Markha Valley Cleaning Trek

We have decided to organize an annual cleaning drive along the trekking routes between Spituk and Hemis in October 2010 with a dual purpose of reducing the ever growing garbage menace along this route and creating awareness among the general public about the environmental hazards of piles and piles of rubbish trekking groups leave behind them.

Tour Route

Leh//Spituk/Markha/ Hemis/ Leh

Tour Program

Day 01 Leh/Spituk/Zingchen 5 hours. Dep.    After the breakfast drive to Spituk Bridge behind the Spituk monastery, around 7 kms from Leh town. Arrive Spituk Bridge at Indus River and start your trek through flat and desolate plane at the foot of the Stok Mountain. Gradually, you will leave the view of busy Leh-Srinagar highway and move towards wilderness of Himalaya.  Arrive Zingchen through a gorge, which gives you a feeling of complete isolation.   Overnight in Camp at Zingchen.
                
Day 02 Zingchen to Yurutse 4-5 hours Leave Zingchen for Rumbak through a straight forward road; leaving village, you enter Hemis national park for the preservation of Snow leopard, Baharal and the marmot and wolf etc. Walk through a narrow trail and valley widens as you arrive Rumbak and camp at Yurutse below Gandala Pass. Overnight in Camp.

Day 03 Yurutse to Skyu 6-7 hours From Yurutse follow path along the mountain side, then cross a small valley and follow  zig zag steep path. There after cross Ganda La pass (4380m). Then long descent towards Shingo. After 2 hrs of descent arrive in the valley of Markha and after few  hundred meters you reach Skyu. Overnight in tents.

Day 04 Sku to Markha 7-8 hours From Skiu, follow a good path on the right bank of Markha where one can find great vegetation. Then cross right bank of river and cross through barren plain and arrive at Chaluk. Thereafter walk along the left bank of river and after another crossing  climb towards Markha village. Good camp site beyond the Village and near river.  Overnight in tents.

Day 05 Markha to Thachungtse 5-6 hours Morning after breakfast start trekking to reach Tchatchutse via Hankar village.  Overnight in tents.
 
Day 06 Thachungtse to Nimaling 4-5 hours After breakfast start trekking to reach Nimaling. Nimaling (4900 M) has a sweeping pasture where thousands of sheep, goats, yaks and graze during the summer months, rising to the south is 6400 M high Kang Yatse (Nimaling Peak), a lovely mountain, but not an easy one to climb, Overnight in tents.

Day 07 Nimaling to Shang Sumdo- 6-7 hours After breakfast start trekking to reach Kongmaru La (5100 M). The trek to Kongmaru la passes through narrow Gorges. At the top of the pass, you can have view of the Ladakh range and the villages of the Indus valley to the north is excellent. Cross the pass and proceed to Shang. Overnight in tents.

Day 08 Shang Sumdo to Hemis to Leh -6 hours – Trek Walk along the stream down to Hemis monastery, which is one of the oldest and richest  monasteries in Ladakh. Visit Hemis monastery and drive to Leh enroute visit Thiksey, Shey and Stok Museum Palace. Evening at your leisure. Overnight in the hotel.

Trek Ends