Photo tour The Incredible Himalayas: Cham dance in the monastery Tiksey + Tso Kar Lake, Ladakh.

For the first time we held this photo tour in November 2014.

And really get incredible photo tour.
The Incredible Himalayas - this phrase is the most accurate name for the November photo tour to Ladakh.
Why?

Because in a very short period of time -  for 10 days - this photo tour program assembled a magnificent collection of incredible events, places and fantastic scenery, close contact with the culture of Tibetan Buddhism.
Why – the close contact?
Because the photo tour is conducted in a completely non-touristic season: and most of all, we - the only travelers who will get the pleasure to observe and photograph the Buddhist sacred ceremony Tiksey Gustor in the largest monastery-town of Ladakh - Tiksey Gonpa.

And we get two very beautiful from all perspectives places - on the mountain lake Tso Kar and will drive the entire Lamayuru valley, up to the pass Fotu La.
Usually photographers visit these places in summer and never came across pictures of Tso Kar and Lamayuru, captured in November.
But it must be very beautiful: Autumn Tso Kar - all its multicolored mosses, salt islands and herds of wild horses and beautiful Lamayuru - is not under snow, but severe, preparing for winter.

The Photo tour is fully consistent with its markers Extreme and For the brave, and includes visits to very remote from Leh mountainous area, including spending the night in the house of nomads Changpa on the Lake Tso Moriri.
The journey is so full of a wide variety of events, which clearly will not fit the time for him: and if in the calendar it take part just 10 days, but for photographers it became the Ladakh eternity.
It is planned a lot of all kinds of photo: landscape and panoramic photography, ethnographic photography, portraiture and genre photography.

By the way, precisely because of these photo tours our participants bring personal exhibition.
For novice photographers this photo tour is a good opportunity to get good lessons of  photography in the field.
For the curious traveler, whose presence is also possible in this photo tour of Ladakh it is an opportunity to become intimately explore the culture of Tibetan Buddhism, and - if desired - to start photography.

ATTENTION! This journey is EXCLUSIVE: nobody else not organizes and conducts similar photo tours.
The photo tour to Tibet is open to photographers from all over the CIS countries, Russia and the world.
The photo tour to Tibet can also take part not only the photographs, but simply lovers of travel.

All photos below, shooted in Ladakh fall.
They perfectly demonstrate the places that we visit and take the pictures.

Day 1, November 16: Delhi - Leh (flight). Adaptation. Leh walks through the Old City.
We arrive at the international airport of New Delhi.
From Delhi airport of international airlines at free shuttle-bus move to the airport of domestic airlines, fly to Leh.
It is common practice in our photo tours to Ladakh: when the participants arrive at Delhi airport, they usually arrive in the terminal D3 from 2 to 5 am, immediately move by shuttle-bus to the terminal D1 and a morning flight to Leh.
The tickets for flights Delhi-Leh we will buy so that margin of time between the external and internal flights was a minimum - 3-4 hours.
Flight Delhi- Leh, 1 hour 20 minutes.
By the way, the flight Delhi- Leh is stunningly beautiful sight, as we fly above the Himalayan ranges.
We recommend you to book seats on the left side of the aircraft - landing in Leh this side is most photographic.

Photography of that air travel can be found here:
Homecoming. Blog in LiveJournal by Ilona Kryzhanovskaya. We returned to Ladakh! and Flight from Delhi to Leh, Ladakh, April 2015.

Upon arrival at the airport in Ladakh, Leh, at the exit of the terminal the team of organizers with a sign PhotoTour meet the participants.
Transfer to the hotel, breakfast.

Leh is at the altitude of 3600 m.
On the first day of the photo tour for the participants it is important to pass the proper altitude acclimatization: be instructed on acclimatization, drinking plenty of fluids, the first hours on arrival have rest at the hotel.
After acclimatization rest at the hotel we go for a leisurely adaptation walk through the narrow streets of the Old Leh: clay houses, Buddhist stupas and prayer wheels.
Leh Old Town was declared a UNESCO World Monuments Fund.
The walk will finish at the Monastery Gompa Soma, in the central part of the Old Leh.
In the evening, a workshop on introduction to the culture of Tibetan Buddhism.
The hotel in Leh.

Day 2, November 17: The monastery Spituk. Old Leh, the Palace of Leh, Nyangmal Tsemo Gonpa, Soma Gonpa.
In the morning, we go to Spituk Gompa - one of the most beautiful monasteries of Ladakh valley.

Morning puja in the Spituk Gompa Monastery, and then - a detailed exploring of the Spituk Gompa.
Visiting Kale-Temple, or the Temple of the Defenders of the Dharma in Monastery Spituk.
Blessing puja for the group in Kale - Temple.
Then we go down by the long stairs to the village Spituk: a walk through the village, genre photographing on the streets of the village Spituk.
In the afternoon we will take the car travel around  Leh:
by the cars will go to a Buddhist monastery Namgyal Tsemo.

