Markha Valley Trek
The Markha Valley trek is certainly one of the most diverse trek in the Western Himalayas and the barren landscape of Leh Ladakh and its unique Buddhist culture makes it even more special. It ventures into the two high Himalayas Mountain Passes over 15000 feet. Markha Valley trek trails wind past willow groves, alongside patches of wild roses and through canyons decorated with multi coloured Tibetan prayer flags rising and falling in the breeze. The Markha Valley Trek goes inside Hemis National park and gives an opportunity to meet the nomadic families as they herd their yaks. During the Markha valley trek one can connect with Tibet and immerse oneself in Tibetan culture. Apart from the striking contrast of trekking in an arid cold desert valley, you get an outstanding view of Ladakh and Zanskar ranges, the 21,000 ft Kang Yissay and the 20,086 ft Stok Kangri peaks. The trek involves two pass crossings- Gandala La (15748 ft) and Kongmaru La, (17,060 ft). Some exciting waist-deep river crossing sections on Markha River to trails going across interesting Buddhist villages and rocky canyons are some of the features that give this trek a unique fervor.
Your initial two days of the Markha Valley trekking will be spent for acclimatization as it is vital for a healthy trip ahead. In the meanwhile unravel monasteries, museum, fort, the local market place and Leh Palace. Other thrills include camping beside a gurgling stream, getting the stunning view of Kangyatze Peak and more.
Your initial two days of the Markha Valley trekking will be spent for acclimatization as it is vital for a healthy trip ahead. In the meanwhile unravel monasteries, museum, fort, the local market place and Leh Palace. Other thrills include camping beside a gurgling stream, getting the stunning view of Kangyatze Peak and more.
Trek Itinerary
Day 1 - Arrival in Leh
Being in Leh is a great experience, it's like being in Tibet. The vast land, dry and dessicated into great tiers of snow crested peaks. Arching over it is a sky, pure blue, benign and sheltering. Crumbling old monasteries that are perched on rocky promontories command the barren empty vistas. Being in Leh is a great treat as this 17th century capital of Namgyal Empire is the epicenter. Mountains, snow capped peaks, and fortress-like monasteries provide a dramatic backdrop to roadside cafes, resturants, beer-bars, and curio shops. Take a stroll around the market and feel free to buy essentials and shop around at this wonderful place.
Day 2- Drive from Leh to Spituk and then Trek to Zinchen
We will go on our jeeps towards Spituk from Leh. It's a site for the first Geluka Gompa in Ladakh. From here our trek begins. As we cross a bridge of Indus river and cross green pastures and reach an empty barren land in Henis National Park, and keep walking along Indus River. After a few kilometers walk along the dusty trails we will reach on top for an impressive view of a gorge over Indus River. We will cross and leave Indus river to trail ahead towards confluence of Indus and Zinchen River and then finally to Zinchen. We camp here tonight.
Day 3 - Zinchen to Yurutse
Today will be an easy trek day. It's a well laid out trail coutesy to Forest Officials of Hemis National Park. We would have to pass a few wooden bridges, over the beautiful gorge overlooking Zingchen Stream. As we enter a valley we get awesome views of rock canyons and water streams flowing along meadows. We walk along a riverbed trail to reach Rumbak Village. After a while we get to enjoy the magnificient views of snow clad Stok Mountain Ranges while crossing some plantations and then finally reaching Rumbak and enjoyint the views from upclose. We will have some refreshments here in Rumbak and then proceed for a tough climb towards Yurutse. We will enjoy the views in Yurutse and call it a day as we prepare for rest and night stay in Yurutse.
Day 4 - Yurutse-Skiu over Ganda La Pass (15,748 feet)
Today will be a tiring day as we have to cross a high mountain pass 4730 meters and cover 25 kilometers on foot. So we make an early morning start around 5am and reach base camp of Ganda La Pass in less than 2 hours over a steep gradient as we cross Kandala Nallah (Stream) and reach base camp surrounded by wild flowers and some tea shops. It commands some pretty nice views of the valley below. Enroute to pass we may get chances to see the Himalayan Blue Sheep, Marmots and even the Himalayan Argali, the largest species of Goats found in this part of the region. We will hike further up towards Ganda La and may even have chances to enjoy sightings of the Snow Leopard in rare cases. The views from the pass are mesmerizing as we get to enjoy the views of magnificent stok mountains, deep gorges and views of Skiu Valley. On the other side the views of Gorges over Zinchen are equally breath-taking. It's cold and Windy here and we should cover ourselves well as we may suffer from headaches and nausea and symptoms of AMS. From here we descend an awfully 2 hours long steep descend towards Shingo. We rest here and then move ahead following a trail which leads us to beautiful wild roses inside a gorge which bloom in July-August. The trail is well defined from here. We have to cross the Shingo Water Stream about several times on foot before we reach Skiu. Rest of the time it will crossings over stepping stones over the water stream. As the stream disappears and we reach Skiu we can enjoy beautiful views of Markha Valley. We can view Markha river flowing from Chilling. There is an old monastery and a few camping spots one close to the river. We will camp here tonight.
