Sky Kingdoms Camping Trek | Ladakh & Zanskar River Valleys & Passes Traverse (Randum to Dibling, Zangla & Shade River Valleys to Phuktal Gompa & 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 Hotel Padma Ladakh or Chospa Hotel (just north of Shaynam) or Hotel Omasila (in Changspa, north of the Main Bazaar, close to Shanti Stupa), to upgrade to one of our recommended ‘Great Stays’ (see tab). You might also opt to stay at another boutique hotel in Leh which we can book for you.

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.

We often meet for dinner in the evenings at around 7:30, or you are free to do your own thing for dinner (see Kim’s ‘Leh Cafe & Restaurant’ PDF for suggestions). (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 17^h 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.

Take a walk up bustling Fort Road, lined with shops owned by Kashmiri, Tibetan and Kashmiri shop-keepers, to the crumbling but majestic white-washed Leh Fort and the red, Maitreiya Tsemo Gompa, perched high on a craggy, crumbling hilltop overlooking the bazaars of old Leh. Stop at the 9-story Leh Palace, of a similar architectural design to the Tibetan Potala Palace, on the way down, and visit the museum, a worthwhile endeavor, as well as the nearby gompas (Tibetan Buddhist monasteries) – Soma Gompa, Chamba Lhakhang and Chensrig Lhakhang. Sankar Gompa (17^th  – 18^th c), reached through shady lanes to the east of the Changspa neighborhood, lies in the midst of Chubi and Yourtung’s groves of poplar and willow and is another wonderful morning or afternoon walk, as are the small, shady alleyways often following small waterways which wind their way through the neighborhoods around Leh. 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 and poplar-lined streets of Changspa to reach the many steps leading to the Japanese-built Shanti Stupa for a view over the green fields, ancient stupas, and traditional Ladakhi houses of the villages surrounding Leh.

Don’t miss the Central Asian Museum or the walking tour of the historic buildings of Old Leh run daily out of Lala Cafe. Also recommended, Lena, a very interesting traditional textile shop with fabulous textiles on sale and demonstrations of the techniques, and Ladakh Arts and Media Organization (LAMO). (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 west towards the start of the trek at Mulbekh, a scenic drive through the historical, green Indus Valley. Leaving Leh, we descent to 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 the right. We continue along a cliff-side road past the multi-hued 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 Chaddar (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 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, and soon afterwards we cross the Indus at Khaltse. An hour later are rewarded with the awesome sight of Lamayuru Gompa perched magnificently on a hillside far above the Indus. Another hour brings 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 encounter Muslim villagers as we pass Chortenchan village, the larger Chiktan village 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 in a grassy, willow-shaded location. We’ll introduce you to your tents (everyone with their own yellow 3-person dome tent), our ‘Yellow Tent of Eternal Happiness’ and the rest of the Kamzang campsite. Enjoy a steaming mug of spiced chai, and you have the rest of the afternoon to explore the ancient Mulbekh Monastery complex or wander the shady alleyways around the nearby village. (4-5 hrs drive) (B, L, D)
Distance Driving: 187km

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 1st century BC to 6th century CE, predating Tibetan Buddhism and now-destroyed 6th 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), 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 reach Rangdum Monastery (Gompa) and village, a chance to experience the diversity of the inhabitants of Ladakh and Zanskar along the way. Leaving Mulbekh, we drive 35 km following the Wakka Chu to the road just before Kargil from where we turn left, heading another 140 km through the Suru Valley towards Zanskar!

En route, we’ll pass Muslim villages, children in head-scarves and uniforms leaving school for lunch, and the end of the day, listening to the atmospheric 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 even more scenic as we continue south, with Himalayan peaks in the background as we drive by lovely Suru valley villages, a patchwork of green fields of barley, small vegetable gardens and stone enclosures for the livestock. We pass the large village of Panikhar, 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), 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 spot the 450-year-old Rangdum Gompa, set in the middle of a broad, Tibetan plateau with massive, ancient black, yellow and white chortens surrounding it.

We’ll visit the monastery and then drive or hike the 3 or 4 km to our campsite, situated on the grounds of a traditional Ladakhi house with drying yak dung, wooden ladders and a southwestern-style look, Tsering Palkit (the mother of the house, who lives with her husband and mother in law, has 6 children and is one of 10 siblings) is possibly milking their cows in the evening, with her fuzzy baby yaks grazing nearby. Tsering Palkit is married to an amchi who’s father and grandfather have an incredible ancient prayer room with ancient, priceless statues, definitely worth a visit. She’ll also show us her downstairs kitchen, where she makes and stores her butter. Sunset on the monastery is wonderful, though the view slightly marred by the line of massive electrical poles. (B, L, D)
Distance Driving: 160km

Rangdum Monastery 4030m
“Rangdum Monastery is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery of 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

Day 6 – Trek Colored Rock Yak Camp 4245m 👣 👣 
After breakfast and hot French Press coffee, we leave our campsite at Rangdum (perhaps hitching a ride the 2-3 km to the start of the river valley) and begin our epic Indian Himalaya trek, a west to east traverse of some of the most remote and stunningly beautiful river valleys of Ladakh & Zanskar, crossing high peaks and fording sparkling rivers as we trek.

We being our trek with a sublimely beautiful river walk along the Kanji Nala River, hiking through incredibly colorful mountain wildflower next to, and then high above, the sparkling river. We pass low shrubs chock-a-block with orange ‘bear berries’, and hike past animal tracks such as bear (we saw these right away in 2023, heading towards Rangdum), snow leopard, wolf and fox tracks over the next few days. We have 2 to 3 intersecting stream crossings today, so have a pair of Crocs with you in your pack, especially for the last river just before our camp on the opposite side of the nala. (A nala is a stream or river that is glacier or snow fed, so increases in size during the day.)

We’ll have our packed lunch somewhere along the undulating trail, with hillsides of burnt orange, eggplant, and moss green adorning the remote valley. Our trail is a little trekked one, and many of the doksas, or seasonal settlements, that we trek past haven’t been in use for years. We might see the occasional herd of grazing yaks, if locals do still graze their animals in the valley, but we didn’t see any 2023. Descending steeply to Pabzang Nala, we cross the river and continue along our remote high trail, lined with tall wild grasses, to reach a small valley. We descend, cross a massive craggy rockslide and pass now-unused doksas, followed by a small dry streambed. Ascending out of the valley, we contour across the massive hillside, descend steeply to a deep, lovely valley with steep cliffs on the opposite side and a crystal clear stream which is our campsite!

In 2024, we spotted a moss nest with baby white-throated dippers hidden under the large rock just about a meter above the large stream across from our dining tent, the parents bringing food to this seemingly precarious perch. We were visited by several salt-hungry yaks early afternoon, which we treated to some of our kitchen tent salt … (6 hrs) (B, L, D)
Distance: 11.6 km

Day 7 – Trek Puzdong La Base Camp 4550m 👣 👣
We have an early start (5:30 – 6 am) to reach the large river crossing just before camp. We ascend out of camp to reach the plateau above and head right up the valley for 3 ½ hours to our river crossing, which should be a manageable size earlier in the morning. Our hike is as stunning as yesterday’s, with marmots out sunning themselves on rounded rocks, standing on hind legs to whistle at us when we hike by their burrows. We sometimes see birds of prey (golden eagles and kestrel) in the skies as we continue to hike high above the river, through grass-covered, rocky hillsides, the valley decorated with colorful mountain flowers.

