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Becca Sai

@will.math.for.shows

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Mon Jul 27 - Lama Yuru to Padum over the High Road

📍Sri Sri La and Singe La

Extensive overanalysis including some deep rock-nerd content in my post today (13 Aug 2026). taken in Padum,Zanskar,India. by @will.math.for.shows

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2 months ago

Mon Jul 27 - Lama Yuru to Padum over the High Road

Tenzin: “They call this Little Switzerland.”
Me: “Nah. Fuck that. They should call Switzerland Little Ladakh”.

The drive from Lama Yuru to the Zanskar valley was absolutely one of my favorite parts of the trip. I jokingly said that I could happily drive a truck from Leh to Padum every day as my job and feel blessed.

I do think part of it was the clear weather that allowed us to really see all of the views. I do wonder what Khardung La looks like on a clear day because both times we went over it, it was rainy at the top. At the same time, mountains do make their own weather.

The US has some incredible mountains. While I never saw Denali up close, I saw it from a distance on our trip to Denali (my oldest IG posts). I have seen Mount Rainier up close. Prominence is basically the height from the lowest point near the mountain to the highest point on the mountain. Denali has 20,000+ feet of prominence and Rainier has 13,000+ feet. Both mountains are somewhat by themselves - Denali with only its 2 sister peaks (Sultana and Begiya) and Rainier because it's a giant volcano.

Here in Colorado, our 3 most prominent peaks are Elbert at 9,000 feet and Pikes Peak at 5,500 feet and Blanca at 5,300 feet. After that, 6 of our mountains have 4000ish feet of prominence and all the rest have less.

No mountain in our part of the Himalayas was an island. Every mountain was part of a surrounding range with many other peaks nearby. It was so crazy compared to my previous experience with really big mountains. Maybe the Elk Range has comparable peak density???

We went over Sri Sri La (15,700 ft/ 4.8 km) first. In the background, you can see the clear glaciation bowl of Machu Kangri, which is 19,966 feet/6086 m tall.

However, we could see Machu Kangri from Hanupatta (12,400 ft / 3.9 km) in the Spangthan Topko River valley.

So Machu Kangri is 7,500 feet above you. It's simply impossible to capture on camera or video how immensely tall these mountains are. I just kept saying that it felt like this part of the Himalayas were double the height of most mountains in Colorado. Because they basically are. It was wild and so humbling. taken in Zanskar - ज़न्सकार, Ladakh by @will.math.for.shows

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2 months ago

Tathok Tsechu Festival in Sakti Village, In Ladakh, India.

Much more detailed information in the post on my account. by @will.math.for.shows

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2 months ago

“You are not in the mountains. The mountains are in you”.

Thursday 24 July, 2026:

We got on the road at 9:30 to get over Khardung La and into the Numbra from udumbra (auspicious flower aka fig tree) Valley. Khardung means lower castle. We knew the pass was closed but we drove up to wait to be first in line. They opened the pass one way to let folks out of Numbra valley first. Importantly, they were not allowing us up the pass because a local dignitary had to come down the pass first.

I could tell we were going to be waiting a bit so I walked down to the river nearby. There were a few local boys hanging out there.

By noonish or so, they finally opened the road “one way” in our direction. As you can tell, it was not so one way.

We went over Khardung La and into the Numbra Valley. The weather was okay in the valley but up high it was cold and rainy so we cut the hike. Instead, we went to the sand dunes. Because of the sand dunes, people have brought camels to the area for camel rides. We clearly need to up our game at the Great Sand Dunes.

There was also traditional Ladakh-y dance showcase there that was quite lovely. Even with the tarps, we were getting drizzled on taken in Leh Ladakh - The Land of High Passes by @will.math.for.shows

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2 months ago

“You are not in the mountains. The mountains are in you”.

