123 photos

In July 2024, I finally set off with Nicola on a long trek across the Changtang region at the border between India and Tibet. The route I devised and studied for months (using satellite maps) begins at the large Tso Moriri lake and eventually reaches the Spiti valley; it runs further west of the only known trail (the ancient trading route crossing the Parang La pass). The region is entirely uninhabited and remains largely unexplored; satellite imagery reveals an enormous plateau hidden behind dozens of kilometers of mountains, which appears to be the very essence of the most secret and untouched nature in this part of the world. This extremely wild and remote place (which is labeled as a colossal ice cap – the 'Rupshu Ice Cap' – on some outdated Indian maps) symbolizes the end of the Changtang, the fierce uninhabited plateau that spans nearly all of Tibet, and the beginning of the true Himalayas.
Our goal is to remain ‘light’ and independent and, above all, to eventually identify a series of passes—another big question mark —that will allow us to finally reach civilization to the south.
We set off with backpacks weighing nearly 30kg each, loaded with provisions for about eighteen days.
The beauty and isolation of the place, the hidden plateau, exceed all expectations. Problems in finding water disappear at the foot of the glaciers that enclose this magnificent untouched place to the south, inhabited by wolves, Kiangs, Marco Polo sheep, and surprisingly tame birds.
The altitude remains exhausting (the plateau reaches nearly 5000 meters), and the cold plagues the nights: streams and water bottles freeze! We manage to find a pass to cross the thick wall of peaks, and continue for days, fording rivers and crossing incredible remote valleys. The last pass (the ancient and now-forgotten ‘Takling La’) proves almost impassable and dangerous, draining the last of our energy.
We reach the road along the Spiti valley, utterly exhausted, after less than two weeks and about 200 kilometers travelled – most of them above 5000 meters.

The first photos in the album—up to the obvious Korzog Buddhist festival — are from a brief three-day acclimatization trek, starting and ending at Tso Moriri. All photos are shot with a Sony A5100 and a A6300.

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Keywords:changtang, himalaya, indian, ladakh, rupshu