The Baby Trek of Ladakh

• Trekking
• Cultural Experiences
• Monastery visits
• Meet and Greet
• Leisure
• Local Homestay experience

• Airfares.
• Personal equipment.
• Any additional transport or activities apart from the trip itinerary.
• Travel Insurance.
• Expenses rising through unforeseen conditions like bad weather, natural calamities, flight cancellations, etc
• Rescue and evacuation services.
• Expenses of any personal nature like phone calls, drinks, cigarettes, souvenirs, laundry, etc.
• Tips.
• Anything not explicitly mentioned in inclusion.

• Full service moving camp from day 1 of a trek to last night of the trek
• Guide with multi-language speaking skills such as English, Hindi, French
• Horses for luggage transportation
• Vehicle Transportation for the mentioned itineraries including backup vehicle
• Stay in Leh at a sustainable properties with MAP for 4 nights
• Oxygen Cylinder
• Pack lunch during the trek

Arrive in Leh and Acclimatize:

• The local team will meet you at the airport & assist with hotel transfer
• Spend the rest of your day at the hotel and acclimatize to the high altitude
• Visit the Leh markets in the evenings
• Overnight stay in Leh

Drive to Hemis Gompa, visit Shey Palace, Hike to Thiksey monastery:

• Visit the anciently, richest and the largest monastery of Ladakh i.e Hemis Monastery
• Visit the Shey Palace, a former royal palace of the Ladakh kings and witness the 350-year-old copper and gold statue of Buddha
• Hike up to Thiksey monastery perched on top of a hill. (Duration: 2 hours)
• Explore Thiksey monastery, find  15 a metre high statue of the Future Buddha)
• Meet the red-robed monks who live in the monastery
• Overnight in Leh

Drive to Likir (2 hrs), trek to Yangthang (3-4 hrs):

• Drive to Likir( 2 hours drive)
• Optional - Stop at Sangam ( Confluence of River Indus and Zanskar) for Rafting
• Visit Likir monastery and interact with monks and trek begins after the blessings from the monastery.
• Explore the village of Yangthang, visit the local school or watch the Ladakhi sowing barley and potatoes during the months from June - Aug
• Optional - Rafting at Sangam point
• Overnight in Yangtang. 

Yangthang to Hemis Shukpachan, Cross Spangpola (4,082 m) (4-5 hrs)

• You will ascend to the top of Spangpo La, From the top of the pass you would see  wonderful views of the village of Hemis Shukpachan (3,663 m) nestled on the valley below
• The village is located on green pasture land with a clear stream flowing through it
• There is also a small monastery in the village which you can visit during your stay
• Overnight in Hemis Shukpachan

Hemis Shukpachan to Temisgam, Cross the Mebtak La and Lago La (4-5 hrs):

• Walk on a trail with juniper trees on both sides to cross Medtek La (3,796 m). From the top of the pass, you would see mauve-coloured mountains.
• Continue your journey to the valley below after which you will walk on a zig zag trail to Lago La (3,832 m)
• From Lago La you will get to admire magnificent views across to the south side of the Indus Valley
• The descent from Lago la will take you to the Ang village where you can visit barley and potatoes fields and fruit orchards. The villages are experts in growing crops in high altitude and you can interact with them to learn the tricks and trade of farming.
• After a brief break at the Ang village you will continue your journey on a jeep track trail to the village of Temisgam
• Overnight in Temisgam (3,256m)

Rest Day:

• Today will be a rest day and we will explore the village of Temisgam, the largest village in the Sham Valley
• Start the day with an early morning visit to the Temisgam Monastery. After visiting the monastery you can visit the apple and apricot orchards to learn the process of growing nuts and fruits in the high altitude from the locals
• Visit the royal palace of Temisgam which is situated in the middle of the village and was home to Gyalpo Tagspa Bom, who chose Temisgam as the capital of the kingdom of Ladakh in the 15th century
• You can also go to the local school of the village after lunch and interact with local students
• Overnight in Temisgam Village

Temisgam to Skindyang, Cross the Skindyang La (4,060m) 

• Ascend to the base of the Skingyang la (3927 m). Enroute to the Skingyang base on a jeep trek and cross the pretty villages of Tia and Charcha
• During the trek you will get to enjoy magnificent views of a wonderful boulder - strewn landscape.
• Cross dry valleys and cross a set of chortens to reach the village of Skindyang
• (Optional: You have an option of going all the way to Skinyang village  by jeep)
• After reaching Skindyang village, drive to Lamayuru which is the Moonland of India.
• Overnight in Lamayuru

Visit Lamayuru and Alchi monastery, Drive to Leh:

• The Lamayuru monastery is set amidst the lunar landscape. The monastery belongs to the Red - sect or Degung Kagyo of Buddhism and was built by Rinchen Zangpo who was the founder of Alchi Lotsava. Within the monastery complex you can spot Dukhang or the Assembly Hall, where monks perform worship and ceremonies.
• Visit the Alchi Monastery, popularly known as a monastic complex comprising 4 hamlets. Out of the 4 hamlets Alchi monastery is said to be the oldest and most famous.
• Visit Rizong Monastery, Rizong (or Rhizong) gompa, Gelugpa or Yellow Hat Buddhist monastery is also called the Yuma Changchubling in Ladakh, India. It is situated at the top of a rocky side valley on the north side of the Indus, to the west of Alchi on the way to Lamayuru. It was established in 1831 by Lama Tsultim Nima under the Gelukpa order, at Ri-rdzong. 
• Visit Phyang Monastery, The hill of Phyang served as the venue of a monastery, known as Tashi Chozong, established in the year 1515. A monastic community was introduced to the monastery and with this started, the first establishment of the Digung teachings in Ladakh.
• Overnight in Leh

Day Leisure day at Leh:  

• Early morning visit to the Shanti Stupa to watch the sunrise
• Visit the Leh Palace
• Spend the rest of your day at leisure exploring the old Leh market and buying souvenirs
• Overnight in Leh

Departure. 