Thursday July 24th: got on the road at 9:30 to get over Khardung La and into the Numbra from udumbra (auspicious flower aka fig tree) Valley. Khardung means lower castle. We knew the pass was closed but we drove up to wait to be first in line. They opened the pass one way to let folks out of Numbra valley first. Importantly, they were not allowing us up the pass because a local dignitary had to come down the pass first.

I could tell we were going to be waiting a bit so I walked down to the river nearby. There were a few local boys hanging out there.

By noonish or so, they finally opened the road “one way” in our direction. As you can tell, it was not so one way.

We went over Khardung La and into the Numbra Valley. The weather was okay in the valley but up high it was cold and rainy so we cut the hike. taken in Leh, Ladakh by @will.math.for.shows

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2 months ago

📸: Geoff. On Sunday, we left Leh and made our way to the small village of Lama Yuru. So funny because the main photographer in our group, Geoff, was always in Car 3 and we were always Car 2. So he documented my specific journey many a time. Pretty fun little road cut here.

One of the standing jokes on this trip is how Wild Frontiers lists accommodations at Hotel Tso Kar “or similar” as they can not guarantee every hotel room every time.

Except in Lama Yuru. There is really only one hotel used by foreign travelers. There is no “or similar”.

The room was clean though the bathroom smelled weirdly toxic. But the entire hotel was very clearly a work in progress while still being quite busy. My favorite part was wood paneling in the hallways where you could see the house wrap behind it...This sticker as room number was also elite.

On the way we stopped at the Alu petroglyphs where some of the petroglyphs are from 1000 to 3000 BC. This one is the oldest known petroglyphs at this location. It shows hunting and the animals as indicated.

One thing that was interesting was the presence of a certain 4 armed symbol. I was always taught that this symbol was a Hindu symbol adopted by the German🪢 see party in World War II. Yuru means a certain four 💪 symbol. In 500 BC, Arhat Nimagun was mixing barley flour with soil and the ancient symbol was said to be invented. The town Lama Yuru is named after the historical event. Yuru means eternity.

After this trip, I have been messaging Tenzin to clarify details. It was actually through these messages that I finally understood the meaning of Yuru and also explains this painting I saw while on my run on the morning of the 27th.

Running at 11.8K was hilarious, because it was all downhill one way. And all uphill on the way back. It was also very sweet because the locals were out and moving the cows for milking. Two sweet little local ladies cheered me on saying: Good, Good on that run. Nobody could say anything to me that day to ruin that high.

However, I did notice that in Lama Yuru the only folks around are the elderly and the monks. According to Tenzin, this is because most young folks in the area have to leave to work in taken in Lamayuru Monastery Ladakh, India by @will.math.for.shows

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2 months ago

A tourist photographer gets directly in the way of the Masked Dancers. Besides interfering with the religious ceremony of the Masked Dance, he has also put himself in everyone else's shots.

At the Tathok Tsechu Festival, tourist behavior really distracted from the actual religious festival. It was not just this tourist.

The worst offender I do not have pictures of. Yet I feel certain that other tourists from the festival do. Because he was standing up and in the face of the monks repeatedly. Local volunteers asked him to move and sit down. He waved them off and would comply for a few minutes before standing up in the middle of the dance again.

It was so egregious I clocked him as an American and at the beginning of the lunch break got up to talk to him.

Turns out he was from India. Lol.

Regardless, his behavior was distracting to everyone: other tourists, the locals trying to enjoy their own religious ceremony, and the monks themselves.

At the same time, when as a tour group, we were discussing all of the tourist behaviors afterwards, it came up that not everyone has experience with religious services.

So, over the next few pictures, here's my list of how to behave in religious services as a former Episcoplalian acolyte:

1. Move only between songs.
You may have been held in the nave of a church while a song plays when you are late to church. Same thing applies to a Masked Dance. Move during the lull between Dances.

2. Look for visual cues or other directions about how to behave.

See the big yellow line that went around the entire perimeter? Don't step on that.

3. Follow directions the first time.

This tourist was from the Italian group and kept getting up at the end of the Masked Dance to take pictures. By this point, everyone else had figured out the norms and he had already been told to sit down repeatedly.

