Rumtse to Tsomiriri Lake – Ladakh, India

About India

India, officially Republic of India, is the seventh largest country in the world by area. It also has the second largest population in the world with over a billion people, and prides in being the largest democracy on Earth. It is an extremely diverse country, with vast differences in geography, climate, culture, language and ethnicity across its expanse.

The earliest archaeological traces are from 7000 BC in Mehrgarh, which grew to be the “Indus Valley Civilization”, which is one of the earliest civilizations in the world. By 3300 BC, this civilization had well-planned towns and well-laid roads.

India’s culture and heritage are a rich combination of the past and the present. It offers the visitor a view of fascinating religions and ethnography, a vast variety of languages with more than 438 living languages, and monuments that have been present for thousands of years.

From the tallest mountain range in the world, Himalaya, to sun washed beaches, dense sub-tropical jungles to deserts, tranquil temples and rich architectural ancient monuments to frenetic bazaars, lantern lit villages to software supreme cities, India has it all. There’s simply no other word that captures the enigma that is in India. With an ability to aspire, frustrate, thrill and confound all at once, India presents an extraordinary spectrum of encounters for the traveler. India also boasts on having one of the wildest and largest culinary varieties in the world, each region presenting their own specialty. This is one country that will definitely jostle your entire being. It’s a place that fires the imagination and stirs the soul like nowhere else on earth.

India at a glance:

Area: 3,287,590 Sq Kms
Population: 1.2 billion
Capital city: New Delhi

About Ladakh

Ladakh, “The land of high passes”, is a region in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. Although, rock carvings found in many parts of Ladakh indicate that the area has been inhabited from Neolithic times, not much is known about Ladakh before the 1st century. During the 2nd century when much of eastern Ladakh and western Tibet was still practicing the Bon religion, Buddhism started to spread into western Ladakh from Kashmir. In 842 Nyima-Gon, a Tibetan royal prince annexed Ladakh after the break-up of the Tibetan empire, and founded a separate Ladakhi dynasty. During this period, Ladakh acquired a predominantly Tibetan population. Also known as “Little Tibet” Ladakh’s culture and history are closely related to that of Tibet.

The largest town in Ladakh is Leh, followed by Kargil. Ladakhis are Tibetan-Mongoloid in appearance although traces of Kashmiri Moslem influence can also be seen. The predominant religion in Ladakh is the Tibetan form of Buddhism, although Islamic influences are found from the Kashmir Valley as far as Kargil, and there are some Christian families in Leh.

Some interesting facts about Ladakh

• Ladakh is the highest settlement in India. The fields at Korzok, on the Tso-moriri Lake, at 4,600m are widely considered to be the highest cultivated lands in the world.
• A Bailey bridge between the Suru River and Dras River in Ladakh, is the highest bridge in the world at an altitude of 5,602m.
• Only place in India where twin humped Bactrian camels can be found.
• Ladakh is home to the mystical Magnetic Hill, which is a so-called “gravity hill”. The alignment of the road with the slope of the background can give the illusion that cars are able to drift upwards.
• The Pangong lake in Ladakh is one of the highest salt lakes in the world
• Kadakh is also home to some of the rare species of wildlife including Snow Leopard, Kyang (wild ass), Black Necked Cranes, Himalayan Ibex and several other species of brids and animals.

Recommended preparation:

Stamina is essential, as walking days are long. We recommend previous trekking experience, preferably at altitude. Walking or jogging 45 mins to 1 hour for at least two times a week on undulating terrain or on a tread mill with inclined angle for at least 3 months prior to departure. Cycling is recommended. Long day hikes on weekends with a daypack in variable weather conditions is also recommended.

A Day On Your Trek

Although each day is different, considering the weather, general pace of the group and length of the days walk, in general your day begins with a wake up tea at around 6 to 6:30 in the morning. You will then be provided with a bowl of warm water for washing. Then you will need to pack your duffel bag and your daypack and come to the dining tent for breakfast.After breakfast we will hit the trail and usually walk for about 3 to 4 hrs before we stop for lunch. Lunches are usually picnic packed lunch. We allow you about an hour rest during lunch, which will also give enough time for the staff to prepare lunch, wash dishes and have their lunch and pack. Usually after 3 to 4 hrs of walking we finish the days walk by 4 PM. Tea/ Coffee and snacks will be served on arrival to the camp. Your Group Leader will often organize side trips in the afternoon.
Your dinner will be served around 7 PM.

