|
     
India Trekking
THE ZANSKAR VALLEY TREK
This is one of
the best adventure treks in the Himalayas. From the heat of Delhi you
experience the joys of an Indian train journey and a drive through the cooler
foothills of the Himalaya. You drive up the Kulu valley to Manali, surrounded by
pine forests, terraced fields and orchards of apple and orange trees. After a
rest in Manali you drive over the famous Rohtang Pass and descend into the
Lahaul valley, which is surrounded by snow capped mountains. At Chika you meet
your trek staff and horses, and set off on foot into the Himalaya. The terrain
immediately becomes dramatic and arid as you enter a land of Tibetan Buddhism.
The white chortens and prayer flags form part of this striking landscape with
its ancient monasteries and friendly local people in their colourful traditional
dress.
After the trek
you will have time to relax in Leh, the capital of Ladakh, before your flight
back to Delhi.
Duration: 21
Days London to London
Grade: *Moderate/Strenuous
*GRADE:
This trek is graded moderate/strenuous and will be enjoyed by those who are in
good health and who take regular exercise. Some previous trekking experience is
highly recommended.
HOW THE
TREKS ARE ORGANISED:
All food supplies, camping equipment and personal belongings are carried by
porters and/or pack horses. A camp crew is designated to oversee all cooking
arrangements.
DAY BY DAY ITINERARY
Day 1: FLY
TO NEW DELHI.
Day
2: DELHI.
Arrive Dehi, after clearing customs you will be met by our representative
who will be holding a placard and transferred by taxi to your hotel. In the
afternoon there is a guided tour of Delhi.
Delhi basically is 7 cities all
merged into one and laced together by the new city of the British Raj, designed
by Lutyens & Baker. It was one of the boldest expressions anywhere in the world
of British Imperial ambitions and has endless sightseeing possibilities. In the
afternoon we will tour Old Delhi, visiting the Raj Ghat memorial at the site
where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated, the Red Fort, once the most lavish fort and
palace of the Mughal Empire and
the Qutab Minar, or tower of
victory rising five storeys and impressively ornate.
RED FORT.
This imposing monument to the rule of Shah Jahan was begun in
1639 and completed in 1648, taking its name from the red sandstone used in its
construction. It is said to have cost 10 million rupees to build, much of it
spent on the opulent marble royal palaces within. Here the Emperor exercised his
divine authority in the Halls of Public and Private Audience - seated in the
latter on the fabulous gold-canopied Peacock Throne that was inlaid with a vast
number of sapphires, rubies, emeralds and diamonds.
DAY 3:
TRAVEL BY TRAIN TO CHANDIGARH,
AFTERNOON AT LEISURE, THEN BEGIN DRIVE TO MANALI.
You make an
early morning transfer to the station for the morning Shatabdi Express, air
conditioned train to Chandigarh. (Timings are usually 07.40 depart, arrive at
11.00 am.) The city, purpose-built in the 1950s as the new capital of the Punjab
after Lahore was handed over to Pakistan, was largely designed by Le Corbusier.
The result is not yet the forward-looking statement of faith in a modern Indian
society it was designed to be, although for visitors it is a fascinating view of
1950's utopian town planning.
Later you begin
the drive to Manali, stopping after about an hour at Nalagarh, the gateway to
Himachal Pradesh, where you will stay tonight. This fort on a hillock was built
in 1421 during the reign of Raja Bikram Chand, and stands amid acres of greenery
with a panoramic view of the Shivalik Hills. It is now a hotel with
air-conditioned rooms, and facilities include a swimming pool, golf course and
health club. Overnight at the Nalagarh Fort Resort.
DAY
4: CONTINUE DRIVE TO MANALI.
(6,430ft/1,960m).
The remaining
250km road journey should take about 7 hrs. The road crosses the northern plains
- dead flat, highly cultivated and bustling with life - before reaching the
foothills that begin abruptly at Kalka. From then on the road winds upwards
through to Manali. Overnight hotel.
THE KULU
VALLEY
The Kulu valley is one of the most enchanting
parts of Himachal Pradesh. Through the Valley runs the Beas River, bordered by
paddy fields in the monsoon and wheat fields in the winter. Conifers and
rhododendrons grow on the upper slopes which are covered by snow in winter. To
the northwest of the valley is the white mass of the Solang Valley and to the
north is the Rohtang Pass (4,075 meters (13,370 feet), the gateway to the Great
Himalayas. The road to Lahaul and Leh in Ladakh crosses the Rohtang
Pass.
DAY 5 : DAY
AT LEISURE IN MANALI.
A free day in
Manali; it is a great place to relax after a trek with good souvenir shopping, a
Tibetan monastery and lots of good restaurants. You could also make the hour
long drive by taxi to the village of Naggar, once the capital of the Kulu
district. Naggar is noted for its old fort with spectacular views over the
valley below, the Roerich art gallery and several interesting Hindu temples.
Overnight hotel.
