Witnessing my first snow fall in Khardung La pass, Leh

 The day started in a hurry. We had spent two days living in a homestay on the outskirts of Leh, enjoying the raw beauty of the topography. We had a quick breakfast of cup noodles, as we had to start quite early. Our destination of the day was Nubra Valley, and our first stop being the Khardung La pass.

Khardung La pass acts as a gateway to the Nubra valley. Beyond this pass lies the Siachen Glacier, hence this pass is highly valued as it helps transport supplies to Siachen. It is maintained by Border Roads Organization (BRO), and construction in some parts to make it better is still ongoing. The highest point in Khardung La is at a distance of 17982 feet from sea level, which makes it a challenge for some tourists to breathe at this altitude. 

Dark clouds slowly spreading throughout the sky

 

As dark clouds circled the skies, one thing was for sure; as it rains in the lower terrains, it will snow in the higher terrains. Despite all this, I still had a feeling that I would not quite be able to experience snow today. Why? Well, whenever it rained in Himachal Pradesh, it was quite evident that the peaks would be snow-capped within a matter of minutes. Yet, every time that happened, I was either too caught up in my work, or it would rain too much to the point I was hesitant to take a bus as the roads would become slippery. 

Soon, it started raining. I looked at my mom in disbelief. Our driver, Nurbu bhaiya, confirmed my suspicions, "We need to hurry up, otherwise we will get stuck in a traffic jam." For people who haven't yet experienced the treacherous roads of Khardung La, it is pretty bad as the road was still in the making. The path was muddy and occasionally rocky. There were huge puddles of muddy water splashing around whenever a car drove through, and my parents and I assumed that it will only get worse from here onwards. Moreover, the snow made the road slippery. This alone can cause accidents, as other than the locals, none of the people who visit this place are used to roads like these.

We came across multiple makeshift tents for the labourers who were busy breaking away the Rocky Mountains to make way. Huge yellow bulldozers spooked us every now and then, hogging the majority of the road and making the remaining space as lurch as possible. Somehow, Nurbu bhaiya managed it all, without breaking a sweat, which is remarkable. All three of us were impressed by how well he handled tricky situations on the road.

Bulldozer obstructing but constructing the road

Makeshift tent at the side of the road

My dad was busy recording the clouds slowly coming down to cover the peaks. He stuck his hand out to feel the tiny droplets- the drops were way tinier than the raindrops in Delhi. This way, your hand can never really get that wet, and you could still enjoy the feeling of cold droplets hitting your skin. All of a sudden, my dad excitedly exclaimed," It's snowing! It's snowing! look!" 

I almost jumped from my seat, not being able to believe his words. I looked outside, my eyes frantically searching for perhaps, comically large snowflakes just hovering around. To my disbelief, there was absolutely nothing. Everything still looked wet and muddy, with not a snowflake in sight. Slowly and gradually, I started to see white sprinkles on stones, as if someone had casually strolled around, sprinkling salt everywhere. 

Powdered sugar on chocolate cake

The landscape started turning whiter with every passing minute. We could see tiny bits of snowflakes fall to the ground, but the moment they touched my skin, they melted to form tiny droplets of water, ceasing to exist. I believe that was the reason why I wasn't able to see it initially, whereas my dad could. 

Since it started snowing, we still ended up getting stuck in a traffic jam. Although, instead of being upset about it, we were scrambling through the contents in our bag, looking for caps and gloves. Being in higher terrains means the oxygen level keeps dropping. The locals often advise tourists to not stress themselves physically, as they would almost immediately start panting. Yet, at that moment, none of us gave a damn about that. We never noticed how much we were panting, as I felt crisp snow for the first time.

Ice in my hands as my fingers slowly lose all feeling and turn as red as the kesar in Kahwa

Me having fun in the snow

I always imagined snow to be as hard as the ones sticking to the corners of the freezer. I sometimes dug my nails into it, just to imagine what it felt like, while the shopkeeper would stare at me in disbelief. Thankfully, it felt so soft and gentle, yet equally piercing at the same time. The more you squeeze it, the more it melts just enough to become smaller and harder. 

My dad went ballistic and started throwing one snowball after the other at me and my mom, which was soon followed by him getting rebuked by my mother. Nurbu bhaiya, joined in on the fun as well, and he made a small snowman with two pebbles for eyes. He proudly showed us his creation, before he managed to balance it just below the boot of the car. 

Norbu bhaiya's snowman chilling on his car

The traffic started clearing up, and we quickly had to make our way back to the car. Once I entered, I never noticed how red my hands had turned. It was so cold that I could barely feel anything, and once feeling returned, so did the pain. This was my lesson to wear gloves from then onwards.

