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Map of the Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek This blog provides information on 9 excellent day hikes that can be done when doing the Kanchenjunga Circuit trek. Click here to read my other blogs about the Kanchenjunga trek. Contents Introduction Ghunsa - Hike towards Nangola Pass Ghunsa Viewpoint Ghunsa - Hike towards Lumbasamba Kharka Khambachen - Hike to Jannu Viewpoint Khambachen - Hike to Nupchu Pokhari (Lake) Lhonak - Hike up the Side of the Lhonak Glacier Lhonak - Hike up "Lhonak Ri" Pangpema - Hike up Drohmo Ri East Tseram - Hike towards Lapsang Bhanjyang Pass Links to My Other Blogs on the Kanchenjunga Trek 1. Introduction to Day Hikes on the Kachenjunga Trek Trekkers usually focus on the main trail and don't take the time to enjoy the side trails. I have been guilty of that. The best scenery in Nepal is at the higher altitudes. It therefore makes sense to enjoy your time up there after all the effort and expense in getting there. I became aware of 2 high altitude day hikes only while I was actually on the Kanchenjunga trek ( see my Trip Report ). They are the day hikes from Khambachen to the Nupchu Pokhari (lake) and the hike up "Lhonak Ri", which is at an altitude of 5,700 metres. I didn't do these day hikes on the Kanchenjunga trek. They are both excellent but tiring. There are 3 possible day hikes at Ghunsa. I recommend that you only do one of them for acclimatisation unless you have plenty of time. The day hikes at Khambachen and Lhonak are a better option as the mountain views are superior. I have not included the hikes to North Base Camp and the Oktang viewpoint. I regard these hikes to be part of the main Kanchenjunga Circuit trek. Most trekkers do them. 2. Ghunsa - Day Hike towards Nangola Pass This day hike on the Kachenjunga trek goes westwards from Ghunsa to Olangchung Gola over the Nango La (4,795 metres). It takes 2 days to hike to Olangchung Gola. Initially you follow the very scenic trail back towards Phale. After passing the Tashi Choding Gompa there is a sign pointing the way to the pass. From there it is all up hill! Initially the trail is through the trees but eventually the scenery opens up and there are views of the mountains. I only hiked up to 3,810 metres. I wasn't fit as I twisted my ankle 2 months prior to the trek, my hip was hurting and I had a cold. In addition the weather was changing and on the way back down there was a brief shower. It is unlikely that you would be able to reach the pass and return to Ghunsa in 1 day. The turn off for the Nangola Pass is well marked The initial ascent on the Nangola Pass trail The trail going towards the Nangola pass View back down the Nangola pass trail View back down the Nangola pass trail View back down the Nangola pass trail 3. Ghunsa Viewpoint Day Hike The most popular acclimatisation hike on the Kanchenjunga trek is up the hill on the west side of Ghunsa. There are various viewpoints and the prayer flags can be seen from Ghunsa. It looked like a hard slog to the top viewpoint which is at an altitude of 3,990 metres. I have seen photos taken from the viewpoints and the views weren't amazing. 4. Ghunsa - Day Hike towards Lumbasamba Kharka This trail goes to Ramche over the Lapsang Bhanjyang pass (5,161 metres). The pass itself is difficult and can be dangerous. It is possible however to hike to Lumbasamba Kharka (4,210 metres) and back to Ghunsa. This section of the trail passes the Yamatarin Glacier. I believe the trail mainly goes through forest so the views would be restricted. My guide asked the owner of our tea house about the trail. Apparently there is a river that has to be crossed and it can sometimes be difficult. I therefore opted to do the Nangola Pass trail. 5. Khambachen - Day Hike to Jannu Viewpoint Many local trekking agencies have only 1 night at Khambachen in their itinerary for the Kanchenjunga trek. This is dangerous as it is essential to stay 2 nights at Khambachen in order to acclimatise. Even if you have already acclimatised it would be a shame not to spend at least 2 nights at Khambachen so you can hike up to the Jannu viewpoint. It is a reasonably easy 3 hour hike up to a viewpoint near an interesting Hindu shrine. It is 400 metres above Khambachen. There is a stone path most of the way but this is more of a hindrance as many of the stones are loose. The scenery is superb throughout the entire hike. Unfortunately the hike is directly into the sun in the early morning and it is blinding at times. Don't forget your sunglasses! I walked a further 20 minutes up to the top of the lateral moraine of the Jannu glacier and reached an altitude of 4,606 metres. The views were worth the extra effort. I have read that you can continue hiking on to Jannu base camp but it is an exhausting hike. When I stayed a Khambachen 2 Spaniards hiked towards Jannu base camp. They enjoyed it but didn't go all the way. A well marked trail Leaving Lhonak before the sun had risen over the mountains The stone path on the way up - looking back to Khambachen Looking west along the Jannu Glacier The Hindu Shrine under the Boulder The Hindu Shrine Temple near the Hindu Shrine Jannu is on the right View of the Jannu Glacier from the Lateral Moraine above the Hindu Shrine The highest altitude reached 6. Khambachen - Day Hike to Nupchu Pokhari (Lake) I met 3 trekkers from the Czech Republic who hiked to Nupchu Pokhari (4,952 metres) and they raved about the scenery. The map shows the trail which goes north west of Khambachen. It would take about 5 hours to reach Nupchu Pokhari and 3 hours to return. It is a long day's trek and it would be better to do it after the hike to the Jannu viewpoint so you are better acclimatised. It would be a good trek even if you didn't go the entire way. I recommend spending 3 nights at Khambachen and doing both the day hikes. Khambachen has at least 2 good tea houses and it is a nice place to stay. Spending 3 nights at Khambachen improves acclimatisation and would make it easier to hike up "Lhonak Ri" and Drohmo Ri East. 7. Lhonak - Day Hike up the Side of the Lhonak Glacier I did this hike to improve my acclimatisation for my planned hike up Drohmo Ri East from the North Base camp on the Kanchenjunga trek. The map shows the trail to be on the west side of the Lhonak glacier. I had read on another blog that there was a better trail on the east side of the Lhonak glacier. The owner of our tea house confirmed that the trail on the east side was better. He showed us the way as he was visiting a mountaineering camp further on but the trail is easy to find and follow. There was one slightly tricky section early on that goes across large boulders. After the boulders there is a river with a small bridge consisting of 3 logs. The logs are often icy and dangerous. My guide found a way across without using the bridge. If you can't cross the river I believe that you could hike eastwards along the Chhyatungdinga glacier instead. Our lodge owner said it could be done but I didn't see a trail. I walked for 3 hours up to an altitude of 5,124 metres. From the top of the lateral moraine I could see the confluence of the Lhonak, Chabuk and Chijima glaciers. There is little point in going further. The entire walk took 5 hours and 45 minutes and that included a stop to eat my packed lunch. I wasn't that impressed with the scenery on this hike even though I really like seeing glaciers. Unless you have plenty of time I recommend doing other day hikes whilst doing the Kanchenjunga trek. Icy Bridge River from the Chhyatungdinga Glacier We walked up to the ridge of the moraine and reached an altitude of 5,124 metres. I could see the confluence of the Chabuk and Chijima glaciers. I could also see the tents of the mountaineering expedition that were at this confluence.  Looking back towards Lhonak Looking back towards Lhonak The Lhonak Glacier Looking towards the Confluence of the Lhonak, Chabuk and Chijima Glaciers There was little point in going further so we turned back. There was a cold wind on the way back. The entire hike took us almost 6 hours. On the way down near Lhonak 8. Lhonak - Day Hike up "Lhonak Ri" Three trekkers from the Czech Republic told me about this hike and raved about the views from the summit. They said the summit was at 5,700 metres and named it Lhonak Ri, although that isn't the official name. I later met 2 Spanish trekkers who had done this hike on the recommendation of the Czech trekkers. They also raved about the views. The main difficulty of the hike is the altitude. A bit of scrambling is involved at the very top. The peak is off the trail that goes to the North Base Camp on the Kanchenjunga trek. I am sure the owners of the tea houses at Lhonak could provide directions. 9. Pangpema - Day Hike up Drohmo Ri East I had planned to hike up Drohmo Ri East which is at an altitude of 5,965 metres. Unfortunately the Pangpema tea was closed because of the Tihar festival so I couldn't do it. That was a big disappointment. As I have stated in my blog on the Tea Houses on the Kanchenjunga Trek you cannot rely on this tea house being open. Also it is very small so it could be very crowded or full. I had brought a tent in case. Most trekkers who hike up Drohmo Ri East stay at the Pangpema tea house the night before. They start hiking up early the next morning and return to Lhonak the same day. It is a very tiring day. If there isn't snow on the ground the trek isn't too difficult apart from the altitude. Therefore it is better to spend 3 nights in Khambachen and 2 nights in Lhonak beforehand to acclimatise. It would make the hike both easier and more enjoyable. The terrain isn't difficult except for the last 200 metres when there are boulders and rocks on the ground. If they were covered by snow or ice it would be difficult. Depending on your acclimatisation and fitness it would take about 3 hours to ascend and 2 hours to descend. There is a viewpoint before the boulders and some trekkers turn around there. The trail starts behind the Pangpema tea house. Wikiloc shows the route up Drohmo Ri East and there are also some photos. 10. Tseram - Day Hike towards Lapsang Bhanjyang Pass Between Ramche and Tseram there is a sign pointing westwards that says Napsangla Pass. This is the alternative trail to Ghunsa and it crosses a difficult and dangerous pass. On my map the pass is named Lapsang Bhanjyang rather than Napsangla Pass. It should be safe to do a day hike towards the pass. The trail is closer to Ramche but it could also be hiked from Tseram. There are no trees on this eastern side of the pass so the views would be much better than from the trail on the forested western side. 11. Links to My Other Blogs on the Kanchenjunga Trek Kanchenjunga Trek - Trip Report Tea Houses on the Kanchenjunga Trek Planning your Kanchenjunga Trek

View of Mount Everest from Kala Patthar This blog provides details of 15 excellent day hikes that can be done when doing the Everest Base Camp and Everest 3 Passes trek. Click here  to read my other blogs about these Everest treks. Contents Introduction Namche - Hillary Memorial - Khunde Peak - Khunde - Khumjung - Everest View Hotel Namche - Hike to Thame (3810m) Pangboche (3930m) to Ama Dablam Base Camp (4600m) Dingboche (4410m) to Nangkartshang Peak (5083m) Chukhung (4730m) to Island Peak Base Camp (5080m) or Amphu Laptsa Phedi Chukhung (4730m) to Chukhung Ri (5550m) or Chukhung Tse Chukhung - Climb up Island Peak (6189m) Lobouche to Viewpoint (5300m) below Changrila Tonggu Ri Lobouche to the Moraine Ridge of the Khumbu Glacier Gorak Shep (5140m) to Kala Patthar (5550m) Gokyo (4790m) to Gokyo Ri (5357m) Hike to Gokyo 5th Lake (4990m) & Scoundrel's View Point Hike to Gokyo 1st and 2nd Lakes Thame to Sunder Peak (5368m) Thame - Trek towards Tashi Labsta Thame to Kongde Links to my other Everest Base Camp Blogs 1. Introduction Most trekkers do 3 or 4 day hikes on the way to Everest Base Camp and 5 to 6 day hikes when doing the Everest 3 passes trek. These are done to acclimatise and to enjoy good views of Everest and other peaks. With the high cost and effort of getting to the Everest region it is worth taking the opportunity to see more of the spectacular high altitude scenery. In any case should your flight to Lukla be delayed these extra days will provide a buffer allowing you to complete your trek. Below I have provided details of the main day hikes when doing the Everest Base Camp and Everest 3 passes treks. For more adventurous ideas read these Tripadvisor posts: Dharma Bum's Guide to Paths Less Travelled: Khumbu Edition Another Khumbu report, off the beaten paths 2. Namche - Hillary Memorial - Khunde Peak - Khunde - Khumjung - Namche We intended to do this hike in May 2022 but we only went to Khunde and Khumjung as the weather was bad. See my blog Trip Report for the Everest 3 Passes Trek . It is a very scenic hike in good weather and parts of it is popular. There are great views from the Hillary memorial view point, an easy 45 minute hike from Khunde, and Khunde Peak (4,253 metres). The hike takes more than half a day and Khumjung is a good lunch stop. 3. Namche to Thame (3,810 metres) The 3 hour hike to Thame is a good hike to do if you are doing the Everest Base Camp trek. However, if you are doing the Everest 3 passes trek you will pass through Thame anyway. On the way back from Thame you can deviate to the upper trail at Samde. This trail goes via Lawuda Gompa and rejoins the main trail at Theso. This trail isn't shown on the printed maps but you can use Maps.Me. 4. Pangboche (3,930m) to Ama Dablam Base Camp (4,600m) We did the hike to Ama Dablam base camp in May 2022 but it was cloudy and snowed a little on the way down. We enjoyed the hike but were disappointed to miss the outstanding views. We did at least see the climbers' tents at Ama Dablam base camp as it was still the climbing season. Initially there is a descent of about 100 metres and then the trail climbs 800 metres to Ama Dablam base camp. It takes about 2 to 2.5 hours to hike up and 1.25 hours to hike down. Mingbo is about 5 minutes walk from base camp and there are 3 lodges, but only the Ama Dablam Base Camp Lodge was open when we were there. We had lunch there, but they do have rooms which are mainly used by climbers. If you want to stay at Ama Dablam Base Camp it would be best to check in Pangboche that the Mingbo lodges are open when it isn't the climbing season. 5. Dingboche (4,410m) to Nangkartshang Peak (5,083m) Nangkartshang Peak is a very popular acclimatization hike. It is about a 4 hour hike up an easy to follow trail and the views are great. 6. Chukhung (4,730m) to Island Peak Base Camp (5,080m) or Amphu Labtsa Phedi The mountain scenery on this hike is fantastic, particularly the first half. It is a 3.5 hour walk to Island Peak Base Camp. There is a good view of the large Imja Tsho glacial lake if you climb up the glacial moraine to the south of the base camp. In May 2022 I hiked to the turn off to Island Peak Base Camp and then continued for an hour towards Amphu Labsta. Shortly after this junction there is a river with a metal ladder, without side rails, serving as a bridge. I have to admit that my guide lent me a helping hand. About half an hour after the junction the path passes between the large glacial grey Imja Tsho and the small deep blue Amphu Labsta Tsho. You have to climb the moraines to see the lakes and they are both spectacular. The contrast of the colours of the 2 lakes is superb. I continued for another half an hour and had lunch at a spot with a view of the difficult Amphu Labsta La. I had planned to hike on to Amphu Labsta Phedi, but I had a cold and it seemed the scenery wouldn't change much. 7. Chukhung (4,730 metres) to Chukhung Ri (5,550 metres) It is a 2 hour hike to the saddle of Chukhung Ri. To the left of the saddle there is an easy trail to the lower peak (5,417 metres). To the right, the trail goes to the higher peak (5,559 metres). There are great views from both peaks. From the saddle it takes about an hour to the high peak and the descent back to Chukhung takes about 2 hours. 8. Chukhung - Climb up Island Peak (6189m) A package to climb Island Peak costs $700 and includes a guide, food, base camp tent, crampons, ice axe, harness, jumar and boots. You need to take your own sleeping bag. It can all be arranged in Dingboche and the permit will be sent to you electronically from Kathmandu. I have never climbed Island Peak as it is a climbing peak, not a trekking peak like Mera. 9. Lobouche to Viewpoint below Changrila Tonggu Ri There is a scenic and easy alternative trail on the way from Lobuche to Gorak Shep, which leads to a fantastic viewpoint at 5,300 metres. This trail starts about 20 minutes after leaving Lobuche once you reach the turn off to the Pyramid. Immediately behind the Pyramid billboard there is a path that zigzags up the hill for 5 to 10 minutes. This path then joins a high trail which runs above, and parallel to, the main trail to Gorak Shep. After a while there is a feint trail that snakes down and rejoins the main Everst Base Camp trail. This higher path is more scenic than the lower trail and in high season avoids a section of the often congested main trail to Everest Base Camp. If you don't descend down to the main trail you continue on very easy terrain to an excellent viewpoint at 5,300 metres. It is about 1.25 hours from Lobuche. After that the terrain becomes difficult and there is some scrambling involved to reach the summit of Changrila Tonggu Ri (5,691 metres). 