Mountain Landscapes......

CHOCOLATE MOUNTAINS

 

 

I have seen nature in all its glory – snow-clad peaks, verdant greens on an undulating landscape and even still waters in differing shades of blue. But the sight which left me utterly mesmerized was the hues and colours of a rugged mountain side... It seemed like a portrait painted by a pensive dreamer, an isolated idealist. The monochromes had infinitely more depth than a riot of rich colour. And where was this epiphany? On the high altitude journey from Leh to Kargil one late afternoon in December. I scarcely expected nature to treat me to this marvel. And I realised how great a treat this sight was when I figured after numerous trips that this mesmerising panoply can be enjoyed only during a particular time of day.

At first sight, the landscape throughout the Ladakh region looks quite dull and drab during the winter months. A cluster of mud houses dot a bare mountainous terrain. Skeletal, rake-like trees stand tall to remind one that there will be some greenery around here during the all-too-brief spring and summer. But if you happen to travel on this route in the late afternoon, that is after 3pm, the beauty of the stark barrenness will stand out in all its glory. The bare mountains are transformed into masterpieces of divine splendour in front of your very own eyes!

At a distance of 126 km from Leh lies Lamayuru, enroute to which are mountains that look like the surface of the moon, thus Ladakh is also referred to as “moonland”! You would instantly recall having seen this in numerous film songs in Hindi movies like Dil Se. Our very own Bunty aur Babli shot the hit song Chup Chup Ke right there in that lunar landscape. This time, I saw that purplish-brown tinges dominated the mountainsides, with hints of green, yellow, ochre and rust thrown in. There was also a kind of layering, the effect of which was akin to various flavours of ice-cream. I saw a big patch of purplish-brown below a layer of greenish-brown and tan, for instance. Another set of mountains gave the effect of chocolate-ripple ice-cream, with thinner layers of various shades! Some mountains were striped horizontally while others were layered vertically. I almost felt as if I was in an ice-cream factory!

I found myself guessing what factors contributed to the colour change during the afternoon. Was it the position of the sunlight on the mountains or could it be chemical changes within the mountains themselves that in turn gave the multi-hued effect? Or was it the temperature and humidity levels on that particular cold day? Whatever it was, it sure seemed like a celestially-mandated miracle; I had never before seen these changes on my numerous trips back and forth.

This weird and wonderful backdrop transformed my journey into a dream run. This journey is otherwise no more than a chore for “fauji” spouses like yours truly, especially since we have to travel in our Army Gypsies which turn any road travel into a bone-rattling experience! But that particular afternoon, I couldn’t help but stop the vehicle several times, just to get out and soak in the aura and click some memories. A photograph may speak more than a thousand words but the impression captured in my mind is worth millions!

As I completed my journey, I also gave myself a pat on the back for deciding to travel on that day and that particular time! When I went back again the same way, I kept my fingers crossed that I would see those magical, chocolate ice-cream hues again but to no avail...The mountains kept their colours well hidden. True beauty is indeed ephemeral!