Rupshu Tsomoriri Trek - Nomadays

India

Rupshu Tsomoriri Trek

FASCINNATING, ADVENTUROUS AND UNFORGETTABLE

This epic trek moves through the great Changthang plateau near Lake Tsomoriri, where small groups of nomadic Chang tribesmen live amidst this barren landscape (4,400m) eking out a harsh existence in the extreme cold. Here, we way sight bar-necked geese, Brahmini ducks, wild asses and rarely, the elusive snow leopard.


For nearly two weeks, we travel across this forbiddingly beautiful region with mesmerizing scenery and vast luminous spaces. Our itinerar...

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Day 1Traditional welcome on arrival

Day 1Traditional welcome on arrival

  • Arrive at the International airport of Delhi. After the traditional welcome, transfer to the hotel for overnight stay.

1h 30m-610km

Day 2Fly to Leh (3500m) over the himalayan ranges

Day 2Fly to Leh (3500m) over the himalayan ranges

Delhi - Leh

  • In the early morning flight from Delhi, the plane flies over the Himalayan Range providing amazing overhead view of the whole mountain range with gigantic glaciers and glaring peaks before it brings us to Leh, a fertile valley just to the north of the mighty Indus River (this flight is subject to appropriate weather and perfect flying conditions). Upon arrival, we transfer to the hotel.

  • The rest of the day is free to relax and acclimatize to the altitude (3,500m). Late afternoon there is a gentle orientation walk in Leh and its bazaars. In the olden days Leh was an important trading center along the old Silk Route from China. The town is dominated by the nine- story Namgyal Palace whose faded grandeur has been likened to a mini version of the Potala Palace in Lhasa.

Day 3Leh: Likir, Alchi and Rizong Monasteries

Day 3Leh: Likir, Alchi and Rizong Monasteries

  • We start our day with a visit to Likir Monastery that lies at a distance of 52 kms west of Leh. During the life time of Lachen Gyalpo, the fifth king of Ladakh, a religious estate and the land on which to build the monastery was offered to Lama Duwang Chosje, a great champion of meditation. Further on we drive to Alchi monastery that is the largest and most famous of all of them. Alchi is situated at a distance of 69 kms west of Leh. Built approximately 990 years ago this Gompa is known for its massive Buddha statues and lavish woodcarvings and artwork. Rizong, the last monastery for today, also known as Vuma Chngchubling was built about 135 years ago by the great Lama Tsultim Nima. There are forty nuns in residence. The monastery is sited in a most solitary position. Evening, we drive back to Leh.

Day 4Local exploration - Leh

Day 4Local exploration - Leh

  • After the breakfast, we leave for a full day tour to visit Leh and around with its local Market and Tibetan market.

3h-95km
rumtse

Day 5Drive to Rumtse enroute visiting Shey, Thikse & Hemis

Day 5Drive to Rumtse enroute visiting Shey, Thikse & Hemis

Leh - rumtse

  • In the morning, we transfer to Rumtse (About 3 hrs drive). En-route, we visit Shey, Thiksey and Hemis Gompas. Continuing our drive, we arrive in Rumtse (in the afternoon) the starting point of our trek where we meet our local team (cooking staff and pony-men). Rest of the day is free to relax or to explore the local area.

Meal and accommodations
Breakfast: Hotel Mansarovar
Lunch: Made by your team
Dinner: Made by your team
Accommodation: Camping
rumtse
4h 20m
kyamar

Day 6Trek to Kyamar

Day 6Trek to Kyamar

rumtse - kyamar

  • After the breakfast, our trek starts with lots of excitement. The trek goes up to Kyamar Valley which is known by the name of Jadis La, the salt route. It is the valley through which salt of Tsokar Lake was being transferred to Leh area. Now we are in the region of Changthang which is totally different from rest of Ladakh and much closer to Tibet. We camp at Kyamar.
    Duration of Trek: 4-5 Hrs

Meal and accommodations
Breakfast: Made by your team
Lunch: Made by your team
Dinner: Made by your team
Accommodation: Camping
kyamar
6h 20m
riti

Day 7Kyamar – Kyamar La (5040m) – Mandalchan La (5050m) – Riti (4900m)

