Ladakh: Nubra Valley Trek

Route: Delhi airport to hotel

Your driver meets you at arrivals and takes you to the hotel. Nothing is planned for the evening.

The flight to Leh leaves early tomorrow. Every flight to Leh leaves in the morning, because winds pick up later in the day at an airport about 3,250 m high. Tonight is for sleep.

Experience of the Day

–  Private airport pickup and transfer to the hotel.

–  A free evening to rest before tomorrow's early flight to Leh.

Food

Dinner at the hotel; nothing else is planned today.

Activities to Do

• None scheduled. An easy evening to recover from the international flight.

Route: Delhi – Leh (flight)

The flight crosses the Himalaya into the Indus valley. Your guide and driver meet you at Leh airport, and you go straight to the hotel.

Leh is at 3,500 m. The Ladakh tourism advisory asks new arrivals to rest on the first day and add no more than about 500 m of sleeping height a day after that. Today is for rest. Drink plenty of water and skip alcohol tonight.

Experience of the Day

–  A flight over the Himalaya into the Indus valley.

–  Met at Leh airport by your guide and driver.

–  A full rest day at 3,500 m, as the Ladakh tourism advisory asks of new arrivals.

Food

Breakfast before the flight; lunch and dinner at the Leh hotel.

Activities to Do

• Light rest only today. No sightseeing is planned on arrival day.

Route: Leh hotel – main bazaar – Leh hotel

The morning is free. A slow walk to the main bazaar is fine, and any walking should stay easy. Your guide then holds the trek briefing at the hotel: the stages, the camps, the pass day, the river crossings, what the horses carry and what you carry.

After the briefing the guide checks every guest's boots, layers, gloves, poles and day pack, fits the microspikes, and records a first pulse-oximeter reading for each guest. The readings are repeated each evening on the trail and give the guide a baseline for the whole group.

Experience of the Day

–  A briefing on the stages, the camps and the pass day.

–  A fit of microspikes and a check of boots, poles and layers.

–  A first pulse-oximeter reading, the baseline for the trek.

Food

Breakfast, lunch and dinner at the Leh hotel.

Activities to Do

• A slow walk to the main bazaar if you wish, and hire of any missing kit.

Shopping

Down jackets, gloves, gaiters, sunglasses and trekking poles can be bought or hired in Leh's main bazaar today.

Route: Leh – Shey (about 15 km) – Thiksey (about 19 km from Leh) – Leh

Shey was the summer capital of Ladakh. The present palace and monastery were built in 1655 by Deldan Namgyal in memory of his father, Sengge Namgyal. Inside is a 12 m copper Buddha, gilded with about 5 kg of gold, made by a Nepalese sculptor with copper from the Lingshet mines in Zanskar.

Thiksey monastery stands at about 3,600 m and has twelve storeys. It was founded in the mid-15th century by Palden Zangpo and belongs to the Gelug order. Its 15 m Maitreya statue, installed for the Dalai Lama's 1970 visit, is the largest in Ladakh.

Return to the hotel by early afternoon. Pack tonight for the trail: tomorrow the camps begin, and what you carry is only a day pack.

Experience of the Day

–  Shey Palace and its 12 m gilded copper Buddha.

–  Thiksey monastery's twelve storeys and 15 m Maitreya statue.

–  A half-day at the height of Leh, with no gain in sleeping height.

Food

Breakfast at the hotel; lunch en route or at the hotel; dinner at the hotel.

Activities to Do

• A guided walk through Shey and Thiksey; an afternoon rest before the trail.

Route: Leh – Phyang (about 20 km) – Murabok (jeep track)

Phyang monastery stands above the village of the same name, a short drive west of Leh. Sources date it to the 16th century, and it belongs to the Drikung Kagyu order. After a short stop the vehicle follows the valley as far as the track allows, and the group walks the last stretch to the camp at Murabok.

The valley here is narrow and dry, with scree slopes and a stream that is clear in the morning and brown by afternoon. This is a high first camp, only about 550 m above Leh, and the afternoon is for rest, tea and an early dinner.

Experience of the Day

–  Phyang monastery, above its village.

–  The drive and short walk to Murabok.

–  A first night in a tent at about 4,050 m.

Food

Breakfast at the Leh hotel; lunch en route; dinner in the dining tent.

Activities to Do

• A short visit to Phyang; a guided walk to camp; an evening oximeter check.

Route: Murabok – Phyang Phu (about 5 km)

The path climbs along the stream into a wider valley, with herders' stone shelters on the slopes and yak and dzo grazing in the pastures. Phyang Phu is a camp at about 4,620 m, surrounded by moraine and, on clear days, glimpses of the snow peaks that feed the valley.

