Ladakh: Living and Surviving on the Roof of the World

Ladakh: Living and Surviving on the Roof of the World

um it’s been called the roof of the world Ladakh is one of the highest inhabited regions on the planet. Nestled between the mountains, there’s a near monastic silence among the towering Himalayan peaks. But like an evil spell, that quiet is shattered every morning when the city of Manali comes to light. As dawn breaks, its narrow streets are pounded by a throng of small transports. Here, there’s just one traffic code for everyone. Keep cool. Stay zen. on the outskirts of town two men and an ancient truck prepared to get to grips with the highest road or more accurately track in the world before setting out adjaye the driver and ali his assistant try as best as they can to load up 50 beaten up jerry cans whose condition conceals the fact they are carrying what for ladak is a prized liquid tar The precious cargo will be used for repairs 500 kilometers away to one of the region’s rare paved roads. The trip is likely to be risky, so Ajay is leaving nothing to chance. The road is very steep and there’s not much oxygen, and if it overheats, it can break the engine. does that happen often oh yes it’s happened to me before ali carefully checks each tire if one bursts they’ll probably end up in the ravine if there are stones in the tires they could cause a puncture i need to take them out before we start or it could be dangerous ajay and his mechanic are not traveling that far but it’s the road not the distance that provides the challenge manali to lay you’ve got a figure three days but if the road’s bad it could take twice as long it takes a long time to get over the summit because i have to drive very slowly when it’s flat i can go more than 20 kilometers an hour but in the mountains top speed is only four kilometers an hour sometimes when the engines overheat we need to stop and wait there are all sorts of things that could go wrong the road can only be used for three months a year the rest of the time it’s buried in the snow which in some places can be as deep as a six-story building Every winter the freezing conditions ruin the tarmac road surfaces. When the road opens up in July, whole stretches are turned into a muddy trap. Trucks and cars can remain stuck for days at a time. Wheels caught tight in 30 centimeters of molasses-like mud. If the road is narrow and gets waterlogged, it can fall apart and the truck can slide. That’s very dangerous. Ladakh is a region cornered between Tibet, China and Pakistan. The Manali-Lei Highway is hardly ever repaired, and for any driver to attempt the almost 500-kilometer journey, it takes a lot more than courage. As the road wends through some of the highest peaks in the world, there are no protective walls. It’s too narrow for two vehicles. Parks are unstable. Rock falls. And a beckoning ravine. The dangers are many. The Changpa are nomads who live on the high arid mountain plateaus. They’re constantly on the move, seeking pastures for their herds of goats and yaks. The Changpa seem destined to disappear. The youngsters are no longer interested in having the same life as their parents. Life is very hard here. It’s so cold. In winter, the temperature can drop to minus 30. Before, there were 70 families. Now, there are just 15. The path to wisdom is often long and tricky, as Tenzin, a monk, knows all too well. Look at these small stones. If you slide, you fall. And in winter, when it’s frozen, it’s even harder. Tenzin is a monk who walks everywhere. His own monastery is some 3,000 kilometers away. His endurance will be tested to the full. In the foothills, the asphalt soon gives way to dirt. The road narrows. Ajay and Ali, his co-pilot, take on the first interminable climb 50 kilometers of sharp bends on the edge of a ravine when the road’s so narrow and there’s a vehicle coming in the other direction what do you do well sometimes we have to go on sometimes we back up there’s a system we follow but it just depends where it is Only millimeters separate two-way traffic. Go on, go on, it’s okay. Without Ali, his assistant, Ajay would have ended up in the bottom of the gorge on more than one occasion. My role is to keep an eye on the wheels. I check that they’re not punctured. And that when we overtake, we stay on the road. There’s the mountain too. You need to be really careful on the turns. The driver can’t always see if there’s a vehicle coming. So it’s my job to warn him. And I check to see. if the road’s solid otherwise we might crash ali mostly keeps an eye on the verges as in some places it’s only a miracle that stopped them from crumbling away they pose a real danger to truckers having been subjected to the ravages of winter and temperatures of minus 40. Destroy both the road and the paved surface. In some places, old sections of the road have vanished. The winter weather has also caused