Staying high up on the side of the hillside, we pass the dramatic canyon entrance to the Kanji La valley, followed half an hour later by a green campsite (without a spring) at the next large sumdo (river junction). Continuing to trek up the valley on our high trail, our flower-lined trail become rockier as we head up the river valley on the right of the junction. After about an hour, we descend to a surging river where we used to cross on an old bridge, washed away years ago. We’ll bring our staff, ropes and perhaps a horse if the water is high to cross this river, the reason we’ve left camp early the morning. 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, with yaks grazing along with our horses, full of beautiful mountain flowers including blue delphinium, and Lhakpa’s cairn above camp at Puzdong La Ridge (4660m), a good, short afternoon hike for some great views, including yaks grazing in nearby pastures, and a massive glacier to the valley on our right, amongst the colored rock faces. We spotted a flock of female and young male ibex from camp in 2024. (4 hrs) (B, L, D)
Distance: 8.5 km

Day 8 – Trek Dibling Green Spring Camp 3990m | Cross Puzdong La 5050m 👣 👣
Ahead on our wild Ladakh and Zanskar trek is a sublime, always 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, always with whistling marmots signaling our approach. Trekking along a glacial riverbed, we jump the river (sometimes river shoes needed for the first half hour or so) 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, about 3 hours and just over 4 km from camp, and 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) and stop for a scenic lunch here by the clear stream. Soon after lunch we have a small climb along the left side of the river, soon dropping back down to the valley bottom and passing a large seasonal herding settlement (doksa) of the Dibling inhabitants, 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 our friend in the first doska. 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 at our beautiful camp at the source of a green spring and beside our now muddy and raging river, a location which we’ll share with the local yaks and dzos, just before the T intersection of the Oma Chu.
Distance: 12.3 km

Day 9 – Trek Dibling 3835m 👣 👣
Leaving camp, we trek through a grove of willows and ascend a bit to reach the small wooden bridge crossing our glacial river, generally large even in the morning. Once on the other side of the river, we trek for about 45 minutes to reach a wonderful viewpoint over magical Dibling, and just afterwards the two wooden bridges leading to the lower fields of the village. We pass through Dibling’s extensive, billowing fields of barley and peas, the villagers out in the fields tending to the crops, and hike up to the village and 400-year-old Dibling Gompa, featuring murals painted with natural pigments, and ancient chortens silhouetted against the canyon wall. 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. Dibling, with its white-washed houses, mani walls and prayer wheel, exists timelessly, with dried grass and fodder for the animals, also insulation for the houses, lining the roof-tops in preparation for their harsh winters. 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 wonderful, remote village has 12 houses, approximately 50 inhabitants, and a new school (inaugurated with a festival which we saw in 2024). This remote outpost of traditional Tibetan Buddhist life is always happy to show visitors their traditional lifestyle, although like elsewhere it is quickly modernizing.

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. Enjoy the rest of our (mostly) rest day, and take advantage of the day to explore and have a leisurely day at our grassy campsite, washing with a bucket by the cold spring, or outside on the grass in a camp chair with a book. Spend some of 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. 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. We sat in on a 5 pm puja at the monastery in 2024, with a lama from Dibling, who generally resides in southern India, leading the prayer ceremony. (B, L, D)
Distance: 6.1 km

Day 10 – Trek Lingshed Sumdo (Beach Camp) 3945m 👣 👣
One tributary river crossing day today as we trek up the river valley towards Zanskar, following (and crossing on two bridges) 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 stay on the good trail built for the village kids to get to school safely at Lingshed for much of the morning, staying on the left of the large Oma Chu (river). As we continue, staying above the river, there is a bit of exposed trail, and sometimes ibex sightings. Approximately two hours after leaving camp we’ll climb to a small cairn on a ridge at the sumdo leading to the Marpo La. Just after the sumdo, back along the river, we reach a green doksa where many yaks are generally grazing on the nearby hillsides. We cross the river on a newly built bridge, passing the older one just afterwards, and after another half hour cross the Oma Chu for the last time on another new bridge where we can stop for lunch by the river just past the bridge. We used to have to cross the river 5-7 times, often swollen and challenging. 10 minutes later we reach Lingshed Sumdo at the junction of the Barmi La trail, and hike for 2 ½ km along the newly built road to our still-lovely campsite, another wonderful outdoor bathing spot amongst the green riverside willows, almost unmarred by the road. (6 hrs) (B, L, D)
Distance: 13.2 km

Day 11 – Lingshed Gongma 4010m | Cross Barmi La 4692m 👣 👣
We’ll enjoy coffee and breakfast outdoors before starting our nearly 6 km ascent to the Barmi La pass, which generally takes us 3 – 3 ½ hours. Although marred by the new road, the valley is still beautiful as we criss-crossing the road, sometimes hiking along it as we ascend the narrow, colorful valley towards the Barmi La. About 3 – 3 ½ hours later, we’ve reached the chorten and prayer flags of the pass, and realize the climb was worth the effort for the fabulous views over the Lingshed valley, Lingshed Gompa and Lingshed Ani Gompa (nunnery), with it’s new golden Buddha, from the pass!

After a rest admiring the views, we contour down the hillside, hues of ochre reds, mustard yellows and mossy greens, and are treated to closer views across the different sections of Lingshed, green with its summer harvests and backed by dramatic, craggy rocks. We have the option to hike closer to Lingshed or to continue directly down the valley, the former option requiring an exposed descent of a hillside. We reach our scenic campsite in a sheltered, sparkling valley below the Hanama La just after lunch. There are opportunities to hike up this narrowing valley in the afternoon, and possible blue sheep sightings, or just relax in the lovely spot enjoying the surroundings. (5 hrs) (B, L, D)
Distance: 12.2 km (via Lingshed View Hill)

Lingshed Gompa 4050m
“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

Day 12 – Trek Zingchan 3410m | Cross Hanuma La 4745m 👣 👣
Another epic pass day as we switchback steeply right out of camp for about 2½ hours (and 700 meters) to the Hanuma La, a spectacular narrow chorten-topped craggy pass with expansive views over to Lingshed and further into northern Ladakh. En route, stop for photos at a rocky outcropping, and once on top, enjoy the tremendous views from the generally sheltered pass on top of a slate ridge.

