Tanglang La and Morey Plains

There was one more interesting topic I spoke with Konchok, the monk. About the whole population of Ladakh with a bit more than 117.000 people. Half and half by Moslems and Buddhist.  Because Moslem population is growing so quick, because they make so many babies and sometimes marrying Buddhist girls, who convert into Islam…  some of them already say: maybe it’s time, that the monks and nuns start to make baby’s, too. ???

And one more thought I had about the different direction Buddhist and Moslems circle. A solution could be, to walk a laying 8, a infinity loup.

Anyway. I got up at 3.30am to make the 20km incl. short cuts and the 1200m elevation meters. Stars were shining bright and after some km 3 sheperds with three herds of sheep’s and goat’s appeard out of the dark along the way. The short cuts were very helpful, because the street loops are about 10km longer. But steep. With mouth protection against the cold, the ground was frozen, and a breakfast break at some wind shady place I was to my big surprise some minute after 10am already at the 5328m Tanglang La Pass. A Krishna Temple at the top was totally overcovered by buddhist Tibetan flags. Even the entrance was hard to find. In the temple somewhere at the side a Krishna drawing, but also in the middle the Buddhist did hang a Tangha, a buddhist image done from silk.
On the other side, in the valley, still lots of nomads with there tents. Later I learn, that some also stay in the cold winter up here at 4700m.

In the evening I arrive at Dehbring. After some search and asking around I find the simple shack/house/Dahba/restaurant of Lobsang. Here the tent is deposited since 2 weeks by Sumit and Madur. I am a bit surprised by the sice of extra volume, even though I packed the ‚delivery‘. But after 44km walk, I have to rest first. The shack/house is pretty simple, dormitories as in the alp mountains, but at the street from Leh to Manali. Some accommodations are from concrete builded, some in a nomad round tent style. In the very beginning a was not sooooo… pleased by the sleeping places impressions, it looked a bit dark, because of very little windows, but also the electricity was not on yet on, the generator for the 15 placed turns only on, when it’s really dark.
The mother cooker on different stoves. Some on a table, some on the ground. One of the gas stove was in the middle of the room, some long term guest cooked a special super hot meal for themself. The water cooks on this elevation at 50 degrees!!!! So high presure pots are very common here. After a night stay, I felt really good. Lobsang, 23, runs this place together with his mother, and said ‚yeah, this is really peace‘. In the middle of the nature, surrounded by mountains, desert, beauty and emptiness, a place of, refuge, rest and food…. My intention was, to stay for one rest day, but when I woke up, my inner guidance had other plans. I separated the tent in two parts, for both sides of my backpack. The sleeping bag had to come somewhere in the middle, beside my big food bag, (no I carry 2 liter of water instead of one) the mat I could also fix outside. It’s a surprise, that everything somehow fits. Really really sad to leave Lobsang behind so soon, but….

….and suddenly, when all was on my back, the weight for sure 6 to 7 kg more than at normal conditions (I was really not looking forward to it) a big wonderful feeling of joy and happiness arised in my, so surprisingly and unexpected, and so pure and beautiful. What the univers is always giving, it’s just wonderful. A new way a freedom, to sleep, whereever I want – I did not want to go the 45km to Pang for sure today. Just short distance. The weather , fabulous.  Only after 3 km another group of nomad tents, so cosy, I nearly stayed. One of the guys had some fruits to sell, about 10 apples. Because fruits are so rare here, I could only manage to allow myself to ask for 4 apples. Walking was fine, and I started to wonder if I start to like to have more weight on my back, a sporty aspect…?????

The wind came mainly from 2 directions, from the front and from the back, so I looked for a place for the night, where there could be somehow windshade and the early morning sun, because it’s cold at night. And first time building a unknown tent it’s also fine, to have some time.
The sun went behind the mountain already at 4.30pm. So the cooler and then cold period started. Little bit less then 2 more hours light. I started to collect white quartz, and made a big circle out of bigger and smaller stones around my tent. Surprisingly, there was also a source of little wood sticks at this place, so I collected from the llittle bushes, whith grew more or less only on the ground, lose sticks. Also I collected some dry cow shit to have a fire later on. This both kept me busy and warm until the night started.
When I choosed earlier the material for the outside nights, I took the lighter sleeping bag, I got told, that I could also have two, this light and on top a warmer sleeping bag. But I really did not know where to put the voluminous warmer on….. And I did not have a clue, that carrying all this stuff would give me happiness….. My strategy was, to wear everything what I have. Thats 6 to seven layers for the top of my body, incl. a mohair undershirt. 3 thin trousers and socks. And two to three hats and one to two shawls. I have also gloves, but for the night not needed. The sleeping bag is only for +11 degrees max, so …..
When I walk a lot, or to much, my lower back is somehow blocking the energy. If I have a chance, I sleep and rest early, as today, but at around midnight I can’t continue sleeping anymore. I am kind of awake, but still in the need of sleep. The lower back hurts and I move for a while from left to right, from the front to the back. But it does not help. I have to get up and sit, meditate.
I have to do it that long, until I get tired again. This can take 20min up to nearly an hour. The energy jam then releases and when successful I can enjoy sleeping again. If not, I turn again from left to right…. and so on…. then I have to continue meditation again.
This night is very cold. My feet are not really warm, so I empty the rest of my backpack, put the feet surrounded by the sleeping bag inside, success…. warm feet. Upper body and feet until knees warm, the but and upper legs could have another blanket….., but it kind of works.
In the morning all my breath is frozen inside of the tent. Also the kind of muesli rest from the afternoon before is ice. The fire I could not do in the evening because of to much wind, which totally stopped when I was meditating in the night. So I enjoyed some warms of the heat, before the sun came over the mountain……

I am in the Morey Plain. All day long I walk on the same elevation of 4700m. The wind comes from the front and is enourmous. The nature is so beautiful, the weather so clear. From time to time I have to remind myself to enjoy the super scenery. I have to walk 30km+ puh. … And it feels I am not coming from the spot……
Lobsang told me, I will find water on the way, so I took only two liters yesterday. But everything dry. But univers takes care in another way. People loose or through half full bottles of water away. And I just find them. Today I find 4 of them, serving me.
The plain meets another mountain. It looks from far away,  but also by coming closer, as if the mountain is kind of ending with a T-form the plain or at least I have to turn in a 90 degrees angle around the corner, but on my maps, the road nearly continues strait,  only a little to the left. Anyway I think I do a short cut, but in fact I walk nearly beside the street. Very strange….. a illusion…. And I have the joy to witness two wild horses. It is just – with the strong cold wind and the optic irritation – superfar. The scenery is so huge… And somehow it reminds me of famous Wadi Rum in Jordan, but no-one has developed some sightseeing tourism for this yet.
Coming to the end of the plain, the space opens 300 m down to the valley of Pang, a kind of beautiful canyon with erosions looking like cathedrals, a meandernd river snakes themselve along. The army has a part of the valley. The other part is used by simple service house and nomad style tents to serve the traffic people with food and beds. These services started in 1988, but no-one has the idea yet to use the area also as touristic attraction.

In my dormitory place the rest of a oil searching crew is still present. 10 guys of 150 (and another 100 where in Dehbring). They have drilled an blown up and now they have a lot of data and samples to analyse and take home. Winter is coming soon and after the last snow, they decided, it’s enough for this year…..

After 88 km in 3 days I have two days rest.