Sure, there is so much more about Ladakh than what we have experienced so far visiting Ladakh in summers. The lakes, clear blue sky and the Milky Way in the night are second to none. Ladakh is equally beautiful, serene and magnificent in winters. It is quieter and there are less people compared to the road trip summer season and you only tourists you see are the trekkers who visit to trek the frozen Zanskar (Chadar Trek), the Markha Valley or photography enthusiasts trying to spot a snow leopard.

The main market and most of the hotels, restaurants and cafes are closed. The temperatures go down to -5 to -15 degrees (a usual day) surely making the day to day life difficult. The taps, pipes and tanks are all frozen and so one has to heat up the drinking water as well.

Now these subzero temperatures also bring along best of nature as well. The frozen water bodies are a sight. When you walk on the frozen Pangong Tso, you realize it is actually beautiful in winters (to me, probably more than summers). One can actually drive or walk on the frozen lake. It is incredibly beautiful. If you are in Ladakh around late January, you will experience almost all the water bodies frozen and as mentioned earlier, it is incredibly beautiful.

Frozen Pangong:

We were all there for our chadar trek expedition with Wanderers and we kept 2 days in the beginning and 2 days in the end free for us to explore Ladakh in winters. I will be writing about the Chadar experience with Wanderers but in this blog, I wanted to just share with you all that it is equally important to explore Ladakh in Winters because there is (actually) no place like it.

We also went to see the Indian Army team playing Ice Hockey on a frozen water body close to Leh. I had absolutely no clue about Ice Hockey and so I was thrilled watching the Team play. It was so amazing that we all spent half a day just watching them play. While we all have reasons to complain when we get up in the morning, our soldiers try to figure out how to manage their day and follow their passion irrespective of how challenging the times are. Here is a quick view of an Ice Hockey match. If you are a nature lover, it is an amazing (for sure difficult if you are not equipped properly) to camp by the frozen river. Talking quickly about Chadar Trek and the frozen Zanskar here (as I said, the blog on Chadar will follow) but just a quick view of how amazing it is to camp by the flowing river when the sides (or the most part) of it are frozen. The temperatures go as low as -20 in the Zanskar valley and the winds make it difficult but at the end of the day it is all worth it. By the way, parts of Indus are also frozen and for long stretches as well. It is that almost all the water bodies are frozen making Ladakh a completely serene experience.

The zanskar and Indus confluence at Nimoo is a magnificent sight as well. One should experience that in winters. Here is the sight from Zanskar and Indus confluence.

Overall, I would like to say it was incredible to be with Wanderers at Ladakh in winters. I did some treks with them too and I thank Wanderers team for all their hospitality and the great times we had together.

Happy to be associated with Wanderers!!

It is not really a difficult trek : Someone who has attempted a few high altitude treks in Indian Himalayas can attempt the Everest Base Camp trek. Goes without saying that you need to be fit to scale the ascends and descends but it does not necessarily require an extremely hard training schedule. Scaling a height 18500 ft (5640 Meters) is obviously not going to be easy but it is a gradual ascend through multiple villages offering comfortable stays.

Home Stays instead of Camping : Almost all the treks in Nepal offer an organized and comfortable stay option. Overnight stays at Phakding, Namche, Tengboche, Dengboche, Lobuche and Gorakshep have home stays with beds, common (but clean) washrooms, multi cuisine restaurants and hot shower facility. Charging electronics comes with an additional cost but the good part is that it is available.

Phone coverage while on the trek : Buying two SIM Cards from Kathmandu (Thamel) provides you a complete coverage (well, almost) in the entire Khumbu region. Service providers NCell and Namaste Telecom (NTC) are the two preferred service providers and absolutely strong signals throughout the trek. You can also buy an Internet pack with it and Whatsapp and other social media tools are sorted.

Meeting trekkers from around the world : Meeting travellers from around the world just adds to the fun. Sharing experiences over dinner adds to your learning and helps you understand the challenges and thrill of other slopes around the world.

Thin air challenge : Trekkers who have trekked in Ladakh, India will understand the challenge of thin air. Although, it is important to acclimatize well before (and during) the trek but the trek is not as challenging as treks in Ladakh.