The monastery and the castle Namgyal Tsemo, "the red fortress", was built in the 16th century by the King Tashi Namgyal.
The monastery keeps the three-story statue of the Buddha Maitreya. Also, the monastery is famous for its collection of ancient manuscripts and frescoes.
The monastery belongs to the Gelugpa tradition.
Next, we go down on foot to the Old Leh, visiting on the way the Royal Palace of Leh, Sama Gompa, the Park of  Stupas.

The hotel in Leh.

Days 3-4, November 18-19: Ladakh Monastery Tiksey. Buddhist mystery Thiksay Gustor.
The visiting and photographing a Buddhist festival Tiksey Gustor in the Tiksey Gonpa.
The Mystery Tiksey Gustor is accompanied with dancing Tsam of lamas of high initiations in the ancient ritual masks and costumes and communicating of the trained monks with the spirits trough the oracle.

As the celebration takes place around the clock, these two days will be very busy - of events, photography, emotions.
For information: The sacred rite of ritual dance Tsam dancing lamas dressed in festive costumes and masks depicting gods.

Essentially Tsam (Cham Dance) is a dance meditation, during it the gods come to life in the minds of not only the Lamas, but the pilgrims at the festival, along with all believers.

These two days will be filled with quite incredible action and fantastic photography from morning till evening.
There will be: emotional, lively faces of Tibetan grandmothers who will come to the mystery in ancient family adornments and national costumes, puja - with long trumpets and bass Tibetan drums,  children - wide open face, and - Dance Tsam - the purest and honest action of all we've seen on this planet.

And a few words about Tiksey Gompa, which itself is one of the most unique town-monastery of the valley of Ladakh.
The monastery Tiksey consists of twelve levels and ten temples, towering on the mountain. There are private apartments of the Great Lama at the top.
Below the monastery on the mountain slopes are the chapels and houses of the monks. Now there are about 100 Buddhist monks of Gelugpa branch ("yellow hats").

The hotel in Leh.

Day 5, November 20: the Indus River Valley, Canyon Chilling, car walk around Ladakh. Basgo Gonpa monastery.
In the morning by the cars we go for a trip in Ladakh, down the river Indus.
The landscape photography:
The Indus river Valley, photographing on the floodplain of the Indus river, magnificent views of the gorges and Buddhist villages perched, grew up among the rocky mountains, the fields - a great field geometry, the autumn in Ladakh is stunningly beautiful.

Confluence of the rivers Indus and Zanskar is a fantastic spectacle at any time of the year, but in autumn the water of the rivers Indus and Zanskar become cold and get clear jingling tones.

Then we go down to the floodplain of the river Zanskar, to the confluence of the Indus and Zanskar rivers and go into the canyon Chelling in the upper river Zanskar, to a mountain village Chelling.

The whole day  the wanderful landscape photography is waiting for us.

In the afternoon we go to the magnificent Buddhist monastery Basgo Gonpa, downstream the Indus River.

The hotel in Leh.

Day 6,  November 21: The alpine lake Tso Kar.
Today, the most adventurous day of our photo tour: we will go to the mountain lake Tso Kar.
We climb the second highest mountain pass in Ladakh - Taglung La (5358 m), and see the height of mountainous dusty valley Rupshu.
The tourists are absent at this time with the word "totally", but the autumn Tso Kar - not just beautiful, it is a fantastic performance.

This is the lake Tso Kar from the bird's-eye view - in the midst of a dusty highland bowls.
Photographed in November 2014:

It seems unattractive?
But it only seems.
Near it is something quite different:

The Lake Tso-Kar perhaps is the most charming of the lakes of Little Tibet.
The epithet "beautiful" - there is not exactly expression of Tso Kar charming: soft colors, halftones, closed miniature, watercolor of mountains surrounding the lake, calm and quiet.
The word "Tso-Kar" literally translates as White Lake. It is called so because of salt and all the lake banks are covered with whitish deposits of salt.
The Lake Tso Kar - is located 150 kilometers south-east of Leh in the Rupshu valley at an altitude of 4700m.

Tso Kar is very naughty and very diverse in all its manifestations: the weather can change here every half hour, the landscapes -  the mirror surface of the water, reflections, and multi-colored salt marshes, and meandering flow channel connecting the different parts of the lake.
View photos captured on the lake Tso Kar during our travels here: The lake Tso Kar, valley Rupshu, Little Tibet.

Later in the afternoon we go on the way back to Leh.
A very interesting and rich landscapes and panoramas are waiting for us on the alpine road.
Taking pictures in a dusty valley Rupshu and the second highest mountain pass in Ladakh Tanglangla La.

Later in the evening come back to Leh.
The hotel in Leh.

Day 7, November 22: Monasteries Matho, Stakna, White stupas of Shey Gonpa.
Early in the morning we go to Buddhist monasteries Matho Gonpa and Stakna Gonpa.

