Ladakh
India’s newest Union Territory, Ladakh is where the youngest mountain chain in the world meets one of the oldest. As a travel journalist and outdoor trip leader, Ladakh has always been high on my list for adventures. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been there, but it’s been over a decade of chasing stories, snow leopards, and skyu, the local stew that I love. I’ve seen Ladakh transcend from a magical place to a tourism hotspot – some pockets becoming sadly unrecognisable – to once again finding its soul in its lesser known places and low seasons.
Hidden gems in Ladakh
Ladakh
Chadar Frozen River trek
Difficulty: StrenuousMax Elevation: 3,500 metresDuration: Nine daysStart/end point: Chilling Accommodation: Camping The Chadar frozen river trek is one of India’s most sought-after winter adventures. Every year for a couple of months, the Zanskar River becomes a ‘chadar’ or sheet of ice flanked by stark mountains and waterfalls that turn into sparkling chandeliers of ice. It is an incomparable landscape straight out of a Disney film, and is both thrilling and challenging. The chadar was once a lifeline for resilient Zanskaris to maintain communications and trading routes with the outside world. Today its unique beauty draws hefty crowds to an environment that is already grappling with climate change and the construction of a new road parallel to the river. I was fortunate to do this trek over a decade ago before it had exploded across countless Instagram feeds. These days I’m not sure I’d go back, simply due to the unsustainable pressure it’s under. You can make your own decision. Need to know This bucket list winter trek comes with a long list of preparations, starting with being mentally prepared for camping on ice in below freezing temperatures. There are no charging points along the way, so plenty of additional batteries, fleece lined bags to keep electronics and items like sunscreens and toothpastes in a liquid state, are required. Now that the ice is thinner due to warmer temperatures, be prepared to also fall through a few times. A sad reminder of our changing climate.
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Ladakh
Markha Valley trek
Difficulty: Mild to moderateMax Elevation: 5,260 metres Duration: Seven days Start/end point: Chilling/ Sham Sumdo Accommodation: Homestays or camping A great – and very popular – introduction to the Ladakh trekking scene, the Markha Valley packs plenty into a one-week window. It makes the cut with a little bit of everything; iridescent rivers that meander through gentle green valleys, climbs over stark mountainous terrain, and views of the imposing Kang Yatse among other peaks in the Ladakh Himalaya. The trek switches between being relatively easy to moderately tough and takes you through the Hemis National Park, and again sees near perfect weather in the July-September season. This trek is also dotted with village homestays and is ideal for those who don’t wish to set up camp at the end of a long day, and appreciate local food and cultural interaction. Need to know The Markha Valley trek route is fairly easy-going but plenty of visitors still get caught out by the altitude and end up abandoning the trek with Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). Spend that extra day in Leh to avoid the regret! The trek to Markha valley has different routes but my preferred route starts at Chilling, barely over an hour’s drive from Leh.
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Ladakh
Parang La trek
Difficulty: StrenuousMax Elevation: 5,580 metres Duration: Seven days Start/end point: Chicham village in Spiti, and Korzok in Ladakh at the exit. Accommodation: Camping with home stays available at entry and exit points. I’d call this one more of a mini expedition than a trek, as it involves crossing a 6,000 metre snowbound pass that saddles the Spiti and Ladakh valleys. The ancient trading route that connected the erstwhile Tibet section, which is a part of Ladakh today, and Spiti in Himachal Pradesh, Parang La is the pass that bridges the two valleys. While it can be done from either end, it’s wiser to start from the Spiti side and cross the pass early on, after which you hit the Changthang plateau laid out like a boundless desert. The vast plateau has occasional pockets of wildflowers that pop up in a surprising riot of colours in the monochromatic canvas, and herds of kiang or the Tibetan wild ass galloping through hundreds of miles of their long and wide playground. Need to know Getting to the trailhead itself is a long journey (a minimum of three days from New Delhi) by road, and a couple of days are recommended for acclimatisation in Tabo or Kaza once you reach the high-altitude Spiti valley. It’s best to do this if you have additional time so you can turn it into a Spiti exploration trip as well; a couple of days in Leh are also great once you finish (or more, to explore Ladakh better), and the added bonus is that you can fly back from Leh to New Delhi.
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Ladakh
Ladakh
India’s newest Union Territory, Ladakh is where the youngest mountain chain in the world meets one of the oldest. As a travel journalist and outdoor trip leader, Ladakh has always been high on my list for adventures. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been there, but it’s been over a decade of chasing stories, snow leopards, and skyu, the local stew that I love. I’ve seen Ladakh transcend from a magical place to a tourism hotspot – some pockets becoming sadly unrecognisable – to once again finding its soul in its lesser known places and low seasons.
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Chadar Frozen River trek
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Markha Valley trek
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Parang La trek
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