Ladakh
Markha valley and ascent of Stok Kangri - August 2006
Day 4 - More acclimatizing: A walk to the north of Leh
Today is another remarkably hot day and we will be walking a little more instead of being driven. More acclimatizing! We follow the western side of the valley towards a village called Gompa, just a little north of Leh.
We walk along fields, irrigation canals, a small free flowing torrent, dark green grass then back through habitations to finish down by the road coming down from the Khardung La.
One thing that I find particularly amusing are the way willows are cultivated (wood is scarce and a precious commodity in Ladakh), using old cans to protect them from animals (and may also to make them grow straight). See the pictures in the middle of the page.
The afternoon is devoted to packing our stuff for the start of the trek tomorrow, deciding what to leave in Leh and what to take as well as last minute small purchases
