Our Ladakh summer program has come to a close and the group departed Delhi early this morning. One of the highlights from the trip was a very special experience we have never had before in 18 years of running programs in Himalayas - a private audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama!
Read MoreIn the alpine desert of Zanskar, water is literally life here and the communities have developed elaborate systems on how to manage this scarce resource. Unfortunately, climate change is now impacting their way of life and their future in the valley. We have been working with Stongdey Village for the past four years on building artificial glaciers in the stream valley above the village to help mitigate impacts.
Read MoreOne of the purposes of our trip was to work with the community in Stongdey to help address the issue of their changing climate. We have met with the village leaders and will be supporting their efforts to build artificial glaciers.
Read MoreTomorrow we will be going to the Changtang region to meet the nomadic communities of eastern Ladakh and join them in the celebration of the Dalai Lama’s birthday.
Read MoreWe made it - six day trek, indescribably beautiful, up raging river canyons, beneath towering peaks and hanging glaciers, camping amid blue poppies and fields of wildflowers, feasting on great Tibetan food prepared by three cooks - and with the help of ponies which for centuries have been the mode of transporting loads across the trails and passes such as that we used to cross the Himalaya range from Zanskar to Himachal Pradesh.
Read MoreIndescribable is a fitting adjective to describe our journey to, and week (thus far) in, the Zanskar Valley. Inaccessible half the year, except by 7 day trek on the ice of the Zanskar River, Zanskar is connected to the outside by several rugged trails and more recently by a single road from Kargil (the second city in Ladakh, rival to Leh).
Read MoreWe camped for five days on the shores of Tso Kiagar (tso=lake), at 15,000+ feet, pitching our tents alongside those of nomads who had gathered from around the area in honor of the birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
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