High on the Himalayas

Day 1: Arrival at and Overnight in Leh.

Upon arrival, participants are picked up from the Leh airport and checked into the lodge. Those travelling by road will check in to the lodge directly. The rest of the day will be spent in acclimatization to the high altitude and the low temperatures. Later, the Tour Skipper will facilitate a mutual introduction and orient the group to what may be expected on the Tour. And after a scrumptious dinner, we retire for the night.

Day 2: Sightseeing in Thikse and Leh; Overnight in Leh.

The capital of the Himalayan kingdom, Leh is now a district along with Kargil, together constituting the famous area called Ladakh, and we spend the day exclusively enjoying the local attractions.

After breakfast, we drive to the famous Hemis and Thikse Monasteries . We return to Leh for lunch and then spend the afternoon at leisure. By around 04:30 p.m., we drive up to Shanti Stupa for a view of Leh and to make some beautiful time-lapse videos.

Day 3: Leh to Nubra Valley; Overnight in Nubra (150km).

Starting in the morning, we drive further from Khardung La and descend on the northern side of the pass into the Hunder area famously known as the Nubra Valley. Here, the Shyok River meets the Nubra or Siachen River to form a large valley that separates the Ladakh and Karakoram ranges. The average altitude of the valley is about 10,000ft. Between Hunder and Diskit lie several kilometres of sand dunes that form a magnificent foreground to the mountainous landscape. We spend the night in Nubra, which is also a great destination to explore night photography and star-trail imagery.

Day 4: Return to Leh; Overnight in Leh (150km).

After a relatively unhurried and comfortable morning, we drive back to Leh, crossing the Khardung La pass and descending into the Indus Valley.

Day 5: Leh to Pangong Tso via Chang La Pass; Overnight at Pangong Tso camp (170km).

Starting after breakfast, we head towards the Chang La pass on our way to the celebrated Pangong Lake, and arrive in the afternoon, stopping to lunch midway and taking breaks at crucial spots on the Chang La Pass to watch wildlife and photograph interesting landscapes.

By mid-afternoon, we are at the renowned Pangong Lake at an altitude of 4,350 metres (14,270 feet). After digesting the initial dose of awe, we learn to shoot panoramic views of the lake and spend ample time practising time-lapse photography. Unlike most tourists who pay only a day-visit, we are in no hurry and can wait for dramatic light and photo opportunities. We end the day around the lake making images in the late evening and well past it into the night, before camping close to the lake.

Day 6: Return to Leh via Chang La; Overnight in Leh.

Enjoying the luxury of witnessing a glorious sunrise around the lake, we breakfast and return to Leh via the Chang La Pass, stopping frequently to capture marvellous vistas. In the evening, the Skipper will chair an entertaining and informative interactive session on photography or natural history before we call it a night in Leh.

Day 7: Leh to Tso Moriri and Overnight in Tso Moriri Camp (225km).

Driving approximately 225 kilometres south-east of Leh, and to the west of the Changtang Plateau, we arrive at Tso Moriri in about five hours. Based on our experience, the best times to photograph the landscapes there are the evenings and we hope for a great sky forming the backdrop of this picturesque lake. Staying very close to the lake, the group will have virtually unlimited access to photography sites around it.

A nesting area for the highly endangered black-necked crane, Tso Moriri is also a fantastic destination to photograph the bar-headed goose, the Brahminy duck and other wildlife including wild ass and marmots. One of the highlights of Tso Moriri would be to spot the tiny pika and the woolly hare that feed around here. After a day’s productive photography, we camp overnight in Tso Moriri.

Day 8: Return to Leh via Tso Kar and Overnight in Leh.

Tso Moriri is a great place for birding in the morning. However, the angle of light at that time is not favourable for photography, so we spend a short time spotting birds before setting off towards Puga, a small village on our way to Tso Kar.

As we are travelling by Tanglang La, we should be able to spend time around this high-altitude pass doing ample landscape photography and also trying to spot lammergeiers and golden eagles.

After shopping in the Leh Market for its famous artefacts, jewellery, paintings and mountain-tourism accessories, we retire for the night.

Day 9: Drop to Leh Airport and Departure from Leh.

Checking out in the morning, you will be dropped to the airport depending on your flight times to return home with a bagful of great images and stories to share.