Ibex Trail - Ladakh (Day 7)

Recce.

I write this from my cottage in The Last Resort, our base camp for this epic journey. Got back from our 850-odd kilometre recce around 7 pm, a lot wiser and definitely better acclimatized to this weather. 

At around 9 am, passing by Tso Moriri, on a whim we decided to take a dip in the cold water. The brand manager, associate producer and I took off our pants and jackets by the river bank - in what must have been not more than -5 to -10 degrees Celsius water - and dove headlong into the clear, chilly water. 

We also visited a local nomadic family, where I met 17-year-old Chukmet. He showed us around his settlement, his tent and a party tent where apparently the entire tribe gathers for coffee. The family has a number of sheep from where they get their pashmina wool. Also, Chukmet (like me) dislikes school. 

We watched a bunch of sheep graze in the lush green pastures of the valley as we lazed around in the grass waiting for the tribe chief to come around so we could ask his permission to interview some of the tribe members about their pashmina connection. 

He never showed up, though, so we left.

It was a lovely 8-hour drive back to Leh, marked by an especially remarkable pit stop at the Puga Govt school where one of the local producers' mother is a teacher. Over tea the school chief and we discussed the lives of the Nomadic children and their families, ambitions, aspirations, etc. We're going to go back there next week and speak to the kids and bring along some books and stationery for their school work. 

We stopped at a couple more places for tea, etc before heading straight to the Cafe for work, upon our arrival in Leh. The local producers came by and we discussed the episode themes and shoot schedule in detail before breaking up for the evening. 

Sometimes I feel the producer's job is a genuinely thankless one considering the director and DOP get most of the credit for a good product, and the producer takes the hit only if it's a bad film. I wish I could do something to change that perception, and maybe try and showcase how the producer imbibes each aspect of his job with different layers of creativity - right from choosing a good crew, to setting the initial vibe, to making sure everyone feels well compensated for their work, and the brand feels they got their money's worth. 

So many things need to be taken care of. It's an all-rounder's job because a producer essentially is also a backup everything. I hope this comes through well in the days to come, and I really am able to make this series something I'm genuinely proud to talk about. 

Midway point learnings:

1. Stay calm and composed; there's nothing that cannot be fixed. 

2. Detach. This, too, will pass.

3. Hydrate well and often.

4. Ensure the crew is well fed and feels cared for. 

5. Manage egos smartly.