India (July-August 2018): Zanskar to Paddar across Umasi La (5300m) - 2/3

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Google Earth views:

Entire leg.

Part 2/3 of leg.

 

[Reminder: Click here (kmz file) and open the downloaded file in Google Earth to access the GPS waypoints (numbered 1 to 49 for the first leg and 50 to 78 for the second leg) that I recorded during the trek: red pins for starts, orange for finishes, green for camps, brown for passes, and yellow for other waypoints. Only WP #61 (Umasi La) was not GPS-recorded, but entered manually.]

 

Day 3 of second leg of trek (after crossing Umasi La):

 

View over the glacier on the other side of the pass. The goal is to reach the valley on the right-hand side of the photo.

 

But first we must climb down a short steep icy slope.

 

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Looking back at the pass (on the right of the photo). It no longer looks that steep!

 

Views from the upper part of the glacier.

 

 

 

Further down, being careful with hidden crevasses. Fortunately, most crevasses were easy to spot or too narrow to fall into.

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We made a short lunch break below this huge rounded cliff, just above the location where the glacier starts steepening down dramatically.

 

 

Views of the broken glacier as it steepens down several hundred meters.

 

 

We hiked down an equally steep moraine on the right side of the glacier to reach a flatter section where ″our″ glacier merges with another glacier flowing from the right.

 

 

Confluence of the two glaciers (looking toward the south). We will soon set our third camp on the rock band between the two glaciers.

 

View of the upper part of the glacier flowing from the right.

 

Our camp on the rock band (WP #62).

 

Our approximate path between Umasi La and the camp (aerial Google Earth view).

 

Views from my tent of the lower part of the glacier (first photo) and the steep section above it (second photo).

 

 

Later in the afternoon a tall rock tower, which had so far been hidden in the clouds, became visible.

 

Similar view at dusk.

 

Day 4:

 

Early morning sunshine.

 

On our way down.

 

Looking back toward the north.

 

Further down.

 

Water stream flowing into a deep hole in the glacier.

 

Near the end of the glacier.

 

 

 

On the edge of a steep headwall reached soon after the end of the glacier.

 

 

Waterfall flowing down the headwall.

 

 

The headwall seen from beneath. The steeper part is near the top.

 

Further down.

 

 

 

Last steep section of the descent before reaching the valley of the Bujwas river.

 

 

In the valley of the Bujwas river now heading toward the west.

 

Views in the opposite direction toward the east.

 

 

 

Further down in the valley.

 

Fording a wide side-river.

 

 

Another look toward the east.

 

Twisted birch trees.

 

Side valley.

 

Waterfall in the side valley.

 

We set our fourth camp at WP #68 in a meadow on the shore of the Bujwas river, below a magnificent peak (6000m) called Mahadeva peak (meaning ″Great God″) by the local people, and perhaps better known as Kishtwar Shivling.

 

Other views of the Mahadeva peak at different times.

 

 

 

View of the valley toward the east at dusk.

 

To directly access part 3/3 of the Umasi La crossing, click here.

 

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