The Buddhist monastery Masho Gompa was founded in the 16th century by a famous Lama Dugpa Dorje and was the only monastery in Ladakh belonging to the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism.
There is a beautiful view on the mountain Stok Kangri and the valley of the Indus River from the monastery.

Stanka Gompa - a small and very beautiful Buddhist monastery belonging to the tradition of Drukpa Kaguy.

Stakna Gompa was founded in the late 16th century by Bhutan scientist Lama Chosdzhe Jamyang  Palkar.
Stakna Gompa name literally translates as "tiger nose", and given to the monastery because it is standing on a hill resembling a tiger.
There is the famous statue of Arya Avalokiteshvara of Kamrup in the gompa.
About 30 monks live in the monastery.
Stakna Gompa is also interesting in that it is the only monastery of Ladakh valley, where the impact of Bhutan can be traced from the atmosphere of the monastery to the 16th-century frescoes decorating the prayer room.
The interesting still life photography with ancient and modern Buddhist lamas attributes is available in gompa.
From the roof and viewing platforms of Stakna Gonpa the autumn landscape offers a magnificent views of the valley and Ladakh Buddhist monastery Tiksey Gonpa.

And on the way back - the evening photographing of ancient white stupas at Shay Gonpa.

The white stupas of Naropa are especially beautiful at the evening light.

The hotel in Leh.

Day 8, November 23: Valley of Lamayuru, Moon Land, Fotu La Pass.
This day of our photo tour in Ladakh will be dedicated to photography in the high valley of Lamayuru.
Early in the morning we will go by car to the Lamayuru Valley, have numerous stops along the way for landscape photography.

Lamayuru (Yung Drung - Swastika) is a beautiful Valley in Western Tibet, located in the upper valley of the Indus, 127 km to the west of Leh.
We'll be taking pictures in  the Moon Land or – Lunar Earth.

Lamayuru – the Valley-mystery-puzzle, Tibetan Wonderland:
Light is changing constantly, the light continuously floats, moves, and everything changes with it  - colors, shades, pattern of the Valley, feeling ...
Meaning - do not change, they just are elusive in this continuous flow of Space and Time.
Valley is Kaleidoscope - to step aside, and everything is different.
You look the other way, then look behind - and don't know - where you are.
I do not understand how  to describe this feeling with the words - very similar to when you walk through the worlds - in Amber.
There is a special time there - every step moves significantly, not only through the space, but through the time: Time here, too, is no longer the usual condition that you don't notice.
No, there is a real sense of movement in Time, through the very similar to that which occurs when you are calm and go without a purpuse on the road.
In the afternoon we will climb to the pass Fotu La (4006 m) and Lamayuru opens before us in full view.

You can see the pictures taken  in the valley in the Gallery of PhotoTours: Lamayuru Valley.
The hotel in Leh.

Day 9, November 24: Monastery Iggo Kaspan.
On the final day of our photo tour we will go to a remote monastery Iggo Kaspan (school of Drukpa Lineage) located away from the tourist routes, guidebooks have no mentions about this monastery.
Iggo Kaspan Gonpa is located high in the mountains in a small valley, and nice in the first place that is considered the best place for meditation - there  is really shrill quiet and calm.
There are a lot of rumors about  the Buddhist monastery Iggo Kaspan, one of them is that the Lamas are not only meditated but also engaged in levitation.
All day we will have the landscape and portrait photography in remote areas of the canyon Iggo.
On the way back we stop in the village Iggo, saved the original way of life.
The hotel in Leh.

Day 10, November 25: Flight Leh - Delhi. Homecoming.
In the morning - transfer to the airport for flight to Leh New Delhi.
The wonderful photo-shooting from the height of the aircraft flight is waiting for us again while we fly above the wonderful peaks of Ladakh.

On arrival in Delhi the tour around New Delhi with the English-speaking guide is possible on request.
End of the tour, flight home. 

 ATTENTION! The markers of this photo tour: Extreme and For the brave.
Most of the photo tour we will spend in the INCREDIBLE Himalayas at an altitude of 3600 m and above.
Obligatory conditions for participants of the photo tour at the alpine lake in Little Tibet:
health is below average, the lack of serious chronic diseases:
first of all - diseases of the cardiovascular system, asthma, mental illness, drug and alcohol addictions.
And the most important thing - the full awareness - where you are going and readyness to difficulties.
We will try in every way to make this trip as comfortable as possible for the participants of photo tour to Ladakh, but it should be understood that we are not going to the resort.
Those the idea of comfort in Tibet are very different from the idea of comfort in Europe.
Therefore, for those who wish to take part in this photo tour to Tibet should be a willingness to objective difficulties:
- Eventful days;
- Poor infrastructure in the region,
- Possible symptoms of altitude sickness.
If you decide to participate in this photo tour - you need to be internally prepared for the fact that there sometimes it will not be easy, but - very interesting.