Day 1 - Arrival in Leh
Being in Leh is a great experience, it's like being in Tibet. The vast land, dry and dessicated into great tiers of snow crested peaks. Arching over it is a sky, pure blue, benign and sheltering. Crumbling old monasteries that are perched on rocky promontories command the barren empty vistas. Being in Leh is a great treat as this 17th century capital of Namgyal Empire is the epicenter. Mountains, snow capped peaks, and fortress-like monasteries provide a dramatic backdrop to roadside cafes, resturants, beer-bars, and curio shops. Take a stroll around the market and feel free to buy essentials and shop around at this wonderful place.
Day 2- Drive from Leh to Spituk and then Trek to Zinchen
We will go on our jeeps towards Spituk from Leh. It's a site for the first Geluka Gompa in Ladakh. From here our trek begins. As we cross a bridge of Indus river and cross green pastures and reach an empty barren land in Henis National Park, and keep walking along Indus River. After a few kilometers walk along the dusty trails we will reach on top for an impressive view of a gorge over Indus River. We will cross and leave Indus river to trail ahead towards confluence of Indus and Zinchen River and then finally to Zinchen. We camp here tonight.
Day 3 - Zinchen to Yurutse
Today will be an easy trek day. It's a well laid out trail coutesy to Forest Officials of Hemis National Park. We would have to pass a few wooden bridges, over the beautiful gorge overlooking Zingchen Stream. As we enter a valley we get awesome views of rock canyons and water streams flowing along meadows. We walk along a riverbed trail to reach Rumbak Village. After a while we get to enjoy the magnificient views of snow clad Stok Mountain Ranges while crossing some plantations and then finally reaching Rumbak and enjoyint the views from upclose. We will have some refreshments here in Rumbak and then proceed for a tough climb towards Yurutse. We will enjoy the views in Yurutse and call it a day as we prepare for rest and night stay in Yurutse.
Day 4 - Yurutse-Skiu over Ganda La Pass (15,748 feet)
Today will be a tiring day as we have to cross a high mountain pass 4730 meters and cover 25 kilometers on foot. So we make an early morning start around 5am and reach base camp of Ganda La Pass in less than 2 hours over a steep gradient as we cross Kandala Nallah (Stream) and reach base camp surrounded by wild flowers and some tea shops. It commands some pretty nice views of the valley below. Enroute to pass we may get chances to see the Himalayan Blue Sheep, Marmots and even the Himalayan Argali, the largest species of Goats found in this part of the region. We will hike further up towards Ganda La and may even have chances to enjoy sightings of the Snow Leopard in rare cases. The views from the pass are mesmerizing as we get to enjoy the views of magnificent stok mountains, deep gorges and views of Skiu Valley. On the other side the views of Gorges over Zinchen are equally breath-taking. It's cold and Windy here and we should cover ourselves well as we may suffer from headaches and nausea and symptoms of AMS. From here we descend an awfully 2 hours long steep descend towards Shingo. We rest here and then move ahead following a trail which leads us to beautiful wild roses inside a gorge which bloom in July-August. The trail is well defined from here. We have to cross the Shingo Water Stream about several times on foot before we reach Skiu. Rest of the time it will crossings over stepping stones over the water stream. As the stream disappears and we reach Skiu we can enjoy beautiful views of Markha Valley. We can view Markha river flowing from Chilling. There is an old monastery and a few camping spots one close to the river. We will camp here tonight.
Day 5- Skiu-Markha
Today is also a long day as we will be walking 20 kilometers across many settlements, green fields while enjoying bird watching. We have to start early as we have to cross the river crossing before Markha in the early afternoon as the water levels may dangerously rise afterwards. The trail gives us immensely beautiful views of Mountains on both sides and walk along river bed of Markha. We cross a bridge and reach amid beautiful barley fields at a place called Chalak. We will stop over here to have lunch. From there on we ascend towards the trail towards Markha and reach the river crossing area. Follow instructions of your guide to find a suitable crossing area for the river. The water would be thigh high and icy cold, so better to remove your shoes and fold your lowers for a thirlling experience. After a final bridge crossing we reach Markha Village, which holds a few dozen houses and an old fort as well as a monastery. We camp here tonight.
Today is also a long day as we will be walking 20 kilometers across many settlements, green fields while enjoying bird watching. We have to start early as we have to cross the river crossing before Markha in the early afternoon as the water levels may dangerously rise afterwards. The trail gives us immensely beautiful views of Mountains on both sides and walk along river bed of Markha. We cross a bridge and reach amid beautiful barley fields at a place called Chalak. We will stop over here to have lunch. From there on we ascend towards the trail towards Markha and reach the river crossing area. Follow instructions of your guide to find a suitable crossing area for the river. The water would be thigh high and icy cold, so better to remove your shoes and fold your lowers for a thirlling experience. After a final bridge crossing we reach Markha Village, which holds a few dozen houses and an old fort as well as a monastery. We camp here tonight.
