India & Southeast Asia

Eight days ago I ran into a group of Russian-Israeli's planning a seven day trek over ancient trade routes of Ladakh, used to connect Kashmir to Tibet and India to China. I figured that if I was to endeavor on a roughly 103 kilometer, week-long journey, it would be in my best interests to do so with a band of travellers as naturally impervious to the cold as Russian-born IDF soldiers. What resulted was a team fit for success in any version of The Oregon Trail.

The Team
Polina (far left, photo 2/right photo 4): As a nurse, Polina may as well have sewn a red cross onto her bag and set up a formal medical tent at each of our stops. Unfortunately for her, her good graces resulted in a constant inflow of feet requiring bandages, including my own after Day 2's trek up and over Kanda La Pass. It also doesn't hurt that Polina is an ex-IDF intelligence officer with a proclivity for slyly extracting the details of one's life over tea (tea that she will brew just for you with her camping stove and Tupperware containers full of delicious, homegrown herbs cultivated for this very purpose).
Yulia (middle, photo 2/photo 3): The holder of the guidebook and principal navigator of the valley, Yulia became the resource through which we predicted our daily progress. Without her, we would have spent twice the amount of time lost and, more likely than not, spent a few nights on the rocky Himalayan ground. An electrical engineer by trade, Yulia at our side meant we were prepared to handle any semiconductors that happened across our path. None did.
Vitaly (far right, photo 2/left photo 4): Our pace-setter and designated source of smart-remarks and sarcasm, Vitaly's presence was resounding in its pertinence. His tall and skinny frame belied his near-mechanical ability to defeat any and all foes, given his history as an IDF-officer in combat engineering (explosives). Add to the situation that he is the boyfriend of Yulia-the-electrical-engineer and suddenly he becomes a half of the dorky math tandem that you never hope to annoy.

Our week in the wilderness adhered to the ancient Ladakhi trading routes beaten into permanence by mules and horses carrying goods to through the region's valleys, inaccessible by car and bike. Our route (detailed in photo 6) was not generally not difficult to navigate without a guide, with a few exceptions -- see "Sara - Markha Valley Day 3 End". Crisp and clean mountain streams and rivers sourced by the nearby snow-covered peaks cut through the terrain and generally served as a strong indicator of direction. But, the most reliable sign of correctness of path was neither river nor compass-- it was the never-ending trail of mule poop. If you someday choose to roam the Himalayan highlands following poop trails, be sure to choose a band of comrades with experience; fecal navigation is no joke.Lue lisää