The trail down the valley is gradual at the start, a lovely walk through a mica lined valley, the stream soon appearing again from underneath the shale, past a small doksa, and into a dramatic narrow gorge with layers of sediment and sculpted, colored rock, with a few climbs and descents to get around small cascades. We jump the small river a few times as the valley narrows, with fantastic views as we look out to the swoop of cliffside to the left, and the exposed trail to the right just past Nyertse. From here, we ascend for 15 minutes before hiking carefully across the trail over the gorge cliff, high above the river below, which varies in width according to the season, trekkers and animals crossing it. We reach a dramatic spur at the end of this section of trail, looking down the valley around the corner, with camp and our yellow tents visible below the steep switchbacks. Descending steeply down the valley back down to the Oma Chu, we don’t cross the interesting bridge to the right, instead crossing an intersecting stream at an irrigation ditch to the left, and crossing a small stream (good for washing later) to reach camp.

Our dramatic campsite sits in an amphitheater surrounded by craggy peaks, and grassy valleys, with tomorrow’s steep pass looming above us. Have a wash at the stream, heaven after a long trekking day! (7½ hrs) (B, L, D)
Distance: 14.4km (CHECK STRAVA)

TRAIL NOTE | For those wanting an easier day tomorrow, there is an option to hike for about 1 ½ km, crossing 2 rickety wooden bridges, to reach a flying fox (3740m) across the Zanskar River

Day 13 – Trek Hanamur & Pidmo. Drive Zangla Doksa River Camp | Cross Parfi La 3940m 👣 👣
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 should only take us 1 ½ hours over about 2 ½ km to ascend to the Parfi La; we sometimes spot flocks of blue sheep and ibex along this hillside. 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 Hanamur 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 used to camp just past Pidmo in a green campsite amongst seabuckthorne bushes, a riverside campsite which often gets windy in the late afternoons, but we’ve decided it’s more worthwhile to skip the 2-hour hike and drive to our Zangla Doksa Camp, to enable a full free day at our favorite campsite tomorrow!

ZANGLA DOKSA CAMP DRIVE | We meet our transfer vehicle and drive across the Zanskar River via the Pidmo bridge to reach the plateau on the eastern side of the Zanskar River. Just above is Honya Doksa, the seasonal grazing settlement of the Zangla-pa (pa means people in Tibetan and Ladakhi), with willow trees adding shade and green to the stone-hut grazing settlement.

Driving along the beautifully paved road with Zangla village above, we soon turn right and descend 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 evening. Enjoy the wonderful sunsets; welcome to Zanskar, the land of white copper! (6 – 7 hrs) (B, L, D)
Distance: 17.6 km
Distance Driving: 6.5km

Day 14 – Zangla Doksa River Camp 3430m | Optional Central Zanskar Monasteries Tour
A rest and exploration day in the incredible central Zanskar valley! Options include staying at camp and relaxing in this sublime setting, hiking up and explore the wonderful and historic Zanskari village of Zangla, or getting a group together for an interesting and scenic central Zanskar monastery jeep safari (we’ll arrange a jeep, you can share the cost amongst you), highly recommended. Kim and Lhakpa will head to Padum to resupply for the second half of the trek.

Zangla Village & Fort 👣 👣
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 met the king in Zangla, and one year drove him to and from Padum, obtaining a group photo with the staff on the return trip. He was the same age as the Dalai Lama, a friend of his, but he has since passed away. The King’s house now has a new horse stable in front, 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 19^th 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.

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. The Mons are credited with building 30 monasteries, chortens and temples, including Karsha, Testa, Muni, Phuktal, Pune, Bardal, Padum, Pipting, Stonde, Zangla, and Linshot. – Wikipedia 

Zanskar Valley Monasteries Jeep Tour | Stongde, Karsha, Sani & Pipiting Gompas 🛺 🚘
Get a group together and hire a jeep to visit the fascinating, old gompas of central Zanskar! Leaving Zangla, you’ll drive for 17 km and then take a left steeply up the switchbacking road to Stongde Gompa. After visiting the gompa, you’ll drive to Padum and on to Sani Gompa to the northwest of Padum. From Sani, take the back roads through Techa village to Karsha Gompa and village.

To return, you will pass back through Padum, where you can do some email, pick up produce or supplies at the many shops, or have some momos. 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. En route back to Stongde, make a quick stop at Pipiting Gompa, on a small hill just above Padum, right on the road.

Sani Gompa 3670m
1000-year-old Sani Gompa is situated on the Stod River along the road 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 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 15^th century, with Je Tsongkhapa as its present head. Stongde is the second largest monastery in Zanskar, with approximately 60 monks and many students, renowned 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. You might be able to catch the evening puja in the butter-lamp lit prayer room if you do the trip in reverse, a surreal experience with resonating, deep chanting, cymbals, Tibetan drums, a step back hundreds of years …

Karsha Gompa 3690m
Karsha is 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 (the younger brother of HH the Dalai Lama. 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 Buddhist statues, and ancient rock carvings nearby. There are about 100 resident monks at the monastery, and also houses the nearby Dorje Zong nunnery nearby.

“Karsha Gompa was founded by the translator Phagspa Shesrab, and the monastery is also known by the name Karsha Chamspaling. The oldest remaining structure, an Avalokiteshvara temple, Chuk-shik-jal, contains wall paintings which seem to associate it with the era of Rinchen Zangpo (958–1055). Behind the Ngari Rimpchoche’s seat in the chapel is a statue of Lhaso Cho Rinpoche, brought from Lhasa in the 1960s, with a golden crown decorated with carnelian and turquoise. The most important festival, known as the Karsha Gustor, is held around January, with masked cham dances. A chorten in the precincts of Karsha monastery houses the mummified body of an incarnate lama called the Rinchen Zangpo, sealed in a silver-lined wooden box. Karsha Gompa overlooks the 3-armed valley, with Karsha village in foreground, and sits at the confluence of the Lungtsi River and the Dodi valleys. The Doda River flows past the monastery from its source at the Drang Drung Glacier of the Pensi La. The Zanskar River takes a turn at Karsha, and flows in a northwesterly direction, eventually joining the Indus River near Nimmu in Ladakh.

Dorjee Zong Nunnery, founded in the 14^th century and one of the oldest monastic centers in Zanskar, is located at the top of the valley, and features a sacred image of 11-headed Avaloketeshvara.” – 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 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 recent King of Zangla was 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: 9.5 km (from Zangla Fort)

Day 16 – Trek Pandang La High Camp 4490m 👣 👣
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. We pass Bazza Camp (4250m), a pasture by a clear stream named after our friend 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. Large flocks of 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, dramatic Pangang La High Camp, above a small camping plateau with a very cold spring (our water source is down at the river) and incredible views including tomorrow’s Pandang La. We have encountered a herd of semi-wild Zanskari horses at this camp, possessive of their grazing area and quite aggressive towards our horses. Hike up the hillside for sun later in the afternoon. (5½-6 hrs) (B, L, D)
Distance: 8 – 10 km (CHECK STRAVA)

