Wild Western Ladakh Traverse Trek | Kanji + Shade Valleys

Ultimate Ladakh & Zanskar | Sky Kingdoms & Jumlam River Route Camping Trek (Dibling, Zangla & Shade River Valleys to Central Zanskar & Surichen La Pass) – Ladakh Himalayan Trekking
Day 1 – Saturday, 3 August 2024 – Meet in Leh
Day 2 – Leh
Day 3 – Leh
Day 4 – Drive Mulbekh
Day 5 – Drive Rangdum | Visit Rangdum Monastery
Day 6 – Trek Kanji La Tokpo Camp
Day 7 – Trek Puzdong La Base Camp
Day 8 – Trek Dibling | Cross Puzdong La 5020m
Day 9 – Dibling | Explore Dibling & Dibling Monastery
Day 10 – Trek Lingshed Sumdo
Day 11 – Trek Lingshed Gongma | Cross Barmi La 4680m
Day 12 – Trek Zingchan | Cross Hanuma La 4710m
Day 13 – Trek Pidmo River Camp & Drive Zangla River Camp | Cross Parfi La 3900m
Day 14 – Trek Zangla River Camp | Padum (Resupply) & Central Zanskar Monasteries Sightseeing (Optional)
Day 15 – Trek Tzasar Sumdo
Day 16 – Trek Pandang La High Camp
Day 17 – Trek Yangdam Chen | Cross Pandang La 5175mm
Day 18 – Trek Mitsik Doksa | Cross Lar La 4690m & Liyu La 4375m
Day 19 – Trek Shade
Day 20 – Trek Yatah
Day 21 – Trek Phuktal & Purne | Cross Phuktal La 4005m
Day 22 – Drive Kargiak & Serchu | Cross Shingo La 4990m
Day 23 – Drive Tso Kar Lake
Day 24 – Drive Tso Moriri Lake
Day 25 – Drive Pangong Lake | via Yaya Tso Lake
Day 26 – Drive Nubra (Sumur)
Day 27 – Nubra | Drive Hundur
Day 28 – Drive Leh | Cross Kardung La
Day 29 – Leh
Day 30 – Drive Yulchung
Day 31 – Drive Zangla
Day 32 – Trek Charchar La Base Camp
Day 33 – Trek Chubchak Camp | Cross Charchar La 5200m
Day 34 – Trek Tomato River Camp
Day 35 – Trek Tilat Sumdo
Day 36 – Trek Poplar River Camp
Day 37 – Trek Rabrang Doksa Camp
Day 38 – Trek Tsokra
Day 39 – Trek Dat
Day 40 – Drive Leh
Day 41 – Leh
Day 42 – Friday, 13 September 2024 – Trip Ends | Transfer Airport

Travel Advice
+ Travel medical insurance is required for the trek.
+ We recommend purchasing trip cancellation and travel insurance!

Kim Bannister Photo Gallery | Trip & Trek Photos
Kim Bannister Photography

Kamzang Journeys Products
Duffel bags, t-shirts, camp towels, buffs, handcrafted leather passport wallets, totes + bags, Himalayan textile pillow covers + more available in Kathmandu!
Kamzang Journeys Products

Kamzang Design Etsy Shop (On-Line)
Many of these handcrafted products designed by Kim and local craftspeople are available in Kathmandu, including much of the tribal silver collection …
Kamzang Design Etsy Shop

Kamzang Journeys Menus
Camp Menus

Client Highlights & Reviews
Travelers’ Comments

India Travel Notes
Our Ladakh and Zanskar treks start and finish in Leh, from where there are daily flights to and from Delhi. If you have successive international flights that are not all part of the same ticket or following domestic flights we suggest planning more cautiously and leaving an extra day in Leh after the trip.

We’re happy to help arrange excursions to Nubra, the nomadic Salt Lake region, Kashmir and Srinagar, or sightseeing in the Indus Valley if you have extra time!

Ultimate Ladakh & Zanskar | Sky Kingdoms Camping Trek (Dibling, Zangla & Shade River Valleys to Central Zanskar) – Ladakh Himalayan Trekking
See ‘Ultimate Trek’ TAB for full trekking route
Day 1 – Saturday, 3 August 2024 – Meet in Leh
Day 2 – Leh
Day 3 – Leh
Day 4 – Drive Mulbekh
Day 5 – Drive Rangdum | Visit Rangdum Monastery
Day 6 – Trek Kanji La Tokpo Camp
Day 7 – Trek Puzdong La Base Camp
Day 8 – Trek Dibling | Cross Puzdong La 5020m
Day 9 – Dibling | Explore Dibling & Dibling Monastery
Day 10 – Trek Lingshed Sumdo
Day 11 – Trek Lingshed Gongma | Cross Barmi La 4680m
Day 12 – Trek Zingchan | Cross Hanuma La 4710m
Day 13 – Trek Pidmo River Camp & Drive Zangla River Camp | Cross Parfi La 3900m
Day 14 – Trek Zangla River Camp | Padum (Resupply) & Central Zanskar Monasteries Sightseeing (Optional)
Day 15 – Trek Tzasar Sumdo
Day 16 – Trek Pandang La High Camp
Day 17 – Trek Yangdam Chen | Cross Pandang La 5175m
Day 18 – Trek Mitsik Doksa | Cross Lar La 4690m & Liyu La 4375m
Day 19 – Trek Shade
Day 20 – Trek Yatah
Day 21 – Trek Phuktal & Purne | Cross Phuktal La 4005m
Day 22 – Drive Kargiak & Serchu | Cross Shingo La 4990m
Day 23 – Drive Leh
Day 24 – Leh
Day 25 – Tuesday, 27 August 2024 – Trip Ends | Transfer Airport

Ultimate Ladakh & Zanskar | Jumlam River Route! – Ladakh Himalayan Trekking
See ‘Ultimate Trek’ TAB for full trekking route
Day 1 – Thursday, 29 August 2024 – Meet in Leh
Day 2 – Leh
Day 3 – Leh
Day 4 – Drive Yulchung
Day 5 – Drive Zangla
Day 6 – Trek Charchar La Base Camp
Day 7 – Trek Chubchak Camp | Cross Charchar La 5200m
Day 8 – Trek Tomato River Camp
Day 9 – Trek Tilat Sumdo
Day 10 – Trek Poplar River Camp
Day 11 – Trek Rabrang Doksa Camp
Day 12 – Trek Tsokra
Day 13 – Trek Dat
Day 14 – Drive Leh
Day 15 – Leh
Day 16 – Friday, 13 September 2024 – Trip Ends | Transfer Airport

Travel Advice
+ Travel medical insurance is required for the trek.
+ We recommend purchasing trip cancellation and travel insurance!

Kim Bannister Photo Gallery | Trip & Trek Photos
Kim Bannister Photography

Kamzang Journeys Products
Duffel bags, t-shirts, camp towels, buffs, handcrafted leather passport wallets, totes + bags, Himalayan textile pillow covers + more available in Kathmandu!
Kamzang Journeys Products

Kamzang Design Etsy Shop (On-Line)
Many of these handcrafted products designed by Kim and local craftspeople are available in Kathmandu, including much of the tribal silver collection …
Kamzang Design Etsy Shop

Kamzang Journeys Menus
Camp Menus

Client Highlights & Reviews
Travelers’ Comments

India Travel Notes
Our Ladakh and Zanskar treks start and finish in Leh, from where there are daily flights to and from Delhi. If you have successive international flights that are not all part of the same ticket or following domestic flights we suggest planning more cautiously and leaving an extra day in Leh after the trip.

We’re happy to help arrange excursions to Nubra, the nomadic Salt Lake region, Kashmir and Srinagar, or sightseeing in the Indus Valley if you have extra time!

Sky Kingdoms & Jumlam River Camping Trek | Ladakh & Zanskar River Valleys & Passes Traverse (Dibling, Zangla & Shade River Valleys to Central Zanskar) – Indian Himalaya Trek
Day 1 – Meet in Leh 3500m
Welcome to Leh, the capital of the predominantly Buddhist Union Territory of Ladakh, tucked away amidst the dramatic mountain of the Indian Himalaya and Indus valley, part of the great Trans Himalayan range. If arriving by air, you will feel the jump in altitude and it will take your body a few days to adjust. If arriving by road from Manali or Srinagar, you will have had some extra acclimatization en route but still need time to adjust to the 3500 meter altitude. Hydrate, stay away from alcohol for a few days, rest, and don’t over-exert yourself! Even walking up to the Leh Bazaar, not to mention climbing the steep steps Shanti Stupa or to Leh Fortress, will leave you breathless for the first few days. We recommend starting Diamox (Acetazolamide) the day before you fly up to Leh. The prophylactic dose is 125mg 2x per day if you don’t have any AMS symptoms, or 250mg 2x per day if you have symptoms such as a headache, vomiting, dizziness, disorientation, loss of coordination, irritability, edema (swelling of the extremities, in this case) not having an appetite or not sleeping at night.

We stay at the family-run Hotel Shaynam, a lovely, simple guest house with a lush garden courtyard, located just below the Main Bazaar in Leh. We offer options to stay at nearby Padma Guest House or Chospa, Omasila in Changspa north of Leh (close to Shanti Stupa) or to upgrade to one of our recommended ‘Great Stays’ (see tab) or another high-end boutique hotel.

Kim will take you on a short tour of old Leh and the Main Bazaar once you’ve settled into your room and had some coffee, tea, breakfast and water. Central Asian Leh is incredibly atmospheric, packed with trendy cafes and restaurants, Muslim tandoori bread ovens, timeless, winding alleyways, Central Asian antique shops, Kashmiri pashmina and carpet shops, Tibetan Buddhist monasteries, historic Muslim mosques, Hindu and Sikh temples, fresh yogurt and paneer shops, colorful fruit and vegetable markets, a polo field (which doubles as an ice rink in the winter), ancient mani walls and white-washed chortens, and the fascinating dried fruit and nut market run by locals and flower-laden Dha Hanu villagers. Don’t miss the Central Asian Museum or the walking tour of the historic buildings of Old Leh run out of Lala Cafe.

Those who want can meet for dinner in the evening, around 7:30. See Kim’s ‘Leh Cafe & Restaurant’ suggestions (Kim will pass on as a PDF. (B)

Days 2 & 3 – Leh | Walking, Cycling, Rafting & Sightseeing Tour Options
We have two more full days in Leh to acclimatize, and do some walking, cycling, exploring, rafting, touring and/or sightseeing and enjoy the peaceful, willow-lined streets and bustling bazaar life of Singge Namgyal’s 17^th century capital of Ladakh. Leh was once an integral part of Western Tibet and a major trading post along the southern Silk Route between Central Asia, Tibet, China, Kashmir and India. There is lots to explore in this wonderful Central Asian town; the newly-restored ruins of the 17th century Leh Palace, the ancient 15th century Leh Fort (the highest point at 3680m) and the attached Namgyal Tsemo Gompa, other historic Tibetan Buddhist gompas, the Sunni and Shi’ite Muslim mosques, narrow back alleys with steaming Muslim bread, tiny antique shops tucked away amidst the many ancient stupas and architectural remnants, the exotic Main Bazaar (c. 1840s) which once accommodated trade caravans, and even a polo field. Today, the Main Bazaar is a colorful street, the sidewalks crammed mornings and afternoons with Ladakhi women selling their fresh fruits and vegetables, and locals at the far end vending their dried nuts, apricots, apples and a colorful variety of vegetables.

Caravans of merchants from far flung destinations such as Yarkand, Tibet, Kashgar and North India passed through Leh during ancient trade missions, trading salt, wool, Pashmina, tea and semi-precious stones, lending to the city its exotic allure. Pilgrims flocked to the monasteries of Leh and the Indus valley, explorers of old stopped in Leh to re-stock and weather out the harsh Himalayan winter and soldiers en route to plunder and conquer desirous destinations passed through Leh, all leaving their mark on this unique capital.

Kim will take you for a walk up bustling Fort Road, lined with shops owned by Kashmiri, Tibetan and Kashmiri shop-keepers, to the crumbling but majestic Leh Fort and the red, Maitreiya Tsemo Gompa, perched high on a craggy and crumbling hilltop overlooking the bazaars of old Leh. You can stop at the 9-story Leh Palace, of a similar architectural design to the Tibetan Potala Palace, on the way down if you have the energy. Visit the museum, a worthwhile endeavor, as well as the nearby gompas/gonpas (Tibetan Buddhist monasteries) – Soma Gompa, Chamba Lakhang and Chensrig Lakhang. Sankar Gompa (17th – 18th c), reached through shady lanes to the east of Changspa, lies in the midst of Chubi’s groves of poplar and willow and is another wonderful morning or afternoon walk. The back route to Leh Fort starts in Chubi and passes through a desert-like Buddhist cremation ground before climbing to the fortress.

Wander along the willow-lines streets of Changspa to reach the many steps leading to the Japanese-built Shanti Stupa for a view over the green fields and white-washed Ladakhi houses of the villages surrounding Leh. (B)

Touring Options Leh | Indus Valley Sightseeing Trips
Endless options for wonderful ‘jeep safaris’ through the fertile Indus Valley to visit a few of the living Tibetan Buddhist gompas, the crumbling ruins of ancient fortresses and palaces and the traditional villages that dot the banks of the region, the ‘cradle of civilization’ of much of the ancient world. Kim can help arrange a jeep and driver for a day or overnight trip to some of Leh and the historic Indus valley’s most scenic and culturally interesting spots.

Indus Valley Monastery & Fortress Tours
Arrange (through Kim, our Tibetan jeep-driver Wang Chuk or the Shaynam Hotel) a ‘jeep safari’ through the fertile Indus Valley to visit a few of the living Tibetan Buddhist gompas, the crumbling ruins of ancient fortresses and palaces and the traditional villages that dot the banks of the region, the ‘cradle of civilization’ of much of the ancient world. Kim can help arrange jeeps and/or a guide for a day’s excursion.

Adventure Cycle Option Leh | Drive Up & Cycle Down Kardung La 5340m (39 km)
One of the Himalaya’s great downhill rides, put your bicycle on a jeep up to the Kardung La along the Ladakh Range, the gateway to the Shyok and Nubra Valleys, and part way to the infamous Siachen Glacier. This epic road was built in 1976, and openned to public vehicles in 1988. Cycle down this switchbacking road, stopping on the way down to slowly cycle through some of Leh’s leafy northern suburbs. From Wikipedia “Khardong La is historically important as it lies on the major caravan route from Leh to Kashgar in Central Asia. About 10,000 horses and camels used to take the route annually, and a small population of Bactrian camels can still be seen at Hunder, in the area north of the pass. During World War II there was an attempt to transfer war material to China through this route.” Note that although all signs proclaim the Kardung La to be 5602 meters (or somewhere in this vicinity), it’s actually nearly 300 meters lower, so actually not at all the highest motorable pass in the world! Times of India Article | Kardung La

Leh Historic Cycle Tour | Shanti Stupa, Gonpa Village, Gonpa Monastery & Leh Fort (20-25 km)
Our favorite short Leh cycle tour starts at Shaynam Hotel, cycling along willow-lined lanes up to the Japanese-built Shanti Stupa for views over the green fields and white-washed Ladakhi houses of the villages surrounding Leh. We continue with a bit of off-road cycling to traditional Gompa village and its monastery at the top of the village, dropping and ascending to cycle along the spectacular, high road to Leh Fort, precariously perched, and the monastery complex above Leh Palace. Last a long descent back to Leh via the old city and the Muslim sections of Leh, an incredibly scenic bike trip.

Indus Valley Eastern Monasteries Cycle (or Jeep) Tour | Spikuk, Stakna, Thiksey & Shey (45-65km)
A beautiful Ladakhi cycling day heading out on a bike tour of the eastern Indus Valley monasteries, beginning with 7½ km out of Leh straight down to Spituk Gompa. We will stop for a visit of this 1000 year old Gelugpa (once Nyingmapa) Tibetan Buddhist monastery, named the ‘exemplary monastery’ by the Great Translator Lotsewa Rinchen Zangpo and presently housing about 1000 monks. Back on the bikes, we cycling past a row of mani stones and chortens along a small willow and popular lined road through the small hamlet of Spituk and cross a small bridge spanning the Indus River. Taking a lovely, rural road with few vehicles, we cycle along the south of the Indus for about 10 km, reaching the equally small intersecting road coming from Tibetan Choglamsar.

We continue to cycle along this small country road, biking past traditional Buddhist villages, Islamic mosques, whitewashed chortens and fields of barley and peas. About 15 km into the ride the impressive sight of Stakna Gompa looms to our left, and we cycle towards the Indus, climbing for a kilometer to reach this impressively set monastery, founded in the 16th century by a Bhutanese lama, and every year Stakna Hosta a monastic festival that still draws a large contingent of monks from Bhutan!

Cruising back down the hill, we cross the Indus again and cycle another 6 km to Thikey Gompa, a bustling monastic institute and a 12-story Gelugpa complex with a renown Maitreya Buddha in the main assembly hall, an ancient library and incredible murals, artifacts and statues. The monastery was built in the 15th century following instructions of Je Tsongkhapa, and has one of the largest monastic schools in Ladakh.

From Thiksey (or Shey) we have options to cycle the last 15 kilometers uphill back to the Shaynam Hotel, or to throw the bikes onto the jeep and drive back with Ang Chuk. From Thiksey to Shey, we cycle west on a flat road along the main highway, paved but with few cars, for 5 km to reach ancient Shey Gompa, one of Ladakh’s old capitals, now in ruins except for the monastery. Cycling further west on the same road, we soon reach the back intersection to Leh, avoiding busy Choglamsar, and climb for about 10 km to the very busy main road. The last 3 or so km are on the main road, crossing through an equally busy intersection at the petrol pump, with the last steep 1 km on our small Old Leh Rd to Shaynam. A big cycling day for our third day at altitude in the Indian Himalaya!

LEH SIGHTSEEING & CYCLING NOTE | Because of the altitude of Leh, you may opt to ONLY do some jeep sightseeing through the Indus Valley, or to wander through Leh’s endlessly fascinating old town or relax and make sure your bike is tuned up. We will discuss options in Leh!

Spitok Gonpa & Stok Palace Cycle (or Jeep) Tour (35+km)
Another great option for cycling tours out of Leh begins with the 7 km downhill to Spitok Gompa, followed by a bucolic cycle across the other side of the Indus, and finally a steep 7 km cycle up to Stok Palace and leafy Stok village. The Ladakah royal family still resides part of the year in this palace, which houses a wonderful prayer room and a very interesting museum, worth a visit (and perhaps an overnight stay). The road continues 2 or 3 km past the palace, ending where the trek to Stok La begins at the top of the valley. Cruise back down the 9-10 km paved road, cross the Indus at Choglamsar, and cycle up the back road to reach Shaynam Hotel.

EAST | Shey, Thikse, Hemis, Chemde (Chemre), Thagthok (Sakti), Stakna + Matho Gompas. Stok Palace has wonderful heritage rooms and chalets for overnight stays, and Sakti has charming homestays.

WEST | Spitok, Phyang, Basgo, Likir, Alchi, Rizdong + Lamayuru Gompas. Alchi is a wonderful village to spend the night, and ditto for Lamayuru, which also has several hotels near this picturesque monastery.

Indus or Zanskar White Water Rafting
Exciting white-water rafting trips on the Indus (less challenging) or Zanskar Rivers, $40 – $45.

Day 4 – Drive Mulbekh 3504m | Cross Namika La 3820m
After breakfast, we board our private vehicles and head for the start of the trek at Mulbeck, a scenic drive through the historical, green Indus Valley. Leaving Leh we drive past ancient Spitok Gompa, spectacularly perched on a craggy hillock above the cultivated fields of Spitok village and later pass the entrance road to Phyang Gompa and village to our right. We continue along a cliff-side road past the intersection of the Indus and Zanskar Rivers, the later the Zanskar villagers’ lifeline during the harsh winters although the road has now made the iconic Chadar (frozen river) trek obsolete. Look out the back windows for a spectacular panorama of the Ladakh range, which extends westward to meet the Karakorum range in the distance. About an hour later, we’ll spot Basgo Gompa and Fortress, a 500 year old World Heritage site, situated spectacularly on a spur above the Indus. Further along the Indus, also on the right, is the link road to Likir Gompa. To the left, we pass the turnoff to the 1000 year old Alchi Gompa, built in the Northern Indian style with wonderful frescos and murals inside the many prayer rooms. Just past Alchi on the right is the link road to Rizdong Gompa; soon afterwards we cross the Indus at Khaltse, and an hour later are rewarded with the awesome sight of Lamayuru Gompa perched magnificently on a hillside far above the Indus. Another hour will bring us to the intersection of the village of Henasku, from where a newly paved road leads through a dramatic, narrow gorge to Kanji. Kanji is a village of approximately 40 families (300 people) in the Kargil region of Ladakh, a wonderfully scenic whitewashed village with an old lha-khang (a small gompa either built by Rinzin Zangpo or 200 years later with wonderful murals inside) as well as a newer gompa. The lively village provides wonderful photographic opportunities in the evening light when the villagers are back from the fields and the kids out of school.

Continuing our drive along the Leh-Kargil-Srinagar Highway, we’ll meet many Muslim villagers as we pass Chortenchan, the larger Chiktan and several other small hamlets. Ascending very gradually, we the intersection of the highway at Kangral, from where we soon reach the Namika La. Descending to Wakha, we continue to historic Mulbekh, known for its massive, stone Maitreya Buddha (Future Buddha) which sits inside the monastery complex, the statue approximately 1400 years old.

Nearby, the staff has set up camp on a grassy, willow-shaded spog. We’ll set you up in your Kamzang tents (everyone with their own yellow 3-person NorthFace style dome tent). Enjoy a cup of spiced Chai as we show you around our ‘Kamzang’ style dining, and you’ll have the rest of the afternoon (or early evening, as it’s a hot part of Ladakh) to explore the ancient Mulbekh Monastery complex. (4-5 hrs drive) (B, L, D)
Distance: 187km (Drive)

Mulbekh Monastery (Gompa) 3505m
“Mulbekh Monastery (Gompa) consists of the 9m tall Maitreya Buddha statue, the 1400 CE kharosti language edicts on the hill, and two 800 years old gompas, Serdung gompa of Drukpa lineage and Rgaldan-se gompa of Gelugpa. Rgaldan-se Gompa, established by Tungba Lzawa who is also known as Agu Tungba, was renovated in 2016. The Nyima Lhakhang temple was built around 800 years ago in the oldest section of the Mulbekh Monastery by the students of the great Tibetan scholar Lotsawa Rinchen Zangpo, and houses Lhakhang, or sacred objects. The double gompas are dramatically situated at the very top of a crag 200m above the road. They were connected with the nearby palace of Raja Kalon of Mulbekh, rreached by a steep footpath winding up from behind.

Mulbekh Chamba
The Chamba is one of the three tallest rock cut relief statue of Buddha in Ladakh, which are collectively also known as the “Bamyan Buddhas of Ladakh”. The famous rock cut Chamba Statue in Mulbekh village, a striking enormous figure carved into the rock face on the right hand side of the road. It is a 9m tall Maitreya Buddha (Buddha who will be reborn, also called the “chamba” in local language) statue overlooking the old trade route and modern highway. It dates to the Kushan period dating to 1^st century BC to 6^th century CE, predating Tibetan Buddhism and now-destroyed 6^th century Buddhas of Bamiyan of Afghanistan. Modern scholars date it as being from around the eighth century. Unfortunately, the lower part of the statue is partly obscured by a small temple built in 1975.

Nearby are some ancient rock inscriptions or edict written in Kharosthi script that issue an edict to the local people to discontinue sacrificing goats. The edit was written by King Bhum Ide (Tsongkapa), who ruled western Ladakh around 1400 CE. His younger brother, Dragspa, ruled the rest of Ladakh. Tsongkapa, called Bhum Ide, was a king and great reformer of Buddhism who lived in Ladakh from 1378 – 1441 CE, and set up monasteries near Leh at Spitok, Sangkar, Phyang and Trigtse. He removed the discrepancies from the current practices, and made the monks switch from Red Hat sect to Yellow Hat sect. One of his successors, King Trashi (1500 -1530 CE), also made it mandatory for Ladakhi families to send at least one or two children to become monk who did not have to be the eldest child.