Witnessing eight thousanders : It is difficult to explain in words how it feels to witness the mighty Mt. Everest (8848 Mtr/29028 ft). Having said that, there are other mighty peaks that one witnesses on this trek. Mt Lhotse (8516 Mtr/27939 ft), Mt Makalu (8470 Mtr/27788 ft) and Mt Cho Oyu (8201 Mtr/26906 ft) are other 8000 Meters+ peaks that one experiences on the Everest base camp trek.

Chopper Services : Almost all the treks in Nepal have a very well organized rescue as well as chartered chopper services available. In case of any emergency, the chopper is available to lift you up even from Gorakshep. It is a cashless process (using the insurance) and you are in Kathmandu within 45–60 minutes.

Celebrating successful attempt : Thamel offers a great variety of muti cuisine restaurants, pubs and clubs. From wood fired pizzas to live rock shows everything is a just a few steps away. Travellers from around the world make it a great town to be in.

Season for the trek : Although the Everest Base Camp trek can practically be done throughout the year, the best time to attempt is March, April, May and September, October, November and December.

Attempting EBC via Gokyo Ri : Attempting Everest Base Camp trek via Gokyo Ri is an alternate, extremely beautiful and slightly more challenging option. Taking a different route from Namche Bazar via Dole through Gokyo village/Lakes, Chola Pass and connecting back to the EBC trail at Lobuche.

If you are bored with the usual stories of bike rides to Leh, have been to some treks already and now want something a little adventurous, its time you attempted Stok Kangri Summit Trek. It is one of those summit climbs that all budding mountaineers start their 6000+ meters climbing journey with. At 6153 meters, this non-technical climb is adventurous and scenic at the same time. You will get snow in the last leg of the journey before the summit otherwise the trek is dry.

Where: Leh, Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir, India

Level: Difficult Level Trek

Height: 6153 Meters

Best time to attempt: Summer season. From June to September. While there have been successful summits in winter too, but it is only for experienced climbers to attempt in those harsh conditions.

Days Required: 9 Days minimum (2 days of acclimatization in Leh and 7 days of trek including one extra day at base camp)

Best ways to attempt: Hire an agency that does this for a living. While many will attempt this solo or along with some friends, please remember that this trek is in the Himalayas and is about 5500 meters. At that height, the dangers of changing weather, falling sick due to AMS etc can make any situation into a life-threatening situation. Only experienced and trained staff would be able to make the right choices in these situations and save a life!

Which agency to hire: Do a thorough check on their credentials, their experience. No honest agency would have issues is answering questions like — How experienced is the guide? How big the groups are? Any group size over 10–12 trekkers is a strict no. Is the guide trained in emergency medical response? What is the rescue plan in case of emergency? Porter to trekker ratio? What kind of food would be available? Types of tents / equipment that will be used? Every groups of 10–12 trekkers must have — One experienced Guide + one Trek Leader + 1:1 Ratio of porter and trekker.

Route:

Day 1 and 2 — Arrive in Leh (Stay in hotel, do not strain yourself at all)
Day 3 — Drive to Stok Village and trek to ChangMa
Day 4 — Trek from ChangMa to Manskarmo.
Day 5 — Trek from Manskarmo to Base Camp.
Day 6 — Base Camp to Advance Base Camp and back to Base camp.
Day 7 — Base Camp to Summit and back to Manskarmo.
Day 8 — Manskarmo to Stok Village. Drive to Leh
Day 9 — Back to home.

Overall the trek is aprox. 20 kms from Stok Village to summit and you do it in 4 days. An average of 5 Km every day. Many of you must have done longer treks in a day before this however due to the altitude gain, this is a different game altogether. Though non-technical, it is a difficult trek. The ascent up to the ridge and subsequently to the top of the summit is challenging and demands a strong fitness level. After you complete your trek every day, post some refreshments and rest you must always go for the acclimatization walk to the surrounding hills. As you climb up to the hills, the lungs will work 3 times faster to get the oxygen it requires to sustain. Once you are at the top, rest for a while and then come back. When you are coming back, the lungs keep working the same manner and because you are coming down, oxygen levels will be better. This will make you feel better and refreshed. This is something that must be done everyday to better acclimatize.