DAY 6: DRIVE
TO CHIKA. Manali - Chika
(3375 mts) - 165 Kms
Today we
drive northwards over the spectacular Rohtang Pass(13,370 ft.) and into the
Buddhist land of Lahoul. Beyond the reaches of the monsoon, it is an area more
akin to the high altitude desert of Tibet than the alpine scenery we have left
behind. Following the Chandra river towards Keylong, the capital of Lahoul, This
journey is on rough roads, but the spectacular scenery fully makes up for any
discomfort. Stop for lunch in Keylong. Beyond Keylong we drive to Chika
(approximately 2.5h hours drive time) Camp in Chika and meet the rest of the
camp crew. Overnight camp.
DAY 7:
TREK TO ZANKAR SAMDO
(3860m) Approximately 5 hours Walk.
We follow the
river bank and cross over a suspension bridge before reaching our campsite.
DAY 8:
TREK
TO CHUMINAKPO (4380m) Approximately 6 hours walk.
There is a
gradual ascent along the Shingo Chu river before we climb up towards the high
peaks of the Zanskar range of Mountains and camp at the base of the Shingo La
pass.
DAY 9: TREK
TO LAKHANG VIA THE SHINGO LA PASS
(Shingola
5050m) (Lakhong 4400m) Approximately 7 hours journey.
This is a
demanding days walk upto the Shingo La pass, gateway to the Zanskar valley.
After crossing this pass we decend down into Zanskar and camp in Lakhong by the
banks of a river.
DAY 10: TREK
TO KARGYAK
(4150m) Approximately 6 hour walk.
Early this
morning you will cross over the Shingo river and walk along grassy meadows.
Camp in Kargyak.
DAY 11: TREK
TO TESTA
(4203m) Approximately 5 hour walk.
We follow an
easy trail along the valley floor, past the village of Kuru to our campsite near
the village of Testa.
DAY 12: TREK
TO PURNE
(3660m) Approximately 4 hours walk.
You finally
meet the main Zanskar valley and pass through the villages of Tabla and Testa
before a steep descent takes us to a further bridge that you cross to your
campsite at Purne. There are a couple of shops in Purne selling soft drinks,
chocolate and a few other items.
DAY 13: TREK
TO PHUKTAL
(4132m) Approximately 4.5 hours walk.
You walk up a
very deep and impressive gorge with a fast flowing river to this remarkable and
remote monastery. The 500 hundred year old Gompa is builit literally on the
side of a cliff. Here you can visit the inner temples and see a stone tablet
left by the Hungarian, Alexander Csoma de Koros, one of the first explorers in
Tibet, 1826-27.
Day 14: TREK
TO MUNE
(3893m) Approximately 7 hours walk.
A long day as
we walk along the Zanskar valley along the banks of the Lungnat River. We reach
camp in the late afternoon. Our campsite will be close to the village
monastery.
DAY 15: REST
DAY. AT LEISURE.
Overnight camp
DAY 16: TREK
TO PADUM.
(3637m) Approximately 6 hours walk.
From Mune the
trail leads us past another impressive monastery, the Barden Gompa, which is
perched upon a tall rock with fine views of Padum, our final trek destination.
Arrive Padum in the late afternoon. Overnight camp.
DAY
17: DRIVE BY JEEP TO KARGIL.
(2800m)
A days drive by
jeep to Kargil. En-route stop for Lunch. The road, which opened in 1980, goes
through the fertile Suru Valley and continues over the Pensi La pass (4200m)
before decending down to Kargil. Overnight the Hotel Siachin.
DAY
18: DRIVE TO LEH.
(3520m)
We continue our
drive to Leh via the Fatu La pass (4000m) and en-route we will visit the
Lamayuru Gompa. Perched upon a drained lake on an eroded crag and overlooked by
massive mountains, makes this a special place. The Lamayuru Gompa is the oldest
known Gompa (monastery) in Ladakh and dates back to the 10th
century. There are renowned collections of carpets, thangkas (Buddhist murials)
and Frescoes. Arrive Leh in the early evening and stay at the Padma Hotel and
Guest House.
DAY 19:
AT LEISURE IN LEH.
Time to relax
or explore the main bazaar, where there are many shops and good restaurants.
LEH
The
capital of Ladakh, has long been a remote and fascinating outpost. Its
situation in the upper Indus Valley made it an important crossroads for pilgrims
and traders. Pilgrims continued from here along the Indus Valley to Mt Kailash
and Tibet, while traders would set off with their caravans over the Karakoram
pass to the markets of Yarkland, Kashgir and central Asia.
DAY 20: FLY
TO DELHI.
Transfer to the
Domestic airport to board the 10:30am Alliance Air Flight to Delhi. Arrive
Delhi at 11:45hrs. This spectacular flight over some of the highest mountains in
the world is one of the highlights of this trek. On your arrival in Delhi you
will be met by our agents and transferred by txi to the 4 star Park Hotel.
Rest of day at leisure. Late evening transfer by taxi to the airport to board
your return flight home.
DAY
21: FLY DELHI - LONDON.