You should only need to be told what to do once. If you have been directed to do something, do it. Particularly if it is safe and causes you no harm and causes no harm to the people around you.

Having to be nagged repeatedly puts the experience at risk for all tourists. No one owes you their religious ceremony. Be a good guest.

4. Loca taken in Leh, Ladakh by @will.math.for.shows

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2 months ago

Sat Jul 25

Tathok Tsechu Festival

On Saturday, we got up and drove to a nearby festival for a Red Hat Buddhist festival called Tathok Tsechu. Each monastery has their own high festival to honor their founders or another deity. These are called mask dances. Red Hat Buddhist Mask Dance festivals are each unique to that monastery and yet have repeating elements.

These are whole events. The shops are closed. Monasteries have prayers an hour early so that everyone can help with setting up for the Masked Dance.

📸: Elisa from Spain. One repeating element is a processional dance fo initiate the festival. These scary masks are to help us fight the poisons inside of us: Ego, ignorance, attachment, desire and hatred. All scary or violent / warrior imagery in Red Hat and Yellow Hat Buddhism is to fight the evil within.

One thing I noticed was how highly intricate the horns are. It made me wonder if the horns tend to be played more by people from wealthy families.

This is the entrance of the first 2 dancers after the grand processional and these skeletal beings were unique to this festival.

The rainbows on either side of their head represents eternal enlightenment. Slightly different

If you watch long enough, you will see the photographer on the stairs. That's a whole separate post, coming up next.

You can also see the regular local seating area with a mix of kids and families. Volunteers from the monastery provided a whole little breakfast snack pack to locals: bread, fruit, and other foods. Also tourists who did not reserve seats are mixed in.

The volunteers also offered chai to everyone, local and tourist.

Tathok Tsechu Festival has become a bit of a big deal for Ladakh tourism. The festival date was moved to support tourists attending and they set up chairs for organized tours who arrange for seating.

Visitors were offered seats on one side. This side was opposite of the small altar set up. Elderly locals were offered chairs, rather than to sit on the steps, on the altar side. More on the altar and the proximity to elders in the next post.

In both Red Hat festivals we attended, one masked dance was a black hat dance. This dance focused a lot on spinni taken in Sakti, Leh by @will.math.for.shows

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2 months ago

Friday, July 24th - part 2 - We had to beat feet to be over Khardung La by 2 pm. At that point it would be open "one way" (one way ish) to traffic from Leh.

Khardung La is 17982 feet making it the second highest paved road in the world.

The entire region is run by BRO or the Border Road Organization. This is not your local Department of Transportation. These are roads maintained for military reasons as Border Road Organization is part of the India Military. I can't think of any comparable road situation in the US?

The major threat to Numbra Valley is Pakistan and there is a Buddha being built to face Pakistan in hopes of peace.

The sun exposure at 17K feet was bonkers. Very glad I brought the 70 SPF.

Audio up!

The warning about staying at the top of the pass is legiitimate.

High altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) and high altitude cerebral edema (HACE) are both possible. These are basically extreme altitude sickness and are related to the very low air pressures at such high altitudes.

The Khardung La is not paved in asphalt. It is paved in vertical concrete blocks. These concrete blocks better transfer latent heat from the Earth and allow the roads to melt faster without plowing or salts. Without question, the UV intensity at 17K also helps to sublime the snow directly into the air.

This is Driver 1. He reminds me so much of a student of mine that I couldn't quite place. David Mendoza, maybe? He was the head of the Leh driver team.

My driver, Driver 2, is in the white shirt on the ground.

He was an absolutely fantastic driver.

He is from Numbra Valley as was the 3rd driver. The 3rd driver was actually able to see his family while we were in Diskit. Unfortunately, our driver's family lives another 75 meters or so up the valley.

The roads around Leh were mountainous and there was a lot of waiting. We loved this drive team because they were calm, positive, and patient.

