Some small mountains outside Leh, Ladakh
Phase One IQ4 150MP, 180mm Rodenstock, f11 @ 1/250 second, ISO 50

It's not often David Oliver gets one up on me. Okay, so David would disagree - he is always a few steps ahead. But when we went to Ladakh last year (2024), he managed to see parts of Ladakh that I missed.

Ladakh sits at 3500 metres, so the air is thin and you're in altitude sickness territory. Now, both David and I have been to high altitude locations before and usually I take a couple of pills to help me deal with it. However, on this trip I felt so good, I didn't take my pills. I was bounding up stairs, not feeling breathless. Woohoo! Then in the middle of the second night, it hit me. I thought it was something I'd eaten, but no, it was altitude sickness and while I just felt a little tired, my oxygen level was down. The hotel manager drove me to the hospital for some fresh air! 

So while I was enjoying the inside of a local hospital ward, David (and the others) were driving over snowy alpine passes and visiting amazing alpine lakes - Lake Pangong in particular! As much as it hurts me to acknowledge, David took some really great landscape photos (you can see them in our 2026 brochure), but because he only spent one night there, he says he has lots of unfinished business. And I'd like to start some business of my own!

So, we're returning to Ladakh (and Bhutan) this April 2026 to shoot some of the locations again, plus visit couple of new ones. And I'll take my pills!

I was only indisposed for 24 hours, so I was still taking plenty of photos! This one is just outside Leh, Ladakh's capital. While Bhutan's mountains are covered in lush forests and woods, Ladakh is well above the tree line and has a more stark and dramatic countenance. The air, like Antarctica, is just so clear and, like Bhutan, there are a few temples and dzongs to punctuate the landscape.

If you're interested in coming to Ladakh and Bhutan with David and me (it would be a great Christmas present), check out the details on the Better Photography website: https://www.betterphotography.com/photo-tours/magical-bhutan-ladakh-9-26-april-2026-detail