To reach the Batalik sector, soldiers cross Fotula, a mountain pass at an altitude of 13,479 feet, or Hambotingla at 13,202 feet. The air is rarefied, making breathing slightly laboured. Troops, many of them from the plains of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, need to stop every 10 steps to recover their breath; even those belonging to Kashmir run out of breath.

When infantry soldiers begin operations to recover a peak, the medical team -- doctor, medical assistant and stretcher-bearers -- will follow.

``Initially the soldiers were ordered to push ahead despite being out of breath. But this led to cases of High-Altitude Pulmonary Oedema (HAPO) andHigh-Altitude Cerebral Oedema (HACO). Now the doctor carries oxygen for soldiers running out of breath. And with most injuries -- bullet and splinter wounds -- the team even carries shell dressing, splints, pain killers and morphine shots so that first-aid can be given on the spot,'' says one doctor in Batalik.

The hospital is still in tents but some equipment has been requisitioned. ``We should be getting an X-ray machine soon. We can handle most cases here, but the serious ones have to be airlifted to Leh,'' says a doctor. This, say officers, will be a great morale-booster; soldiers fight better once they know medical attention will be swift.

Soldiers say that the biggest dampener of spirits is seeing the bodies of their buddies lying in the battlefield. ``We try to pick them up at night whenever possible but we are up against hardened soldiers of the Pakistani army. It is a tough fight but we will win,'' he adds. This area has already seen high casualties; Major M Saravanan and Captain Amol Kalia werekilled trying while to recover Peak 5203. Though the peak is still eluding the soldiers, they have succeeded in occupying the peak opposite, now named Kalia Post.