Day 17 – Trek Kharnak Sumdo River Camp 4390m | Cross Pandang La 5175m 👣 👣
A 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 2½ 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 down the hill at Yangdam Chen (4430m), a green doksa near the river where we have also set up camp for the night. We love our new riverside campsite 45 minutes (2 km) down the valley. We cross the stream from Yangdem Chen, hike about 20 minutes to the main valley, cross the Niru Chu and continue along the opposite banks of the Niri Chu river for the same amount of time on a relatively flat trail. Blue sheep roam the hillsides, and there is also lots of bird life including hoopoes along the riverside amongst the collection of doksas. We pass by a large river valley to the left that leads to the nomadic region of Kharnak, and have to cross the intersecting river here (have your sandals with you), and then recross the Niru Chu, hiking for another 15 minutes to reach our pebbly riverside campsite. We lose the sun at 4:30, so get a wash in before then! I went for a wander up the Kharnak Sumdo in 2023, sat on a rounded river rock and had sun until 5:30, but the Niri Chu came up considerably and I’ll bring trekking poles this year! (6½ hrs) (B, L, D)
Distance: 9.6 km

Day 18 – Trek Mitsik Doksa 4285m | Cross Liyu La 4375m & Lar La 4690m 👣 👣
An adventurous and beautiful river day today, with an incredible array of wildlife amongst 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! We cross the Niri Chu many times throughout the morning, staying mostly at river level. The valley is a dramatic combination of soaring cliff-walls, canyons and green river valleys, lovely. Wear sandals or running shoes out of camp, and have your trekking poles with you, as we have nearly 2 ½ hours of almost continuous crossings before giving our wet sandals to the horses after about 6 km of fun river hiking.

At a small, intersecting stream coming from the left, we change into our hiking shoes and climb for a short time to a grassy plateau, today’s river crossings finished. We soon reach Shade Pullu, a generally unused doksa, and have 45 minutes to an hour of slightly exposed, high trail to reach the ridge-top Liyu La (about 3 ½ hours, 9.25 km from camp) , 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 can refill water before ascending this steep grazing ridge. We can stop for lunch about half way up the steep, switch-backing trail, or at the top if we’re a quick group. The Lar La pass generally takes about 1½ hours to climb from the valley (about 11 km from camp), the craggy rock outcropping at the top a welcome sight! The views from this pass are some of the most breathtaking 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 sometimes get visits from Shade villagers, en route to or from their doksas and Shade. 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) (B, L, D)
Distance: 13.6 km

Day 19 – Trek Shade 4270m | Cross Rotang La 4890m 👣 👣
Our Rotang La climb will take us about 3 hours from camp, hiking somewhat steeply past Rotang Doksa (4470m) where we might find some fresh sheep-milk yogurt if the Shade villagers are camped here. From the doksa the trail switchbacks through pastures of flowers, a bit more gradually than the start of the climb to reach 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 in 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 imposing white-washed chortens, signs of Shade’s importance along the ancient salt trade routes …

Our campsite is just above (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. We’ll head out to explore the village and meet some of our friends in the early afternoon. 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 5 lamas and monks, and 1 ‘chomo’, or nun, residing in the village.

We’ll visit Tashi Dolma (wife) and Japar Chophel (husband), who live in the lowest house of Stongde with their four children (who attend school elsewhere). Japar ‘stole’ Tashi Dolma from Stongde, a tradition still prevalent in several parts of the wider Himalayan regions! We’ll be treated to some salt-butter tea, and perhaps sample some chang (Tibetan barley beer), raksi (alcohol), tsampa, yogurt from the nearby doksa or churpi (dried cheese). And we might have a chance to see Dolma’s amazing Zanskai perak, a head dress adorned with turquoise and silver. Our friend the amchi used to be the headman of the village, but he, his wife and five children, have moved to Leh. Stenzin Padma is one of our young friends from Shade, 25-years-old in 2024, a lovely young woman (who is determined not to get married, always adorned with a headscarf. Her grandmother is ebi Padma Yangen, her father Stendin Orshun and her auntie is the nun Stenzin Lanzom. Rinzin Chondon is another friend who also wears a head scarf, and comes from Tsazar village.

Shade valley is packed with 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. 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) (B, L, D)
Distance: 7.7 km (CHECK STRAVA)

Day 20 – Trek Yatah 3995m 👣 👣
Another fabulous Zanskar 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, 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 far below, we have about ten minutes of slightly exposed trail. Soon the valley opens, the turquoise river takes wide S turns and our canyons become dramatic hoodoos over the riverbed. We see the tiny hamlet of Trantog ahead, with its small Trantrog Gompa (4020m), said to be either 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 on a new (exciting) bridge, 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 1½ 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. We continue on this cliff-side trail to camp at the high grazing pastures of Yatah. Yatah is 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. (6-7 hrs) (B, L, D)
Distance: 15.3 km

Day 21 – Trek Phuktal Gompa & Purne 3830m | Cross Phuktal La 4005m 👣 👣
Another wonderful Zanskari trekking day, starting with a descent of the same 100 meters back down to the main trail. (The other option is to climb 150 meters to the flags at the top of the ridge, descending back down to meet the main trail at the point where we meet the small cantilevered bridge). We trek for 1¼ km along a recently improved trail that used to be a quite treacherous cliffside route, and meet the small bridge, continuing to contour on a good trail high above the Tsarap Chu, passing several small doksas en route. 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 (about 3 ½ hours and 10 km from camp), 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. 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).
Distance: 16.8km (17.12 km to Cha)

Phuktal Gompa 3900m
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 2,550 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

After exploring the gompa and meeting the many young novice monks, we descend, hike past the teahouse (where you can get some WiFi) and down to the Tsarap Chu. We cross this massive river on a long, wooden bridge, after which 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 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, motorcyclists and jeep safaris 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 Norbu, his wife and daughters. 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) (B, L, D)

DRIVING NOTE | Depending on the road conditions, we’ll choose one of the following return routes back to Leh ….

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Day 22 – Drive Photoksar View Camp 4345m | Cross Visit Mune & Bardan Gompas 🛺 🚘
An alternative route via the Zanskar River & Chadar Route, visiting Mune and Bardan moasteries along the way, ending at our fabulous campsite overlooking the scenic Photoksar village and valley. (8 ½ hrs)
Distance Driving:

Day 23 – Drive Leh | Cross (Jeep) Sirsir La 4800m | Visit Wanla Fort & Alchi Gompa 🛺 🚘
Crossing the Sirsir La pass, we pass Hanupatta village before driving through an incredibly scenic gorge, afterwards passing Panjila village. At Wanla, we’ll drive up to Wanla Fort and Monastery for a visit and some fabulous views. Afterwards, we return to the Indus Highway and continue back to Leh.
Distance Driving:

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Day 22 – Drive Kargiak & Sarchu 4200m | Cross (Jeep) Shingo La 4991m 🛺 🚘
An epic driving day, a beautiful day of passing through the traditional, incredibly scenic villages of lower Zanskar, crossing the glaciated Shingo La pass. After descending through a dramatic valley, we reach the Leh – Manali Highway and drive up to Sarchu. We have the option of hiking the first section (see description) or driving directly on the opposite side of the Kargiak Chu (river).

SHORT 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.