10. Lobouche to the Moraine Ridge of the Khumbu Glacier The Khumbu glacier is just to the east of Lobuche and has to be crossed when doing the Everest 3 passes trek. It takes 20 minutes to reach the top of the moraine ridge of this glacier from the lodges at Lobouche. It is a very popular and visible trail. You can see Everest base camp in the distance, the Khumbu glacier and excellent mountain views from the top of the ridge. It is best to take trekking poles for the steep descent back to the lodges. 11. Gorak Shep (5,140m) to Kala Patthar (5,550m) Virtually everyone does this hike as it offers some of the best views of Everest and surrounding peaks. Some hikers set off in the dark so they can see the sunrise from the top of Kala Patthar. This certainly doesn't appeal to me as it is very cold before sunrise. It is also one of the busiest times on Kala Patthar and I prefer quiet and solitude. In mid May 2014 we left our lodge in Lobuche at 05.30 a.m., just after sunrise, and reached Gorak Shep at 08.30 a.m. As the weather was sunny and clear we immediately hiked up Kala Patthar. We sat at the top for about 45 minutes in warm temperatures enjoying the spectacular view. There was only one other person at the top. The round trip took about 3.5 hours. People often hike to Everest Base Camp on the day they reach Gorak Shep. If the weather is clear it is better to go up Kala Patthar that day and hike to Everest base camp the next morning. If you hike to Everest base camp the next morning you will have enough time to reach Pheriche or Dzongla by the late afternoon. If you hike up Kala Patthar the following morning I recommend starting at sunrise to avoid the risk of it clouding over. 12. Gokyo (4,790 metres) to Gokyo Ri (5,357 metres) People hike up Gokyo Ri for the fantastic views of Everest and surrounding peaks. The trail up isn't difficult and it took me 1.5 hours to reach the peak in May 2022. It was warm so I spent a couple of hours enjoying the panorama. People on the Tripadvisor forum recommend going up for the sunset as it is more spectacular than the sunrise. Ensure you have warm clothes and a good head lamp for the descent! Apparently Gokyo Ri is busier at sunrise than sunset. 13. Hike to Gokyo's 5th Lake (4,990m) & Scoundrel's View Point Due to lack of time I only hiked to Gokyo's 4th lake in May 2022. I met some very tired trekkers making their way back and many hadn't made it to Gokyo's 5th lake. There wasn't any real incline to the 4th lake but there wasn't a good trail either. The scenery was very desolate and I could see it would be tiring to continue on to the 5th lake 14. Hike to Gokyo's 1st and 2nd Lakes Gokyo is on the 3rd lake and it is a short easy walk southwards to reach the 1st and 2nd lakes. There isn't much elevation and the round hike would take about 1.5 hours. 15. Thame to Sunder Peak (5,368 metres) Sunder Peak is a fairly popular acclimatisation hike for trekkers going clockwise on the Everest 3 passes trek. The path is well marked and there is a good view point at 4,250 metres. It is easy to follow up to about 4,800 metres . After this it continues to be well marked up to the lower peak at 4,936 metres, but the trail is a bit trickier. It takes about 4 hours to reach the lower peak. It is a difficult climb from the lower peak to the summit and there isn't a marked trail. 16. Thame - Trek towards Tashi Labsta You could do a day hike from Thame (3,820 metres), walking as far as you can get towards Tashi Labsta before returning to Thame the same day. Reports on the internet indicate that it is a 4 to 5 hour hike to Thyangbo (4,310 metres), but that seems too long for the distance and altitude gain if you are already acclimatised. Sign near Thame Monastery Another option is to hike to Thyangbo (4,310 metres) and stay there if the lodge is open. In 2019 there was only one lodge, but a recent report indicates that there may now be a second one. The lodge by the river, which is run by Pemba and his wife, has been recommended. It is very scenic at Thyangbo. Click here to see a vlog of this hike If you stayed at Thyangbo for 2 nights you could go to Tashi Lapsta High Camp (5,150 metres), or higher, and then return to Thyangbo. If you only stay 1 night you could hike further towards Tashi Lapsta on the afternoon you arrive at Thyangbo or the next morning. 17. Thame to Kongde See post 13 of this Tripadvisor report if you are interested in hiking from Thame to Kongde. The trail can be icy and difficult. The 2 lodges at Kongde cost about $250 a night! It is possible to hike from Thame to Kongde and then down to Toktok in one long day. 18. Links to my other Everest Base Camp Blogs My Daily Reports on the Everest 3 Passes Trek Lodges and Tea Houses on the Everest Base Camp Trek When to trek to Everest Base Camp What to take for the Everest Base Camp Trek Kathmandu to Lukla and Back Forum Posts, Vlogs & Webcams for Everest Base Camp Trek Guides, Porters and Trekking Agencies

A view on the way up Kongma La Lani and I did the Everest Base Camp trek in May 2014 with a porter/guide and had fabulous weather and no crowds. We returned in May 2022 to do the more difficult Everest 3 Passes trek with a porter and a guide. Unfortunately the weather wasn't as perfect this time but the trail wasn't busy. This blog is a daily trip report of our 19 day Everest 3 Passes trek. I have also done several other blogs providing information and advice for trekking in the Everest region. See my Everest Base Camp Trek page for details. Contents Flight from Kathmandu to Lukla Hike to Namche Bazaar Namche to Khyangjuma via Khunde & Kumjung Khyangjuma to Pangboche via Phortse Hike to Ama Dablam Base Camp Pangboche to Dingboche Dingboche to Chukhung Day Hike towards Amphu Labsta Phedi Crossing the Kongma La Lobuche Lobouche to Dzongla Crossing the Cho La Dragnag to Gokyo Hike up Gokyo Ri Crossing the Renjo La Lumde to Namche Bazaar Namche Bazaar to Phakding Phakding to Lukla Flight from Lukla to Kathmandu Links to my other Everest Base Camp Trek Blog s 4 May 2022 - Flight from Kathmandu to Lukla We were informed that the guide and driver would collect us from our hotel at 05.00 for our 06.00 flight from Kathmandu to Lukla. We were panicking as they didn't get to our hotel until 05.25! We arrived at Kathmandu airport at 05.45 but didn't miss our flight as all flights to Lukla had been delayed due to bad weather! After 3 hours at Kathmandu airport we decided to pay an extra $600 to fly by helicopter, but the weather was too bad even for that. After hours of listening to extremely loud airport announcements the tedium was broken by a bomb scare. Someone had called from Pakistan and reported that several bombs had been planted in the domestic terminal! Everyone had to leave the building and sit in airport buses until sniffer dogs and bomb detectors had searched the building. Shortly after being allowed back into the terminal it was announced that our flight was boarding. By 13.10 we had landed in Lukla, which they boast is the world's most dangerous airport! I was very pleased we hadn't paid the extra $600 for a helicopter. We had lunch at Lukla and then hiked 4 hours to the small village of Bengkar. The new, and best, lodge had 4 other trekkers in so we stayed in a more basic tea house that had more character and no other guests. 5 May 2022 - Bengkar to Namche Bazaar We left our tea house at Bengkar at 07.50 and arrived at Namche Bazaar 4 hours later, after climbing 800 metres in fairly nice sunny conditions. Namche Bazaar is at 3,450 metres and is the largest village on the trail for the Everest Base Camp trek. Namche Bazaar has everything a trekker could want! We found a nice ensuite room with a small balcony in the upper part of Namche Bazaar. The hotel association (cartel) in Namche Bazaar has set the room rates and as a result rooms are expensive. We had to pay NPR 2,000 but negotiated free hot showers. It was very quiet when we arrived, but a noisy group arrived afterwards and took over the dining room. See my blog Lodges & Tea Houses on the Everest Base Camp Trek . 6 May 2022 - Namche to Khyangjuma via Khunde & Kumjung Namche Bazaar is at an altitude of 3,450 metres and one should spend 2 nights there for acclimatisation before proceeding on the Everest Base Camp trek. For our acclimatisation day we chose to do a half day acclimatisation walk to the villages of Khunde (3,840 metres), Kumjung (3,780 metres) and Khyangjuma (3,550 metres). Unfortunately we had woken up to cloudy weather and after walking for an hour it rained a little and got colder. As a result we didn't see the mountains at all and it was a dreary walk. This bad weather was unfortunately meant to continue for a few days. We were lucky that there was a gathering of monks at Kumjung monastery reciting scriptures. It was atmospheric and much better than visiting the usual deserted gompas. When we reached Khyangjuma we stayed there for the night rather than going back to Namche Bazaar. Khyangjuma is only 100 metres higher than Namche Bazaar and therefore at an acceptable altitude for acclimatisation for the Everest 3 Passes trek. This reduced our next day's walk by 1 hour. We stayed at a newly built lodge where all the rooms had attached bathrooms. The room cost NPR 1,000, which was half the price of our lodge at Namche. 7 May 2002 - Khyangjuma to Pangboche via Phortse We woke up to low clouds, but by the time we left the lodge it was sunny and warm and we caught glimpses of the mountains. We had chosen to do the higher and more scenic route to Phortse. This trail to Everest Base Camp isn't busy with trekkers but is longer! We reached the top of the Mong La (4,000 metres) after 2 hours and then immediately descended steeply down to the river! As soon as we got to the river we climbed 200 metres back up again to Phortse (3,810 metres). Almost 4 hours of walking. At Phortse we had dal bhat for lunch with the usual refills of rice, dal and vegetables. After lunch the cloud started to come in and by 15.00 we had showers and the visibility was down to about 100 metres. We were soon adding several layers over our T shirts! Our guide said we would climb 100 metres and then walk on a plateau to Pangboche. The bit about the plateau wasn't accurate. It turned out to be Nepali flat which entails constant ups and downs! We reached Lower Pangboche (3,900 metres) after almost 3 hours from Phortse and Lani was very tired. We found a room with an attached bathroom for NPR 1,500. We negotiated free charging of electronics as it would otherwise cost NPR 300 per device. 8 May 2022 - Hike to Ama Dablam Base Camp It was raining when we woke up at 06.00, but the weather had improved by the time we left for Ama Dablam base camp at 07.45. The walk began with a 100 metre descent to the river, followed by a 800 metre ascent to Ama Dablam base camp. It took 3 hours 15 minutes to reach base camp and Lani struggled with the altitude. There are 3 lodges near Ama Dablam base camp that cater to the mountaineers and we had dal bhat at the only lodge that was open. It took us 1.5 hours to descend to Pangboche. Initially it snowed a bit, followed by light rain and then sun as we neared Pangboche. Unfortunately we didn't get any views of Ama Dablam all day! See my blog Day Hikes on the Everest Base Camp Trek 9 May 2022 - Hike from Pangboche to Dingboche Yesterday evening we had limited mountain views and this morning we could actually see the top of Ama Dablam! We stayed in lower Pangboche because of altitude acclimatisation. Before setting off to Dingboche we climbed 100 metres to see the more traditional upper Pangboche. We looked around the 600 year old gompa and found out that photos weren't allowed only after taking one! Some villagers started praying in the upper part of the Gompa and we were allowed in. It was really impressive with all the masks used for ceremonies, but again no photos were allowed. It took us 3 hours to reach Dingboche. We were slow but some other trekkers going to Everest Base Camp were even slower. I was starting a cold and didn't feel well for the first part of the trek. Lani was also feeling a bit off. There are lots of lodges in Dingboche but when we hiked to Everest Base Camp in 2014 we found the majority were pretty dire. This year we found the Hotel Tashi Delek, which cost NPR 1,000 for a nice corner ensuite room. We had our first showers for 3 nights (NPR 600 each). They will probably be our last showers until we reach Gokyo in 7 nights time! We could no longer use our mobile phone data package and had to pay NPR 700 each for internet. It is amazing that we could access the internet at all. 10 May 2022 - Hike from Dingboche to Chukhung I had a bad night because of my cold. Lani claimed she hadn't slept well either, despite hearing her sleeping soundly throughout the night! We woke up at 06.00 to the usual low clouds or mist! I felt very despondent as we had come to see the Himalayas. We had our usual breakfast of oat porridge (now costing NPR 600) and ginger tea, and then packed up. A lot of the clouds had cleared by the time we started walking. We walked for 3 hours from Dingboche (4,400 metres) to Chukhung (4,700 metres) with fantastic views of Ama Dablam and partial views of other mountains. It should have been an easy walk, but I struggled because of my cold. By the time we got to Chukhung I had no energy left for going around the lodges to select the best one. We went to the Khangri Resort which has the best reputation. We thought the Khangri Resort had attached bathrooms but none of the lodges in Chukhung do. Initially we accepted a dark downstairs corner room, but then our guide found us a really nice and bright upstairs corner room. The lodge has a bright warm sun room and we had it all to ourselves. The cost of a room is only NPR 500. 11 May 2022 - Day Hike towards Amphu Labsta Phedi We woke up at 05.45 to clear skies and fantastic mountain views. We left the Chukhung at 07.15 to walk towards Island Peak base camp. The mountain views were incredible and I was snapping away. We hiked for 2.5 hours to get to the turnoff to Island Peak base camp. Lani decided to return back to our lodge at this point and I continued towards to Amphu Labsta Phedi. This had been recommended on the Trip Advisor forum as a better option than Island Peak Base Camp. It involved crossing a precarious bridge and I have to admit our guide gave me a helping hand. There were 2 fantastic lakes on either side of the trail. The first one was the large, and very grey, Imja Tsho at 5,010 metres. It is carefully monitored as the glacial moraine holding the lake back is at risk of collapse. The second lake was Amphu Labsta Tsho which is a beautiful blue colour. We continued towards Amphu Labsta Phedi until there were no more views to be gained. It was a 6 hour round trek. 12 May 2022 - Crossing the Kongma La to Lobuche My guide hadn't been over the Kongma La pass (5,535 metres) before and there is a tricky glacier crossing on the other side of the pass. I therefore arranged to team up with 3 other trekkers and their 2 guides for crossing the first pass of the Everest 3 Passes trek. Lani hiked with our porter on the lower level route to Lobuche which goes via Dingboche and Dughla. This is the normal route for the Everest Base Camp trek. Both routes take about 8 hours. I got up at 03.50 and had breakfast at 04.30. My guide and I then walked over to another lodge to join the other trekkers. We started walking at 05.10 in very clear weather with little wind. We took our time with plenty of breaks to enjoy the fantastic mountain scenery. It was a relentless climb up to the top of Kongma La (5,535 metres) with the hardest part being the final very steep ascent to the top. We had lunch at the top and our small group had the summit to ourselves. The descent was steep with very rocky and difficult terrain initially. There were a couple of small rockfalls but no one was hit. After the steep descent we reached the difficult crossing over the Khumbu glacier to reach Lobuche (4,900 metres). None of the guides had crossed the Khumbu glacier in the last 3 years and the route constantly changes. It took 15 minutes to find the start of the route and then it was fairly straightforward. However, the terrain over the moraine was undulating and difficult. I reached Lobouche after a hard 9 hour walk. I grabbed the last ensuite room at the New EBC Guest House. Within 20 minutes I spotted Lani and our porter outside. There were far too many people at Lobuche and we decided not to go to Everest Base Camp the next day as the lodges would be awful if fully occupied. We went to Everest Base Camp in 2014 so missing Everest Base Camp wasn't a problem. 