoydas.com/Ladakh-and-Zanskar

For our 2017 trek in Ladakh do visit

 http://www.southcol.com/treks-nepal/rumtse-to-tso-moriri/

Short Treks in the Indian Himalaya

Kangyatse peak on the Markha Valley trek

In today's world there is always a constraint of time. Many of us want to get away to the  mountains  for a trek but getting  leave from office is not always possible. Hence, we continue to sit at our desks with a computer in front of us dreaming of the high Himalaya! So if you don't have the time to go on  a marathon twenty day  hike, here is a list of some of the shorter treks in the Indian Himalaya that are possible. The time given is from road head to road head, you will have to add some days to each trek depending on where you are located. Those of you living in and around Delhi, enjoy a definite advantage!

Rumtse to Tso Kar  4 days

This popular trek crosses some high passes and then comes to Tso Kar lake from where there is a motorable road to Leh. It is also possible to extend this trek further to Tso Moriri by adding three days to the trek. The route  is Rumtse 4325m - Kyamar 4055m- Tisaling 4215m- Ponganagu 4500m-Tso Kar. The best season for this trek is June to August. You should acclimatise in Leh for two days before starting out and you need to carry full camping gear, tents and food.

Spituk to Stok 4 days

This trek, very close to Leh, is often described as a "baby trek" but you cross a 4900m pass! The route is Spituk 3600m- Zingchan -Rumbak-Stok La pass 4900m-Stok. The best season for this trek is June to early October. Like all Ladakh treks, you should acclimatise in Leh for two days before starting out and you need to carry full camping gear, tents and food though some homestays will be available on the way. Check the latest status with any trekking company in Leh before starting out regarding the homestays.

Lamayuru monastery

Lamayuru to Chilling 5 days 

Though this is a five day trek it does cross a number of high passes and good acclimatisation is essential  for this route.  The route is  Lamayuru-Wanla-Hinju 3720m-Sumdo Doksa 4400m- Base of Dung Dung Chan la 4440m- Chlling 3550m. The best season for this trek is June to September. Like all Ladakh treks, you should acclimatise in Leh for two days before starting out and you need to carry full camping gear, tents and food though some homestays will be available on the way.

Indrahar Pass  5 days

This trek starts from Mcleodganj crosses the Indrahar Pass 4300 metres and then ends at Machetar which is a four hour drive from Chamba. The route is Mcleodganj 1650m-Triund 3000m- Lahesh Cave 3600m- Indrahar Pass 4300m- Laka Got 3850m- Chata Kuarsi 2200m-Machetar 1950m. The best season would be April-May and again September to November. You need to carry your own camping gear, tent and food.

Rupin Valley  5 days

The scenic Rupin valley is a very under trekked area which is  a pity as it offers a lot in terms of fast flowing rivers, bird life, mountains and lush forests.  The route is Netwar 1350m- Sewa 2025m- Jakhu 2600m- Camp below Rupin Pass 3500m- Rupin Pass 4540m- Kanda 3425m- Sangla 2675m. The best season would be April-May and again September to November. You should carry camping gear and food.

Kangchendzonga view from Sandakphu

 Sandakphu  & The Singalila Ridge 4 days

Though a jeepable road goes to Sandakphu it still remains a popular trek especially with first timers. It is possible to combine this with Phalut and make it  a seven day trip. There are different route options but the most popular one is Manebanjan- Tumling-Jaubari-Gairibash-Kalapokhri-Bikebhanjan-Sandakphu-Rimbick.  This is one of the few locations which has views of four of the five highest peaks in the world. The best time would be March to May and again October to December. You can stay in the home stays/bungalows on the way so there is no need to carry tents and food.

 Tunganath and Chandrashila 3 days

This is probably the shortest and most popular of all the easy treks in the Garhwal, but, with a great view from the top. The route would be Ukhimath 1300m - Deoria Tal 2100m- Chopta 2900m- visit Tunganath 3685m  and Chandrashila 3900m- Dugalbitta 2347m. 

On the trail to Bhojbasa

 Gangotri to Tapoban 5 days

This is another very popular trek to the source of the Ganga and on to the high altitude meadow of Tapoban with it's spectacular views of the Bhagirathi sisters and  Shivling. The route would be Gangotri 3140m- Bhojbasa 3792m - Gaumukh 3890m- Tapoban 4460m and back the same way. Beware of going up to Tapoban too quickly, a stop at Gaumukh is definitely recommended! You need to camp at Gaumukh and Tapoban. 

