28. June 2026     “It already gets light around 5:00 AM, and since I went to bed early, I always got up slowly around that time. Or rather, I made myself a seat in the tent, drank hot water from my thermos, and looked at the landscape. I thought it was cold and put … Continue reading Trekkingday 2: Base Camp -> Chogdo – Great Happiness and Bitter Frustration → Read more

27. June 2026     Between the Indus and Markha Valley lies a mountain range, which also includes several 6,000-meter peaks. A popular trek was always the Markha Trek, where you basically loop around this mountain massif including two passes. Since the road construction, this trek is not as attractive anymore. However, there should be … Continue reading Trekkingday 1: Meru -> Base Camp – quick mountainhappiness → Read more

20. – 26. June 2026     The plan was: Tsering Dolma would take me back to my place, then head off to some family celebrations, and finally pick up her daughter to take her home. The reality was: the Vice President of India was visiting, and the highway was closed off for him. This … Continue reading Kharu -> Leh – Pralines, Potatoes and Procession → Read more

19. June 2026     After a delicious breakfast—an interesting discovery: when you deep-fry puris in mustard oil, the whole house smells of mustard, but the puris themselves taste completely neutral—we dressed me up very elaborately and Tsering Dolma somewhat less elaborately in traditional clothing, then danced and took photos. I felt like a queen … Continue reading Kharu – One Highlight follows right after the Other → Read more

18. June 2026     We had quite a few things planned in Karu—specifically, having a whole bunch of experiences and filming them. Because of that, there are actually fewer pictures from here. People usually only know Karu as a pit stop with lots of small (trucker) eateries and shops at the junction heading toward … Continue reading Kharu – Gompa, Cat and Cooking → Read more

17. June 2026     I’ve known Tsering Dolma for quite a while now, and a bit closer since 2017—which is when she came to visit me in Ruhpolding. She used to work for another travel agency, ran a fashion boutique, and then settled down in Karu with her second husband. Here, they built a … Continue reading Leh -> Karu – Multiplex, Crematorium and Salad → Read more

14. – 16. June 2026     So I was back and really enjoying my room here. The next day was Sunday, which meant either the hospital (better not) or simply waiting for Monday. Since I do quite like walking, I thought I’d head into town for a delicious lunch. But I didn’t get very … Continue reading Leh – Gloomy Days with Highlights → Read more

11. – 13. June 2026     I looked it up: back in 2007, I was in Dha with a friend, and in 2013, we had finished a trek in Dhomkar and wanted to spend one more night in the Dha Hanu area. Even back then, I found it strange to travel to a region … Continue reading Aryan Valley – That didn’t go so well again → Read more

11. – 13. June 2026     There is a region in Ladakh that continues to follow the Indus River after Khaltse. It used to be called the Dah-Hanu region and, with a permit, has been open to foreign travelers up to the village of Dah since 1994. Not many people came. So, they stepped … Continue reading Aryan Valley – Alexander, Aryans and Pregnancy Tourism → Read more

7. – 10. June 2026     I have some unfinished business here. You can hike from Leh to Phyang across a mountain pass. I did that around 2011 with a guide. Then, a few years later, I confidently wanted to do it with another traveler. We ended up coming back out at the army … Continue reading Leh – Lumbago in the Hips → Read more