Zanskar Rafting Expedition (Grade 4 plus)

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This expedition which runs for a spectacular two weeks and covers most of the western Ladakh, which includes monasteries, palaces, villages, hikes and travels down three rivers. The trip takes you down the extremely desolate, remote and sheer Zanskar gorge with walls rising a few thousand feet out of the river bed, culminating on the mighty Indus River, at the historic monastic conclave at Alchi.

The trip begins with a flight over the Himalayas into the Trans-Himalayan region of Ladakh in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. We spend a few days in Leh town acclimatizing at 11,000 feet above sea level and visiting the ancient monasteries, palaces and villages around Leh. We drive west of Leh past the town of Kargil and travel south into the valley of Zanskar, one of the coldest inhabited places on earth.

Zanskar valley stands amid Great Himalayan Range and the Zanskar mountains. Zanskar River came into existence by the convergence of two Himalayan tributaries; the Stod/Doda and the Lingti-Tsarap rivers. Starting the trip on the Doda River, we begin our self contained multi-day river adventure down the spectacular and scenic Zanskar river gorge.

Undoubtedly a classic, this journey is till the last truly lost horizon of our shrinking planet -Zanskar, the "land of white copper”. It is a trip of a lifetime.

Day 1: Our representative will pick you up from Leh airport and transfer you to the hotel. You can choose to take rest or check out the extraordinary market center of Leh, where charismatic shops, restaurants, and taverns occupy the street sides; where people of at least a dozen different languages and cultures intermingle; and from where one can view spectacular mountain ranges, the precariously perched Leh Monastery, and a must see place - the famous sunset point Shanti Stupa.

Day 2: This day is dedicated for visiting the monasteries (104 Kms). After breakfast, we will drive to visit the Shey Palace, Thiksey, Hemis monasteries and Stok Palace Museum. Packed or Hot Lunch will be provided in the journey. Return to Leh in the evening. Stay overnight in the hotel.

Day 3: On this day we will drive the Surgren-Leh Road over two mountain passes, the highest of which, Fotu La, is over 14,000 ft in height. Along the winding course we stop at the Lamayuru monastery, one of the oldest gompas in the Himalaya. After eight hours on the road, we will reach Kargil where we check into a nice hotel and have a healthy dinner of Indian cuisines. After the dinner take rest for another day of travel.

Day 4: This day brings one of the most spectacular drives in the world! Heading out of Kargil, we ascend up the Suru River Valley, passing through quaint farmlands stretched out beneath colossal glaciated peaks, the highest of which, Mounts Nun and Kun are 7135 meters in elevation. Tonight we make our first camp in a vast meadow, surrounded by dazzling geological formations, high in the upper reaches of the Suru drainage. Three miles across the meadow we can figure out the outlines of remote Rangdum monastery, perched precariously atop a minute crag at 4000mts.

Day 5: After the morning Breakfast, the last leg of our drive will take us over 4400mts to Pensi-La Pass, affording breathtaking views of the Zanskar Mountain Range and that of the Zanskar River headwaters. Tonight we set camp at our put-in location on the river, framed by the massive peaks of the Himalayan Zanskar Range, eat a spectacular dinner of Indian fare, and take rest so as to refresh ourselves for the next part of our expedition.

Days 6-9: We spend these days rafting the Zanskar River. This is one of the most dramatic river canyons in the world. We begin our downstream journey with small rapids, drifting through spectacular mountain backdrops and alongside remote Zanskari villages. The whitewater becomes progressively more difficult as we move downstream. We’ll navigate several narrow Class III and IV mini gorges; and will scout at least one section aptly named “The Pinch”. The scenery is spectacular, with massive cliffs opening up to lush side valleys, waterfalls streaming directly out of the canyon walls, and glimpses of glaciated mountaintops in the distance. Each afternoon we’ll set up a camp on the riverbank and work together to create delicious meals. Every camp allows opportunities for hiking and for further exploration of the gorge and its many side canyons. We’ll also spend one layover day exploring Neiraq, an ancient Zanskari village and monastery accessible only by foot.

Day 10: Today we encounter the last of the Class III and IV whitewaters, and float past the enormous and dramatic confluence with the Indus River. We take-out, load up, and drive a short distance and hike up to the thousand year-old Alchi Monastery. After a quick visit we drive back to Leh (1 hr). We will stay overnight at a Hotel.

Day 11: Transfer to the airport and fly back to Delhi with sweet memories of Ladakh.

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