21 days - A classic trek and a stunning 20000-foot climb in Ladakh - The Buddhist monasteries of the Indus Valley - Breathtaking views across to the peaks of the Karakoram

Flying into the Ladakhi capital of Leh, the shapely peak of Stok Kangri (20075ft.) is prominent on the southern skyline. Spending several days acclimatizing, we visit the colorful monasteries at Shey, Thikse and Hemis before setting off on the lovely trek through the Markha Valley. Our route leads by way of several remote and picturesque villages to the high Nimaling Plain below the imposing peak of Kang Yatze. Crossing the Kongmaru La, we then follow an unusual high route to Stok Kangri Base Camp, a 3-day approach to the mountain, which includes superbly located campsites and far-reaching views towards Tibet and the eastern Karakoram. Although objectively very safe and technically straightforward (involving low-angle scree and easy snow slopes), the climb on Stok Kangri is both challenging and interesting. This is a wonderfully varied trip, perfectly suited to someone seeking his or her first Himalayan summit.

Brief Itinerary-

Day 1) Arrive Delhi and transfer to the Hotel.
Day 2) Early morning flight to Leh. 11480 Feet.
Day 3-5) In Leh acclimatizing and sightseeing.
Day 6-8) Trek to Markha Village via the Ganda La(16075 feet).
Day 9-16) Trek above Markha Village to Hangkar and cross the Kongmaru La(16800 feet) en route to the base camp for Stok Kangri. We will travel through an area rarely visited and involves crossing many spurs and minor passes to the Takpo River.
Day 19) Return to Leh.
Day 20) Fly to Delhi. Overnight at Hotel.
Day 21) Morning of sightseeing in Delhi. Depart Delhi either late night on Day 21 or very early morning hours of Day 22.

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NUBRA VALLEY TREK

Day 1: Arrival in Delhi. Early morning flight to Leh.
Day 2: Tour of Leh city, including the 17th century palace and gompa.
Day 3-4: Touring the monasteries and palaces of the Indus valley.
Day 5: We take a morning stroll to Sankar Gompa, then to the nearby village of Sabu. Overnight in Sabu.
Day 6: In Sabu, we meet our horses and begin the trek. Our first day takes us through lovely grazing areas to the campsite at Polu Digar. From this vantage point, the Stok mountains appear to float majestically above the Indus valley.
Day 7: Continue upward to the Digar La base camp. A short day to aid acclimatization.
Day 8: We make an early start to cross the 17,230 ft. Digar La. From the top, views stretch south to the Zanskar range and north to the Saser range, Ladakh's highest peaks. The descent is steady and we camp by a lovely meandering stream at Chumik Yogma.
Day 9: Continue down through the village of Digar to the tiny settlement of Aghyam.
Day 10: Trek to Tangyar, a prosperous village in a remarkable location.
Day 11: Continue upward to Dhungle, our base camp for the pass.
Day 12: Our second pass! Ascend the 17,061 foot Wuri La for views all the way to the Karakoram in Pakistan! Descend to camp at Zule Tokpo
Day 13: Finish the trek with a short walk out to the village of Sabu, and the TakTok gompa, an ancient shrine built within an impressive cave. Travel by jeep over 18,000 foot plus Chang La to the village of Tangtse, where we camp amongst idyllic meadows.
Day 14: We explore the shoreline of the brilliant turquoise and azure Pangong Lake, Ladakh's largest and one of the great salt lakes of Central Asia. Proximity to the Chinese border prevents us from penetrating much beyond the western shore or camping at the lakeside, but the views are stupendous. Our return to Leh takes us back over Chang La, the second highest motorable road on earth. Back in the Indus valley, we visit the little-known gompa of Chemrey before returning to Leh that evening.

Day 15: Morning flight to Delhi, on arrival check in Hotel. Stay overnight at Hotel.

Day 16: Depart- Delhi Transfer to airport for flight to onwards journey.

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