• The Local team will drop you to the airport for your onward flight

Guidelines Do’s & Don'ts

• Give your body enough time to adjust to the high altitude/acclimation.
• Avoid sleeping during the day & get enough sleep at night.
• Avoid frequent smoking or drinking alcohol.
• Respect and greet the locals with Jullay (pronounced joo-lay which means Hello).
• Wear respectable outfits during your visit to sacred sites/ Monasteries.
• Kindly read the Monastery guidelines before entering a monastery.
• Ladakhi people will always be ready to help you. So, it's advisable to travel with a smile and greet Jullay.

Save the Himalayas: Follow the leave no trace policy

Majestic Ladakh proudly supports the ‘Leave no trace policy’ for our majestic Himalayas. We request you to follow the below guidelines and help us in preserving the splendid natural beauty of our country:

• Carry personal water bottles throughout the tour as locals will be always happy to provide water to refill & basically free of cost at restaurants and hotels.
• Advisable to carry a water bottle with a filter as you can refill it while travelling to any part of Ladakh.
• DZOMSA stalls are also available for refilling water bottles at just ₹7 per litre.
• Use reusable shopping bags in Leh market as plastics are totally banned in Ladakh as they are harmful to our environment.
• Do not litter. Bring back your own trash.
• Let nature’s sounds prevail; avoid loud voices and noises.

Safety during the Trek: 

• Our Trek Leaders are advanced mountaineering course qualified and are trained in rescue procedures from leading mountaineering institutes and certified first-aid responders.
• Local guides who will accompany the group are certified first-aid responders and the support staff are trained in 1st Aid.
• The expedition team carries Oxygen cylinders which can be used if any medical emergency arises.

Recommended stay & food options available  

• During the Sham Valley trek, you will be staying in Moving camps. 
• On a full-service moving camp, the support staff erects and dismantles the tents at different places selected for an overnight stay. Apart from the basic facilities such as hot water to drink, the staff also carries oxygen cylinders in case of a medical emergency at high altitudes. As the camp does not carry drinking water you will be camping close to the river/ stream where fresh running water is available for cooking. 
• There will be toilet and dining tent
• Stay in Leh and other cities:- Twin-sharing rooms are provided with breakfast
• Single rooms can be requested for a supplement and are subject to availability

In a moving camp the breakfast, lunch and dinner will be prepared by the cook travelling with the group. Meals options are mentioned below:

• Breakfast - porridge, cereals, eggs and toast with plenty of tea, coffee or hot chocolate
• Lunch - a picnic lunch with soup, various kinds of local bread, cheese, eggs, tinned fish, meat and fruit as per the availability.
• Afternoon snack - tea and biscuits on arrival at camp
• Dinner - usually soup, pasta, rice or potato-based main course with fresh vegetables, followed by dessert, tea, coffee or hot chocolate.

Weather in Ladakh

Generally the weather is good in Ladakh during the Summer, with warm to very hot sunny days (temperatures can reach up to 30ºC/35ºC), and cool to cold nights depending on the altitude.

• There is, however, always the possibility of rain, and snow at higher altitudes, and you should be prepared for this. Ladakh, though technically part of the Tibetan Plateau and classified as a high altitude desert, can and does occasionally experience the effects of the Indian monsoon.

What is AMS?

Acute mountain sickness (AMS), is the negative health effect of high altitude, caused by rapid exposure to low amounts of oxygen at high elevation. Symptoms may include headaches, vomiting, tiredness, trouble sleeping, and dizziness.

How to avoid AMS?

• Give your body enough time to adjust to the high altitude/acclimation
• Get enough sleep and eat healthy food
• Avoid smoking or drinking alcohol

If you suffer from any respiratory or health-related issues, please let the tour guide know before the start of the tour.

How is the mobile connectivity in Ladakh?

Only Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh registered pre-paid sims are serviceable in Ladakh. The following services providers/services are active in Ladakh:

• Airtel: Postpaid service
• Jio: Postpaid & pre on post-service
• BSNL: Postpaid service

You can buy and activate a new sim in Leh.

What things should I carry for the trip?

Following are the list of essentials that you should carry:

• Medicines such as Diamox, Aspirin/ Disprin, Candy bars
• Warm clothes and Thermals
• Sunglasses, sunhat & sunscreen
• Torch and power banks
• Water-bottles
• Backpack for Extra Luggage
• Warmer layers for the late August/September trips
• Soft kitbag for camping - please note that this trip is camping. A large, hard, wheeled suitcase is not recommended for camping. We suggest you bring a Sift kit bag.

How are the restaurants in  Leh?

You can find plenty of restaurants in Leh serving Ladakhi,  Indian, Kashmiri, Tibetan, Korean, Italian and continental food. There are always plenty of choices for both vegetarians and meat-eaters. Please keep about £70-100 (US $110-160) for food.

Do try the Ladakhi cuisine like vegetable momos or thukpa during your time in Leh!

Booking and Cancellation Policy 

• Booking can be done as pre-booking only.
• Possible of both group and solo bookings.
• Pre-booking can be cancelled with a 40% refund only prior to 30 days of departure to the expedition.’
• Once the trip is started, there is no refund/cancellation possible
• No refund will be given for uncertainty caused by Natural Calamities