Every year at least once or twice in each village the heart was torn out of a living goat in front of an altar. King Lde had the following inscription carved: “Oh Lama (Tsongkapa [1378-1441 CE]), take notice of this! The king of faith, Bum lde, having seen the fruits of works in the future life, gives orders to the men of Mulbe to abolish, above all, the living sacrifices, and greets the Lama. The living sacrifices are abolished.” The people of Mulbekh found this too onerous to follow, for beside King Lde’s edict, on the same rock, is an inscription saying the order was too hard to be executed. “For what would the local deity say, if the goat were withheld from him?” – Wikipedia

Day 5 – Drive Kargil, Suru Valley & Rangdum (Zanskar) 4056m | Pass Nun & Kun Peaks & Glacier | Visit Rangdum Gonpa (Monastery)
An incredibly beautiful and exciting drive over the through the partly Muslim Suru Valley to read shady river valley to reach Rangdum Monastery (Gompa) and village, a chance to experience the diversity of the inhabitants of Ladakh and Zanskar en route. Leaving Mulbekh, we drive 35 km, following the Wakka Chu, to the road just before Kargil where we turn left, heading another 140 km through the Suru Valley towards Zanskar!

En route, we’ll pass many Muslim villages, children in scarves and uniforms leaving school for lunch, and then the end of the day, listening to the call to prayer from the many mosques. The largest village we pass through is Sankoo, a bustling road side bazaar chock-a-block with fruit and vegetable stalls and small shops, probably taking a break from the vehicle and stopping to have a wander through the bazaar. Pick up some delicious, yellow mangoes or a cold drink in one of the shops. As we continue to head south through the green Suru Valley, we pass Saliskote and Farona, and meet many school kids, mosques and have the opportunity to see life in the quiet, Muslim villages of the scenic Suru Valley.

Our drive becomes incredibly scenic as we continue south, with Himalayan peaks in the background as we pass more traditional villages, a patchwork of green fields of barley, small vegetable gardens and stone enclosures for the livestock. We pass the large village of Panikar, as we cycle through the mostly Muslim Suru Valley, always strikingly scenic, with lovely villages, people ambling along the roadways with their cows, sheep and goats. We drive right past the 7000m Himalayan ‘twin peaks of Nun (7135m) and Kun (7077m) as we drive, an impressive sight. The road makes a sweeping S turn to the south at Tongul, heads north again and just as it begins to head east we spot the fantastic Nun and Kun glaciers, tongues of snow extending almost to the road. We reach the Buddhist hamlet of Julidok and finally the 450-year-old Rangdum Gompa, set in the middle of a broad, Tibetan plateau with massive black, yellow and white chortens surrounding it.

The staff has set up our campsite somewhere near the historic monastery, and depending on the location, we’ll either visit the monastery en route to camp, or after we’re settled in. (B, L, D)

Rangdum Monastery 4031m
“Rangdum Monastery is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery belonging to the Gelugpa sect, situated on top of a small but steep sugarloaf at the head of the Suru Valley, in Ladakh. According to an inscription the monastery was built by Gelek Yashy Takpa during the reign of King Tsewang Namgyal II (1753-1782) of Ladakh. Although it is physically in the Suru Valley, it is culturally part of Zanskar.

Because the summer’s brevity sometimes interferes with crop harvests, to supplement the locally produced dairy products, both the village and the monastery depend on outside supplies brought up the largely barren Suru Valley, or over the 4400m Pensi La pass from Zanskar. The monastery was electrified using solar energy in June 2017 by Global Himalayan Expedition, along with the nearby village of Shakma Karpo. The first two female engineers of the region trained by Barefoot College and GHE executed the project.

The monastery is home to about 30 monks and almost as many donkeys. To ensure income for the nearby local communities, GHE has set up homestays in the villages, allowing travelers to visit the monastery while experiencing an authentic culture in the homestays.” – Wikipedia
Distance: 160km (Drive)

Day 6 – Trek Kanji La Tokpo Camp
Leaving our campsite at Rangdum, we beini our epic Indian Himalaya trek, a west to east traverse of some of the remote, stunningly beautiful valleys of Ladakh & Zanskar, crossing high peaks and fording sparkling rivers as we trek, without a foreign trekker in sight.

We being our trek with a lovely river walk along the Kanji Nala River, with a vast variety of birds and wildlife, gentle willows lining the trail, and animal tracks such as snow leopard, wolf, fox and bear en route. We have several river crossings on our first trekking day, so have sandals or lightweight sneakers to wear for much of the day. We’ll have our packed lunch somewhere along the trail, on the beautiful riverside, and arrive at camp at Kanji La Tokpo camp, on the other side of the Kanji valley, in the early afternoon, with plenty of time to enjoy our idyllic surroundings and the balmy, summer temperatures. (6 hrs) (B, L, D)
Distance: 12.6km

Day 7 – Trek Puzdong La Base Camp 4550m
After breakfast and French-press coffee, we cross the large river right as we leave our campsite, heading to the right at river level and switchbacking up quite high to intersect the main trail coming from Dibling. We continue to contour, staying high through grassy, rocky hillsides with marmots sticking their heads out of their holes, sunning themselves on rocks and whistling at our approach, the valley decorated with colorful mountain flowers. It’s a 1½ hour hike to the intersection of the route to Dibling (at our old campsite across the river), the ‘sumdo’ of two major river valleys.

We continue along a similar trail and reach a smaller valley where we descend, cross a small stream and then hike back up. The valley is rockier, more undulating, and we soon see our campsite across a wide valley in front of us. But before reaching it, though, we have to descend again to a surging river and try to cross on an old bridge, often washed away. Adventure is never far! One more climb and we’ve reached our lovely campsite atop a relatively flat plateau, a snowcapped valley to our right. (4 hrs) (B, L, D)
Distance: 10.2km

Day 8 – Trek Dibling 3850m | Cross Puzdong La 5020m
Ahead on our wild Ladakh and Zanskar trek comes a sublime, diverse section of the Indian Himalaya. Our remote trekking route is a mix of sparkling river crossings, broad, green plateaus, seasonal herding settlements, dramatic canyons, far-flung, ethnically-Tibetan villages and ancient monasteries guarding these spectacular valleys.

We start the morning switch backing out of camp, hiking past fantastic, narrow canyons with sculpted walls. Trekking along a glacial riverbed, we jump the river for an hour and turn right at the cairn on the high cliff. We continue to climb on the right of the valley, with one last small descent to the stream, followed by an easy ascent on a switch backing trail to reach the Puzdong La, adorned with multi-colored Tibetan prayer flags. We’ll be treated to spectacular vistas from the top of the pass, and one year we saw a herd of ibex standing statuesquely on the nearby cliffs, a scene from the walls of a pre-historic cave dwelling …

After a rest at the scenic pass, we begin a steep descent on a scree-covered trail, switchbacking down into the wonderfully green valley below. Jumping the river at the bottom of the valley, we continue through the willow grove (Dibling Base Camp). We’ll stop for a scenic lunch here by the clear stream before continuing on to Dibling, another 2½ hours of hiking down valley. Soon after lunch we have a small climb to a ridge on the left side of the river. We drop back down to the valley bottom and pass a large seasonal herding settlement (doksa) of the Dibling inhabitants, now with several older Dibling-pa tending the sheep, goats and yaks in their basic houses. We can take a peek inside one of these, perhaps picking up some fresh yogurt from a villager. Inside these dark houses, with beams of sunlight shining through the chinks their only light, locals live as they have for centuries, making cheese and butter, weaving their sheep and goat wool and chanting their Buddhist prayers with their mani beads in their free time. We continue along the small, willow-lined stream, crossing it several times and stopping for spring-water at the source of the spring (which we’ll share with the yaks) as we head towards the intersection of the Oma Chu and the magical village of Dibling.

We pass through Dibling’s extensive, billowing fields of barley and peas, the villagers out in the fields tending to the crops, and look up the valley to Dibling Gompa and the ancient chortens silhouetted against the canyon wall. Dibling, with its white-washed houses, mani walls and prayer wheel, exists timelessly, with dried grass – fodder for the animals and insulation for the houses – lining the roof-tops in preparation for their harsh winters.

Our campsite ten minutes from the village is idyllic, one of our ‘best of’ in Ladakh and Zanskar, and the villagers, who see few Westerners, are very welcoming and genuine. We have the afternoon to wander through the village at harvest time, visit the ancient monastery (gompa) which guards the village from above, and wash in the clear river that runs by our campsite. (6 hrs) (B, L, D)
Distance: 15.8km

Day 9 – Dibling
Enjoy our rest day, and take advantage of the day to explore this wonderful, remote village of 12 houses and approximately 50 inhabitants, happy to have visitors interested in their traditional lifestyle. In actuality, a day is not nearly enough to appreciate this remote outpost of traditional Tibetan Buddhist life. Have a leisurely morning at our grassy campsite, washing in the river, or outside on the grass in a camp chair with and good book. Spend the rest of the day exploring Dibling, having a cup of salt-butter tea with the villagers or wandering up the beautiful canyon beyond Dibling. The villagers will be busy harvesting their barley, peas and hay, and you’ll see them hoisting large bundles of hay to the rooftops to be stored for the sparse wintertime.

This village is cut off from the rest of Ladakh and Zanskar for six months of the year, so it’s essential that they be self-sufficient. At the top of the village is the 100-year-old Dibling Gompa, featuring murals painted with natural pigments. Wildlife and birds abound in this region, so bring your binoculars and sit quietly for a bit. The locals tell us that there are bears in the late summer raiding the fields. The horsemen often use our free days to shoe the horses, a wild and photogenic event. (B, L, D)

Day 10 – Trek Lingshed Sumdo 3680m
Another river crossing day today as we trek up the river valley towards Zanskar, following (and crossing) the sparkling willow-lined, Oma Chu river for the entire day. We’ll share the remote trail with yaks, generally higher up in the valley grazing, descending to drink and cool down in the river. We’ll hope to discover bear tracks and scat along our trail as we’ve done in years past. It’s a lovely day, classic river-side trekking with time to stop and enjoy the visas on rounded beach rocks.

Leaving camp, we’ll stay on the newly-built trail (for the village kids to get to school safely at Lingshed) for the first half hour of the morning, staying on the left of the river. We’ll then have to cross the river 5-7 times in the next half hour or so, often trekking upstream against the current, a nice way to spend a hot Ladakh day! . Approximately two hours after leaving camp we’ll climb to a small cairn on a ridge at the sumdo (river junction) leading to the Marpo La. As we continue, staying above the river, there is a bit of exposed trail. Just after this, back along the river, we’ll reach a green doksa and see many yaks grazing on the nearby hillsides. One last river crossing and we reach our scenic campsite at Lingshed Sumdo, at the junction of the Barmi La route to Lingshed and the river and canyon route directly to Zanskar, another wonderful outdoor bathing spot. (6 hrs) (B, L, D)

TREK NOTE | We may head up the valley a bit further and camp at another lovely campsite towards tomorrow’s pass.
Distance: 12.7km

Day 11 – Lingshed Gongma 4010m | Cross Barmi La 4680m
We have a beautiful hike climbing the narrow, colorful valley towards the pass to look forward to this morning, as we enjoy coffee and breakfast outdoors surrounded by the wonderful scenery.

We spend the morning hiking gently up the valley, heading towards the pass, and finally crest the Barmi La. After a rest on the pass, we contour down the hillsides, hues of reds and greens, and are treated to views over to Lingshed village and Lingshed Monastery (Gompa), backed by dramatic craggy rocks. We traverse and descend steeply down to our scenic campsite in a sheltered, sparkling valley below the Hanama La. There are opportunities to hike up this narrowing valley in the afternoon, and possible blue sheep sightings, or just relax in this lovely spot and enjoy the surroundings. (5 hrs) (B, L, D)

Lingshed Gompa
“Lingshed Monastery (or Gompa) is a Gelugpa Buddhist monastery founded in the 1440s by Changsems Sherabs Zangpo, disciple of Je Tsongkhapa, on a monastic site previously founded by the Translator Rinchen Zangpo. The monastery has belonged to the religious estate of Ngari Rinpoche since 1779. The Jangchub Tensung Dorje Center was founded in Lingshed by Kyabje Dagom Rinpoche in 1994. Lingshed Village has been inhabited for nearly a thousand years, originally reputed to be a local hunting area, which is the source of its name. The village has been the site of several Buddhist monasteries: the remnants of a cave monastery and two walls dedicated to the translator Rinchen Zangpo (958–1055). Local tradition in the region also speaks of Kadampa and Drugpa Kagyu monasteries in the valley.

Lingshed Monastery (or Kumbum, meaning ‘A Hundred Thousand Images’) was founded as a Geluk School Monastery in the 1440s by Changsems Sherabs Zangpo, disciple of the noted Tibetan preceptor Je Tsongkhapa. Local tradition records how Sherabs Zangpo, having founded Karsha and Phugtal Monasteries to the south, travelled over Hanuma-La Pass to the south of Lingshed, from where he saw an ‘auspicious shining light’ shining on a rock on the hillside. He built a chorten around that rock, and this became the basis of Kumbum’s central shrine, Tashi ‘Od Bar (‘Auspicious Shining Light’ shrine).

In 1779, the Ladakhi king Tsewang Namgyal donated the lands of Lingshed and its surrounding villages (along with the Zanskari monasteries and villages of Karsha, Mune, Phuktal and Rangdum) to Lobsang Gelek Yeshe Dragpa, the 3rd incarnate of the Ngari Rinpoche lineage. In 1783, Ngari Rinpoche founded Rangdum Monastery on the boundary of the Karsha Valley as his ecclesiastical seat, to which Lingshed is subordinate. Lingshed Monastery was electrified by Global Himalayan Expedition in August 2016 through setting up of solar microgrids.

The monastery houses about 60 monks and is on the route between Zanskar and Lamayuru. It serves the surrounding villages of Lingshed, Skyumpata, Yulchung, Nyeraks, Dibling and Gongma. The monastery consists of six principal shrines, kitchens, store rooms and – on its uppermost floor – an apartment for Ngari Rinpoche or other visiting high lamas. Below the central temple complex, monastic quarters (shak) fan out in long lines. Lingshed monastery also maintains outlying shrines in each of the villages it serves.It is marked on an early survey map as ‘Linshot’ and is four marches south of Khalatse. There were two sons of La-chen-Bha-gan (c. 1470-1500 CE), the third king of the Second West Tibetan Dynasty. The younger son had the eyes of his elder brother, Lha-chen-Lha-dbaṅ-rnam-rgyal (c. 1500-1532), put out and then he took the throne. “Still, for the continuance of the race, he stationed him, together with his wife at Liṅ-sñed” where his wife bore three sons.” – Wikipedia
Distance: 12.8km

Day 12 – Trek Zingchan 3410m | Cross Hanuma La 4710m
A pass day as we switchback steeply right out of camp for about 2 to 2/1/2 hours to the top of the Hanuma La, a spectacular narrow pass with even more expansive views over to Lingshed and further into northern Ladakh. The trail down isn’t steep, a lovely walk through a mica lined valley past a few small doksas and further on past the southern high camp. We’ll jump the river a few times as the valley narrows and at the high camp veer to the right along a somewhat precipitous trail which leads up to a narrow crest. Fantastic views as we descend steeply from here, switchbacking through a greener and wider valley back down to the Oma Chu at the point where it intersects our smaller stream.

We’ll set up camp in an amphitheater surrounded by peaks, passes and valleys, in the spot where we often lunch if heading the opposite way. There is a small tea house next to the campsite, run from an old man from Hanumil; he told us of the trail, newly re-built, through the canyon to Lingshed Sumdo. The locals all use this trail now to avoid the long, high route over the 4700 meter Hanuma La but horses have a difficult time on the cliff-side trails. Have a swim in the river right next to camp, heaven after a long trekking day! (7 hrs) (B, L, D)
Distance: 14.4km

Day 13 – Trek Hanamur & Pidmo River Camp (3430m) | Cross Parfi La 3900m
Today we enter fabled Zanskar, looking up the steep switchbacks to the Parfi La pass far above our campsite. The switchbacks are well graded, and it will only take us 1 ½ hours to hike to the crest of the Parfi La. The views from the top are fantastic, with the Zanskar River gorge below us and the craggy, dun-colored Zanskar range spreading out in all directions. The descent is equally scenic as we drop steeply to high, contouring ridges, sometimes on slightly exposed trails. It should take us about two hours to reach the plateau above the river where we’ll stop for a break on some flat rocks. Half an hour more of easy hiking down to and along the river, and we’ll have lunch after crossing a (usually) small, intersecting stream, cooling down with our feet in the water. From here it’s less than an hour of hiking along the Zanskar River, with one last climb, to the two-house hamlet of Hanamur (3420m), where cold drinks are available at the local shop, and parachute tents set up to cool down on a hot day.

We might have the opportunity to watch the threshing of the summer’s harvest in Hanamur, an interesting window into a dying way of life, and a good photographic opportunity. Leaving Hanumil and crossing a small bridge just past the two houses, we continue along the banks of the Zanskar River along a trail lined with seabuckthorne bushes and Zanskar roses to the next village, Pidmo, a larger village which sees the winter trekkers who follow the Chaddar Route along the frozen Zanskar River. Pidmo is an interesting, traditional village on the Chadar route, surrounded by extensive barley fields, with a prayer wheel in the center of town. We camp just past Pidmo, in a green campsite amongst seabuckthorne bushes, a lovely riverside campsite which sometimes gets windy in the late afternoons! Enjoy the wonderful sunsets; welcome to Zanskar, the land of white copper! (6 – 7 hrs) (B, L, D)
Distance: 17.5km

Day 14 – Trek Zangla Doksa River Camp 3430m Padum Resupply & Zanskar Valley Exploration Day
A short trekking day today, with the remainder of the day to embark on a jeep tour of the Central Zanskar monasteries, or to explore the historic once Kingdom of Zangla. Kim, Lhakpa and the team will drive to Padum to resupply once we reach camp.

We begin the morning by crossing the Zanskar River via the new Pidmo bridge to reach the plateau on the eastern side of the Zanskar River, staying high until we reach the large, walled Honya Doksa, the seasonal grazing settlement of the Zangla-pa (pa means people in Tibetan and Ladakhi), with several willow trees adding shade and green to the stone-hut grazing settlement.

We have an hour of hiking along the green riverside (or take the paved road above, leading to Zangla) to our lovely riverside campsite, Zangla Doksa River Camp. Doksa means seasonal nomadic settlement in Ladakhi and Tibetan, and the locals from Honya Doksa will pass by in the evenings with their large herds of sheep, goats and donkeys, making for some classic photos of traditional life in Zanskar. The iconic Zangla Fort glows in the afternoon light as we approach, becoming even more dramatic as the sun sinks lower in the skies, and the craggy cliffs in the canyons behind (our route!) are accentuated.

The grass is green and the stream warm, so go for a wash and settle in for the afternoon, enjoy a hike up to explore atmospheric Zangla and Zangla Chomo Gompa (nunnery), or hire a jeep (Kim & Lhakpa can assist) to tour the iconic Central Zanskar monasteries. Sunsets and sunrises are amazing from camp, enjoy this magical setting! (2 hrs) (B, L, D)
Distance: 6.4km

Padum Resupply & Zanskar Valley Exploration Day
Essentially, a rest and exploration day in central Zanskar as we only have a few hours of hiking this morning! Options are to stay camp and relax in this sublime setting, to hike up and explore the wonderful and historic Zanskari village of Zangla, or to get a group together for an incredibly interesting and scenic central Zanskar monastery jeep safari, highly recommended. Kim and Lhakpa will head to Padum to resupply for the second half of the trek.

Zangla Village & Fort Tour
Climbing gradually out of our campsite, hike along the plateau past a weathered rock carved with thousand-year old Mon chortens, soon reaching Zangla Chomo Gompa (nunnery) to the northern side of the village. Follow the village road past the King of Zangla’s house, where our Kamzang Journeys group had tea one summer with the royal residents, including the Queen Mother. The King of Zangla, Gyalthes Nima Norboo Namgial Ldey, of the Sonsten Gampo lineage, is the same age as the Dalai Lama (early 80s). Songsten Gampo was the great 7th century Tibetan king who unified much of Tibet, encouraged the spread of Tibetan Buddhism and was the patron of the creation of the Tibetan script. He had two wives, one Chinese and the other Nepali. The king’s family is also of the Nyimagon lineage, a Tibetan king from the 11th century whose youngest of three sons, Ldey Tsugon, ruled Zanskar, Lahoul and Spiti. The other two sons ruled areas of western Tibet (Guge, Purang) near Mount Kailash.

We sometimes meet the king in the village, and rode into and back from Padum with him in 2015. The King’s house now has a new horse stable in frong, and the new house right next to the somewhat dilapidated royal residence is the house of the village carpenter.

The piece de resistance of Zangla, however, is its fortress, presently being restored by an organization called ‘Cosmos Room’. The ruins of the 900 year-old Zangla Fort, the old dzong (palace fortress) of the ancient Kings of Zangla, are a breathtaking site, built precariously on top of a ledge of rock at the intersection of the Zanskar River and the small river leading out to the Jumlam, or middle route. This route was an autumn trading route to avoid the high passes of Ladakh, and must have been open to invasions, thus the fort and series of lookout towers down the Jumlam valley. The dzong houses a wonderful prayer room, which we happened upon a few years ago. In 2005, over two straight weeks of continuous rain and wind literally ‘melted’ the dzong, and it is now quite as safe as it was previously. The famous Hungarian scholar Alexander Csoma de Koros spent a winter in the 19th century studying Tibetan in order to make a dictionary in a room in the fort, now commemorated as his room. The fort is guarded over by a giant, new stupa built in 2009, while more ancient chortens with tsatsas in the niches line the trail as we descend back to the village and eventually to camp.

Zangla Valley Monastery Jeep Tour | Sani, Karsha & Pipiting Gompas
Get a group together to hire a jeep to visit the fascinating, old gompas of Zanskar from Padum (3585m). You will have time to visit the 1000 year old Sani Gompa on the Stod River, the route out to Rangdum and the Suru Valley. Sani is a Drukpa Kargyu gompa with several resident nuns living in the monastery. The monastery is renown for its unique Kanika Chorten, presumed to date back to the time of the famous Kushan emperor, Kanishka (Kanika is the English transliteration of the emperor’s name) who lived around 127 CE. Kanishka is well known in Buddhist literature as the promoter of Buddhism in this region, sponsoring a significant Buddhist conference in Kashmir.

From Wikipedia: “Padmasambhava, or Guru Rinpoche, is said to have dwelt for five years in the small ‘Gamshot Lhakang’ squeezed between the main building and the corridor, to the right of the Kanika chorten. Inside may be seen a figure of Guru Rinpoche and historical scenes in half relief on both sides of the statue. Apparently, one can just see the white opening to a cave in a cliff across the river from the monastery where Padmasambhava is also said to have meditated for several years and it is still used as a meditation cell. The monastery is also claimed to be connected with the famous Indian Yogi Naropa (956-1041 CE). There is now small room next to the Kanika chorten where it is thought that Naropa meditated in which there is a veiled bronze statue of the yogi. A group of Kargyu nuns established a small retreat centre at ‘Starkhugnza’ in the 1990s. It is a site above Sani which was founded by Ngawang Tsering (1657-1732), a famous Zanskar meditator. All of the nunneries in Zanskar are under the spiritual authority of the monks and few have much in the way of endowments.”

From Sani, take the back roads to the Gelugpa Karsha Gompa, the largest, most important, and possibly the most scenic monastery in Zanskar, built high up into the cliffs above the village of Karsha. The monastery is said to be founded by Guru Rimpoche, or Padmasambhava, and is under the control of the Ngari Rimpoche. A fire recently burned down the kitchen, but a new, larger kitchen was rebuilt. The inside of the main assembly hall is purely Tibetan Buddhist, with ancient murals on the walls, priceless statues and the usual Buddhist offerings.

To return, you will pass back through Padum where you can do some email or pick up supplies at the many shops. Padum is a very Central Asian feeling village, a transit point for goods coming and going from Leh to Kargil, with a large Muslim population. There are some thousand year old pre-Tibetan Buddhist Buddha carvings just below Padum, the Gyalba Rigsinga, worth a look if you’re stopping in town. And pick up a plate of momos on the main drag! En route back to Stongde, make a quick stop at Pipiting Gompa on a small hill just past Padum.