Some Useful Links 

http://www.southcol.com/Ten-Treks-Himalaya

http://www.trekkingpartners.com/2014/05/07/top-12-best-treks-nepal-2014/

http://www.thrillophilia.com/blog/trekking-himalaya-50-top-treks/

http://blog.travelandleisureasia.com/interest/2014/04/21/best-10-treks-in-india/

http://www.funonthenet.in/places/himalayan-treks.html

Classic Zanskar

Karsha Monastery

I stood on top of the Parfi-La (3900 metres), the last pass on the high trail to Zanskar. Below me, like a detailed tapestry, was spread cultivated fields in neat checkerboard patterns of yellow and brown with the  aqua marine Zanskar River running through the valley. Next to me, my guide and cook Tenzing Tsondup’s smile was infectious. He could not hide the joy at looking down on his homeland.  Tenzing and I had come to Zanskar the hard way. Eight days earlier a Tata Sumo had dropped us from Leh to the village of Wanla, near the monastery of Lamayuru. From Wanla we had crossed seven passes, some above 5000 metres, until finally we stood on the last one – Parfi La. The prayer flags atop the pass danced crazily in the breeze while all around us were gnarled ochre coloured hills weather beaten by the snow and wind.  We took a deep breath and started walking down. In a few hours we were at the Ibex Hotel, Padum back in civilization.

Padum, the district headquarters of Zanskar is a good base to explore the surrounding monasteries in the valley. We had two days in Padum before returning to Leh and decided to visit Karsha, Stongdey and Zangla.

That afternoon, we hired a taxi and were en route to the largest monastery in Zanskar,  Karsha.

The Himalayan Seasons I: Ladakh & Zanskar

Approaching storm, Leh Palace

This is a eight part essay on the seasons in the Himalayas one part every week. The first one starting today is on Ladakh and Zanskar.


Mid December to March
It is peak winter with temperatures in Leh down to -30C on some nights! It is the time for the Chadar Trek usually in late Jan/Feb. The flights from Delhi are running and some hotels and guest houses are open in Leh. The Indus valley is usually open for vehicles. Awesome light and clarity for photography! Some of the monastery festivals are held at this time - Spituk, Stok, Likir and Matho have festivals in February 2013!


April and May
The first spring would probably come in late April. From Mid April the weather is suitable for jeep safaris as the warmer days would melt some of the snow and make the passes feasible. The weather would still be cold and expect freak snow storms even in May! It is a good time to visit as the summer tourists are yet to descend on the Indus!


June to September
These four months are the peak season. The Manali-Leh road and the Srinagar- Leh road are both open. The Pensi La pass to Zanskar usually opens in mid June.  In some years, freak snowstorms have closed the road for a few days during this period. The valleys are green in June-Aug becoming brown with the approaching autumn in Sept. Late Aug to mid Sept is  a wonderful trekking  time and good for the high pass crossings – Tso Moriri to Kibber, Across Zanskar, Rumtse to Tso Moriri etc.  It is high season so air fares are  all up and for larger groups hotels need to be booked as well.


October to Mid December
 There are not many tourists at this time. Leh is in a shut down mode from mid October. The late winter sometimes makes October a good month for jeep safaris. Trekking is usually ruled out at this time except for the intrepid! This season usually sees few visitors.


Photography Locations
Here are some of the good photography locations:

• The Shanti Stupa at dusk in Leh

• Tso Moriri lake in autumn when the sheep and goats graze on the rich pastureland.

• Overnight at Lamayuru monastery staying at the monastery guest house.

• The sand dunes of the Nubra valley

• The view from the top of Thikse monastery in  the early morning when the lamas are at prayer.

For an overview of the region please do visit my Ladakh and Zanskar photo galleries.

Zanskar: The Fort and I Outlook Traveller June 2012

A photo essay on the monasteries of Zanskar published in Outlook Traveller June 2012 issue. For the full essay visit my web site  or the Outlook Traveller page http://travel.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?281146 .

Evening storm over Leh Palace

One evening I was walking on Fort Road in Leh when  suddenly the sky darkened, a fierce wind began to blow and clouds scudded across the sky. The whole scene was ominous and rain seemed imminent. I decided to stop and took shelter in a tea shop on the road below the palace. It started raining but did not last long. The rain  stopped and suddenly the sun came out and lit the palace and the hill below. I was just able to take two photographs as the sun vanished  and did not appear again!

Monasteries : Ladakh and Zanskar

Some photographs in black and white of the monasteries in Ladakh and Zanskar. For more photos of the Himalayas please do visit www.sujoydas.com

Thikse

Thikse

Thikse

Alchi

Likir

Karsha

Zanskar Photos

This is a small collection of my photographs from Zanskar. For more photos please visit http://www.sujoydas.com/Ladakh-and-Zanskar

Lonely Planet Magazine (UK Edition) December 2010