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Why search elsewhere? Descending from 19,000 feet to 12,000 feet, over a length of 70 km, Siachen glacier (meaning “place of wild roses”) is the worlds highest battleground since the year 1984. Today, India controls the entire glacial length, it’s adjoining peaks and the three passes, which are the gateway between Karakoram range and the valley of Ladakh. On the other hand, Pakistan controls the western glacial valley. The status-quo doesn’t leave scope for Pakistanis to climb up or for Indians to come down. It is estimated that the two nations, collectively have over 6,000 soldiers stationed at these formidable heights, manning over 150 posts, collectively costing over US$500m annually. From Leh to Nubra Valley for a night halt and thereafter along Nubra river, leading to Siachen Glacier base camp, where we were greeted by the Sikh Regiment with a hearty lunch. We spent a few hours at the base camp, stepped on the rapidly receding Siachen glacier snowline and thereafter started our journey back to Leh.
The most impressionable sight during this journey were the shape of mountains along the Nubra river. This range I believe is the worlds steepest, literally ninety degrees to the ground, leading to pin-pointed peaks. When I say “pin-pointed”, believe me that the top of these peaks offer a strong competition to the sharpness of man made pin tips. Not a man, other than military convoys, can be spotted in this region for miles and miles. Here the power of perception and connection takes a quantum leap. As I tried to photograph the Creators magnificence in these strange peak formations, I was reminded of the above verse by Saint Kabir from Adi Granth. Click each photo below to enlarge.
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