13 May 2022 - Lobuche We woke up at 05.00 to take advantage of the usual early morning clear skies. We left the lodge at 06.15 to hike a high ridge with excellent mountain views. Lani was walking slowly as she has a cold and a bad cough, probably the Khumbu cough that is caused by the cold and dry air at high altitude. We walked to the Pyramid, which was an Italian weather or research centre, and part of the facility is now a lodge. We had tea there and looked around the lodge. From the Pyramid it was a steep climb up to the top of the ridge, perhaps 5,300 metres. Lani did very well to make it but struggled. The views were excellent. By 08.30 clouds were rolling up the valley and by 09.30 the mountains were obscured. Lani needed another night in Lobuche to acclimatise before going on to Dzongla. Our guide managed to phone the lodge and persuaded them to let us keep the room, even though it was reserved! A lot of the cloud cleared in the afternoon so I walked up the steep west side of the glacial moraine ridge that I crossed yesterday. It is about a 20 minute walk and there were good views of the mountains and the glacier from the top. 14 May 2022 - Hike from Lobouche to Dzongla We woke at 05.30 to clear skies and good mountain views. By the time we finished breakfast low cloud or mist had obscured the mountains. Luckily, the sun came out and the cloud cleared, about half an hour into our 3 hour walk from Lobouche to Dzongla. The scenery was superb although the path was narrow and with steep drop offs at times. Lani was still struggling with the Khumbu cough and it was clear that she wouldn't manage the Cho La Pass tomorrow. We decided that Lani would go slowly back down to Namche with our porter, while I continued on the Everest 3 passes route with our guide. Khumbu cough only improves at lower altitude. This meant Lani and I would be apart for 4 nights and I would have to carry what I needed. In the evening our guide spoke to a small group that were doing the Everest 3 Passes trek and had just crossed the Cho La Pass from the west. They said that the glacial ice on the western downward side was slippery so I might have to use my microspikes. 15 May 2022 - Crossing the Cho La Pass It was a disappointing day of weather. We could clearly see the mountains when we set off for the Cho La pass at 05.20. However, clouds quickly rose up the valley and by 05.30 there were no views. I found the hike up the Cho La pass to be a hard slog especially as I was carrying all my things, except my sleeping bag which was kindly carried by my guide. After a couple of hours we reached the glacier and I put on my microspikes which made walking easier. It took about 3 hours to reach the top of Cho La pass (5,420 metres) and I met 3 people I knew at the top. A cable was installed about 3 years ago to help with the initial descent down the western side of the Cho La Pass. My microspikes were still very useful as the trekker in front of me didn't have any and slipped several times. We reached the lodges at Dragnag after walking 6 hours. I was tired and after having lunch decided to stay the night. Most other trekkers continued walking for a further 2 to 3 hours to Gokyo. I managed to phone Lani who had reached Debouche at 3,800 metres. The lower altitude had already improved her cough, which had been very bad last night. She was staying in the new and very comfortable section of the Rivendell Lodge. 16 May 2022 - Hike from Dragnag to Gokyo We walked from Dragnag (4,700 metres) to Gokyo (4,790 metres) and the trail was mainly over the massive Ngozumpa glacier. The new starting point for the Ngozumpa glacier crossing was not marked and we were lucky to find it. After that the trail was well marked. I really enjoyed crossing the Ngozumpa glacier and often observed rocks falling into the lakes in the middle of the glacier. It was a steep climb up the ridge on the other side of the Ngozumpa glacier and there was a rope in place to facilitate this. After crossing the Ngozumpa glacier we had good views of Gokyo village and lake. There are 6 lakes in the Gokyo valley and the village is on the third lake. It took 3 hours to get to Gokyo. I checked into the Cho Oyu lodge and got a good corner lake view room with shared toilets for NPR 500. In the afternoon I walked to Gokyo's fourth lake with someone I met a few days ago. We intended to go onto the fifth lake but it was too far. 17 May 2022 - Hike up Gokyo Ri I planned to walk up Gokyo Ri (5,360 metres) if the weather was clear enough. At 05.00 there was low cloud but by the time I had my usual breakfast of porridge and ginger tea at 06.30 the clouds had cleared. I rushed up Gokyo Ri in 1.5 hours, overtaking everyone in sight trying to reach the top before the clouds came in again. Just as I got to the top of Gokyo Ri most of the mountain views were obscured by clouds! Luckily the clouds cleared after about half an hour and I stayed at the top of Gokyo Ri for a further 2 hours to enjoy the views. I could see the peak of Everest for the first time on this trip. In the afternoon I enjoyed an expensive shower costing NPR 800 followed by a solitary 1.5 hour walk to Gokyo's first and second lakes. Incidentally since Lani took our toothpaste I had to buy a foul tasting tube of toothpaste for NPR 600. I couldn't even buy soap from the only shop (shack) in Gokyo but luckily there was some in the shower stall. 18 May 2022 - Crossing the Renjo La I had another early breakfast and we left Gokyo at 06.10 in very good weather to cross the final pass of the Everest 3 Passes trek. It took 2.5 hours to reach the top of Renjo La (5,360 metres). Renjo La is meant to be the easiest of the passes on the Everest 3 passes trek, but we had been warned that there was a lot of snow on the other side. We found that the report of the snow was true but luckily it hadn't turned to ice. After spending about an hour on the top of Renjo La enjoying the great views we put on our micro spikes/crampons and descended. Initially the trail was narrow with a large drop off on the one side. It took us just over 2 hours to reach the small settlement of Lumde (4,368 metres) where we had lunch. The lodge had nice rooms with a squat toilet for NPR 500 so we stayed there. It was very sociable with 3 people I had met before (an Israeli, German and Kiwi). The lady running the lodge was also very pleasant. 19 May 2022 - Hike from Lumde to Namche Bazaar We walked from Lumde to Namche Bazaar via Thame. We climbed up to the monastery at Thame so we could visit the 600 year old monastery and also to try to get a phone signal to contact Lani! After a lot of difficulty we finally managed to get through to Lani and arranged to meet her for lunch further down the trail at Thamo. Lani had warned me that 19 Everest Base Camp marathon runners had arrived at her hotel in Namche the previous night! Luckily they weren't too noisy and we had a room in a separate annexe with a little balcony. I had 2 pieces of chocolate cake to celebrate being back in civilisation! 20 May 2022 - Hike from Namche Bazaar to Phakding We had an easy 3 hour or so walk down to Phakding and stayed in a nice lodge which had spacious rooms with attached bathrooms for NPR 1,000. There was only one other couple there. 21 May 2022 - Hike from Phakding to Lukla We tried a different route from Phakding to Lukla. Virtually everyone doing the Everest Base Camp trek uses the path on the east bank of the river, but someone on the Trip Advisor forum had recommended the west bank from Phakding to Ghat. It was a quiet and scenic route along the river. After 3.5 hours we arrived at Lukla and tried to fly out a day early without success. See my blog Forum Posts, Vlogs & Webcams for the Everest Base Camp Trek for Tripadvisor recommendations and trip reports. We stayed at a very nice lodge in Lukla and all the rooms had attached bathrooms for NPR 1,000. The only problem was a noisy group of 14 women from the Middle East staying there. 22 May 2022 - Flight from Lukla to Kathmandu Our flight was at 06.30 but we woke up to rain. It rained all morning and we didn't think there would be any chance of flying out that day. At midday we were resigned to spending another night in Lukla and had an early lunch. As we ate our lunch the weather started to clear and just as we finished we were told to quickly go to the airport. The airport was only 5 minutes walk away. The owner of the lodge had connections with the airlines he very kindly arranged our boarding passes for us. Just over an hour later we were back in Kathmandu! Links to my other Everest Base Camp Trek Blogs Day Hikes on the Everest Base Camp Trek Lodges and Tea Houses on the Everest Base Camp Trek When to trek to Everest Base Camp Kathmandu to Lukla and Back What to take for the Everest Base Camp Trek Forum Posts, Vlogs & Webcams for Everest Base Camp Trek Guides, Porters and Trekking Agencies

Crossing the Tserichen La (5680 metres) in Zanskar Contents Map of the Zanskar trek 8 September 2024 - Rest Day in Shade 9 September 2024 - Trek towards Phugtal Monastery 10 September 2024 - Trek to Phugtal Monastery 11 September 2024 - Drive to Kargyak 12 September 2024 - Rest day in Kargyak 13 September 2024 - Ascent to 5100m before Tserichen La (5680m) 14 September 2024 - Trek to Chumnik Marpo via Tserichen La 15 September 2024 - Trek to Kham Krap Sumdo (4500m) 16 September 2024 - Trek to Sarchu (4300m) 17 September 2024 - Drive to Leh Links to my other blogs on Ladakh & Zanskar Map of the Zanskar trek Route of my Zanskar Trek 8 September 2024 - Rest Day in Shade We had a rest day in the unspoiled village of Shade. Our campsite is just 100 metres from where the friendly local women milked the yaks every morning and evening. They usually finished at 19.00 and then started again around 05.30. They have a very tough life. I wandered around Shade a couple of times and it was deserted during the day time as the villagers were harvesting crops. Yaks and Naks coming back to Shade in the evening The evening milking of Naks in Shade The evening milking of Naks in Shade The evening milking of Naks in Shade Our campsite in Shade The village of Shade The village of Shade The village of Shade The village of Shade The village of Shade The village of Shade 9 September 2024 - Trek towards Phugtal Monastery The government has upgraded the trail from the village of Shade to Phugtal monastery. This section of the trail for the Zanskar trek is now in a very good condition and provides spectacular views as it runs above the blue Tsarap river. The plan had been to camp in a side canyon about 3 hours before Phugtal monastery. Unfortunately the stream in the side canyon had dried up and we couldn't camp there. We continued for another hour and camped in a small rocky area just off the main trail where there was a small stream nearby. Leaving Shade The Canyon after leaving Shade The Tsarap River The trail following the Tsarap river to Pughtal monastery A rudimentary bridge over the Tsarap river The trail following the Tsarap river to Pughtal monastery The trail following the Tsarap river to Pughtal monastery The trail following the Tsarap river to Pughtal monastery The trail following the Tsarap river to Pughtal monastery Our camp before reaching Pughtal monastery 10 September 2024 - Trek to Phugtal Monastery We continued our walk along the Tsarap river to Phugtal monastery. It only took 2.5 hours to reach the monastery and it looked spectacular in the bright sunshine. Our campsite was at a basic lodge 10 minutes past Phugtal monastery. Whilst waiting for the horses to arrive the weather changed and it started to rain. In the afternoon we visited the atmospheric Phugtal monastery which is one of the main monasteries in Zanskar. As usual photography on the interior wasn't allowed. Reaching Phugtal monastery Phugtal monastery Tunnel at Phugtal monastery Phugtal monastery Jamie McGuinness at Phugtal monastery Our campsite at Phugtal Bridge from Phugtal monastery to the village of Phugtal 11 September 2024 - Drive to Kargyak I didn't like last night's campsite as there were too many people camping and staying at the nearby basic lodge. An Indian group made a lot of noise until 22.30 and we normally go to sleep well before then. In the morning we walked 1 hour to the road and were met by 2 jeeps. All the luggage and camping equipment was transferred from the horses to the jeeps. From there it was a 1.5 hour drive to the village of Kargyak, which was the home of one of the crew. Initially the road was rough but nearer the Kargyak it was tarred. The weather was very windy when we arrived at the campsite and it looked like it would rain. We therefore had lunch and sat in the dining tent until the weather improved enough for us to put up our tents. The weather got worse again in the late afternoon and it became chilly and wet. Hike from from Phugtal monastery to the road Hike from from Phugtal monastery to the road Hike from from Phugtal monastery to the road Transferring loads from horses to jeeps Our campsite at the village of Kargyak 12 September 2024 - Rest day in Kargyak The weather was miserable yesterday afternoon and evening. However, when I got up at 07.00 the sky was clear and it wasn't windy. I was pleased that it was a rest day as my tent was covered in ice. The day was mainly spent washing clothes, having a wash in the cold river and using the internet. In the late afternoon I wandered around the village of Kargyak and as usual the villagers were very friendly and welcoming. Village of Kargyak Village of Kargyak with the road in the background Village of Kargyak 13 September 2024 - Ascent to 5100m before the Tserichen La We left the village of Kargyak (4,120 metres) to begin our ascent over the 5,680 metre high Tserichen La. We stopped and camped for the night at 5,100 metres. Two of the other trekkers began having problems with diarrhea in the afternoon but I was feeling fine. I had been walking strongly and someone complimented me about it during supper. Unfortunately that's when my problems started! Shortly afterwards I started feeling a little bit off and I took Diamox on the assumption it was mild altitude sickness. During the night I hardly slept as my stomach ached and I felt very nauseous. Looking back down to Kargyak in Zanskar Ascending to the Tserichen La Ascending to the Tserichen La Ascending to the Tserichen La Our campsite at 5,100 metres 14 September 2024 - Trek to Chumnik Marpo via Tserichen La We woke up to light snow. Martin from Canada had frequently vomited during the night and couldn't continue trekking. He therefore descended back down to Kargyak with one of the crew with the intention of joining us 4 days later at Sarchu. Another trekker had bad diarrhea but continued trekking like me. It was a huge effort to ascend 600 metres to the top of the 5,680 metre Tserichen La whereas the previous day I had no problem ascending 1,000 metres. I really struggled and had to constantly stop. At the top I started vomiting. I didn't have any lunch and descended down to our next camp at 4,900 metres. It was a very tough day as I was very sick. I skipped supper and just lay in my tent from the time I arrived at camp to the next morning. During the day I had started to suffer from diarrhea. I took the antibiotic Azithromycin and that quickly cured the diarrhea. Unfortunately it had no effect on my nausea and vomiting. At least I didn't need to frequently run to the toilet tent! Near the top of the Tserichen La The top of the Tserichen La Descending from the Tserichen La Descending from the Tserichen La Approaching our campsite near Chumnik Marpo 15 September 2024 - Trek Kham Krap Sumdo (4500m) I slept for about 12 hours and still felt nauseous when I woke up. I just had Muesli with water for breakfast. Fortunately it was only a 4 hour hike today and the majority of it was downhill. The weather wasn't good and I didn't take many photos. I skipped lunch again and didn't have dinner. I just lay in my tent from the time I arrived at camp to the next morning. Jamie McGuinness crossing a river 16 September 2024 - Trek Sarchu (4300m) Jamie said it would be another short 4 hour hike to our next camp at the village of Sarchu (4,100 metres). I was relieved about that as I was still feeling very sick. Unfortunately it turned out to be a 7 hour hike! The trail was reasonably flat but there were a lot of ravines to go down and back up again. An hour before camp we had to cross a river which involved changing into river shoes. The river level was about knee height and the rocks on the river bottom were very slippery. The scenery was quite stunning as we approached Sarchu but I was too exhausted to properly appreciate it