Points to Remember:

1) Hire and experienced Trekking Agency post checking credentials.
2) Plan your trip in a manner that you have a day or two as back up in case the weather goes bad, you will have time in hand to attempt it again.
3) Drink lots of water, starting from the time you start your journey to Leh till you back home. At- least twice the levels of what you would drink in the plains. Water provides oxygen to the body, which is much needed at that altitude.
4) Do not take any medication especially Diamox without medical supervision.
5) If you are on medication, please ensure that your Trek Leader is aware of the same.
6) You must be in GOOD physical condition to attempt this trek. Ask for a plan from the trekking organization to get fit before the trek. Your planning should start at least 3–4 months before in case you are not active in sports.
7) Pack well for adverse conditions. Must carry clothes for rain and snow. Weather does change abruptly and in quick succession.

I have been a trekker for 10 long years. I have done treks like Rupin Pass, Valley of flowers trek, Chadar trek, Sangla Valley, Stok Kangri to name a few. I have been in Himalayas for a very long time now. I ready about the Markha Valley trek on Internet and then explored some more on the valley in ladakh. I really found it extremely beautiful.

I contacted Wanderers as one of my friends trekked with them in ladakh and so I got through to them. They had a batch going for Markha in late January so I decided to tag along and booked myself for Markha Valley trek.

We all met at Leh in hotel Zen. Extremely beautiful property I must say. Wanderers keep 2 days of acclimatization for any trek in ladakh. We were asked to relax completely on day 1 and continue to sip water. The meals and rooms were great at the hotel. The next day we were taken out for shopping some of the gear we needed and if someone needed anything else. We explored the leh maket and had another easy day. We had a briefing session in the evening and were explained how the terrain would be, how to pack the bags, what to carry and we met the extended team in the hotel.

Next morning, we drove in a scorpio to Chilling. Stopping for a few minutes at Nimmo confluence (Zanskar and Indus). Definitely a great sight. The roads were all white and snow covered. We reached chilling and a short trek got us to out our homestay. It was a warm cozy dormitory with a local heater in the center (bukhari). We had our dinner and called it a night. Our next stop was going to be Skiu (Skew) via Kaya.

The next morning, we had breakfast at ease and started our trek. We were to go across the river through a manual trolley to continue. The trolley could only take 2 people at one time. It was scary for sure but at the same time a lot of fun.

We continued our way through a small pass to the village called Skiu (also spelled as Skew) at some places. After having tea at Kaya, we continued. Kaya is a small village right near Skiu. May be about 30–40 minutes of walk to cover from Kaya to Skiu (Skew). Once there we had 2 large rooms and soup was served in the evening. Nights as usual are simply rice and veggies or lentils. After a story telling session, we called it a day.

Following day, we started around 9. We were to cover quite a bit of distance to reach our next destination called Sara. We had lunch on the way as we made our way up. The village (like every other village in ladakh region) welcomes you with prayer flags at quite a distance. That is a sign that we are almost there as the territory is marked. In Sara, there were about 6–7 houses in total. And the village had only one serving tea house managed by an old lady. The old lady supported by a couple of more ladies manages the house, which has about 2–3 rooms for trekkers to stay. The village (to say the least) is absolutely magical. Covered with snow, it was a view to remember. In the evening, the lady came in to socialize and sang local ladakhi song to which one of our trek leads started dancing with her. We had dinner and got into our sleeping bags. It takes time in -20/- 25 degrees to warm up your sleeping bags as well.

Following day, after a little briefing session, we started to trek towards Markha village. While the rest of the trek was fairly flat, one has to negotiate a steep ascend to enter Markha village. Once done, we were in Markha. It did not take long from Sara to Markha. We were there in Markha home stay around lunch time. It was again a big dormitory and we all had a great time in the evening. We went to explore the Markha monastery as well in the morning. Which was really old and amazingly beautiful. Lest I forget, the homestay in Markha also has a phone facility to make calls.

The following morning, we started retracing our steps but with continues snow fall every night, the view is completely different than our way up. Markha Valley trek in winters is definitely a must do. There is no doubt that it will give a feel of “heaven on earth” and is also a great trek to experience local ladakhi culture.