July 20, 2016, 1030 hrs.

Before this trip, I had a vague awareness of the term ‘Cold Desert’ and that was mostly in a geological and geographical sense. Ameen, Kaushal, and Abhinav The Wayfarer talked about it off and on and so I was well aware that Upper Kinnaur and Spiti and Ladakh and parts of Lahaul were all cold deserts.

Today, I have a lot if first-hand information, data and experience of what a cold desert means not just in landscape but also to life and living.

For the time being, here’s what I am seeing now as we drive on through Lahaul.