damage. elsewhere. This bridge is very dangerous. It’s very high up and it shakes. I hope it won’t collapse. I’m worried. I’m going to inspect it. Before crossing all drivers check this kind of suspended bridge. They are hardly ever maintained The suspension bridge can take up to 9 tons, and my truck has 9 tons of cargo on board. So I’ll need to cross very slowly. See, boards are broken. Getting the wheel stuck in between would be really bad. Are your trucks overloaded? Are you sure you want to cross? I think I can make it. I am overloaded, but I think the bridge will hold. I’ll cross slowly. Unlike the rest of India, the region of Ladakh has no monsoon season and it hardly ever rains, so the region is arid with scarce vegetation. Without the roots of plants to keep the earth in place, the mountains continually crumble onto the road. To avoid disaster, the flanks have to be constantly bolstered. There’s just been an accident down there on the lay road. We’re widening the road with the second lane here. The bus slid down. The bodies were swept away by the river. They still haven’t been found. The workers come from the poorer regions of India. Hunger has driven them this far, and entire families slave away for the equivalent of barely four euros a day. We’re from Jharkhand and we’re here to work and make some money. We work up here for five months, from May until October. There’s not much oxygen up here and if you walk too quickly, it’s difficult to breathe. It’s a very dangerous work. Weeks ago, a worker was killed when a truck was unloading rocks. Road maintenance saves lives but paralyzes traffic. Stuck in the traffic jam, Ajay has lost a lot of time. He’ll need to make up by driving faster, otherwise his employer will fine him for being late. To make up for lost time, he’ll have to take some calculated risks. Tenzin is a Buddhist monk. He refers to travel on foot, and with good reason. This is where people have died in accidents. the memorial are their names they died and also why they died yeah because the road is too narrow yeah it’s really a very dangerous place After a short holiday with his family, Tenzin is heading back to his monastery, 3,000 kilometers away in the south of India. It’s an epic journey that he’ll make mostly on foot. Look at these small stones. If you slide on them, you’ll fall. And in winter, when it snows and freezes, it’s even harder. Buddhists don’t fear death. They believe in reincarnation. But a violent death is different, as it means their new life will be painful. Life, they believe, is shaped by what happens in a person’s previous existence. If I slide and fall, I could die. So dangerous. Everyone has to die one day. but if I die before I meant to, that would be regrettable. If I die like that, it’s also due to my karma. That’s how we Buddhist think. If I did something bad in a previous life, then my karma will be bad. And if I die in a bad situation, it’s because of something I did in a past life. There are few villages in Ladakh. Barely 300 are dotted around a region twice the size of Switzerland. Up here there’s no electricity or running water. But oddly there are school uniforms, a legacy that dates back to British colonial days. there is little by way of entertainment in the mountains so when a stranger and a monk at that passes through all doors are open to him tenzin is being hosted by one of the villagers most important persons To honour her guests, the lady of the house has served tea made with yak’s butter. What do you do for a living? I’m a teacher. Up here? Yes, just over there. That’s good. He never pays for anything in Ladakh. He’s always invited. It’s a sign of respect. I don’t know what it’s like outside of Ladakh, though. But here, that’s the way it is. Tenzin has almost no money, so being fed by strangers is the only way he gets to eat. After resting, the monk heads off again, heading for a small temple in Ling Shet, which he wants to reach before nightfall. How old are you? Oh, about a hundred, maybe. Which way is Ling Shet? It’s over there. Up there. It’s over there. You need to go over that pass. After walking for hours, Tenzin finally makes it to the summit. Here he performs a small but nonetheless crucial ritual. This heap of stones is known as a lato. Inside, there’s a spirit that protects us. The temples and monasteries are not perched on summits to test the convictions of the faithful, but for a much simpler reason. We build monasteries sheltered from the noises of villages because it would disrupt our concentration and prayers. We need to climb very slowly. up to the monastery because it’s very steep and it’s hard to breathe but when we get there everything will be fine the temple is at almost 5 000 meters altitude the door is closed with a simple ribbon yet inside lie many valuable objects some made from gold But no one here would risk trying to steal anything since a