ITINERARY DAY 1: DELHI  Arrive Delhi. Meet and transfer to our five star hotel for a welcome orientation and dinner. DAY 2: DELHI TO LEH  Begin the day with a beautiful flight over the Himalaya to Leh, the capital of Ladakh. Private transport will deliver us to our comfortable hotel. 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: LEH  Explore the Indus Valley by jeep. Visit Stok, the Shey Palace and the Thiksey Monastery. Return to Leh to rest, sightsee, and continue acclimatization. DAY 4: LEH TO SKIU   Today, we'll transfer by jeep to the trailhead. A pleasant walk along the mountainside carries us to the Ganda La pass, situated at 16,339 feet. Continue to Shingo village. Following an easy walk, we’ll camp at Skiu and visit the Skiu Monastery. Camp at 11,200 feet. DAY 5: SKIU TO MARKHA  A long, but gentle day takes us to the village of Markha, one of the few permanent settlements in the valley. We’ll have the evening to explore the village and share a cup of tea with the locals. Camp at 12,200 feet. DAY 6: MARKHA TO THACHUNGSTE  Visit Hankar Yokma village & the hilltop Umlung Monastery. Enjoy spectacular views from the monastery, return to camp at Thachungtse. DAY 7: THACHUNGSTE TO NIMALING  We’ll climb into a high, narrow valley above Thachungtse. Cross pastures to Nimaling, one of the most beautiful high valleys of Ladakh, which sits at a height of 15,420 feet. On the right side stands the Kangyatse Peak (21,000 feet). This is our highest camp during the tour at 15,000 feet. DAY 8: NIMALING  Rest day in Nimaling with an option to further explore the valley and/or its adjacent high peaks. DAY 9: NIMALING TO CHOGDO  We’ll enjoy a long climb along the mountainside then zigzag up to the Kongmaru La to a height of 16,896 feet, our high point for the tour. Several easy stream crossings add value to today’s spectacular hike. Descend to camp. DAY 10: CHODGO TO LEH  Continue to Chuskurmo and finish the trek at Shang Sumdo. Jeep transfer to Leh. DAY 11: LEH  Rest and further exploration of Leh. Souvenir shopping and celebration dinner. DAY 8: DEPART Transfer to Delhi on an early morning flight. 61 "We enjoyed most getting close to the Ladakhi culture." – John H. TRIP RATINGS Challenging hiking up to 5 to 7 hours a day with ascents up to 2,700 feet. (Trip rating descriptions found on page 8.) EFFORT 4/ 4 COMFORT 2/ 4 3/ 4 TERRAIN *Luggage transfer daily. NOTE: Daily itineraries on all our guided treks are subject to change. Your guide(s) will make route decisions based on weather and terrain conditions as well as hiker's abilities. Kangyatse Leh Skiu Markha Thachungste Nimaling Chogdo Shey Palace Thiksey Monastery Hemis Monastery Stok Kangri Ganda La 16,339 feet Kongmaru La 16,896 feet To Delhi LADAKH CHALLENGING HIKING