Sani Gompa 3670m
The 1000-year-old Sani Gompa sits just off the Stod River, along the route to Rangdum and the Suru Valley. Sani is a Drukpa Kargyu gompa with several resident nuns living in the monastery. The monastery is renowned for its unique Kanika Chorten, presumed to date back to the time of the famous Kushan emperor, Kanishka (Kanika is the English transliteration of the emperor’s name) who lived around 127 CE. Kanishka is well known in Buddhist literature as the promoter of Buddhism in this region, sponsoring a significant Buddhist conference in Kashmir.

“Padmasambhava, or Guru Rinpoche, is said to have dwelt for five years in the small ‘Gamshot Lhakang’ squeezed between the main building and the corridor, to the right of the Kanika chorten. Inside may be seen a figure of Guru Rinpoche and historical scenes in half relief on both sides of the statue. Apparently, one can just see the white opening to a cave in a cliff across the river from the monastery where Padmasambhava is also said to have meditated for several years and it is still used as a meditation cell. The monastery is also claimed to be connected with the famous Indian Yogi Naropa (956-1041 CE). There is now small room next to the Kanika chorten where it is thought that Naropa meditated in which there is a veiled bronze statue of the yogi. A group of Kargyu nuns established a small retreat centre at ‘Starkhugnza’ in the 1990s. It is a site above Sani which was founded by Ngawang Tsering (1657-1732), a famous Zanskar meditator. All of the nunneries in Zanskar are under the spiritual authority of the monks and few have much in the way of endowments.” – Wikipedia

Stongde Gompa Tour
Hike steeply up the traverse (or drive up the road) a half hour’s climb to the Stongde Gompa (3815m). Stongde Gompa, one of the oldest in Zanskar, was built in 1052 by Naropa’s disciple, the famous translator Lama Marpa, and taken over by the Gelugpa in the 15th century, with Je Tsongkhapa as its present head. Stongde is the second largest monastery in Zanskar, with approximately 60 monks and many students, renown for its Gustor Festival during the summer.

After the climb to the gompa, climb to the monastery roof for wonderful views of the patchwork of Stongde village and the Zanskar valley. It’s one of the most lively and colorful monasteries, perched precariously up on a craggy rock ledge, and surrounded by lovely birch woods. We has many friends there, including Geshe Lobsang who lectures and travels around the world, and founded the monastic school. Geshe Stenzin and his brother, are also good friends; they might invite us for tea and give us a tour of the gompa, including its room of treasures in back of the oldest ‘lhakhang’, or prayer hall. We might be able to catch the evening puja in the butter-lamp lit prayer room, a surreal experience with resonating, deep chanting, cymbals, Tibetan drums, a step back hundreds of years …

Mons
“Mons of the Khesa race were dominant in the past in the region of western Himalayas. The Mons have been Buddhist in the region from the time of the Kushan dynasty, established by Emperor Kanishka. Mons, the dominant population in the Zanskar valley, and are said to belong to an Aryan race linked to Kaniskha’s period as their features do not match those of the local tribes or the Mongolians. Mons are credited with building 30 monasteries, chortens and temples, including Karsha Monastery in the main Zanskar valley; some of the other monasteries they built are: Teta, Muni, Phuktal, Pune, Bardol, Togrimo, Padum, Pipting, Tondhe, Zangla, Linshot and Sumda. Gelugpa monastery is another important monastery in Khursha village, which has an excellent display of mural arts.” – Wikipedia

Day 15 – Trek Tzazar Doksa (Zangla Sumdo) Camp 3825m
We start our wild, 5-day Himalayan trekking route (many of them sandal and trekking pole days, including today) through the colorful gorges and canyons from Zanskar and Zangla to the remote Shun Shade valley, beginning with a section of the Jumlam, or ‘middle route’. The Jumlam is an old Silk Route trail leading into Zanskar, a Ladakh Zanskar trek used when the rivers were low enough to trek along the riverbeds.

Leaving our Zangla campsite, we trek 45-minutes up to the Zangla Ani Gompa (nunnery), continue along the road past once-impressive King of Zangla’s house (with an enclosed stable in front) and then ascend for another half hour to the impressive Zangla Fort, home to the kings of Zangla of yore. The present King of Zangla is the same age as, and a friend of, HH the Dalai Lama; we gave him a ride home several years ago from Padum. Just afterwards we pass the protector deity’s small lhakhang (god’s house) on the right of the trail followed by ancient lookout towers on both sides of the valley, now crumbling and in ruins, attesting to the importance of the Jumlam trade route centuries ago.

We walk along the irrigation ditch for a bit while descending and soon reach the green doksa of the Zangla people. From here we head left, or east, along the Zumlung Chu (river), crossing many times in the willow-shaded valley full of ancient beds of fossilized oysters. It should take us about five hours of hilly walking, with many river crossings, to reach our campsite, just past the turnoff (to the right) leading to the main Jumlam route and the Charchar La. Our camp at Tzazar Doksa is lovely and warm, surrounded by willows, but loses the sun early. After a wash in the stream right in front of us, take a 5 minute walk through seabuckthorne bushes to the doksa, and possibly a walk to the hill above camp for later afternoon sun. There are blue sheep and ibex in this valley, as well as (potentially) bears. (6 hrs) (B, L, D)
Distance: 11.5km

Day 16 – Trek Pandang La High Camp 4450m
We follow the shimmering Zumlung Chu on today’s Zanskar trek, with plenty of ‘Himalayan flat’ throughout the day. The first two hours of hiking are easy, crossing the river many times in a magical valley which opens up as we head north. Note the amazing canyon on our left and the dramatic, soaring canyons in general as we hike today. The valley is full of ‘dinosaur plants’, willows and oyster beds, a rocky, narrow valley of large scree trails. At the second sumdo, or river junction, at 3950 meters the trail narrows and we trek through a batch of seabuckthorne bushes, probably without the tart, orange berries just yet. Our trail undulates as we negotiate the tricky valley floor, often climbing and descending to avoid sheer rocks dropping to the river or thick groves of underbrush. This route is known by villagers from Tsazar just south of Zangla, who use the valley as their summer pastures. Villagers from Shade also sometimes know this remote region …

Finally, we make a sharp right, cross the stream and ascend steeply for a bit on a trail of loose scree and rocks, which eventually flattens out. Flowers and oasis of trees appear in the stark landscape, softening it, and our trail becomes more gradual. If we turned directly left through a grove of willows to our right we would discover our hidden Bazza Camp (4250m), a green pasture by a clear stream named after our friend Bazza who celebrated his birthday here in during our exploratory trek in this region.

From here we have one last steep ascent through green pastures, passing several doksas, staying on the steep ravine which drops down below us to our right. Blue sheep roam the hillsides, so keep your eyes open as you walk through the green plateaus ahead. After about 45 minutes we reach our green Pangang La High Camp, with a very cold spring and incredible views including tomorrow’s Pandang La. We have encountered a herd of semi-wild and Zanskari horses at this dramatic high camp, possessive of their grazing area and quite aggressive towards our horses. (5 hrs, EDIT km) (B, L, D)
Distance: 9.21km

Day 17 – Trek Yangdam Chen 4430m | Cross Pandang La 5175m
Another pass day today, starting with yet another steep ascent through meadows colored with pink and red bistort, the views increasingly spectacular as we look back to the craggy peaks of Zanskar behind us. We’ll trek for about 2 ½ hours to crest the Pandang La, where we’ll stop and admire the panorama of Himalayan peaks from this remote pass. The trail to our right at the pass as we look ahead towards Shade leads, eventually, to Tsazar. A route to explore another year …

The descent begins with an easy 20 minute of contouring to the left, followed by a steeper descent down into the Niri Chu valley. We’ll stop for lunch at the first green plateau about 45 minutes below the pass, or possibly at camp. From here, it’s a half an hour to the green doksa near the river where the staff have set up a beautiful camp for the night. There is lots to explore if you have the energy for some hiking above camp, across the river. Blue sheep roam the hillsides, and there is also lots of bird life including hoopoes along the riverside amongst the collection of doksas. (5 hrs, km) (B, L, D)
Distance: 8.05km

Day 18 – Trek Mitsik Doksa 4285m | Cross Liyu La 4375m & Lar La 4690m
An adventurous and beautiful river day, with an incredible array of wildlife watching from the craggy hillsides judging from the prints we encounter. Bear, wolf, snow leopard, blue sheep, red fox are amongst the tracks that we generally encounter, an exciting route! Leaving camp, we cross our river almost immediately and continue along the right banks of the river for half an hour on a relatively flat trail. At the sumdo of this river and the Niri Chu we pass by a large river valley to the left that leads to the nomadic region of Kharnak. We have to cross Niri Chu, and then continue to cross and re-cross this river throughout the morning, staying mostly at river level. Wear sandals or running shoes and have your trekking poles with you! (It’s possible to take a high trail on the right of the Niri Chu to avoid crossing it in the morning, but this trail is often exposed or washed away). The valley is a dramatic combination of soaring cliff-walls, canyons and green river valleys, lovely.

After about three hours of river hiking we cross the small, intersecting stream coming from our left and climb for a short time to a grassy plateau, the Niri Chun camp from our exploratory trek, our river crossings finished. We soon reach Shade Pullu, another doksa, and then have 45 min – 1 hour of slightly exposed, high trails to reach the ridge-top Liyu La, a dramatic vantage point from where we look out to our next pass, the Lar La. 15 minutes of descent brings us to the Niri Doksa valley, from where we begin to climb again up this steep grazing ridge; we will stop for lunch about half way up the steep, switch-backing trail. The pass generally takes about 1 ½ hours to climb, the craggy rock outcropping at the top a welcome sight! The views from this pass are some of the most dramatic in the valley, worth a half hour of gazing back over the remote river valleys that we trekked through, and onwards towards Shade.

Our descent is another steep one as the valley drops right down to a green doksa called Mitsik Doksa, where the staff have set up camp at yet another mindboggling beautiful camp right on the pebbly riverside. Mitsik Doksa is a wide flood plain along the river, absolutely wonderful, sometimes visited by locals from Shade on their way to or from a doksa. Take the afternoon to do some laundry and explore down the river valley towards Niri Chu, which snakes through deep canyons below us. We’re right below tomorrow’s pass, the Rotang La, so we will arrive at Shade early enough to explore this wonderful remote village. (8 hrs, km) (B, L, D)
Distance: 11.7km

Day 19 – Trek Shade 4270m | Cross Rotang La 4890m
It’s about a three hours climb to the 4890 meter Rotang La from camp, hiking somewhat steeply past Rotang Doksa (4470m) where we might find some fresh sheep-milk yogurt if the villagers have camped here. From the doksa the trail switchbacks a bit more gradually to the Rotang La. The descending valley on the Shade side is colorful in shades of yellows, oranges and reds, and it’s a lovely and easy descent of about an hour to Shade, with one small ridge between. We’ve seen snow leopard prints in this valley as well, as you would expect near a remote village of herders. Just before the village we pass an extensive collection of white-washed chortens, signs of Shade’s importance along the ancient salt trade routes …

Our campsite is just before Shade, on the only flat area next to a stream, a spot perfectly situated for washing, and for sunrise and sunset photos of Shade village and its patchwork of fields. The villagers and village kids will be by in the afternoon, and at sunset the large flocks of sheep and goats are herded into the closed paddocks for milking, the herders carrying essential loads of dried grass on their backs.

Shade, not often visited by Westerners, is one of the most interesting villages we’ll encounter on our trek, so we will head out to explore after lunch. The village is a cluster of 14 traditional, closely packed Zanskari mud-brick houses, with corrals for the goats and sheep, grass drying on the rooftops, small vegetable gardens and an idyllic atmosphere. There are approximately 95 inhabitants, of whom three of the men are in the Indian Army, bringing a bit of extra wealth to the village. There are also five lamas/monks and one ‘chomo’, or nun, residing in the village, and our friend the amchi (also the headman), with his wife and five children, impressive for a remote village of this size. We’ll visit some of the local houses for a glass of tea, chang (Tibetan barley beer), yogurt from the nearby doksa or some churpi (dried cheese).

Shade is surrounded by extensive fields of barley (ne), potatoes (aloo), sag (shema) and snap peas and they also have greenhouses in which they grow radish (labo), cilantro, cabbage, cauliflower and carrots. There is a small school here which is desperately in need of supplies, so this is a good place to off-load school supplies. Some of the locals stay up in the doksas north of our campsite, sometimes returning every few days and other times staying longer. The villagers rotate grazing their flocks and protecting them from the many wolves and snow leopards in the area! Local words for some of the wildlife we might encounter: snow leopard (shen), ibex (hin), blue sheep (nabo) and wolf (shanku). (4½ hrs, km) (B, L, D)
Distance: 7.03km

Day 20 – Trek Yatah 3995m
Another amazing trekking day ahead as we head to Yatah, our next remote campsite half way to Phuktal Gompa in Central Zanskar. Leaving the Shangri-La of Shade via a trail directly below the village, we pass through the entrance chorten and descend past the harvesting villagers for about 45 minutes to where the river plummets through a narrow gorge and the canyon closes in on us. At the intersection of the Niri Chu (river) we reach the village ‘lhatoo’ (4100 m), a kata-covered monument dedicated to Shade’s protector deity called Cho Gyumjang, a female goddess. Her peak is just to the left if you’re looking up the narrow canyon towards Shade, and locals invite the monks from Phuktal Gompa to have a yearly puja for her (which we’ve been lucky to witness).

Turning left at the lhatoo, with the Niri Chu again far below us, we have about ten minutes of slightly exposed trail as we head towards Trantrog Gompa (4020m). Soon the valley opens, the turquoise river takes wide S turns and our canyons become dramatic hoodoos over the riverbed. We can see the tiny hamlet of Trantog ahead, with its small gompa said to be either 30-40 or 750 years old. Perhaps there was an ancient meditation cave at the site of this gompa, which the caretaker told us was built by a lama from Phuktal. The interesting woman who holds the key might be around to show us the village treasures. There are apparently only three people living in the village and about as many houses. Still, it’s certainly a scenic spot built up on a craggy hill overlooking this idyllic valley.

From Trantog we descend to the willow-lined Niri Chu which we cross (bring your sandals), afterwards climbing on an exposed trail to a contouring trail high above the valley. Soon we reach ‘Trantog Sumdo’ (3960m) leading to the Shun Shade valley. We contour on a wide trail above the Nialo Kontse Chu, which the river has become after the last intersection, for another 1 1/2 hours. We pass a new and an old bridge across the river, the old one an original rope bridge. Three ridges later we’ve reached Tsarap Sumdo (3920m), after which the trail becomes a bit more exposed. One steep drop, slightly exposed, a similar climb back up to the trail and it’s half an hour to camp at the high grazing pastures of Yatah. Yatah is about 150 meters above the trail to the right, an unexpected site after our narrow, steep-sided canyon, and it will take another half an hour to reach it. (6 hrs, km) (B, L, D)
Distance: 14km

Day 21 – Trek Phuktal Gompa & Purne 3830m | Cross Phuktal La 4005m
Another wonderful Zanskari trekking day, starting with a climb of 100 meters above camp to drop back down to the main trail. From the flags at the top of the ridge, we descend back down to meet the main trail at the point where a new, cantilevered bridge is being built. On the other side of this small gully we contour on a good trail high above the Tsarap Chu and past several small doksa. It’s a hot trail as the high altitude sun reflects off the mica-filled sandy hills around us, so dress accordingly. There is a long, dusty and hot climb to reach the Phuktal La, from where we’re treated to a tremendous view over the spectacular Phuktal Gompa and the green, checkered valley. We’ll stop for lunch here, at the massive, white-washed chorten, followed by a very short descent to the iconic Buddhist monastery.

Phuktal Gompa (3900m), which translates as ‘the cave of leisure or liberation’, is spectacularly built into a cliff-side, one of the most colorful gompas in Zanskar as well as one of the oldest Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in the Indian Himalaya (15th century, although information inside the monastery claims that it’s nearly 1000 years old). Phuktal Gompa has a school attached, and the young, lively monks are always keen to practice their English or to have a photo taken. The gompa itself is a real Central Asian treasure with ancient prayer rooms, an old library, a fountain with magical waters in the original cave, a Tibetan medicine center, a wonderful kitchen and many old friends. Singge, the young Zanskari boy that we sponsored for school at the Himalayan Buddhist School in Manali (and our first Kamzang Kid), stayed a few years at this Phuktal before being ‘evicted’ for bad behavior. Alexander Csoma de Kőrös also spent time translating in this monastery (see below).

Phuktal Gonpa
Phuktal Gonpa, which translates as ‘the cave of leisure or liberation’, is spectacularly built into a cliff-side, one of the most colorful gonpas in Zanskar as well as one of the oldest Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in the Indian Himalaya (15th century, although information inside the monastery claims that it’s nearly 1000 years old). Phuktal Gompa has a school attached, and the young, lively monks are always keen to practice their English or to have a photo taken. The gompa itself is a real Central Asian treasure with ancient prayer rooms, an old library, a fountain with magical waters in the original cave, a Tibetan medicine center, a wonderful kitchen and many old friends. Singge, the young Zanskari boy that we sponsored for school at the Himalayan Buddhist School in Manali (and our first Kamzang Kid), stayed a few years at this Phuktal before being ‘evicted’ for bad behavior. Alexander Csoma de Kőrös also spent time translating in this monastery (see below).

“Phuktal Monastery is built around a natural cave, which is believed to have been visited by numerous sages, scholars, translators, and monks around 2250 years ago. The remote location of the monastery was ideal for monks looking for peace and solitude to meditate. The present Phuktal Gompa, of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, was established in the early 15th century by Jangsem Sherap Zangpo, a disciple of Je Tsongkhapa. Tsongkhapa was the founder of Gelug, which is one of the newest schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Believed to be one of the earliest residents of the cave are the 16 Arhats, or the legendary followers of Buddha. The images of these 16 Arhats appear on the cave walls.

The great scholars and translators Padmasambhava and Phakspa Nestan Dusdan are believed to have lived in the cave, and so is the great leader and translator Lama Marpa Lotsawa. In the 12th century, the Tibetan translator Zanskar Lotsawa Phagpa Sherab also lived and worked from Phuktal. The eminent scholars and brothers Dangsong, Pun, and Sum, who were believed to have the supernatural power of flight gave teachings on Dharma at Phuktal. When Jangsem Sherap Zangpo arrived at Phuktal, the three brothers bequeathed the holy site to him and departed. According to legend, the spiritually gifted Zangpo caused a spring to appear and run from the cave, a tree to grow on top of the cave and for the cave itself to grow larger in size. Then, under his guidance, the present structure of the monastery was built around the cave. It is built in the cliffside, like a honeycomb. The cliff is part of a lateral gorge of a major tributary of the Lungnak River (Lingti-Tsarap River). The monastery today houses a main temple, prayer rooms, a library with rare sacred texts, apartments and living quarters, teaching facilities, a kitchen, and of course, the original cave and the sacred spring, which is protected. It is home to about 70 monks.

There is a stone tablet which serves as a reminder of the stay of Alexander Csoma de Kőrös at Phuktal, while he worked on the first English-Tibetan dictionary between 1826 and 1827, when he explored Ladakh.” – Wikipedia

There is a stone tablet which serves as a reminder of the stay of Alexander Csoma de Kőrös at Phuktal, while he worked on the first English-Tibetan dictionary between 1826 and 1827, when he explored Ladakh.” – Wikipedia
After exploring the gompa and meeting the many young novice monks, we descend to the Tsarap Chu, crossing this massive river on a long, wooden bridge, from where we have almost two hours of undulating trail to camp. (After the floods of several years ago we’ve had to cross on a locally-constructed vine bridge, and that year our horses had to swim the huge, fast-flowing river, quite exciting!). It’s a beautiful hike along the left banks of Tsarap Chu on a precipitous but recently improved and undulating canyon trail, with road building in progress closer to Purne.

Purne, on the main Zanskar trail, is at confluence of the Tsarap Chu and the Kargiak Chu, and there are sure to be other trekkers staying at this hub. Camp is warm, a beautiful spot to relax, so take advantage of the free time to do some laundry and have a cold beer from the local shop-teahouse, run by a some lovely sisters. Their aunt Dolma is the local amchi, also a good friend of ours from years ago. Both our campsite and lodge, and Dolma’s, have bucket showers on offer. (7 hrs, km) (B, L, D)
Distance: 16.8km

Day 22 – Drive Kargiak & Sarchu 4200m | Cross Shingo La 4991m
Today is an epic driving day, a beautiful day fo driving through the traditional villages of lower Zanskar, crossing the nearly 5000 meter, glaciated Shingo La pass, and then continuing back up to Sarchu on the Leh-Manali highway. We have the option of hiking the first section (see description) or driving directly on the opposite side of the Kargiak Chu (river).

HIKING OPTION | Leaving our camp at Purne, we descend back down to the small bridge and then hike back up to the main Zanskar trail following the Kargiak Chu. We pass the small village of Yal, where fodder and kindling dry on the rooftops, in half an hour, and then continue on our high trail overlooking the Kargyak Chu for another hour until we reach the labyrinthine village of Testa, an oasis of green fields and traditional Zanskari houses. Next comes the colorful Kuru with its many threshing circles and white-washed mani walls, from where we’ll start the drive past past Kuru’s long chain of mani walls. We cross the Kargiak Chu on a large bridge, continuing to Tangze, with its many-hued patchwork of fields. We’ll stop at the small the small teahouse, owned by our friend Sonam Dorje and his daughter. Above us to the right of the trail is Tangze Gompa, one of the oldest in Zanskar, backed by jagged, dun-colored peaks.

We continue the drive to Kargiak, the first southern village in Zanskar. Singge comes from this village, and we’ll hope to meet his blind mother who used to move to the doksas to take care of the animals in the summertime, a two to three hour walk each way. The green oasis of Kargiak has a solar-powered school build and sponsored by a Czechoslovakian INGO, an old village gompa up top, large, tri-colored chortens to the south of the village and several sprawling multi-family houses forming the center of this scenic village. Following the Kargiak Chu, with the Gompa Rangjung monolith looming spectacularly in front, we ascend the switchbacks and cross the Shingo La pass, reaching the region of Lahaul in Himachal Pradesh!

We have another few hours of driving to reach Serchu, where our staff have set up our last campsite of the trek. Serchu is situated between Baralacha La Pass and Lachulung La Pass. Sarchu on the border of Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh. We’ll have a party to celebrate our last day of our trek through the Indian Himalaya, and hand out tips to the boys. Ang Chuk, Tashi and our other drivers will arrive with beers from Leh … (B, L, D)
Distance: 165km (Drive)

Day 23 – Drive Tso Kar Lake
Distance: 140km

Day 24 – Drive Tso Moriri Lake
Distance: 81km

Day 25 – Drive Pangong | via Yaya Tso Lake
Distance: 158km

Day 26 – Drive Nubra (Sumur)
Distance: 182km

Day 27 – Nubra | Drive Hundur
Distance: 60km

Day 28 – Drive Leh | Cross Kardung La
Distance: 127km

Day 29 – Leh
A free day in Leh to relax, get a hot shower and re-energize for the Jumlam section of our trek! (B)

Day 30 – Drive Photoksar & Yulchung 3910m or Nyeraks 3860m | Cross Sirsir La 4825m, Bumiktse La 4400m & Singge La 4970m
After breakfast we jump into our jeeps and head for the start of our Ladakh trek at Yulchung, a long drive through the historic Indus Valley and into Ladakh. Leaving Leh we drive past the ancient Spitok Gompa, spectacularly perched on a craggy hillock above the cultivated fields of Spitok village and Phyang Gompa and village to the right. We continue along a cliff-side road past the intersection of the Indus River with the Zanskar River, the Zanskar villagers’ lifeline during the harsh winters. Look out the back windows for a spectacular panorama of the Ladakh range, which extends westward to meet the Karakorum range in the distance. About an hour later, we’ll spot Basgo Gompa and Fort, a 500 year old World Heritage site, situated spectacularly on a spur above the Indus. Further down the Indus on the right is the link road to Likir Gompa, and to the left the turnoff to the 1000 year old Alchi Gompa, built in the Northern Indian style with wonderful frescos and murals inside the many prayer rooms. Just past Alchi is the link road to Rizdong on the right; soon afterwards we cross the Indus at Khaltse, and continue to the turn off to Panjilla a half hour down the road.