bad action in this life will lead to great suffering in the next. Tenzin will spend several days meditating before leaving for his own monastery. He knows the rest of his journey will hardly be restful. Adjaye has been driving through torrential rain for several hours. This road is sun safe, because the rain hides the holes in your tyres could get stuck. And then if the road is narrow and gets waterlogged, it can fall apart. The truck can slide, and that’s very dangerous. The route gradually turns into a muddy track. Despite his familiarity with the road he’s been taking at least once a week for six years, Ajay is on edge. The 4,000 meter high rothang pass looms ahead, and if the rain wasn’t bad enough, it’s also starting to get foggy. Now we’ll need to turn around. The fog and the rain make maneuvering difficult and fatigue makes driving awkward and imprecise. The ravine is always close by. I’m getting tired. I haven’t shut my eyes for two days. We work long hours and earn little. This type of road is no pleasure ride. We only do this to survive. Every day they risk their lives for a miserable salary. Aged 38, Ed J takes home the equivalent of 160 euros a month. Just enough to feed his wife and send his two daughters to school. It’s another eight kilometers to the summit and it will take several more hours. Hey what’s happening? I don’t know, I’m afraid it might be a huge traffic jam. come on get out and see what’s going on it’s short distance further up and it’s a depressing scene dozens of vehicles are stuck caught in the mud it won’t start why we are building because it’s getting too cold how long have you been stuck We’ve been in the mud for 30 minutes. You won’t do it this way. Open the bonnet. Why the rope over the top? It’s July. There’s a steady stream of traffic. Indians fleeing the stifling heat of the plains seek refuge in their villages in the highland. Traffic jams occur every day, and for some it’s the first and possibly last time. How many times have you taken this road? First time, first time. Didn’t you know it would be like this? Oh, I’ve never seen anything like this. Sometimes it takes several days to get the vehicles out of the mud. It seems clear now. How many more kilometers is it like this? Another three or four kilometers like this. More dangerous for the smaller vehicles. well what about my truck you’ll be okay or maybe not as when it’s time to leave need a rock ask for help Well, hurry up then. Come on. Let’s go. okay go on go ahead after a five-hour delay ajay and ali finally leave the mud they were lucky the last time they were stuck for eight hours when they reached the peak 4 000 meters up they are half a day behind schedule and their friends had started to worry hello ali it’s okay i’m coming i’m just on the rothang pass my friend What did he say? He asked me whether I died? To make up for lost time, the descent will be made flat out and more by guesswork, as the roads have become an ice rink. Deserts are not necessarily in hot, arid climates. The lack of oxygen and what little rain does fall have made the mountains in Ladakh a high-altitude desert. Like in the Sahara, vegetation is rare, but some nomads have made this territory their own. The Changpas live in extreme condition, raising their yaks and their sheep and their most precious animal, the Shangra goat. It produces one of the finest wolves in the world, known as Pashmina. The nomads call it golden fibers. It’s a wealth that has made them live in these high mountain ranges for generations. The greater the altitude, the more high-quality wool the goat produces. The nomads are about to break camp. The Changpas have to keep moving to find new pastures for their goats, which eat enormous amounts of grass every day. It takes just three hours to pack, and every transhumance is an excuse to celebrate. Hurry up, we need to leave. There, there, there, I’m ready. Every time they move, the women take out their peraks, ornate turquoise headdresses. They start making them when they reach the age they can marry, and throughout the rest of their lives they continue to add stones. They’re considered to not only afford divine protection, but are also seen as an indication of wealth. The more turquoise, the more prosperous and powerful the family. Grandpa, I can carry your bag if you like. No, don’t worry, I’m fine. According to the experts, their way of life will disappear within 10 or 20 years. Many of the younger generation head off to the big cities as soon as they can to seek a more modern lifestyle. Some, like Barkham, however, say they won’t abandon their yaks. Life is very hard up here. It’s cold in winter. It can reach minus 30 degrees. There used to be between 65 and 70 of us. Today there are just 15. Better to live in Leh, because here there’s no work. But life as a workman is also very hard. until now i’ve always lived among goats yaks and sheep