The Markha Valley Trek is certainly
one of the most varied and beautiful treks in the world. It ventures high
into the Himalayas crossing two passes over 15,000 ft (4575 m) as it circles
from the edges of the Indus Valley, down into parts of Zanskar, and passes
through terrain that changes from incredibly narrow valleys to wide-open
vast expanses! It is made all the more interesting by the ancient form of
Buddhism that flourishes in the many monasteries that dot the landscape
perched high atop hills. The trails are decorated by elaborate "chortens"
(shrines) and "mani" (prayer) walls which further exemplify the
region's total immersion in Buddhist culture. As we trek to the upper end of
the Markha Valley we are rewarded with spectacular views of jagged snow
capped peaks before crossing the 5150m Kongmaru La (Pass) and descending to
the famous Hemis Monastery, where we end our trek. There are also a few days
to explore the fascinating town of Leh and raft the Indus River.
Day 01: At leisure in Leh Take it
easy today and try to get acclimatised. Take a tour of Leh, visit the local
market, monasteries and palace. Overnight in a hotel.
Day
02: Acclimatization in Leh Day 03 Leh - Spitok (drive) -
Trek to Zinchen (3200M) 3 Hrs. Trek Leave Leh early morning by
Jeeps and reach Spituk (1 hr). Visit the Spituk Gompa, built about 500 years
ago. Start the trek from here by crossing a bridge and walking south-west of
the river Indus. The gorge section leads to the confluence of Indus and
Zinchen. Camp near the village of Zinchen. Overnight in Tents.
Day 04: Trek to Yurutse (3900 M) via Rumbak 6-7 hrs. Trek It's
a gradual climb from Zinchen to Rumbak. From here one gets fabulous views of
the snow capped Stok mountains. From here we move along the Rumbak Nala
towards Yurutse. At Yurutse village you will find fields of barley and
potatoes. Overnight in Tents.
Day 05: Yurutse - Skiu (3100
M) via Ganda La 7-8 Hrs. Trek A gradual ascent followed by a steep
climb gets one to the Ganda la(4900 M). From here views extend south to the
Zanskar range and distant summits of the Himalayan range. This is followed
by a long descent to Shingo village. From Shingo the trail heads into a
narrow gorge leading towards Skiu. At Skiu there is a confluence of the
rivers coming from
Markha
valley and Shingo. Overnight in Tents.
Day 06: Skiu - Markha
(3800 M) 7 Hrs. Trek it's a very pleasant hike, up the Markha
valley today with the trail crossing numerous streams. Markha is a quaint
village with a deserted fort and a small village Overnight in Tents.
Day 07: Markha - Thochuntse 4-5 Hrs. Trek From Markha
the country changes and the warm, relatively heavily wooded sections of the
lower Markha is left behind. One will be required to cross the river several
times as there are no bridges here. Hankar, en route, is the highest village
in the Markha valley. Overnight in Tents.
Day 08: Thochuntse
- Nimaling (4700 M) 3 Hrs. Trek Trek starts on a good path with
several small inclines and a series of grassy ridges. There are a series of
mani walls (walls carved with Buddhist prayers) and chortens en route. This
is one of the most beautiful high valleys in Ladakh and is dominated by the
Kangyaze peak. Overnight in Tents.
Day 09: Nimaling -
Kongmaru La (5150 M) - Sumdo 7-8 Hrs. Trek Today one will cross to
the north of the Markha, climbing to the top of the highest of the three
passes, the 5,150 mts Kongmaru La, with its wonderful views from the top.
There are snow peaks in every direction and on a clear day the giants of
Karakoram, including K2, can be seen on the north-western horizon. The trail
descends to the Martselang valley, following the Martselang stream to the
village of Sumdo. Overnight in tents.
Day 10: Sumdo - Hemis
4 Hrs. Trek - Leh 1 ½ Hrs. drive Today make an easy descent
along the Martselang to where it broadens into the valley of the Indus at
Martselang village. Board the awaiting jeeps. Visit Hemis monastery and
after that drive to Leh via Shey and Thiksey monastery. Overnight in a
hotel.
Day 11: Leh - Rafting on the Indus
Day 12: Leh - Delhi (by air)