Food and water

The cook and the kitchen crew prepares hot food which is normally a very balanced diet comprising of fresh vegetables and breads, to pastas and sandwiches and occasionally even cakes and pizzas. Breakfasts are usually bread eggs and cereals, and lunch and dinner are a three course meals. We make sure that you get the required amount of carbohydrates and proteins and vitamins as you burn a lot of calories walking uphills, so plenty of vegetables, canned meat and fish and eggs and cereals are carried.We provide boiled and treated water 4 times a day.

High Altitude

On this trek you will be going up to 5400m, so it is very important to understand the affects of altitude. The greatest provocation is going too high too fast. Hi On Life Adventures’s itinerary has been carefully designed to minimize the effects of altitude. We ascend slowly and surely allowing enough time for safe acclimatization.Headaches and breathlessness are common at altitude which in itself is nothing to worry about. In rare cases, this may worsen to Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), so a close watch is kept on all trekkers by the group leader who is trained to recognize the symptoms of AMS which are severe headaches, nausea, lethargy, loss of appetite serious breathlessness even at rest. If any trekkers show such signs they will be descended to relatively lower and safer altitude. The Group Leader’s decision on evacuating such person to a safe altitude is final. Do not medicate yourself without first informing your group leader. Going to altitude slowly with adequate rest and adequate intake of fluid (3 to 4 litres per day), you will most likely have no problems apart from breathlessness on hills which is completely normal as the percentage of Oxygen in the air is relatively lower to that at sea level. The most important thing is not to worry about altitude because our team is there to take care of you.

Staff

Group leader: your most important member of your staff. Our Group leaders are highly trained in all aspects of the trek, conservation, first aid specializing on
altitude sickness, emergency procedures and have extensive knowledge of the natural history of the area.

Sirdar: His job is to manage and organize staff duties, select and organize campsites. He is responsible for the actual operation of the trek.

Sherpas: Their job is to lead your way and distribute equal loads to the porters and also help clients and other staff when need arises.

Porters: They are responsible to transport your duffle bags and their job finishes once they reach the designated lodge. Our porters are provided with Gore-Tex suits, trekking boots, gloves, hats, socks, snow gaiters and snow goggles. Most importantly, we regulate them on a 25 Kg carrying load. Our clients can therefore feel comfortable knowing that our porters are working in a good humane condition.

Please note: In our Ladakh trips, we do not use porters, instead we have mules and horses to carry the gears.

Weather

The best time for this trek is June till August. It is summer time in Ladakh and the temperatures are pleasant at high altitude. However, below 4000m it can be soaring 28 C in the sun. Another typical thing about the climate in Ladakh is that the temperature varies enormously. It can be 28 C+ on a sunny day and within an hour the temperature could drop below 10 C if it gets cloudy. At altitudes above 4500m the night time temperatures could drop just below freezing.

Recommendations for things you should bring:

• Water bottle: 3 bottles min 1 liter each, should be able to hold hot water)
• Day pack: medium size 35-40 liters
• Sunglasses: Poloroid/ UV protection 2-4
• Duct tape: Small roll for emergency fixing of torn jacket/ sleeping bags etc.
• Stuff bags: Small stuff bags or plastic bags to organize you duffle bag
• Money belt
• Toiletries: Your essentials. We provide toilet papers
• Towel: Quick dry travel towel
• Torch: Preferably head lamp
• Penknife
• Disposable lighter
• Sewing kit
• Medical kit: As per your prescriptions. It should be noted that the group leader will be carrying a first aid kit.

Optional

• Walking sticks ( highly recommended)
• Cameras
• Knee guard for those with bad knees.
• Daytime snack (chocolates/ dry fruit trail mix)

Clothing

• Trousers: 2 lightweight for easy walking and 1 warmer for colder days preferable wind/water proof, 1
• stretchable running trousers
• Shorts: 1 (Not too high cut revealing ones)
• T-shirts: 2 light cotton or preferably polypropylene
• Full sleeves T- shirts: 2 preferably poly propylene or wool.
• Hats: 1 Sunhat and 1 woollen one for colder days
• Buff (cover for your mouth and keeps your neck warm)
• Gloves: 1 warm woollen/ fleece and 1 medium weight Gore-Tex
• Thermal underwear: 2 pair light weight tops and trousers, preferably woollen, and 1 pair medium weight
• Socks: At least 4 pairs (both thin and thick woollen ones)
• Jackets: 1 fleece/ wool and 1 Gore-Tex wind/waterproof. Please note that we provide down jackets.
• Walking boots: Preferably waterproof
• Gym shoes/sandals For evenings

For every trek we provide these extremely warm down jacktes and -10C to -20C extreme temperature down sleeping bags depending on altitude.

