Words are hard to come by when you are in front of some bewildering landscapes of mountains, deserts, rivers, and lakes in a region like Ladakh, which lies between the Kunlun mountain range in the north and the Greater Himalayas to the south.

My first visit to Ladakh a few years ago left me spellbound to the raw beauty and rugged terrains of the region, it was a photographer’s dream destination. My visit to Ladakh this time was for an expedition to set a record for Stand Up Paddling in higher altitudes. Nevertheless, the expedition provided some amazing opportunities to witness mind-blowing sceneries and an opportunity to capture stunning imagery, although I am not sure if I did full justice to that.

The drive from Manali to Leh and back was quite memorable and turned out pretty epic. The topography changed every 60-70 miles throughout the journey going through 5 highest passes. Once reaching Ladakh, we traveled to other far-out places like Lake Tso-Moriri, nomad lands of Changthang, and Pangong Lake.

Ansel Adams once said, Landscape photography is the supreme test for a photographer and often the supreme disappointment.

If I could elaborate a bit on that quote, I would say Landscape photography is a supreme test because it requires enormous patience, planning, and knowledge and it could be supremely disappointing at times, if you are unable to capture the essence of the subject due to lack of skills, understanding or forethoughts.

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