After breakfast take a full day excursion to renowned monasteries and palaces of Ladakh region. Founded in 1433 by Palden Sherab, Thiksey monastery the beautiful village of Thiksey, dominated by an imposing Gelugpa monastery. This Thiksey monastery majestically overlooks the valley, a magnificent group of about 80 monks; discovery of the beautiful inner courtyard which distributes access to the various temples. The most amazing is certainly the temple of Maitreya with its gigantic interior statue which covers all floors of the building. To join the next site, we will take the path of school children.

Founded in 1632 by Lama Staktsang Raspa, Visit Hemis Monastery, it is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery of the Drukpa Lineage. The monastery houses an amazing collection of the age-old relics such as the idol of Lord Buddha made up of copper gilt, gold and silver stupas It holds the distinction of being the biggest as well as the wealthiest monastery of Ladakh. The annual Hemis festival honoring Padmasambhava is held here in June.

On the way back to Leh visit Shey (Built in 17th century by king Deldan Namgyal) capital of ancient Ladakh, is an interesting complex whose importance is still measured by the quality of the paintings and the astonishing quantity of chortens or other votive monuments that surround it, especially the copper gilt statue of lord Buddha. The Rock-carved statue of five Buddha can be seen below the palace on the roadside, which was probably carved during the reign of Singay Namgyal.

And the Stok Palace built in 1825th by king Tsespal Tundup Namgyal , residence of the present kings of Ladakh. Transformed into a museum, the collections presented evoke a recent past where the royal family ruled over this valley. O/N hotel.

After breakfast drive to Lamayuru enroute visit Likir, also known as lu-Khyil gompa, the Likir Monastery was ordered to built by the 5th king of Ladakh Lhachen Gyalpo and was thus founded by Lama Duwang Chosje in 1065. The monastery is of the Gelugpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism, visit Alchi temple Renowned as the oldest Buddhist learning centre, the Alchi Gompa is one of the magnificently built monasteries in Ladakh. Located 70 kilometres west of Leh on the banks of the Indus River, it is also the largest and most famous of the gompas built by Tibetan translator Rinchen Zangpo in 11th century, continue drive to visit the mesmerizing Moon landscapes and the Lamayuru monastery renowned as Tharpa Ling which means the ‘place of freedom’; Lamayuru monastery is one of the oldest monasteries in Ladakh. Arahat Nimagon blessed the site and Naropa founded the monastery in the 11th century. O/N hotel

After the Breakfast drive to Leh, visit Rizong, according to popular belief, Guru Padmasambhava along with other lamas used to meditate in the caves around Rizong in isolation, surviving on two times meal a day and avoiding any contact with the outside world. Before building the monastery in 1831, Lama Tsultim Nima started a hermitage at the site to teach monks about Buddhism, visit a nunnery, known as Chulichan (Chomoling), is under the cover of the monastery, where 20 nuns or the Chomos reside and worship at the temples of the monastery, perform chores like milking, spinning wool and getting oil for the temple lamps. Arrive at Leh by evening. O/N hotel

• Altitude: 11, 560 ft – 13,770 ft
• Distance: 79 km drive
• Duration: 3 hour drive

It is highly recommended that you reach Rumtse a day before starting the trek to acclimatise. You can also get to Rumtse from Leh and start trekking immediately, but keep in mind that Rumtse is at a considerably higher altitude than Leh.

The drive along the Indus river is stunning with beautiful monasteries and scenic landscape. First Day of this Rumtse to Tsomoriri Lake Trek. It is easily manageable: we will have a short walk on rather flat terrain to aid acclimatization. The walk takes us through pleasant pastures and we can spot local shepherds with their herds and flocks of animals.

Rumtse is a small village, 79 km before Leh on the Leh-Manali road. You can get there by taking any of the Manali/Keylong bound buses from Leh, it should take around 2-3 hours.

Rumtse has camping grounds where you can pitch tents or you can also stay at local homestays or dhabas for about Rs. 500 a night. There is also a lodge run by Jammu & Kashmir Tourism.

• Altitude: 13,770 ft – 15,010 ft
• Distance: 9 km
• Duration: 4-5 hours

Today is the first day of the trek. Start by walking down the Leh–Manali highway, towards Manali. Walk for 1 km from the Rumtse local market.

