Jule from Leh!
Global LAB's intrepid leaders with walkie-talkies, ready for anything
As our car made its way down the winding approach road and into the streets of Leh this afternoon, several participants commented that they felt they were home again amidst the familiar shops and roads. It does seem like more than ten days since we departed for our trekking adventure.
Our trip began with a visit to the Sabu Oracle, who agreed to have a special audience with us. Both her process of divination and her personal answers to our questions were compelling. From there, we began our week long push into the snowy peaks towards the Nubra Valley. Each day offered stunning views as we alternated climbing and descending. The third day saw us mounting our highest summit at over 17,000 feet. While both the snow and the altitude required a slow pace, we were determined and successful in continuing our journey. Additionally, while we each faced challenging days, these moments also offered opportunities for the group to take turns stepping up into supportive and leadership roles. Way to go team!
Thanks is also due to Namgial and our amazing group of guides, pony men, and our cook. From tea and cookies served minutes after our walk each day to practical help on the trail, we couldn’t have made it without these experienced and cheerful souls. Certainly, more personal stories abound from this time, but I’ll let the participants speak for themselves.
Our stay in our destination village of Diskit offered some welcome down time as well as local explorations, though certainly the highlight was our witnessing of the Diskit Monastery Festival. This annual celebration commemorates the founder of the Gelugpa School of Tibetan Buddhism (of which the Dalai Lama is the leader) while also offering rituals for a fortuitous year.
After this brief respite in Leh, we hit the road once again for Delhi and before long Dharamsala. I think we’re in a great place, with our young men and women having had these first several weeks to gel with the abundance of group time. As we near the first ISP section of the semester, I’m confident that they are hungry and ready to apply themselves to their chosen topics of study.
More to come…
Savoring these last days in Ladakh,
Harrison
Comments
Thank you, Harrison, for your informative update. It sounds like you have a sturdy group that is always ready for the next adventure! Greetings to all from Alaska. Jo
Posted by: Jo | October 11, 2007 10:29 PM
Thank you for taking the journey! And for staying on top of your entries, reporting back to your friends back in the states!
Hello, Namaste from Andrea...
I will catch up on your stories and leave more comments adn feelings and feed back!
Love all of you!
Befriend me! I long to take a trip like you are doing and who knows, maybe a few of you will want to retrun with me!
Posted by: Yoga friends | October 15, 2007 05:12 AM