Gallery

Skindyang, 12,700 ft.

The first village where the LDF thresher was brought. At this time, the village was only accessible by a 4 hour trek on foot from the end of the road.

Khema, 13,600 ft.

The most remote village visited by LDF. Khema is only accessible via a 12 hr drive over an 18,000 ft pass. When LDF first visited in 2007, a 6 hr trek over a 15,000ft pass was necessary after the full day drive. The government has now built a road into Khema, eliminating the 6 hr trek and has allowed several other humanitarian efforts in the village.

Zertang, 12,500ft

THe smallest village (green vegetation below the mountain) where a thresher was taken. There is still no road to this village of one family, above the town of Kalatse.

Discovering Ladakh in 1976

Roads into Ladakh in 1976 were closed from November until June, so in March, Livingston (LDF president) traveled on foot into Ladakh. This time of year Zoji Pass (the only way into Ladakh in 1976) was covered in 5 to 20 feet of snow so it was too dangerous to cross during daylight when avalanches were a constant danger. So he and the Ladakhis he was traveling with started off at midnight on the 15th of March, 1976 under a full moon. Everything looked like silver……

By 9:00 AM the sun had begun to melt the top of the snow and without snowshoes, walking was almost impossible. They made it to the small village of Dras by noon and spent the afternoon warming themselves on the roof of their hosts’ small house.

The next morning, after a meeting with the local military commandant they were given a ride on an army truck into Kargil. This was the final destination for the Ladakhis. At this point Livingston took the bus into Leh, arriving in the pitch dark because the town generator which operated for 2 hours or so each day had shut down.