DRIVE | 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 Driving: 165km

Day 23 – Drive Leh 🛺 🚘 | Cross (Jeep) Taglang La 5335m (++)
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 Hotel in Leh, hot showers, a celebratory dinner and cold beers are not far away! (5 hrs drive)
Distance Driving: 230km

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 Hotel Shaynam, one of our upgraded hotels, or another 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), Kashmir and Srinagar, sightseeing jeep safaris along the Indus Valley, rafting, bicycling down the Kardung La or around Leh, or any other activity you’re interested in …

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.

Original Surichun (Tseri Chen) La Route
Trek & Drive Kargiak 4015m  
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. Trekking further along the trail past Kuru’s long chain of mani walls, we descend crossing a small stream coming down from our right, and then continue along the river bank for another half an hour. We cross the Kargiak Chu on a large bridge, continuing for another hour or so to the village of Tangze, with its many-hued patchwork of fields. We’ll stop at the small the small teahouse, owned by our friend Sonam Dorje, for a cup of tea if Sonam is around. Above us to the right of the trail is Tangze Gompa, one of the oldest in Zanskar, backed by jagged, dun-colored peaks.

We’ll enjoy the scenic hike to beautiful Kargiak village, the first southern village in Zanskar. Singge comes from this village, and we’ll hope to meet his blind mother who still moves to the doksas to take care of the animals in the summertime. It’s a two to three hour walk each way following the Kargiak Chu through a scenic, green valley dotted with villages, with the Gompa Rangjung monolith looming spectacularly in front of us in the direction of the Shingo La pass to Lahaul. We’ll hike along the opposite side of the river, and visit the lovely and cultural villages of Tangso and Skyng en route, perhaps stopping for a cup of tea at Singge’s cousin’s house. Skyng is always bustling with harvest activity, the golden barley undulating in the wind …

We cross a small bridge over the Kargiak Chu to reach our green, riverside campsite at Kargiak, and then head out to explore the village. 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. (4 hrs,) (B, L, D)
Distance: 9 km

Trek Surichun (Tseri Chen) La High Camp 5010m | Cross Kargiak La 4855m  
An incredible high pass route heading towards the Surichen La and high nomadic plateaus on the other side of the pass. Maps call this the Surichen La, but locals have told us that the real name is Tseri Chen, a sort of pea-like grass that grows in this region. Leaving Kargiak via the southern end of the village, we cross the small stream and ascend on a switchbacking trail, with fabulous views down over Kargiak, Skyng, Tangso and the Gompa Rangjung monolith. We reach the Kargiak La after about 2½ hours of hiking, and after a rest to admire the expansive views over southern Zanskar, we trek towards the right, hiking through an eggplant and jade-colored valley, on a rock and scree trail to reach a small plateau. Continuing for a short time, we reach a second plateau where the staff have set up our high camp amongst lichen-covered rocks, in a local grazing area, which we share with curious marmots. (4½ – 5 hrs, km) (B, L, D)

Trek Chumik Marpo | Cross Surichun La 5620m  
An epic hiking day crossing the high Surichun La, ending up in the same campsite as if we were crossing the Phirtse La, our traditional route leaving Zanskar. Leaving camp, we jump threads of the wide, rocky glacial stream, with snow on some of the peaks above us. We hike through a colorful landscape of lovely rocks, and we ascend several false passes, contouring around hillsides on colorful sand and scree trails to reach our Himalayan pass, actually a sort of double pass with prayer flags on each section. We’ll be rewarded with exceptional mountain vistas at the top!

Descending on steep scree trails, the valley eventually widens, becomes greener as we look down on the valley below. Contouring around the hillside, we pass the ‘red spring water’ (Chumik Marpo), jump the stream, keep descending as the valley widen even more, and eventually reach the wonderful campsite called Chumik Marpo, which overlooks rolling green hills. Chumik Marpo is a green doksa colored with high alpine flowers, overlooking green, rolling rolling hillsides ahead.  (7 – 8 hrs, km) (B, L, D)

Trek Berga Songchak 4410m  
We have 2 river crossing this morning, so have your sandals ready as we trek past marmots and local yaks, grazing in the high, green pastures near our campsite. We hike for about 45 minutes to reach a plateau camp, followed by a stone doksa, and then continue along the same side of the river for another hour to reach the wide and cold crossing, our first of the day, a mossy, somewhat slippery one.

Afterwards more trekking amongst green valleys and lovely rolling hills, a little piece of nomadic paradise in the Indian Himalaya. Valleys to the right lead to snow-peaks and the river grows as glacial melt adds to its volume. Lichen covered granite, weather-worn sedimentary rocks and purple flowers dot the landscape; we start to pass long, ancient mani walls signifying that we’re entering nomadic lands. The walking is easy with flat trails and grass underfoot, with a few small climbs en route. We pass more signs of nomadic existence and then have to cross the wide and often difficult Khamberop Togpo (river) at Kham Krap. We may take people over on horses; at the least use poles and link arms; the river is always wide, but generally not very deep.

These next two days, in the lower reaches of the Himalayan peaks, we often pass local ‘gaddi’ shepherds from Lahaul and the neighboring Hindu valleys with their large flocks of sheep and goats as we continue towards Sarchu, past Kyonon doksa. Eroded hoodoos look like stone-age cathedrals on the opposite side of the river. We trek through this wide expanse of river, green valleys, blue sky and snow peaks, past mani stones with chortens carved into them, and over a few small ridges for an hour before heading directly down through the eroded hoodoos to the river and another idyllic campsite at Berga Songchak, right on the relatively clear river.
(5 hrs, ) (B, L, D)
Distance: 13 km

Trek Chumik Gyartse 4280m  
We continue hiking through this magical nomadic Ladakhi landscape, crossing several more small streams with lots of birdlife, and trekking past ancient rocks deposited by glaciers eons ago. There is a small stream to jump and green springs just past camp, after which we climb briefly back up to the plateau and reach a line of Gadi nomadic doksas.

There are several deep valleys to descend into and climb out of, a few more streams to cross and more green plateaus to hike across until we reach the canyons leading to Sarchu. (Sarchu is across the large Lingti Chu (river) from our campsite at Chumik Gyartse). We descend steeply from the plateau, and just before our old campsite at Sarchu on our side of the river we have a quite large river crossing (depending on the water level). Afterwards, we hike through a briar patch of seabuckthorne, following a spring-fed stream, jumping or wading through a few intersecting streams. Soon we reach a large bridge spanning the Tsarap Chu and hike about 45 minutes north (along a flat trail) towards our wonderful campsite at the waterfall springs just below Chumik Gyartse.

Chumik Gyartse is where the Shun Shade valley inhabitants relocated years ago, and it’s interesting to hike half an hour above our camp to their new village. There is much controversy over whether life was better or worse in their old valley, the elders tending to regret the move as there is an issue with water in the new village (fish?). Check out the incredible falls and mineral springs just past camp, well worth a last day’s refreshing Himalayan shower!