due to my illness. When we reached camp I was relieved when one of the crew helped to put up my tent. I briefly joined the group for supper and just had soup. I was still feeling very sick and knew I wouldn't be able to continue trekking and do the last 9 day section of the Zanskar trek. Jamie and Esther thought I would be able to continue as I had been walking at a reasonable pace. However, that pace had pushed me to my limit and I knew I couldn't do it for another 9 days. Another factor was that in India satellite phones are prohibited so a helicopter rescue wouldn't have been possible. Near Sarchu Near Sarchu Near Sarchu 17 September 2024 - Drive to Leh Three of us drove back to Leh. Martin from the UK had always intended to end the trek in Sarchu due to time constraints. Martin from Canada had recovered but didn't feel strong enough to continue. Only the 2 Australian trekkers were completing the final 9 day section of the Zanskar trek with Jamie and Esther. The camp was packed up by 10.00 and we all walked a mile along a flat track to where the jeep was parked. I really struggled on this very easy section and felt very nauseous. I had clearly made the right decision to go back to Leh. It was a tiring 7 hour drive to Leh through very bleak and unattractive mountain scenery. The Mamali to Leh highway had a lot of road construction going on for most of the way which slowed us down. We stopped for lunch but I was too sick to eat anything. I didn't have any dinner either! Instead I went to the hospital in the evening and the doctor prescribed a lot of medication. Everything was free! When I returned to the hotel I researched the medication on the internet and decided not to take it. The group at Sarchu - I am 2nd from the left Taglang La on the road from Sarchu to Leh The view from Taglang La 18 September 2024 and onwards I managed to change the date of my Virgin Atlantic flight from Delhi to the UK and surprisingly the flight change cost only £45. Unfortunately my flight on the morning of 20th September was cancelled and I was rebooked on a 01.00 flight the next morning. I spent the rest of the 20th September lying sick in bed at a 5 star hotel provided by Virgin Atlantic. I was too sick to eat any of the free food at the hotel. I went back to the airport in the evening and struggled to make it through the long line ups for passport control and security. I was very happy when I managed to make it to the boarding gate. I wasn't so happy when they announced that the flight would be delayed by 2 hours due to a software issue. Then they kept putting back the departure time. It looked like the flight would be cancelled again. However, they eventually announced that the software issue had been resolved and we took off 5.5 hours late. I reached home on the evening of 21 September and I was starved as I had hardly eaten for 8 days. My weight was down to 63 kilograms which was 10 kilograms less than when I flew to Ladakh. I improved a lot a few days after returning to the UK but still had stomach pains. I saw my doctor who arranged blood and stool tests and an ultrasound scan. It seems that I had bad gastroenteritis and that has caused lactose intolerance. My 44 days in Ladakh were fantastic but it was a shame it had ended this way and that I couldn't do the last section of the Zanskar trek. I will never rely on filtered water again. I will either drink boiled water or sterilise the water with a Steripen. Links to my other blogs on Ladakh & Zanskar Zanskar Trek - Part 1 Zanskar Trek - Part 2 2024 Guide for the Markha Valley Trek 2024 Guide for the Sham Valley Trek Travel Guide for Leh and Vicinity - 2024

Ascending the Pangdang La in Zanskar Contents Map of the Zanskar Trek 29 August 2024 - Trek to Chapskang (4270m) 30 August 2024 - Trek to Zingchan 31 August 2024 - Trek to Hanumil (3600m) 1 September 2024 - Trek & Drive to Zangla (3600m) 2 September 2024 - Visit to Padum & Karsha Gompa 3 September 2024 - Trek to Zangla Sumdo (3850m) 4 September 2024 - Trek towards Yarichun 5 September 2024 Trek to Yarichun (4220m) 6 September 2024 - Trek towards Shade 7 September 2024 - Trek to Shade Links to my other blogs on Ladakh Map of the Zanskar Trek The 2nd section of my trek in Zanskar 29 August 2024 - Trek to Chapskang (4270m) We started hiking to the top of the 4,640 metre high Barmi La at 08.30. There is now a rough road over the pass and in the next 2 to 3 years the road will go all the way to Dibling. Jamie had arranged for a jeep to come from Leh with resupplies for the next stage of our Zanskar trek. Jamie had hoped the jeep would come early and we reached the top of the Barmi La at 09.30. Unfortunately the jeep only arrived at midday and then the supplies were loaded onto the horses. After lunch we descended steeply to our campsite where I had a well needed wash in the river! The road which will eventually go to Dibling Climbing up to the Barmi La (4640m) Myself at the top of the Barmi La View from the Barmi La Descending the Barmi La Descending the Barmi La with our horses below Our campsite near Chakskang 30 August 2024 - Trek to Zingchan We kept to our usual routine of breakfast at 07.00 and leaving camp at around 08.00. We immediately hiked steeply to the top of the 4,710 metre high Hanuma La. It took 2 hours to ascend 700 metres to the top of the pass where there were very good views. Initially the scenery on the other side of the pass wasn't very special. However, after lunch we followed a high, narrow and very exposed trail above a spectacular canyon. We reached our campsite at 15.30 and had it to ourselves like all the other campsites so far on our Zanskar trek. It was in a scenic location and there was plenty of flat space for our tents. We had dinner outside for the first time as it was a warm evening. Walking up towards the Hanuma La Walking up towards the Hanuma La Walking up towards the Hanuma La Walking up towards the Hanuma La Jamie McGuinness at the top of the Hanuma La View from the top of the Hanuma La Descending from the Hanuma La Walking above the spectacular canyon Walking above the spectacular canyon Walking above the spectacular canyon A view before descending to our campsite Our camp site 31 August 2024 - Trek to Hanumil (3600m) We often camp at the bottom of valleys which means there is often a steep ascent at the start of the day. That's what happened this morning as we immediately hiked about 600 metres to the 3,900 metre high Parpi La. It took about an hour and a half to reach the top of the pass. We then had the inevitable descent to our campsite. It was very scenic as the path was on the mountainside above the wide Zanskar river. The path was at times only 12 to 18 inches wide which is often the case in Zanskar. It wasn't a problem until there was an eroded section and then the exposure was a bit nerve wracking. It was a shorter and easier day and we arrived at a pleasant campsite outside the tiny village of Hanumil around 14.00. Ascending the Parpi La Between the Parpi La and Hanumil Between the Parpi La and Hanumil Between the Parpi La and Hanumil Between the Parpi La and Hanumil Our campsite in Hanumil Women from Hanumil carrying black dal Hanumil 1 September 2024 - Trek & Drive to Zangla (3600m) We had our breakfast outside as it was sunny and warm. We delayed setting off until 08.40 as we were meeting up with jeeps later in the morning in order to avoid walking along a section of road. It only took 1.5 hours to walk from our campsite at Hanumil to the village of Zangla. It was another very scenic hike above the impressive Zanskar river. Two jeeps and a tractor trailer were waiting for us. It was then an half hour drive along a good tarred road to our campsite. Initially I wasn't very impressed with the campsite as it was just off the main Zanskar road. The campsite was very spacious and grassy but there wasn't any shade and it was hot. There were quite a few locals picnicking there as it was a Sunday. The locals were very friendly and gave us some of their local brew and some snacks. Later the local women danced whilst the inebriated men slept. Leaving Hanumil Hike from Hanumil to Zangla Hike from Hanumil to Zangla Approaching Zangla Our campsite near Zangla 2 September 2024 - Visit to Padum & Karsha Gompa It was a rest day and we were driven to the town of Padum after breakfast. There was a lot of construction going on in Padum which made it very messy and not very pleasant. A lot of trekkers start or finish their treks in Zanskar in Padum or use it as a resupply point. We took a taxi from Padum to the nearby Karsha monastery which is the most important monastery in Zanskar. The Karsha monastery dates back to the 10th century and it was atmospheric with five monks reciting holy scripts. We had lunch at a Korean restaurant in Padum! Most of us also treated ourselves to cake and coffee. I am not particularly keen on Korean food but the cake and coffee were good. Karsha monastery Karsha monastery Monks at Karsha monastery View from Karsha monastery 3 September 2024 - Trek to Zangla Sumdo (3850m) A taxi was meant to drive us to Zangla palace but it never turned up. We ended up walking there on the main road and it took 45 minutes. Zangla palace was built in the 10th century by the king of Zanskar and is on a hill outside the village of Zangla. The palace wasn't open but it was interesting walking around the site. After leaving the palace we descended into canyon and walked through it for about 4 hours until we reached our campsite. We had to wade through the river numerous times. Chortens near Zangla Palace Zangla Palace View of Zangla Descending to the canyon Walking through the canyon Walking through the canyon Our campsite at Zangla Sumdo 4 September 2024 - Trek towards Yarichun We started hiking at 08.00 and ascended 500 metres to our next camp, which was at an altitude of 4,350 metres and on the way up to the Pangdang La. The terrain was very barren and rocky today with one slightly tricky section across a scree slope. We had to cross the river several times. In the late afternoon 4 young Israelis came past our campsite. They were trekking in the opposite direction to us and were going to camp a bit further down. They were carrying very basic food supplies and their meals weren't going well. Hiking towards the Pangdang La Hiking towards the Pangdang La Hiking towards the Pangdang La Hiking towards the Pangdang La Hiking towards the Pangdang La 5 September 2024 - Trek to Yarichun (4220m) We left our campsite at 07.50 to begin the 900 metre ascent to the Pangdang La (5,250 metres). Yesterday the scenery was very barren and desolate but today the hike was very scenic. The trail wasn't tricky and it took 3 hours to reach the top of the Pangdang La. From the summit we descended for one hour to our campsite. We stopped before we reached Yarichun and the campsite was at an altitude of 4,600 metres. When I returned to my tent after dinner my head lamp lit up the eyes of an animal which was initially about 100 metres away. It came closer before going up the mountainside. It moved like a cat and I think it was a snow leopard. Ascending the Pangdang La Ascending the Pangdang La Ascending the Pangdang La Me at the top of the Pangdang La The descent from the Pangdang La My tent is on the far right 6 September 2024 - Trek towards Shade It was a cold night and the temperature dropped to 4 centigrade in my tent. In the morning there was frost on my tent and my hands were very cold and painful when packing it up. Fortunately the sun hit the campsite at 07.00 and we had breakfast outside in the warmth. There were numerous river crossings today. Due to the low river levels we could jump across on rocks most of the time and only had to change into river footwear twice. The weather changed for the worse as we walked and at lunchtime it started to lightly rain. The scenery was great but would have been so much better with sunshine. At the end of the day we had to ascend 420 metres to the 4,680 metre high Lar La. It doesn't sound much but it was tiring at high altitude. It was sunny at the top of the pass and we had great views. On the way down it rained heavily and it was the most rain we had in Zanskar. 7 September 2024 - Trek to Shade It was below freezing last night and there was frost on our tents again. We left the packing up of the tents until the sun came out at 07.05. We had breakfast outside as the temperature was pleasant in the sun. Soon after leaving camp we had a 600 metre ascent to the Rotang La. The trail wasn't as steep as yesterday's and we reached the top of the Rotang La after 2 hours. It was a clear and sunny day but at the top of the pass it became very windy. It was a very scenic descent to the small village of Shade where we camped for 2 nights. Links to my other blogs on Ladakh Zanskar Trek - Part 1 2024 Zanskar Trek - Part 3 2024 Guide for the Markha Valley Trek 2024 Guide for the Sham Valley Trek Travel Guide for Leh and Vicinity - 2024

Contents Introduction to the Zanskar Trek Map of the Zanskar Trek 21 August 2024 - Drive from Leh to Lamayuru (3550m) 22 August 2024 - Drive from Lamayuru to Kanji (3850m) 23 August 2024 - Trek to Kanji River Junction (4050m) 24 August 2024 - Trek to Kanji La Base Camp (4345 m) 25 August 2024 - Trek over the Kanji La (5250m 26 August 2024 - Trek over the Pitung La (5020m) 27 August 2024 - Trek to Dibling (3850m) 28 August 2024 - Trek to Lingshed Sumdo Links to my other blogs on Ladakh 1. Introduction to the Zanskar Trek I booked a 48 day trip with Project Himalaya that went from Leh to Spiti and onto Delhi via Shimla. 36 days of the 48 day trip involved trekking through Zanska from Kanji village in Ladakh to Spiti. The itinerary for my Zanskar trek can be seen on the Project Himalaya website . I had never been to Ladakh before and decided to do the easy 3 day Sham Valley trek  and the 4 day Markha Valley trek  by myself before doing the Zanskar trek. I don't normally like trekking in a group but Project Himalaya's treks are different: The itineraries are adventurous and Jamie McGuinness (the leader) likes to get off the beaten track. He certainly does this in Ladakh and Zanskar! The group sizes are smaller and on the Zanskar trek there were only 5 trekkers plus Jamie and his partner. There were only 5 local staff on the trip as horses were used to carry all the loads. The trekkers don't walk closely together in a line as happens with most other group treks. There weren't any guides at the front and rear of the group and sometimes we were so spread out that there was no one else in sight. Pitching and taking down tents were the trekkers' responsibility. As a result we could find our own spot to pitch our tents and our tents weren't crammed next to each other. We were very fortunate that the river levels in Zanskar were low in 2024. We still had to wade through a lot of them. Often the river beds were uneven and the rocks were slippery. In high water the crossings would have been a challenge. I found it a hassle changing from boots to water shoes and then back again for each river crossing Everything went well on the Zanskar trek until we left the village of Kargyak on the 26th day of the trek. Three of us became sick from drinking contaminated water and one trekker had to turn back the next morning. The water had been filtered but I hadn't realised that filtering doesn't remove viruses. If I had realised this I would have used my Steripen to sterilise the water. I managed to treat the diarrhoea with Azithromycin but couldn't stop the vomiting and nausea. I trekked for a further 3 days until we reached the village of Sarchu. I then returned to Leh with one of the other sick trekkers and a trekker who was doing the shorter version of the Zanskar trek that finished in Sarchu. As a result I missed out on the final 8 days of the Zanskar trek, the 4 day jeep ride from Spiti to Shimla and the train from Shimla to Delhi. It was a real shame as until I got sick the Zanskar trek had been fantastic. 