we have all we need up here we’re born here and it’s best to stay up here what do you tell your children well we tell them they should continue like we do they don’t answer we teach them what we know and ask them to carry on After walking for six hours, El Dorado is in sight. A small river, bordered by a few strips of vegetation, is enough to please both man and beast. They know this site well. They return each year to set up camp as the grass here, watered by the river, grows quickly. The abundance of food excites the animals. Everyone helps rebuild the camp. Dolma and her husband have gradually left the tribe and only come up in the summer to look after the few animals they’ve kept to make life a touch more comfortable. We sold our goats and almost all our sheep. Kept our yaks. During winter we live in a small house in Lé. Do you want a big stone? No, we just need to tighten the rope. These nomads will soon likely be living in the slums around the capital. In the not-too-distant future, the desert in the high mountains will once again fall completely silent. or nearly the noise of an old engine will inevitably it seems always break for silence adja is trying to make up time on the rotland pass on the descent he’s taking a lot of risks facing oncoming trucks he and his co-pilot don’t hesitate to force their way past Fine, keep going a bit further, otherwise we’ll all be stuck. Brave, but not foolish. New reversal. Thanks for going in reverse. Ajay pushes on, but suddenly he’s forced to stop. Look, it’s my friend’s truck. Ali? No. Yeah? His friend has been broken down on the side of the road for more than two days. Usually amongst drivers, it’s each man for himself as delays cost too much money. But between friends, it’s different. Give me the key. Give me the key. A 17 key in the bag there. Simple bolt is what caused the breakdown. It’s that big, and it’s snapped in half. That part must fit together. The trucks are ancient and have been patched up many times. And the worn down machinery never lasts long on roads like these, full of potholes. Careful not to break anything else. This last night I’ve lost 17 hours. Boss me. And it’ll lose me about 150 euros. How long does it take you to earn 150 euros? About two weeks. As a way of reward, some unnatural looking colours. for curry but i’m like chips how do they make that color well it’s made in a factory nobody knows how they do it bread bread next has to tackle one of the highest passes in the world the tight landler altitude 5000 meters if the weather remains fine there won’t be any traffic jams and aj might be able to make up for lost time The Indus River flows through Ladakh. The river gave its name to the country, India. Here, bridges are rare and the paths that lead to Nirvana can be perilous. In this tiny basket, Tenzin, the walking monk, needs to put into practice what he’s been learning for years in his monastery. How to remain zen, whatever happened. It will take three quarters of an hour to cross the river. It’s hard and the trolley is very long. The rope’s not that good either. I’m so thirsty. I’m very tired. Oh, that was hard. I thought I was about to die. Look, my lips are so dry. Hard to use the basket. There’s no bridge, so it’s the only solution available to everyone. Ney is the capital of Ladakh. The town is perched three and a half thousand meters up the mountainside. Less than 40 years ago it was still little more than a large village. Today, thanks to tourism, the town’s expanding at a frenetic pace. It’s become a magnet for all nationalities and all religions, although Buddhists still outnumber the others. Every day the rollers which are dotted throughout the town are turned in a clockwise direction. They’re called prayer mills. The faithful say each time they spin, they send prayers into the air. Tenzin doesn’t pray for his own soul. Instead, he prefers to put in a good word for humanity as a whole, in an effort to make man and the world better. Buddhists do not believe in a god. Tenzin regrets the rush for modernity, but doesn’t reject it. in his opinion the newfound wealth causes more harm than good he believes a simpler life would allow more lives to be saved once on my way to manali i witnessed a road accident the passengers were injured and there were also many dead People think a car will make their lives easier. But the opposite happens. Cars kill us. Usually you buy things to make you happy, not to kill you. If he had a choice, Ajay would give up the dangers of being behind the wheel of a truck. He didn’t choose to be a trucker, but it’s the only job he knows. And besides, his license costs too much to give it up now. For once, the climb up to Taitlanla is a smooth one. At an altitude of 5,360 meters, the pass is one of the highest in the world. Ajay takes a short break to acclimatize his body to the lack of oxygen. There’s very little oxygen at this