AFTER FUMBLING TO FIND MY PHONE TO CHECK THE TIME, I roll back into bed and try to remember what could have caused me to wake up at 2:30 am. I wasn’t having a bad dream, nor am I restless. And yet somehow, I’m awake at this unearthly hour.
That’s when I remember that I’ve been sleeping in a canvas tent in what many consider to be the most miserable and unforgiving place in the entire ‘Ladakh circuit’. Perched at an elevation of over 14,500 feet, Sarchu — at the border between Himachal Pradesh and the Union Territory of Ladakh — is infamous not only for its piercingly cold and fierce winds but also for the notoriously low levels of essential oxygen in the air. It is a haven for Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) and many a brave adventurer has fallen (quite literally) victim to harsh conditions of this barren and seemingly vengeful locale. I quickly try taking a deep breath and exhale slowly — my breathing seems to be in order. I don’t have a headache and pinch myself to make sure that I’m not hallucinating. The altitude hasn’t gotten the better of me, yet!
I slowly (and somewhat reluctantly) pull aside the three blankets that I’ve slid into in a desperate attempt to stay warm and grasp around to find my jacket, beanie, gloves, and shoes. I stumble clumsily to the door and reach out to find the handle but end up only swiping at thin air. Blame it on the altitude!
Better sense eventually prevails as I find the zip and open the piece of fabric that acts as a door to the tent. A bitter, cold wind sweeps in, instantly jolting me into my senses, but I still can’t see very much. All the other tents are cloaked in darkness, lying still and motionless.
Denne historien er fra October 2021-utgaven av Outlook Traveller.
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Denne historien er fra October 2021-utgaven av Outlook Traveller.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Chutneys For Every Season
GROWING UP IN JHARKHAND, I've always been enchanted by the state's culinary landscape. Here, the local cuisine never fails to surprise with its depth and variety.
BADGE OF HONOUR
IN THE DYNAMIC LANDSCAPE of tourism, where greenwashing often taints sustainability, certifications can help distinguish between genuine efforts and marketing gimmicks. Green certification systems encourage businesses to enhance their environmental credentials.
WHEELS OF TIME
IN 1947, TRAINS CARRYING REFUGEES ACROSS THE BORDER WERE SYMBOLIC OF THE TUMULT OF THE PARTITION.
RAILS OF THE Raj
FROM ITS CONCEPTION TO ITS ROLE IN THE NATION'S HISTORY, THE BRITISH INDIAN RAILWAYS IS A PHENOMENON MARKED AS MUCH BY MARVEL AS AVARICE
THE RHYTHM OF BOLLYWOOD
FROM THE RAILROAD THRILLER MISS FRONTIER MAIL 1936) TO SHAH RUKH KHAN DANCING ON A TRAIN IN DIL SE' 1998), TRAINS HAVE GIVEN UNFORGETTABLE SONG SEQUENCES TO MANY HINDI FILMS
MEMORY'S OASIS
REMEMBRANCES OF GROWING UP IN SEALDAH RAILWAY OFFICERS COLONY IN KOLKATA
A FAREWELL × TO FLAVOURS
FROM CUTLETS AND RAILWAY MUTTON CURRY IN DINING CARS TO THE UNREMARKABLE FARE AVAILABLE TODAY, THE JOURNEY OF FOOD ON THE INDIAN RAILWAY IS FASCINATING
HERITAGE ON THE TRACKS
THE ICONIC DARJEELING HIMALAYAN RAILWAY, FONDLY CALLED THE TOY TRAIN,' HAS HELD ITS UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE STATUS SINCE 1999
HIDDEN LIVES
SPANNING 65,000 KILOMETRES THROUGH DENSELY POPULATED INDIA, THE RAILWAYS ARE A BACKDROP TO COUNTLESS STORIES. 'THE UNRESERVED' BY FILMMAKER SAMARTH MAHAJAN CAPTURES A FEW
JOURNEYS WITHIN AND WITHOUT
FOR IMTIAZ ALI, TRAIN JOURNEYS ARE TRANSFORMATIVE, OFFERING GLIMPSES OF INDIA'S DIVERSE SOCIETY AND ITS MANY CULTURES AND RELIGIONS
