| Day 01 |
Manali-Kaza
- 3600m - 9 Hours.
Depart Manali for the small town of Kaza. On this
9 hour drive we cross two major mountain passes
- the Rohtang La - 13050ft / 3978m and the Kunzum
La 4551m / 14,970ft. The drive down from the Kunzum
presents some great landscape and as we drive through
a gorge the sudden appearance of the expansive Spiti
River Basin can be an unforgettable experience.
We check a comfortable Guest House. Spiti is still
relatively remote and accommodation is rustic and
simple but clean. |
| Day 02 |
Kaza to Kibber
4200m - 1 Hour drive. On to Thaltak -6 Hours.
Leave Kaza early and drive up to Kibber now considered
the highest village in the world. It is here that
we start our trek. We leave Kibber at around 8 am
and begin our trek to the Thaltak grazing grounds.
The scenery assumes large proportions as the mountains
recede to the background. Camp after a 6-hour walk.
|
| Day 03 |
Thaltak to Base
Camp at Pangrochen 5000m below Parang La. 6
hours.
The trek is uphill all the way and though a bit
tiring compensates by way of the grand scenery all
around. We camp at Pangrochen with its solitary
fresh water spring that sustains the sparse wild
life at this altitude. |
| Day 04 |
Cross Parang La
5600m to Largyup 4930m. 6 hours
This downhill walk is over the Parang glacier as
we finally emerge into shrub land. The steep inclines
gradually smoothen out as we reach the campsite
at Largyup. |
| Day 05 |
Largyup to Tarang
Yongma 4580m. 5 Hours
We now walk along the Pare Chu valley and after
crossing the river camp near the Tarang Yongma. |
| Day 06 |
Tarang Yongma
to Norbu Sumdo 4300m 6 Hours.
As we walk along the valley, we cross a stream or
two and finally arrive at the green lush oasis of
Norbu Sumdo a sight for sore eyes. Camp here in
the desert stillness for the night. |
| Day 07 |
Norbu Sumdo to
Kiangdom south shore Tso Moriri 4450m / 14,432ft.
- 5 hours. Todays walk takes us through barren mountains
and ridges to the shores of this large 15 by 5 mile
salt-water lake high in the western Himalayas and
bordering the extensive Great Changthang Desert
Plateau. If you're lucky, you can spot a herd of
Kyang or Tibetan Wild Ass or the hardy Ibex and
you just cannot miss the squeaky marmots that keep
pooping up from their burrows. You are sure to see
a number of bird species like the bar-necked geese,
Brahminy duck and other water fowl sunning themselves
on the placid waters of this seemingly never ending
body of water. Camp on the shores of the lake. |
| Day 08 |
South Shore to
Karzok the northern shore.
Walk along the shores to reach this tiny village
with a small Gompa and camp nearby. |
| Day 09 |
Karzok to Gyama
over the Gyamsharma La.
This is a relatively low mountain pass. We cross
a number of temporary campsites of the Changpa nomads.
Camp overnight. |
| Day 10 |
Cross the Kyamamuri
La and trek onward to Rajung Karu another small
campsite. |
| Day 11 |
Trek over the low
Harlam Konka mountain ridge and reach Nuruchan a
small isolated village in the middle of nowhere.
|
| Day 12 |
Crossing ridges and
hillsides we finally reach the legendary Tso Kar
lake. Once famous as a stopover for traders to fill
up their caravans with the abundant salt deposits
that this lake produces by evaporation, Tso Kar
still has small hills of crystallised salt on its
shores. Camp near the lake. |
| Day 13 |
An almost level walk
to the Manali-Leh Highway where a Jeep awaits to
take us over the 17,469ft / 4420m high Tanglang
La to Leh where we arrive by late evening. Check
into a hotel. |