Panjilla is a lovely village lined with apricot trees and lively with villagers. We drive further to the Sumdo and then on the spectacular gorge road to Hanupatta. Pink Zanskar roses line the road, leaving behind a scent of cinnamon, and incredible spires of rock tower above at every corner. We continue on the new road giving access to Photoksar, passing through the long village of Hanupatta with ancient carved mani walls and chortens. The valley widens as we slowly ascend, and the rock-spires become ever more impressive, their hues of ochre and tans glowing gently in the morning rays. We cross the large-ish Spong Togpa river on a new Bailey’s bridge, and soon afterwards crest the Sirsir La, our first of many Ladakhi passes (Ladakh means ‘Land of high passes’).

Expansive views of the craggy ranges surrounding us at the prayer-flag festooned summit of the Sirsir La. We descend the steep ridge to our left, passing yellow poppy-like flowers, ‘bee balm’ (bees love this flower) or monarda from which earl grey tea is made and marmots popping their heads out of their burrows. We continue to ascend easily, soon crossing a small stream and climbing a bit to reach an amazing complex of a white-washed kane (entrance) chorten, a mani wall and a lama’s seat. Just around the corner is the incredibly scenic village of Photoksar (4200m), perched precariously on a hillside above the river. If the wild flowers are in bloom and the billowing fields of barley ripening, this is one of the most beautiful villages in Ladakh, certainly one of the most photographed. Especially if the villagers are herding their flocks of sheep and goats back to Photoksar after a day of grazing, the sun-rays filter through the village haze.

After a break in Photoksar, we’re back in the jeep heading towards our second pass, the small Bumiktse La, passing a summer ‘doksa’ or grazing area. The deep gorge leading directly to Panjilla rises dramatically to our left, and we’ll be greeted with great views of Photoksar and its fertile valley from the pass. Ahead is the Utah-like bulk of the Singge (lion) Peak and the Singge La (pass). This valley is the high pasture of the Photoksar villagers, and we pass their herds of sheep, goats and yaks en route to Yulchung. Next up is the prayer-flag festooned Singge La, the ‘lion pass’ where we’ll have views across Ladakh and Zanskar. Our road snakes its way up to the top of the pass from the left of the valley while the old trail still goes up the middle through the wildflowers, by the small parachute tent.

We’ll hang five-colored Tibetan prayer flags at the Singge La, we drop steeply into the dramatic canyon with the old trail below us, the valley resplendent with Zanskar rose bushes, pastures of wildflowers, lichen-covered rocks and grasses. There are often blue sheep and ibex in this region, as well as red fox, wolves and snow leopards. The massive, ochre-colored canyon walls to our left as we descend have been smoothed and textured by millenniums of wind and water erosion which have left strange caves throughout. Yulchung, which means ‘small kingdom’, is a remote, traditional village with a five-hundred year old gompa on the upper reaches of the village and another smaller ‘lhakhang’ perched on a precarious rock-ledge in front of the crescent-shaped village. The straight rod-like rock on top of the craggy cliffs across the river from camp is called ‘ranjung kazar pani’.

Tomorrow’s pass is visible in the distance, as is the pass leading to ‘bear valley’, high up in the peaks in front of us, past the powerful Zanskar River. We’ll have many local visitors during the course of the afternoon and evening. Kim’s wonderful Zanskari grandmother Sonam Yanskit, sadly passed away in 2022 (in her mid-80s). Sonam Yanskit’s husband Nyawang Jigmet, who looked like a real Tibetan with his turquoise earrings and ‘goncha’ (a dress similar to a chuba), passed away a couple of years before Sonam Yanskit, and her health deteriorated after his death.

We will hope to have a chance to visit a traditional Ladakhi house and the gompa in the afternoon. Behind a set of three ancient chortens lives Sonam Yanskit’s husband’s nephew and his preschool teacher wife, in what used to be the King of Yulchung’s house. They are descendants of this family although there is little that’s still ‘royal’ about their house or lifestyle.

The staff has set up our first Kamzang Journeys campsite just below the extended road, on the far side (south) of the village, right next to some wonderful old Ladakhi dwellings. The dramatic views from this village are awe-inspiring, and the villagers are welcoming. We’ll set you up in your tents, show you around our Kamzang-style dining tent and settle in with a steaming mug of chai.

TRAIL & ROAD NOTE | Depending on the condition of the road and trails after Yulchung, we may opt to drive all the way to Nyeraks, saving this day as an extra one during the trek. At the moment, the road is dirt and paved, and the trail has yet to be rebuilt in a better location. (8 hrs driving) (B, L, D)
Distance: 210km

Day 31 – Drive Zangla

(B, L, D)
Distance: 48km

Day 32 – Trek Charchar La Base Camp 3935m
We start our wild Jumlam route (sandal and trekking pole days, including today) through the colorful gorges and canyons from Zangla. The Jumlam is an old Silk Route trail leading into Zanskar, a Ladakh Zanskar trek used when the rivers were low enough to trek along the riverbeds.

Leaving our Zangla campsite, we trek 45-minutes up to the Zangla Ani Gompa (nunnery), continue along the road past once-impressive King of Zangla’s house (with an enclosed stable in front) and then ascend for another half hour to the impressive Zangla Fort, home to the kings of Zangla of yore. The present King of Zangla is the same age as, and a friend of, HH the Dalai Lama; we gave him a ride home several years ago from Padum. Just afterwards we pass the protector deity’s small lhakhang (god’s house) on the right of the trail followed by ancient lookout towers on both sides of the valley, now crumbling and in ruins, attesting to the importance of the Jumlam trade route centuries ago.

We walk along the irrigation ditch for a bit while descending and soon reach the green doksa of the Zangla people. From here we head left, or east, along the Zumlung Chu (river), crossing many times in the willow-shaded valley full of ancient beds of fossilized oysters. At the end of the valley we turn left (instead of right towards Zanskar), pass through the grove of willows and hike uphill for about half an hour to reach our grassy campsite along the stream, below the Charchar La pass. Enjoy the afternoon sun, and keep an eye out for blue sheep and ibex that roam these valleys, as well as (potentially) bears, and note the animal prints around the campsite. (6 hrs) (B, L, D)
Distance: 11.5km

Day 33 – Trek Chubchak Camp 4490m | Cross Charchar La 5200m
Leaving camp, we trek for 3-4 hours up the valley, mostly steeply, alternating with grassy sections and shale scree trails with a craggy section towards the end of the trail, to reach the chorten-topped Charchar La pass. This pass connects on the same ridge with the Kharnak nomadic valley, which we trek connecting Markha Valley with Kharnak; but we head in a different direction, taking a route leading to the Jumlam!

Descending, we hike down a narrow valley, continuing our river crossings (often jumping) and passing snow leopard tracks along the trail. This is a wild, rocky and stunningly dramatic region, with natural tunnels and lots of wildlife en route. If the high trail is closed, we’ll spend the last 1½ hours hiking through narrow, atmospheric canyons, amazingly beautiful. We camp at a green campsite amongst ochre-colored cliffs, enjoying the relatively balmy evening. (7 hrs) (B, L, D)
Distance: 7.53km or 9.27km

Day 34 – Trek Tomato River Camp
We wake to a chilly morning without the sun, and fortunately don’t have to cross the river right away, saving our feet from a rude awakening! We trek past rough rocks, past steep waterfalls tumbling from the steep-sided cliffs above, the trail often challenging as it’s so little used. There is often an ice bridge to negotiate before we finally warm up at Chubhak Sumdo about 2½-3 hours from camp, from where we put on our sandals as the rest of the day is all about the river route! The river crossings are generally easy, with rounded rocks, and lithe willows lining the trail. Finally we reach Tomato River Camp, where the horses enjoy the great grazing. (5½ hrs) (B, L, D)
Distance: 7.40km

Day 36 – Trek Tilat Sumdo 3680m
Waking

½ (B, L, D)
Distance: 5.35km
Day 37 – Trek Poplar River Camp 3930m

½ (B, L, D)
Distance: 6km
Day 38 – Trek Rabrang Doksa Camp 4445m
Distance: 9.2km
Day 40 – Trek Tsokra
Distance: 12.2km
Day 41 – Trek Dat
Distance: 19.7km
Day 42 – Drive Leh
Distance: 185km
Day 43 – Leh
Day 44 – Saturday, 14 September 2024 – Trip Ends | Transfer Airport

Sky Kingdoms Trek Only
Day 23 – Drive Leh
We continue our spectacular drive through Rupshu, along the Manali – Leh highway, turn left at Umchi and then drive along the Indus Highway past Hemis, Stakna, Matho and Thikse monasteries, Shey Gompa and its crumbling fortress and eventually Stok palace (on alternating sides of the valley), a continuation of our wonderful journey. Back at the Shaynam Guest House in Leh, hot showers and a clean change of clothes await, and tandoori and cold beers are not far away! (5 hrs drive)
Distance: 230km (Drive)

Day 24 – Leh
One last day in Leh, our favorite Central Asian capital, in case of delays during the trek. You’ll also have time to do some more shopping and exploring, and to wind down after our journey through the remote routes of Ladakh and Zanskar. (B)

Day 25 – Trip Ends | Transfer Leh Airport
Our wonderful journey through the Indian Himalaya ends today. We will transfer you to the Kushok Bakula Rimpoche Airport for your return journey. You have several options after the trip: a flight back to Delhi, an epic ‘jeep safari’ back to Manali or elsewhere in the Indian Himalaya, or spending more time in Leh. We’re happy to assist on all fronts, but Leh flights are not included in our India treks.

Extra Days in Leh
We are happy to book extra nights at the hotel, or a hotel of your choice, if you want to stay in Leh for a few extra days to explore our favorite Central Asian capital, or just to relax and soak in the mountain scenery. We are also happy to book trips to Nubra, the high lake region (Pangong, Tsomoriri + Tso Kar), sightseeing jeep safaris along the Indus Valley, rafting, bicycling down the Kardung La or any other activity you’d like!

TRAVEL NOTE | If you have successive international flights that are not all part of the same ticket or following domestic flights we suggest planning more cautiously and leaving an extra day in Leh.

Jumlam River Ladakh Trek
Day 4 – Drive Yulchung
Distance: 210km
Day 5 – Drive Zangla
Distance: 48km
Day 6 – Trek Tzasar Sumdo
Distance: 11.5km
Day 7 – Trek Charchar La Base Camp 3935m
Distance: 7.53km
Day 8 – Trek Chubchak Camp 4490m
Distance: 9.27km
Day 9 – Trek Tomato Camp
Distance: 7.40km
Day 10 – Trek Tilat Sumdo 3680m
Distance: 5.35km
Day 11 – Trek Poplar River Camp 3930m
Distance: 6km
Day 12 – Trek Rabrang Doksa Camp 4445m
Distance: 9.2km
Day 12 – Trek Tsokra
Distance: 12.2km
Day 14 – Trek Dat
Distance: 19.7km

Drive Leh
We have a 20-minute hike upstream and across the bridge, and a last climb up to the embankment, and our epic Ladakh trek through the Indian Himalaya is finished! We’ll relax in the jeeps and enjoy the spectacular 5-hour drive through Rupshu, along the Manali – Leh highway, turn left at Umchi and then drive along the Indus Highway past Hemis, Stakna, Matho and Thikse monasteries, Shey Gompa and its crumbling fortress and eventually Stok palace (on alternating sides of the valley), a continuation of our wonderful journey. Back at the Shaynam Guest House in Leh, hot showers and a clean change of clothes await, and tandoori and cold beers are not far away! (5 hrs drive)
Distance: 185km (Drive)

Leh
One last day in Leh, our favorite Central Asian capital, in case of delays during the trek. You’ll also have time to do some more shopping and exploring, and to wind down after our journey through the remote routes of Ladakh and Zanskar. (B)

Trip Ends | Transfer Leh Airport
Our wonderful journey through the Indian Himalaya ends today. We will transfer you to the Kushok Bakula Rimpoche Airport for your return journey. You have several options after the trip: a flight back to Delhi, an epic ‘jeep safari’ back to Manali or elsewhere in the Indian Himalaya, or spending more time in Leh. We’re happy to assist on all fronts, but Leh flights are not included in our India treks.

Kamzang Journeys Reviews

Client Highlights & Reviews
Travelers’ Comments

Photo Gallery | Trip & Trek Photos
Kim Bannister Photography

Trek Highlights

Leh + the Historic Indus Valley
Indus Valley Tibetan Buddhist Gompas (Monasteries), Fortresses + Palaces
Opportunities for Bicycling, White Water Rafting + Exploration of Old Leh
Wild + Remote Trekking Routes in Ladakh + Zanskar, the Indian Himalaya
Our Remote, Spectacularly Beautiful Kanji, Dibling, Stongde, Shade Route
The Shun Shade Valley
Zangla Palace + Fortress
Trekking across the Zanskar + Himalayan Ranges
Traditional Ladakhi Village Life
Dramatic Canyon Lands, River Crossings + Snow Leopard Prints
Yaks, Pashmina Goats, Salt Butter Tea + Tibetan Woven Tents
Snow Peaks + High Himalayan Passes
Green Tibetan Changtang Plateau
Beautiful Campsites + River Swims
Central Asian Wildlife
Challenging Trekking + Few Other Trekkers
Our Unique Kamzang Journeys Itineraries
Our ‘Boutique Style’ Kamzang Journeys Trekking Style
Our Awesome Kamzang Journeys Team
Gourmet Meals
Extra Days for Acclimatization + Exploration
15+ Years of in Depth Experience Trekking + Traveling in the Himalayas!

Kamzang Journeys Menus
Camp Menus

Client Highlights
Outstanding trekking adventure, first class guides and personal attention – this is why Kamzang has so many repeat clients! We trekked with Kim Bannister and Lhakpa Dorje Sherpa for 22 days through remote Zanskar in Aug 2014. It was the adventure of a lifetime. Kim has many years experience and a loyal team of support staff and horsemen. Food and camping were very well organized; Kim and Lhakpa lead us through stunning scenery into remote Zanskari villages. Their detailed local knowledge and ability to speak with villagers made for a memorable rich experience. Over high passes and crossing rivers we always were in good hands. Thoroughly recommended if you really want to trek off the map.
– David R. & Kathy F (Canada), Wild Ladakh & Zanskar Trek 2014

This was the third time I’ve trekked with Kamzang Journeys and Kim and her crew it was lovely to be back amongst friends. Ladakh is a fabulous destination and a real step back in time to ‘real’ travelling. Trekking with Kim and her crew is authentic but also luxurious; a single tent as standard, the ‘Festival Tent’ for relaxation and meals, hot water for tea/coffee on ‘tap’, and great standards of cooking! No fears of food poisoning as hygiene is excellent. If you’re stuck with June – September for your long Himalayan trekking Ladakh is the place to go and Kim and Kamzang Journeys are the people to go with!
– Sally L (UK), Nomads, Lakes & High Passes Trek, Wild Ladakh & Zanskar Trek + more

A bucket list must, and an expeditionary style adventure in a pristine environment. All at the good hands of Kim Bannister, the organizational wizard, and her extraordinary staff. Kim and her guide partner Lhakpa Dorji led us on an idyllic route through the remote and beautiful Ladakh & Zanskar region of northern India. My initial apprehensions, as a first time trekker, were quickly extinguished by the friendly and professional manner of the competent staff. It was the experience of a life time, certainly one that I will never forget. This trekking company deserves a “5 star rating”! You need only bring a good set of lungs, a strong pair of legs, a zest for adventure and a sense of humor. I will return!
– Tom B (USA), Ladakh & Zanskar Kora Trek 2013

Magnificent treks and highly professional! I have trekked with Kim four times, three in Ladakh in Northern India and one in Nepal. On all four occasions the treks were very well organised and run in a very professional manner. Kim’s crew are all enthusiastic and are very happy to provide assistance where necessary. As trekkers you are very well looked after with individual tents and a large tent for socializing and dining. Kim and Lhakpa plan their treks so they are interesting and that they go off the beaten track and you are not walking in procession with other trekking groups, Kim is aware of the different needs and capabilities of her trekkers and her daily itineraries cater for all. On the more challenging parts of her treks Kim and her crew are always there to support. I hope to do more trekking with Kim and Kamzang Journeys and highly recommend them.
– Dennis B (Australia), Nomads, Lakes & High Passes Trek 2015, Wild Ladakh & Zanskar Trek 2013 + more
Thank you very much for a wonderful trek. I felt so very well looked after, from great food to river crossings to much needed breaks and always someone to see that we did not feel lost or alone. Your attention to detail, from the shopping expeditions both in Leh and along the way, from the variety and quality of food to making sure that everything we needed was provided and easy to access, is amazing. Also your energy and generosity of time and spirit in those extra expeditions to nomad tents, the fort etc. when many leaders would have signed off for the day.
– Leslie S (Australia), Nomads, Lakes & High Passes Trek 2012

I have done a number of treks with a variety of companies. One of these treks was to Ladakh, India with Kamzang. I found the trek’s organization and quality of food to be excellent. Equally important was Kim’s knowledge of the cultures that we trekked through, so that we, as relative outsiders, could gain some insight into their lives. However, two things stand out. Kim’s infectious enthusiasm: not just for the landscapes and cultures we passed through but for dad-to-day life on the trek. Secondly, the shared ‘mess-tent’, a haven of comfort and conversation. Very highly recommended.
– Roger E (UK), Nomads, Lakes & High Passes Trek 2011

What a trip! Thanks for all your hard work and imagination. Truly a spectacular journey and the clientele you attracted was a magnificent bonus.
– Chris R (USA), Wild Ladakh & Rupshu Trek

Wow! What an unforgettable experience you have given me. I was constantly amazed at your patience with the individual needs and concerns of the group and of the heartfelt care and connection you have with your staff and horses. You are a great leadership team and a joy to wake up to each morning! The landscape, the interactions with the villagers, nuns and monks along the way, the exhileration of the more risky bits of the trip and your smiling faces will not be forgotten. Thank you & Jullay!
– Annie K, Wild Zanskar 2010

I think about you and Lhakpa and everybody a lot; and I miss the trek, the beautiful mountains, the amazing sceneries and rich culture there. Every time when I go through my trekking photos, the memories of those great moments come back to me, speaking to me and asking me why I haven’t packed my gears and signed up for my next Himalaya trip?!
– Summer T (China), Wild Ladakh Zanskar Traverse

I have been on treks with Kim four times. All her trips are superbly well organized and smoothly run. Everything is take care of. The food is great and accommodation good. The only thing you have to do is the walking. It’s a five star service and great value!
– Peter H (UK), Ladakh & Zanskar Treks + more

Travel Reading | Enhance Your Trip!
Travel Books

Articles & Documentaries | Ladakh & Zanskar, Indian Himalaya
Buddhist nuns travel for the first time – A touching journey through India | Caroline Reigel Video

Kamzang Journeys | The Ladakh Great Himalayan Bicycle Trip | David Koelle Video

Stunning Time Lapse of Ladakh in 4K | Reels & Frames

Becoming a Woman in Zanskar | Jean-Michel Corillion

Ladakh Diaries | Postcard from Paradise | India Today – Features Kamzang Journeys

Nomads in Ladakh: Hard Living at Altitude | France LeClerc Blog

On Snow Leopard Mountain | BBC Planet Earth

Child Monks of the Himalayas | BBC – In Pictures

Chang Tang Pa | Cat Vinton Photo Essay

Silent Roar, The Snow Leopard | National Geographic Documentary

Shepherdess of the Glaciers | Trailer YouTube

Ladakh, Mountains & Men | Le Figaro

Blog Article | Za Rahula Local Nomadic God

Ladakh, the Last Shangri La | National Geographic

A Journey to Little Tibet | National Geographic

Legends of Dha Hanu | Stephan Kloos

India: Extreme Biking in Beautiful Ladakh | The Telegraph UK

The Grey Ghosts of the Mountains | Vimeo

Kashmir, the Inheritance of Loss | New York Times

Cracking India’s Mystifying Nod Code – BBC Travel

The Ravishing Art of Alchi – NY Times Books

The Planet Doesn’t Need Money, It Needs Behavioral Change: Sonam Wanchuk | The Week

A Brother’s Five Decade Search for a Lost King From Ladakh | A Better India

The Ice Stupas | New Yorker

Yak Herders’ Vanishing Way of Life | New York Times

Himalaya, Land of Women | Marianne Chaud ZED Arte France

Our World Return to Zanskar | BBC

Kashmir & Srinagar
A Journey to Kashmir’s Gurez Valley | NY Times

Kashmir, the Inheritance of Loss | New York Times

What is Article 270 & Why Does it Matter in Kashmir? | New York Times

Haider | Kashmir Film

Street Food in India | India Mike Blog

Fascinating Delhi & India Article Series
Jungle Prince of Delhi | NY Times

Mystery of the Royal Family of Oudh Unravels a Bit More | NY Times

Special Episode | The Jungle Prince | NY Times

Gandhi & India | BBC Documentaries

In Search of Gandhi | BBC Documentary

The Making of the Mahatma – Part 1

The Rise to Fame – Part 2

The Road to Freedom – Part 3

Ladakh Cycling Videos
Nubra – Wari La Cycle | David Koelle

Lamayuru, Leh, Nubra + Khardung La Cycle – | David Koelle

Pangong Lake + Chang La Cycle | David Koelle

Srinagar – Lamayuru Cycle | David Koelle

Leh – Manali Cycle | David Koelle

Kamzang Journeys | Ladakh Trek Videos
Kamzang Journeys | Kharnak Nomads | MennoBen

Kamzang Journeys | Markha Valley | MennoBen

Journeys | Changthang Nomads | MennoBen

Kamzang Journeys | Rupshu Nomads | MennoBen

Leh & Indus Valley | MennoBen

2024 Dates
3 Aug – 13 Sept (Ultimate Ladakh & Zanskar | Sky Kingdoms & Jumlam Trek)
42 Days

3 – 27 Aug (Sky Kingdoms Ladakh & Zanskar Trek)
25 Days

29 Aug – 13 Sept (Jumlam River Trek)
16 Days

2024 Trek Price
EARLY BOOKING PRICE!
$3480 (16 Days)
$4680 (25 Days)
$7680 (42 Days)
$8280 (42 Days – Including Nurba & Salt Lakes Jeep Safari!)

$3680 (16 Days)
$4880 (25 Days)
$7880 (42 Days)
$8480 (42 Days – Including Nurba & Salt Lakes Jeep Safari!)

+ NO Single Supplement Shaynam Hotel
+ NO Single Supplement Camping
+ Flights NOT Included (Meet Leh)

Includes

Hotels in Leh (Breakfast)
NO Single Supplement for Camping!
Restricted Area Permits
Personalized Leh Sightseeing (With Kim)
Group Transportation by Private Vehicle
Airport Transfers
Optional Rafting or Cycling Trips
Kamzang Journeys Boutique Trekking
Single Northface tents (2+3 person tents), delicious, plentiful meals with seasonal, fresh produce, French Press organic coffee, Indian Chai, Kashmiri + herbal teas, Katadyn filtered drinking water, warm washing water, trek library of books, full medical kit, our Kamzang ‘lounge’ tent with Indian cotten rugs, Crazy Creek camp chairs, blankets + occasional music in the evenings. For support, our caravan of horses + mules, Western, Sherpa + local guides and our 5-Star Kamzang Journeys team. Highlight is our signature yellow Kamzang dining tent’. NO single supplement for single tents. AND flexibility, experience, adventure, safety, challenge + fun!

Safety & Health Precautions

Thuraya Satellite Phone (when allowed)
Garmin InReach Satellite Messaging System (when allowed)
Updated Route published on Garmin Site (when allowed)
Helicopter Evacuation Services (when allowed)
Oxygen Saturation Monitoring System
PAC Bag (portable oxygen chamber)
Oxygen (cost not included)
Full Medical Kit + Stretcher
Katadyn Filtered Water
Safe, Sanitary, Delicious + Plentiful Food + Drinks

Excludes

Domestic + International Fights
Indian Visa
Lunch + Dinner in Leh
Travel + Travel Health Insurance
Equipment Rental
Alcohol + Bottled Drinks
Gompa (Monastery) Donations
Laundry (staff will do for donations)
Tips

Hotels in Leh | Extra Nights & Boutique Hotels
We use Hotel Shaynam, Hotel Chospa, Hotel Padma Ladakh, Leh Plaza & Hotel Omasila, as our arrival hotels depending on availability and your room preferences. Our standard hotel with no single supplement charge is the Hotel Shaynam. Kim and the Kamzang Journeys staff stay here, a lovely family-run guest house with a blooming garden, deck chairs, tables and umbrellas. We offer upgrade and single supplement charges for Hotel Chospa, Hotel Padma Leh, Hotel Leh Plaza and Omasila. We will book all hotels for you regardless of where you stay, so please specify your preference when booking a trek. Breakfast included in all of the hotels.

