Ladakh India
Ladakh was earlier an independent kingdom of western Tibet till the time it was gifted away to Raja Gulab Singh by the British. Its scenic beauty has mesmerised tourists since long. The beautiful landscape is encompassed by two of the world's supreme mountain ranges, the Great Himalaya and the Karkoram. The Indus river moves gracefully finding its way through the golden banks of tumbling waters.

For the lovers of adventure, Ladakh is just perfect. Trekking in Ladakh is fun filled and challenging. It gives the trekkers an unforgettable experience of an expedition in the Himalayan range - from the wild terrains to the alpine meadows.


Location
Ladakh is a high altitude plateau at India's furthest frontier, bordered by Pakistan occupied Kashmir and Tibet. Kashmir lies to the west and Himachal to the south.The Indus river bisects the plateau. The place is at a distance of 434 km east of Srinagar and 474 km north of Manali. Ladakh lies at a height ranging from about 9,000 feet at Kargil to 25,170 feet at Saser Kangri in the Karakoram.


Trekking in Ladakh
For adventure sports, Ladakh is an ideal place. It is counted as one among the few trekking places in north India that offers wonderful trekking trails on the route to Markha Valley from Spituk or from Lamayuru gompa to Chilling trek along the Zanskar river. The ideal period for trekking begins from June to September as it is during this time that Ladakh remains unaffected by the monsoon.

The most popular of all the trekking routes are the Markha valley trek, the Lamayuru-Padum route and the Stok Khangri round trek. Suru, Sankoo, Panikhar, Rangdum and Padum in the Suru and Zanskar Valleys are the base for a variety of trekking routes. From Sankoo, tourists can trek to Drass or to Mulbekh in the opposite direction. Trek routes originating from Panikhar in the Suru valley lead to different destinations in the Kishtwar valleys across the main ridge of the Great Himalayan range.

Rangdum offers one more challenging treks. Trekkers can wander across the Kanji-la through the Kanji gorge to Henaskut on the Kargil-Leh highway. Another trek crosses the glacial Chillung-la behind the Nun - Kun massif to get to the Kishtwar valley. From Padum, four main trek routes go to different destinations - one to Manali in the Kullu Valley, one to Lamayuru and Hemis respectively and the last to Kishtwar.

Nubra Valley, the eastern ridge of the Karakoram Range in northern Ladakh comprises the upper Shayok and Nubra river valleys. The trekking route to this area is demanding and traverses the Kardung-la pass along the ancient trade route from Leh to Central Asia. It is the highest motorable road in the world. The breathtaking view of the Indus valley in the south and a magnificent panorama of snow clad peaks is unimaginable. The route passes through the attractive villages to Deskit, the largest village in the valley. Onwards to Hundar down the Shayok valley, the trail wanders past rolling sand dunes. There is a small population of double humped Bactrian camels here and visitors can avail of a marvellous moonlight camel safari on the dunes.

The beautiful high altitude Pangong Lake is also another popular destination with trekkers. It is a picturesque route that covers Shey and Thikse with their interesting monasteries, before turning off into the side valley of Chemrey. It goes over the Chang - la , the pass over the Ladakh range, which despite it height, is not too difficult to tackle. At the base of the pass, Tangse has an ancient temple. The trek ends at Spangmik.


Tour Packages
There are Trekking tour packages available in Ladakh operated by tour operators from places like Zoji la, Kargil to Padum, Phuctal Gompa Manali to Padum, Padum to Lamayura, Markha Valley, Stok Kangri Base Camp, Hemis-Nimaling Plateau, Darcha, Rupshu Valley. The duration of the tours can range between 8 to 15 days normally depending upon the suitability of the tourists.


Requirements
Essentials on the high altitude tour could include a balclava, quality undergarments, wind parkas, etc. Toiletries and first-aid kits should include lipsalve, moisturisers and suncream lotion, water purifying tablets, medicines for high altitude sickness, etc. A good quality water can is a must to carry the drinking water during high altitude trekking in arid conditions. Also not to forget is a flashlight with sufficient spare batteries, a sun-hat and a pair of good quality sunglasses with sufficient filter-factor to check the sun's brightness and ultraviolet rays.