Markha valley trek

Leh to Chilling (Drive) and then Walk to Sku. Distance:- 70 km Drive. 7km walk. Duration:- 2hour Drive 1to 2 hour Walk After Breakfast drive from leh to chilling , the drive will be for atleast 1 Hrs/ 30 minutes. You will reach Chilling and then you have to cross Zansker river via a trolly it will be very adventurous. There we used to have a Bridge but it got washed away by the Flood. After that start the walk from Chilling to skiu, the walk will be for at least 2 Hrs. Before you reach skiu you will pass by another village called Kaya.   Overnight you stay in Home stay or Camping.

Skiu (11,160 feet) to Markha (12,369 feet), Distance:- 20 km Duration:- 6 -7 hours trek Day 2 Trek details:  Today is a moderate day for trekking with very less altitude gain/loss though there is a lot of distance to cover. From Skiu, head eastwards towards the Markha Valley. Walk alongside the Markha River with mountains on both sides. The trail for the day is a relatively level walk over the river bed, side trails along the river with few sections where you have to climb up and down due to broken down trails in few sections. Walk beside the river for 2 km till reach you to a bridge section. Do not cross over but stay on course along the river. The trail from here has few washout sections requiring you to climb few meters up and down to pass the broken section of the trail. The trail to Chalak village from here goes through a bridge crossing towards your left and a further 2 km trek to reach a clearing known as Narding followed with a 3km walk up the valley to a spot called Sara where there is ample space for camping. Another one km and you reach a bridge crossing section. Cross the bridge and return back to the right side of the river. Observe cultivated Barley fields ahead. You have reached Chalak. This is a suitable place to have lunch. It   takes 5 to 6 hours to reach Chalak from Skiu. From Chalak the trail ascends gradually as you pass by a trail marked with Bharal horn for directions. Observe chortens and mani walls set high above the river throughout the way. After 2 to 3 km the valley opens up and a river crossing takes you to Markha Village. Let the guide decide the best spot for the river crossing. You may find the level of water to be thigh high. The water is icy cold so better to take off your shoes and socks and pull up your pants. Once you cross over, trek for a couple of kilometres till you see a final bridge crossing. As you cross over the bridge you approach Markha -the biggest village of the area. This village has 25 houses. An old fort dated back to 1830’s can be seen here. Towards your north, look for a renovated Gompa. Overnight in Home stay or Camping.

Markha (12,369 feet) to Thochuntse (13,165 feet), Distance:-13 km Duration:- 5 – 6 hours trek Day 3 Trek details:  Today is another moderate day for trekking. Follow the trail from Markha village alongside Markha River, remaining at the right side. Ignore a wooden plank bridge. After 2 km you reach the intersection where a path from Zanskar meets up. Look for suitable spots to cross over Markha River. You will be required to cross over at least twice. Consult a local in Markha or leave it to the experience of your guide to make this decision. After the second river crossing it is a 2 hour hike up to Umlung.  Look out for the Umlung Gompa and cross over from its base to reach Umlung. You can get a breathtaking view of Mt. Kang Yissay as you climb up from Umlung towards Tacha and Hankar. After 2 hours, skirting up a gorge, you reach an old village named Hankar. A km beyond Hakar the trail splits into two. One going to Thochuntse and the other to Zalung karpo La. Follow the trail going along the tributary takes you to Thochuntse which is another 1 km ahead. Pass a bridge made of stones and you enter a field area which is Thochuntse. Overnight in Home stay or Camping.

Thochuntse (13,165 feet) to Nimaling (15518 feet) Distance:- 11km Diration:- 3 hours trek Day 4 Summary and details: Easy trek today.  It’s a shorter 6 kms trek to Nimaling.15 minutes from the Thotchuntse campsite, the trail forks. Take the trail to the left. After an hour’s climb, the terrain is smoother, curvier. The climb becomes gradual. One and a half hours into the climb, brings you to a pond where you can fill water. A long walk on a grassy meadow brings you to Nimaling. You see gushing streams on your left with a glacier behind the Kang Yatse and to the right is the Kang Yatse peak. The campsite of Nimaling is in a broad valley and is completely exposed to strong winds. When it snows, the green of the valley turns to a complete white carpet. Yak herders from Hankar Village have temporary stone settlements here in the summer months. Since it can snow at Nimaling any time. Overnight in Home stay or Camping.

Nimaling (15518 feet), to Chokdo. Distance:-16 to18 km Duration:- 6– 7 hours trek Pass of the Day:- Kongmaru-la (5200mtr) Day 5 Trek details:  Today is a difficult day due to the highest altitude pass crossing of the trek. From Nimaling look ahead towards Kongmaru la Pass. Cross a stream section and proceed towards the north climbing a long face of a ridge leading to Kongmaru la Pass. The hike from Nimaling to Kongmaru la pass takes around 2 hours and is a steep incline hike. At the top of the pass you will get a great view of Indus valley and Ladakh ranges. You can also see a wide array of wildflowers on the slope leading to the pass. You also get a mobile signal of BSNL network here. The downhill descent from the pass to chowdo is brutal. The terrain is rocky and drops down steeply as you enter into a narrow canyon. As soon as you reach Chokdo. The driver will be waiting for you and transfer back to Hotel. Hot  shower and then Good dinner.