CHANGTHANG VALLEY TREK

Season: July to September
Duration: 7 days trek
Grade: Moderate to Strenious

A shorten form of Rumtse to Korzok trek is one of the most interesting and less traveled trek in Ladakh. Nomadic land and nomad people, wild life and the high altitude Lake tsomoiriri is the key attraction of this trek. This trek is moderate in grade and the highest altitude is reached at 5200 mtrs. This trek needs at least 2-3 days of acclimatization at Leh like all the other treks in Ladakh, which can be utilized by doing sightseeing and monastery visits.

Day 01: Arrive Delhi IGI Airport
Upon arrival at the IGI airport you will be assisted and transferd to Domestic Airport. Fly Delhi - Leh, Arrive Leh Airport (11500 ft.) transfer to hotel. Full day rest and acclimatization.
Overnight hotel at Leh.

Day 02: Leisure at Leh
Introductory tour of Shey, Thiksey and Hemis monasteries.

Shey: was the summer Palace of Ladakhi Kings and is where you can see the 36Ft.high statue of Buddha made of copper and covered with gold.

Thiksey: The twelve storied monastery of Thicksey is situated in the most prominent of positions, lies on an island Mountain. Finally visit;

Hemis: Farthest away from Leh, this is the wealthiest Monastery in Ladakh belonging to the Red Sect - it is here each summer that plays are held and Ladakhis from all parts of the country will visit Hemis. Evening return to Leh. Meals and overnight at Hotel

Day 03: Leh- Rumtse (3 hrs drive) - Kyamar 4050 m (4 hrs)
From Leh, the drive to Rumtse is an exciting one, with views of the Indus Valley and many monasteries on the way. Day one is easily manageable: we have a short walk on a rather flat terrain to aid acclimatization. We will camp overnight at lush Kyamar, near a spring.

Day 04: Kyamar- Tisaling 4200 m (6-7 hrs)
We should be fully energized today with proper breakfast for a challenging day ahead. We begin with gradual ascent towards our first pass of Kumur La (4800 m), which gives a spectacular view of the Changthang range with its colorful rife of mountain. After the pass, we steadily descend towards the base of the next pass. Here we might come across nomads with their herds of sheep, goats and yaks. After a short rest, we set out for Mandalchan La (4850 m). From this pass it's an easy descend to the camping site at the pastureland of Tisaling.

Day 05: Tisaling - Ponganabu 4250 m (6 hrs)
By now, we are well acclimatized to conquer our third pass, the Shibuk La (4900 m), and about 2-hour journey. From the top of the pass, we have an incredible view of the surrounding mountains and of our next destination, Tsokar Lake. With a breathtaking view to ease our exhaustion, we head down towards the valley accompanied by the shrill whistles of the shy and active marmots, which is characteristic of this harsh region. It's approximately a 4 hrs walk to the Tsokar basin, and our camp for the night will be the windy Pongunabu.

Day 06: Ponganagu - Nuruchan 4300 m (6 hrs)
Today is an easy day, and we follow a dusty jeep road towards Tsokar Lake. Along the salty shores of the lake, we have a rare impeccable opportunity to see some of the endangered migratory birds of the world. From here we carry on along the trail to the right of the lake, keeping to a barren land until Nuruchan, where we will be welcomed by a grassy land with streams nearby.

Day 07: Nuruchan- Gyamar Barma 5100 m (7-8 hrs)
We have to get set for a tough day ahead. We will cross the icy cold stream in Nuruchan before gradually ascending Horlam Kongka La (4900 m). From the pass, we will have a view of the turquoise blue Tsokar. After an easy 40-minute walk down to Rajungkaru, we will encounter several typical Tibetan nomads with their flock of yaks, sheep and pashmina goats. Following the stream for about 50 minutes, we will enter another nomad settlement. These nomads are of Western Tibetan origin. When the Chinese subjugated Tibet these nomads and their animals faced numerous hardships, fighting biting cold and losing many lives while fleeing into Ladakh from Tibet.
After sharing a cup of butter tea with the nomads, we will continue to ascend the Kyamayuru La (5410 m); this pass is challenging in nature, but the magnificent view from the top makes it well worth all our strenuous efforts. From the pass we descend gradually to the valley towards our campsite at Gyamar Barma (5150 m). Due to the campsite's high altitude, bad weather can make night temperature freezing.

Day 08: Gyamar Barma - Gyamar 5200 m (3-4 hrs)
When we open our eyes in the morning, we will find ourselves amidst a herd of grazing yaks. After breakfast, we head to our next pass, Kartse La (5300 m). Ascending slowly in the thin air of the plateau, we will eventually reach the pass. The trail leads gradually down to the lush green valley of the Gyamar, where we spend our night.

Day 09: Gyamar - Korzok 4500 m (6-7 hrs)
Today, we gradually ascend towards the highest and final pass on the trek. Following the narrow valley until the Yalung Nyaulung La (5450 m), we will see some of the rare flowers and herbs of the Himalayan region. The fragrances will astonish you! To our right we can view snowcapped mountains and from the top of the pass we will also have a view of the lake Tsomoriri, surrounded by snowcapped mountains. We descend steeply for a couple of hours to the Korzok Phu, the summer pasture of the Korzok people. From the pasture, we continue to the Korzok (Tsomoriri lake), the destination of our adventure.

Day 10: Korzok - Leh (7 hrs drive)
We drive back to Leh along the gorges of the mighty Indus with all these good memories in mind, leaving behind the beautiful lake Tsomoriri.

Day 11: Day at leisure in Leh
Overnight in Hotel.

Day 12: Leh -Delhi
Transfer to Airport, to connect flight to Delhi. Meeting and assistance on arrival at Delhi Airport and transfer to Hotel in Delhi. Overnight hotel in Delhi.

Day 13: Delhi Home:
Transfer to International airport to fly home.