Pangong - Nubra Part 3

The third and last part in which I have sectioned the traversal from Pangong to Leh features the return from Nubra valley to the capital, with the traversal of the Khardung La, often dubbed as the highest motorable pass of the world.
Highest or not, the striking feature is that cycling up from north you find 2200 metres of ascent spread over a rare 60 km length!
Consider, however, that gradients are extremely steady, much unlike on the Chang La. Moreover, you do not find the unpleasant feature which characterizes the south side of Wari La, namely, switchbacks alternating ascents and descents!
The descent on Leh must not be underestimated, since the road has pavement, but this is mainly covered with treacherous gravel and often by sand.
At the end of the track you see us abandoning the main road, because we had to reach our guest-house locate in the vicinity of Sankar gompa. Just for information, in the darkness we could do this only thanks to the GPS.
Touristically, the highlight of this stretch is given by the sand dunes and the camels at the confluence of the Nubra river into the Shyokh river. If you have little time in Sumur, I recommend to choose this visit instead of the temples, also because Samstaling is not exceptional.

Photos: WORK IN PROGRESS!

I report below the description that I gave to my 360° panorama of the Nubra dunes,
http://www.panorama-photo.net/panorama.php?pid=18402

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This picture shows the confluence of the Nubra valley into the Shyokh valley. The place is remarkable because it also hosts an area of sand dunes where it is possibile to spot some of the few authentic camels remaining: I mean, two-hump Bactrian camels, whereas in the vast majority of the world nowadays only dromedaires are to be found. There was no way to include the animals in the 360°, since they were jealous of their privacy while resting in the shadow of some trees. Yes, shadow, because - believe it or not - at times an unexpectedly burning sun gazed out of the restless clouds.
Another remarkable feature of this "Konkordiaplatz" is its location between Himalaya and Karakorum. This is the point where the contrasting realms of Hima-alaya, "the abode of snow", south, and Kara-korum, "the black scree", north, find their ideal meeting place. As the Betracher sees, it is not my intention to tear the veil covering these names, with all their mysteries and all the awe inspired by them. Namely, as you see, my picture actually shows little more than clouds!
The name Nubra is itself magic for people interested in High Asia. Here the merchants coming from the Indian plains took a last rest, and possibly also a bath in the hot sulphur springs of Panamik, before tackling the potentially deadly 5500 m passes of the Karakorum, the only way for them to join the Silk Route between Khotan and Kashgar.
Nowadays these epic undertakings are no longer possible. Namely, civilians cannot go past Panamik, whereas only the numerous Indian army convoys can ride further 100 km to the so-called Siachen Base Camp, located at the beginning of, and named after, the glacier which outside the polar regions is second only to Pamir's Fedcenko.
Indeed, one cannot forget that this Konkordia (...) is located more or less at the border of nuclear powers, namely, India, China and Pakistan. Actually, during your daily going you meet more than one detail reminding this. Photographing camels here, for example, is possible and welcome. Incidentally, also Buddhist people are always glad to be photographed. This remembers me to note that, hidden by the dune with the two seats, on the other side of the valley there is the Diskit gompa with its new 32 m statue of Maitreya Buddha, consecrated by the Dalai Lama in 2010.
But just ten kilometers away, pointing the camera at the highly strategic bridge over the Shyokh river, giving access to the whole of Nubra, could take you straight into jail.