Hotel Shaynam
Hotel Shaynam
Extra Nights – Single $35 | Double $40

Hotel Chospa | Upgrade Charge
Chospa Hotel
Heritage Rooms – Single $165 | Double $185 Night ($825 & $925 Trip)

Hotel Chospa | Extra Nights
Heritage Rooms – Single $200 | Double $225

Hotel Padma Ladakh | Upgrade Charge
Hotel Padma Ladakh
Garden Rooms – $10 Night Single & Double ($50 Trip)
Deluxe Rooms – $50 Night Single & Double ($250 Trip)
Super Deluxe Rooms – $80 Night Single & Double ($400 Trip)
Premium Rooms with Balcony – $100 Night Single & Double ($500 Trip)

Hotel Leh Plaza | Upgrade Charge
Hotel Leh Plaza
Super Deluxe Rooms – $40 Night Single & Double ($200 Trip)
Premium Rooms – $65 Night Single & Double ($325 Trip)

Hotel Leh Plaza | Extra Nights
Super Deluxe Rooms – Single $75 | Double $95
Premium Rooms – Single $100 | Double $120

Hotel Omasila | Upgrade Charge
Hotel Omasila
Heritage Rooms – $40 Night Single & Double ($200 Trip)
Suite Rooms – $90 Night Single & Double ($450 Trip)

Hotel Omasila | Extra Nights
Heritage Rooms -– Single $65 | Double $75
Suite Rooms – Single $125 | Double $135

Tips & Extra Cash
Allow approx $300 for meals (while not on trip), drinks (on trip) and tips. We recommend $350 per person thrown into the tips pool for the crew.

Kamzang Journeys
https://kamzangjourneys.com/
kim@kamzang.com, kamzangkim@gmail.com
info@kamzang.com
Kim Bannister, Chez Kim, Lazimpat, Kathmandu, Nepal
Kamzang Journeys LLC, USA

India Contacts
Kim Mobile: +(91) 9419 981715, 9103 666078
Lhakpa Mobile: +(91) 9419 977569, 70067 70368
Kim’s WhatsApp: +(977) 9803 414745
Lhakpa’s WhatsApp +(977) 9841 235461 (WhatsApp)

Khumbu Adventures (Nepal)
Lhakpa, Doma & Nuru Sherpa
Lhakpa Mobile: +(977) 9841 235461 (WhatsApp), 9823 905461
Doma Mobile: +(977) 9841 510833, 9803 675361
Nuru Wangdi Mobile: +(977) 9803633783 (WhatsApp)
www.khumbuadventures.com
hiking.guide@gmail.com, nuruwangdi@gmail.com

Srinagar & Kashmir Contact
Shangaloo Travels
Mehraj Deen (GM & Ladakh Operations)
mehraj@shanglootravels.com
Mehraj Mobile: +(91) 9419013874, 9858986512
Office: +(91) 0194 2502083
Shangaloo Travels Tel : +(91) 0194 2502082-90, +(91) 9596 787001-20

On-Trek Contact
We are not able to use our satellite phone in India or Ladakh because of security restrictions. In case of emergency, a few numbers are listed below, or contact Doma or Nuru Sherpa of Khumbu Adventures in Nepal. We sometimes have access to landlines during the trek, and will try to use our Garmin InReach for text messaging.

Padma Deachen Mobile (Shaynam Hotel): +(91) 70510 49977 (WhatsApp)
Jigme Mobile (Shaynam Hotel): +(91) 96229 96242 (WhatsApp)
Jigmet Punchok (Driver & Leh Company – Adventures La): +(91) 99062 49085 (WhatsApp)
Ang Chuk Mobile (Driver & Friend): +(91) 94193 44641 (WhatsApp)
Tenzin Wanga Email (Ang Chuk’s Son): tenzinw5@gmail.com

Communications on Trek | Garmin InReach Messaging Service
Kamzang Journeys has a Garmin MapShare page for sending + receiving messages to our Garmin InReach satellite messaging device. Give this link to friends + family who want to follow our progress on the trek, have them send us a message so we have their email in the system. We can message them back directly, email works better than texts. Messages are free, enjoy.
https://share.garmin.com/KimBannister

Kim will post InReach updates to the Kamzang Journeys Facebook page.

Satellite Phones & Drones in India
Satellite phone, Garmin InReach, SPOT or satellite communications of any sort are STRICTLY PROHIBITED in India! Serious consequences, please leave yours at home! Drones are also illegal in Jammu & Kashmir unless registered with the appropriate government office in Delhi.

Kamzang Journeys FaceBook
https://www.facebook.com/kamzangjourneys/
Posts from Leh before + after the trek.

Kamzang Journeys | Kim Bannister Photography
https://kimbannisterphotography.smugmug.com/

Kamzang Journeys Blog
https://www.kamzangjourneys.com/kamzang-journeys-blog/

Shop Kamzang Journeys Products
https://www.kamzangjourneys.com/store/

Shop Kamzang Design
https://www.etsy.com/shop/KamzangDesign

The Kamzang Fund
Sponsoring Children, Medical Issues and Giving Back to Himalayan regions.
https://www.kamzangjourneys.com/kamzang-fund/

Travel Books
https://www.kamzangjourneys.com/kamzang-journeys-travel-books/

Arrival Hotels Leh
Hotel Shaynam
Hotel Omasila
Padma Guest House

Hotels in Leh | Alternative & Luxury Hotels
We use Hotel Shaynam, Padma Guest House or Hotel Omasila as our arrival hotel, depending on availability and your preference. Our standard hotel is the Hotel Shaynam where Kim and the Kamzang Journeys staff stay, a lovely family-run guest house with a blooming garden, deck chairs, tables + umbrellas. We don’t charge a single supplement at Hotel Shayman. We charge a single supplement for Omasila and Padma, and a double upgrade for Omasila. We will book all hotels for you regardless of where you stay. Please specify your preference when booking a trek. Breakfast included in all of the hotels.

Leh Alternative & Luxury Hotels
We will confirm current prices yearly, please inquire …

Alternative Hotels
We’re happy to book other hotels of your choice. Some recommended hotels below.

Hotel Royal Ladakh
Single Supplement – $225
Extra Nights – Single $80, Double $90, Suite $115
Breakfast Included

Dragon Hotel
Single Supplement – $200
Extra Nights – Single $70, Double $80, Suite $120
Breakfast Included

Luxury Hotels
Spash out on one of Leh’s most luxurious hotels! We will be happy to make any bookings needed. Enjoy!

The Grande Dragon Ladakh
Single Deluxe $220, Single Suite $210
Breakfast Included

The Zen Ladakh
Single/Double Premium $155/$180
Zen Cottage – $250
Executive Suite – $310
Presidential Suite – $340

Nimmu House
Nimmu Village (45 Minutes from Leh)
4 Rooms + 5 Tents
Single/Double Rooms – $170/$190
Single/Double Luxury Tents – $185/$205

Pangong Serai
Single Supplement – $50 Per Night
Extra Nights – $50
Breakfast Included
Lunch + Dinner – $20 Per Meal

Travel Medical Insurance
Required for your own safely. We carry a copy of your insurance with all contact, personal and policy information with us on the trek and our office in Kathmandu keeps a copy. Note that we almost always trek over 4000 meters (13,000+ feet) and that we don’t do any technical climbing with ropes, ice axes or crampons.

Note that private helicopter insurance generally not available in India!

Travel Medical & Travel Insurance
TRAVEL MEDICAL INSURANCE is required to travel with us. We strongly recommend TRAVEL INSURANCE as well in case of international or domestic flight cancellation or unexpected costs on the trip such as helicopters when flights are cancelled or passes are impassible. Your insurance must include HELICOPTER EVACUATION and travel over 4000 meters (over 13,000 feet). In INDIA and TIBET helicopter evacuation is more difficult, although we still recommend including this option in your policy. Please do your own research, check with your local insurance provider for the company best for your country, age and trip requirements.

INSURANCE NOTE | Please bring us a PRINTED PAGE with your name, address, personal emergency contact, insurance policy name and number and the overseas contact number to call in case of emergency for us to give to our local agents (we don’t need the particulars, just a one-page copy of the policy).

Global Rescue Services
Safety is our top priority, but unforeseen emergencies can occur on any trek, cycling trip or journey. A Global Rescue membership will provide you with 24 hour advisory services, field rescue (evacuation from your point of injury or illness to the nearest appropriate medical facility), and also evacuation to your home hospital of choice for continuing care all at no cost to you. You can purchase the coverage directly from Kamzang Journeys, with or without the IMG travel medical insurance coverage.

Global Rescue Services
Global Rescue & IMG Travel Medical Insurance
https://globalrescue.com/kamzang/

Helicopter Service & Rescues Leh, Ladakh
Please pass on this information to your travel medical insurance provider …

HeliService Ladakh (Government Agency)
https://heliservice.ladakh.gov.in/
+91 01982-255567, contact@heliservice.ladakh.gov.in

Ladakh Rescue Center
Mr. Nasir Mohd
+91 96229 98919, 94194 41333, nasiradvo786@gmail.com
Working together with:
Pawan Hans Helicopter Service (Government Regulated))
https://www.pawanhans.co.in/english/index.aspx

Medical
We have a full medical kit with us including Diamox (for acclimatizing), antibiotics, inhalers, bandages, re-hydration, painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs etc. but please bring a supply of all prescription and personal medications. Kim has First Aid, CPR and Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certifications as well as many years of experience with altitude in the Himalaya but is NOT a qualified medic or doctor, so please have a check-up before leaving home, and inform us of any medical issues. This is for YOUR OWN safety.

DO bring all prescription medications and good rehydration/electrolytes. We advise bringing your own Diamox, Ciprofloxin, Azithromyacin & Augmentin. We have all of these with us but the Western versions are always better than the Indian equivalents.

PAC Bag & Oxygen
We carry a Portable Oxygen Chamber, or Gammow Bag, with us on many treks. There is no charge for use of the PAC bag but oxygen is $300 per canister (cost price, pass on to insurance company).

Health Information
India Health Information
CDC
We also recommend bringing probiotics with you to help prevent infections while on trek. Doctor’s recommendation!

Arrival in India
ARRIVAL NOTE | Flights to/from Leh are NOT included in the price or itinerary. Everyone will need to arrange their own flight or overland trip to Leh. You can book your international flights all the way to Leh, Ladakh (IXL) which will ensure that your flight provider is responsible for hotels if your flight is delayed or cancelled. You might also want to come overland from Manali, breath-taking jeep safari, or from Srinagar, both some of the planet’s most spectacular drives.

Email us your flight arrival details and have our contact details with you when you arrive in Delhi in case you need assistance. Kim will have her mobile with her, as will our agents from Dhruv Travels, so don’t hesitate to call. We can help with hotels, flights, airport pick-ups and drops, sightseeing in Delhi or travels further to Rajasthan or Agra & the Taj Mahal (see Dhruv Travels).

GET YOUR INDIAN VISA
You can get your Indian e-Visas (visa-on-arrival) online, either at the Indian government website or at the easier, and slightly more expensive iVisa website. Extensions are possible but very difficult. You must have your visa BEFORE arriving in India!

INDIAN GOVERNMENT SITE
https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html
https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/Registrationi

VISA
https://www.ivisa.com/india-visa-application

INDIAN VISA REFERENCE & ADDRESSES
Hotel Leh: Shaynam Hotel, 20 Old Leh Road, Leh, Ladakh, 194101
+(91) 70510 49977
Contact: Jigmet Singay Dadul &/or Padma Deachen
Mobile: +91 70510 49977 (Padma)
Mobile: +91 96229 96242 (Jigmet)

EXAMPLE:
Reference Name: Padma Deachen
Address: 20 Old Leh Road
Line 2: Ladakh
State: Jammu & Kashmir (or Ladakh, when the system is updated)
District: Leh
Phone: 70510 49977 (don’t need +91)
NOTE: Don’t add spaces or +country code when adding your phone or mobile numbers.

Travel Agent Delhi: Dhruv Travels, 2464, Nalwa St, Chuna Mandi, Paharganj, New Delhi, 110055 (Tel: +91 11 2358 2715)
Kim’s Mobile: +(91) 9419 981715

Satellite Phones & Drones
Satellite phones are ILLEGAL in all of India, including Jammu & Kashmir. If you are caught with a satellite phone, SPOT, Garmin InReach or another satellite device it will be confiscated, you will be fined and the owner might go to jail or be restricted from re-entering India. This is serious!

Drones are also illegal in Jammu & Kashmir unless registered with the government in Delhi.

Delhi Hotels
Some suggestions for extra nights + layovers in Delhi, near the airport
Marriott Aero City
The Muse Sarovar
Red Fox
Holiday Inn (Airport)
Andaz Delhi
Architectural Digest Article on Andaz

Delhi Restaurants & Bars
Zomato Restaurant Reviews

Notes on Itinerary
Although we try to follow the itinerary below, it is ONLY a guideline based on years of experience trekking in the Himalaya. At times local trail, river or weather conditions may make a deviation necessary; rivers may be impassible, snow blocks passes, and landslides wipe out trails. The trekking itinerary and campsites may also vary slightly depending on the group’s acclimatization rate or sickness.

The Himalaya are our passion, and we take trekking seriously. Although everyone is here on vacation, please come with a dollop of patience and compassion added to your sense of adventure …

Temperatures & Clothing
Dress conservatively in Leh and on the trail as a rule. Shorts are okay if they aren’t too short, mini skirts aren’t recommended. Sleeveless t-shirts are absolutely fine, but perhaps avoid tank-tops on the trail. Super tight doesn’t go over so well with the village elders. Many of the younger generation in Nepal wear modern Indian or Western-influenced clothes, but remember that you haven’t signed up for a beach or surf vacation. Use your good judgment, be an ambassador for western tourists! Please ask Kim or your guide if unsure about appropriate clothing.

Leh is generally very hot during the day (t-shirt weather) and cool at night (long sleeve shirt, fleece or synthetic jacket weather depending on month in the summer). A sun hat is essential during the day, sandals like Keens perfect for both a wander around town and trekking. Ladakh is very casual, a pair of jeans and shirt fine for evenings.

Trekking temperatures vary considerably, and you will need a wide range of trekking gear during the trek. Gear will range from sandals to boots, from t-shirts to down jackets. We suggest packing a warm sleeping bag, and bring layers. A full discussion of gear on ‘Gear’ tab.

Cultural Issues
Ladakhis are very open and welcoming, but there are a few issues you should be aware of to make your stay in Ladakh more fulfilling. Use your right hand to pass things, shake hands or do most anything. Left hands are somewhat taboo. Best not to pat kids on heads, or point feet ahead of you at monasteries. Don’t walk over someone’s legs or feet, but put your hand down in front of you to signal them to pull their legs to the side. Take off shoes and hats when going into Buddhist monasteries and Hindu temples, don’t use flashes inside monasteries or temples in general, be respectful of a puja (prayer ceremony) if attending one. You can talk, all religious are very tolerant, but be aware of your level of voice.

Ladakhis don’t anger quickly, so try not to raise your voice if exasperated or angry as it only will make a situation worse. Do bargain at shops, with taxis and rickshaws, but don’t fleece them. They are poor and making a living, generally.

Give small donations on the streets if you choose, but try not to encourage begging too much. Be aware of who you are giving money to, and please only give small amounts. If you do want to donate to a cause, ask about our Kamzang Fund or other responsible organizations.

Note that Leh and Ladakh are melting pots of different religions: Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim, as well as a few Christians. Tolerance and acceptance of all religions tolerated!

Pampering Yourself in Leh
Inquire if you’re interested in staying in one of Leh’s high end hotels. A few suggestions …

Stok Palace
‘Built entirely by the Ladakhi craftsmen in 1820, the Stok Palace still continues to be a snug abode for the Namgyal dynasty. The Namgyal dynasty traces its origin to its founder –Lhachen Palgygon as early as 10th century. You are entering a historical property and the Palace stands 195 years old. The Stok Palace was opened to public in 1980 with blessings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and since it’s been over a decade and visitors continues to pour from all over the World. It encapsulates and reflects the lifestyle and history of Royalties set in the midst of the valley of Singey Sangpo which is known more popularly as Indus River.

Preserved from urbanity, this pristine natural landscape allows you to relax in serene atmosphere, pregnant with the delicious aroma of the country side and amazing views all around and takes the visitors through the imagery experience, detailing the softness of Snow, the brilliance of sunlight, billowing clouds, wandering pathways, and picturesque local architecture. As with anything embracing the grandeur and beauty of nature, the landscapes achieve a sense of timelessness; they envelop the echoes and silence of eons gone by. So come and enjoy the fine dining experience prepared from the family kitchen products coming from the local market and village. You can enjoy the pleasures of healthy and natural Ladakhi, Tibetan and Indian food.’

Nimmu House
‘Nimmu House Ladakh is a sustainable Hotel in Ladakh, 30 km from Leh, in the village of Nimmoo. A noble house belonging to the cousin of the king of Ladakh, from the early 90s, surrounded by an orchard. Nimmu House includes five spacious tents scattered across the orchard and a room located in the house. Activities include Hiking, trekking, rafting, cooking classes, visits to the village of Nimmu and the monasteries of the Indus Valley’

The Ultimate Traveling Camp
‘The first truly mobile luxury camps in India covering a calendar of destinations and festivals. This nomadic super luxury camp introduces the discerning traveller to different adventures in Carefully selected exceptional locations in the mountains, deserts, jungles and unexplored Countryside. Experience the many moods of exotic India with its dramatic landscapes, rustic and unexplored rural surroundings. Rediscover yourself…meet gurus from the far reaches of the Himalayas, raft down the River Indus, watch a game of Polo, a sport of the Royals, picnic in picturesque spots, celebrate tribal hues at the Hornbill Festival, explore quaint tribal Naga villages, or simply curl up in your ‘tent with a view’!

Tips for Staff
We recommend at least $200 per person to go into the tip pool for the staff. Please bring IC with you on the trek for the tips. It’s nice to buy the staff drinks on the last night. Or any other night that you feel like getting them a bottle of run!

Tips in General
Tips are always appreciated but they don’t need to be extravagant. 50 IC to carry bags to/from your room is fine. 100 IC for drivers to/from the airport. Round up taxi fares. A larger tip would be expected for a day trip in a car, perhaps 500 IC. 10% is included in some restaurant and hotel bills in India, and if it’s not included it’s still expected. Check your bills, and still round up at restaurants. Feel free to give out small change to the beggars in the streets (5, 10, 20 IC).

Cash & ATMs
You’ll want some cash with you on the trek for drinks, snacks, beer, sodas, etc. There are often chances to during the trek, and usually local crafts to buy en route. (You’ll want your tip money IC as well). There are ATMs in Leh but they don’t dispense large amounts of cash so you’ll be best with currency to change. Traveler’s checks not recommended in India.

Extra Days in India | Customize Your Journey
We are happy to book extra nights at the hotel, or a hotel of your choice, if you want to stay in Leh for a few extra days to explore our favorite Central Asian capital, or just to relax and soak in the mountain scenery. We are also happy to book trips to Nubra, sightseeing jeep safaris along the Indus Valley, rafting, bicycling down the Kardung La or any other activity you would like.

See our Extensions Tab for trip ideas!

Kamzang Journeys Products
Kamzang Journeys duffel bags, t-shirts, camp towels and buffs. Handcrafted leather passport wallets, totes and bags, unique Himalayan textile pillow covers, cashmere stoles and more!
Kamzang Journeys Products

Gear List (Camping Treks)
A guideline, not a bible, for the gear you will (probably) need on the trek. Do ask (or send gear links) if you have questions! Everyone has their own method of gearing-ups for the mountain, so although these suggestions are based on 20+ years in the Himalayan regions, they may not be exactly what you bring on a trek. Layers are essential for trekking, and quality is more important than quantity. It’s worth investing in some new, warm, lightweight trekking gear! Kim will check your gear before the trek, if needed.

One duffel bag per person. The airline regulations in Nepal (not applicable to India) allow 15 kg per person for mountain flights (including your daypack). We find ways to adjust, but be aware of this limitation and try to limit your duffel bag and daypack to 20 kg (50 lbs) total. 20 kg (50 lbs) is also the weight limit for our treks, although we’re a bit flexible.

Duffel Bag (KJ Duffel Bags Available – See KJ Products)
Day Pack (30-45 L)
Sleeping Bag (-20 to 0F/-30C to -20 Recommended)
Air Mattress
Trekking Boots, Trekking Shoes &/or Running Shoes
Hiking Sandals, Water or Running Shoes (REQUIRED for River Crossings – Inquire for Your Trek)
Crocs (Evenings & Washing)
Down Jacket(s) &/or Vests (Can be Lightweight Down Jackets. Layering Recommended)
Technical Jacket (Depending on Other Jackets)
Wind/Rain Jacket & Pants (Inquire for Your Trek)
Trekking Pants (2-3)
T-Shirts (3-4)
Long-Sleeve Shirts (3-4)
Thermal Top & Bottom
Thermal (Lightweight) Top & Bottom
Evening Thermal Top & Bottom (Synthetic &/or Down Pants Optional)
Socks (5-6)
Down Booties (Optional, Recommended)
Gloves (Lighter Pair & Heavier Pair for Passes)
Thermal Hat
Baseball Cap &/or Wide-Brimmed Hat
Camp Towel (KJ Camp Towels Available – See KJ Products)
Inflatable Camp Pillow (Optional)
Trekking Poles (Recommended &/or Required – Inquire for Your Trek)
Micro Spikes (REQUIRED for Most Nepal Treks – Inquire for Your Trek)
Sunglasses (Extra Recommended)
Reading Glasses (Extra Pair Recommended)
Head Lamp (Extra Recommended)
Water Bottles | Nalgenes or Metal Bottles (2-3)
Water Bladder (Optional, Recommended)
Travel Umbrella (Optional, Recommended)
Watch (or Phone Alarm)
Battery Chargers & Extra Batteries
USB Adapter with Multiple Ports (Recommended)
Camera or Smart Phone (Optional)
Small Water Filter, SteriPen &/or Squeeze Filter Bottle (Optional)
Umbrella (Optional, Recommended)
Camp Washing Bowl (Optional, Collapsible for Clothes)
Laundry Detergent or Bio-degradable Clothes Soap
Small Solar Panel (Optional, Recommended for Phones, Camera Batteries, e-Readers – We Often Have Solar Charging Capacity)
Book(s), Kindle &/or Audiobooks
Zip-Locks &/or Plastic Bags
Soft Toilet Paper or Tissues (Optional – We Provide for Toilet Tent)
Toiletries
SPF Sunscreen & SPF Lip Balm
Personal Medical Supplies
Hand Sanitizers (Small)
Reusable Wipes (Recommended, Not Single Use)
Rehydration | Electrolytes (Required)
Snacks (Required)

Dining Tent Note
We have a ‘dress code’ for the evenings in the tent, which essentially means you’ll be changing out of your trekking clothes and into clean, warm evening clothes (which works well for getting into your sleeping bag after dinner). This is to keep the dining tent as clean as possible, as we eat and sit on the ground in Crazy Creek (style) camp chairs …

Suggested Medical Supplies
We have a full medical kit with us including Diamox (for acclimatizing), antibiotics, inhalers, bandages, re-hydration, painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs etc. but please bring a supply of all prescription and personal medications. Kim has First Aid, CPR and Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certifications as well as many years of experience with altitude in the Himalaya but is NOT a qualified medic or doctor, so please have a check-up before leaving home, and inform us of any medical issues. This is for YOUR OWN safety!

SUGGESTED MEDS | Dexamethasone, Nifedipine & Diamox (altitude), Azithromycin, Ciprofloxacin & Augmentin (antibiotics), blister bandages, Tegaderm &/or bandages, knee & ankle supports/braces (if required), ACE bandage for sprains & strains, cough drops.

