THE ZANSKAR RIVER RAFTING
EXPEDITION
Our "special" yearly feature which
runs a spectacular two weeks covering most of
western Ladakh, monasteries, palaces, villages,
hikes and travel down three rivers. The trip
begins with a flight over the Himalayas into
the Trans-Himalayan region of Ladakh in the
state of Jammu and Kashmir. We spend a few days
in Leh town acclimatizing at 11,000 feet above
sea level and visiting the ancient monasteries,
palaces and villages around Leh. We drive west
of Leh past the town of Kargil and travel south
into the valley of Zanskar, one of the coldest
inhabited places on earth. Staring the trip
on the Doda river, we begin our self contained
multi-day river adventure down the spectacular
and scenic Zanskar river gorge. The trip takes
you down the extremely desolate, remote and
sheer Zanskar gorge with walls rising a few
thousand feet out of the river bed, culminating
on the mighty Indus river, (which incidentally
lends India its name) at the historic monastic
conclave at Alchi.
Undoubtedly a classic, this journey to the last
truly lost horizon of our shrinking planet -
Zanskar, the "land of white copper is a
trip of a lifetime.
Itinerary
Day
01 :
Early morning Fly Delhi - Leh. An hour's spectacular
flight over the Greater Himalayas, with views
stretching as far as K2 in the west and the
entire Zanskar range and views of Tibet beneath.
On arrival at Leh, we drive 15 mins to our
hotel, the Kanglhachhen, a traditional, yet
comfortable and clean hotel in town. Rest
and acclimatise. Overnight Leh.
Day
02 :
Leh. Acclimatise and sightseeing. Light activity
and short walks till Leh palace and the town's
exciting market and outdoor restaurants. For
the more energetic a visit to a few monasteries
such as Spituk, Thikse and Hemis will be arranged.
Overnight Leh.
Day
03 :
Drive Leh - Kargil (180kms).
We drive from Leh to Mulbek / Kargil, through
a spectacular moonscape. We drive over the
Fotu La (14,000 ft), a high mountain pass,
exiting the Indus valley and entering the
Suru valley. Enroute, we visit the Lamayuru
monastery, known to be one of the oldest
monasteries amongst the 'Red Hat' sect.
Overnight Kargil hotel.
Day
04 :
Drive
Kargil - Rangdum (12,000ft). A spectacular
drive past Panikar and Parkachik,with magnificent
views of the Nun and Kun massifs (7000 metres),hanging
glaciers and large meadows.We drive till Rangdum
Gompa (12,000 ft).Camp overnight.
Day
05 :
Drive Rangdum - Remala (6 hrs). We drive to
Remala which is the starting point for the
rafting trip on the Doda river, a tributary
of the Zanskar river. We drive over the Pensi
La (14,500 ft), which enables grand views
of the Zanskar peaks at the bottom of which
is the Drung Durung glacier that feeds the
Zanskar river, 40 km below, into which we
flow trip the next day. Overnight tented camp.
Day
06 :
Rafting
expedition begins at Remala. Raft till Karsha
Gompa, near Padum. We raft 30 km in 5 hrs
which includes a break for lunch and hot beverages.
We are surrounded by 6000 metre high peaks.
River section today includes a Class II section,
a good introduction for first timers as well
as to the river in general. After settling
into camp by afternoon, we take a hike to
Karsha Gompa for the evening incantation.
Day
07 :
After
a late morning start, we raft from Karsha
up to Pidmu. This stretch is approximately
30 km with Class II and III rapids. After
settling into the camp by mid afternoon, we
visit the nearby villages of Pidmu and Hanomil.
Day
08 :
After
packing camp, we raft 20 km to Nyerak, a Class
III section. The gorge narrows in on the river
- this indeed is a Grand Canyon in its own
right. We stop for the day to pitch camp in
a gorge below Nyerak village.
Day
09 :
Today's
35 km rafting section takes us from Nyerak
to Lamaguru, through the core of the Zanskar
A classic white water day with continuous
Class III rapids, and a few Class IV rapid
where the river squeezes between a gap of
about 18ft. We stop for lunch near a huge
waterfall at the confluence of Markha river
with Zanskar. Rock formations, spires and
an amazing palette of colours add to the trip
today. Camp at Lamaguru.
Day
10 :
Day
hike to Kaya and Skiu. Return to camp by late
afternoon. (4-5hrs). Camp at Lamaguru.
Day
11 :
We
raft 40 kms of Class III/IV white water from
Lamaguru to Nimu today.We make camp short
of Nimu,the confluence of the Zanskar with
the Indus river.
Day
12 :
Raft
approximately 25 km from Nimu to finish the
trip at Alchi through Class III / IV rapids.
After ending the trip at Alchi, we walk up
to the centuries old monastery to view the
beautiful frescoes and wood carvings. Drive
back 60 km to Leh and check into hotel.
Day
13 :
Leh.
Reserved day for shopping, sightseeing etc.
Day
14 :
Early
morning transfer to Leh airport. Fly Leh -
Delhi. Trip ends
