Photos by Wendy Tan (with Canon 350D dSLR):

Album 1 - 206 photos. Please click here.

Album 2 - 207 photos. Please click here.

Album 3 - 175 photos. Please click here.

Album 4 - 212 photos. Please click here.

Photos by Chan Wing Kai (with Nikon D70s dSLR):

Please click here to view 190 photos.

Note: All photos have been resized to medium quality in order to reduce file sizes in preference to swift data transmission over Internet, and images vary considerably from the high resolution of originals.

Written by Wendy Tan

16th August 2006: With months of planning and preparation, the much-awaited moment has finally arrived. The five Pacesetters runners: Connie Tan, Sonny Ng, Jenny Leong, Chan Wing Kai & I were excited in welcoming this day for a trekking trip in northern India.

We got on the flight MH190 that departed at 18:10 from KLIA and arrived in Delhi at 21:10. We were later transferred to a hotel near to airport - Ashokan Resort.

17th Aug: Transfer to domestic airport for Jet Airways flight 9W609 to Leh. The flight took off at 05:40 from Delhi, and touched-down in Leh at 06:55. Leh is the capital of Ladakh which is one of the states in northern part of India. The culture in Ladakh is predominantly Buddhist with once close cultural and trading links with Tibet that is where it gets the name of "Little Tibet".

On arrival in Leh, 3,505 meters above sea level, we were transferred to Lotus Hotel - a cozy accommodation with beautiful garden and apple trees. It was a perfect place to rest for acclimatization to nurse the sudden high altitude, as I was feeling breathless and bit of headache.

18th Aug: Sightseeing of Shey/ Thiksey and Hemis monasteries with local guides.

19th Aug: Morning drive to Khardungla at an altitude of 5,602m - the highest motorable road in the world. We spent an hour on the peak, which was a way to acclimatize. We returned to Leh for lunch; free and easy in the afternoon. Sonny and Jenny decided to switch to do the easier trek at a lower altitude due to constant headache and the coldness that we faced. I wished them enjoying their second honeymoon.

20th Aug: Beginning of a great trekking activity. With a short drive, we arrived at the bridge near Spituk monastery where we met our nine ponies and four trekking crew. The first day's walk was on a dry exposed section and it got really hot, easily about 39 Celsius or higher. We continued up this valley to the small settlement of Zingchen (3,410m). We started trekking at 8.20am and reach camp side at 2.40pm with a lunch break in between. A steep-sided valley traversed by streams. I experienced the first icy cold river crossing in order to get to the camp.

21st Aug: It's a short and easy trekking to a camp near Rumbak (3,800m). This area is also famous for blue sheep, snow leopards, Tibetan wolves, wild dogs and red fox. We started trekking at 8.20am and reached camp side at 1pm, stopping for pack lunch which took less than one hour. We have the rest of the day to explore around. I immersed myself in the spectacular view surround by the majestic mountains.

22nd Aug: The sky became very bright at 5:00 a.m. and we woke up automatically. We continued with our trekking at 7.20 a.m. and reached Base of Stokla (4,200m) camp side at 10 a.m.

23rd Aug: We took a diversion here and crossed Stokla (4,800m) climbing steeply on a switch back trail. The pass offered views towards the Indus Valley and as far as the Karakorams. From the pass we traversed gradually and descended to camp at Smankarmo (4,350m). I developed fever and bad cold at the camp, having breathing difficulty with the high altitude set in.

24th Aug: We camped for two nights here and made an excursion to Yarlas (4,600m), the base camp of Stok Kangri in order to get closer views of surrounding peaks: Stok Kangri (6,150m), Gulap Kangri, Parcu Kangri and others.

25th Aug: We started trekking at 7:15 a.m. from Smankarmo; we climbed gradually to Mathola (4,820m) for three hours where we walked through high mountain pastures and wilderness with great views to our camp at Mathophu (4,350m). Connie exclaimed for the first time that it was cold with temperature dipped to less than 10 Celsius at night.

26th Aug: We traversed gently to a small pass from where we descended to the Matho valley before climbing gently to the Shangla pass at 4,800m. Another great view point and then we descended cross spurs and high pastures to camp at Shang Phu (4,350m). Trekking from 7.20am until 2pm with lunch break.

27th Aug: We followed the Shang River for about 40 minutes to Lato and then walked on a proper trail to the village of Shang (3,700m). We were forced to cross many icy river again due to the heavy rain a few weeks ago which swept away all the bridges. Trekking time: 7.30am -12.30pm.

28th Aug: We did a 3-hour walk down to Matselang. We have our farewell dinner by our great cook: pizza, chocolate cake, spring roll, tandoori chicken, fried chicken and many more. For the past 10 days, we trekked between 15km to 20km daily. Most of the time, the camp sites were at about 4,200m above sea level and we climbed to about 4,800m in altitude.

29th Aug: Sonny and Jenny followed the vehicle to come to Matselang and picked us back to Leh. He brought along the Pacesetters flag and prominently displayed at the back of the van. The distance between these two towns are about 50km apart connected by proper tarmac road. In Leh, we stayed in Lotus Hotel again. We visited the guide's sister family - the beautiful Ladakh girl who is 15 years old and proficient in English, Ladakh and Hindi languages. She is like a model posing for the camera.

30th Aug: Take Jet Airways 9W610 flight at 07:30 and arrived in Delhi at 08:45. The local guide picked us up and we have some sightseeing traveled in the air-conditioning van - Red Fort before going to hotel. Transfer to airport at 7pm for our MH191 23:00 flight back to Kuala Lumpur to celebrate National Day, 31 August 2006. We reached KLIA at 06:55.