Ang Chuk and the drivers will meet us at camp, having parked their jeeps past at the Sarchu Army Camp on the plateau across the river. We can look across the river to the Leh-Manali highway but our campsite is isolated and beautiful, on the side of a small stream for washings. We’ll have our tips party for the Kamzang Journeys staff tonight; Ang Chuk always brings us our order of beers! (6 hrs) (B, L, D)
Distance: 16km

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)

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Shun Shade Route
Trek Nyalo Kuntse High Camp 4410m
Leaving our Shangri-La at Shade, we trek into the lovely Shun Shade valley headed towards the Morang La and the Rupshu nomadic region. The other three villages in the Shun Shade valley are Marshun, Yarshun and Satok, all now deserted.

Trekking along the trail directly below the village, we pass through the entrance chorten and descend past the villagers, harvesting their crops, for 45 minutes to a point 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 scarf 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 very lucky to witness. We have about ten minutes of slightly exposed trail as we head towards Trantrog Gompa (4020-meters), turning left at the lhatoo and trekking high above the river. 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.

We continue along the willow-lined trail down to the Nyalo Kuntse Chu, where we’ve spotted red fox, and climb a short switchback to a plateau and viewpoint overlooking the Tsarap Chu. This is the intersection of a spectacular trail leading to the cliffside Phuktal Gompa, and further on to the Phirtse La, an incredible trek. Turning left, we descend briefly to a small bridge made of willow branches to the opposite side, from where we hike along the small, clear Tok Chu for half an hour. We have lunch before our ascent to camp, a tough 1 1/2 hour (350 meters) ascent on a switchbacking trail of scree to our slightly spartan high camp, next to a spring. This is a cold campsite, you’ll want your down jacket and an early night in the sleeping bag. (5 hrs)

Trek Hormoche 3970m | Cross Nyalu Kuntse La 4830m & Gotundal La 5150m
Up early, and after a cold breakfast we will start on our two pass day, by any reckoning a long, hard Himalayan trekking day, fantastically beautiful and diverse. It will take us a few hours of climbing, a 400-meter ascent, to reach the Nyalu Kuntse La (4830m), where we will take a break and marvel at the incredible mountain vistas. A little bit of old Tibet, and classic Ladakh and Zanskar trekking.

From the crest of the pass, we look out on our second pass, the Gotundal La, straight up the neighboring ridge. It would be easier if we didn’t need to drop, traverse and switch-back up again, but alas! Another 2 1/2 hours later, we reach the top of the Gotundal La (5150m). As if we hadn’t suffered enough already today, we drop down the valley a bit to a small watering hole, and then are forced to traverse several ridges to a last crest, where we have yet another breathtaking view. It’s all worth it, especially the next section, a bizarre moonscape, starkly beautiful, resembling the remains of a volcanic upheaval. To the left as we descend are two small opaque, turquoise lakes and below us rocks hollowed out by wind, water or heat. Geologists welcome! We soon reach a lone doksa, partially overgrown with high grasses, from where we descend very steeply on a sandy switchback, cross a small stream and emerge from this narrow canyon to our incredible campsite right along the turquoise Tsarap Chu.

Before collapsing in the dining tent, grab a hot chai and take a wander through the newly planted willow-patch, look down on the semi-abandoned houses across the valley (Marshun village) and absorb this sublime, expansive landscape. (8 hrs)

Trek Satok 4025m
Another sandals day! These next few days are just mind-bogglingly beautiful, with no other trekkers in sight, and we will take some time to enjoy them as we trek. We leave our idyllic campsite and walk past the few small dwellings of Hormoche, which seems to be (have been) only a seasonal settlement. There is an ‘chomo-gompa’ or nunnery half an hour down the trail, now sadly unoccupied, its statues gazing blindly out on the empty assembly hall. We follow the eastern bank of the magnificent Tsarap Chu, heading southeast, on a high mesa which drops to the river below in dramatic hoodoos. We have to descend and ascend three times into eroded slide regions making the hike harder than it would seem, but the views make up for it. We’ll share our trail with chortling chukkars, a partridge-like bird found around much of the Himalayan ranges. The Tsarap Chu, far below, ranges in color from a striking turquoise blue to brown depending on the volume of water pulsing though it’s canyons. 2 1/2 hours from camp we drop to the river to cross the large, intersecting Zara Chu. This is our ‘Zara River Camp’ where we camped in 2011 because of unusually high waters. The Zara Chu leads to Rupshu, and we will see it again later in our trek.

After crossing the river our trail ascends and we climb on a loose scree and sand trail, afterwards contouring around several hillsides. It’s half an hour to the scenic, small bridge on the right leading, we imagine, to high pasturelands. We pass through several seasonal settlements, now abandoned, before arriving at the deserted Munele village where we stop for lunch by a rocky spring, in the grass. Another few hours of beautiful hiking along flat plateaus peppered with large rocks with a bit of exposure en route leads us to the ancient chorten above Satak. Satak village was deserted a few years ago, the inhabitants now occupying houses built for Tibetan refugees on the Leh-Manali highway. It’s hard to imagine what prompted them to leave such a wonderful spot for their new haunts. The village is now a museum; the last time we camped there, we explored the small alleyways, peeked into the windows and even borrowed some salt. Many of the villagers belongings are still inside, and grass and wood for the winter is still piled on the roofs. (6 hrs)

Trek Tsokmitsik 4100m | Cross Satok La 4406m
Leaving camp we descend into, and climb out of, the narrow, willow filled canyon ahead of us, side stepping the grazing yaks and jumping the small stream. We have a 20-minute hike across the flat plateau before starting to climb on a slightly exposed, contouring trail on the left of the river, far above the Tsarap Chu, which snakes its way between deep canyon walls below us. We cross a flat plateau and continue to climb to a flat rock protruding over the canyon, continuing our approximately 350 meter ascent. There are several ridges to crest, each with a drop afterwards, but the trail is good, so it’s not a difficult hike. We’ve named the ridges Satok Ridge (4375m) and Satok La (4406m). From the last ridge, actually a pass, we’re treated to wonderful views behind us, but especially in front of us in the direction of the Morang La which we’ll cross in a couple of days. If the weather is good we might have lunch here before starting the straight-forward descent down to the river. Once a bit lower, we’ll pass several doksa followed by a wolf trap (in which we’ve actually found dead wolves). Another small climb and descent, and then one more hot climb to our last plateau which we cross before descending to our campsite just around the corner.

The campsite at Tsokmitsik is another idyllic one, right on the river at the intersection to the Morang La trekking route. Our tents will be set up near the river side, and we can jump in for a well deserved swim! Perhaps tonight even warrants a sundowner rum punch … (6 hrs)

Trek Leh Manali Highway. Drive Leh
It’s a short river walk to meet Ang Chuk and the team at the Leh Manali highway. Trek finished, we’ll relax in the jeeps and enjoy the spectacular five 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)

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Alternate Longer Morang La (Pass) Route
Trek Morang La High Camp 4810m
Another wonderful day as we pass through the narrow canyon, with ancient fossil beds, and hike up a narrow river valley towards the Morang La. You might want your sandals today depending on the water level as we cross a stream for the first few hours. Heading through the narrow canyon which soon widens, we jump back and forth across the small, willow lined stream for the first 20 minutes and then start to climb, continuing until we reach a small doksa. From here we drop back down to the river, the sun shimmering on the willows hanging onto existence between the high canyon walls. Heading to the left we start to ascend again, this time more steeply as the valley narrows and becomes more rocky and stark. From camp it should take us just under 2 hours to reach the base camp, from where we head up the right fork of the valley and switchback quite steeply for another 1 1/2 hours. The valley eventually widens again and cliff faces soar above our rocky camp at Morang La High Camp. There are green, grazing pastures above us so we might have four footed visitors in the afternoon. (4 hrs)

Trek Bong La Camp 4525m | Cross Morang La 5130m
Up and over the formidable Morang La and into the nomadic region of Rupshu! It should take us 2 hours to ascend to the top of the Morang La (5130m), starting by switchbacking on a scree trail while heading towards the hill with the rocky outcropping on top. Once on this flat section we have another switchback to the Morang La, where we are treated to views of the snow-capped Himalayan range behind us, and the Zanskar range in front, a spectacular panorama.