The trail is part of an old route that joined the Indus valley to Nubra, a branch of the Silk Road network that carried wool, salt and goods between Leh and Central Asia. The group walks the same ground, and the guide points out the herders' camps that mark the stages.

Experience of the Day

–  A walk up the glacial valley to Phyang Phu.

–  Yak and dzo grazing among herders' shelters.

–  A first look at the moraine that leads to the pass.

Food

Breakfast and dinner in the dining tent; trail lunch.

Activities to Do

• A guided walk of about 5 km with a gain of about 570 m; a gentle afternoon walk around camp.

The Human Story: The Old Caravan Path

Traders crossed these passes for centuries, and the Bactrian camels of Nubra are the descendants of the animals that carried goods on them. When the route closed in 1950, many camels were left behind in Nubra. The valley's shepherds still use the high pastures in summer, and their stone shelters are the nearest thing to a village between Phyang and Hunder.

Route: Phyang Phu – South Base of Lasermo (about 3 km)

The valley narrows and the ground turns to moraine and boulders. South Base is a camp at about 4,955 m beneath the pass, the highest sleeping height of the trek. On a clear day the ridge of Stok Kangri stands to the south.

The group arrives by late morning. The guides check each guest's oximeter reading, pulse and appetite, and the portable altitude chamber is set out beside the cook tent. A guest who is not acclimatising is brought down here, one day's walk from the road.

Experience of the Day

–  The shortest walk of the trek, to about 4,955 m.

–  Arrival at South Base, beneath the pass.

–  The portable altitude chamber set out beside the cook tent.

Food

Breakfast in the dining tent; trail lunch; dinner at South Base.

Activities to Do

• A guided walk of about 3 km with a gain of about 330 m; an evening oximeter check.

Route: South Base – a short walk toward the lakes (about 5,100 m) – South Base

The day is spent going high and sleeping at the same height. The group walks up toward the lakes above camp, sources placing the highest at about 5,140 m, and practises the skills that tomorrow needs: fitting microspikes, walking on snow, using trekking poles on a slope, and crossing a short snow bank.

After the walk the group returns to camp, eats early and goes to bed. The guide gives the pass-day briefing: the start time, the turn-back time, what to carry, and who walks where.

Experience of the Day

–  A rest day at the highest camp.

–  A walk toward the glacial lakes and back.

–  Snow practice with microspikes, and the pass-day briefing.

Food

Breakfast, lunch and an early dinner at South Base.

Activities to Do

• A guided walk to about 5,100 m; microspike and pole practice on a snow bank.

Route: South Base – Lasermo La (5,400 to 5,438 m) – North Base (about 10 km)

The day starts early, so that the snow on the approach is hard and the group is over the pass before the sun softens it. The climb to the pass crosses moraine and then a snow and glacier section where microspikes are worn. The assistant guide goes ahead, and the guides decide whether the group wears a rope on the steepest part.

The Lasermo La is a broad, windswept saddle with long views on a clear day. The descent starts steeply on loose ground and snow, then eases to a high meadow camp at North Base, at about 4,900 m. The group eats a late lunch there and rests.

The guide sets a turn-back time the evening before. If the group is not near the pass by then, or the weather turns, they return to South Base, and the next day is spent on the pass or on the way back.

Experience of the Day

–  The Lasermo La, between 5,400 and 5,438 m.

–  A snow and glacier section crossed in microspikes.

–  A descent to a high meadow camp at North Base.

Food

Hot drinks and breakfast before first light; packed lunch; dinner at North Base.

Activities to Do

• The pass crossing, roped on the steepest part if the guides decide; the descent to North Base.

The Human Story: The Turn-Back Time

A turn-back time is the most important rule of the day. Climbers turn around for cold, wind, soft snow and a worsening head, and the guides on the trail are expected to make that call whatever the pass is worth to a guest. We choose guides who will make it, and we brief you the evening before so that you agree to the rule before the day starts.

Route: North Base – Hunder Dok (about 17 km)

The trail follows a stream down from the pass, through herders' camps and meadows where yaks and dzo graze. Dok is the Ladakhi word for a herders' summer camp, and Hunder Dok is the pasture settlement above Hunder. Sources place the camp between about 3,830 and 4,060 m.

The valley walls change as the path loses height. Rock turns to sand and scree, the vegetation thins, and the stream cuts through gorges that open into the desert beyond. Camp tonight is lower and warmer, and the night is easier than the past three.

