One fine day when I was busy trying to meet the targets in the office, I got a call from my bestie. Ladakh chale? I wasn’t thinking about a trip at that point of time, but the mention of Ladakh stirred something inside me. Cut to chase, and there I was on a plane, having carefully picked the best seat, taking a deep breath in anticipation of landscapes I had only seen in movies.



The trip began with high hope, and rightly so, the sight from the plane was all about breathtaking mountains. I remember how my bestie and I were so busy taking photographs that we didn’t even waste time chatting or doing anything else. Then landed at Leh airport, and headed to our guest house. Took rest for a day to acclimatize. The next day we roamed around, but not engaging in anything hectic.





Then came the day, when we packed everything and headed toward Pangong Lake . Will come to this later when I start questioning my life choices after reaching one of the most beautiful places that every tourist should visit once in their lifetime.



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The road to Pangong Lake was rough, but smooth mostly. Twisting through varied landscapes was the obvious part of the trip. Every bump and turn took us closer to our destination, and when the moment came that we could see a distant glimpse of the lake shimmering in the sun, all thoughts of tiredness or bump vanished. Its beauty was magnetic, and as we got closer, it seemed to transform before my eyes, every shade of blue more breathtaking than the last. It was love at first sight.








But what lay ahead wasn’t just beautiful, it was the biting truth. Since the lake is surrounded by towering mountains, the winds felt brutal. My eyes watered constantly, every gust made my face sting, and even boiled Maggi noodles, my go-to comfort food, did nothing to warm me. We booked a tent near the lake for the night stay, so one can imagine how cold it could get during the night. I lost count of the number of blankets I wrapped myself in, struggling to move without freezing, yet the beauty outside my tent was impossible to ignore. The sun rising over the lake, casting golden rays across its icy waters, made every bite of discomfort worth it. I would never recommend anyone to visit this place if they can’t handle biting cold, or hate to layer them up with warm clothes.






The next day, I took a walk along the shore, marveling at the stone stacks locals and travelers alike had built. I couldn’t resist adding my own, a tiny tribute to a place so overwhelmingly serene. And as we packed to head back to Leh, my heart ached. Would I ever see a place so untouched, so vivid, face to face again? The lake’s stark, hypnotic beauty reminded me of the iconic scene from
3 Idiots , where Kareena Kapoor runs toward Aamir Khan , except here, the rush of adrenaline came from freezing winds, not cinematic romance.



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Through the bitter cold and relentless wind, I realised just how little I had packed to handle the extremes. I was the idiot of my own story, underestimating nature’s power while overestimating my own endurance. Yet, every ache, every tear in the wind, every shiver was part of the memory, the raw, unforgettable experience of witnessing Pangong Lake. It was harsh. It was my fault. But it was indescribably beautiful.



No photograph, no movie scene, could ever prepare me for the sight of it in real life, and for that, I’ll brave cold roads, freezing nights, and everything in between, just to return.