Day 7Kyamar – Kyamar La (5040m) – Mandalchan La (5050m) – Riti (4900m)

kyamar - riti

  • The green valley of Kyamar is refuge to a number of species of wildlife like wild hare, black partridge, Ibex and wild donkey of Tibet called (Keyang). We observe this while approaching the pass. While coming down into the Valley of Riti River, we find some camps of shepherds with their castles. Again we climb for a while to reach our campsite which is situated in a hollow valley.
    Duration of Trek: 6-7 Hrs

Meal and accommodations
Breakfast: Made by your team
Lunch: Made by your team
Dinner: Made by your team
Accommodation: Camping
riti
5h 30m
Tsokar Lake

Day 8Riti – Shibuk La (5100m) – Tsokar Lake (4600m)

Day 8Riti – Shibuk La (5100m) – Tsokar Lake (4600m)

riti - Tsokar Lake

  • In the morning, from Riti our trail moves towards a calm desert. One-hour gentle climb takes us to Shibuk la (pass) from where we can see some part of Tsokar Lake surrounded by a number of prominent peaks. Descent through a valley leads us towards the Tsokar Lake. The area being totally dry we have to be certain about water before we camp.
    Duration of Trek: 5-6 Hrs

Meal and accommodations
Breakfast: Made by your team
Lunch: Made by your team
Dinner: Made by your team
Accommodation: Camping
Tsokar Lake
7h 20m
rajung karu

Day 9Trek Tsokar Lake – Rajung Karu

Day 9Trek Tsokar Lake – Rajung Karu

Tsokar Lake - rajung karu

  • Today is a bit longer and strenuous day. As we proceed further the landscape becomes more and more extraordinarily beautiful. While we continue our trek along the Tsokar Lake from western side the huge presence of salt at the bank of Tsokar Lake appears like a moon. Then again a fresh climb starts through a splendid valley towards an easy pass called Nuruchan la from where we can have excellent view of Tsokar Lake. From here, we walk down to the valley of Ponglong Chu where we camp near the huts of the shepherds.
    Duration of Trek: 7-8 Hrs

Meal and accommodations
Breakfast: Made by your team
Lunch: Made by your team
Dinner: Made by your team
Accommodation: Camping
rajung karu
4h 20m
Gyama Jangma

Day 10Rajung Karu – Kayaru Pass (5450m) – Gyama Jangma (5200m)

Day 10Rajung Karu – Kayaru Pass (5450m) – Gyama Jangma (5200m)

rajung karu - Gyama Jangma

  • Today the trek is short, and therefore, before leaving in the morning we spend some time at the camp to meet the nomads whose lifestyle and way of living is really admirable. The colored capes at the back of Changpa women look beautiful. We have to be careful about dogs here. Trek starts gradually towards Kayaru pass and takes us to an exceptionally beautiful site. From here the trail goes down gently to GyamaChu where we camp overnight, not away from nomads.
    Duration of Trek: 4-5 Hrs

Meal and accommodations
Breakfast: Made by your team
Lunch: Made by your team
Dinner: Made by your team
Accommodation: Camping
Gyama Jangma
4h
Base camp of Lanyal La (5250m)

Day 11Gyama Jangma – Barma La Pass (5350m) – Base Camp of Lanyal La (5250m)

Day 11Gyama Jangma – Barma La Pass (5350m) – Base Camp of Lanyal La (5250m)

Gyama Jangma - Base camp of Lanyal La (5250m)

  • Today again it is a short trekking day and our last opportunity to camp near the nomads. A short but steep climb towards Barma la (pass) from where we can have spectacular views of the peaks and valleys around. We then descend to a valley and the track leads us to Gyama Chu where we see the nomads living with their cattle. From here an easy climb takes us to our camping site nicely situated in a beautiful valley. We camp at the base of a chain of mountains. It's the highest altitude camping during our trek.
    Duration of Trek: 4 Hrs

Meal and accommodations
Breakfast: Made by your team
Lunch: Made by your team
Dinner: Made by your team
Accommodation: Camping
Base camp of Lanyal La (5250m)
7h 20m
Lanyal Pasture

