Have you ever had that feeling when you are just in awe of what you see in front of you? a sight what can be best described as the magic of god and you have to actually take in a deep breath and give yourself a couple of seconds so that your brain can actually register what is in front of you. Well if you haven't then you are missing out on something called life. You then need to come to Ladakh – a civilization over a 1000 years old in the most hostile enviourment in the world is nothing short than gods magic.
Located in the state of Jammu and Kashmir Ladakh was not open to foreign tourists till a few years ago, even Indian nationals needed a permit to venture in ladakh. Things have now changed .most of ladakh can be accessed by roads, many of them having the credit of being the highest in the world.
The road from Manali to leh on which I have traveled more than five times never lets you down in terms of the awesome sights, sheer adventure and of course the challenge that it presents to you while riding a bike. It is 480 kms of pure adrenaline and is a bikers delight. Crossing passes at a height of 16000 feet plus requires determination more then skill. These 480 kms can take anything between 2-4 days with 3 days being ideal and you get to stop at some of the most pictureous places you will ever come across. A nights halt at the pictureous town of Jispa followed by camping for a night in the valley of Sarchu or next to the Tso kar lake . The next morning you leave for the city of Leh crossing the Tanglanga pass which is the second highest motorable road in the world.
While traveling on Leh Manali road one can experience first hand the change in mountains, people, and culture. You leave the Manali hills full of trees and enter a land where nothing grows. You come across fellow riders who stop at a tea stall at 13000 feet and then cross the lake at Baralacha pass which cannot be described in words. One sight after the other, one experience after the other, it is definitely an experience of a lifetime. A pilgrimage one needs to undertake year after year. Do not think that the journey finishes once you reach leh. There are things to see like 1000 year old monasteries where way of like has not been corrupted, places to go like camping like the Nubra valley, and lakes to visit in this cold desert. It is a place that just sucks you in by its beauty and the warmth to its people.
I promise you, a road trip to Ladakh is a journey of a life time. Its sheer beauty and starkness will make you wonder if you are on planet earth. Ladakh is a high altitude desert and is a pretty harsh place to stay; the beauty of this place can only be experienced first hand. Ladakh is crisscrossed with ancient Buddhist monasteries and small villages which provide color to other wise barren Ladakhi landscape.
Tibetan Buddhists are represented in Ladakh by 5 different sects.
The principal town in Ladakh is Leh (3500meters) known as the Roof of the world.
This town is the hub of activity and the starting point of many an adventure treks and exciting road trips. The dominating feature of this town is the Leh Palace; this 9 storied palace was built by Sengge Namgyal in 1630. The architecture is same as the Potala Palace in Lhasa. The other important forts and monasteries in and around Leh are the Namgyal Tesemo (Kings Palace) ten minutes from the town is the Zorawar Fort and the Moravian Church. The Peace Pagoda (Shanti Stupa) was built by the Japanese Buddhists in 1980 is situated near the city.
There are a number of adventure activities which you can try in this unspoiled environment.
Trekking
Mountain climbing
River rafting
Cycling
Camel safaris
Jeep safaris
Archery competitions
Polo
Trekking
Trekking is must in this area as you will come across spectacular monasteries located in the depths of Ladakh, you will pass through lush meadows and river gorges while going around Chortens and Mani walls.
There are numerous trekking trails leading through Zanskar and the Ladakh desert. This stark and Trans Himalayan desert offers a unique experience in trekking with a wide variety of hard as well as beautiful treks interspaced with short day treks also.
The treks take you through simple and isolated villages and settlements where you will be able to see and experience first hand the lifestyle of this unique environment, you will come across a wide variety of wild and rare animals like ibex and the mountain gazelles.
The popular treks are:
Spituk to Hemis
Padum to Darcha
Padum to Lamayuru
Spituk to Markha
Likir to Tingmosgang
Lamayuru to Alchi.
Spituk to Hemis
This is a moderate trek covering 105 kilometers (65 miles) over a period of 8 days.
You will be trekking alongside the river Indus onwards to Skiu village where you will witness the rustic charm of Ladakh. Then you will go across the rough and tumble of Kongmaru pass (17,303 ft), this is the highest point of the trek. The trek will end at the Hemis monastery which was founded by Kind Sengge Namgyal. The Hemis monastery has the distinction of being the richest and the largest monastery in Ladakh.
Padum to Darcha
This is a moderately difficult trek covering 115 kms(71 miles) stretched over 10 days with the maximum altitude of 16,732 ft( 4,100 meters).
Padum (11483 ft) is situated in Zanskar and has beautiful rock engravings of the Dhyani Buddha’s in the center of the town; from here you will go to Bardhan where you will be trekking alongside the river Tsarap. Onwards to Reru and Kurgiakh (this is the highest village in Zanskar) from where you will go to Shingo-la (pass) at a height of 5,100 meters.
The trek will end at Darcha which is situated on the Baralacha Pass.
Padum to Lamayuru
This tough 10 day trek covers 160km (9 miles) with the highest point of the trek at 16,404 ft (5000 meters).
This trek begins at Padum from here there are two routes to Yelchang village. The easier part goes through Zangla and Yulchung while the slightly tougher route goes through Karsha and the extraordinary Lingshet monastery. Then you will cross the Singe-la (pass) at 16,404 ft (5000 meters) then crossing Wanlah you will reach Lamayuru. This place is situated on a spur which is surrounded by a different landscape. There is old 11th century temple which is famous for its image of Vairocana (central Buddha of meditation).
Spituk to Markha
This trek is one of the most popular treks in this region. It encompasses the markha valley in its entire splendor.
Likir to Tingmosgang
This is a comparatively easy two day trek covering 22 kilometers and touching 13,123 ft at the most. You will be passing through exotic villages on the way and get to know the locale customs and traditions of this place known as Ladakh.