Take the trail towards your left, pass by the Jammu & Kashmir Tourism lodge and hike alongside the Chhaba Chu stream, which will flow on your left. After 10 minutes you will come across a steel bridge. Cross the bridge with the stream on your left and keep left, along a small plateau.

The dusty trail will eventually take a U-turn as you leave Chhaba Chu and enter Kyamar valley. This point is the confluence of Kyamar stream and Chhaba Chu. Leaving behind Chhaba Chu, look for multiple rivulets. These are small streams and can easily be crossed.

After 20 minutes of level walk, you will come across large green marshes on your right, suitable for camping. Here cross the stream and take the trail going left. The walk to Kyamar campsite is easy and over relatively flat terrain. The trail swirls inward along the natural scope of the valley.

A hike of 30 minutes will lead to a change in the landscape as green marshes give way to gravel. After 10 minutes, you will reach the base of the plateau. From here, observe a 3 way opening of the valley– take the widest valley in front of you. This is the logical trail going to the grazing grounds of Kyamar. After walking for about 30 minutes, the green marshes will re-appear along Kyamar stream.

You will be required to cross the stream towards the right and then back to the left side as per the trail in front of you. This section of the valley will take around one hour to traverse.  The Kyamar grazing grounds are located at the base of the highest mountain ahead of you.

The final section of the trek will take around one hour. Look for a suitable camping spot next to the stream, which is on the right side of the trail. Kyamar’s grounds are surrounded by beautiful rocky hills on three sides of the valley.

• Altitude: 15,010 ft – 16,800 ft – 17,160 ft – 16,500 ft
• Distance: 15 km
• Duration: 8-9 hours

You have a long day ahead, so start early. Take the trail going to the base of Kyamar Mountain, cross the stream and re-join the trail coming from Rumtse. From the base of the mountain walk on the trail that naturally curves left. The green landscape is left behind as you now enter the barren mountainscape of the upper plateau of Kyamar.

The trail now gradually climbs up as you approach the base of Kyamar La. After about 20 minutes of walking you will reach the centre of the valley. From here, take the wide SUV trail on your right. It takes an hour to reach the base of the pass.

Observe a small bridge made of boulders and stones over Kyamar stream, cross over and take the trail that winds upward on your right. From here, it’s a steep ascent all the way to the pass. The final section of the ridge is littered with tiny wildflowers.

Leaving Kyamar valley behind, take the trail going downwards on the right side of the ridge. It’s a level walk for 15 minutes, after which the descent becomes sharp. The trail is slippery because of loose gravel so descend carefully, especially if it’s raining. It should take 30-45 minutes to climb down to the river bed of Tassa Phu.

Take the trail going towards your left as you reach the river bed. Cross Tassa Phu. Observe two valleys that open in front of you. Take the one that is on your immediate left. The ascent towards Mandachalan La is a brutal and laborious slog of around 1,000 ft.

The initial section has a gradual ascent till the base of the pass. The climb up to the pass may take anything from two to three hours. The terrain is all dry, with no snow. Mandachalan La, like Kyamar La, is well-marked with cairns and prayer flags. The view from the top is a notch better than Kyamar La.

Observe the connecting ridge, below which lies Tisaling, your destination for the day. Go ahead on the right side of the ridge into a bowl-shaped valley. The trail is a level-walk of 2 km. It leads all the way towards the summit of an unnamed pass. From the pass, look for the green camping ground of Tisaling below.

Feel free to break from the trail and descend towards Tisaling. Tisaling is a beautiful high altitude grassland between Mandachalan La and Tisaling La.You will have to cross the stream and the marshland for a suitable camping spot at the base of Shibuk La.

• Altitude: 16,500 ft – 17,370 ft – 15,050 ft
• Distance: 15 km
• Duration: 6-7 hours

Start early in the morning to avoid the brutal afternoon sun. The initial part of the trek involves a steady 1.5km climb to Shibuk La, which is adjacent to the campsite. The altitude gain is around 1,000 feet.