Day 12Base Camp – Lanyal La Pass (5650m) – Lanyal Pasture (4850m)

Day 12Base Camp – Lanyal La Pass (5650m) – Lanyal Pasture (4850m)

Base camp of Lanyal La (5250m) - Lanyal Pasture

  • Having been at high altitude for the past eleven days everybody is well acclimatized to climb the highest pass of our trek Lanyal la at 5650m. The climb does not offer any difficulty but sometimes the high altitude makes it difficult. After crossing a small glacier, we reach the top from where we can take beautiful pictures. From the top the trail goes down towards a frozen lake where we have lunch. After trekking for a while, we again join the pastures of Lanyal valley and put up our camp there.
    Duration of Trek: 7-8 Hrs

Meal and accommodations
Breakfast: Made by your team
Lunch: Made by your team
Dinner: Made by your team
Accommodation: Camping
Lanyal Pasture
7h 20m
Lato Gongma

Day 13Lanyal Pasture – Lato Gongma (4650m)

Day 13Lanyal Pasture – Lato Gongma (4650m)

Lanyal Pasture - Lato Gongma

  • Coming down to a large valley surrounded by high mountains the landscape here is totally different from all the previous places we visited; nevertheless, marvelous. The trek goes gently along the oasis of greenery. Here we can see a number of rabbits and mammals on the way galloping quickly in the meadows.
    Duration of Trek: 7-8 Hrs

Meal and accommodations
Breakfast: Made by your team
Lunch: Made by your team
Dinner: Made by your team
Accommodation: Camping
Lato Gongma
7h
Kyangdom

Day 14Lato Gongma – Kyangdom (4500m)

Day 14Lato Gongma – Kyangdom (4500m)

Lato Gongma - Kyangdom

  • After the breakfast, the trek starts with a descent along Phirtse Chu (Chu means water, stream or a river in Tibetan language). From here, the valley abruptly gets narrow and a different landscape emerges in front of us. After trekking through the gorges and moraines the trail finally opens into a valley surrounded by colorful mountains and snow peaks around. Yes, we are at our final destination, Tsomoriri Lake. The water of the lake is crystal clear and blue.
    Duration of Trek: 7 Hrs

Meal and accommodations
Breakfast: Made by your team
Lunch: Made by your team
Dinner: Made by your team
Accommodation: Camping
Kyangdom
7h
Karzok

Day 15Trek Kyangdom – Korzok

Day 15Trek Kyangdom – Korzok

Kyangdom - Karzok

  • Today we continue our trek from the western side of this beautiful Tsomoriri Lake. (Access to the eastern side of the lake is prohibited due to its close proximity to the China border). The local people advise against taking a bath in the lake to avoid inviting wrath of Gods who supposedly get irritated by human interference in the lake. From here, a gradual climb starts along the northern side of the lake. A number of migrant and wild birds can be seen here. Magnificent village of Korzok is at an altitude of 4500m and is one of the highest inhabited villages in the World. Changpa people live here for the whole year. It also has a beautiful monastery with around 30 monks.
    Duration of Trek: 7 Hrs

Meal and accommodations
Breakfast: Made by your team
Lunch: Made by your team
Dinner: Made by your team
Accommodation: Camping
Karzok
7h-250km

Day 16Korzok - Leh

Day 16Korzok - Leh

Karzok - Leh

  • After the breakfast, we leave early morning for Leh by Jeeps which would have already reached here. A drive of about 7 hours from Tsomoriri Lake passing by another magnificent Lake of Thatsang Karu and over Namshang la (pass) before the road descends along the valley of Indus where we drive along the river from Upshi all the way to Leh is a magnificent experience.

Meal and accommodations
Lunch: Made by your team
Accommodation: Hotel Mansarovar
1h 30m-610km

Day 17Leh - Delhi by Flight

Day 17Leh - Delhi by Flight

Leh - Delhi

  • This morning we have an early morning flight to Delhi.

  • Arrive at the airport of Delhi. Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel for overnight stay.

Day 18Depart from Delhi

Day 18Depart from Delhi

  • Check-out from the hotel and transfer to the International airport or any point of convenience for onward journey to respective countries.