Experience of the Day

–  A stream-side descent through herders' pastures.

–  Yaks and dzo on the high meadows.

–  Camp at Hunder Dok, lower and warmer.

Food

Breakfast in the dining tent; trail lunch; dinner at Hunder Dok.

Activities to Do

• A guided walk of about 17 km, mostly downhill, with stream crossings.

Route: Hunder Dok – Skarchen – Hunder (about 15 km)

The last day of the trek follows the Hunder gorge past Skarchen, a small village of stone houses and apricot trees, and out into the open floor of the Shyok valley. On the far side the dunes stretch toward Diskit. The change from snow and moraine to sand and sea buckthorn is sudden, and the air is warm.

The group reaches the hotel in the afternoon. After six nights in camp, the first shower and the first bed are the day's main pleasure.

Experience of the Day

–  The Hunder gorge and the village of Skarchen.

–  The first view of the dunes from the trail.

–  A hot shower and a bed at the Nubra hotel.

Food

Breakfast in the dining tent; trail lunch; dinner at the Nubra hotel.

Activities to Do

• A guided walk of about 15 km, mostly downhill.

Route: Hunder – Diskit (8 km) – dunes – Hunder; optional drive to Sumur

Diskit monastery was founded in the 14th century by Changzem Tserab Zangpo, a disciple of Tsong Khapa, and belongs to the Gelug order. On the ridge beside it stands a 32 m Maitreya statue; building began in April 2006, and the Dalai Lama consecrated it on 25 July 2010.

Hunder's cold-desert dunes stretch for about 7 km between the two villages, at around 3,050 m. Come in the late afternoon, when the light is soft and the wind has dropped. A short camel ride is available, and watching from the dunes is as good.

Experience of the Day

–  Diskit monastery and its 32 m Maitreya statue.

–  The Hunder dunes in the late-afternoon light.

–  An optional camel ride, or simply watching.

Food

Breakfast, lunch and dinner at the Nubra hotel or in Diskit.

Activities to Do

• A monastery visit at Diskit; a walk among the dunes; an optional camel ride at Hunder.

The Human Story: The Camels of Hunder

The double-humped camels here are not native to Ladakh. Silk Road traders brought them across the passes, and when the trade route closed in 1950, many were left behind in Nubra. A count in 2015 found 211 animals, including 21 calves. Hunder families began offering camel rides in 2003, and the income helped the herd recover. The picture is mixed: owners say nose reins can cause minor bleeding, and the valley has no dedicated vet service, so the ride here is optional and brief, and you can watch from the dunes instead.

Route: Hunder – Khalsar – Khardung La (5,359 m) – Leh (about 128 km)

The road climbs from the Nubra valley through Khardung village to Khardung La, which is 5,359 m by GPS survey. Signs at the top claim about 5,602 m. Stay at the top for no more than 15 minutes; the air is thin and colder than you expect, even in summer.

The descent runs to Leh through two military check posts, South Pullu and North Pullu. Your guide handles the permit paperwork, and you carry your passport. You reach the hotel by late afternoon.

Experience of the Day

–  Khardung La, at 5,359 m by GPS.

–  The descent to Leh through the check posts.

–  A return to the Leh hotel and a warm room.

Food

Breakfast at the Nubra hotel; lunch en route; dinner at the Leh hotel.

Activities to Do

• A short stop at the Khardung La summit; photo stops on the descent.

Route: Leh hotel – main bazaar – Leh hotel

Today is held empty. If weather delayed the pass crossing or the Khardung La road, it is used here. If not, it is a day of rest after the trail. The main bazaar is a short walk from the hotel and sells pashmina, Ladakhi jewellery and prayer flags.

Repack tonight. Tomorrow's flight to Delhi leaves early.

Experience of the Day

–  A spare day in Leh.

–  Rest after six nights in camp.

Food

Breakfast, lunch and dinner at the Leh hotel.

Activities to Do

• None scheduled. Laundry, a slow lunch and the bazaar are the options.

Shopping

Leh's main bazaar sells pashmina, Ladakhi jewellery, prayer flags and thangka paintings, a short walk from the hotel.

Route: Leh – Delhi (flight) – Delhi airport

You fly out of Leh early in the morning and reach Delhi before midday. Rooms are available on request for day use, to rest or freshen up before an evening international flight. Your driver takes you to the airport in time for your flight home.

Experience of the Day

–  An early flight across the Himalaya to Delhi.

–  Transfer to the international terminal in the evening.

Food

Breakfast at the hotel; other meals as you choose.

Activities to Do

• None scheduled. A day-use room in Delhi is available on request.