Cross the stream and head to the base of Shibuk La. The trail moves south-east and the pass is clearly visible above. There are several ways to reach the summit.

The straight route requires you to cross the stream towards your left and make a straight line upwards to the summit. This route is the shortest. However, the route has the maximum incline and is strenuous.

The other way to go about it is to take the left side trail and reach the crest of the pass. This is a longer route but the ascent is gradual, at least initially. It takes about an hour to reach Shibuk La.

The descent from the pass to Tso Kar Lake is rapid and takes around 4-5 hours. This is fertile stretch of land that is frequented by the Changpas, who come with their livestock.

After an hour, a rocky scree-filled trail awaits you. The view of Tso Kar lake basin is closer than ever as you descend swiftly. About 2-3 hours into descent, you will exit Shibuk La valley and enter Tso Kar region. Follow the trail on your right and exit the valley.

The trail here is well-defined. The brackish barren land has a unique array of colours that keep changing as the day progresses. As you approach the rocky spur, there will be a series of two crests of the plateau that need to be traversed. This will take 30-45 minutes.

Once at the top of the plateau, follow the trail that winds right. A motorable road becomes visible below now, it comes from the Leh-Manali road and heads south to Tso Moriri. Towards the far right, after crossing this road is the campsite of Pongunagu. It takes half an hour of walking to reach the campsite. Take the trail from the left side of a large fenced grazing ground to reach the campsite, this is the shortest route.

Pongunagu has place for pitching tents. It also has ready-to-use tents on rent. Today is the day you can also skip cooking if you are so inclined- there is a small dhaba where you can get food and also stock up on your supplies if necessary (of course, it is costlier than Leh).

This is the only point of exit on the trek, in case of emergencies. A satellite phone is also available in the nearest village, Thugje, 3 km away from the campsite.

• Altitude: 15,050 ft to 15,310 ft
• Distance: 16 km
• Duration: 6-7 hours

Today is a relatively easy day of trekking over fairly flat terrain. Take the trail going south, facing the bank of Tso Kar lake. With the lake towards your left, the jeep trail is a pleasant one. Lookout for black necked cranes and Brahminy ducks. The trail passes by a few tea shops and winter shelters used by Changpa folk.

The valley widens as you walk towards Nuruchen, a Changpa village. Looming ahead are towering Zanskar ranges, where you can easily spot the Horlam La ridge. It’s an easy but long walk all the way to Nuruchen.

Nuruchen is used as a safe haven during bone-chilling winters by the Changpas. In the summers it looks like a ghost village with abandoned huts. There is a muddy stream gushing down from the Horlam La ridge, from the south west side. The rivulet is known as Nuruchen Lungpa and drains into the Tso Kar Lake. Pitch tents near the stream for the night.

Today’s trek is a fairly relaxed one, Horlam La is the easiest pass crossing of this trek.

Ford the Nuruchen rivulet and proceed further south west into the Tso Moriri Valley. You will notice an increased presence of Changpa nomads all the way to their settlement in Rachungkharu. Kiangs, Tibetan wild horses, frequent this trail. The trail is gravel and scree with short wild grass.

The approach to the pass is easy with wide expanses suitable for SUVs to drive by. From the pass descend to the grassy marshes of Spanglung Serpa river basin. A forty minute downhill ridge walk will have you reach the mushy marshes of the river basin. Avoid walking on the slushy side of the marshland.

Look out for a suitable spot to ford the river. The trail now takes you on a 5 km stretch till the campsite of Rachungkharu. Rachungkharu is one of the Changpa’s summer settlements and unlike the other settlements this one will not be deserted. Camp next to the river for the night.

Note: It is also possible to continue ahead to the next campsite, but this will make for a long, strenuous day. It is not recommended unless you are short on time or supplies.

• Altitude: 16,150 ft – 17,780 ft – 17,700 ft – 16,900 ft
• Distance: 13 km
• Duration: 6-7 hours

Expect a long day of trekking. Today, you have two of the most formidable pass crossings in store for you. The other challenge of the day is fording a series of rivulets, including a few that can be tricky.

Start early. Take the clear-cut trail to Kyamayaru La, moving south. Follow the left course of the passing rivulet as you approach the base of the pass. After around an hour, you can see the saddle of Kyamayaru La on your right. Take the trail ascending all the way to the pass.

