North India Trekking Trip 北印度行山之旅 (23 Aug - 11 Sep 2002)

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Happy to reach Baralacha Pass.

(2 Sep 2002, 85mm, F1.4 A-mode)

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Finally arrived at Baralacha Pass - the highest point of our trek at about 15,600 feet above sea level.

All the guys had cameras ready to take pictures of all the girls.

(2 Sep 2002, 85mm, F1.4 A-mode)

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The last day was fairly easy. After came down from Baralacha Pass, we passed a "sea of stones" measured probably 2km in diameter. We were told that it was the result of a number of glaciers came down the valley in the winter, crushing down big rocks and bring them to where the "sea" is. In the summer, the ice would melt, and only the crushed-down rocks/stones left.

(2 Sep 2002, 28mm, F2.8 A-mode)

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Finally the last camp site and the end of the trekking. We were pretty much looking forward to be back to civilization.

Tonight we camp next to these abandon government buildings. This site was built for a government surveying project, we were told. The project was subsequently dropped and the buildings were left to rot. The buildings internal structure were mainly made of metal and dangling. When the wind blows, the buildings would squeak.

(2 Sep 2002, 28mm, F2.8 A-mode)

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During the trekking we ate probably over 20 chickens. At the trekking near the end, there goes the last of the chickens.

(2 Sep 2002, 28mm, F2.8 A-mode)

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Grace writing journal of the trip inside tent at Baralacha La - the end point of our trekking.

We arrived at the roadside camp site at about 2 or 3pm. Plenty of time to rest, write, take pictures.

(2 Sep 2002, 85mm, F1.4 A-mode)

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At about 6pm, Harsh spotted a familiar figure on the highway. It was Maria with her bike, Emerald, pictured here.
 
We invited her to have dinner with us, and provided the diner tent as her shelter for the night.

(2 Sep 2002, 200mm, F2.8 A-mode)

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Maria's bike Emerald resting next to our water buckets. In the white bucket is water for drinking, in the pink bucket is water for washing. 

(2 Sep 2002, 70mm, F2.8 A-mode)

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This morning we woke up to a white white world. It has been snowing all night. the first snow of the year.

Karl wasted no time to make a snow man.

(3 Sep 2002, 28mm, F2.8 A-mode)

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Most of us preferred to eat breakfast standing outside of the kitchen instead of inside the dining tent, in order to avoid taking off the boots. The cooking ware all covered in snow after being left in the open overnight.

(3 Sep 2002, 28mm, F2.8 A-mode)