TREK NOTES:
A "moderate/strenuous" trek at high altitude.
21 day trip, London to London. 9 days Camping
with full porterage.
Maximum altitude 4380m. Average 3400m.
TREK LEADER:
Sunder Khampa speaks English fluently
and for many years he has been leading treks for
Embassy personnel based in Delhi.
TRAIN TRAVEL.
Train travel is by air-conditioned carriage.
Bedding is normally provided free of charge on the train (sheets, pillows and
blankets)
IMPORTANT
NOTE:
Whilst every effort is made to keep to the above itinerary,
clients will hopefully appreciate that this is adventure travel in a remote
mountain region. Given the nature of these treks there will quite likely be
changes to the itinerary in terms of anything from on the spot choice of camp
site to the day that a rest day is taken. Weather conditions, road
conditions, vehicle breakdowns off the beaten track, local availability of
porters, can contribute to the need for changes. Your trek leader will do
everything in his/her power to see that you are inconvenienced as little as
possible in such events. Timings given are
approximate.
Meal Plan:
B&B in Delhi and elsewhere. Full board on Trek
Not
Included:
Entry fees to monuments of historical importance.
ACCOMMODATION:
En-suite. twin sharing.
Delhi The Park Hotel: This 4 star property is a 10 minute walk away from
Connought Place in the centre of town. Facilities include en-suite accommodation
with swimming pool, bar and restaurants as standard. Nalagarh (3 star) In Manali
we use Bannons Lodge. (3 star) Elsewhere we use the best available Guest House
and Lodge accommodation.
EQUIPMENT PROVIDED.
We provide ‘A’ frame or dome tents which have room for two people plus all of
your equipment. There is also a dining tent*, a toilet tent exclusively for our
group use, and a kitchen and staff tent. There are camp chairs or stools, a
kerosene/gas lamp or candles for reading in the dining tent at night, stainless
steel crockery and tableware and foam *sleeping mats. We strongly recommend
you bring your own karrimat or therma-a-rest as well. (*Subject to
availability) The staff complement of cooks and assistants are always in
attendance. They put up and take down the tents, make the tea, cook the food,
wash the dishes, load the porters and carry a load of their own. They work
extremely hard and are always willing to help. If you want to join in putting
up tents and taking them down, you are free to do so, but it is not expected.
*Dining tents are heavy to carry and are only
provided for a minimum of 4 people. For under 4 people a smaller tent will be
provided.
A TYPICAL DAY ON TREK
Soon after dawn you are served tea or coffee
while still in your sleeping bag. A few minutes later a washing bowl of hot
water is placed outside your tent. You can wash inside or outside the tent.
Once dressed you can pack your kit-bag and day-pack in preparation for the day’s
hike, and place these outside the tent. The camp staff will take down the
tents. While this is happening, breakfast is served. In the Himalaya breakfast
usually consists of cereals and/or porridge with milk, eggs, usually served with
chapatis, (unleavened bread that is cooked on a hot iron plate) or pancakes with
honey or jam. There is always plenty of tea and coffee.
The camp will be being struck while you are eating, and you will
need to be packed and out of your tents before breakfast.
You can take a leisurely breakfast breakfast
will the staff prepare loads for the porters or pack animals. If you have not
filled up your water bottle the night before ask the cook to fill your bottle
with boiled water. You may also collect a packed lunch, although usually you
may have a cooked meal at the lunch stop. Departure from camp could be from any
time between dawn and 9.00am, depending on the days itinerary, but generally you
will start walking at around 8.00am.
Depending on the length of the day’s walk, you
will walk for three or four hours before stopping for lunch. The lunch stop
will last for about an hour.
You usually arrive at the next camp site by
5:00pm. Camp may already set up by the time you get there, and tea/juice and
biscuits will be ready to welcome you. Supper will be ready soon after dark,
and will be served in the dining tent or in some instances, around the camp
fire. Camp fires will only be made if dead wood is available. The standard of
cooking on trek is usually surprisingly good, with the style of cooking being a
compromise between local and western food. Menus vary, but typically we start
with soup. The main course is often a rice based meal with meat stew or mild
curry, plus separate vegetable and salad dishes. A sweet dish is provided after
the meal. Our meal is finished with tea, coffee or hot chocolate. Sometimes a
bottle of local spirit is provided by the camp staff, but we advise clients to
buy plastic half bottles from duty free. However, you should only drink alcohol
when you feel acclimatised. After dinner, the usual practise is for your water
bottle to be filled with hot water and used as a hot water bottle for your
sleeping bag and for drinking water the next day.
We would like you to enjoy the serenity of the
unhurried atmosphere that exists in these wilderness regions. Our day to day
camp routine on your trekking adventure is geared to allow you to make the most
of your holiday.
LEADERS:
Sunder Khampa will Lead this trek for a minimum of 4 people Under 4 will be led
by our English speaking Sirdars.
WEATHER:
In August it can be quite hot during the day
(up to 30°C) at lower altitudes. At
night it can drop to freezing at higher altitudes (11,000ft)
|
