The cold and the desolate mountains of Ladakh are a different kind of beautiful. Dipped in shades of brown and grey; they are daunting, harsh and imposing and have been challenging travellers from around the world who come to traverse through its treacherous roads; but at the same time leaving them spell bound with its unapologetic, breathtaking beauty. Last year, its rugged, ethereal landscape saw a different bunch of travellers: the kind who not only take on the challenge to test their strength against the jagged terrain, but also learn to appreciate it. These were climbers; the participants of the Suru Boulder Festival that began in 2016 and is now all set to rock this year in its second edition being held from August 25 till September 10.
With an average elevation of 3000m extending from Kargil to Panzella, the stunning Suru valley is the most fertile region of Ladakh and is fed by the Suru River, a tributary of the Indus. Its lunar landscape has a plethora of boulders to climb and makes for a perfect destination for rock climbing in India and is a first of its kind bouldering arena in India. With so much of unharnessed potential, a collective called Terranava and GraviT boulder café along with similarly oriented entities came forward to put the name of Suru Valley on the map and thus, Suru Boulder Fest came into being. An initiative to explore untouched bouldering destinations in India, it also aims to provide livelihood to the local community, develop the knowledge and culture for outdoor and experiential learning to further the growth of this industry in India and to conserve the ecology as many of the rocks are being smashed to pieces by locals to build homes or to cultivate land.
This year Suru Boulder Fest’s activities will be based around Langkarchey village in the valley. The Fest will entail daily yoga classes, slacklining, exploration and climbing at Suru Valley with a camp site amidst the enticing Himalayas. Perhaps the best part about the Suru Boulder Fest is that it warmly welcomes novice climbers and holds introductory sessions as well, while experienced climbers can have newer adventures of scoping out new crags and routes, as well as bouldering with some of the best climbers from India and other countries.
The cost of participating in the entire festival is 35,000, while the cost per day is 2500, exclusive of the airfare and accommodation in Ladakh. For more details on bookings and package inclusions visit their website.
Suru Valley is yet to be discovered by the outside world and has untapped potential for all forms of adventure and extreme sports. However such festivals should always be in harmony with the nature and the local culture of the place. Suru Boulder Fest claims to give back to the community by helping maintain the natural balance of the entire region with a minimal carbon footprint as well as provide education for locals on self-sustainability.
Make Suru Valley your playground this Boulder Festival, but be a responsible traveller. To get a feel of the festival, watch this video. For more details about the festival, visit here.
If you enjoyed reading this article, we suggest you read:
India In Adventure Sports