Where Next-ish: Ladakh, Northern India

Flights to Leh for our Ladakh trip later this year are finally booked! Markha Valley and Gompas galore, here I come.

[An aside:

My attempt to buy got flagged as fraud by my bank (by my January flurry of business trips and Nepal flight buying from the sounds of it) and when I called up to sort it out, the first person I spoke to was another Mary, and then I get put through to the person in the fraud team… who was also a Mary.

I hardly ever meet/speak to another Mary so three in one go, that’s very weird. I’m going to take it as a good sign.]

So… what, where, when, why, who?

Destination: Ladakh, India – the “land of high passes”.

Why: To do the Everest Four‘s long-pondered trek in the Indian Himalaya.

How: On a private trek in Val Pitkethly‘s capable hands, with the equally capable Yangdu and the team at Rimo Expeditions helping out on the local logistics and additional tours in Leh and Delhi. Flights booked with Air India.

When: September – after the peak summer season but before the snow.

The itinerary is still shaping up, but we’re looking at a mix of acclimatisation, the Markha Valley trek and possibly something else at the end (but definitely including a shopping day!):

  • Day 1 – Flight to Delhi
  • Day 2 – Land Delhi, very early morning flight to Leh
  • Day 3 – Leh – Leh Palace, Old Town and Markets
  • Day 4 – Leh – Thikse Monastery
  • Day 5 – Leh – Spituk Monastery & Shey Monastery
  • Day 6 – Leh – Festival (movable)
  • Day 7 – Leh – Khardung La (5,359 m / 17,582 ft) – “the world’s highest motorable pass”
  • Day 8 – Markha Valley Trek day 1
  • Day 9 – Markha Valley Trek day 2
  • Day 10 – Markha Valley Trek day 3
  • Day 11 – Markha Valley Trek day 4
  • Day 12 – Markha Valley Trek day 5
  • Day 13 – Markha Valley Trek day 6
  • Day 14 – Markha Valley Trek day 7
  • Day 15 – Markha Valley Trek day 8
  • Day 16 – Leh – Alchi Gompa
  • Day 17 – Leh – Shopping
  • Day 18 – Leh – Spare
  • Day 19 – Flight Leh – Delhi, with 13h layover providing sightseeing potential in Delhi itself (rather than just the airport…)
  • Day 20 – Flight Delhi – UK

Acclimatisation places