Ladakh landscape, sky shooting stars, silence, wizened faces, rosy cheeks, dragons and Zen  everything  makes ladakh a quite place to visit. This ethereal cold desert that goes by names such as ‘The Last Shangri-La’, Moonscape, Little Tibet and many other. Ladakh is a land like no other. Bounded by two of the world's mightiest mountain ranges, the Great Himalaya and the Karakoram, it lies athwart  to two other ranges, the Ladakh range and the Zanskar range.

The start and rugged landscape is situated amidst to multiple-hued mountains, some smooth enough to rub your cheeks on, others scraggly as though termites have had to go at them for breakfast.

In geological terms, this is a young land, formed only a few million years ago by the buckling and folding of the earth's crust as the Indian sub-continent pushed with irresistible force against the immovable mass of Asia. Its basic contours, uplifted by these unimaginable tectonic movements, have been modified over the millennia by the opposite process of erosion, sculpted into the form we see today by wind and water.

Yes, water! Today, a high -altitude desert, sheltered from the rain-bearing clouds of the Indian monsoon by the barrier of the Great Himalaya, Ladakh was once covered by an extensive lake system, the vestiges of which still exist on its south -east plateau of Rupshu and Chushul - in drainage basins with evocative names like Tsomoiri, Tsokar, and grandest of all, Pangong-tso. Occasionally, some stray monsoon clouds do find their way over the Himalaya, and lately this seems to be happening with increasing frequency. But the main source of water remains the winter snowfall. Drass, Zanskar and the Suru Valley on the Himalaya's northern flank receive heavy snow in winter; this feeds the glaciers whose melt water, carried down by streams, irrigates the fields in summer. For the rest of the region, the snow on the peaks is virtually the only source of water. As the crops grow, the villagers pray not for rain, but for sun to melt the glaciers and liberate their water. Usually their prayers are answered, for the skies are clear and the sun shines for over 300 days in the year.

Getting There

By Road and Air : Journey to Ladakh is quite fascinating, though  overland route is by far the better  alternative. Alliance Airways operates a daily return flight from Delhi to Leh. The town has also air links with Chandigarh, Jammu and Srinagar. The tourist season is from June to August.  Get your tickets booked well in advance if you are planning a trip in the June-August period as the limited number of flights tend to remain overbooked during the tourist season. There are two overland routes to the region – one from Srinagar (only open from June to October) and the other from Manali ( from July to September). It takes 2 days by the overland routes to reach Ladakh. A regular bus service operates on the routes; cabs can also be hired from both Srinagar and Manali. 

Water Sports

Cutting across the lunar landscapes of Ladakh, the Indus river begins its 2,000 mile long journey, biting through a land few men have seen. Often called the 'lion river' the Indus roars across great hams of mountain and earth, bridging both in a roar of thundering foam as she plunges across untamed countryside. As she passes through Leh, river runners congregate to navigate her waters, ice-cold and offering infinite variations to occupy all grades of enthusiasts. Options include a half day scenic run for amateurs on low waters from they along fast currents through canyons and along spectacular mountain views to Nimmu, the confluence of the zanskar and Karakoram ranges or combine a scenic and white trip on the run from Nimmu. Water-skiing on Dal and Nagin lakes is a popular sport and for those who are trying it for the first time ten-day water ski courses are available. Canoeing too may be attempted at the high altitudes lakes, while diving in the lakes has still to catch on.

Rafting

The most difficult but exciting option for river running is on the Zanskar along its spectacular course through the gorge in the Zanskar mountains, between Padum and Nimmu. This is suitable only for well organized white-water expedition, prepared for several days of river running and camping in absolute wilderness. Participants are required to be trained rafters themselves while the arrangements should be assigned to a dependable professional agency. Adequate arrangements for rescue coverage is an essential pre-requisite for embarking upon a white -water expedition on river like the Zanskar.

Though Himachal has a number of rivers, it is only the Beas and the Chandra River in Lahaul that have been used for river running.

The Chandra River flowing through the exotic mountain scape of Lahaul is another interesting area for river rafting. The other rivers of Himachal, namely the Ravi and Sutlej also have possibilities for rafting and canoeing. 

With the sky-high Himalaya in the north and the sea-level jungle in the south separated by a mere 200 km of hilly terrain, the entire country is like a steep incline. The rivers that flow down from the mountains towards the flatlands, therefore are of the high speed kind. Brimming with glacial melt, the raging rivers charge down from the high mountains and as they twist and roar through the narrow gores the waters churn into white foam-answering the prayers of every river runner.