2. Map of the Zanskar Trek The most detailed maps for the Zanskar trek are published by Olizane and their maps for Ladakh & Zanskar Centre and Ladakh & Zanskar South covered my trek. The Olizane maps are expensive and can be purchaed online and in Leh. Cheaper and less detailed maps for the Zanskar trek can be purchased in Leh and on Amazon. The map below shows the first section my Zanskar trek and is an extract from the Olizane Ladakh & Zanskar Centre map. Route of the 1st week of my Zanskar trek 21 August 2024 - Drive from Leh to Lamayuru (3550m) We set off at 09.30 from Leh in 2 vehicles to drive to the starting point of our Zanskar trek. On the way we stopped at Alchi to visit the oldest monastery in Ladakh. It dates back to the 12th century and has 3 very beautiful and unspoiled temples. Unfortunately photography is forbidden inside the temples. The temples are very small but fortunately we visited just before they closed for the morning and we were the only ones visiting. It wouldn't have been a good experience with too many people. We had lunch at the popular and highly rated Alchi Kitchen . After a very good meal of vegetable momos we drove on to Lamayuru and checked into a reasonable hotel. We all had rooms with attached bathrooms which is much better than I expected. I think the hotel was the Moonland. There is now a newer and better hotel called the Grand Moonland but it was full. There is a spectacular monastery at Lamayuru and we spent a couple of hours visiting it. We were again very fortunate that there were no other visitors. Unfortunately photography isn't allowed in most of the temples. Sangam viewpoint for the confluence of the Indus & Zanskar rivers Alchi Monastery Prayer wheels at Alchi Monastery The excellent Alchi Kitchen in Alchi The moonscape near Lamayuru Monastery The moonscape near Lamayuru Monastery Lamayuru Monastery Lamayuru Monastery Lamayuru Monastery Lamayuru Monastery Lamayuru Monastery Lamayuru Monastery Lamayuru Monastery A prayer wheel at Lamayuru Monastery 22 August 2024 - Drive from Lamayuru to Kanji (3850m) In the morning we did a 3 hour hike from our hotel in Lamayuru and this entailed hiking over a 3,700 metre pass. We returned to Lamayuru for a basic lunch and then drove to a campsite in the village of Kanji for the start of the Zanskar trek. On the way to Kanji we stopped at numerous viewpoints and walked through a dramatic gorge just before Kanji. The campsite was in a very scenic position. Kanji is an interesting village with some old Tibetan houses, a Gompa and excellent views of the surrounding valley and mountains. There is at least 1 homestay there. The top of Fatu La View from the Fatu La pass The gorge before Kanji The gorge before Kanji Our campsite at Kanji village Monastery at Kanji village View of Kanji village from the monastery A view from Kanji village A covered alley in Kanji View of Kanji A view from Kanji village 23 August 2024 -Trek to Kanji River Junction (4200m) We started the Zanska r trek today. It was a n easy walk from the village of Kanji (3,700 metres) to our next campsite at 4,200 metres. It took 6 hours but we had numerous stops for photography and we also had lunch on the way. We had to cross the river about 7 times but fortunately the river level was low. We couldn't hike any further due to the risk of altitude sickness. Leaving Kanji Leaving Kanji Leaving Kanji Leaving Kanji Scenery on the way to Kanji La base camp Scenery on the way to Kanji La base camp Scenery on the way to Kanji La base Scenery on the way to Kanji La base camp Scenery on the way to Kanji La base camp An easy river crossing Scenery on the way to Kanji La base camp Our spacious campsite 24 August 2024 - Trek to Kanji La Base Camp (4345 metres) It was another easy 3 hour walk today due to not being able to ascend too high because of the risk of altitude sickness. We had to cross the river several times but didn't have to change into water footwear as we could jump over. Two trekkers had become sick on the day we left Leh and were coughing and spluttering. I am germ phobic and tried to keep my distance as I didn't want to catch their bug at the start of the Zanskar trek. One of them struggled on today's easy hike and hopefully he will be able to complete tomorrow's hike as it is one of the toughest sections of the Zanskar trek. Greg (Australia) crossing a river A rough trail Walking towards Kanji La base camp Walking towards Kanji La base camp Our campsite at Kanji La base camp 25 August 2024 - Trek over the Kanji La (5,250m) The start of the 900 metre ascent up the Kanji La was meant to be from near our campsite but the trail couldn't be located. We could have walked 5 minutes back to the camp to check the route with the horseman. Instead it was decided that we should scramble 230 metres up a steep scree gully! When we got to the top we could see the trail in the distance and had to traverse across a steep scree slope to reach it. It was a hard slog to the top of the pass and we stopped for lunch just before the top. There was an Italian group at the top who had come from the opposite direction. They were doing a much shorter 8 day Zanskar trek and were finishing at Kanji village. It was then an 850 metre descent to our campsite. One person took the wrong route near the end and Jamie had to go back to find him. Three of us arrived at the campsite at 17.00 and we were tired and dehydrated after a 9 hour hike. One of the trekkers who was sick took 11 hours! After putting up our tents it was time for dinner and then bed! This turned out to be the toughest section of the Zanskar trek. Setting out from Kanji La base camp Off trail on a crazy ascent from Kanji La base camp! A traverse across scree to get to the proper trail Finally on the trail to the Kanji La! The ascent of Kanji La The ascent of Kanji La The ascent of Kanji La Kanji La is to the right of the snow Our horses on the final ascent to Kanji La The top of Kanji La The top of Kanji La The descent from Kanji La The descent from Kanji La Our campsite 26 August 2024 - Trek over the Pudzong La (5020m) We had to cross over the 5,020 metre high Pudzong La today which involved ascending 620 metres and then descending 720 metres. We had to wade through the river a few times on the way up the Pudzong La. It was a 7 hour hike and fortunately it was easier than yesterday. We arrived at our campsite at 15.00 which gave us time to relax. Our campsite for the previous night Initial ascent from the campsite Martin (UK) crossing a river Ascending to the Pudzong La (5020m) Ascending to the Pudzong La (5020m) Ascending to the Pudzong La (5020m) Ascending to the Pudzong La (5020m) Ascending to the Pudzong La (5020m) Ascending to the Pudzong La (5020m) Ascending to the Pudzong La (5020m) Ascending to the Pudzong La (5020m) The Pudzong La (5020m) The descent from the Pudzong La The descent from the Pudzong La The descent from the Pudzong La Our campsite 27 August 2024 - Trek to Dibling (3850m) It was a short 2 hour hike to the village of Dibling. There were 2 river crossings but they have now built bridges across the river. We camped in the centre of the village which is unspoiled as the road from Lingshed doesn't reach Dibling yet. The villagers were very friendly and the village is very photogenic. It was interesting staying in Dibling and watching daily life. They were cutting hay and transporting it on their backs from the fields to the top of their houses for winter. In the evening hundreds of goats came back to the village for the night. The only disadvantage of staying in the village was the dogs barking at night. Jamie got out of his tent at 02.30 and shooed away one dog by throwing stones at it. The trail to Dibling Martin (Canada) crossing the first bridge Dibling is in the background On the trail to Dibling Approaching Dibling Dwellings in Dibling The monastery at Dibling View from the monastery at Dibling A House in Dibling Dibling Dibling View of our campsite from Dibling monastery Inquisitive children looking into our dining tent 28 August 2024 - Trek to Lingshed Sumdo We left Dibling at 08.00 and followed a path above the river. There was one hairy section where a slip would have resulted in a serious fall. After a while we reached an area where a road to Dibling is being constructed. It will probably take 3 years to complete as the terrain is so difficult. So many roads are being constructed in Zanskar. We were told that it would take 1 hour to walk to our campsite after lunch. Unfortunately the first campsite wasn't suitable. It ended up taking just over 2 hours to ascend 700 metres to a very rocky area where the horsemen had decided to camp for the night. The two sick trekkers took 4 hours. Most of us now have colds or coughs. I started a slight cold yesterday. On previous treks I often had trouble sleeping above 4,000 metres but so far on the Zanskar trek I haven't had a problem. Jamie McGuiness on the trail from Dibling The road being constructed from Lingshed to Dibling From left to right Martin (UK), David (Aussie), Esther (Singapore) & Jamie (Kiwi) Links to my other blogs on Ladakh 2024 Guide for the Sham Valley Trek 2024 Guide for the Markha Valley Trek 2024 Zanskar Trek - Part 2 2024 Zanskar Trek - Part 3 Travel Guide for Leh and Vicinity - 2024

Thikse Monastery Contents Introduction Leh, Ladakh Stok & Spituk Shey, Thikse, Matho & Hemis Likir, Alchi, Lamayuru & Kanji Nubra Valley & Pangong Lake Taxis, Restaurants, Hotels & Laundry Links to my other blogs on Ladakh 1. Introduction I spent a very enjoyable 6 weeks in Ladakh during August and September 2024. I mainly went to trek in Sham Valley, Markha Valley and Zanskar . However, I took advantage of being in Leh and did a lot of sightseeing whilst there. Leh is a very pleasant town and there are few hassles like in many parts of India. The people are friendly and welcoming and Leh hasn't been overwhelmed by traffic like in so many Asian towns. It helps that Leh's main shopping street is pedestrianised. Leh is a good base for day trips to many of Ladakh's ancient Buddhist monasteries. It is important to be selective as there are so many monasteries in the vicinity of Leh. I visited most of the most important monasteries and this blog covers them. Trekking is another popular way to see Ladakh. The Markha Valley and Sham Valley treks are 2 short and easy treks near Leh. They can be done independently or you could join a group trek arranged by many of the travel agencies in Leh. See my blogs 2024 Guide for the Markha Valley Trek and 2024 Guide for the Sham Valley Trek for information about these treks. I didn't do the popular 2 or 3 day trip from Leh to the Nubra Valley and Pangong Lake. It is very scenic but also touristy. 2. Leh, Ladakh 2.1 Central area of Leh The long pedestrianised shopping street called the Main Bazaar is the centre of Leh. At the northern end of the Main Bazaar is the Jamia Masjid mosque. On the west side there is a Tibetan Refugee market. There are local markets south of the pedestrianised area and to the east a local shopping street runs parallel to it. Leh Palace can be seen from the northern end of the Main Bazaar and Leh's dilapidated old town is east of the mosque. It is worth wandering through the old town on the way up to, and down from, Leh Palace but there aren't many buildings of interest. The Chokhang Vihara Temple was consecrated in 1980 and is in an area just north west of the Main Bazaar. It is worthwhile having a quick wander around this peaceful part of central Leh. The main pedestrianised shopping street in Leh Tibetan Refugee Market in Leh Chokhang Vihara Temple in Leh 2.2 Leh Palace Leh Palace looks spectacular from the Grand Bazaar and it is lit up at night. It's definitely worth visiting Leh Palace and the entry fee was only INR 300 (USD 4) in 2024 for foreigners. The nine storey Leh Palace was constructed in 1630 and visitors enter on the fourth level. The Royal Shrine and a couple of rooms with exhibitions are on the fourth and fifth levels. Otherwise most of the rooms in the Leh Palace are empty. There are good views of Leh from the top floors. View of Leh Palace from the old town Leh Palace View from Leh Palace The Royal Shrine in Leh Palace View from Leh Palace 2.3 Leh Old Town Leh old town with Leh Palace in the background Leh old town 2.4 Shanti Stupa The white Shanti Stupa was built in 1991 on a hill about 100 metres high. It's a 10 minute walk past the Hotel Omasila in the north western part of central Leh. There are 566 steps from the road to the stupa and there is a cafe at the top. Shanti Stupa is a popular spot at sunset as there are good views over Leh. Shanti Stupa in Leh View from Shanti Stupa in Leh View from Shanti Stupa in Leh 3. Stok & Spituk I spent 6 hours visiting Stok and Spituk by taxi that cost INR 2,500 (USD 30). The first section of the journey from Leh to Choglamsar went through an unattractive urban sprawl but the Choglamsar to Stok road was scenic. I returned to Leh via Spituk and the scenery from Stok to Spituk was excellent. It made a nice outing. 3.1 Stok The main places to see at Stok are the Palace, the Golden Buddha on the hill, the monastery and a heritage house. Stok village sprawls over several kilometres and is not worth walking around. Stok Palace was built around 1820 and became the royal residence in 1834. There is a museum and temple included in the small admission charge of about INR 200. Part of Stok Palace is now a heritage hotel. Photography isn't allowed in the museum and temple. The Golden Buddha is a couple of kilometres from Stok Palace. It's 22 metres high and was built in 2012. The Buddha is right above a modern monastery and the nearby shop has the key. There are excellent views from the Buddha. There is monastery nearby dating back to the 14th century. I didn't visit it but wish I had. The Gyapthago Heritage Home is a few kilometres further on. I had a tour of the old house and a nice lunch for INR 500 (USD 6). Stok Palace Rear of Stok Palace Stok Palace Courtyard View from Stok Palace Buddha on a hill near Stok Palace Kitchen in Gyapthago heritage home in Stok Gyapthago heritage home in Stok Making Tibetan butter tea 3.2 Spituk Monastery & Village The impressive monastery at Spituk is built on a rocky outcrop and can be seen from several kilometres away. It is one of the oldest monasteries in Ladakh and dates back to the 11th century. There are about 4 chapels and chambers that can be entered but photography isn't allowed. Spituk village is built on the steep rear side of the monastery. My taxi took me around to this side and I walked up through the old and atmospheric village. There is a long line of white chortens at the base of Spituk village. Spituk monastery Spituk monastery Spituk village Spituk village Spituk village View from Spituk 4. Monasteries at Shey, Thikse, Matho & Hemis These famous monasteries are south east of Leh and can be visited on a long day trip from Leh. 4.1 Shey Palace There is a 2 storey temple in Shey Palace which contains Ladakh's most famous statue of Buddha. It is large and very impressive. The entrance fee for Shey Palace is only INR 40 (USD 0.50). There is a dilapidated fortress on the hill above Shey Palace. It's possible to clamber to the top from where there are good views. There are restaurants in the village just below Shey Palace. Shey Palace Buddha in Shey Palace Shey Palace View from Shey Palace Shey Fortress 4.2 Thikse Monastery Thikse monastery dates back to the 15th century. It is one of the biggest and most impressive monasteries in Ladakh and shouldn't be mis sed. Photography is allowed in the prayer rooms unlike at several of the other monasteries. The entrance fee is INR 50 (USD 0.60). Thikse Monastery Thikse Monastery Thikse Monastery Thikse Monastery Thikse Monastery Thikse Monastery Thikse Monastery View from Thikse Monastery 4.3 Matho Monastery Matho monastery dates back to the 15th century and photography in the interior is permitted. The entrance fee is INR 50 (USD 0.60). Matho Monastery Matho Monastery Matho Monastery Monks at Matho Monastery View from Matho Monastery 4.4 Hemis Monastery Hemis monastery dates back to the 17th century and is probably the most famous monastery in Ladakh. It houses around 500 monks and there are about 5 chambers that can be visited. Hemis Monastery Prayer wheels at Hemis Monastery Chortens above Hemis Monastery 5. Likir, Alchi, Lamayuru & Kanji It is about a 2.5 hour drive westwards from Leh to Lamayuru monastery which would make a long day trip if the monasteries at Likir and Alchi were visited on the way. It would be far more relaxing to spend the night at Lamayuru where there is plenty of accommodation. There are at least 2 decent hotels in Lamayuru that have rooms with attached bathrooms. The interesting and attractive Tibetan village of Kanji is only a one and a quarter hour drive from Lamayuru. There is a homestay in Kanji and the night could be spent there instead of at Lamayuru. If you organise this trip yourself do ensure that you obtain a Protected Area Permit as you often need to show it at police road blocks. It only costs INR 600 (USD 7) and can be obtained quickly through most travel agencies in Leh. See my Markha Valley trek blog for further details. On the road from Leh to Alchi there are a couple of quick pull overs: The first one is Magnetic Hill where vehicles which have stopped appear to move uphill due to an optical illusion. In reality the road goes downhill. The next one is Sangam viewpoint which is above the confluence of the Indus and Zanskar rivers. Sangam Viewpoint Sangam Viewpoint 5.1 Likir Monastery Likir monastery was founded in the 11th century and there are now around 100 monks practising there. Likir monastery sits impressively on a hill that is about 5 kilometres off the Leh to Srinagar road. There are 2 main chapels and a museum that can be visited. Behind Likir monastery there is a 25 metre high golden image of the Maitreya