Bring whatever pain meds you generally use (Ibuprofen, Paracetamol/Tylenol, Diclofenac), meds for diarrhea (Loperamide/Imodium) and nausea (Ondansetron), antihistamines (non-drowsy & Benadryl is good for a drowsy antihistamine that might help with sleep), as well as any medications that you take regularly or that your doctor prescribes. We recommend picking up a combination Salmeterol & Fluticasone inhaler locally, good for (from a doctor trekking friend) “high altitude cough due to reactive airways, which is kind of like temporary asthma. The ingredients in the inhaler relax the bronchial passages and calm inflammation in the airways.”Stay away from sleeping medications, drugs in the codeine-opiate-narcotic family and other drugs that suppress your breathing (not a good at altitude). And don’t forget electrolytes! Have some with you in your pack (as well as snacks) daily …

We’re happy to take excess medical supplies off your hands when you leave if you won’t need them. We use lots of the large amount we have with us to treat locals, our staff and our trekkers…

Kim’s Gear Suggestions
I generally wear a trekking t-shirt, trekking pants, a mid-weight long-sleeve shirt, a lightweight synthetic jacket (sometimes paired with a vest), often starting the morning in a lightweight pair of long underwear. I carry a lightweight wind-rain jacket and pants, an extra pair of socks, gloves, a baseball cap and hat in my daypack, and on colder days also have a lightweight down jacket with me.

I use a 35 L Osprey daypack with a bladder, and an extra Nalgene to refill water on the trail, and often use trekking poles. I generally trek in running shoes, although I use boots on very cold days and over passes, and sometimes on hot days I also trek in Keen or Chaco sandalas. I often carry Crocs with me in case of river crossings and to give my feet a break at lunch (Tevas, Chacos and Keen sandals take a long time to dry and are relatively heavy), and I carry micro-spikes on pass days. I always have snacks, electrolytes, my camera or iPhone, sunscreen, hand sanitizer and some toilet paper, a small medical kit and a SteriPen.

Good trekking boots or running shoes that you’ve hiked in before the trek are essential. You don’t ever need climbing or plastic boots (for mini-crampons or micro-spikes). Trekking poles are not required but strongly recommended, especially for going down passes which are often steep and icy, and for treks with river crossings and rocky trails. Bring gators if you tend to use them but they’re not required if you don’t own a pair. Micro-spikes (mini-crampons) or YakTrax are useful (or essential) for pass crossings (inquire before the trek). We have an ice ax and rope with us during some treks for pass crossing days, for extra safety.

Good, polarized sunglasses are essential. Do bring an extra pair in case you lose or break them. Don’t forget a sun hat and/or a baseball cap, perhaps an extra headlamp, and have plenty of sunscreen and lip balm with SPF! Don’t get caught with blistered lips that don’t heal at altitude!

Nights are chilly to very cold, so a down jacket(s) and a WARM sleeping bag are essentials. We recommend a down sleeping bag of -10 to -20 F (-18 to -28 C). Mine is -20 F. At lower altitudes I open it and sleep under it like a quilt, and up higher am toasty warm during cold nights. NOTE sleeping bag ratings don’t correspond to how warm they need to be at altitude. Campsites at higher altitudes can be freezing at night and in the morning. The dining tent is a Tibetan style ‘yurt’ with cotton rugs (dhurries), tables and camp chairs on the ground. It warms up in the evenings when everyone is inside having soup, but it is still important to have warm clothes for the evenings. I change into thermals for the evening at camp and to sleep in when we get to camp; stretchy yoga pants over thermal underwear, light down vest and/or jacket over thermal layers. I love my down (or synthetic) booties at night in the tent! We have blankets for everyone if needed, and we even have a small propane heater on some treks …

Bring XL plastic bags or stuff sacks in your daypack in case of rain. The weather is changeable in the Himalaya, so we recommend that everyone has a strong, waterproof duffel bag for the trek. We supply covers that go over the duffel bags to protect them from rain, dirt + rips.

Day Pack
We recommend a 30-45 liter day pack. Better to have it too large than too small as on pass days you’ll need to carry more warm gear, and you can always cinch daypacks down. Many packs come with internal water bladders, or you can purchase them separately; very good for ensuring that you stay hydrated. Make sure your pack fits comfortably when loaded before bringing it trekking!!

In your day pack, you’ll carry your camera or phone, approx 2 liters of water, a jacket, lightweight wind and/or rain pants (often), a thermal hat, a baseball cap or sun hat, a buff (optional, but great to have on dusty trails), gloves, sunscreen, snacks, electrolytes, maybe something to purify water, hand sanitizer, a small bit of medical supplies, a pack-cover and often a lightweight down jacket. I slip my Crocs in for lunchtime stops or unexpected river crossings, and almost always carry a lightweight down jacket!

Tents
Everyone gets their own North Face style dome tent (3-person, large) without paying a single supplement. Couples share the same sized tent.

Drinking Water
We bring KATADYN (or equivalent) expedition-sized water filters along on the trek for fresh drinking water, ecologically the best way to get water in the Himalaya’s fragile trekking regions. Bring your own SteriPen or Sawyer squeeze filter for a back-up filtered water system during the day if you already have one. We bring ours as well, so this is optional. Please bring at least 2 Nalgene or other water bottles in addition to your water bladder.

WATER NOTE | We do not provide boiled water for filling water bottles on our camping treks although there is endless hot water for herbal, black or green teas, hot chocolate, hot lemon as well as delicious Indian chai and Kashmiri tea.

Snacks
You will NEED snacks hiking at altitude, even if you’re not a big snacker. Bring your favorite energy bars, gels, chocolate bars, dried fruit and nuts, jerky or whatever else gives you quick energy. Emergen-C and/or other electrolyte mixes are important in water bottles or before or after the trekking day; it is ESSENTIAL to bring electrolytes with you in your day packs in case you cramp up, get diarrhea or otherwise need them.

You might want to bring something to share in the dining tent. Any sort of cheese (especially from your hometown) is great as a treat on a cheese board before dinner, and something sweet is always appreciated!

Rentals
We have (approximately) 0F super-down sleeping bags to rent for $2.50 per day on our Nepal & Tibet treks. You might want a warmer sleeping bag (I use a -20F); if so, please do bring your own, as we want you to be warm while sleeping at night!

Packing & Extra Gear Storage
It’s easy to pack and unpack from a duffel bag, especially when the temperature drops. It’s a good idea to invest in a strong, waterproof duffel such as a North Face or one of our Kamzang Journeys duffels. You can store extra gear and computers at the hotel while we’re trekking.

Shopping & Snacks in Nepal (& Tibet)
Almost all gear is now available in Kathmandu, from real (North Face, Mountain Hardwear, Sherpa Gear, Marmot or at some shops in Thamel) to inexpensive knock-offs or good Nepali brands. The real gear shops take credit cards. There are many camera and mobile shops, and you can pick up good quality chocolate, snack bars (including gluten free, organic and vegan) and lots of other varieties dried fruits, nuts and snacks in Kathmandu. And, of course, you can shop for pashminas (or cashmere, or fakes, please ask if unsure), good quality silver, handicrafts and locally produced specialty products. We also have a large variety of good quality, unique handicrafts at Café Caravan in Boudhanath.

Our trips to Tibet always start in Kathmandu, so the above advice applies, and you can also pick up interesting Chinese snacks and dried fruits in all of the markets in Lhasa.

Shopping & Snacks in India
You can pick up some trekking gear in Leh, such as trekking poles, sleeping bags (about 0F), lightweight down jackets, duffel bags, some good Western and Chinese or Asian gear, but not shoes or boots. Top up your gear in Leh if you need to, but best not to rely on doing major shopping here although the second hand markets can be a treasure chest of trekking and cycling gear! There is a large variety of good quality dried fruit and nuts available in Leh at the outdoor markets and indoor supermarkets, and you can also pick up good chocolates, snack bars, dried fruit, nuts and seeds, and herbal teas in Leh at Chospa Supermarket.

Srinagar, Water Worlds & the Jewels of Kashmir Journey
Kashmir, Srinagar & Indus Jeep Safari
A great extension to any of our Kamzang Journeys treks in Ladakh & Zanskar, or a wonderful trip on its own. Kashmir and Srinagar are some of the jewels of the Indian Himalaya, often described by local Kashmiris as ‘heaven on earth’. We are offering a wonderful nine-day itinerary, flying from Delhi to Srinagar and finishing in Leh via the overland route. There are many ways to customize this trip, please get in touch to make this trip exactly what you are looking for!

Some of the highlights: old historic Srinagar & the Mughal Gardens, touring Dal & Nageen Lakes by shikara (local boat), the atmospheric morning floating market, a visit to Dacigram National Park, an excursion Manasbal & Wular Lake, the largest lake in Asia, a tour of Yousmarg and a visit to Naranag Temple, the oldest in Kashmir. En route to Leh you’ll have the option to drive the stunningly beautiful Indus highway via the Koji La, with a chance to visit idyllic Sonmarg and stop at several Tibetan Buddhist monasteries along the road to Leh. Or you can take a one-hour flight directly to Leh. Enjoy the world renown beauty and hospitality of Kashmir!

Nubra, the Indus Valley & the Nomadic Salt Lake Regions Journey
Leh, Indus Valley Monasteries & Salt Lakes

A nearly perfect extension and a great trip on its own! Tour Central Asian Nubra, Leh, the Indus Valley monasteries (gompas, in Tibetan or Ladakhi) and the breathtakingly beautiful and culturally interesting salt lake region of northern Ladakh, bordering Tibet (China). Visit the nomadic communities at Tso Moriri, the traditional villages at Pangong Lake and explore the bustling Tibetan Buddhist monasteries en route to these lakes via a newly opened route! A wonderful jeep safari though the Indian Himalaya. There is lots to explore in historic Leh and the historic Indus Valley, tucked away amongst the shady villages and intriguing alleyways of this Central Asian capital.

Ladakh & Zanskar Information
“The center of Leh is a wide bazaar where much polo is played in the afternoons; and above this the many irregular flat-roofed, many-balconied houses cluster around the palace and a gigantic chorten alongside it. The rugged crest of the rock on a spur of which the palace stands is crowned by the fantastic buildings of an ancient gonpa … a very mixed population in which the Moslem element is always increasing … partly due to the marriage of Moslem traders with Ladakhi women who embrace the faith of their husbands.

Great caravans en route for Khotan, Yarkand and even Chinese Tibet arrived daily from Kashmir, the Punjab and Afganistan, and stacked their bales of goods in the place. The Lhasa traders opened shops in which the specialties were brick tea and instruments of worship. Merchants from Amritsar, Kabul, Bokhara and Yarkand … thronged the bazaar and opened bales of costly goods in tantalizing fashion. Mules, asses, horses and yaks kicked, squealed and bellowed; the dissonance of bargaining tongues rose high. There were mendicant monks, Indian fakirs, Moslem dervished, Mecca pilgrims, itinerant musicians, and Buddhist ballad howlers. Broad-faced women with creels on their backs brought in lucerne, Ladakhis, Baltis and Lahaulis tended the beasts

… Lhasa traders in heavy winter clothing exchange their expensive teas for Nubra and Baltistan dried apricots, Kashmir saffron and rich stuffs from India. Merchants from Yarkand on big Turkestan horses offer hemp, which is smoked as opium, and Russian triffles and dress goods, under cloudless skies. With the huge Kailas (Karakorum) range as a background, this great rendezvous of Central Asian traffic has a great fascination, even though moral shadows of the darkest kind abound.” (Leh 1894)
– Excerpts from ‘Among the Tibetans’ – Isabella Bird Bishop

History of Ladakh & Zanskar
“Ladakh (the ‘land of high passes’) is a region in Indian state of Ladakh that currently extends from the Kunlun Mountains to the main Great Himalayas to the south, inhabited by people of Indo-Aryan and Tibetan descent. It is one of the most sparsely populated regions in Jammu and Kashmir and its culture and history are closely related to that of Tibet. Ladakh is renowned for its remote mountain beauty and culture. The Tibetan name La-dvags means ‘land of high passes’ It connected India with the Silk Road. Ladakh is its pronunciation in several Tibetan districts, and a transliteration of the Persian spelling.

Historically, the region included the Baltistan (Baltiyul) valleys (now mostly in Pakistan), the entire upper Indus Valley, the remote Zanskar, Lahaul and Spiti to the south, much of Ngari including the Rudok region and Guge in the east, Aksai Chin in the northeast (extending to the Kun Lun Mountains), and the Nubra Valley to the north over Khardong La in the Ladakh Range. Contemporary Ladakh borders Tibet to the east, the Lahaul and Spiti regions to the south, the Vale of Kashmir, Jammu and Baltiyul regions to the west, and the southwest corner of Xinjiang across the Karakoram Pass in the far north.

Aksai Chin is one of the disputed border areas between China and India. It is administered by China as part of Hotan County but is also claimed by India as a part of the Ladakh region of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. In 1962, China and India fought a brief war over Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh, but in 1993 and 1996 the two countries signed agreements to respect the Line of Actual Control.

In the past Ladakh gained importance from its strategic location at the crossroads of important trade routes, but since the Chinese authorities closed the borders with Tibet and Central Asia in the 1960s, international trade has dwindled except for tourism. Since 1974, the Government of India has successfully encouraged tourism in Ladakh. Since Ladakh is a part of strategically important Jammu and Kashmir, the Indian military maintains a strong presence in the region.The largest town in Ladakh is Leh, followed by Kargil. Almost half of Ladakhis are Shia Muslims and the rest are mostly Tibetan Buddhists. Some Ladakhi activists have in recent times called for Ladakh to be constituted as a union territory because of perceived unfair treatment by Kashmir and Ladakh’s cultural differences with predominantly Muslim Kashmir.”

History of Ladakh & Zanskar
“Rock carvings found in many parts of Ladakh indicate that the area has been inhabited from Neolithic times. Ladakh’s earliest inhabitants consisted of a mixed Indo-Aryan population of Mons and Dards, who find mention in the works of Herodotus, Nearchus, Megasthenes, Pliny, Ptolemy, and the geographical lists of the Puranas. Around the 1st century, Ladakh was a part of the Kushana empire. Buddhism spread into western Ladakh from Kashmir in the 2nd century when much of eastern Ladakh and western Tibet was still practicing the Bon religion. The 7^th century Buddhist traveler Xuanzang describes the region in his accounts.

In the 8th century, Ladakh was involved in the clash between Tibetan expansion pressing from the East and Chinese influence exerted from Central Asia through the passes. Suzerainty over Ladakh frequently changed hands between China and Tibet. In 842 Nyima-Gon, a Tibetan royal prince annexed Ladakh for himself after the break-up of the Tibetan empire, and founded a separate Ladakhi dynasty. During this period, Ladakh acquired a predominantly Tibetan population. The dynasty spearheaded the second spreading of Buddhism, importing religious ideas from north-west India, particularly from Kashmir. The first spreading of Buddhism was the one in Tibet proper.

According to Rolf Alfred Stein, author of Tibetan Civilization, the area of Zhangzhung was not historically a part of Tibet and was a distinctly foreign territory to the Tibetans. According to Rolf Alfred Stein, “The Tibetans encountered a distinctly foreign nation—Shangshung, with its capital at Khyunglung. Mt. Kailāśa (Tise) and Lake Manasarovar formed part of this country, whose language has come down to us through early documents. Though still unidentified, it seems to be Indo-European. Geographically the country was certainly open to India, both through Nepal and by way of Kashmir and Ladakh. Kailāśa is a holy place for the Indians, who make pilgrimages to it. No one knows how long they have done so, but the cult may well go back to the times when Shangshung was still independent of Tibet. How far Zhangzhung stretched to the north, east and west is a mystery. We have already had an occasion to remark that Shangshung, embracing Kailāśa sacred Mount of the Hindus, may once have had a religion largely borrowed from Hinduism. The situation may even have lasted for quite a long time. In fact, about 950, the Hindu King of Kabul had a statue of Vişņu, of the Kashmiri type (with three heads), which he claimed had been given him by the king of the Bhota (Tibetans) who, in turn had obtained it from Kailāśa.”

A chronicle of Ladakh compiled in the 17^th century called the La dvags royal rabs, meaning the Royal Chronicle of the Kings of Ladakh recorded that this boundary was traditional and well-known. The first part of the Chronicle was written in the years 1610–1640 and the second half towards the end of the 17^th century. The work has been translated into English by AH Francke and published in 1926 in Calcutta titled “The Antiquities of Indian Tibet”. In volume 2, the Ladakhi Chronicle describes the partition by King Skyid-lde-ngima-gon of his kingdom between his three sons, and then the chronicle described the extent of territory secured by that son. The following quotation is from page 94 of this book: “He gave to each of his sons a separate kingdom: to the eldest Dpal-gyi-gon, Maryul of Mngah-ris, the inhabitants using black bows; Ru-thogs of the east and the goldmine of Hgog; nearer this way Lde-mchog-dkar-po; at the frontier Ra-ba-dmar-po; Wam-le, to the top of the pass of the Yi-mig rock.” It is evident that Rudok was an integral part of Ladakh. Even after the family partition, Rudok continued to be part of Ladakh. Maryul meaning lowlands was a name given to a part of Ladakh. Even at that time(in the 10^th century), Rudok was an integral part of Ladakh and Lde-mchog-dkar-po (Demchok) was an integral part of Ladakh.

Faced with the Islamic conquest of South Asia in the 13^th century, Ladakh chose to seek and accept guidance in religious matters from Tibet. For nearly two centuries until about 1600, Ladakh was subject to raids and invasions from neighboring Muslim states. Some of the Ladakhis converted to Islam during this period. Between the 1380s and early 1510s, many Islamic missionaries propagated Islam and proselytized the Ladakhi people. Important Sufi missionaries propagated Islam to the locals; Mir Sayyid Ali was the first one to make Muslim converts in Ladakh and is often described as the founder of Islam in Ladakh. Several mosques were built in Ladakh during this period, including in Mulbhe, Padum and Shey, the capital of Ladakh. His principal disciple, Sayyid Muhammad Nur Baksh also propagated Islam to Ladakhis and the Balti people rapidly converted to Islam. Noorbakshia Islam is named after him and his followers are only found in Baltistan and Ladakh. During his youth, Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin expelled the mystic Sheikh Zain Shahwalli for showing disrespect to him. The sheikh then went to Ladakh and proselytized many people to Islam. In 1505, Shamsuddin Iraqi, a noted Shia scholar, visited Kashmir and Baltistan. He helped in spreading Shia Islam in Kashmir and converted the overwhelming majority of Muslims in Baltistan to his school of thought. It is unclear what happened to Islam after this period and it seems to have received a setback. Mirza Muhammad Haidar Dughlat who invaded and briefly conquered Ladakh in 1532, 1545 and 1548, does not record any presence of Islam in Leh during his invasion although Shia Islam and Noorbakshia Islam continued to flourish in other regions of Ladakh.”

Thikse Monastery, Ladakh
“King Bhagan reunited and strengthened Ladakh and founded the Namgyal dynasty (Namgyal means “victorious” in several Tibetan languages) which survives to today. The Namgyals repelled most Central Asian raiders and temporarily extended the kingdom as far as Nepal. During the Balti invasion led by Raja Ali Sher Khan Anchan, many Buddhist temples and artifacts were damaged. According to some accounts after the Namgyals were defeated, Jamyang gave his daughter’s hand in marriage to the victorious Ali. Ali took the king and his soldiers as captives. Jamyang was later restored to the throne by Ali and was then given the hand of a Muslim princess in marriage whose name was Gyal Khatun or Argyal Khatoom upon the condition that she would be the first queen and her son will become the next ruler. Historical accounts differ upon who her father was. Some identify Ali’s ally and Raja of Khaplu Yabgo Shey Gilazi as her father, while others identify Ali himself as the father. In the early 17th century efforts were made to restore destroyed artifacts and gonpas by Sengge Namgyal, the son of Jamyang and Gyal and the kingdom expanded into Zangskar and Spiti. However, despite a defeat of Ladakh by the Mughals, who had already annexed Kashmir and Baltistan, it retained its independence.

It appears that the Balti conquest of Ladakh took place in about 1594 AD which was the era of Namgyal dynasty by Balti king Ali Sher Khan Anchan. Legends show that the Balti army, obsessed with success, advanced as far as Purang, in the valley of Mansarwar Lake, and won the admiration of their enemies and friends. The Raja of Ladakh sued for peace and, since Ali Sher Khan’s intention was not to annex Ladakh, he agreed subject to the condition that the village of Ganokh and Gagra Nullah should be ceded to Skardu and he (the Ladakhi Raja) should pay annual tribute. This tribute was paid through the Gonpa (monastery) of Lama Yuru till the Dogra conquest of Ladakh. Hashmatullah records that the Head Lama of the said Gonpa had admitted before him the payment of yearly tribute to Skardu Darbar till the Dogra conquest of Ladakh.

Islam begin to take root in the Leh area in the beginning of the 17^th century after the Balti invasion and the marriage of Gyal to Jamyang. A large group of Muslim servants and musicians were sent along with Gyal to Ladakh and private mosques were built where they could pray. The Muslim musicians later settled in Leh. Several hundred Baltis migrated to the kingdom and according to oral tradition many Muslim traders were granted land to settle. Many other Muslims were invited over the following years for various purposes.

In the late 17^th century, Ladakh sided with Bhutan in its dispute with Tibet which, among other reasons, resulted in its invasion by the Tibetan Central Government. This event is known as the Tibet-Ladakh-Mughal war of 1679-1684. Kashmiri historians assert that the king converted to Islam in return for the assistance by Mughal Empire after this, however Ladakhi chronicles do not mention such a thing. The king agreed to pay tribute to the Mughals in return for defending the kingdom. The Mughals however withdrew after being paid off by the 5^th Dalai Lama. With the help of reinforcements from Galdan Boshugtu Khan, Khan of the Zungar Empire, the Tibetans attacked again in 1684. The Tibetans were victorious and concluded a treaty with Ladakh, and then retreated back to Lhasa in December 1684. The Treaty of Tingmosgang in 1684 settled the dispute between Tibet and Ladakh but severely restricted Ladakh’s independence. In 1834, the Dogra Zorawar Singh, a general of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, invaded and annexed Ladakh to the Sikh Empire. After the defeat of the Sikhs in the Second Anglo-Sikh War, the province of Jammu & Kashmir was transferred to Gulab Singh, to be ruled under British suzerainty as a princely state. A Ladakhi rebellion in 1842 was crushed and Ladakh was incorporated into the Dogra state of Jammu & Kashmir. The Namgyal family was given the jagir of Stok, which it nominally retains to this day. European influence began in Ladakh in the 1850s and increased. Geologists, sportsmen and tourists began exploring Ladakh. In 1885, Leh became the headquarters of a mission of the Moravian Church.

Ladakh was claimed as part of Tibet by Phuntsok Wangyal, a Tibetan Communist leader. At the time of the partition of India in 1947, the Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession to India. Pakistani raiders had reached Ladakh and military operations were initiated to evict them. The wartime conversion of the pony trail from Sonamarg to Zoji La by army engineers permitted tanks to move up and successfully capture the pass. The advance continued. Dras, Kargil and Leh were liberated and Ladakh cleared of the infiltrators.

In 1949, China closed the border between Nubra and Xinjiang, blocking old trade routes. In 1955 China began to build roads connecting Xinjiang and Tibet through this area. It also built the Karakoram highway jointly with Pakistan. India built the Srinagar-Leh Highway during this period, cutting the journey time between Srinagar and Leh from 16 days to 2. The route, however, remains closed during the winter months due to heavy snowfall. Construction of a 6.5km tunnel across Zoji La pass (was recently constructed) to make the route functional throughout the year. The entire state of Jammu & Kashmir continues to be the subject of a territorial dispute between India, Pakistan and China. The Kargil War of 1999, codenamed “Operation Vijay” by the Indian Army, saw infiltration by Pakistani troops into parts of Western Ladakh, namely Kargil, Dras, Mushkoh, Batalik and Chorbatla, overlooking key locations on the Srinagar-Leh highway. Extensive operations were launched in high altitudes by the Indian Army with considerable artillery and air force support. Pakistani troops were evicted from the Indian side of the Line of Control which the Indian government ordered was to be respected and which was not crossed by Indian troops. The Indian government was criticized by the Indian public because India respected geographical co-ordinates more than India’s opponents: Pakistan and China.

In 1984 the Siachen Glacier area in the northernmost corner of Ladakh became the venue of a continuing military standoff between India and Pakistan in the highest battleground in the world. The boundary here was not demarcated in the 1972 Simla Agreement beyond a point named NJ9842. In 1984 India occupied the entire Siachen Glacier and by 1987 the heights of the Saltoro Ridge which borders the glacier to the west, with Pakistan troops in the glacial valleys and on the ridges just west of the Saltoro Ridge crest. This status has remained much the same since, and a ceasefire was established in 2003.

