The three Meek men enjoy a happy father's day together
Although having Dad set off for Delhi and home, Jon and I were both glad that he was heading in the direction of good medical care and convalescence.
Jon and I spent the next week doing another homestay trek. But before we headed off on the trail we decided to do an adventurous mountain biking ride that we'd seen advertised around town.
The bike ride sounded perfect: get driven up to Khardung La, the highest motorable pass in the world, and then enjoy the force of gravity and ride downhill all the way back to Leh.
At the top of Khardung La: 18,380 feet
Two notable things about this photo. First where we're standing: on top of a wall. Driving from Leh at 11 thousand and change up to over 18,000 was relatively easy physically. Sure, even sitting in the car we could feel the air getting thinner, but all seemed well when we reached the pass. However, when we got to the pass and climbed onto this wall to take a photo I immediately felt the earth start to shake. Dropping to my knees I knew it wasn't an earthquake. But the altitude! Determined not to spend too much time at this altitude we got ready to head down. The other remarkable thing about this photo is that it captures a "ghost" pictured behind and to the side of us...inhabiting the ethereal high altitudes of the Himalayas.
Setting off for the 50 km ride downhill!
Breathtaking (literally!) scenery
Perhaps what was even more incredible was what passes for a road!
And on this road, two directions of big trucks trying to pass each other
We came around a corner at one point, and saw a truck being pulled back over the edge, having gone over in some ridiculous game of cat and mouse.
Truck is seen as shiny white object amidst the rock the slope. Rescue vehicles above it on the road.
Leh is visible as the green oasis down below
Jon taking a breather (literally) in front of a field of Buddhist chortens on the way back to Leh
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