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Himalayan Caravan
Rugged, colourful gorges contrast with the azure rivers
and spacious valleys, all classic Ladakh trekking, as good as it gets.
The Changtang is the name given to the captivating high
mountain plateaus of Western Tibet, an area which sits at an average elevation
of 4500 to 5000m. This remote and fabled region is peopled by Changpas, the
traditional traders of the Changtang, who have wandered these high pastures with
their Gurs (nomad tents) and flocks of pashm goats and sheep for centuries. This
traditionally Tibetan region lies in part in the Indian Himalaya, although the
culture remains purely Tibetan.
This trek is a unique experience; a journey in time during
which we witness a way of life that has not changed for centuries. It is a true
journey in the classic sense, traversing remote passes to
visit remote people. Essentially we are trekking into the ancient Tibetan
Kingdom of Guge, home of the Bon religion which predates Buddhism for hundreds
of years, and we emerge into a part of the present day Indian Himalaya.
Project-Himalaya has been trekking this remarkable area
since it opened in the late 90s, with our Tibetan Sirdar,
Lobsang, a Changpa himself, from a Nomadic family.
We are Himalayan experts and professional guides and our
treks are motivated by a deep love and respect for the peoples
and regions of the Indian Himalaya.
Preparation and trekking with us
There is lots of India trek and preparation information on the left. Also
take a look at About us and at the
photo galleries to see why we rave about Ladakh
and Zanskar.
The itinerary
Note that most flights into Delhi arrive late at night/very early in the
morning. Plan your arrival time-date carefully and ask if you are not sure.
The Caravan is a shorter version of this itinerary (ie the
Extended Caravan). The Caravan 50 joins after the first 10 days of
trekking. Join this longer trek if you can!
Logistically what will happen is Joel will meet and handle the trekkers for
one of the trips, the one with most of his friends on then Jamie and Nicola will
handle the Delhi-Leh section for the others and then we will all be trekking
together. The smart will also realise that we are running an exploration trip at
the same time - these people are also trekking with us and while Joel will
continue with the trekkers, Jamie and Nicola will head off with the exploratory
team. It is likely that at the end of the trip we will all meet in Manali again
to party and exchange stories.
 Day 1 - arrive Delhi
Joel, Kim or a representative from Druk Expeditions will be at
the airport to meet you and take you to the atmospheric Metropolis Tourist Home
in Paharganj, near Connaught Place in central Delhi.
day 2 - fly Leh 3500m
Did you get any sleep? We are early to board the spectacular flight to Leh, crossing the
main Himalayan Barrier to the capital of Ladakh, Tashi Namgyal's 15th century
Himalayan capital at 3500m. The clear high air will catch at the throat when we
arrive, and now we start the serious business of acclimatization; and eating, as
after we settle into our hotel we have a long leisurely breakfast It will take
your body a few days to adjust to this high altitude. It is important to drink plenty of (non
alcoholic) liquids, and do not attempt to rush around. Even walking up the stairs of the guest house
will make you breathless at first! We will discuss this in detail. Note that we have planned plenty
of acclimatization time into our itinerary.
Day 3 - Leh 3500m
We have 2 days to explore the bazaars and
alleyways of historic Leh, and the striking Indus valley which surrounds it,
visiting some of the most ancient forts and Gompas of the Tibetan Buddhist
world.
Day 4 Leh 3500m
Another day for relaxing and enjoying the peaceful atmosphere.
All gear duffels should be packed and ready
for
a 6 am start tomorrow, which is when our crew, (not us!) head off to meet the
ponies and set up the camp site.
5 - Shang Sumdo 3660m
A post lunch drive through the beautiful Indus valley brings us
to the hamlet of Shang Sumdo, where our crew has set up camp amongst an idyllic
grove of willows at the sumdo (river junction). Here we meet the other vital
component of our trek, Tsarap and his team of mules and horses.
6 - Chukirmo 4070m
Our first days trek is an easy one, as we climb slowly to 4000m
along the river valley. Today you will feel the elevation, and the summer heat,
so it is important to walk slowly, wear a hat and lots of sun block. Chukirmo is
the start of the area in which blue sheep, a protected species, now roam freely.
There is also a naturally carbonated spring at the campsite, with which we top
up our bottles.