It takes an hour to reach the top of Kyamayaru La. From the pass Kang Yatse is visible to the south. Ahead of you lies the wide valley of Gyam chu. Descend to the extensive river basin of Gyam Chu. As you reach the first river, walk beside it until you reach pasture grounds used by yak herders. Ford the river from here and move ahead into Gyam Chu basin.

Below snow-covered Mentok ranges in the distance, observe several plateaus. Gyamar La ridge is in the middle of those plateaus. The ascent to the pass is steep. Keep a slow and steady pace as you approach the pass, it takes close to two hours to reach the top.

The pass has several prayer flags neatly laid out. The Mentok ranges (1 & 2) can be seen distinctly in the southern direction from here.

Descend from the pass towards the arid side of Gyamar basin. As you reach the banks of the stream, brace yourself for an exhilarating experience of river-crossings.

The rivers here are voluminous, deep and icy cold. Try boulder hopping or wade through the deep currents. The second river crossing appears shortly after the first one.

From here, head south towards the convergence of the rivulets that form the Gyamar River. Gyamalhoma campsite is across the river. Walk towards the bank of the river and prepare for the last river crossing of the day.

Gyamalhoma is a beautiful pasture ground frequented by Changpa yak herders and makes for an excellent camping spot. It is the base camp for climbing Mentok 1 and 2 peaks. If you a day to spare (and the supplies) then this is surely a campsite worth spending an extra day.

• Altitude: 16,900 ft – 17,840 ft – 14,900 ft
• Distance: 14 km
• Duration: 6 hours

Today’s scenery is the best you’ll see on this trek. Prepare to cross the highest pass of the trek. Yarlung  Nyau La is located at an elevation of 17,840 feet and has the best views the trek has to offer.

Start by taking the marked trail heading south east of the river valley. About an hour of level walk over receding pasture land will have you enter a rocky landscape. The valley is barren and prone to rock fall.

There are cairns on the trail that keep you from getting lost. The plateau of Mentok will come into view after around 2 hours. The saddle of Yarlung Nyau La is now clearly visible ahead as you gain altitude.

As you reach the top, the first appearance of Tso Moriri lake is an overwhelming sight to fathom. The lake is huge and dominates the landscape. Some famous trek-worthy peaks like Chhamsher Kangri (21,725 feet) and Lungser Kangri (21,870 feet) are clearly visible from here. Standing at the highest point of the trek, bask in the view for a while before descending.

The descent to Tso Moriri lake loses altitude by 3,000 ft and is a long walk. Initially the descent is over very loose sand and an hour of descent will bring you to the pasture land of Karzok Phu. They are one of the summer grazing grounds used by the Changpas.

The trail from here winds through an arid desert valley, beautiful in its own accord, all the way to Karzok. The bank of the stream that drains into Tso Moriri has some green marshlands. Walk for another two hours at a steady pace to reach the camping grounds of Karzok next to the stream. You can also head further to the village if you prefer the comforts of civilization.

• Altitude: 14,900 ft – 11,560 ft
• Distance: 210 km drive
• Duration: 6-7 hours drive

The trek ends at Karzok. Karzok is a beautiful village near the shores of Tso Moriri, with beautiful snow clad mountains all around. It would be an injustice to the place and yourself to head back to Leh without spending a day here.

You can spend a day just relaxing around the village, exploring Tso Moriri. Alternatively you can also do a day hike to any of the numerous peaks around Karzok.

Leh is around 210 kilometres from Karzok and it takes 6 to 7 hours to get there. Unfortunately, public transport between Leh and Karzok is very sparse.  Buses run from Leh to Karzok on the 10th, 20th and 30th of each month and return to Leh the next day on the 11th, 21st and 31st (or 1st).

The other option to get to Leh is to look for a shared taxi, or any other vehicle heading towards Leh, that should cost you about Rs. 500 per person. If you need to hire a taxi it can cost anywhere around Rs. 5000.

We have an early start and go to the Leh airport to catch our flight to Kathmandu. If you want to extend your stay in Leh, please let us know.

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Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry’s standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.