Little Tibet – The land of passes, towering mountains and ancient monasteries
High up in the shadow of the worlds highest peaks is a land of mythical beauty. A land where vividly coloured mountains rise up dramatically on all sides, dwarfing the crystal rivers and shimmering glaciers which make their way through the barren terrain.
A land that is arid and harsh, but also one of the most beautiful anywhere on Earth. A land of warm, friendly people and a cultural heritage that is nothing short of amazing.
Ladakh is often called ‘Little Tibet’ and laying north of the main mountain chain it receives little rainfall. The scenery is stark and dramatic – deep gorges, alluvial fans, contorted strata, and large Tibetan Buddhist monasteries, with faded prayer flags fluttering, and old prayer wheels humming as they turn. Flat-topped mud-brick houses in oasis-like villages, snow-capped mountains and alpine meadows.
This is a chance to visit the remote and beautiful areas as well as unique historical sites of this region.
Costs and what is included
Cost: £970 per person – based on a group size of 8-10 people.
The above cost includes:
- Airport transfers where applicable in the Itinerary.
- A senior member of the Hindustan trekking company team as team leader,
- Full board and lodging as mentioned in the Itinerary,
- Full camping gear including sleeping tents on twin sharing, sleeping mats, dining tent, toilet tent, kitchen tent,
- Full compliment of camp and trekking staff,
- Porters / Ponies / Yaks, to carry our gear,
- Hiring of vehicles as per the itinerary,
- Visit to Monasteries as mentioned in the itinerary,
- Hiring of Monastery guides where applicable.
The above cost does not include:
- Insurance,
- Emergency evacuation,
- Hotel in any place other than what’s mentioned in the itinerary,
- Cost due to illness or natural disaster,
- Laundry,
- International flights.
Trek Dates
| Arrive in Leh on 8th July Depart from Leh on 23rd July |
| Arrive in Leh on 27th July Depart from Leh on 11th August |
| Arrive in Leh on 15th August Depart from Leh on 30th August |
| Arrive in Leh on 3rd September Depart from Leh on 18th September |
The itinerary at a glance
Day 1:
Pick up from Leh airport and transfer to Hotel. Overnight: Hotel – Leh (11500 ft).
Day 2:
Acclimatisation and short tour of Leh including Leh Palace, Shanti Stupa and Sankar. Overnight: Hotel – Leh (11500 ft).
Day 3:
Visit two important monasteries of Ladakh – Thikse and Hemis. Each steeped in culture, history and beauty. Overnight: Hotel – Leh (11500 ft).
Day 4:
This is the day our trek starts! Short drive from Leh to Spitok where we trek along the Indus through the tree lined Zinchen Valley to the tiny village of Zinchen. Overnight: Camp – Zinchen (11,810 ft)
Day 5:
Gradually ascend along the Rumbak Nala until we reach Rumbak, the largest village in the Zinchen valley. From here we get a beautiful view of the snow capped peaks of the Stok Mountain Range. Overnight: Camp – Rumbak (12,800ft).
Day 6:
A gradual ascend until we reach the tiny village of Yurutse. Our destination for the day is the Ganda La base camp, about an hour from Yurutse. Overnight: Camp – Ganda La base (14,300 ft)
Day 7:
An early start to ascend and cross a high pass (4985mts). We are now in the favoured nesting ground of the beautiful Golden Eagle. Beyond the pass we descend to the pasture land a little beyond Shingo village. Overnight: Camp – Shingo, Ganda La (13,600 ft)
Day 8:
Today our trail descends steadily to the head of the Skiu Valley. From here the river sweeps down a tight, narrow gorge, choked with willow and wild roses to the village of Skiu surrounded by towering rock faces. Overnight: Camp – Pentse (12000 ft)
Day 9:
We start the day by trekking along a valley of beautifully terraced green fields and small irrigation canals. We continue along the valley till we reach the village Markha and the scenic Markha monastery. Overnight: Camp – Markha (12630 ft)
Day 10:
We trek from Thinlespa village and further to Hankar village from where we get a stunning view of the Gyalpo-Ri peak. After a steady ascent we reach our destination – the dramatic camp site at Thachungtse. Overnight: Camp – Thachungtse (14100 ft)
Day 11:
The trail climbs steadily up towards the Nimaling plain sloping upwards to the base of the ice-clad Kang Yatse, 21,500ft/6,553m, which dominates the area. Nimaling provides pasturage in the summer for an astonishing number of animals; yaks, sheep, goats, dzos and horses. Himalayan marmots and white-tailed hares are seen in plenty and it is not unusual to spot the occasional blue sheep or wolf. Overnight: Camp – Nimaling (15500 ft)
Day 12:
Rest Day! We could either put our feet up and enjoy the sun on our backs or the adventurers amongst us could trek up to the base camp of Kang Yatse. Overnight: Camp – Nimaling.
Day 13:
Today, we climb to the top of the highest of the passes on this trek, the 5,400m Kangmaru La with its wonderful views from the top. Snow peaks in every direction and on a clear day the giants of the Karakoram, including K2 can be seen on the north-western horizon. The trail descends steeply to the head of the Martselang valley and to Chuskyurmo. Overnight: Camp – Chuskyurmo (13780 ft)
Day 14:
An easy descent along the Shang valley to the road head at Shang Sumdo.
Overnight: Hotel & HOT SHOWERS!
Day 15:
A lazyday exploring the fascinating and colourful bazaar at Leh. Farewell dinner. Overnight: Hotel – Leh.
Day 16:
Transfer to Leh airport to catch the flight back to Delhi.
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