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Nestled In The White Sheet Of Snow
Siser La is a high mountain pass in northern
Ladakh in the state
of Jammu and Kashmir. It lies on one of the highest
trade routes in the world for Yarkand in Central Asia. Situated at 17,480
ft above sea level, this pass is covered with perpetual snow.
The temperatures drop to around -20° C and it is cold enough to make
one's breath freeze and form icy crystals on the face! Heavy clothing is
required over here to combat the biting cold. As one approaches the pass
from the Nubra Valley and the Tulimpati La, one starts to feel the effects
of the high altitude. Above 16,500 ft, breathing becomes increasingly
difficult. The route leads over long snow slopes and icy glaciers.
A Barren Landscape
The la is marked by heaps of stones or Cairns piled at its centre, which
have been accumulated by the caravans of traders who have used this route
for centuries. On the other side of the la a different landscape presents
itself, with brown and black mountains across the
Shyok River. These mountains are
completely barren except for a few patches of white snow on the
mountaintops.