Buddha. The entrance fee is only INR 50 (USD 0.60) and the opening hours are 08.00 to 13.00 and 14.00 to 18.00. Photography is allowed in the chapels but not in the museum. Likir Monastery Interior of Likir Monastery Interior of Likir Monastery View from Likir Monastery 5.2 Alchi Monastery Alchi Monastery is one of the oldest in Ladakh and is different from most of the other monasteries. It doesn't have a spectacular setting and is very small. However, Alchi monastery's 3 very small chapels were very atmospheric and impressive. Alchi Monastery is open from 09.00 to 13.00 and from 14.00 to 18.00. At the entrance all cameras must be put in individual lockers. I visited Alchi at midday and fortunately there were no other visitors in the small chapels. However, when I left Alchi just before the monastery reopened at 14.00 there were groups waiting to visit. The chapels wouldn't be so magical if there were too many other visitors. The best restaurant in Alchi is the popular Alchi Kitchen run by women. Alchi monastery Prayer wheels at Alchi monastery Alchi Kitchen 5.3 Lamayuru Monastery Lamayuru monastery is one of the most impressive and largest monasteries in Ladakh. It is surrounded by a moonscape landscape and there are several viewpoints in the vicinity from which this moonscape can be fully appreciated. It takes about 2 hours to explore Lamayuru's fascinating monastery complex and there are around 4 chapels that can be visited. Photography isn't allowed in most of the chapels. Lamayuru monastery Lamayuru monastery Lamayuru monastery Lamayuru monastery Prayer wheel at Lamayuru monastery Prayer room at Lamayuru monastery View from above Lamayuru monastery Lamayuru monastery Moonscape near Lamayuru monastery Moonscape near Lamayuru monastery 5.4 Kanji It is about a 1.5 hour drive from Lamayuru to the interesting and very scenic Tibetan village of Kanji where there is a homestay . The road to Kanji goes over the 4,108 metre high Fatu La which is the highest point on the Leh to Srinagar road. Just before Kanji the road goes through a spectacular canyon. I walked through it and met up with my vehicle on the other side of the canyon. Fatu La between Lamayuru & Kanji View from Fatu La Gorge before Kanji Gorge before Kanji Kanji village Kanji's monastery Chortens in Kanji Prayer wheels in Kanji Tsha tsha in Kanji Tunnel in Kanji Kanji Kanji View from Kanji, Ladakh Kanji, Ladakh 6. Nubra Valley & Pangong Lake The scenic drive to Nubra Valley and Pangong Lake is very popular. You can either arrange your own taxi or join one of the tours organised by the numerous travel agencies in Leh. When I was in Leh the reputable Ancient Tracks travel agency were advertising tours shown on the photo below. I didn't do this trip as I didn't have enough time and I was going to see a lot of Ladakh's wonderful scenery during my 6 weeks trekking in Markha Valley, Zanskar and Sham Valley. 7. Taxis, Restaurants, Hotels & Laundry 7.1 Taxis Taxis aren't usually hailed in the street. There are 2 main taxi stands in Leh, one is near the Main Bazaar and the other is by the bus station. There is a taxi union in Leh and they set the rates to each destination in Ladakh. The 2022/23 rate sheet is on their website . The cost of a taxi from the airport to Leh was INR 550 (USD 7) in 2024. 7.2 Restaurants in Leh There are a lot of good restaurants in Leh. I mainly ate at the following ones: Chopsticks Tibetan Kitchen Bon Appetit Most restaurants in Leh don't serve alcohol but Bon Appetit does. 7. 3 Hotels in Leh There are a lot of good looking hotels in Leh. I stayed at the Hotel Omasila which was one of the first hotels in Leh. Hotel Omasila is set in nice grounds and the rooms are spacious but need updating. The staff were very pleasant and helpful. My room at Hotel Omasila in Leh View from my room at Hotel Omasila in Leh Exterior of Hotel Omasila in Leh 7.4 Hotels in Lamayuru The Grand Moonland and the Dragon Hotel in Lamayuru get good reviews. Both hotels have attached bathrooms. I think I stayed in the old Hotel Moonland which was fine. I had an attached bathroom which was more than I expected. 7.5 Homestay in Kanji I camped at Kanji as it was the start of my Zanskar trek . I saw the Thankar Painter Homestay whilst wandering around the village. The Thankar Painter Homestay in Kanji 7.6 Laundry There are 2 laundries near the Hotel Omasila in Leh. They are both on the same side of the road as the hotel and one is before the hotel and the other one after it. Usually laundry handed in by 21.00 it will be ready for collection the following evening. The cost is very reasonable. 8. Links to my other blogs on Ladakh 2024 Guide for the Markha Valley Trek 2024 Guide to the Sham Valley Trek 2024 Zanskar trek - Part 1 2024 Zanskar Trek - Part 2 2024 Zanskar Trek - Pa rt

Mebtak La Contents Introduction Map of the Sham Valley Trek When to do the Sham Valley Trek What to bring for the Sham Valley Trek Internet Connectivity on the Sham Valley Trek Transport to and from the Sham Valley Trek Permits for the Sham Valley Trek Cost of the Sham Valley Trek Navigating the Sham Valley Trek Accommodation on the Sham Valley Trek Itinerary for the Markha Valley Trek Link to my other blogs on Ladakh 1. Introduction I went to Ladakh to do a 35 day trek through Zanskar to Spiti trek with a small group (see my blog 2024 Zanskar Trek - Part 1 ) . Before the Zanskar trek I decided to do the short Sham Valley and Markha Valley treks by myself (see my blog 2024 Guide for the Markha Valley Trek ). I started with the 3 day Sham Valley trek as it is an easy trek and altitude acclimatisation isn't an issue as the maximum altitude is about 3,800 metres, which is only 300 metres higher than Leh. I started the Sham Valley trek on 10th August 2024 which is the peak trekking period. I was pleasantly surprised that there weren't that many people doing the trek. I guess about 30 people a day. I really enjoyed the trek and although there are roads nearby it didn't spoil the trek. Some trekkers could find that the 2nd day of the Sham Valley trek is too short as it only takes about 2.5 hours. If so the 2nd and 3rd days could be combined into a 7 hour hike to Temisgam or a shorter hike to Ang. The Sham Valley trek is a good warm up trek for the slightly more difficult Markha Valley trek. It is possible to drive from the end of the Sham Valley trek to the start of the Markha Valley trek without going back to Leh. This journey takes about 2 hours and costs INR 4,000 (USD 48). 2.  Map  of the Sham Valley Trek Red line for the correct route & blue line for my wrong route 3. When to do the Sham Valley Trek The Sham Valley trek can usually be done from May to October. There is a small risk of snow on the passes in May and October but the highest pass is only 3,800 metres so usually it shouldn't be a problem. There are roads to both Yangthang and Hemis Shukpachan and it would be easy to abort the trek if necessary July and August are the busiest months for the Sham Valley trek but by the end of August the number of trekkers should decrease. I did the trek in mid August and didn't find the trail and accommodation to be busy. There were less trekkers than in the Markha Valley and I didn't find the Markha Valley trek to be that busy either. It can be very hot in July and August and I found the first day of the Sham Valley trek to be hot. The temperature would be less extreme in June and September. May and October could be a bit on the cool side. 4.What to bring for the Sham Valley Trek 4.1. Blankets, Duvets & Pillow Cases I brought a silk liner bag for hygiene reasons and used the blankets and duvets provided. I always take a pillow case for lodge/homestay treks and either put it over the pillow provided or stuff my down jacket in the pillow case if there isn't one. 4.2. Drinking Water All the homestays and tented camps provided filtered water and a lot of trekkers drink it. However, I took a Steripen to sterilise the filtered water. Some trekkers use LifeStraw water bottles or water purification tablets. I did a 35 day trek through Zanskar after the Sham Valley and Markha Valley trek s and I relied on filtered water at our campsites. Three out of seven of us got very sick from the water as most filters don't remove viruses. As a result two of us had to end our trek after 26 days. It took me 7 weeks to recover and I am now lactose intolerant as a result. It is better to be safe than sorry when drinking water! 4.3 Footwear I wore boots but the terrain isn't difficult and hiking shoes should be fine. Just make sure they are shoes or boots that you have worn before and they are comfortable. 4.4. Food I didn't take any food as the meals provided by the homestays were sufficient. However, some people might want to take some snacks. 4.5. Power banks I brought a power bank and solar panel but never used them. There is mains electricity in Yangthang, Hemis Shukpachan and Temisgam. 4.6. Medications I would also take plasters for blisters and some basic medication like Panadol and Ibuprofen. 4.7. Other Items Other items worth consider bringing are: A head torch even though there is mains electricity at all the locations. A waterproof jacket. One change of clothes in case you get wet. Hat Sun glasses Walking poles Water bottles Cellphone with a local SIM card ( see the next section ). Toilet paper, toothbrush & toothpaste Sun block. Hand sanitiser. Reading material. I took a Kindle but never used it. Headphones for music. Earplugs. I never use them and all 3 nights were quiet. 4.8. What not to take! Don't bring any satellite communication device, like a phone or Garmin Inreach, to India. It is illegal and in Ladakh they track satellite communications due to the border disputes with China and Pakistan. I personally know 2 people who got into serious trouble using satellite communication devices. The Indian authorities treat it as a very serious matter. 5. Internet Connectivity on the Sham Valley Trek The homestays I stayed in at Yangthang and Hemis Shukpachan had free satellite wifi. I had Airtel and BSNL SIM cards but only tried to use the internet when I reached Temisgam. I could access the internet on my phone in Temisgam but unfortunately I can't remember which SIM I used. 6. Transport to and from the Sham Valley Trek If you are on a tight budget you can hitchhike or probably take an infrequent local bus. I didn't consider these options as the cost wasn't an issue. For taxis it's best to go the taxi stand in central Leh where there are lots of taxis parked. They have set rates to all locations and to Likir the rate is INR 2,511 (USD 50). These rates are usually non negotiable but once you have used a taxi driver they are often willing to offer a discounted fare for the next trip. I used a taxi driver who had already taken me on an outing from Leh (see my blog Leh, Ladakh Travel Guide - 2024 ). H e charged INR 2,000 (USD 24) from Leh to Likir. He stopped at a couple of view points along the way and also at Magnetic Hill. At the end of the Sham Valley trek I tried to find transport from Ang which is where the road to Leh starts. There was a taxi parked on the road in Ang but the locals told me there were no available taxis and to walk on to Temisgam. At Temisgam I enquired at a local store about taxis to Skiu as I wanted to do the Markha Valley trek . The owner shut his store and drove me there for INR 4,000 (USD 48)! The official rate for a taxi from Leh to Temisgam is INR 4,352 (USD 52) and to Ang it is an extra INR 500. Some trekkers prearrange for a taxi to meet them in Ang or Temisgam. Otherwise you would either need to find transport like I did or phone a taxi driver to come. The Ladakh Taxi Union lists the official taxi fares to numerous locations on its website . 7. Permits for the Sham Valley Trek I had read a number of travel blogs about the Sham Valley trek and none of them mentioned permits. However, on my arrival in Leh the hotel manager said I would need one to get through a check point on the road to Likir. I didn't believe him and when I googled it the results were very confusing. I then checked with a few travel agents and they all said I needed a permit costing INR 600 (about USD 7) if I was driving to Likir. All travel agents can obtain this permit for INR 600. However, the permits can only be granted to a group and not to individuals. Therefore travel agents apply for several people at a time even though they won't be travelling together. At the bottom of my permit  there are 4 other people named who I never met! These permits can be arranged very quickly by travel agents who arrange a lot of tours and treks. My hotel recommended using a travel agent called Ancient Tracks which is in the centre of Leh. They can often arrange permits in 2 to 3 hours and give you a receipt for your passport. However, the permit office may not be open at weekends. I was very impressed with them and they are a popular and legitimate agency. When I went my taxi wasn't stopped at the checkpoint and I didn't have to produce the permit. However, I met other trekkers who were stopped and were asked for it. I don't know what happens if you don't have it but the risk is you would have to return to Leh and obtain a permit. It isn't worth the risk when the permit only costs INR 600. If you can't obtain the permit because it's the weekend you might be able to get through the check point if you leave Leh before 06.30 and reach the check point before it starts operating. Road Permit Ancient Tracks Travel Agency 8. Cost of the Sham Valley Trek It costs very little to do the Sham Valley trek if you are doing it by yourself. The cost of my 3 day trek was: INR USD Taxi fare from Leh to Likir Monastery 2,000 24 Homestay - Yangthang 1,500 18 Homestay - Hemis Shukshapan 2,000 24 Permit 600 7 Taxi fare from Temisgam to Leh 4,352 52 TOTAL 10,452 125 9. Navigating the Sham Valley Trek Several blogs said that the trail for the Sham Valley trek isn't well marked and they are right! The Ancient Tracks travel agency had strongly advised me not to do the trek by myself as 2 Germans had recently got lost on the trek and had to be rescued. I had no intention of hiring a guide and downloaded the trail on Maps.Me and took photocopies of blogs providing directions. What could wrong on the easy Sham Valley trek which is sometimes called the Baby Trek! For my trek it went wrong about one hour after leaving Likir Monastery! I think most trekkers don't start the trek from Likir Monastery and start near the turn off from the main road to Likir Monastery. Starting at Likir Monastery made the route finding more difficult. The trail from Likir monastery only had one sign pointing the way and that was the only sign for the entire Sham Valley trek! There might have been the occasional cairn on the trek but if so there were very few. When I reached the road which leads to Yangthang I couldn't figure out how to locate the trail on Maps.Me a nd I asked a local person for directions. He wasn't very helpful and told me to continue up the road and I would see the trail. Further up the road I came across an animal conservation sign on the right and there were blue arrows marking a trail. I decided to follow the blue arrows as I thought the Sham Valley trek would be the only marked trail. The correct trail to Yangthang was later and to the left! The trail was very well marked with blue arrows and cairns. I walked through remote and rugged terrain for 3 hours and didn't see another person the entire time. I must have climbed to over 4,000 metres. It was extremely hot and I was running short of water. After 3 hours I could see a village (Saspochey) down in the valley but I was high above the valley with no clear route down. I then saw a painted animal paw print by one arrow. I had a terrible thought that the trail I was following was an animal spotting trail and didn't lead to a village. I therefore left the trail and tried without success to get down to the village. I couldn't find a way down and I was tired and thirsty. Fortunately I found the blue arrows again and to my relief the arrows did eventually lead to Saspochey. I was puzzled as to why this unused trail was well marked. I can only think the trail was often used before the road from Likir to Saspochey was constructed. It is also an area visited for viewing snow leopards and other wildlife. When I finally reached the road between Saspochey and Sumdo I had walked for 6 hours. Maps.Me showed that it would take another 3 hours to walk to Yangthang and I would reach there around 20.00. I decided to try hitchhiking but before any vehicles passed I came across a friendly road construction crew. The boss called a friend who picked me up in his car and drove me to Yangthang for INR 500. I learnt my lesson from this and afterwards was very careful! The next day's section of the Sham Valley trek was from Yangthang to Hemis Shukpachan. The owner of the guest house carefully pointed out the initial section of the trail to me. After that I used information gleaned from another blog as I knew the trail wasn't properly shown on Maps.Me . It was very easy finding the way from Yangthang to Hemis Shukpachan and I have provided details in the itinerary section. It only took me about 2.5 hours. However, trekkers still make mistakes navigating this section! Whilst I was having dinner at Hemis Shukpachan five Israelis arrived in the dark at 19.30. They had walked from Yangthang to Hemis Shukpachan but had used Maps.Me . It had taken them 9 hours and at the end they had to clamber down a cliff! They told me that there wasn't a trail so I couldn't understand why they hadn't realised the route was wrong. The family running the guest house at Hemis Shukpachen were very helpful and pointed out the first section of the Sham Valley trail to Temisgam. At the first pass a guide for a group pointed out the trail to the Mebtak pass. From the top of Mebtak pass it was very easy to follow the trail down to Ang . From Ang there is a tarred road to Temisgam. I didn't need to use Maps.Me from Hemis Shukpachen to Temisgam but I have been told it shows the correct trail. The five Israelis who got lost the previous day were using Maps.Me on this section and successfully reached the Mebtak La whilst I was eating my packed lunch. I have provided details of the route in the itinerary section. I don't understand why the trail for the popular Sham Valley trek wasn't marked at all yet the trail from Likir to Saspochey was well marked. My advice is to check the route at homestays and when meeting people on the trail. Also be very wary of using Maps.Me between Yangthang and Hemis Shukpachan! 