Ladakh India Trek

Note by KC: There will be no posting for one week ... participating in the Mount Kinabalu Climbathon during the weekend of 23 October 2010.

Mount Rinjani Trekking Trip (off Bali) in early June 2011 next year: I am organizing a team; vacancy for two more lady trekkers. If you are active, trek with fairly fast pace and interested to come along, do contact me (contact details on the right sidebar of the blogsite). Click here for more photos of Mt Rinjani.

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All photos courtesy of Banjamin..

Click here for the photo album.I am pleased to share the photos taken by Banjamin, a trekking friend, of his Ladakh trek in India. As informed by Banjamin, Ladakh trek differs from othertreks in its beautiful colour of the mountains under the sun as can be seen from some of thephotos especially on the way to the Panggong Tso lake. With many "small" clouds hovering in the sky, the pictures turns out with different degrees of shadow and darkness especially those taken at Shanti Stupas and the view down on the Markha Valleys.

Banjamin plans to go trekking every year. He is planning to do Hunza Valley along the Karakoram Highway with a side trek to the fairy Meadow in Pakistan..

Shanti Stupa's view of Leh, elevation 3500m.

Overland trip to Lamayuru, elevation 3390m, 125km from Leh.

Extracted from Internet:

Ladakh, also called the Land of the High Passes, lies in the eastern half of Jammu and Kashmir in the far north of India. It shares its much disputed north-western border with Pakistan while to the north lies the Chinese province of Xinjiang, and to the east, province of Tibet. It is sandwiched between two vast mountain systems: Himalaya to the south and the Karakoram to the north.

The Ladakh region is very thinly populated. The people who live there are migrants of Indo Aryans and Tibetan civilization. Ladakh has an altitude of 9000 feet at Kargil and 21,170 feet at Saser Kanri..

View of Lamayuru Gompa; the site is probably the oldest in Ladakh, dating back to at least 10th century, built in the time of Rinchen Zangpo.

Leh was the capital of the Himalayan kingdom of Ladakh; Leh has for centuries been an important stopover on trade routes along the Indus Valley between Tibet to the east, Kashmir to the west and also between India and China.

The temperature in winter reaches minus 22 degree Celsius and during summers, can go up to 20 plus. Leh and Ladakh have been said to be the only places where you can have a sun stroke as well as frostbit at the same time.

Water in such places is always scarce because the place hardly receives any rain. The main source of water here is the melted water from the snow which is carried down by smaller streams and thus helps in irrigation. It is interesting and shocking to know that the place does not receive any water from the rain for almost 300 days in one year.

There are beautiful mountains all over Ladakh and it is worth visiting if you are into mountain activities.

Depart from Leh to Nubra Valley, 150km north of Leh over the awesome Khardung La, at 5602m, 37km north of Leh, the second highest motor able pass in the world. At this level, it is higher than Everest base Camp in Nepal.

Gangda La at elevation 4380m.

Gangda La, elevation 4380m. From our campsite, we can see a spectacular view of Stok Kangri and the whole of the Stok range to the east. Zanskar range to the west.

Wow! Captivating landscape !
.Banjamin (left of photo frame)

As we descend to Shingo, 4150m, we saw a number of mamots along the descend.

Skiu to Markha: The trail to Markha is not too strenuos, rise above 300m over 22km (7-8hours). Following the Markha River, we will hike through the lovely valley on a fairly level path. The trail crosses the river at various points, and passes through winter settlements that contain Lhatos (religious shrines for local deities) and Mani walls (stones inscribed with Buddhist prayers).

Skiu to Markha: The trail to Markhais not too strenuos, rise above 300m over 22km (7-8hours).

Thachungtse to Nimaling, elevation 4720m (4 hours), Leaving Markha Valley behind.

Heading toward our seventh and our last campsite, Shangsumdo, elevation 3660m.

Overnight Jeep trip to Pangong Tso (lake), elevation 4250m, 160km east of Leh. Passing through Changla Pass, elevation 5360m, the fourth highest motorway in the world

Pangong Tso (lake), elevation 4250m, 160km east of Leh. The lake, 4km wide and 150km long, which runs east into Tibet, China. One third of the lake comes under India territory, the rest under China. The lake has no outlet so the water has high salt and mineral content. As such, the lake cannot support aquatic life, hence its distinctive and beautiful shades of blue. You can only visit with a permit and visitors must turn back at Spangmik, about along the southwest shore.

Departing from Pangong Tso (lake), elevation 4250m, 160km east of Leh.
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This is truly a beautiful place for trekking. I shall organise one after the Annapurna Circuit (Nepal) trekking..

Posted by KC

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