220kms. Give or take a few.
Thats how far is Padum from the town of Kargil. At 30kmph average its little over 7 hours of driving.
If you were running the raid de Himalaya, you would achieve faster speeds, if you can complete the stretch with an intact suspension.
However, we were not running the Raid. This year nobody was running the Raid here, it ended in Leh.
So a realistic speed I could hope was 20kmph average, and that put our ETA at 9pm.
For now, its not half past 11, and the road is holding up. JK PWD has decided to construct something which looks like a road, and is pretty smooth too, till Panikhar.
Nevertheless, we decided to take it slow. After all who wants to miss the colors of Suru.
Many believe that the best time to visit Suru and Zanskar is september. With the yellow brown grass, and the blue skies, it can be called a photographers delight. Scenes which awe you, humble you and make you forget the road.
However, I disagree. September is just the Trailer. IF you want to watch the movie, you must go there in October.
A rare sight here, fresh black top tarmac. If only this existed all the way, its just a 6 hour run!
Whatever green remains is sought after.
But even with this road, you cannot hold up the speed. For you have to stop, and stare and wonder
This is the land of glaciers. They lurk in every frame. Some new, some old
As we approach Tongul, the peaks come into view. I believe they are Nun and Kun. Obscured by clouds, but still magnificient
The road vanishes, but the wonders do not. The worst stretch of the road is near Parakchik. But it is here you witness a glacier, right in your face, right on the road.
After Parakchik, we have a sense of urgency. ITs almost 3pm, and we are not even at Rangdum, the midway point. Its probably less than 20kms away, but kms have little meaning here. It can take 1 hour or 2.
Slowly and steadily we are gaining altitude, and the trees now vanish, giving way to the dead brown grass, and the barren alpine landscape for company.
Ladakh in october is barren, devoid of snow, a mix of brown and blue.
But not here. Here the white stays. The white fights, and never goes away. In May there is lot of white, in October there is less, but its always there.
For its the land of Glaciers. Durang durung you say? I saw many more. Not all are visible for the road. You have to stop and climb the hills by the side to "rise"
This is our first break. Yes we are short of time. But this seems like a good place to rest. So we soak in the views, and the elephant also rests, with nothing leaking, only everything creaking
The shadows have started. The days are shorter. And in 3 hours this light will go away
As the days get shorter, these visiters will also go away. Who knows maybe this is their flight out of here?
Its 3:30 when we finally hit Rangdum
In September 2009, we turned back from here. Defeated by the road. today, we will march ahead. This is our lunch stop. I ask a lone trucker, how far to Padum, and he replies 5, 6 or 7 hours.
We know it will be dark when we reach Padum, but we hope that there will be enough light for the Durang Durung.
A delicious maggi, and a hot cup of tea later we are on the road again. Suru valley will end soon, and we will enter Zanskar.