10. Accommodation on the Sham Valley Trek The accommodation on the Sham Valley trek is often described as homestays but the accommodation is far superior to that. The accommodation provided is really in guest houses and and they are very comfortable and reasonably priced. Some of the guest houses in Hemis Shukpachan and Temisgam even offer attached bathrooms and have proper beds. In Yangthang I stayed in the basic old village, rather than the new section. My room was comfortable and there was a flush western toilet inside the building. On the Markha Valley trek the accommodation really is in homestays! The bedrooms are usually basic and the toilets are long drops. On the Markha Valley trek you can't choose the homestay as they operate on a rotation system. On the Sham Valley trek you can choose where to stay. This has encouraged competition and raised the standard of accommodation. I did the Sham Valley trek in the peak season and started from Likir on 10th August 2024. The trail wasn't busy and nor were the guest houses. There is no shortage of accommodation for this trek. 10.1 Yangthang When walking from Likir you reach the new section of Yangthang first. There are several modern guest houses here and I believe most trekkers stay in them. They looked very comfortable. I didn't stay in the new section as I took the wrong trail when walking from Likir and ended up taking an unofficial taxi to Yangthang. I was a bit frustrated when my taxi drove past all the nice new accommodation and took me to the old village. The driver walked me through the old village to the Norbu Togochay Homestay. I was given a very good corner room on the upper floor. There was a shared flush western toilet on the same floor and a bathroom with a sink. The Tibetan dining room/lounge was downstairs. There was electricity in the homestay and I had an electric socket in my room. There were no other trekkers staying and that suited me fine. The family running it consisted of the 80 year old grandfather, his adult grandson, a lady and 2 kids. The youngest kid was a bit of a nuisance. Everyone else was very pleasant and the grandfather spent most of his time praying. Breakfast was freshly cooked chapatis with jam and omelette. Dinner was Chhutagi which is flattened pasta cut into circular shapes and cooked with vegetables. It is a very filling soup. The packed lunch was chapatis, boiled eggs, snack bar and a juice pack. The food was plentiful. There was filtered water which I sterilised with my Steripen. They had satellite wifi which was free of charge. The cost of food and lodging was INR 1,500 (USD 18). This included dinner, breakfast, a packed lunch and tea. When I left the grandson walked with me for a couple of hundred metres and pointed out the first section of the trail to Hemis Shukpachan. The homestays in the new section of Yangthang 10.2 Hemis Shukpachan When I reached Hemis Shukpachan I recognised a guest house recommended by a blog and it had attached bathrooms. Before I could walk up to it a young woman approached me and asked if I was looking for accommodation. She said her family's guest house was better and she would drive me there. Her guest house was in the centre of Hemis Shukpachan near the golden Buddha. They had 2 rooms with attached bathrooms for INR 2,000 (USD 24) and several other rooms without bathrooms for INR 1,500 (USD 18). These rates included dinner, breakfast and lunch. I chose the large upstairs corner room with an attached bathroom and hot shower. The woman who drove me there was the daughter of the owner and was visiting with her sister and brother in law. They spoke good English and I had a good time talking to them. In the afternoon I met them at the Buddha on the hill and they pointed out the trail to Temisgam. They gave me tea and biscuits when I arrived. For dinner they offered to cook either Chhutagi or rice and dahl. There was free satellite wifi and electricity in my room. 10.3 Ang and Temisgam There is some accommodation in Ang and a lot more in Temisgam. There is some very good accommodation in Temisgam and it is an attractive village with a monastery and fortress on the hill above it. I had been planning to spend one night in Temisgam but when I got there decided to go straightaway to Skiu to start the Markha Valley trek . 11. Itinerary for the Sham Valley Trek 11.1. Likir to Yangthang As I mentioned in section 9 I took the wrong trail on this stage of the trek and therefore can give little guidance about the trail. It would certainly be easier to find the trail if your taxi dropped you off at the trail head near Likir village instead of at Likir monastery. The other guidance I can give is that the trail runs along the left hand side of the road from Likir to Phobe La, which is is before the village of Sumdo. The hike from Likir village to Yangthang should take about 4.5 hours. It takes just over 1 hour to hike from Likir monastery to Likir Village. The trail I took was from Likir to Saspochey and if you have time this is a very enjoyable hike to do. From Likir village it takes about 4.5 hours to reach Saspochey. The trail is very well marked from Likir to Saspochey but it would be harder to see the trail markings going the other way. I believe there is one homestay in Saspochey. It should be possible to arrange transport back to Likir or onto Yangthang. If not it wouldn't be far to walk to the village of Sumdo and hitch hike from there. 11.2. Yangthang to Hemis Shukpachan This is a short hike that only takes about 2.5 hours to the centre of Hemis Shukpachan. Don't use Maps.Me for directions as it doesn't show the correct trail. If you are staying in the new section of Yangthang you will need to first descend to the old section. Yangthang is a very small village and easy to navigate through. You continue past the old part of Yangthang and you will a green oasis in the valley below as shown in the first photo. Ask for directions in old Yangthang if you aren't sure of the way. You descend down to the green oasis in the valley and cross a bridge to reach it. Follow the trail upwards with a homestay on the left. The trail by the homestay is a bit indistinct as it goes through a small stream for about 100 metres. You soon reach a dirt track and you turn right and follow it up until you see a pylon on the left and a trail by it. Take this trail and follow the pylons until you reach the top of the Tsermangchen La (3,800 metres). From there you can see a green patch in the distance which is Hemis Shukpachan. From the Tsermangchen La it is easy to follow the trail down to the tarred road on the outskirts of Hemis Shukpachan. It is a very spread out village and there are guest houses as soon as you reach the outskirts. The centre of the village is further on and is below a hill with a large golden Budhha on the top and it can be seen a long way away. I stayed in a very good homestay in the centre and it was located very near the next section of the trek to Temisgam. 11.3. Hemis Shukpachan to Ang or Temisgam This section of the Sham Valley trek is on Maps.Me but I didn't need to use the app as I obtained directions before setting out and whilst on the trail. From the second pass (Mebtak La) it was very straightforward walking down to Ang and on to Temisgam. The trail leaves Hemis Shukpachan near the Disket Guest House which is below the Golden Buddha. You follow a dirt road and after about 10 minutes reach the house in the first photo. There you take a path between the house and the line of Poplar trees. This path becomes a jeep track and you walk up it to a white chorten shown in the 4th photo. You continue up past 2 toilets to the top of the first pass. There is a dirt road to the right of the pass and if you followed it you would reach eventually reach Ang and avoid the descent down the first pass and the ascent up the Mebtak La. The trail doesn't follow the road though! You descend on a trail which turns into a jeep track. At the bottom look out carefully for a blue and red concrete marker shown on the 11th photo. There you will see a feint trail to the right and it steeply ascends the Mebtak La. There are prayer flags at the top. It is worth going a bit further up to the left where there are some other prayer flags as the views are even better there. The trail down to Ang can be clearly seen from the Mebtak La. It eventually turns into a dirt road and the dirt road becomes a paved road before Ang and continues to Temisgam. There was hardly any traffic on the road between Ang and Temisgam. It was very scenic but also hot! 12. Links to my other blogs on Ladakh 2024 Guide to the Markha Valley Trek 2024 Zanskar Trek - Part 1 2024 Zanskar Trek - Part 2 2024 Zanskar Trek - Part 3 Travel Guide for Leh and Vicinity - 2024

The Harbour of Hvar Town We took a short ferry ride from the island of Brac to Hvar Town. See my blog Brac, Croatia - Travel Guide . Contents Introduction Hvar Town Stari Grad My Other Blogs on Croatia 1. Introduction We have been twice to the island of Hvar and stayed in Hvar Town. Usually we prefer to stay in quieter places. However, we like the vibe of Hvar Town and there is more to see and do than in Stari Grad, which is smaller and laid back. You can base yourself in either of these towns as there is a good air conditioned bus service between Hvar Town and Stari Grad. The buses run from the early morning to late evening and the bus schedules can be found on Buscroatia.com . It is about a 30 minute journey from Hvar Town to Stari Grad and the return bus fare is Eur 9.40. Both towns should definitely be visited. 2. Hvar Town Hvar Town is one of our favourite places in Croatia. It has an unspoilt historic centre and the town is in a beautiful setting. Hvar Town certainly isn't undiscovered and it is very fashionable with lots of tourists. On our first visit to Hvar Paul Allen's (Microsoft co-founder) Octopus yacht , with 2 mini submarines and 2 helicopter pads, was docked there! 2.1. The Fortress above Hvar Town The main site to visit is the impressive fortress on the hill behind Hvar Town. It is a steep climb up to the fortress and there are a few places on the way up where you have spectacular views of the town and bay through gaps in the trees. Unfortunately it is very expensive to enter the Fortress. It costs Eur 10 to visit the Fortress and Eur 15 to visit the Fortress, Theatre and Arsenal. We didn't pay to enter and instead sat on one of the benches by the fortress walls and enjoyed the great views. It was still worth the hot walk up. The Fortress above Hvar Town The Fortress above Hvar Town View of Hvar Town from the Fortress 2.2 Hvar Old Town The majority of the historic Hvar Town is between the main square (Trg St Jepana) and the Fortress. It is worthwhile wandering around and exploring all the atmospheric alleyways. Hvar Town Hvar Town Alley in Hvar Town Porta Maestra - Hvar Town The 16th century St Stephen's cathedral is at the eastern end of Hvar's main square near the market and bus station. It is a huge square and we sat by the side of the square to rest and people watch. St Stephen's Cathedral Hvar's eastern harbour is usually very busy with boats and ferries coming and going. There are a lot of restaurants and cafes on the eastern side. The alley that runs behind this section of harbour is also historic and interesting. 2.3. Hvar Town's Seafront Promenade It is a nice walk in both directions along Hvar Town's promenade and there are small private beaches at either end. The beach on the western side looked better, but the sun loungers may be expensive. There was a sign at the eastern beach saying "Sunlounger Eur 25". I hope this price was for 2 sun loungers and an umbrella as otherwise the price is extortionate. A Beach West of Hvar Town 2.4. Water Taxis from Hvar Town to the Pakleni Islands All the ferries dock on the eastern side of Hvar's harbour. This is also where the water taxis to the Pakleni islands depart. These water taxis cost Eur 10 return and usually go to 3 of the Pakleni islands; Jerolim, Marinkovac and Sveti Klement. We went to Jerolim as it is a quiet island with a rocky coastline. A lot of naturists go there. The Eastern Harbour in Hvar Town 2.5. Food and Drinks in Hvar Town Restaurant meals are no longer excellent value in Croatia and that is certainly the case in Hvar Town. However, there are a number of places selling sandwiches for Eur 6, pizza slices etc and this works out to be a much cheaper option for a quick meal. There are also a couple of small supermarkets on the north side of the main square (Trg St. Jepana). They are very busy with customers buying drinks, snacks and ice creams at reasonable prices. Ice cream parlours in Hvar Town charge Eur 3 per scoop. 2.6. Toilets in Hvar Town There are 2 public toilets in Hvar Town. The best one is near the market opposite St Stephen's Cathedral and they also have a self service laundrette and showers. The toilets are clean and cost Eur 1. There are also toilets where the ferries dock on the eastern side of the harbour. They cost Eur 1 but were dirty. 2.7. Tourist Office & Maps The tourist office is in the south west corner of Hvar Town's main square. They have maps of Hvar town, bus timetables etc. There is also a map of Hvar Town on hvarinfo.com . You have to zoom in to see the details. 3. Stari Grad, Hvar We took a bus from Hvar Town and spent a couple of hours walking around Stari Grad before returning. We got to Stari Grad at lunch time and bought some sandwiches. We ate them in the very pleasant Trg Petar Hektorovic square where the famous Tvrdalj is located. The sandwiches in Stari Grad cost Eur 3, which is much cheaper than in Hvar Town where they cost Eur 6! Stari Grad is so much quieter and laid back than Hvar Town. It is smaller and can easily be seen in 1.5 hours. Stari Grad's old town is on the southern side of the harbour and the hotels are on the northern side. There are rock and concrete "beaches" in front of these hotels. Swimming is apparently better to the west of the old town at the entrance to the bay. There are 2 public toilets in Stari Grad. The best ones are on the harbour at the western end of the old town. I think they are meant for the people on the yachts moored nearby as they have showers. There is an attendant there but they are free and spotless. There are also some more basic toilets near the market at the eastern end of the harbour. There is a map of Stari Grad on hvarinfo.com . You have to zoom in to see the details. The Harbour The Square at Tvrdalj Castle in Stari Grad Stari Grad St. Stephen's in Stari Grad Square in Stari Grad St. Stephen's in Stari Grad 4. My Other Blogs on Croatia Rovinj & Pula, Croatia: Travel Guide Split, Croatia: Travel Guide Trogir, Croatia: Travel Guide Omis, Croatia: Travel Guide Krk Town, Croatia: Travel Guide Brac, Croatia: Travel Guide Rab, Croatia: Travel Guide Montenegro to Croatia- Week 10 Brac to Rab, Croatia - Week 11 Rab to Dolomites, Italy - Week 12

