In two days time we were to fly out to India to spend 10 days trekking in a remote area of the Himalayas, in Ladakh.
It is a beautiful high desert and I have wanted to go there for 25 years!
The capital Lrh is at 3200 metres and the valleys we were to pass through are at betwwen 3000 and 4000 metres. Our highest pass was 5250 metres. Exciting stuff.
During the night of 6th August the area was hit by a freak storm and a mudslide.
Over a hundred people died and many hundred are still missing.
Towns totally destroyed.
People are being airlifted and evacuated.
Two mountain roads that access the area are damaged.
So we're not going.
I am disappointed beyond words.
But my heart goes out to all the lovely Ladakhi people who have lost family, friends, homes, livelihoods and are facing some time of deprivation.
This diaster is not reaching the news here as there are other huge humanitarian tragedies happening in floods in Pakistan.
Now I feel so lucky to be here and safe and secure.
One day I will be able to see that beautiful part of the world and the wonderful people.
Just not now.
2 comments:
So sorry Tess to hear you cannot fulfil your dream trek at Ladkah just yet. I'm sure it will only make the future trip there even better and future tourism will definetely help the community recover from the tragedy. Glad you weren't there when it happened. What are you going to do instead?
Oh Tess, how awful... what a terrible thing to happen. My heart goes out to them too... it looked like such a peaceful place.
I know you will get there one day! Hugs...
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