Ladakh: what do five days of trekking in the Markha Valley involve?

The first days are spent in Leh

The local programme of 1-13 July 2027 begins and ends in Leh. The first day is for arrival and rest, the second light city day. On the third day, the monasteries of the Indus Valley are included; in the evening we sleep again in Leh.

The trekking doesn't start until then. The slower course of the first days is designed to adapt at a height; it does not guarantee that all participants respond to heights in the same way. Individual health issues are not decided by a guide.

Four camps, then the pass

We'll head from Chilling to Hamurtse, then after Umlung and Thachungtse Nimaling. The highest planned camp is approximately 4600 meters away. On the fifth day on foot, we descend to the vehicle meeting after Kongmaru La, approximately 5200 metres across.

The program represents about 3-6 hours of walking per day depending on the section. These are design data: the terrain, the weather and the group can modify the actual course. The height and several consecutive walking days make the shorter-looking sections a different task.

What do we carry, and what does the local team carry?

The larger personal and camp equipment is carried by horses and mules carrying cargo. This is still a hiking trip: horses carry equipment. In the middle of the day, we go with a little backpack.

Local guide, cook and camp team are connected to the trekking. The planned camp equipment includes double tents, mattresses, kitchen, dining and WC tents. The question of the sleeping bag needs to be clarified separately: it is available on its own and the rental fee requires prior consultation.

After five days, there will be rest.

When we get back to Leh, we'll give you a rest day, and then we'll go to Nubra Valley. The trekking is thus a separate phase of a longer journey. If you are looking at the program, you might want to go through the camping days, accommodation and flight periods separately: the date of the local program is not necessarily the date of departure and arrival from home.