Lamayuru to Alchi
This five day 65 km trek is extremely tough and takes you to an altitude of 16,093 ft while you pass through Konki-la (16,093 ft) later you will end your trek at Alchi. Alchi is one of the major attractions of Ladakh and is a distinguished center for Buddhist art form.
All the treks are undertaken by goadventuresports.com.
The treks are inclusive.
We will provide you with experienced guides.
There will be provisions for pack horses and porters.
If line pass are required we will provide them to.
Important: it is highly recommended and very important that you get proper acclimatization before embarking on a trek.
Mountain climbing
Ladakh is a mountaineer’s paradise with a number of high and low altitude peaks here for your climbing pleasure.
The best part of climbing in Ladakh is that there are a number of unexplored peaks as well as those peaks which are quiet famous and popular, here you have a wide variety of peaks to chose from for your climbing pleasure.
The Zanskar Massif and the Nun-Kun massif are hugely popular with the climbers.
Nun-Kun is easily accessible from the Pudum – Kargil road and are the highest peaks in this cluster of six peaks with Nun standing at 7,135 meters and Kun standing at 7,077 meters, these peaks are very attractive because of the short march to the base camp from the road. (Word of advice it is very important to book these climb’s in advance as there is a waiting period of at least 2 years).
The area of Stok and Khangri Massif located in the Zanskar Mountains is a very popular spot for climbing.
The peaks which are quiet popular with the climbers are Kantak (5,275 meters), Gulap Khangri (5,900 meters) , Stok Khangri (6,150 meters), Matho West (5,950 meters), Konglacha Peak (6,700 meters) and many peaks which are unnamed and yet to be conquered.
Both these areas fall out side the restricted area and are easily accessible.
The north side of Leh has the popular Nubra Valley which has a wide variety of peaks starting from Saser-I (7,415 m), Saser -II (7,513m) and Saser III (7,495 m). These peaks fall in the restricted zone and prior permission is required for climbing these peaks.
It is very important for all foreign expeditions to get prior permission from the Indian mountaineering foundation. The foundation charges according to the availability and the popularity of the said peak, there is a liaison officer with each team and adequate coverage is provided in case of illness or accident.
The climbing season starts from May till October; the best time for climbing is between June and September.
We will provide you with experienced guides.
There will be provisions for porters.
If line pass are required we will provide them to.
There are all inclusive packages which are designed keeping in mind the possibilities and probabilities of the weather.
Rafting
The main rivers for rafting are the Zanskar and the Indus rivers. There are specially designed campsites for your rafting pleasure.
There are basic and advanced courses on offer, the river between Karu and Spituk is for beginners and the river between Saspol to Spituk is for advanced courses.
The ideal time for river rafting is between July and September.
There are arrangements for board and lodging.
There are qualified instructors and safety inspectors.
Cycling
The way of the future is the cycle; this transport is environmentally friendly as well as healthy, when you are cycling you can check out the country side at your leisure and soak in the culture also.
Cycling gives you the time to get in touch with yourself.
The roads of Ladakh provide you with a varied experience as you will be cycling through the scenic Himalayan Mountains.
The best routes for cycling are
Marhi to Manali
Jispa to Gondla
Leh to Alchi
Leh to Hemis
The best season for cycling in Ladakh and Himachal is June to September.
We will be providing you with all the necessary equipment and the support of our team in this adventure.
Camel safaris
These safaris are specially designed for the sand dunes of Hunder, which is situated in Ladakh. The safaris are a special blend of the culture of Ladakh; here you will experience the Bactrian camel which has two distinct humps and this sets it apart from the other camel safaris you would have taken.
We will be providing you with all the necessary equipment and the support of our team in this adventure.
Mountain biking.
Leh and Ladakh offers a lot of on road as well as off road stretches for the biker in you.
The highway will take you through some of the highest passes in this side of the world. Lachlung La, Baralacha La, Rohtang La and the Taglang La are some of the exotic passes you will be biking through.
You will be biking through 485 km from Manali to Leh and you will be climbing up to the height of 17,480 ft.
This picturesque and stunning landscape will offer you a chance to get in touch with your wild side as you will take a ride into this high altitude challenge.
We will be providing you with the bikes of your choice.
The entire it nary will be according to your convenience.
We will be providing you with all the necessary equipment and the support of our team in this adventure.
The permits will be inclusive as well.
Jeep Safaris
The ultimate off-road experience can only be had with the right Jeep and the right kind of attitude with the backing off our team of experts.
Ladakh when traveled through on a jeep safari will reveal its beauty and charm to you as you will be interacting with people and getting to know there lifestyle and experience the wonder known as Ladakh.
Nubra, Dah Hanu and Tsmori-Ri in Ladakh offer the best off-road experience ever you will be driving on winding mountain roads with the mighty Himalayas in the background.
The high altitude deserts and the beautiful lakes ringed with mountains wait your jeep safari.
You will be driving through Khardungla pass which is the highest motor able pass.
We will be providing you with the line permits.
The jeeps will by to the international standards.
The entire it nary will be keeping in mind time and the places you would like to visit.
The meals, accommodation, guides and porters during the jeep safaris in Ladakh are careful planned.
Food and water, juices, tents and other camping gear, spares for the jeep, first-aid-kit, and fuel will be provided for.
There are other activities in Ladakh
Archery and Polo
Archery
Archery is one of the most famous sports in Ladakh and is keenly contested even at village levels.
There is National Archery Stadium situated in Leh which holds a lot of keenly contested competitions.
Polo
The craze for polo in Leh is to be seen to be believed. This is an extremely popular sport with polo matches held every weekend at the polo ground in Leh.
We will provide you with any extra information you require for the adventure called Ladakh.
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