One of the most popular treks in
Ladakh, the Lamayuru-Chilling trek starts with a mandatory visit to the
fascinating Lamayuru Gompa. There is popular belief still that the monastery
was a temple of the now extinct Bon Po religion.. Start by ascending to the
Prinkiti La pass, then trekking down into the Shilakong Valley, where the
village of Wanla is situated. Wanla, has a well known gompa that is worth a
visit and is a suitable place to pitch camp for the night. From Wanla, trek
on to the Hinju Valley, which is a good base camp for the next days ascent
to Konze La (4,950M) This pass offers a great view of the mountain ranges
all around, and it's one of the few places in Ladakh where there is a
miniscule possibility of spotting the elusive snow leopard or the blue
sheep. From Konze La, continue, the next day, to the Sumdo Choon, where
there's another monastery decorated with ancient paintings. After a night at
Sumdo Choon ascend to the Dung Dung La pass. Dung Dung La, with its stunning
views of the Zanskar Valley, leads down into a valley where the main village
is Chilling.
Day 01: Delhi - Leh Board the
morning flight for Leh. Arrive in Leh by 9 a.m. spend the day in the hotel
acclimatizing. In the evening take a walk in the local market. Overnight in
a Hotel.
Day 02: Acclimatization in Leh Day
03: Leh - Lamayuru Get up early and go on a 4-5 kms hike come back
to the hotel and have breakfast. After breakfast, drive to Lamayuru (125
kms). Take a hike in the evening for acclimatization. Visit the Monastery.
Overnight in tents.
Day 04: Lamayuru - Wanlah via Prinkiti
La (10 kms / 3-4 hrs) Prinkiti La is at an altitude of 3650 m and
from here one gets a beautiful view of the barren Zanskar Range. From here
the trek enters a narrow gorge. Visit the local gompa. We will camp for the
night at Wanlah.
Day 05: Wanlah - Hinju (13 kms / 5-6 hrs)
Hinju village (3720 m) has 3 main settlements - Lower Hinju, the main
village
and Upper Hinju. Our campsite is 2 kms from the main village.
Day 06: Hinju - Camp via Konze La (15 kms / 6-7 hrs) Konze La
is at an altitude of 4950 m and there are views to the Ladakh range and the
Karakoram, and of the Stok range and the main ridges of the Zanskar range to
the East. Overnight in tents.
Day 07: Camp - Dung Dung La
Base (12 kms / 4-5 hrs) To reach the base of Dung Dung La, a short
and steep ascent over an intermediary ridge is required. Today our campsite
will be in a meadow at 4400 m.
Day 08: Dung Dung La Base -
Chilling via Dung Dung La (15 kms / 6 hrs) The trail winds past
yak herders camps before crossing a series of slopes to the Dung Dung La
(4820 m). From here enjoy views of the Ladakh, Stok and Zanskar ranges. From
here descend to Chilling village where one can view the confluence of the
Markha and Zanskar rivers and also the upper reaches of the Markha valley
towards the Kongmaru La. From here drive to Leh. Overnight in a hotel.
Day 09: Leh After breakfast get set to take a memorable
trip down the river Indus. We will raft from Phey to Nimmo. This stretch
though not very challenging, offers excellent views of the Indus valley.
Overnight in a hotel.
Day 10: Leh - Delhi Fly out
from Leh in the morning.