And what a lesson it was! We got stuck in another traffic jam just a few minutes later. I rushed to slip on my gloves, to join in on the fun my parents were having. I discovered it was much easier to make snowballs- the gloves were magically still dry, and not melting. This meant I wasn't able to accidentally melt a ball of snow to form a ball of ice. 

I tried making a snowman. Theoretically, a stable snowman needs to have a robust foundation. With the help of my dad constantly flinging snow at me, I was able to make one. It looked quite silly, indeed. I wanted it to have arms as tiny as possible. Unfortunately, it somehow broke off, and I was left with a small, sad mound of snow. I killed my first snowman! :(

Me moments away from accidentally breaking it all down with my elbow

The traffic started clearing up again, and we were almost at our destination. I started having an unbearable headache with a bursting bladder. I leaned my head against the cold window, and I dozed off. 

I was awoken by muffled horns and loud chatter of people. My mom was shaking my arm, trying to wake me up, as we had finally reached the top! 

Rocky valleys now enveloped by snow

My mom and I made a beeline for the washrooms. Although I didn't expect a fancy one, I didn't expect one that none could use as well. A lady passed by us, and she advised us to not use it, as it's the worst she had ever seen. "Really?" I asked, the disappointment prominent in my tone. 

"Yeah. Even I didn't use it." And she walked off, angry at the management. 

Long story short, she was very much right. Thanks to the other women present there, we came up with the solution to use the blind spot behind the portable toilets. Even if it wasn't a blind spot, my bladder didn't care. That was my first experience relieving myself on snow. I didn't quite like it, but it was way better than actually using the washroom.

Khardung La pass was crawling with tourists. Everyone wanted to get a picture in front of the board which stated the name of the pass, and the distance from sea level. There was a crowd near it, and the only reason it didn't end up as a stampede is because there was slippery, muddy ice underneath. Different groups of people were accusing each other of cutting in front of the line, when in reality, people were all scattered around. Thanks to Nurbu bhaiya, we managed to get a spot rather quickly, and we ended up with great clicks amidst the mayhem. 

Tourists arguing for a spot in front of it

The ground used to be covered with snow, but now it was a pale brown, irregular ice sheet. My mom held onto my arm tightly, scared that I would slip and fall, but I was more scared of the bottom of my jeans getting soaked. 

Muddy brown ice as a courageous tourist goes to the edge 

There was yet another point which said Khardung La pass, but it was relatively less crowded. I wonder why the tourists didn't spot that board as well? 

The clouds were slowly clearing up as the clock struck 2. This is when the ice started to melt, and this was also our signal to leave. My dad was extremely grateful to Nurbu bhaiya, as because of him, we made it just in time to enjoy the snow without it all melting away. 

The sky and the road clearing up

On our way back, the valleys and the mountains were not as white as we saw an hour back. I breathed a sigh of relief, as this would mean that there would be no traffic jam. As we went downhill, all the pristine white snow had turned to brown muddy ice water. The landscape had returned to become various shades of brown instead of Oreo flavoured peaks.

Bikers posing for a picture

We stopped at a place to have some hot tea to energize ourselves. The temperature had changed drastically, and I had removed a layer of my clothing to adapt to it. It is amazing, how much the temperature and oxygen levels dip, the more uphill you go, even if it is just a few minutes apart. 

The place had multiple small eateries. They looked rather shabby, with disorganized chairs and tables outside, and vehicles parked on mud. Yet, we cannot blame the locals, as the diverse group of tourists this place attracts have different habits when it comes to respecting a place. My mother and I had Kahwa, a type of tea which is consumed in India and some parts of Middle east. My favourite part of this drink is that even though it is a green tea, the taste of kesar is quite prominent. For people who mentally gag when I say green tea, it is quite sweet- sweeter than you are expecting. It is strangely refreshing as well, with chopped dry fruits to form a delicious, yellow concoction. Sadly, the readymade version of this tea which comes in a powder form, is more popular as compared to the traditional preparation. 

Tourists after a hearty session of flinging snow at each other

After stretching our legs and soaking in the warm sun, it was soon time to leave for Nubra Valley, where we would check into a new hotel. The weather was warm and sunny now, unlike the morning. If you had a look at us, you wouldn't be able to imagine us being ankle deep in snow just a while back. Such is the duality of Ladakh, truly a place of magic and mystery.

A big thank you to our amazing driver and our guide, Stanzin Nurbu. If you are planning your next trip to Leh Ladakh, make sure to contact him for a wonderful travel experience.