Ladakh sits above 3,500 meters for most of the trip, and I packed like it was any other trip with slightly cooler nights. That was the first mistake.
What I'd leave behind:
- A second camera body I never touched
- A laptop I used twice
- A daypack too small for the layers altitude actually demands
What I wouldn't travel without again:
- Acetazolamide, started two days before altitude gain rather than after symptoms started
- A proper down layer — "it's July" does not apply above 3,500 meters