By Wendy Tan

Note by KC: As I understand from Wendy, during the trekking trip, the Pacesetters Runners were trekking between 15km to 20km daily. With high altitude and thin air conditions, trekking seemed to be not an easy task like strolling in the park. Most of the time, the camp sites were situated at an altitude of about 4,200 meters above sea level and their trekking peak at about 4,800m.

As a comparison, Genting Highlands is only situated at an altitude of 2,000 meters above sea level and Mount Kinabalu peaks at 4,100m, while Mount Everest towers at an imposing height of 8,850m.

BRAVO to the five brave runners-cum-trekkers! There were two photographers in that trip: Wendy Tan was using Canon 350D digital SLR camera, and Chan Wing Kai was using Nikon D70s digital SLR camera. Canon 350D is the predecessor of Canon 400D, which is just launched on 15 September 2006.

Texts Below Are Extracted From Internet:

Trekking In Ladakh
Ladakh is one of the most favourite trekking destination, having some of the most picturesque and challenging treks in northern India. Located in the northernmost part of India some seven kilometers from the Indus River and its extensive valley.

Ladakh lies at altitudes ranging from about 9,000 feet (2,750 m) at Kargil to 25,170 feet (7,672 m) at Saser Kangri in the Karakoram. Thus summer temperatures rarely exceed about 27°C in the shade, while in winter they may plummet to minus 20°C even in Leh. Surprisingly, though, the thin air makes the heat of the sun even more intense than at lower altitudes; it is said that only in Ladakh can a man sitting in the sun with his feet in the shade suffer from sunstroke and frostbite at the same time.

Leh has been a Buddhist centre since at least the 3rd century AD. Since the invasion of Ladakh by Tibet in the 8th century, when much of it became part of Western Tibet, Tibetan ('Mahayana') Buddhism has dominated eastern Ladakh, while Islam has slowly developed in Ladakh's western regions. Ladakh's colourful gompas (Buddhist monasteries) such as Shey, Alchi, Hemis and Lamayuru, have attracted devout Buddhists and interested travelers from all over the globe.

Trekking In Ladakh
Ladakh is a paradise for adventure lover given by its world's mightiest mountain ranges, the Greater Himalaya and the Karakoram, and two others, the Ladakh range and the Zangskar range. The most important feature of trekking in Ladakh is it's High Mountain passes which comes on the trekking routes gives you opportunity to have wonderful view of colorful mountains and amazing landscape everyday. Spituk to Markha Valley, Laayury gompa to Chilling and Likir to Temisgam are some of the popular treks that one can take. Acclimatization is the most important activity before heading for trekking and mountaineering. Rafting down the Zanskar is another exciting thought but it is imperative to take help of a rafting instructor or guide.
Ever thought of trekking on a frozen river? A part of the Zanskar River freezes during the winter and is used as trekking route by many seasoned trekking enthusiasts. The trek is one of its kinds in Leh Ladakh. If you are a novice when it comes to climbing mountains and negotiating treacherous treks, it is better to hire a seasoned mountaineer or trekker. A guide with experience and with fairly good knowledge of the area is of great help.The small isolated villages and hamlets and friendly people on the way greeting you with a magic word "Juley" (hello) makes your trek memorable.

Ladakh - A Mountainous Country

This two weeks tour to Ladakh takes you through Markha Valley which is one of the most visited trek route in Ladakh region. Its a must for every trekker comming to Ladkah and provide some of the best views of High Himalayan and Karakoram Ranges along with the greatest of the nomadic experiences in the Markha Valley area. One crosses the heights of upto 4500 mts on the high points and Markha Valley trek and the average altitude also remains above 3500 mts through the trek. Wanla, Konzekla give a grand panoramic view and makes this trek a paradise for all those want to be in the mountains for the obvious reason of being with the mother nature at its best.

The tour provides a great opportunity for a lover of culture and diversity when it takes you to Alchi, Lamayuru & Hemis monasteries which are also the oldest and the most beautifull monastries in Ladakh region apart from taking you around in and around Leh which is also the capitol of Ladakh. Popularly called as the moon land, The landscape around Lamayuru monastery is one of most spectacular things one could see on earth.

Ladakh Holidays
See towering mountains reach up to a clear blue sky. Hear the rhythmic chant of Buddhist monks in an ancient monastery where time stands still. See the rushing waters of an icy river surge down from a glacial height. Ladakh - the Land of Passes and the Roof of the World awaits you. Leh Ladakh India offers tours to Ladakh, an exotic region in the north Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. From age-old Buddhist monasteries to exciting adventure tours, Leh Ladakh India has a lot to offer. Explore a Gompa, go mountaineering in the Himalayas, camp on the Ladakh plateau where the earth seems nearer to the sky, trek on treacherous and breathtaking routes and see rare mountain goats ascend the slopes and cranes fly overhead. Leh Ladakh India welcomes you to holidays in Ladakh. Tour a land that will amaze you with its stark beauty and delight you with the warmth of the Ladakhi people.

Leh Tourism
Leh, the capital of Ladakh is a fascinating destination. Age-old monasteries, quaint lanes, colorful markets and stunning views of the Himalayas make Leh an exotic destination. Leh is where your adventure in Ladakh begins. You can go trekking through the mountainous terrain of Ladakh, enjoy a game of polo in a high altitude arena or watch an archery contest where local residents compete in a contest that remains unchanged by time. Mountaineering, white water rafting and wildlife tours are other adventurous attractions of Leh Ladakh India. Though the weather can be freezing cold, the smiles on the faces of the Ladakhi people are sure to warm your heart. Feel on top of the world in Ladakh, on tours to Ladakh with Leh Ladakh India.

Uploaded by Webmaster, KC Leong, 27 September 2006.