7 - to High Camp 4400m
Many groups storm straight up to climb the pass today, but we take an extra day
to acclimatize,
trekking only a few hours to stay at the base camp
below the pass. If the weather has been fine there are delightful rock pools to bathe in here, and
the valley is a striking pink and green hued gorge. If the weather has been bad the pools turn into
torrents, and care is needed to thread a way across streams. We are likely to
see Blue Sheep, and sometimes if we are lucky, Ibex. In 2001 we even saw a Snow
Leopard on the hills above the camp!
8 - to Nimaling 4720m
We start early for the steep 2 hour pull to the pass at 5100m,
where we put up our prayer flags and have a panoramic snack, taking in the
amazing views of Kang Yaze, the 6400m peak that dominates the high altitude
plains of Nimaling. This wide valley is one of the most beautiful high altitude
plains in the Himalaya. Our spectacularly set camp will be the base for our
first rest day, time to get curd from the nomads, take a day hike, dangle our
feet in the oxbow stream, or simply rest in the sun. The sunsets, looking across
to the gorges of the Markha valley, are stunning.
9 - Nimaling 4720m
We have a rest day here to let our bodies further acclimatize. So today we can
simply sit around and drink tea or explore the marmot-infested Nimaling plain and visit the yak and
goat herders.
10 - to Tikyu, base camp for Zalung Karpo La, approx 4800m
We cut away from the main Markha Valley trekking route. We cut
across the shoulder of Kang Yaze to begin the climb to the 5090m Konka Ngonpo
pass, followed by a steep drop to some high grazing areas where we lunch, then a
gentler descent to the valley of the Langthang Chu and the shepherd camp of
Tikyu.
11 - to Tsokra (Sorra) valley 4000m
A gentler climb today as we zigzag up the trails with Kang Yatze behind us, to the top of the pass with
stunning views of the gorges and crags of Zanskar. Then there is another steep drop to the valley
base and we camp at one of many pleasant campsites
in the Tsokra gorge with views of an ancient Dzong (castle) on the hillside that once guarded the gorge
against invaders.
12 - to Dat 4250m
 To Dat, the major herding village in the valley. When I first came through this valley many years
before, I was amazed by the sheer faces around, and the wooded valley floor. It is still one of my
favourite Himalayan valleys.
We quit camp early to avoid the heat and drop
through the valley of the Karnak Chu; that is an old fort on the peak
overlooking the valley-and a lot of the peaks in the area are believed by the
locals to have Gods residing on them, thus the altars with flags and blue sheep
horns lined up with a lot of their summits. Soon we are in
a really pretty valley, wooded, with clear streams, sheer cliffs all around,
then after lunch the valley opens up, and walk through wide meadows and past
mani walls leading to the nomad settlement of Dat, normally deserted at this
time as the inhabitants are at summer pastures with their herds. If you have the
energy the local Gompa is worth a visit, seemingly deserted, in fact it is an
active place of worship. The lay monk who holds the keys will appear at some
point to collect our camping and grazing charges, summoned by some form of bush
telegraph!
13 - to Lungmoche 4550m
Again an early start to cross the desert stretch approaching
the Yar La; it is a fairly easy climb to the 4950m pass but the desert stretch,
with ever expanding views back of the rock spires
in the valley, can fairly sizzle when the sun gets up, so the water bottles must
be brimming. Once on the pass (with some of the most intricately carved mani
stones on the trek,) it is an easy drop to the pleasant meadow outside Lungmoche
where we camp.
14 - to Sangtha 4300m
Flat, wide, and high... Lungmoche may seem like a long deserted
ghost town, but the inhabitants have simply upped for the summer, leaving the
stone rings they pitch their tents around to the Pikas and marmots, and if we
are lucky the herd of Kyang, wild horses, we spot here every year. Sangtha marks
the end of Ladakhi herding areas and the start of Tibetan. With its cold clear
river it is also a great bathing spot, and a walk above the camp for the sunset
is worth it.
15 - to Yoghurt Camp
Another day, another pass, and a cold river crossing to start
the day, a relatively short one as we climb the Pogmar la,(4905m) and then a
traversing descent to the summer camp of the nomads from Pogmar/Spagmur village,
becoming old friends as they have charmed us with curd and butter tea many times
in past years. Lobsang has relatives here which makes our welcome even warmer.
We will probably be picked up by jeeps and taken to Pang (4450m) where we have fresh
supplies and perhaps fresh trekkers, then continue to a camp a few kilometres
upstream from Pang.