The Ladakh region was bifurcated into the Kargil and Leh districts in 1979. In 1989, there were violent riots between Buddhists and Muslims. Following demands for autonomy from the Kashmiri dominated state government, the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council was created in the 1990s. Leh and Kargil Districts now each have their own locally elected Hill Councils with some control over local policy and development funds. In 1991, a Peace Pagoda was erected in Leh by Nipponzan Myohoji.

There is a heavy presence of Indian Army and Indo-Tibetan Border Police forces in Ladakh. These forces and People’s Liberation Army forces from China have, since the 1962 Sino-Indian War, had frequent stand-offs along the Lakakh portion of the Line of Actual Control. The stand-off involving the most troops was in September 2014 in the disputed Chumar region when 800 to 1000 Indian troops and 1500 Chinese troops came into close proximity to each other.”

Geography of Ladakh
“Ladakh is the highest plateau in the state of Jammu & Kashmir with much of it being over 3000m (9800′). It extends from the Himalayan to the Kunlun Ranges and includes the upper Indus River valley. Historically, the region included the Baltistan (Baltiyul) valleys (now mostly in Pakistani administered part of Kashmir), the entire upper Indus Valley, the remote Zanskar, Lahaul and Spiti to the south, much of Ngari including the Rudok region and Guge in the east, Aksai Chin in the northeast, and the Nubra Valley to the north over Khardong La in the Ladakh Range. Contemporary Ladakh borders Tibet to the east, the Lahaul and Spiti regions to the south, the Vale of Kashmir, Jammu and Baltiyul regions to the west, and the southwest corner of Xinjiang across the Karakoram Pass in the far north. The historic but imprecise divide between Ladakh and the Tibetan Plateau commences in the north in the intricate maze of ridges east of Rudok including Aling Kangri and Mavang Kangri, and continues southeastward toward northwestern Nepal. Before partition, Baltistan, now under Pakistani control, was a district in Ladakh. Skardu was the winter capital of Ladakh, while Leh was the summer capital.

The mountain ranges in this region were formed over 45 million years by the folding of the Indian plate into the more stationary Eurasian Plate. The drift continues, causing frequent earthquakes in the Himalayan region. The peaks in the Ladakh Range are at a medium altitude close to the Zoji La (5000–5500m or 16,000–18,050′) and increase toward southeast, culminating in the twin summits of Nun & Kun (7000m or 23,000′).

The Suru and Zanskar valleys form a great trough enclosed by the Himalayas and the Zanskar Range. Rangdum is the highest inhabited region in the Suru valley, after which the valley rises to 4400m (14,400′) at Pensi La, the gateway to Zanskar. Kargil, the only town in the Suru valley, is the second most important town in Ladakh. It was an important staging post on the routes of the trade caravans before 1947, being more or less equidistant, at about 230 km from Srinagar, Leh, Skardu and Padum. The Zanskar valley lies in the troughs of the Stod and the Lungnak Rivers. The region experiences heavy snowfall; the Pensi La is open only between June and mid-October. Dras and the Mushkoh Valley form the western extremity of Ladakh.

The Indus River is the backbone of Ladakh. Most major historical and current towns – Shey, Leh, Basgo and Tingmosgang (but not Kargil) – are close to the Indus River. After the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947, the stretch of the Indus flowing through Ladakh became the only part of this river, which is greatly venerated in the Hindu religion and culture, that still flows through India.

The Siachen Glacier is in the eastern Karakoram Range in the Himalaya Mountains along the disputed India-Pakistan border. The Karakoram Range forms a great watershed that separates China from the Indian subcontinent and is sometimes called the “Third Pole.” The glacier lies between the Saltoro Ridge immediately to the west and the main Karakoram Range to the east. At 76km long, it is the longest glacier in the Karakoram and second-longest in the world’s non-polar areas. It falls from an altitude of 5753m (18,875′) above sea level at its source at Indira Col on the China border down to 3620m (11,880′) at its snout. Saser Kangri is the highest peak in the Saser Muztagh, the easternmost subrange of the Karakoram Range in India, Saser Kangri I having an altitude of 7672m (25,171′).”

Monthly Average Temperature in Leh
“The Ladakh Range has no major peaks; its average height is a little less than 6000m (20,000′), and few of its passes are less than 5000m (16,000′). The Pangong Range runs parallel to the Ladakh Range for about 100 km northwest from Chushul along the southern shore of the Pangong Lake. Its highest point is about 6,700m (22,000 ft) and the northern slopes are heavily glaciated. The region comprising the valley of the Shayok and Nubra rivers is known as Nubra. The Karakoram Range in Ladakh is not as mighty as in Baltistan. The massifs to the north and east of the Nubra–Siachen line include the Apsarasas Group (highest point 7245m; 23,770′) the Rimo Muztagh (highest point 7385m; 24,229′) and the Teram Kangri Group (highest point 7464m; 24,488′) together with Mamostong Kangri (7526m; 24,692′) and Singhi Kangri (7202m; 23,629′). North of the Karakoram lies the Kunlun. Thus, between Leh and eastern Central Asia there is a triple barrier — the Ladakh Range, Karakoram Range, and Kunlun. Nevertheless, a major trade route was established between Leh and Yarkand.

Ladakh is a high-altitude desert as the Himalayas create a rain shadow, generally denying entry to monsoon clouds. The main source of water is the winter snowfall on the mountains. Recent flooding in the region (e.g., the 2010 floods) has been attributed to abnormal rain patterns and retreating glaciers, both of which have been found to be linked to global climate change. The Leh Nutrition Project, headed by Chewang Norphel, also known as the “Glacier Man”, creates artificial glaciers as one solution for retreating glaciers.

The regions on the north flank of the Himalayas – Dras, the Suru Valley and Zanskar – experience heavy snowfall and remain cut off from the rest of the region for several months in the year, as the whole region remains cut off by road from the rest of the country. Summers are short, though they are long enough to grow crops. The summer weather is dry and pleasant. Temperature ranges are from 3 to 35 °C in summer and minimums range from -20 to -35 °C in winter.

The Zanskar River is the main river of the region along with its tributaries. The Zanskar River becomes frozen during the winter, and the famous Chadar trek takes place on this magnificent frozen river.”

Fauna & Flora of Ladakh
“Vegetation is extremely sparse in Ladakh except along streambeds and wetlands, on high slopes, and in irrigated places. The first European to study the wildlife of this region was Ferdinand Stoliczka, an Austrian-Czech paleontologist who carried out a massive expedition there in the 1870s.

The fauna of Ladakh has much in common with that of Central Asia in general and that of the Tibetan Plateau in particular. Exceptions to this are the birds, many of which migrate from the warmer parts of India to spend the summer in Ladakh. For such an arid area, Ladakh has a great diversity of birds — a total of 225 species have been recorded. Many species of finches, robins, redstarts (like the black redstart), and the hoopoe are common in summer. The brown-headed gull is seen in summer on the Indus and on some lakes of the Changthang. Resident water-birds include the brahminy duck, also known as the ruddy sheldrake, and the bar-headed goose. The black-necked crane, a rare species found scattered in the Tibetan plateau, is also found in parts of Ladakh. Other birds include the raven, Eurasian magpie, red-billed chough, Tibetan snowcock, and chukar. The lammergeier, Himalayan griffin and the golden eagle are common raptors here, especially in Changthang region.

The endangered black-necked crane, Grus nigricollis, breeds in Ladakh. It is the state bird of Jammu & Kashmir. The bharal or blue sheep is the most abundant mountain ungulate in the Ladakh region, although it is not found in some parts of Zangskar and Sham areas. The Asiatic ibex is a very elegant mountain goat that is distributed in the western part of Ladakh. It is the second most abundant mountain ungulate in the region with a population of about 6000 individuals. It is adapted to rugged areas where it easily climbs when threatened. The Ladakhi Urial is another unique mountain sheep that inhabits the mountains of Ladakh. The population is declining, however, and there are not more than 3000 individuals left in Ladakh. The urial is endemic to Ladakh, where it is distributed only along two major river valleys: the Indus and Shayok. The animal is often persecuted by farmers whose crops are allegedly damaged by it. Its population declined precipitously in the last century due to indiscriminate shooting by hunters along the Leh-Srinagar highway. The Tibetan argali or nyan is the largest wild sheep in the world, standing 3.5 to 4 feet at the shoulder with the horn measuring 90–100 cm. It is distributed on the Tibetan plateau and its marginal mountains encompassing a total area of 2.5 million km2. There is only a small population of about 400 animals in Ladakh. The argali prefers open and rolling terrain as it runs, unlike wild goats that climb into steep cliffs, to escape from predators. The endangered Tibetan antelope, known as chiru in Indian English, or Ladakhi tsos, has traditionally been hunted for its wool (shahtoosh) which is a natural fiber of the finest quality and thus valued for its light weight and warmth and as a status symbol. The wool of chiru must be pulled out by hand, a process done after the animal is killed. The fiber is smuggled into Kashmir and woven into exquisite shawls by Kashmiri workers. Ladakh is also home to the Tibetan gazelle, which inhabits the vast rangelands in eastern Ladakh bordering Tibet.”

Kiang (Tibetan Wild Ass)
“The kiang, or Tibetan wild ass, is common in the grasslands of Changthang, numbering about 2,500 individuals. These animals are in conflict with the nomadic people of Changthang who hold the kiang responsible for pasture degradation. There are about 200 snow leopards in Ladakh of an estimated 7,000 worldwide. The Hemis High Altitude National Park in central Ladakh is an especially good habitat for this predator as it has abundant prey populations. The Eurasian lynx, is another rare cat that preys on smaller herbivores in Ladakh. It is mostly found in Nubra, Changthang and Zanskar. The Pallas’s cat, which looks somewhat like a house cat, is very rare in Ladakh and not much is known about the species. The Tibetan wolf, which sometimes preys on the livestock of the Ladakhis, is the most persecuted amongst the predators. There are also a few brown bears in the Suru valley and the area around Dras. The Tibetan sand fox has been discovered in this region. Among smaller animals, marmots, hares, and several types of pika and vole are common.

Scant precipitation makes Ladakh a high-altitude desert with extremely scarce vegetation over most of its area. Natural vegetation mainly occurs along water courses and on high altitude areas that receive more snow and cooler summer temperatures. Human settlements, however, are richly vegetated due to irrigation. Natural vegetation commonly seen along water courses includes seabuckthorn, wild roses of pink or yellow varieties, tamarisk, caraway, stinging nettles, mint, Physochlaina praealta, and various grasses. Natural vegetation in unirrigated desert around Leh includes capers (Capparis spinosa), Nepeta floccosa, globe thistle (Echinops cornigerus), Ephedra gerardiana, rhubarb, Tanacetum spp., several artemisias, Peganum harmala, and several other succulents. Juniper trees grow wild in some locations and are usually considered sacred by Buddhists.

Human settlements are marked by lush fields and trees, all irrigated with water from glacial streams, springs, and rivers. Higher altitude villages grow barley, peas, and vegetables, and have one species of willow (called drokchang in Ladakhi). Lower villages also grow wheat, alfalfa, mustard for oil, grapes, and a greater variety of vegetables. Cultivated trees in lower villages include apricots, apples, mulberries, walnuts, balsam poplars, Afghan poplars, oleaster (Elaeagnus angustifolia), and several species of willow (difficult to identify, and local names vary). Elms and white poplars are found in the Nubra Valley, and one legendary specimen of white poplar grows in Alchi in the Indus Valley. Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), Himalayan cypress and horse chestnut have been introduced since the 1990s.”

Government & Politics of Ladakh
“Ladakh district was a district of the Jammu & Kashmir state of India until 1 July 1979 when it was divided into Leh district and Kargil district. Each of these districts is governed by a Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, which is based on the pattern of the Darjeeling Gorkha Autonomous Hill Council. These councils were created as a compromise solution to the demands of Ladakhi people to make Leh a union territory.

In October 1993, the Indian government and the State government agreed to grant each district of Ladakh the status of Autonomous Hill Council. This agreement was given effect by the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council Act, 1995. The council came into being with the holding of elections in Leh District on 28 August 1995. The inaugural meeting of the council was held at Leh on 3 September 1995. Kargil, later, adopted the Hill council in July 2003, when the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council — Kargil was established. The council works with village panchayats to take decisions on economic development, healthcare, education, land use, taxation, and local governance which are further reviewed at the block headquarters in the presence of the chief executive councilor and executive councilors. The government of Jammu and Kashmir looks after law and order, the judicial system, communications and the higher education in the region.”

Economy of Ladakh
“The land is irrigated by a system of channels which funnel water from the ice and snow of the mountains. The principal crops are barley and wheat. Rice was previously a luxury in the Ladakhi diet, but, subsidized by the government, has now become a cheap staple. Naked barley (Ladakhi: nas, Urdu: grim) was traditionally a staple crop all over Ladakh. Growing times vary considerably with altitude. The extreme limit of cultivation is at Korzok, on Tsomoriri Lake, at 4,600m (15,100 ft), widely considered to be the highest fields in the world.

A minority of Ladakhi people were also employed as merchants and caravan traders, facilitating trade in textiles, carpets, dyestuffs and narcotics between Punjab and Xinjiang. However, since the Chinese Government closed the borders with Tibet and Central Asia, this international trade has completely dried up. Since 1974, the Indian Government has encouraged a shift in trekking and other tourist activities from the troubled Kashmir region to the relatively unaffected areas of Ladakh. Although tourism employs only 4% of Ladakh’s working population, it now accounts for 50% of the region’s GNP.”

Transport in Ladakh
“Ladakh was the connection point between Central Asia and South Asia when the Silk Road was in use. The 60-day journey on the Ladakh route connecting Amritsar and Yarkand through 11 passes was frequently undertaken by traders till the third quarter of the 19th century. Another common route in regular use was the Kalimpong route between Leh and Lhasa via Gartok, the administrative center of western Tibet. Gartok could be reached either straight up the Indus in winter or through either the Taglang La or the Chang La. Beyond Gartok, the Cherko La brought travelers to the Manasarovar and Rakshastal Lakes, and then to Barka, which is connected to the main Lhasa road. These traditional routes have been closed since the Ladakh-Tibet border was sealed by the Chinese government. Other routes connected Ladakh to Hunza and Chitral but, as in the previous case, there is no border crossing between Ladakh and Pakistan.

In present times, the only two land routes to Ladakh in use are from Srinagar and Manali. Travelers from Srinagar start their journey from Sonamarg, over the Zoji La pass (3,450m; 11,320 ft) via Dras and Kargil (2,750m; 9,020 ft) passing through Namika La (3,700m; 12,100 ft) and Fatu la (4,100m; 13,500 ft). This has been the main traditional gateway to Ladakh since historical times and is now open to traffic from April or May until November or December every year. The newer route is the high altitude Manali-Leh Highway from Himachal Pradesh. The highway crosses 4 passes (Rohtang la (3,978m; 13,051 ft), Baralacha La (4,892m; 16,050 ft), Lungalacha La (5,059m; 16,598 ft) and Taglang La (5325m, 17,470′) and the More Plains, and is open only between May and November when snow is cleared from the road.”

Demographics of Ladakh
“People of Dard descent predominate in Dras and Dha-Hanu areas. The residents of the Dha-Hanu area, known as Brokpa, are followers of Tibetan Buddhism and have preserved much of their original Dardic traditions and customs. The Dards of Dras, however, have converted to Islam and have been strongly influenced by their Kashmiri neighbors. The Mons are believed to be descendants of earlier Indian settlers in Ladakh, and traditionally worked as musicians, blacksmiths and carpenters. The region’s population is split roughly in half between the districts of Leh and Kargil. 76.87% population of Kargil is Muslim, with a total population of 140,802, while that of Leh is 66.40% Buddhist, with a total population of 133,487, as per the 2011 census.

The principal language of Ladakh is Ladakhi, a Tibetan language. Educated Ladakhis usually know Hindi, Urdu and often English. Within Ladakh, there is a range of dialects, so that the language of the Chang-pa people may differ markedly from that of the Purig-pa in Kargil, or the Zanskaris, but they are all mutually comprehensible. Due to its position on important trade routes, the language of Leh is enriched with foreign words. Traditionally, Ladakhi had no written form distinct from classical Tibetan, but a number of Ladakhi writers have started using the Tibetan script to write the colloquial tongue. Administrative work and education are carried out in English; although Urdu was used to a great extent in the past, now only land records and some police records are kept in Urdu.”

Cuisine of Ladakh
“Ladakhi food has much in common with Tibetan food, the most prominent foods being thukpa (noodle soup) and tsampa, known in Ladakhi as ngampe (roasted barley flour). Edible without cooking, tsampa makes useful trekking food. A dish that is strictly Ladakhi is skyu, a heavy pasta dish with root vegetables. As Ladakh moves toward a cash-based economy, foods from the plains of India are becoming more common. As in other parts of Central Asia, tea in Ladakh is traditionally made with strong green tea, butter, and salt. It is mixed in a large churn and known as gurgur cha, after the sound it makes when mixed. Sweet tea (cha ngarmo) is common now, made in the Indian style with milk and sugar. Most of the surplus barley that is produced is fermented into chang, an alcoholic beverage drunk especially on festive occasions.”

Music & Dance of Ladakh
“Traditional music includes the instruments surna and daman (shenai and drum). The music of Ladakhi Buddhist monastic festivals, like Tibetan music, often involves religious chanting in Tibetan as an integral part of the religion. These chants are complex, often recitations of sacred texts or in celebration of various festivals. Yang chanting, performed without metrical timing, is accompanied by resonant drums and low, sustained syllables. Religious mask dances are an important part of Ladakh’s cultural life. Hemis Monastery, a leading center of the Drukpa tradition of Buddhism, holds an annual masked dance festival, as do all major Ladakhi monasteries. The dances typically narrate a story of the fight between good and evil, ending with the eventual victory of the former. Weaving is an important part of traditional life in eastern Ladakh. Both women and men weave, on different looms. Typical costumes include gonchas of velvet, elaborately embroidered waistcoats and boots and hats.”

Sports of Ladakh
“The most popular sport in Ladakh is ice hockey, which is played only on natural ice generally mid-December through mid-February. Cricket is very popular. Archery is a traditional sport in Ladakh, and many villages hold archery festivals, which are as much about traditional dancing, drinking and gambling as about the sport. The sport is conducted with strict etiquette, to the accompaniment of the music of surna and daman (shehnai and drum). Polo, the other traditional sport of Ladakh is indigenous to Baltistan and Gilgit, and was probably introduced into Ladakh in the mid-17th century by King Singge Namgyal, whose mother was a Balti princess. Polo, popular among the Baltis with some support from financial heavyweights, is an annual affair in Drass region of District Kargil.”

Social Status of Women in Ladakh
“A feature of Ladakhi society that distinguishes it from the rest of the state is the high status and relative emancipation enjoyed by women compared to other rural parts of India. Fraternal polyandry and inheritance by primogeniture were common in Ladakh until the early 1940s when these were made illegal by the government of Jammu & Kashmir. However, the practice remained in existence into the 1990s especially among the elderly and the more isolated rural populations (and still exists with the nomads). Another custom is known as khang-bu, or ‘little house’, in which the elders of a family, as soon as the eldest son has sufficiently matured, retire from participation in affairs, yielding the headship of the family to him and taking only enough of the property for their own sustenance. The society is also both maternal and paternal, the tradition of where the groom comes to stay with the bride’s family is not considered a taboo unlike the rest of India. Women enjoy a very high status in society, however, female participation in the politics of the region remains limited.”

Traditional Medicine of Ladakh
“Tibetan medicine has been the traditional health system of Ladakh for over a thousand years. This school of traditional healing contains elements of Ayurveda and Chinese medicine, combined with the philosophy and cosmology of Tibetan Buddhism. For centuries, the only medical system accessible to the people have been the amchi — traditional doctors following the Tibetan medical tradition. Amchi medicine is an important component of public health to this day, especially in remote areas.

Programs by the government, local and international organizations are working to develop and rejuvenate this traditional system of healing. Efforts are underway to preserve the intellectual property rights of amchi medicine for the people of Ladakh. The government has also been trying to promote the sea buckthorn in the form of juice and jam, as it is believed to possess many medicinal properties. This is seen as a means of providing employment to self-help groups in rural Ladakh.”

Education in Ladakh
“Traditionally there was little or nothing by way of formal education except in the monasteries. According to the 2001 census, the overall literacy rate in Leh District is 62% (72% for males and 50% for females), and in Kargil District 58% (74% for males and 41% for females). Traditionally there was little or nothing by way of formal education except in the monasteries. Usually, one son from every family was obliged to master the Tibetan script in order to read the holy books.

The Moravian Mission opened a school in Leh in October 1889, and the Wazir-i Wazarat (ex officio Joint Commissioner with a British officer) of Baltistan and Ladakh ordered that every family with more than one child should send one of them to school. This order met with great resistance from the local people who feared that the children would be forced to convert to Christianity. The school taught Tibetan, Urdu, English, Geography, Sciences, Nature study, Arithmetic, Geometry and Bible study. It is still in existence today. The first local school to provide western education was opened by a local Society called Lamdon Social Welfare Society in 1973. Later, with support from HH Dalai Lama and some international organizations, the school has grown to accommodate approximately two thousand pupils in several branches. It prides itself on preserving Ladakhi tradition and culture.

Schools are well distributed throughout Ladakh but 75% of them provide only primary education. 65% of children attend school, but absenteeism of both students and teachers remains high. In both districts the failure rate at school-leaving level (class X) has for many years been around 50%. Before 1993, students were taught in Urdu until they were 14, after which the medium of instruction shifted to English.

In 1994 the Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL) launched Operation New Hope (ONH), a campaign to provide “culturally appropriate and locally relevant education” and make government schools more functional and effective. Eliezer Joldan Memorial College, a government degree college enables students to pursue higher education without having to leave Ladakh.”
– All Excerpts from Wikipedia

Zanskar
“Zanskar appears as ‘Zangskar’ mostly in academic studies in social sciences (anthropology, gender studies), reflecting the Ladakhi pronunciation, although the Zanskari pronunciation is Zãhar. Older geographical accounts and maps may use the alternate spelling “Zaskar”. An etymological study of the name reveals that its origin might refer to the natural occurrence of copper in this region, the Tibetan word for which is “Zangs”. The second syllable however seems to be more challenging as it has various meanings: “Zangs-dkar” (white copper), “Zangs-mkhar” (copper palace), or “Zangs-skar” (copper star). Others claim it derives from zan = copper + skar = valley … the origin of this name might also be “Zan-mKhar” (food palace), because the staple food crops are so abundant in an otherwise rather arid region. The locally accepted spelling of the name in Tibetan script is zangs-dkar.

Some of the religious scholars of the district, also cited by Snellgrove and Skorupsky (1980) and Crook (1994), hold that it was originally “bzang-dkar”, meaning good (or beautiful) and white. “Good” would refer to the triangular shape of the Padum plain, the triangle being the symbol of Dharma and religion; “white” would refer to the simplicity, goodness, and religious inclinations of the Zanskaris. Thus, even if etymologically it would be more correct to use “Zangskar”, the most frequently found spelling for this region is undoubtedly “Zanskar”.”

History of Zanskar
“The first traces of human activity in Zanskar seem to go back as far as the Bronze Age. Petroglyphs attributed to that period suggest that their creators were hunters on the steppes of central Asia, living between Kazakhstan and China. It is suspected that an Indo-European population known as the Mon might then have lived in this region, before mixing with or being replaced by the next settlers, the Dards. Early Buddhism coming from Kashmir spread its influence in Zanskar, possibly as early as 200 BC. The earliest monuments date from the Kushan period. After this eastward propagation of Buddhism, Zanskar and large parts of the Western Himalaya were overrun in the 7^th century by the Tibetans, who imposed their then animistic Bön religion.

The Zanskar Range is a mountain range in the union territory of Ladakh that separates Zanskar from Ladakh itself. Geologically, the Zanskar Range is part of the Tethys Himalaya, an approximately 100-km-wide synclinorium formed by strongly folded and imbricated, weakly metamorphosed sedimentary series. The average height of the Zanskar Range is about 6,000m.”

