Winter in Ladakh

yamla

I am going to India for 6 weeks from mid November to December end. I want to visit Ladakh during this period. I am thinking of spending 2 weeks there. I know the Manali-Leh highway will be closed. I can fly to Leh from Delhi or Chandigarh. I know it is not the best time to visit the area but Ladakh is on top my list of places to visit, and I would like to go there on this trip to India.
I am looking for suggestions on places to visit during this time. Also, I would like to know if the 2 lakes, Pangong and Moriri, would be accessible during this period. If yes, will I be able to hire a vehicle (with driver) to take me there? Would any of the trekking routes be open during this period? What kind of accomodation (heated ??) will be available?
I am a serious amateur photgrapher, and would appreciate any pointers to places/activities that would appeal to a photographer's eye.
Any and all information will be much appreciated.

livin-in-india

(silence from the crowd.)

not many go to ladakh in winter. some ladakhis told me that they build their homes so close together because during the winter they get meters worth of snow, and thus dig tunnels from house to house.

they stock up on barley for the long winter, and don't leave their homes for five months. this wasn't leh however, this was some random remote town.

snow can be really dangerous up there. it is so easy to get stuck in it, or to fall through snow bridges. snow-slides are also common.

i'd suggest connecting with a serious outfitter who could set you up with GPS in case of avalanche, snow shoes, and all of the proper equipment to stay warm and safe.

it ain't aspen.

yamla

Back to the front page for the weekend crowd.

Lovemax

Dont suggest Leh after December if you are in planning a short stay.
Its highly unrecomendable if you going to leh just for a week in december. The best activity during winters is a chaddar trek but still requires about 20 days.

Rest is your call but just to fly upto leh and then to spend all your time inside your hotel room doesnt sounds bells in my head...

FreeBirD

dzibead

This is certainly not true of the area around Leh. It's bitter cold in the winter, but there's hardly any precipitation up there. I'm not talking about the mountain passes on the way up, on the southern slopes of the Himalaya - possibly that's the area your "informant" was referring to. I'm talking about Ladakh itself. Once you are up on the Tibetan Plateau, the annual precipitation in Ladakh averages only about 2 inches.

vistet

I stayed dec-jan one year in Ladakh, and there was precious little snow along the Indus. i managed to get some "real" wnter shots with snow by looking out a more narrow valley that ran north-south, instead of west-east : more shade, colder.

I had some pictures from winter treks at home with me and they were regarded as fascinating fairy tales : travelling on the snow, building small houses from it..

The reaction would probably have been different from Zanskaris, judging from what I saw of their landscape as I flew out.

yamla

That's what I wanted to hear. I am serious amatuer photographer, and always looking for scenes that have been seldom recorded.
Where did you stay? I have heard there are a few hotels open during that time. How did you move around? Were there any jeeps or buses operating? Thanks.