Zanskar, the last outpost of Ladakh

Our first view of Nun, one of the 7000m giants of the Kashmiri Himalayas

Zanskar valley, one of the more isolated and remote areas of Ladakh that has retained much of the Ladakhi (Zanskari) tradition. We cycled amoungst the giants of the Indian Himalayas – Nun and Kun (over 7000m) and alongside the snouts of giant glaciers. Stunning vibrant crimson and yellow high altitude sedges lined the way, while munchkin marmots were at play. A lonely chorten marked that we were once again in a buddhist area. Vast stretches were unpopulated and those that were consisted of a handful of homes where farmers diligently harvested barley, wheat, fodder and collected dung for the winter that isolates them for 6mths of the year. A herd of 200 yaks nonchalently munched away at sparse vegetation while the dzos were milked for their super rich milk. Gumburanjon, a shark’s fin of a granite monolith marked the way to the Shingo-la pass.

Entering the Zanskar valley – a 12 day trip of some of the hardest but most beautiful cycling.

Everyone in Zanskar was wrapping up with their wheat and barley harvest

The lower part of the Zanskar valley is Muslim, people generally have their roots from the Balti people of Northern Pakistan

I loved the way they stacked the harvested wheat and barley, sometimes almost 2 stories high.

While it was harvest season, it was also Ramadan, which couldn't be great for field workers and it certainly was great for us - food was very scarce until 7pm. Nun and Kun peep over the horizon.

Dr Ali and team looked after us in Panikhar when we were scrounging around for food. Tea, lunch and dinner, they provided us with the lot.

Village girls near Panikhar

Aryan features, there are apparently villages close to the Pakistan border where everyone has blue and green eyes and fair skins.

Approaching Nun and Kun

7000m giants Nun and Kun, they felt so close we could touch them, but they were still 3000m above us.

Me and the mountain

The mountains were shining in crimson with these amazing little high altitude plants. Looking down on Panikhar

High alt = good pastures for yakkity yaks.

Back into Buddhist country half way along the Zanskar valley

Rangdom Monastry 'Gompa School', Zanskar.

Rangdom monastry monks painstakingly making sand mandalas, this one will take 4 -5 days to make and will then be washed into the water during 'puja' cleansing ceremony.

Diary writing in tent

The amazing Pensi-la Pass (4400m) overlooks the snout of the impressive Durung Drung glacier, Zanskar

Drang Drung Glacier, is the largest in Ladakh

We followed 250km of some of the worst road we encountered up the Zanskar valley to Padum, but it was well worth it: little traffic and spectacular landscapes.

Sonam Ringzens home in hamlet, Abran Jokma. He was so hopsitable and made us dinner and breakfast.

I helped the Ringzens cutting fodder, we stopped for a picnic of cha (salt tea) , tagi (lovely fat Ladkhi breads) and bsicuits.

OUr final 10km into Padum in Zanskar was blessed with tar, thanks to the Indian roadworkers!

Tenzin Plamo, a nun from Zangla Nunnery 30km from Padum, making delicious tagi

Tenzin and Tenzin, both nuns from Zangla cooked us the best meal we had seen in at least 10 days.

OUr lunch cooked by the nuns. We were particularly delighted by all the greens!

We followed the uncomprehensibly blue Zanskar river from Padum for 5 days that took us over the 5100m Shingo-la pass. I just still cant get over the blue!

Roses bushes were in fruit, excentuating the vivid turquoise of the river.

While scenary stunned, the road deteriorated into a single track. This is in fact a trekkng route, however as our horseman lost his horses we were forced to porter and ride our bike when we could. Some exhilarating and terrifying drop-offs! Carlos enjoying some of the high alt single track

Sheer drop-offs, resulted in me using my special one-footed cycling technique! (other foot used as 2nd brake)

In parts it became a 'goats track' one wrong step and that would be it!

Friendly villagers along the way

Carlos takes on some precarious tracks

Still following the mesmerizing river.

We hiked up to Phuktal Monastry, an amazing site to see it crammed into a cliff.

Phuktal Monastry in its fairytale setting.

It was as if the the lamas had disappeared in a 'puff' of smoke. The prayer hall fill of lamas' cloaks in Phuktal Gompa.

Tsering Lama from Phuktal

Purni, one of the villages we camped at en route to the Shingo-la

High plateau in the Kargyak valley on the way to the Shingo-la. Nice open single track!

Precarious slate stone bridges

Single track passing chortens, Kargyak valley, Zanskar

Little Zanskari boy, Purni

In the Kargyak valley

Wheat and barley harvest and picnic

Baby munchkin helping with the harvest, just love the traditional yakwool outfit.

Exquisite villages and geology

Horses loaded up with bags and soon to be bikes! Lobsang our Horseman

Bike on horse. This photo was taken after the pass just after the 2nd horse had bolted across the rock scree, loosing and buckling a front and back wheel. A bent drop-out too. Not too impressed there wasnt much we could do except bang the wheels into shape and wobble on once we got to the national road to manali.

Little Kargyak boy

Kargyak village

4 Yakmaids were in charge of a herd of 200 - milking for cheese, curd and butter.

Gumburanjon , the sharks fin, dominated the skyline. An incredible 1500m granite rock face that would delight any rockclimber.

Riding with yaks

Last camp before the Shingo-la pass (5100m)

Up the Shingo-la (bike on horse, finally!)

We met a fabulous dog on the top, who escourted us over the pass and down to Rumjack.

Shingo-la (5100m) -our last 5000m

Sustenance en route. Days of maggi noodles and biskoots were enough urge us on to the land of cakes and capaccinos in Manali

Heading for Manali with 2 buckled wheels and 1 bent drop-out later