Phugtal Monastery (South East Zanskar)
“Buddhism regained its influence over Zanskar in the 8th century when Tibet was also converted to this religion. Between the 10^th and 11^th centuries, two royal houses were founded in Zanskar, and the monasteries of Karsha and Phugtal were built. Until the 15^th century Zanskar existed as a more or less independent Buddhist Kingdom ruled by between two and four related royal families. Since the 15^th century, Zanskar has been subordinate to Ladakh, sharing its fortunes and misfortunes. In 1822 a coalition of Kulu, Lahoul, and Kinnaur invaded Zanskar, plundering the country and destroying the Royal palace at Padum.

In the mid-20^th century, border conflicts between India, Pakistan and China caused Ladakh and Zanskar to be closed to foreigners. During these wars Ladakh lost two thirds of its original territory, losing Baltistan to Pakistan and the Aksai Chin to China. Ladakh and Zanskar, despite a tumultuous history of internal wars and external aggressions, have never lost their cultural and religious heritage since the 8th century. Thanks to its adherence to the Indian Union, this is also one of the rare regions in the Himalaya where traditional Tibetan culture, society, and buildings survived the Chinese Cultural Revolution. In the last twenty years, the opening of a road and the massive influx of tourists and researchers have brought many changes to the traditional social organization of Zanskar. In 2007 the valley suffered its third year of a desert locust infestation with many villages losing their crops. The response of the monasteries was to carry out a puja (prayer ceremony) to get rid of them while the government was advocating the use of insecticides which the Buddhists were reluctant to use, but in some cases were forced to try with as yet undocumented success. In 2008 it was reported that the Locusts had left the central Zanskar plains.”

Geography of Zanskar & Zanskar Mountain Range
“The Zanskar Range is spread over a vast area from southeastern boundaries of the state of Kashmir and extends in the northwest direction to the eastern limits of Baltistan. It separates Ladakh from the valleys of Kashmir and the Chenab River. In other words, it serves as a boundary line between Ladakh region of Kashmir and the remaining two regions of the state (Jammu and the Vale of Kashmir). The 23,000′ (7000m) high peaks Nun & Kun are within this range. Marbal Pass and many other passes which connect Ladakh with Kashmir are in this area, and the 13,000 feet (4000m) high Zoji La pass is in the extreme northwest of Zanskar range. This range, in fact is a branch of the Great Himalayan Range. Many rivers start in different branches of this range flow northward, and join the great Indus River. These rivers include Hanle River, Khurna River, Zanskar River, Suru River (Indus), and the Shingo River. It also separates Kinnaur from Spiti in Himachal Pradesh. The highest peaks of Himachal are in Zanskar range.

Zanskar covers an area of some 7000 square km at an elevation of 3500-7135m. It consists of the country lying along the two main branches of the Zanskar River. The first, the Doda River, has its source near the Pensi La at 4400m, and then flows south-eastwards along the main valley leading towards Padum, the capital of Zanskar.”

Nun & Kun Peaks
“Early exploration of the massif included a visit in 1898 and three visits by Arthur Neve, in 1902, 1904, and 1910. In 1903, Dutch mountaineer Dr. H. Sillem investigated the massif and discovered the high plateau between the peaks; he reached an altitude of 6,400 m (21,000 ft) on Nun. In 1906, noted explorer couple Fanny Bullock Workman and her husband William Hunter Workman, claimed an ascent of Pinnacle Peak. They also toured extensively through the massif and produced a map; however, controversy surrounded the Workmans’ claims, and few trigonometrical points were given for the region, so that the map they produced was not usable.

After unsuccessful attempts to climb the mountain in 1934, 1937, and 1946 the first ascent of Nun was in 1953 by a French-Swiss-Indian-Sherpateam led by Bernard Pierre and Pierre Vittoz, via the west ridge. The summit pair comprised Vittoz, a Moravian missionary to the Tibetans and an experienced alpinist, and Claude Kogan, a pioneering female mountaineer. Since then, other routes have been pioneered.The north-west face was first ascended on October 27. and 28., 1976 by seven climbers from a Czech expedition, led by F. Čejka. The first British ascent was made by Steve Berry and friends via the east ridge in 1981 (his father had attempted Nun in 1946).

Italian mountaineer Mario Piacenza made the first ascent of Kun in 1913, via the north-east ridge. Fifty-eight years passed before the second recorded attempt on the peak, which resulted in a successful ascent by an expedition from the Indian Army.”

Shingo La Pass (Zanskar)
“The second branch is formed by two main tributaries known as Kargiak River, with its source near the Shingo La (5091m) and the Tsarap Chu (River), with its source near the Baralacha La. These two rivers unite below the village of Purne to form the Lungnak River (also known as the Lingti or Tsarap river). The Lungnak river then flows north-westwards along a narrow gorge towards Zanskar’s central valley (known locally as jung-khor), where it unites with the Doda river to form the Zanskar River.”

Zanskar River & the Indus
“The Zanskar River then takes a north-eastern course until it joins the Indus in Ladakh. High mountain ridges lie on both sides of the Doda and Lingti–Kargiak valleys, which run north-west to south-east. To the south-west is the Great Himalayan Range which separates Zanskar from the Kisthwar and Chamba basins. To the north-east lies the Zanskar Range, which separates Zanskar from Ladakh. The only outlet for the whole Zanskar hydrographic system is thus the Zanskar river, which cuts the deep and narrow Zanskar Gorge through the Zanskar range. The Zanskar range spans 640km from the Karcha (Suru) River to the upper Karnali River. Kamet Peak 7756m is the highest point in the range.

These topographical features explain why access to Zanskar is difficult from all sides. Communication with the neighboring Himalayan areas is maintained across mountain passes or along the Zanskar river when frozen. The easiest approach leads from Kargil through the Suru Valley and over the Pensi La. It is along this track that in 1979 the only road in Zanskar was built to connect Padum with the main road from Srinagar into Ladakh. One of the first Tibetologists to spend an extended period in the region was Hungarian scholar Sándor Csoma de Kőrös who spent over a year living in the region in 1823. After being integrated into the newly formed state of India in 1947, Zanskar and the neighboring region of Ladakh were both declared restricted areas and only opened to foreigners in 1974.”

Climate Condition of Zanskar
“Zanskar is a high altitude semi-desert lying on the northern flank of the Himalayan Range. This mountain range acts as a barrier protecting Ladakh and Zanskar from most of the monsoon, resulting in a pleasantly warm and dry climate in the summer. Rain and snowfall during this period are scarce, although recent decades have shown a trend towards increasing precipitation. Several water-driven mills were built during ancient periods of drought at a great distance from the villages, but have been abandoned because running water is now available nearer to the settlements. Zanskari houses, though otherwise well built, are not adapted to the recently increasing rainfall, as their roofs leak, catching their surprised inhabitants unprepared. Most of the precipitation occurs as snowfall during the harsh and extremely long winter period. These winter snowfalls are of vital importance, since they feed the glaciers which melt in the summer and provide most of the irrigation water. Parts of Zanskar valley are considered some of the coldest continually inhabited places in the world.”

Demography of Zanskar
“Zanskar’s population is small, the April 2006 medical census records a population of 13,849 people. Roughly 95% of the inhabitants practice Tibetan Buddhism, while the remainder are Sunni Muslims, whose ancestors settled in Padum and its environs in the 19th century. The majority of Zanskaris are of mixed Tibetan and Indo-European origins; notably Changpa, Dard and Mon. The latter are in fact ethnically Dard, but “Mon” is used in order to distinguish them from later Dard settlers.

The population lives mainly in scattered small villages, the largest being the capital Padum, with nearly 700 inhabitants. Most of the villages are located in the valleys of the Zanskar River and its two main tributaries. Given the isolation of this region, the inhabitants tend towards self-sufficiency, and until recently lived in almost complete autarky. External trade has, however, always been necessary for the acquisition of goods such as tools, jewelery, or religious artifacts.

The Zanskaris’ main occupations are cattle-rearing and farming of land that they almost always own. Cultivable land is scarce, and restricted to alluvial fans and terraces, cultivated fields being rarely found above an altitude of 4000m. The Zanskaris have developed a system of intensive arable agriculture and complex irrigation to produce enough food in these conditions. The scarcity of cultivable land has also resulted in a tendency towards a stable, zero-growth population. An efficient birth-control system in Zanskar has historically been achieved by the common practice of polyandrous marriage, in which several brothers are married to the same wife, and the widespread adoption of a celibate religious life. A high infant mortality rate also contributes to population stability.

In the summer, the women and children stay far away from the villages to tend to the livestock. This system, known as transhumance, is similar to the one found in the Alps where the animals are sent during the summer higher up in the mountains (the alpine meadows) and were kept by the children and women.”

– All Excerpts from Wikipedia

Nubra Valley
The Nubra Valley is defined by the Shyok River, a tributary of the Indus, and the Nubra (or Siachen) River, the valley delineating the Ladakh and Karakoram ranges. The northern reaches of the Nubra Valley border Pakistan and the Siachan Glacier, both sensitive military regions often restricted to tourists. Nubra locals speak Balti (as well as Hindi), as do their neighbors in Baltistan, across the border in Pakistan. The Siachen Glacier is the second longest glacier in the world (with the exception of the polar regions), often referred to as the world’s highest and coldest battlefield, with battles over 6000 meters (which ceased after 2003).

Nubra was once an integral part of the fabled trans-Himalayan trade plied along the Silk Road for millenium, bringing great prosperity to this seemingly remote region. Caravans of camel, horse and yaks transported wool, cloth, opium, animal skins, exotic spices, dies such as indigo, and valuable stones such as turquoise, coral and of course gold. The route was treacherous, crossing high Himalayan passes connecting Leh and Yarkand until 1950 when the borders between China (Tibet) and India were sealed. The remnants of this once-important trade are the Bactrian camels, now used as vehicles to give tourists a taste of Central Asia with rides through the sand dunes between Diskit and Hunder. Nubra’s verdant groves of populars and apricots, and fields of billowing barley, all fed by the Shyok and Nubra Rivers, are an oasis in an otherwise stark environment, coloring the timeless Buddhist monasteries of Deskit, Chamba (Hunder), and Samstannling (Sumur) and Ensa, where the chanting, cymbals and horns of Buddhist monks during their morning pujas reverberate through the valley.

The people of Nubra are an interesting mix of the ethnically Tibetan Ladakhis, and Central Asian inhabitants, with blue or green eyes, fairer skin, sometimes freckles, lighter hair and more sculpted features. There are even rumors of a Greek tribe searching for the tomb of Jesus Christ in this region centuries ago, and eventually settled down in what is now known as Nubra. The locals also raise sheep and goats, as well as keeping the Bactrian camels.

Kashmir & Srinagar
The Vale of Kashmir is one of the most prized jewels of the Indian Himalaya, described by Kashmiris as ‘heaven on earth’, famed for its floating gardens and markets on Dal & Nageen Lakes, the fascinating historic Srinagar, the pashmina weaving and other Kashmiri crafts, its heavenly Mughal Gardens, the Shankaracharya Temple and its wonderful houseboat stays.

Around Srinagar there are some of the most beautiful valleys and villages in the Indian Himalaya, as well as some of the world’s most idyllic alpine scenery. Highlights are Dacigram National Park, Manasbal & Wular Lake (the largest lake in Asia), Yousmarg, Naranag Temple (the oldest in Kashmir), Sonmarg and Pahalgam.

We’ve put together several options to tour Srinagar, Kashmir, the famous lakes with their colorful floating markets and shikaras (long-tail boats), either flying in and out of Srinagar or opting for a stunningly beautiful jeep safari over the renown Koji La pass to Leh and Ladakh for a tour of the Indus Valley and its many Buddhist monasteries. We base our tours in Srinagar, where you stay in style on traditional houseboats on the lake, visit the floating market, old Srinagar and its many mosques and markets and the famous Mughal gardens.

See our Travel Books list for recommendations of books to read on this idyllic, but politically complicated, region of Muslims and Hindu Pandits, a region which wants to be free to choose its own destiny.

LADAKH | GREAT STAYS

We use Hotel Shaynam, Hotel Chospa, Hotel Padma Ladakh and Hotel Omasila as our arrival hotels, depending on availability, your budget and room preferences. We can also book any of the ‘Great Stays’ hotels for you if you’d like to treat yourself to a unique stay in Leh, or elsewhere in Ladakh. Our standard hotel is the Hotel Shaynam where Kim, Lhakpa and the Kamzang Journeys staff stay, a lovely family-run guest house with a blooming garden, deck chairs, tables and umbrellas. We don’t charge a single supplement at Hotel Shaynam, but we do charge single and upgrade supplements for Chospa, Omasila, Hotel Padma Ladakh (see Date & Price tab). Please specify your room preference when booking a trek. Breakfast included in all of the hotels.

Great Stays & Boutique-Luxury in Ladakh
We’re happy to book other hotels of your choice. Splash out on one of Leh’s most luxurious hotels! We will be happy to make any bookings needed …

Hotel Chospa
Hotel Chospa
“Hotel Chospa is a stunning retreat nestled in the heart of the vibrant city centre of Leh, located on the Old Leh Road. This enchanting abode has been curated to cater to the discerning explorer and those who appreciate the finer things in life. Chospa is the union of contemporary hospitality with the scenic and material biome of Ladakh. The architecture mirrors the traditional Ladakhi construction and materiality, rendering an ambience familiar to locals and unique for visitors.”

Dholkar Resort
Dolkhar Resort
“At Dolkhar, inspired by Ladakh’s people, culture, and traditional values, we have built a boutique stay that integrates a little piece of Ladakh with the rest of the world while keeping central our values of conscious, sustainable, and contextual travel. We create spaces that balance the familiarity of comfort with the excitement of embarking on a new journey of discovery. Dolkhar is ideally located in Tukcha at the heart of the main town, Leh – a place that was once a pit stop on the legendary silk route. The boutique stay is close enough so that you have access to everything you might need from the airport to groceries to medical facilities while still being far enough so you hear only the mountains echo.”

The Grand Dragon Ladakh
Grand Dragon Ladakh
“Established in 2007, The Grand Dragon Ladakh, one of the first 5 star hotels in Leh Ladakh, is owned and operated by the Abdu family from Leh, who have more than 40 years of experience welcoming visitors to the beautiful region. It is decorated magnificently with handmade paintings by Gulam Mustafa (the first modern artist of Ladakh) around every corner are reminiscent of royalty.”

Stok Palace Heritage Hotel
Stok Palace
“Occupying a high altar of reverence amongst the people of Ladakh, the Namgyal dynasty has resided in the Stok Palace for centuries now. Opened to the public in 1980 with the blessings of the Dalai Lama, Stok Palace today is a boutique and heritage hotel in Ladakh that encapsulates all that this mysterious and beautiful land is.”

Ladakh Sarai
Ladakh Sarai
“Ladakh Sarai started with an erstwhile adventure travel company, Tiger Tops in Stok which lies below the mighty Stok Kangri Range next to the Stok Palace.”

Chamba Camp
Chamba Camp
“Overlooking snow-capped mountains and Thiksey monastery, The Chamba Camp’s tents are superlative. With four poster beds, power showers, bespoke writing desks & private verandahs this is ‘glamping’ to the nth degree. The food is astounding: haute cuisine in high places.”

The Indus River Camp
I ndus River Camp
“By day, explore the grounds, go on local hikes, visit surrounding monasteries and palaces, take in local culture or go rafting, trekking, cycling or motorbiking. Or pick a book from our well-curated library and read to the sound of flowing water. In the evening, we take guests for a riverside sunset walk, after which the milky way becomes visible with the naked eye. Sit out under the open sky by the warmth of an open fire and look out at the moon and its craters through our camp telescope.”

The Apricot Tree
The Apricot Tree
“In the most outstanding location, overlooking the flowing River Indus, Apricot Tree is a true escape. With intricate woodwork and ornate, colorful Buddhist paintings there is even a traditional Ladakhi kitchen where meals can be enjoyed. Rooms are large and bright and feature private balconies.”
Nimmu (45 minutes from Leh)

Nimmu House
Nimmu House
“Housed in a traditional Ladakhi stately home this property provides a choice between tented accommodation or rooms in the house. All are effortlessly chic combining modern muted palettes and traditional Ladakhi fabrics and textiles. The food is superb, both French and Ladakhi and all included.”
45 minutes from Leh

Saboo Resorts
Saboo Resorts
“Comprised of 15 traditional yet modern Ladakhi cottages, all with stunning mountain views. There is a restaurant serving Indian, Ladakhi and Tibetan dishes. Dining under the stars, next to the bonfire proves very popular. A perfect location for exploring the Ladakh valley”
Saboo, 30 minutes from Leh

The Unalome Resort (Diskit, Nubra)
The Unalome Resort
“The Unalome Resort is a tranquil and enchanting retreat nestled amidst the majestic landscapes of Diskit, Nubra Valley in Ladakh. Our resort offers a serene escape, allowing you to immerse yourself in the natural splendour and cultural richness of this captivating region.”

Lchang Nang Retreat (Sumur, Nubra)
Lchang Nang
“Lchang Nang retreat – The House of Trees is an eco-conscious luxury hotel and resort in Nubra Valley that celebrates local experiences, people, and culture. Located in the fabled Nubra Valley of Ladakh, on the banks of the Nubra River and on the last stop of the ancient Silk Route. The resort is the very example of a successful and sustainable eco-resort.”

Organic Boutique Hotel (Sumur, Nubra)
Organic Boutique Hotel
A beautiful hotel with large organic gardens, rooms with wooden decks or boutique tents in the willow-shaded alleys of lovely Hunder, in Nubra …

Nubra Eco Lodge (Sumur, Nubra)
Nubra Eco Lodge
“A family run ecotourism venture, located near Sumur sand dunes in the Nubra Valley. The landscape facing the confluence of Shyok and Nubra rivers is the natural habitat for seabuckthorn, wild flowers and desert wildlife. The 11 acre farm with our family home, has been planted with poplar, willow, apricot and apple trees, along with vegetable gardens. It commands a 360 degree view of the Karakoram mountains, the sand dunes and the nubra river.

A large open deck facing the valley near the vegetable garden is used as a lounge or for dining in fair weather. Ideal location to go for long walks along the Sumur sand dunes and the Nubra River. We recommend a minimum two days stay to enjoy the Nubra experience.”

Lotus Eco Resort (Sumur, Nubra)
Lotus Eco Resort
“Situated in the heart of Nubra Valley at a walking distance from the famous sand dunes. Lotus Eco Resort – The Mud House is spread in a sprawling green area of about 4 acres amidst Apricot, willow and poplar trees. Lotus Eco Resort – The Mud House has a well furnished 12 suites embedded with all the modern facilities and yet traditional in all ways, each of the suites is equipped with a beautiful fireplace and couches to sit around.”

Organic Boutique Resort (Hunder, Nubra)
Organic Boutique Resort
“A luxurious hotel which offers peaceful stay at a very attractive location near to nature”. And wonderful organic gardens, with a choice of rooms or semi-luxury tents …

Yourdum Guest House (Hundur, Nubra)
Yourdum Guest House

Pangong Sarai (Pangong Lake, Maan)
Pangong Sarai
“Just like the firefly looks for the undisturbed nature for its environment, Pangong Sarai turns into the home to the migrants in the disconnection. Pangong Tso lake is a surprising marvel in the mountains. The camps give a brave ordeal to the explorers. Climbing around the mountains, trekking and investigating the untouched land are the essentials of being here. We serve you with the flavors of Ladakh in the Pangong style to enrich you in the extreme.”

Spinney Cottage (Pangong Lake, Merak)
Spinney Cottage
“Nestled amidst the stunning landscape of Pangong Lake, our resort boasts 12 cozy wooden cottages, each offering a breathtaking view of the tranquil waters and majestic mountains.”

Ralpa Homestay (Pangong Lake, Merak)
Ralpa Homestay
“A serene retreat on the tranquil shores of Pangong Lake in Merak, Ladakh. Nestled amidst the breathtaking landscapes of the Himalayas, this cozy homestay provides guests with a blend of traditional Ladakhi hospitality and modern comforts. Visitors can enjoy stunning lake views, relish homemade Ladakhi cuisine, and experience the warmth of local culture in a peaceful and picturesque setting, making it an ideal escape for nature lovers and adventure seekers alike.”

Sakti Villa (Sakti, Wari La Chemrey Valley)
Sakti Villa

Solpon Homestay (Sakti, Wari La Chemrey Valley)
Solpon Homestay

Holiday Inn (Hanle)
Holiday Inn Hanley
“Hotel Holiday Inn Hanley is located in historic Hanle village. It is the site of the 17th century Hanle Monastery (gompa) of the Drukpa Kagyu branch of Tibetan Buddhism. Hanle is located in the Hanle River valley on an old branch of the ancient Ladakh –Tibet trade route. More recently, Hanle is the home of Hanle observatory, one of the world’s highest sites for astronomical observation.”
Tsering Angmo (Leh): 6899581464

DELHI & RAJASTHAN | GREAT STAYS

There are many great stays in Delhi and Rajasthan; we’ve listed just a few …

Delhi & Rajasthan | 5-Star Hotels
If you want to treat yourself at a five-star hotel, book a room at The Imperial Hotel, the Taj Mahal or the Aman Resort before or after the trek. It’s a great way to wind down from travels or after a trek! All have spas, pools, gardens and many world-class cafes, restaurants and bars within the air conditioned complexes. Room rates vary considerably depending on the season.

The Imperial ($$$)
The Imperial

Taj Mahal Hotel ($$$$)
Taj Mahal

Aman Resorts ($$$$)
Aman Resorts

Delhi | Stylish Hotels
Easy choices …

Bloom Rooms ($$-$$$)
Bloom Rooms

Colonel’s Retreat ($$-$$$)
Colonel’s Retreat

Ahuja Residences ($$$)
Ahuja Residences

Lutyens Bungalow ($$)
Lutyens Bungalow

Delhi | Homestays
Homestays are increasingly becoming popular in Delhi. Search on-line for a good one; they usually provide breakfast, and dinner if requested.

KIM BANNISTER PHOTOGRAPHY | HIMALAYAN TREKS, CYCLE TRIPS & TRAVELS
Kim Bannister Photography

CYCLE THE HIMALAYA PHOTOS
Guided Cycling Trips

KAMZANG JOURNEYS | ALL ABOUT US IN PHOTOS
Explore Kamzang Journeys

KAMZANG JOURNEYS | YELLOW TENT PHOTOS
The Yellow Tent of Eternal Happiness

HIMALAYAN WILDLIFE, BIRDS & FLOWERS PHOTOS
Himalayan Wildlife, Birds & Plants

HIMALAYAN DESIGN & CULTURAL PHOTOS
Himalayan Design & Cultural Photos

KAMZANG JOURNEYS GROUP PHOTOS
Kamzang Journeys Groups

KAMZANG JOURNEYS STAFF PHOTOS
Kamzang Journeys Staff

THE KAMZANG FUND & KAMZANG KIDS PHOTOS
The Kamzang Fund

NEPAL JOURNEYS PHOTOS
Nepal Journey

INDIA JOURNEY PHOTOS
India Journeys

TIBET JOURNEYS PHOTOS
Tibet Journeys

BHUTAN JOURNEYS PHOTOS
Bhutan Journeys

MYANMAR (BURMA) JOURNEYS PHOTOS
Myanmar (Burma) Photos

MONGOLIA JOURNEYS PHOTOS
Mongolia Journeys

SOUTHEAST ASIA PHOTOS
South East Asia Photos

Ultimate Ladakh & Zanskar | Sky Kingdoms & Jumlam River Route Camping Trek

(Dibling, Zangla & Shade River Valleys to Central Zanskar & Surichen La Pass)
Ladakh Himalayan Trek

Ultimate Trek

Shorter Treks

Itinerary

Highlights & Reviews

Date & Price

Contact & Details

Arrival India

Gear

Ladakh, Nubra & Kashmir Extensions

Ladakh & Zanskar

Nubra

Kashmir & Srinagar

Great Stays

Photos

Ultimate Ladakh & Zanskar | Sky Kingdoms & Jumlam River Route Camping Trek

(Dibling, Zangla & Shade River Valleys to Central Zanskar & Surichen La Pass) Ladakh Himalayan Trek

Ultimate Trek

Shorter Treks

Itinerary

Highlights & Reviews

Date & Price

Contact & Details

Arrival India

Gear

Ladakh, Nubra & Kashmir Extensions

Ladakh & Zanskar

Nubra

Kashmir & Srinagar

Great Stays

Photos

(Dibling, Zangla & Shade River Valleys to Central Zanskar & Surichen La Pass)
Ladakh Himalayan Trek