Markha Valley Trek

• All road transport by private ac cars (airport transfers/ from Leh to base camp and back).
• Arrival/ departure 2 nights Hotel accommodation in Leh (full board), unless specified.
• 7 nights tented accommodation (full-board) mountain camps.
• All trekking gear including tents, sleeping bags, mats, blankets, trekking poles.
• English Speaking Local Guide and a Cook.
• All cooking utensils including cooking LPG stove.
• Horses to carry backpack (except day sack), group equipment (tents/ stoves/ fuel) to the higher camps.
• Meal plan: All meals included (vegetarian meals including eggs and cheese, unless specified.
• Trek/ Wildlife Permits.
• First Aid.

Day 1: Arrival reception at Leh Airport.
On arrival at Leh airport , you will be met by our representative who will transfer you to the hotel. Overnight stay.

Day 2: Leh- Zingchen- Rumbak 4000 m (5 hours trek): We drive from Leh to Spituk and continue on a dirt jeep road into a parched and exposed region. After about an hour drive, we will enter the Zingchen Valley where the Rumbak River flows into the Indus which makes its way down a mighty canyon. Further into the valley lies a beautiful village of Rumbak, inhabited by 15 families.

Day 3 : Rumbak – Ganda La Base 4500 m (3-4 hours): From Rumbak it’s a short walk to our next camp, but very important one in terms of acclimatization, as we will camp very high tonight and cross the high pass the next day. So, we will not hurry and take our time to reach the camp at the Base of Ganda La. After a short walk from the camp, we will come across the village of Yuruche, inhabited by only 1 family. From our campsite there are spectacular views of Stok Kangri and the whole Stok range.

Day 4 : Ganda La base – Skiu via Ganda La 6-7 hours: After a light breakfast, we will begin our 2-hour ascent towards Ganda La (4900m). The usual chorten and prayer flags mark the top of the pass, where one may see blue sheep, marmots and arghali roaming the hills around. Views of the lofty Zanskar Range and the distant Himalaya Range are great as well. After a short rest, we will make a gradual descent to Shingo and break for lunch. We will finish the day by hiking for 2-hours through a spectacular gorge before making camp at Skiu (3300m). Within this idyllic village lies an old monastery and ruins of an old castle, once a rest stop for the Royal family on their way to Srinagar.

The trek is supported by horses. You will need to carry only a light sack, weighing about 4-6kg for your personal items like passport, money and camera gear. The following is a list of the items you should carry on the trek. If you have items which can not be used on the trek, you can store them at our houseboat or at our office and take them back after returning from the trek.

Kashmir Treks are achievable by anyone with a healthy lifestyle and a good level of general fitness. Team members should be willing to be part of a team working together to achieve the goal of the expedition. As a team member, you should have an adventurous and robust spirit. The biggest challenge on this expedition will be the many consecutive days of challenging trekking across alpine terrain, much of which at altitudes of above 3000m.