3 Toyota Innovas rather than 1 sprinter van made so much more sense given the drives we have had in the Himalayas.

Shopping in Leh in my mosque/monastery dress. I got so many compliments on this dress both from pur group and on the street.

When we got back into Leh, we had a free after taken in Leh, Ladakh by @will.math.for.shows

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3 months ago

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3 months ago

Thursday, July 23rd.

“You are not in the mountains. The mountains are in you”.

We got on the road at 9:30 to get over Khardung La and into the Numbra (from udumbra = auspicious flower aka fig tree) Valley. Khardung means lower castle.

[Video 1] We knew the pass was closed but we drove up to wait to be first in line. They opened the pass one way to let folks out of Numbra valley first. There is not much available in Diskit, the village there, and folks had been trapped for 2 days due to rock slides.

Importantly, they were not allowing us up the pass because a local dignitary had to come down the pass first.

[Video 2] I could tell we were going to be waiting a bit so I walked down to the river nearby. There were a few local boys hanging out there.

[Video 3 & 4] By noonish or so, they finally opened the road “one way” in our direction. As you can tell, it was not so one way.

[Image 5] The BRO has these dump trucks that they use to also as buses to shuttle road workers to and from camps.

[Video 6] We went over Khardung La and into the Numbra Valley. The weather was okay in the valley but up high it was cold and rainy and we were running late after the road delays, so we cut the hike.

[Video 7] Instead, we went to the sand dunes. Because of the sand dunes, people have brought camels to the area for camel rides. We clearly need to up our game at the Great Sand Dunes.

[Video 8] There was also traditional Ladakh-y dance showcase there that was quite lovely. Even with the tarps, we were getting drizzled on.

[Image 9; 📷: Geoff] We stayed in platform tents in Diskit which was a nice change from the hotel rooms. It was quite well set up with a separate canvas bathroom.

[Image 10] Here is me and my roommate for the trip Ishrat in front of our tent, Royal 8. Ishrat is both Indian and American. She's an ER doctor in Houston and she's also a fantastic roommate.

[Image 11] Meals were also quite good. I am a huge fan of alu pratha. by @will.math.for.shows

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3 months ago

Tuesday & Wednesday, July 21st & 22nd
When I got to Heathrow to finally fly out, there was still more paperwork to be done. I spend about an hour at the British Airways desk getting expert advice about everything I need to travel to and within India.

Not only that, I am told that my seat has been changed from a window seat to an aisle. At this point, it felt like: "what else could go wrong?"

[Image 1] Imagine my surprise to find that I am upgraded to Business Class on the giant Dreamliner. I have some credits for British Airways from my 2020 South Africa trip but they expired years ago. However it happened, the upgrade felt like a benediction upon this journey.

[Image 2] Pre-flight champagne!

When I land in Dehli, I go through customs. Dehli has a new system where first time visitors with biometric passports (including the US) can scan all of their required fingerprints at open kiosks.

DO THIS!

The immigration officers really appreciate it and it makes the process much quicker. E-visas are not signed but they are the very last set of desks when you walk into the immigration hall. E-visas are quick!!!

My Wild Frontiers contact meets me in Dehli and drives me to Terminal 1.

[Image 3] My flight is supposed to be at 11 am so I am sitting at the gate with many other people. 10:30 am comes. No movement at the gate. 11 am comes. No movement. 11:30 am comes. No movement. Everyone truly is just patiently sitting at the gate, waiting to board. No one is getting up to ask about what is going on. So we wait. At some point, the plane arrives and we board.

[Image 4] Then we wait our turn with the 12 other local flights lined up for take off.

The flight to Leh was neat. In my experience, planes generally get up to 30,000 feet on local flights and we cruise along.

[Image 5]What was crazy about the Himalayas is the mountains come up to meet you. You start at 30,000 feet and the mountains rise up to 20,000 feet. by @will.math.for.shows

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3 months ago