16 - to Zozogong 4850m
An early start for a longish day, and pack your sandals as we
cross several streams. We lunch by some delightful rock pools then cross the
4980m Thelekang La (pass) by mid afternoon, with great views of the peaks around
Tso Moriri.
17 - to Phuang 4700m
Down! we lose some elevation, crossing a wide plateau, where
herds of wild ass, Kyang, roam. It is also a favourite valley for nomads and we
camp above the river banks near a nomad camp.
18 - to Manechan 4640m
We cross a small pass today as we follow nomad trails to
Manechan, set in stunning high desert scenery. We call this our "sunshine camp"
as we have sun into the early evening. This is a great place to crack those
bottles of red wine everybody brings...
19 - to Kyangdom (Tso Moriri) 4530m
A stroll down to the end of the gorge, then a climb high above
it, and there is Kyangdom ("horse kingdom") with Tso Moriri glittering in the
afternoon sun.
20 - Kyangdom 4530m
Tso Moriri is a magic place, a huge lake. Watch the wading
birds, yaks and wild ponies around the lake and its grasslands, or the storms
that seasonally move up and down the lake, which creates its own weather. We
have a well deserved rest day here.
21 - Korzok 4530m
We walk along close to the lake shore, sometimes thru sand,
sometimes on rock, but always with expansive views. There are no real hills but
all the same it is a surprisingly tough day. We meet our jeep with fresh
supplies from Leh.
22 - mid-camp
One of our discoveries in 2001 was this tiny camp by a spring, with awesome
views.
23 - Dungri 4460m
The route out along the eastern shore of Tsomoriri is a
wonderful day, at times on a sandy beach, at times climbing high above the shore
with the sparkling lake contrasting with Parilungbi. 6
hours walking brings us to the pastures of Dungri.
24 - Norbu Sumdo 4400m
Distant Kyang, nomad herds, and lake Tsomoriri
drops slowly behind as we walk across classic central Asian grassland to the
river junction with the Parang Chu.
25 - Umlung (rock camp) 4700m
A valley the size of Nepals' Kali Gandaki, but empty...a cold
river crossing to kick off before 5 hours walking brings us to a camp we have
named after the boulders that hem it in. The fit can try
their hand at climbing them!
26 - End in sight camp 4850m
 Why the name? Because from here you can
just make out the ice ridge that marks our last pass, the Parang la at 5700m.
27 - Parang La high camp 4955m
Situated among rocks at the foot of the glacier,
a good meal and an early night are in order, we have a long day tomorrow.
28 - chicken run camp
Away at 6am and on to the ice that curves up to the pass; soon
we are among sasturgi with the pass a seemingly impossible climb; by 12 noon we
are on top, and by one we are lunching at the bottom, then
a long hot gorge and a final climb to the pleasant meadow named after our 2000
chicken dinner! Seriously, this is probably one of the best days trekking in Northern
India, probably the planet.
29 - Kibber 4700m
An easy mornings walk to our delightful hotel in
the quiet village of Kibber, where we can shower and slowly ease back into
civilisation. We arrive at lunchtime, and spend our last day in the hills in
mellow surroundings.
30 - drive to Manali
An early start for a spectacular jeep ride to Manali
via the Kunzum and Rohtang Passes. We arrive in Manali about 6 PM after a long
dusty day on the road.
31 - Manali
Washing, shopping, eating, relaxing, this is
your day of rest.
32 - drive Delhi
We have most of the day in Manali then
around 5pm take the luxurious Himachal Pradesh night bus, arriving in Delhi
early the next day.
Day 33 - depart
You arrive in Delhi sometime between 8am and 11am, so you could
fly out sometime after midday. Most flights are at night so either you can spend
time in town or we can arrange a hotel room for the day.
We hope you had a great trek!
Cost
Please see Our treks.
This cost includes:
+ Hotels: 2 nights in Delhi, 2 nights in Manali, 3 nights guest house in Leh
+ Delhi-Leh flight
+ airport transfers
+ Jeep transport: Leh-Hemis, Kibber-Manali
+ bus transport: Manali-Delhi
+ All meals and full service on trek
Budget $200 of your own money for crew tips, meals and drinks for Delhi, Manali and Leh.
Not included: international airfares, meals in Delhi, Leh or Manali, equipment rental
(if any), alcohol, laundry, tipping and other items of a
personal nature.
Come have a riot with us - what now (Contacting us)?
jdesign --
all rights reserved --
2008
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