Day 6- Markha to Thochuntse
Today is a moderate day of trekking as we reach towards upper Markha to reach a monastery and a settlement on top. We may rest here and enjoy the beautiful views as well as click pictures. From there we continue our walk along the river as well as be prepared as we have to cross over the river again a couple of times. Again follow your guide's instructions to find a suitable spot to cross over. In 2 hours we reach Umlung Gompa (Monastery), we cross the base of the monastery to reach Umlung village. From here we will get to enjoy breath-taking views of Mt. Kang Yissay (6400 meters) and see as it dominates the landscape as we climb from Umlung towards Hankar. From here the path run downwards towards the river as we reach a steep slope and a stony bridge as well as cross fields of upper Hankar to reach Thochuntse. We camp here tonight.
Day 7 -Thochuntse-Nimaling
Today will be an easy trek towards Nyimaling which is a beautiful, broad, grassy valley with plenty of drinking water. From an hours climb the terrain will become smoothier and curvier and the climb a little easier. After a long walk across grassy meadow we will reach Nyimaling as we see water streams and glaciers along Kang Yatse Peak. There are some stone settlements here we camp here tonight in parachute tents.
Today is a moderate day of trekking as we reach towards upper Markha to reach a monastery and a settlement on top. We may rest here and enjoy the beautiful views as well as click pictures. From there we continue our walk along the river as well as be prepared as we have to cross over the river again a couple of times. Again follow your guide's instructions to find a suitable spot to cross over. In 2 hours we reach Umlung Gompa (Monastery), we cross the base of the monastery to reach Umlung village. From here we will get to enjoy breath-taking views of Mt. Kang Yissay (6400 meters) and see as it dominates the landscape as we climb from Umlung towards Hankar. From here the path run downwards towards the river as we reach a steep slope and a stony bridge as well as cross fields of upper Hankar to reach Thochuntse. We camp here tonight.
Day 7 -Thochuntse-Nimaling
Today will be an easy trek towards Nyimaling which is a beautiful, broad, grassy valley with plenty of drinking water. From an hours climb the terrain will become smoothier and curvier and the climb a little easier. After a long walk across grassy meadow we will reach Nyimaling as we see water streams and glaciers along Kang Yatse Peak. There are some stone settlements here we camp here tonight in parachute tents.
Day 8 - Nyimaling t0 Shang Sumdo over Kongmaru Pass (5170 meters)
We start early as we the climb towards top of the pass is steep and descent on the other side is treacherous. The air is thin which adds to the difficulty. The pass is marked by prayer flags. Along the ascent we have to cross water streams. There are beautiful views of Ladakh Mountain Ranges and Indus Valley as well as a wide array of wild flowers. The descent on the other side is very risky and many animals keep loosing their lives here. It's a rocky terrain and falls down deeply into a narrow rocky canyon with possibility of crossing of 3-4 people at a time. We have to cross river streams at multiple places. After a few more hours of trekking the canyon widens up but the steep descent carries on till we reach Sukarmo. We rest here for a while and then prepare for a long walk towards Shang Sumdo but thankfully a comfortable one over river bed with mostly level with gradual descent in the end. From Shang Sumdo our jeeps would be waiting to take you back to Leh, which is less than an hours drive from here.
End of Trek
We start early as we the climb towards top of the pass is steep and descent on the other side is treacherous. The air is thin which adds to the difficulty. The pass is marked by prayer flags. Along the ascent we have to cross water streams. There are beautiful views of Ladakh Mountain Ranges and Indus Valley as well as a wide array of wild flowers. The descent on the other side is very risky and many animals keep loosing their lives here. It's a rocky terrain and falls down deeply into a narrow rocky canyon with possibility of crossing of 3-4 people at a time. We have to cross river streams at multiple places. After a few more hours of trekking the canyon widens up but the steep descent carries on till we reach Sukarmo. We rest here for a while and then prepare for a long walk towards Shang Sumdo but thankfully a comfortable one over river bed with mostly level with gradual descent in the end. From Shang Sumdo our jeeps would be waiting to take you back to Leh, which is less than an hours drive from here.
End of Trek
Why choose us?
We will provide trained Hindi and English speaking guide and proper backup and safety along with great food and camping. Please inquire and fill the form below to book.
Per day cost will be upwards of 2000/-per person on per day basis and can be negotiated based on group size and facilities.
Click here to know more...
We will provide trained Hindi and English speaking guide and proper backup and safety along with great food and camping. Please inquire and fill the form below to book.
Per day cost will be upwards of 2000/-per person on per day basis and can be negotiated based on group size and facilities.
- All necessary paper works and permits.
- Healthy and Tasty Meals including Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
- Soups and Snacks
- Bonfire
- Porters and Mules
- Travel & Rescue arrangements
- Medical Kits
- All government and local taxes if necessary.
- World Class Equipment
- Best Quality Tents, Sleeping Bags, Camping Equipment, Ropes, Ice Axe (Where required).
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