Images: by Ace Kvale
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High in the mountains of northern India, lies a rugged and isolated kingdom called Zanskar. Hemmed in by the mighty Himalayan and Karakoram mountain ranges, the landscape presents a maze of towering snow-covered peaks and giant glaciers. With valley heights between 8,000 and 15,000 feet above sea level, and neighboring summits rising more than 25,000 feet, the area is so remote and inaccessible that its local inhabitants, (and visitors), can only get in or out by following a frozen river during a few months out of the year.
No roads lead to the inner reaches of this region, so the villagers wait until mid winter when the Zanskar River freezes over and provides a temporary footpath to the outside world. The locals have traveled this route for centuries, trading and communicating with the neighboring kingdoms of Ladakh and Tibet. To follow the frozen Zanskar is to step back in time and to walk in the footsteps of generations that have gone before. But the opportunity won’t last forever. Warmer climate patterns make the window of navigation shorter and shorter every year, and development pressures from nearby Ladakh are slowly pushing a road into the gorge, forever altering this centuries old route to the kingdom of Zanskar.
We’ll spend 25 days walking along this traditional route. We’ll hike on the frozen Zanskar River. We’ll sleep in caves. We’ll sip hot chai tea prepared over the open fire by our native guides and porters. This trek is a strenuous undertaking, the most strenuous that Ryder-Walker has ever offered, but the reward is a once in a lifetime opportunity to visit a vanishing culture, and to participate in an expedition that our tour leader calls, “The Wildest Trek on Earth.”
Ace Kvale will lead this expedition. Ace is one of the world’s top adventure photographers and has traveled to more than sixty countries, including twenty-five expeditions to Asia and the Himalaya. Ace’s images have appeared in dozens of magazines, from National Geographic to the National Enquirer. Ace has also contributed images to dozens of books and movies and shot portraits of celebrities including Jerry Garcia and Tiger Woods. This trek is a rare opportunity to travel with a seasoned guide and one of the world’s foremost photographers.
Tour Highlights:
- A once in a lifetime opportunity to participate in a traditional way of life . See images at our Facebook page.
- A mix of accommodations ranging from caves and camps on the river, to guest houses and 5 star hotels in the villages and populated centers.
- Villages, monasteries and temples that, as of today, remain untouched by the modern world.
- A strenuous expedition through a HUGE mountain environment. Watch a video of one of Ace Kvale's previous treks on the Zanskar. See more images at Ace's personal Zanskar slideshow.
Essentials:
- The Zanskar River is only reliably frozen from the middle of January to the end of February. Hikers should be prepared for winter temperatures in the mid 30's with lows of -20 F during cold snaps.
- This is not a trek for people unfamiliar with cold weather camping and less than comfortable sleeping conditions.
- In addition to high elevation, the time spent on the ice makes the itinerary quite strenuous, taxing muscle groups in ways that many trekkers used to firm and predictable footing may not be used to.
- The conditions underfoot change hour to hour and day to day, and un anticipatable detours are often necessary meaning that we cannot predict precisely where we will spend each night or in what kind of accommodations.
Day 1—January 19, 2012
Arrive Delhi. Meet our ground staff for transfer to your hotel. Meet your guide for orientation and dinner at 7:00 pm.
Day 2—January 20, 2012
Begin the day with a beautiful flight over the Himalayas to Leh, the capital of Ladakh. Private transport will deliver us to our comfortable hotel where a traditional Himalayan welcome at 11,000 feet awaits. Spend the day sightseeing and acclimatizing in our comfortable mountain home. The small village of Leh offers a variety of sightseeing opportunities, shops and restaurants.
Day 3—January 21, 2012
Continue to explore Leh and its surroundings. Continue acclimatization. We'll enjoy a full day of sightseeing in Leh including a visit to the Stok Palace Museum & Shey Palace. An afternoon visit to the Thiksey monastery will finish the day. Return to Leh to rest, sightsee, and continue acclimatization.
Day 4—January 22, 2012
Enjoy your final acclimatization day in Leh.
Day 5—January 23, 2012
A taxi ride takes us to the end of the dirt road to Chilling. Enjoy lunch before embarking onto the ice. Our home for many days to come. Arrive in Zari Bao in later afternoon to set up camp.
Day 6—January 24, 2012
We become more comfortable with the peculiarities of walking on the ice and get to know its many moods. Overnight at Hotang Bao.
Day 7—January 25, 2012
Tonight we have a brief encounter with “civilization” in the farming hamlet of Nyerak. Well above the river, there is a track to the tiny village where we will spend the night.
Day 8—January 26, 2012
On to Zingchan our resting place for the evening. The rock walls bounding the river begin to close in creating more challenging surfaces under foot.
Day 9—January 27, 2012
Pigmo is the destination, but as always, the journey is really the destination. We enjoy another surreal night on the river.
Day 10—January 28, 2012
A milestone trekking day follows as we exit the Zanskar Gorge and enter into the open terrain surrounding Padum, one of the principal villages of inner Zanskar. Sleep indoors and enjoy excellent and warming Zanskari cooking!
Day 11—January 29, 2012
Today we enjoy a well-earned rest in Padum.
Days 12-13—January 30-31, 2012
We enjoy the fruits of the trek’s labors and make the short move to Kursha, high in the Padum Valley. Here we find Zanskar’s largest and most important monastery as well as the comforts of a local guesthouse.
Days 14—February 1, 2012
We begin our return journey enjoying an overnight in Pishu.
Day 15—February 2, 2012
We continue on to Hanumil to enjoy our last night indoors until Leh.
Days 16-19—February 3-6, 2012
On these days we retrace our steps along the ice but realize that the return journey will be anything but a repeat of the outward journey even though geographically it is the same. As we have described, the ice changes by the hour and no two moments are the same. On the 7th, we are back at the roadhead in Chilling where Jeep transport returns us to the comforts of Leh.
Day 20—February 7, 2012
Enjoy your reentry into semi-modern society in Leh. This is your final day to wander the streets and alleys of Ladakh and mingle with the locals.
Day 21—February 8, 2012
Fly to Delhi and overnight in a comfortable hotel.
Day 22—February 9, 2012
Take the Taj Mahal express to Agra and visit this legendary mausoleum and original UNES CO World Heritage Site. Overnight in Agra.
Days 23-24—February 10-11, 2012
Return to Delhi where we treat ourselves to our final nights in the lap of luxury at the 5 Star Vasant Continental Hotel.
Day 25—February 12, 2012
Depart.
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