Spituk To Matho Trek

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This is one of the easy treks in Ladakh; it is a good start for those who have a short time to get acclimatized to the conditions. It runs through western part of Leh Sham. The trek will give you a great opportunity to see several ancient monasteries and villages rich in culture and agriculture, one.

This trek is easily accessible from Leh and offers a diverse landscape with famous peaks like Stok Kangri (6115m), Kang Yatse (6400mts) and the Zanskar Range from the south west. During these treks, one can view Karakorum and Nun Kun Range (above 7000m) from the top of a high pass. This trek encompasses the Hemis National Park and it is not difficult to spot wild animals. As a matter of fact, National Geographic made an award winning documentary in the Rumbak valley regarding Snow Leopards. This is the perfect trek if you are looking for a shorter option, beautiful view and moderate difficulty. This trek gives a flavour of trekking in Ladakh in a shorter duration of time.

Day 01:

Spituk to Zingchen 3700 m (4-5 hours)

We begin our journey in a jeep. The roads are very dry with a very exposed land, so we need water and protection against the sun. After 3 hours of journey the landscape becomes greener as we go into the Zingchen Valley, where the Rumbak River flows into the Indus. Our camp is in the small village of Zingchen, which means ‘big field’, where there are just two houses. The rest of the day will be spent enjoying the view and maybe even a dip in the river.

Day 02:

Zingchen to Rumbak 3900 m (3-4 hours)

We enter Hemis National Park, home to the famous Snow Leopard, Blue Sheep, Ladakhi Urial (a type of goat), great Tibetan sheep (Arghali), red fox, Tibetan wolf, wild dog (dhole), Lynx, marmot and mountain hare. We start our climb gradually up to village of Rumbak, through a beautiful gorge from which the Stok peaks come into view from time to time. Rumbak is known as a place to see and research on the magnificent Himalayan snow leopard.

Day 03:

Rumbak to Mancarmo 4200 m via Stok la 4900 m(5 –6 hrs)

The trail up to the base of Stok la (4900 m) starts fairly but becomes steeper as we approach the pass. Views of the Indus valley and remarkable colorful rock formations of Stok la will reduce the hardship of our climb. We descend along the mountainside up and down until we reach some stone houses, used by the Stok villagers for summer pasture. Our campsite at Mancarmo is also a first camp for the Stok Kangri approach.

Day 04:

Mancarmo to Gang-Poche (4-5 hrs)

After breakfast, we start climbing from Mancarmo. We take another valley towards east and later reach a nice green gorge. Following the same gorge, after a little steep climb, we will reach the amazing Gang-Poche a nice pasture land with breath-taking landscapes we will camp here for overnight stay.

Day 05:

Gang-Poche to Matho (4 hrs)

From Gang-Poche we will descend towards Matho village through a narrow valley following a stream, which will widen gradually. From here we get a panoramic view of Stakna Thicksey, Shey, Sabu, and Leh. It is possible to visit the Stok palace. After this, we will drive back to Leh. The drive to Leh takes about 30-45 minutes.

Price: INR 14000 per person

Best Season to Visit:

July to September

Duration: 5 Days

Highest point: Stokla Pass 4850 m

Grade: Medium