Descending steeply on a gravely trail, we jump the river after 30-45 minutes and stop for lunch on a grassy knoll soon afterwards. From lunch we trek for another beautiful hour or so to our Bong La Camp, again jumping the small stream, during which the valley narrows and becomes greener. Our grassy camp is at the bottom of this idyllic valley at the head of an extremely narrow canyon. The trail out of camp the next day is above camp to the right, bypassing this canyon. Enjoy the afternoon after a big Himalayan pass day! (8 hrs)

Trek Zabuk Barma 4350m
Today we head into well loved nomadic territory, hiking down the green valley on the right side of the valley (there is a road being built on the opposite side, sadly). We’ll pass a large doksa soon after leaving camp, and then a mani wall and large chorten. An hour from this last chorten after a short, traversing climb brings us to a small pass where we will have a short rest in front of the mountain home of the three sister goddesses. Look back across the Zara Chu to see the ‘Five Sisters’ peaks, the dwelling of the five mountain goddesses that live in the distinctly shaped range. From here we descend gradually to the right, contour up and down several arid hillsides and reach a short but dramatic canyon through which we descend. Turning left we soon reach a broad plateau with chortens marking routes on all three sides and a cluster of eight magnificent, white-washed chortens across the river. Fifteen minutes later we drop into the seasonal nomadic settlement of Sangtha, built of rounded, white river rocks and littered with goat and sheep droppings. Cross the river to the complex of mani stones and chortens for wonderful photos and great views back to Sangtha, which marks the intersection of the Ladakhi and Tibetan nomadic regions.

We follow the magnificent, clear Zara Chu on the chorten-side to a grassy lunch spot at the first river intersection. We continue for another hour or so on the same side (left) past more sparkling river intersections, nomadic settlements (doksas), and a wolf trap and then drop down to the grassy riverside. Near camp on our side of the river is a marmot colony, with small trails leading to their tunnel shelters.

One more river bend and we spot out campsite across the river at Zhabuk Barma, a spectacularly-situated seasonal settlement of the Karnak-pa. To the east (below our camp) the Tozay Chu leads to Pang on the Leh-Manali highway and the Ladakhi nomadic region of Kharnak, and is bordered by a fantastic canyon of sculpted rocks leads. The campsite is wonderful and green with perfect swimming holes along the river and a cold, fresh spring in back. There are three tri-colored chortens in a shallow cave above the stone doksas, worth a steep climb up for views over the campsite and down the valley. And just to the left of these, a steep valley leading up to a fantastic plateau with vast vistas, a must-do in the afternoon with the perfect light. Keep your eyes on the hilltops next to camp for kyang, Himalayan hare and blue sheep, all of which are common in this area. We’ll have a yak dung fire in the evening, an atmospheric Ladakhi evening! (5 1/2 hrs)

Trek Sangda 3795m. Drive Leh
An easy, flat and green hike up the Zara Chu, with blue sheep shadowing us a we trek towards the nomadic settlement of Sangda, right on the Zara Chu. Here we meet Ang Chuk and jump into our jeeps for a scenic drive back to Leh, en route passing the eastern Indus valley gompas, amongst them Stakna, Thikse and Shey. Back at the Shaynam Guest House in Leh, hot showers and a clean change of clothes await, and tandoori food and cold beers are not far away at the Ibex. Enjoy your last afternoon in Leh, our favorite Central Asian capital,  winding down after a wonderful journey through the high, nomadic regions of ‘old Tibet’. (2 hrs trek, 5 hrs drive)

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Narbus Nomads Route
Another older route to keep on file …

Trek Narbus 4820m (cross Narbus La 4850m). Drive Leh
A wonderfully dramatic hike this morning as we re-cross the Zara Chu right out of camp and climb to a high plateau just above us. Heading slightly around the hilltop to our right we cross the plateau on a sort of natural bridge and reach the fantastic canyons above the Tozay Chu to reach the sculpted canyons. The multi-hued spires of rock sculpted by centuries of wind and water erosion make for amazing photos. The river valley below our camp leads to the small settlement of Pang, which is off the Leh Manali highway from Narbus. We hike along this plateau, a feast of textures and colors high above the valley below, eventually contouring left towards the Narbus La.

It will take us four or five hours from camp to crest the 4850 meter pass. From the wide crest, marked by a small cairn, we used to look down on the canvas and yak-hair tents of the Tibetan nomadic settlement of Narbus where we set up camp for the night. Our nomadic Tibetan friends once camped here for four months every summer, but sadly have now had to give up their nomadic existence and move to Leh. Once on the high plateau, we meet our drivers and our treks ends ….

Back in our private jeeps, we have a scenic drive back to Leh. En route we pass the eastern Indus valley gompas, amongst them the Thikse and Shey. Back at the Shaynam Guest House in Leh, hot showers and a clean change of clothes await, and tandoori food and cold beers await! (4 – 5 hrs trek, 5 hrs driving)

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Alternate Stongde – Shade River Route
An alternative route to Shade in case of any issues with the above route. 

Trek Stongde 3585m
Climbing gradually out of our campsite, we soon reach Zangla Chomo Gompa (nunnery) to the northern side of the village, and then follow the village road past the King of Zangla’s house, where we had tea last summer with his relatives. The piece de resistance of Zangla, however, is its fortress. The ruins of the 500 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 look-out 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 unsafe to enter, although someone always wants to go inside. 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. Ancient chortens with tsatsas in the niches line the trail as we descend back to the trail and continue trekking to Stongde.

We have a few options for the rest of the day, one of which is to hitch a ride to Stongde (see options below). Today is the only day where we intersect the new road built through much of Ladakh and Zanskar. But we have ways to avoid this, and can spend much of the day ‘off-road’, passing through the still-remote villages of Tsazar and Shillingskyid en route to Stongde.

