Return flight from Leh airport. Named as Leh Kushok Bakula Rinpoche Airport, the airport is one of the highest airports in the world at 3,256 m (10,682 ft) above mean sea level. The airport is named after Venerable Kushok Bakula Rinpoche, whose 19th Incarnation was an important Indian and Ladakhi Statesman.
A view of the greener parts of Leh. In order to bring you the best this section has pics taken by Dr Choksi and Ramola Karnani. Pics by Dr Choksi have his name watermarked on the right side, the
others are taken by Ramola.
"Barren expanses and ranges around Leh. Ladakh is a high altitude plateau, in the rain shadow formed by the Great Himalayan Range. There is no rainfall, all the snow is due to condensation of the atmospheric water vapor. The rivers & its tributaries are dry in winter. Melting of snow in summer causes floods and landslides.
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Leh valley - to the right is seen the road climbing to KhardungLa pass - the Highest motorable road in the world (now disputed after GPS measurements).
Cirrus clouds in an azure blue sky over the Ladakh Range - A beautiful palette of Blue and white.
This picture shows the Ladakh mountain range and a tributary of the river Indus , as seen from an aircraft after takeoff from Leh airport.
K-top (Khardungla top) ....located in the concavity of the range on the left side of the pic.
Stok Range, with the Stok Kangri peak (seen to the right of the wing). Stok and Ladakh ranges flank the town of Leh.
Stok Kangri (elevation 6,153 m is the highest mountain in the Stok Range of the Himalayas in Northwest India. The peak is located 24 km southwest of the Ladakhi capital of Leh. Despite its altitude, Stok Kangri is a popular peak and is often climbed as an initial non-technical foray into high altitude mountaineering.
To see pics of trek to Stok Kangri Click here
An aerial view of a Himalayan glacier. A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation (melting and sublimation) over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km2 in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight.
Another view of the mountains through the clowds.
Snow capped mountains with clouds in the background. Note the change in light in different pictures.
Snow capped mountains, blue sky, clouds. WOW.
Another view of snow capped mountains with sun coming through in part, see top of picture.
Another beautiful picture.
Cumulus mediocris clouds - low to middle level clouds with some vertical extent of the genus cumulus . This pic shows the cauliflower form characteristic of cumulus clouds. These clouds do not generally produce precipitation.