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Zanskar
is a valley surrounded by mountains located just south of Ladakh. Most
people visit to trek. All the treks are long and hard, with difficult
climbs. It is not a good place to go for short treks, and the good ones
last for days or weeks.
Temperatures
can drop to –40ºC in the winter. Even in summer, you should
come prepared for cold weather. Zanskar receives a lot more snow than
Ladakh.
Padum
Phone Code 01983
Padum is an uninteresting town from where treks in the Zanskar area
are usually begun. Large mountains surround it on three sides. There
is a Tourist Office open Mon to Sat 10 am to 6 pm. There is no place
to change money. Basic trekking supplies are sold here, but at highly
inflated prices. At the end of the season in October, it can be hard
to find anything.
Where to Stay
It is possible to stay in a room in private family houses.
Hotel Chorala (224535) has rooms for Rs 200 to Rs 250.
Greenland is one of the better budget places.
Hotel Shapodok-la, in the town center, has dorm beds.
Hotel Snowland (224535) is a good place with a nice
garden. Rooms are Rs 200/250.
The J&KTDC Tourist Bungalow has room with bath
for Rs 175. You can camp for Rs 50 per night.
Hotel Ibex has (245012) ooms for Rs 500. It is one
of the better places.
Travel
The road between Kargil and Padum is open from July to early October.
There is a bus during this time every other day between Kargil and Padum
that departs at 4 am. Tickets go on sale the day before the bus departs
to Kargil at the bus stand.
By taxi it costs around Rs 10,000 to go from Kargil to Padum roundtrip,
which takes about two days. Traveling by truck is normal and it should
cost around Rs 200 to go from Padum to Kargil, but the fare is negotiable.
Treks Around Padum
The best local trek in the area is to the Karsha Gompa,
which dates from the 10th to the 14th century and has some ancient wall
paintings. The fastest way to get to it is to head north and then cross
the cable-bridge that goes across the Stod, just below the monastery.
It is best to begin this trek early in the morning, because there are
often bad icy storms in the mid-afternoon.
You
can also get to the Karsha Gompa by taking the road
8km northwest, and then go over the bridge at Tungri. On the way you
past the large Sani Gompa, which is the only gompa
at ground level in Zanskar. It is said to have been established by Padmasambhava
(“Guru Rimpoche”) in the 8th century. A little north of
the gompa is a 2m high statue of Maitreya carved out of stone.
Zanskar
Treks
Treks in this area can be done from the end of June to the middle of
October. Sometimes there can be heavy snowstorms in August and September.
You have to go over high passes during treks in this area, so gradual
acclimatization is essential.
A
guide and a porter are very helpful (sometimes essential) on some treks,
especially on the trek over Umasi La Pass to Manali and the trek from
Padum to Markha Valley. A porter to go over a pass should be around
Rs 2500. You can hire a packhorse at Padum or Karsha for around Rs 200
to Rs 300 per day. During the harvest in October, horses are used to
transport grains, so they will be more expensive at this time. In Padum
they can be hired at the tourist office or through your hotel.
You
must bring a tent, a sleeping bag, warm clothing and your own food.
Padum to Darcha via Shingo La
This trek takes about seven days. On Day 1 this trek goes from Padum
to Mune (5 hr). Day 2 you go to Purni (7 hr). On Day 3 you go to the
village of Testa via the Phugtal Gompa. Day 4 you go to Kargya (7 hr),
the highest village in Zanskar. You then go to Lakong (7 hr). From there
you go to the village of Rumjak via the Shingo La (5090m). Next you
go to Darcha from where you can get a bus to Leh or Manali (150km south).
This trek can also be done in the opposite direction.
Padum to Manali via Umasi La
This
is a hard trek, best done by an experienced trekker. It goes through
Zanskar Valley and over the main Himalaya Range. The trek begins in
Padum and first goes to Zongkul Gompa (7 hr). Day 2 you go to the base
of Umasi La (7 hr). Day 3 you go over Umasi La Pass (5340m) and then
camp near the pass (7 hr). You pass some glaciers and there are some
great mountain views from the pass. It takes a few days to reach the
village of Atholi via the village of Marchel. You then take three days
to get to the village of Kilar going via Shoaf and Istahari.
Padum to Lamayuru
This trek takes around 10 to 12 days and is the most popular trek done
in Zankar. It is a strenuous trek and you need a good guide and packhorses.
It can also be done from Lamayuru to Padum. For the first half of the
trek there is a choice of taking two different routes.
Day
1 you first go from Padum to Karsha Gompa (2 hr) and then to Pishu (5
hr). The first part of the trek goes along the Zanskar River. You then
go to Hanumil (5 hr) and then to Snertse (5 hr). You then go over Haluma
La Pass (4900m) and then reach Lingshat Gompa (6 hr). This route meets
the other one near the village of Yelchang.
The
other route goes along the east bank of the Zanskar River and goes over
the Namtse La Pass (4440m). It then goes over the Nerag La Pass (4850m)
and then you cross the Zanskar River at Nerag. It then meets the other
route near
Yelchang.
You then go to the base of Singe La. Next is the village of Photaksar
via Singe La (5050m). The next day you go to the village of Honupatta
(6 hr) via Sishir La Pass (4850m). The following day you go to the gompa
at Wanlah. The next day you go over the Prinkiti La Pass (3750m) to
reach the Lamayuru Gompa (3 hr).
Padum
to Leh via Cha Cha La and Rubrang La
This is a hard trek that goes over the Cha Cha La Pass (4950m), Rubrang
La Pass (5020m) and Kongmaru La Pass (5030m). It begins in Padum and
ends at the Hemis monastery near Leh.
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