The Harbour at Supetar We took a car ferry from Split to Supetar on Brac after staying 4 nights in Trogir (see my blogs Split, Croatia: Travel Guide and Trogir, Croatia: Travel Guide ). We then stayed 4 nights on Brac Island and during our stay took a passenger ferry over to Hvar Island for the day (see my blog Hvar Island, Croatia: Travel Guide ). Contents Supetar on Brac Island Day Trip to Sutivan, Lozisca, Vidova Gora and Skrip Bol and Zlatni Rat Beach Ferries from Brac to Split, Hvar & Dubrovnik Accommodation in Supetar My Other Blogs on Croatia 1. Supetar on Brac Island Supetar is the port and main town on Brac. Supetar has a small historic centre around the harbour with lots of restaurants on the waterfront. To the east of the harbour is the port and to the west there is a seafront promenade. When the seafront promenade ends a coastline path continues westwards to some hotels and beaches. The beaches aren't very special. On the hill above Supetar's port, and by the large roundabout, is a shopping centre with 2 good supermarkets (Lidls and Tommy). There are 2 small supermarkets in Supetar's historic centre but the selection is limited. Supetar's Harbour The Parish Church in Supetar Supetar's Seafront Promenade 2. Day Trip to Sutivan, Lozisca, Vidova Gora and Skrip We drove the short distance from Supetar to Sutivan and parked at a free car park at the entrance to Sutivan. We really liked the small town of Sutivan as it is unspoilt and classy. There were reasonable beaches at each end of the small town, with toilets at the eastern beach. Sutivan Harbour The Western Beach at Sutivan The Eastern Beach at Sutivan Alley in Sutivan Sutivan There is limited parking at Lozica, just before the traffic light in the centre of the village when driving from Sutivan. There isn't much to see apart from a very fancy bell tower and that can be better appreciated from a distance. Village of Lozisca We drove on to the 778 metres high peak of Vidova Gora, which is the highest point on any Adriatic island. There is a free car park below the peak and there are good views. It is even better if you walk for 10 minutes from the car park to the peak of Vidova Gora. There are excellent views over to Hvar island and Zlatni Rat beach at Bol. View of Zlatni Rat beach from Vidova Gora View towards Hvar from Vidova Gora We drove back to Supetar via Skrip, which is the oldest continually inhabited settlement on Brac. The Rough Guide book describes Skrip as a " sleepy nest of stone houses with heavy stone roof tiles ". It sounded very nice but the reality was that Skrip wasn't very special! Skrip does have a few nice stone buildings but there aren't enough of them to make an impact. The village is also very spread out and there are newer buildings that spoil its appearance. Stone Houses in the Village of Skrip Stone Houses in the Village of Skrip The Village of Skrip 3. Bol and Zlatni Rat Beach I was concerned that parking at Bol would be very expensive as reviewers were complaining they were charged Eur 5 per hour or Eur 20 for the day. However, this charge is for the main car park for the Zlatni Rat beach on the west side of Bol. We parked in a wooded car park off the left of the main road just before reaching Bol's waterfront. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to be marked on Google maps. It is then a 10 minute walk to the eastern end of Bol's old town and a 15 minute walk to Zlatni Rat. We were charged Eur 2 per hour for parking. The centre of Bol is small and mainly consists of 2 streets running parallel to the seafront promenade and harbour. It is pleasant strolling around but it only takes about 30 minutes to see everything. Ferries to Hvar and Dubrovnik depart from Bol's eastern pier. From Bol it is a very pleasant walk along a wide and wooded seafront promenade to Zlatni Rat. The promenade is lined with hotels, restaurants and cafes. Zlatni Rat is Croatia's most famous beach, probably because of its shape as it juts out on a cape with fine shingle beaches on either side. It wasn't too crowded when we were there but that was in late June. A View of Bol from the Main Road The Seafront Promenade at Bol Church of St Anthony in Bol Bol Old Town Promenade to Zlatni Rat Beach View from the Promenade to Zlatni Rat Beach The Eastern Section of Zlatni Rat Beach The Western Section of Zlatni Rat Beach 4. Ferries from Brac to Split, Hvar & Dubrovnik Ferries between Brac and Split The only car ferry that goes from Brac is a Jadrolinija ferry that sails about every 1.5 hours between Split and Supetar on Brac island. Tickets for the ferry can be purchased on Jadrolinija's website . It cost us Eur 33 for our car and 2 passengers. The ticket is valid for the day selected and not for a specific sailing. There are several negative Tripadvisor reviews about the signage to Split's ferry terminal and also the signage to the piers at Split's ferry terminal. However, we found that the signs were very good. If you enter " Ferry Port of Split " on Google maps it will almost get you to the correct pier. Vehicles park in lanes at the pier when waiting for the Split to Supetar ferry. Vehicles board on a first come first served basis. We arrived 1.5 hours ahead of the departure time and were twelfth in the queue. There are toilets in the nearby terminal building. We were directed to park our car on the main deck of the ferry and it was very straightforward driving on to the ferry at Split and driving off at Supetar. However, we saw cars driving down the ramp to the lower deck and it was extremely narrow. I was very pleased not to have to do that. The morning before we took the ferry from Supetar to Split there was terrible traffic congestion in Supetar. We were informed it was due to vehicles queuing to board the ferry and that it was even worse in the peak season. As a result we took an early ferry (07.45) the next day to avoid this issue. We arrived at Supetar's port at 07.15 and boarded the ferry without problems. The Ferry between Split and Supetar The Interior of the Ferry between Split and Supetar. The Boarding Area at Split for the Ferry between Split and Supetar Ferries between Milna, Brac and Hvar Town/Korcula/Dubrovnik There is a daily passenger catamaran that departs from Milna on Brac Island to Hvar Town, Korcula and Dubrovnik. It departs Milna at 09.35 each day and arrives back at 19.20. We took this catamaran from Milna to Hvar Town for a day trip and it arrived at Hvar Town at 10.20 and returned at 18.40. This gave us plenty of time to see both Hvar Town and Stari Grad. See my blog " Hvar Island, Croatia " for details. The tickets for the catamaran cost Eur 15 each way and can be purchased online from TP Line . Tickets can also be bought when boarding the ferry, if there is space. We parked our car at a large car park near the entrance to Milna. There is a ticket machine there and it costs Eur 1 per hour. There is a daily maximum charge but the machine didn't state what the maximum was so we paid for 11 hours. A local guy told us that no one checks for payment at the car park but we didn't want to risk it. It is then a 15 minute walk to where the ferry docks on the northern side of Milna's harbour. Enter " TP Line catamaran ferry terminal " on Google maps. The Catamaran that departs from Milna on Brac Island Other Ferries to and from Brac Island KL operates high speed ferries on 2 routes that stop on the island of Brac: Brač (Milna) – Hvar – Korčula – Mljet (Pomena) – Dubrovnik Brač (Bol) – Makarska – Korčula – Pomena(Mljet) – Dubrovnik 5. Accommodation in Supetar, Brac We stayed in a 1 bedroom apartment in Supetar for Eur 73 per night. There is also a 2 bedroom apartment available. Both apartments are in separate detached buildings and can be booked through Booking.com . I have reviewed them on my blog " UK to Greek Islands Accommodation - Part 2 " (number 12). 6. My Other Blogs on Croatia Hvar Island, Croatia: Travel Guide Rovinj & Pula, Croatia: Travel Guide Split, Croatia: Travel Guide Trogir, Croatia: Travel Guide Omis, Croatia: Travel Guide Krk Town, Croatia: Travel Guide Rab, Croatia: Travel Guide Montenegro to Croatia- Week 10 Brac to Rab, Croatia - Week 11 Rab to Dolomites, Italy - Week 12

Trogir We spent 3 nights in Trogir and visited Split and Omis from there. See my blogs Split, Croatia: Travel Guide and Omis, Croatia: Travel Guide . Trogir is definitely worth visiting as it a beautiful old Venetian town that hasn't been spoiled by modern development. Contents Trogir Old Town Trogir New Town Accommodation in Trogir My Other Blogs on Croatia 1. Trogir Old Town Trogir's Old Town is on an island only 50 metres off the mainland. The Old Town is unspoilt as virtually all the buildings originate from four centuries of Venetian rule and there are no modern buildings on the island. There used to be 2 bridges over to the island. When we were there the wooden bridge for pedestrians, west of the main bridge, was closed. The main bridge crosses over to the Land Gate entrance to Trogir's Old Town. To the south east of the Land Gate are most of Trogir's main buildings. These are the: Cathedral of St Lawrence with its famous carved stone west portal dating back to 1240. There is a Eur 5 entrance fee to see the interior but the famous west portal can be seen from outside. Cipiko Palace. There is nothing to see inside. Town Loggia & Clock Tower. Trogir's Town Hall There is a wide promenade along the Trogir Channel at the southern end of the island. Sections of Trogir's old town walls, and the Kamerlengo fortress (entry Eur 5), can be seen. The promenade is lined with restaurants and cafes. There is a bridge at this southern end of the island to another larger island called Ciovo. There are some shops and restaurants on the Ciovi side of the bridge but there is little worth seeing. We were in Trogir in late June and in the evenings the Old Town was teeming with visitors and many restaurants were full. The Town Hall Cipiko Palace West Portal of the Cathedral Lady of Mount Carmel Church Alleyway in Trogir Cathedral of St Lawrence Town Loggia & Clock Tower 2. Trogir's New Town Trogir's new town has spread out on the mainland on either side of the bridge crossing to Trogir's Old Town. The bus station is on the eastern side of the bridge. There is also a new and pleasant seafront promenade running eastwards that has views of Ciovi island. There is a busy tourist market on the western side of the bridge. Slightly further to the west are several large car parks and visitors parking here pass through the market to reach Trogir's Old Town. Parking costs between Eur 2 to Eur 3 per hour in high season depending on how close you park to Trogir's Old Town. There are several supermarkets along the coastal road west of the bridge to Trogir's Old Town. The biggest and best one is a Plodine supermarket on the ground floor of a small 3 storey shopping centre. There is free underground parking for customers. There is a Lidl supermarket 4 kms east of Trogir's Old Town. 3. Accommodation in Trogir We stayed in a 1 bedroom apartment about a 10 minute walk from Trogir Old Town. The apartment was very nice and the hosts were very hospitable. We booked the apartment through Booking.com and it cost Eur 69 per night. I have reviewed the apartment in my blog UK to Greek Islands Accommodation - Part 2 (number 11). 4. My Other Blogs on Croatia Hvar Island, Croatia: Travel Guide Rovinj & Pula, Croatia: Travel Guide Split, Croatia: Travel Guide Omis, Croatia: Travel Guide Krk Town, Croatia: Travel Guide Brac, Croatia: Travel Guide Rab, Croatia: Travel Guide Montenegro to Croatia- Week 10 Brac to Rab, Croatia - Week 11 Rab to Dolomites, Italy - Week 12

View of Sveti Stefan from St. Sava Church Contents Introduction & Practical Information Budva Old Town Slovenska Beach in Budva Sveti Stefan Excursions from Budva Driving to & from Budva from Croatia and Albania Links to my other Montenegro Blogs 1. Introduction & Practical Information The traffic and parking in the Budva area can be horrendous, even on the main coastal road. I was glad that we weren't staying near Budva as it is too built up and congested for my liking. This will only get worse. We left Kotor (see my blog Kotor, Montenegro: Travel Guide ) at 08.00 to try to avoid the congestion and to find a parking spot. We went to a car park near Hotel Wow as it had good reviews on Google and it only cost Eur 1 per hour. The car park was already pretty full, but spaces free up fairly quickly. It is just 1 block from the seafront and a 10 minute walk to Budva Old Town. Enter " Parking kod hotela WOW " on Google maps to locate it. 2. Budva Old Town Budva is yet another old Venetian town to wander around. It is in very good condition due to it being entirely rebuilt after the 1979 earthquake. It looks very authentic and one wouldn't know it had been rebuilt. When we reached Budva's Old Town around 09.00 the streets were deserted and remained like that until just before 10.00. Then the guided tours came in! We had enough time to walk all around Budva without it being spoiled by the tours. We had wanted to walk on Budva's walls, but the gate was locked and it was not opened by the time we left Budva's Old Town at 10.15. There is a beach just outside the Morava Gate of Budva's old town. The beach has a public area as well as a private area with the usual sun loungers and umbrellas. It wasn't busy as it was early in the day. If you need to use a toilet there is one near the Morava Gate. It is on the left hand side as you come through the gate from the beach. I think it is meant to be for people using the private beach area but there isn't an attendant. The Church of Holy Trinity Alley in Old Budva St. Ivan's Church Typical Alley in Budva Old Town Typical Alley in Budva Old Town. The Beach by Morava Gate 3. Slovenska Beach in Budva We walked along the promenade from Budva's Old Town to the long Slovenska beach. It was 11.00 a.m. and the beach was absolutely packed. This was in late June so it could only be worse in July and August. Most of Slovenska beach is private with sun loungers and umbrellas for hire, but there are some crowded public areas. The lowest price that we saw for 2 sun loungers and an umbrella was Eur 12. The land side of the beach is packed with cafes, restaurants and shops. There are also several toilet facilities charging from Eur 0.50 to Eur 1.00. It was too busy for our liking. We decided not to swim there but to find a quieter beach away from Budva. Public Area at Slovenska Beach at Budva Slovenska Beach at Budva Private Area at Slovenska Beach at Budva 4. Sveti Stefan The entire famous and picturesque island of Sveti Stefan is a hotel managed by the Aman Resorts. Only hotel guests and people who have a reservation at their restaurants can enter the island. A few people have posted on the internet that they have had a tour of Sveti Stefan island for Eur 20 and that there were 2 tours a day. These posts are now several years old and it is doubtful that the tours now run. Anyway I am not sure how interesting it would be to tour an island that has been turned into a hotel. There are beaches on the mainland opposite Sveti Stefan. The beach south of the isthmus is known as Sveti Stefan beach. It has a free public section as well as a private section with 2 sunbeds and an umbrella costing around Eur 40 for the day. It is likely to be absolutely packed in the peak season like all the other beaches around Budva. The best way to see Sveti Stefan is from higher up and there are 2 main ways to view it: The easiest way is to pull into 1 of the 2 laybys on the main coastal road above Budva when driving from west to east. These laybys are not very large and are often full of cars. The best way is to drive up to St Sava church above the main road. From there you have a wonderful view. It is a 15 minute drive from Sveti Stefan beach along a good road, except for the last few hundred metres when it is a bit narrow. To get there enter St. Sava Church (the one at Denasi) on Google maps. Some people want a photo posing in front of the island and St. Sava Church is ideal for that. There is a circular platform in front of the church which is used for that purpose. It is probably intended for wedding photos. View of Sveti Stefan from St. Sava Church View from the Main Road of Sveti Stefan 5. Excursions from Budva A good day trip to the north of Budva is to the beautiful Venetian town of Kotor . From there you can continue to Perast, which is another Venetian town but much smaller. For details see my blogs Kotor, Montenegro: Travel Guide ) and Perast & Herceg Novi: Travel Guide . Kotor Perast The Lipa Caves to the east of Budva are very interesting and there is a good road there. A circular drive can be done by returning through Lovcen National Park and then down the slightly challenging Kotor Serpentine Road. See my blog The Kotor Serpentine Road to Lipa Cave . The Lipa Caves 6. Driving to & from Budva from Croatia and Albania We drove to Budva from Albania. See my blog Albania to Montenegro - Week 9 for details. Afterwards we drove from Montenegro to Croatia. See my blog Montenegro to Croatia- Week 10 for details. 7. Links to My Other Montenegro Blogs Kotor, Montenegro: Travel Guide Day Trip to Perast & Herceg Novi The Kotor Serpentine Road to Lipa Cave Albania to Montenegro - Week 9 Montenegro to Croatia- Week 10