TRAVEL DIARIES – LADAKH 2026 Day 8

TRAVEL DIARIES – LADAKH 2026

Day 8 | Leh → Nubra → Turtuk → Thang → RD Zero Post → Partapur

A DAY AT THE EDGE OF THE MAP

The day started as usual.

Up early. Bags packed. Everyone ready by 8 AM.

Today we had to leave Leh and reach Nubra Valley, our home for the next two days.

But Ladakh had other plans!

Just as we were about to leave the ITBP Officers’ Mess, we were told by the Ladakh Traffic Police that the road towards Khardung La was temporarily closed because of a high-altitude marathon.

It would open only after 9:30 AM.

So, more than an hour of waiting.

Finally, at around 9:30 AM, we started.

The drive was smooth and thankfully there was no major traffic. The Tata Safari did struggle a little while crossing Khardung La and lost some power, but at those altitudes and low oxygen, that's quite normal.

We stopped at Khardung La for some time and then continued towards Nubra.

Our destination was Partapur Army Officers’ Mess, where we were staying for the next two days.

We reached around 1:30 PM, checked in, barely had time to settle down and immediately left again.

Because today was not an ordinary sightseeing day.

We were heading towards Thang and RD Zero Post, right near the India-Pakistan border.

The special permission required for this visit had been arranged well in advance.

Thanks to someone very close to my heart. ❤️

We were accompanied by a few Army friends, and from Partapur onwards, the journey itself became an experience.

Nearly 2½ hours later, we reached RD Zero.

The officers posted there welcomed us and gave us a detailed briefing about the geography, history and strategic importance of the area.

Then came the most exciting part.

They took us to a watchtower equipped with binoculars.

Through them, we could see the forward positions, bunkers and military establishments across the border.

Standing there, looking at those distant posts, you suddenly realise what the Army actually does for us.

We sit comfortably in our homes and complain about the cold.

Our soldiers spend months on those heights.

Once they occupy some of the higher positions, they may have to remain there for four months or more, through conditions that are difficult even to imagine.

And before winter arrives, essential supplies have to be stocked well in advance because once the snow sets in, reaching many of these posts becomes extremely difficult.

Listening to the officers, I felt a deep sense of respect.

No slogans.

No speeches.

Just the quiet reality of what our soldiers do.

PARTAPUR. WHERE HISTORY CHANGED THE MAP.

While travelling through Nubra, Partapur may look like just another small mountain settlement.

But it carries a remarkable chapter of our history.

After the 1947 Partition, the war over Jammu and Kashmir reached Ladakh. In 1948, Chewang Rinchen, barely 17 years old, joined the Nubra Guards and played a crucial role in defending Nubra and Ladakh against the Pakistani advance.

What makes his story even more remarkable is that he returned to this very region 23 years later.

By 1971, he was a Major in the Indian Army and led Indian forces in the Nubra and Chorbat sectors during the war.

The operations resulted in the capture of Chalunka, Turtuk, Tyakshi and Thang.

For his courage in 1948, he had been awarded the Maha Vir Chakra.

In 1971, he was awarded a Bar to the Maha Vir Chakra, making him one of the very few Indian soldiers to receive the MVC twice.

Standing there today, knowing this history, gives the landscape a completely different meaning.

These are not just mountains.

These are places where men actually fought, climbed, survived and sacrificed.

And for the people of these villages, 1971 changed the map around their homes. Families and old connections remained, but the political boundary shifted.

That is something you cannot really understand from a history book.

You understand it differently when you actually stand there.

And today, we were standing there.

We started our return journey around 5:30 PM, stopping briefly at Turtuk on the way.

By the time we finally reached the Army Officers’ Mess at Partapur, it was around 8:30 PM.

A long day.

A hectic day.

But one of those days when tiredness doesn't really matter.

The girls are exhausted.

But excited.

And honestly, so am I.

Tomorrow is another big day.

Siachen Base Camp is waiting.

Let's see what the world's highest battlefield has in store for us.

Day 8 done. ❤️🇮🇳🏔️

Stay tuned for Day 9.