This is the practical ( some would say boring ) reflection of my travels in the Himalayas over a long period : I came first to Nepal in the eighties , and later came to Ladakh & Spiti , which has been my main goal in Asia since. I have also been to Sikkim & Tibet , and look forward to doing more along those lines.
The practical use of this : most come here for the updates on the four different routes to Ladakh. I run this mainly from home , based on a critical reading of news , and with some very valuable input from the ground. As I´m writing this it has been announced that Border Roads Organisation will open Manali-Leh on April 15th this year , read here why I don´t think that will happen , or that Srinagar-Leh was to be opened in early April 2009 ( actual opening : May 3rd ). Let´s see how it plays out this year.
I also try to keep tabs on the state of the of the roads to Spiti , the main routes to Lhasa , including the Nathu La route via Sikkim – the later could really use some work & more input at the moment.
Last but not least : doing the Manali-Leh road the first time was an eye opener , that made me re-evaluate what I thought I knew about travelling at high/extreme high altitude . It did not make me stop doing this , but doing it in another way – look for the “Sleeples in Sarchu” and “Chilling in Kargil”manuals. Together with some other experiences it also made me sceptic in parts even to my own spontaneous experience , and I´ve been doing a long physiology reading project alongside my travels over the last years.
Work in progress : the result of of present pottering is to be a High Altitude Checklist , that will cover basic packing lists, techie stuff , health preparation , medical kit etc , all in one pocket sized card without any explanations whatsoever – these will be covered in separate full posts here . The first installment here : High Power : The Neurotics Guide to Charging Cameras & Gadgets In The Himalayas
I guess there should be a FAQ & requests and a quick destination guide as well…
Apart from all this I have another mother tongue , and the reasons for my travels etc , covered at http://korta.nu/vistet
high road to.. 