1 February 2018, Hemis National Park, Ladakh, India

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We are on our way to climb a high plateau behind Rumbak village.  Passing through the village, here is a pony and three donkeys in a sheltered pen attached to a house.

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A blue sheep skull in front of a house with animal feed on the roof.

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Here we are climbing up to an intermediate ridge.  In the high altitude, climbing is very slow going.

 

Turning around, Jools is behind me.  Further back, Emma (wearing red) is pausing for breath and Tashi, our chief guide and organiser, is monitoring her progress.

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We have reached the intermediate ridge.  There is a stupa on a high point in the middle though you may need to click on the image to see it.  They occur in places where you wonder about the effort to build them.  You can also see a trail up to there.

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I paused for this panorama.  Stok Kangri, to the right of the cloud at the left, is the highest peak in Ladakh at 6,150 metres (20,200 feet).

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Some of the others set off immediately for the small high plateau.  I followed them after a time and missed the brief period of calm with no wind that those others encountered.  This and following images are from the high plateau.

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We are at 4,300 metres or 14,100 feet.

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I called this post “On the Roof of the World”, a phrase which normally relates to Tibet.  Well, we are on the Himalayan plateau in an area that is historically and culturally Tibetan (though part of India) and we are at one of the highest levels of Ladakh.

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A closer view of Stok Kangri, highest peak in Ladakh.

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Back in camp, I decided to venture out late at around 9pm when it was dark (and cold) for an image of the stars with the land illuminated by the light of the full moon.

We are at the same point where we viewed the three snow leopards.  They were at the skyline at far right or perhaps further to the right.

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There may be some constellations visible, for those who can pick them.  Click the image for a larger view.

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