height. He needs a breath, very quickly. It causes headaches, sometimes even death. God, it’s very cold on this part of the road. Let’s go. It’s the final stretch of his journey. The last stop is meant to bring good luck before reaching Leh. No one passes the mausoleum without paying their respects. A few years earlier a driver died a violent death and according to the truckers, his spirit haunts this part of the road. To remain in his good books the drivers leave offerings such as cakes, but occasionally death demands more specific objects. Sometimes he asks for water, then we give it to him. Cigarettes too. He died when he was working. Driver has a problem, he’s always there to help. i used to be a mechanic too then i became a driver and he also wants to become a driver the driver asked him as the mechanic to wedge the wheel with a rock but it was too small and the truck started going backwards So the tyre went up and the hands came down. So you should have put a thin one. Ever since leaving Manali, Ajay has been driving under pressure and fatigue is beginning to take its toll. After 470 kilometers of unpaid roads and seven days behind the wheel, Ajay and his co-pilots finally reach their cargo’s destination. They want to offload as quickly as possible. Come on, we need to be quick. The nine tons of tar are unloaded in no time at all. But the few minutes gained here aren’t enough to stop the owner imposing a fine for taking two days longer than usual. Let’s get the paper signed, otherwise we wouldn’t get any money at all. He said, give me 15 euros or I won’t sign. Does that happen often? It’s always like that when we’re late. If not, you’ll get 2000. 48 hours that will cost them 10% their salary. The two partners start off again. No time to rest. They set out for Manali to pick up another consignment of tar. Hoping the next trip will be more successful. For once Tenzin the walking monk will take a bus. He has a good excuse. Is this place free? He doesn’t want to miss the big religious festival at Henis. It’s due to start in a few hours and he’d never make it if he went on foot. Why is it so crowded? There are only two buses a week that serve all the villages. Where are you going? I’m going to the festival in Henne. To take part in the religious ceremonies, many are ready to risk the journey. The bus is bursting with travelers, and even if he’s a monk, no one is willing to give up their seat. And it’s a two hour long ride. The monastery at Hennis is besieged by an armada of tourists. The festivities occur only once a year and attract large numbers of foreigners. Not every visitor respects the religious nature of the event. Many are ready to do anything for a great photo. The sacred dances commemorate the birth of Padmasambhava, the founder of Tibetan Buddhism. Not so very long ago, these dances could be performed in secret inside the monasteries. and were limited to a small group of people in the know. Tenzin believes there are far too many tourists, and doesn’t feel at ease amidst all these foreigners. The monks dance, not because it’s a show, it’s not a game. But for the tourists, the dancing is entertainment. If you don’t understand the meaning of the rituals, you can’t realize its significance. For several years now, travel agencies have been sponsoring the monasteries. A lot of seats are reserved for tourists. Fortunately, to the cost of locals and amongst themselves. It goes against Buddhism and here everyone should be made welcome. It shouldn’t just be those who can pay for it. This is a video of a child sitting on a bed of water, looking for food and water. The child is sitting on a bed of water, looking for food and Thank you.

Ladakh, the most northern state of India, situated at 5000 meters altitude, is one of the harshest environments in the world. It is connected to the rest of India by a perilous road that winds through the soaring mountains. This road is one of the highest and most dangerous in the world; here even the slightest mistake can be fatal. Adjay regularly takes this route with his mechanic Ali to deliver tar to the rest of India. They face icy and severely damaged roads, torrential rain, muddy traps and extreme fatigue several days a week for just 160 euros a month.

At these altitudes it is difficult to even catch your breath, but a few are still here preserving their traditional way of life. The Changpa Nomads live a simple life, always on the move in search of food for their herds of yaks, sheep and goats. Unfortunately, their numbers are depleting as younger family member leave the extreme conditions of the mountains to seek their fortune in the towns below.

Ladakh is also a very spiritual place, with a majority of people following Tibetan Buddhism. We follow the journey of Buddhist monk Tenzin as he walks 3000 km to get back to his Monastery, surviving on the hospitality of villagers along the way.