On 5600m: The bus to heaven Photo

Photographer’s Note

WE ARE ON THE HIGHEST MOTORABLE ROAD OF THE WORLD!!!!

From Leh in Laddakh you can take a bus to a remote valley called Nubra valley. You need to have a special permission to go there because it is near the line of control between Pakistan and India, where sometimes armed forces are fighting in the 40 years old border conflict.

Khardung La is called the pass leading to this valley at an altitude of 5600m!!!! No other road in the world is higher!

Inside this bus I travelled to Nubra valley. The road is very steep and dangerous with many many curves. Inside the bus I was thinking sometimes: "Why do I sit inside this bus?" On many points of this 12hours journey I have seen buses and trucks fallen down hundreds of meters, with obviously no chance to survive.
So this could realy be the road to heaven!
Inside the bus where many older people praying the buddhist rosary all the time, when we reached the top they where very happy and offered a buddhist prayer flag.

...It was allready October when I did this journey, and in this altitude there can be the first snow allready in September and the pass, the only road to this valley will be closed for weeks or the whole winter!!! So I got a little bit confused, and decided to take the next day the same bus back. Another German I met inside the bus to Nubra, decided the same, also the place we have been in Nubra (I forgot the name of this place) looked extremely unreal and menacing. We realy felt that we ARE at the end of the world here. So we went back.
100m before we reached the pass, the busdriver wasn't able to shift the gears again and had to stop the broken bus.
Every passenger had to leave the bus, so we walked the last 100m. The bus driver left with the next truck back to Leh and we felt completely lost!!!
On this pass there is a small army facility of the Indian army, there they offered us a free cup of tea. We had to wait 3 hours on this altitude!!!! The other German got depressed in this extremely thin air, with me it went opposite, I got overeuphoric.
After this 3 hours waiting, a truck with an open loading area decided to pick up all the passengers of the bus. We where extremely lucky and went back to Leh. In this altitude it is freezingly cold... good luck my sleeping bag was made for low temperatures, so we used it to cover us and some of the people arround us...
This was one of the biggest adventures I did ever!

JULE (hello, welcome, good bye) from Laddakh,

Daniel

*IMAGE SCANNED FROM SLIDE*

PixelTerror, TheG1, AnimeshRay, sabyasachi1212, krzbia, sarju, ramesh_lalwani, xuaxo, leiju, patdeph has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

PixelTerror (87137) 2006-07-08 6:41

Hi Daniel,
High altitude views are always impressive, I can feel it with the colors here, from my Bolivia experience I can imagine as well travel conditions just looking at this bus, for the rest a photo with a good Learn about the World value due to your superb note, congratulations !
Have a nice week end,
Jean-Yves

sicily198x (1998) 2006-07-08 6:56

I wish to see a face some where in the photo, would be better (IMO) ...

TheG1 (1461) 2006-07-08 7:29

Hi Daniel
I like the view here and your story as well.
Looking at the photo after reading the story is a lot more intresting.

Keep posting those slide scans
Amir

ben4321 (9809) 2006-07-08 7:32

I think this is great; barren high altitude landscape, rickety old Indian bus laden with luggage, big blue sky. Its very atmospheric; it makes me want to be there in that wide open place.
Great shot.
Ben

AnimeshRay (8886) 2006-07-08 7:54

Excellent color and angle of view. The starkness of the place is well captured. Excelent story!

krzbia (329) 2006-07-08 13:54

The picture and the story You've presented is absolutelly amazing! It is very inline with the TE motto - Learn about the world through photography. It reminds me of photo of the road in Bolivia. Great job!!

sabyasachi1212 (19546) 2006-07-08 15:34

Hi Daniel,
At the outset, let me compliment you on the excellent note. I have been there on Khardungla and though thankfully wasn't stranded, I know how senses lose control at such high altitudes. You however managed to keep your senses to pull of this beautiful picture. The rickety old bus is so typical of the place. Well captured!
With Greetings from India
Sabyasachi

sarju (5308) 2006-07-08 17:29

Julley Daniel
Very informative note, yes it is quite a road, I bicycled this road all the way from Manali-leh-diskit.
If it is okay with you, I would like to use the link to this photo on my blog ... i hope it is okay with you and you won't mind if I shared this photo with some of my friends.
Sarju

chanjits (4409) 2006-07-09 3:20

nice image your note made it very interesting i had been to same places just last month and posting my pictures from there thats great you were overeuphoric even in distress.

ramesh_lalwani (3209) 2006-07-09 13:23

Hi Daniel
Julle.Very interesting note.Reminds me of my visit to nubra valley and khardungla.I travelled by gypsy vehicle.
you have captured lovely colors,clouds and colorful bags look great.TFS
Ramesh

dHitman (0) 2006-07-15 4:00

Hi Daniel,
A really great documentary shot! Love the POV and the clarity of this shot. The blue sky looks fantastic too. TFS!
Regards, Jino

vevsab (150) 2006-07-27 12:57

Hey Daniel, Last week I was in a hurry when I opened this page. So I could not comment on the shot that day.

This is really a masterpiece and is in my list of favourites.
Thanks for sharing.

livermore (288) 2006-07-30 9:05

Très belle prise de vue.
Une invitation au voyage avec cet autocar sur fond de ciel bleu.

Vincent

cepekdong (3668) 2006-10-03 6:54

super bild daniel, die eintönigen farben schaffen mit dem blauen himmel ein super stimmung ! toll

daniel

xuaxo (5899) 2006-10-07 7:23

Very interesting note and an impressive picture. What a difference from "my" bus in San Diego, California! ("Powered By Clean Natural Gas").
F

leiju (1683) 2006-10-26 9:10

What a brilliant stroy for an extremelu brilliant picture! Truly impressive! Although it might sound strange... I wish I'd been there with you! That sounds like a brilliant adventure! Excellent TE contribution! I am blown away!
TFS this piece of adventure!!
Julia

patdeph (18572) 2007-04-12 12:49

hi Daniel
I have laughed very much when I have read your story,it's so funny.I did the same trip in july,and for me ,it was not the bus to heaven,it was hell.The trip from Keylong to Leh was 36 hours long.In this bus with wooden seats!And the trucks fallen down every one kilometers!I also was praying during all the trip!Oh,my God!!!To come back,I have taken the plane!Later,I have red in the guide book,that the airport of Leh was one of the most dangerous airport in the world!
I wish you a good evening.
Pascale