Our campsite at Stongde sits right below Stongde Gompa (see below), and we’ll be visited by some rather energetic village kids in the afternoon. Kim and the staff will need to re-supply in Padum for the exploratory section of the trek which we start tomorrow from the upper Stongde Gompa trail. You have a few options for the day:

Trek Stongde Doksa High Camp 4335m
Hiking the steep forty five minutes up to Stongde Gompa, we’ll meet Geshe Stenzin and his brother Yongton and listen to the resonating chanting of the monks at their morning puja, the drums, the ringing of bells and the clanging of cymbals, a sublime event. Afterwards, continuing past the rows of gigantic white chortens which line the trail leading to the Stongde La, we have only two hours of somewhat steep climbing, contouring around several hillsides and crossing a few green, swampy spring valleys to reach our high camp below the Stongde La. Stongde Doksa High Camp is a grassy plateau which affords wonderful views of Stongde Gompa and up and down the Zanskar valley. There is a cold spring above camp, and a doksa just above us where three lovely, elderly Stondge ladies (widows?) often reside and take care of the sheep and goats. Yogurt might be available, not for the squeamish . We can see tomorrow’s pass far above us. Look for blue sheep above Stongde Gompa and near our camp, and Kim will tell you stories of the ‘hidden’ village nestled in the high, fluted cliffs above camp.

Trek Suslantaktak 4290m | Cross Stongde La 5165m
Another pass day, a long and hard day starting with an 800-meter climb to the Stongde La (5165-meters), so don’t skimp on breakfast or coffee! We’ll have a good 3-4 hours of ascending, again contouring around green valleys where yaks and dzobkyos graze, to the windy and often cold Stongde La. There is one steep switchback just before the crest although the top is quite broad. From the pass we are rewarded with great views of the Namtse La, Zangla village, Stongde Gompa and village and the wrinkle of craggy mountains which make up the Zanskar Range. The descent is also long and gradual, again 3-4 hours to camp. It’s a spectacular walk on this side of the pass; I remember being blown away by the beauty and colors of the hillsides and canyons a few years ago when we did this exploratory section for the first time.

We’ll spend the first 1 1/2 hours descending carefully on a trail of large scree and rocks, difficult for the horses to navigate, hiking high above the turquoise Shingri Chu which winds its way through the canyons below us. We’ll have to cross the river, usually small but if it’s a very hot day possibly large, from where the path is better and the going easier. Look for blue sheep grazing on the nearby hillsides, and note the fossilized oysterbeds in large chunks of rocks once back at the river. After half an hour of hiking along a trail high above the right bank of the river we drop down to the riverbed and follow the trail through small groves of willows, a wonderful riverside walk during which we’ll probably have to cross and re-cross the river. Finally, we arrive at our plateau-top campsite, green willows lining the riverbanks surrounding us. We are at the intersection of the trails leading to Ichar and Phuktal, a route we didn’t manage to complete last year. We might share the campsite with local Stongde-pa, bringing back their yaks from the doksas along this river. Don’t miss the cliffs lit up with the late afternoon sun …

Trek Sum Shade Zingchan 4100 | Cross Shringi La 4260m
A classic, beautiful trekking day, continuing to following the willow-lined Shingri Chu, with many chilly river crossings to keep things exciting. Don’t forget your sandals for the next few days! This valley is called the Sum (or Sun) Shade valley, after the river junctions (sumdo) and Shade village, the most prominent village in the valley and one of the only ones inhabited these days. Many of the other villagers left their villages, their houses and roofs still filled with furniture, wood, dried grass and blankets, and re-situated themselves in houses built by the Ladakhi government to house Tibetan refugees. The Tibetans apparently didn’t like the location, so the new dwellings were taken over by many of the Sum Shade inhabitants.

We’ll have one small climb after the river crossings, at the intersection of Niri Chu, up to the Shringi La (4260-meters), a high grazing pasture where we’ll perhaps stop for lunch. From here it’s an easy hour or less of high contouring to reach Zingchan, our wonderful campsite. Zingchan sites high up above the river on a plateau, with spring water and wood for a campfire in the evening. Go carefully to the edge of the large rock that forms the cliff above the river for amazing views up and down valley …

Trek Shade 4270m 
Yet another idyllic river day, started with half an hour of trekking along the plateau, high above the river on a slightly exposed trail, to the river intersection where dramatic hoodoos rise from the valley bottom. There are many blue sheep in this area, in fact all the way out to Narbus, so keep an eye on the jagged cliff-sides above us, or down next to the streams if they have come down for water. We switchback steeply to the intersecting small stream which we jump before ascending steeply again to the crest of the plateau. We continue to contour for another 1 1/2 hours to a doksa on the edge of the plateau. From here we drop to the river and hike for 5-10 minutes before crossing to the other side of the wide river, now called the Niri Chu. Another climb to a high trail along the left side of the river followed by a hike along another slightly exposed, high trail cut into the cliffs for half an hour or so. Look down to the old, wooden bridge where the river makes a sweeping S turn far below. Pass through the gate to keep livestock in (or out), descend slightly to a small bridge spanning the small Shade stream and we’ll reach an interesting lhatoo at the opposite side of the intersection (4010m). The kata-covered lhatoo is dedicated to the god Cho Gyumjang, a female protectress of Shade and the neighboring villages. The peak on top of which she resides is to the left of Shade stream as we look up towards Shade. We’ve been lucky to happen upon local puja, performed by visiting monks from Phuktal Gompa, honoring her. From this lhatoo at the intersection of the Niri Chu and the narrow gorge leading towards isolated Shade, we follow a good trail along the stream, crossing over it once we’ve passed the deep gorge behind us. We’ll trek up 250 meters (or an hour) to Shade village; along the way, we’ll pass the villagers working in the fields, happily greeting us as we pass by.

Just before the village we’ll pass through the patchwork of fields and Shade’s entrance chorten. Our campsite is just past Shade village, on the only flat area next to a stream, a spot perfectly situated for Shade is a village of 14 traditional Ladakhi houses with approximately 95 inhabitants. 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, impressive for a remote village of this size. The villagers and village kids will be by in the afternoon, and Kim & Lhakpa will probably go into town to hunt for supplies. You’re welcome to join and watch the sheep and goats bring brought into the closed paddocks for milking.

2025 Dates
13 Aug – 6 Sept
25 Days

13 – 29 Aug
17 Days

2025 Trek Price
$4880 (25 Days)
$3880 (17 Days)

Early Booking Discount – $200 OFF!

+ 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 tents (3-person dome tents), delicious, plentiful meals with seasonal, fresh produce, French Press organic coffee, Indian Chai, Kashmiri & herbal teas, filtered drinking water, warm washing water, trek library of books, full medical kit, our Kamzang ‘lounge’ Yellow Tent of Eternal Happiness with bright cotton dhuri rugs, camp chairs, blankets & occasional local music in the evenings. For support, our caravan of horses & mules, Western, Sherpa & local guides and our 5-Star Kamzang Journeys team. 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
• Filtered Water

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 Padma Ladakh | Extra Nights 
Garden Rooms – Single $45 | Double $55
Deluxe Rooms – Single $90 | Double $105
Super Deluxe Rooms – Single $120 | Double $135
Premium Rooms – Single $145 | Double $160

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 approximately $300 for meals (while not on trek), drinks (on trek) and small tips. We recommend $350 per trekker thrown into the tips pool for the crew.

Trip Advisor 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