hello everyone, i was wondering about the climates of the indian himalaya
apparently Ladakh/Zanskar, areas & Lahaul & Spiti valleys stay dry through the monsoon. is this meant literally (as in, no rain at all) or as a comparison to much of himachal pradesh
also, with the dry monsoon, what sort of temperature should i expect; are these areas icy during days, or just at nights, or will there be a summer climate. some centegrade numbers would be lovely! oh & whether theres an icy wind!
thanks for any feedback


hello, im also interested in finding out more about this.....we are travelling to india at the end of august and first half of september...we were wondering the best places to travel during this time? we also heard that ladakh and surrounding area is ok during the monsoon season, but not exactly sure what that means? also what about uttaranchal? is it possible to travel here during monsoon? any recommendations anyone has about where to go august/september in northern india would be appreciated!
thanks!
anji

{quote:title=spymanjones wrote:}{quote}
...dry through the monsoon. is this meant literally (as in, no rain at all)
This was the old truth : high altitude desert ,period. I used to smile at the suggestion of bringing Gore Tex and rain gear to Ladakh. Rains have started to appear now , two or three years ago I was shocked to hear of two days of continous rain in Leh , with some floodings and bridges going.This is still very rare though , you might see some rain and a few clouds, not long periods of overcast sky and steady drizzles. Probably.
{quote:title=spymanjones wrote:}{quote}
, what sort of temperature should i expect; are these areas icy during days, or just at nights, or will there be a summer climate. some centegrade numbers would be lovely! oh & whether theres an icy wind!
That´s a three parter :
1. It´s summer : it´s already nearly 15 degrees . The sun will burn through your eyelids , get the best sun protection you can get : wide brimmed hat or cap with long bill and highest possible SPF cream. A lot of t-shirt weather .. but please think about how you dress before entering temple and monasteries. You´ll rarely or never hear this being commented , but it causes frictions.
- Stretching the point a bit : also... not icy but cold : temperature plummets both at night ( -3 last night) and the moment you step in to the shade.
3.It will feel icy at nights and mornings when you just have arrived : in the first stages of coping with altitude the body will circulate the important parts first , leaving you with cold , white hands, feet. & skin .
Sleeping bag is always nice but in no way essential in Leh , some woolies for the night and a liner a minimum.
Temperature is all about where you are .. vertically . You can have people dodging the sun in Leh at the same time as they are digging vehicles out of the snow n Khardung La a few klicks away ( not in the high summer , but a lot sooner than most would think).
Parts of Lahaul and Spiti are part of a large cold desert that stretches up to Ladakh. As vistet points out above, paradoxical weather is the norm. Day temperatures can go to 20C and can dip to below zero at night. The sun gets awfully hot during the day and there's no shade as the entire region is above the tree line. Yet, in the night, precipitation can cause tents to drip!
A few years ago, some friends and I got caught in a freak snowstorm: unheard of in end-June!