Nubra Valley Trek
NUBRA VALLEY
The Nubra is a tributary of the Shyok River which flows parallel
to the Indus on the northern side of the Ladakh range. Because
of its lower altitude the valley has a mild climate and is therefore
richer in vegetation. It is often referred to as the "Orchard
of Ladakh". 
In ancient times, the valley was part of the
Caravan Route, today it offers unparalleled trekking opportunities
and scenic landscapes. It is also the natural habitat of the double
backed Bactrian Camel.
Buddhist monasteries flourished in the valley
among which the famous Diskit Gompa. This monastery, over 350
years old, is the oldest in the Nubra region. It is also one of
the largest.The monastery belongs to the Gelugpa (Yellow Hat)
Sect. The Nubra valley is accessible from Leh via a number of
high passes. One of them is the Khardong-la, the highest motorable
pass at 5600 m.
Day 1: Arrival in Delhi. Early morning flight to Leh.
Day 2: Tour of Leh city, including
the 17th century palace and gompa.
Day 3-4: Touring the monasteries
and palaces of the Indus valley.
Day 5: We take a morning stroll
to Sankar Gompa, then to the nearby village of Sabu. Overnight
in Sabu.
Day 6: In Sabu, we meet our
horses and begin the trek. Our first day takes us through lovely
grazing areas to the campsite at Polu Digar. From this vantage
point, the Stok mountains appear to float majestically above the
Indus valley.
Day 7: Continue upward to the
Digar La base camp. A short day to aid acclimatization.
Day 8: We make an early start
to cross the 17,230 ft. Digar La. From the top, views stretch
south to the Zanskar range and north to the Saser range, Ladakh's
highest peaks. The descent is steady and we camp by a lovely meandering
stream at Chumik Yogma.
Day 9: Continue down through
the village of Digar to the tiny settlement of Aghyam.
Day 10: Trek to Tangyar, a prosperous
village in a remarkable location.
Day 11: Continue upward to
Dhungle, our base camp for the pass.
Day 12:
Our second pass! Ascend the 17,061 foot Wuri La for views all
the way to the Karakoram in Pakistan! Descend to camp at Zule
Tokpo.
Day 13: Finish the trek with
a short walk out to the village of Sabu, and the TakTok gompa,
an ancient shrine built within an impressive cave. Travel by jeep
over 18,000 foot plus Chang La to the village of Tangtse, where
we camp amongst idyllic meadows.
Day 14: We explore the shoreline
of the brilliant turquoise and azure Pangong Lake, Ladakh's largest
and one of the great salt lakes of Central Asia. Proximity to
the Chinese border prevents us from penetrating much beyond the
western shore or camping at the lakeside, but the views are stupendous.
Our return to Leh takes us back over Chang La, the second highest
motorable road on earth. Back in the Indus valley, we visit the
little-known gompa of Chemrey before returning to Leh that evening.
Day 15: Morning flight to Delhi,
on arrival check in Hotel. Stay overnight at Hotel.
Day 16: Depart- Delhi Transfer
to airport for flight to onwards journey.