Healthy and trouble free holiday

Please consult a doctor for vaccination against Typhoid, Meningitis, polio, and hepatitis. If you have special dietary requirements or allergies, please give us a list of what you can and can’t eat so that we can provide proper food for you. If you are undergoing a course of prescription medicine, please ensure that you have sufficient supplies for the entire holiday. Some types of drugs including antimalarias have side effects at high altitude; therefore please consult your doctors regarding these drugs. The places you trek are mosquito free and there has been no report on malaria in Ladakh and you do not spend a lot of time in the low
lands of India.

Insure yourself:

We highly recommend you to take a comprehensive Personal Travel Insurance before leaving home. This should cover for your loss of baggage, airline delays, sickness, and accidents. It should cover all incuring costs for evacuations.

Money Matters

The ideal currency to bring with you is USD or Euro. You can exchange them in Delhi or Leh. You can also draw money from ATM machines in New Delhi or Leh.The exchange rate is 1 USD = 62 Indian Rupees approx. (subject to change)

In Delhi and Agra: During the entire trip the only meals that you need to pay for are 3 dinners and 2 to 3 lunches depending on your time of departure flight. Delhi has a wide variety of restaurants with a very wide range of price. Depending on where you eat, each meal will cost anything between 5 to 25 USD + drinks. Plus 20 to 30 USD for your taxis if you wish to go around the city.

On trek: Basically there are no place where you can spend money on the trek. However, in few places you might find small tea shops that sells cold drinks, chocolates etc. It is recomended to bring around 5 USD per day. This money is chocolates, soft drinks and beers etc and also for small donations in the monasteries.

Tipping

Although tipping is entirely optional and personal matter the following is recommended as a guideline

In Delhi and Leh: for bellboys, waiters and porters 50 to 100 Indian Rupees

On the trek: At the end of the trek it is a customary to tip the field staff. The recommended amount is 100-150 USD depending on group size. The Group leader will collect the tip and then split it between the staff and put it in envelops so that the trekkers can give it to the staff during the “Farwell Ceremonies”. Please note- the Group Leader is not included in this tip. If you want to tip the Group Leader, you can do it seperately.

Some Do’s and Don’ts

Ladakhki people treat visitors as special guests. Although they will never rebuke you publicly for unknowingly offending them, we must consider their culture.

While in Ladakh please observe the following:

• Full or partial nudity is not accepted.
• Over display of affection between men and women, especially in temples and monasteries are discouraged.
• Please remove your shoes before entering monasteries and temples.
• Never point the soles of your feet at a person or shrine.
• Locals walk around the Mani walls and Stupas in a clockwise direction as a respect and they expect you to do the same although it is not compulsory.
• Please ask before taking pics of a person or his/her child

Some useful tips while travelling in Delhi and Agra

Dress code: Dress sensibly and don’t walk around alone at night. For men knee length shorts and t shirts and sandals are best to cope up with the heat but in some temple and mosques you need to wear long trousers. For women it would be wise to cover up and dress modestly to avoid unwarranted advances. Light cotton trousers or knee length skirts are ideal and avoid bare back dresses.

Personal space: The concept of personal space is almost nonexistent in almost all over India. Whether you’re standing in a queue or walking in a crowded Bazaar, get used to moving shoulder-to-shoulder.

People in North India tend to stare a lot: Please don’t be offended because most of them do this out of curiosity. Easy way to deal with this is to not make direct eye contact with strangers and passersby. Get used to it and don’t let this make you uncomfortable.

Bargaining skills: In shopping malls the prices are fixed and you cannot bargain. However, in rest of your shopping adventure, it is inevitable that you will be exploited to a certain degree, the simple fact is that most vendors know you have money. Skillful bartering takes practice- a beginner’s rule of thumb is to cut the
starting price in half and then work your way to a middle ground.

Beware of Pickpockets: The streets of Delhi can become very crowded, exposing you up to a risk of being easily pick-pocketed. Keep your money in your money belt or in a forward facing backpack to avoid any thieves. If you need to take money out of your wallet, it is best to find a quiet spot and do it quickly to avoid being robbed.

Beggars: You will likely see things that strike your emotional core, but it is important to realize that these are deep rooted problems with no easy fix. Moreover if you give money to one beggar, within secs you will find yourself surrounded by a dozen other beggars from children to adults. Also keep in mind that beggar mafias control much of the inner city.

Street Hawkers: When you walk out of the sightseeing points you will meet several hawkers trying to sell you small souvenirs from pics and all sorts of things. Do not engage in a bargain or converstation unless you really want to buy them. They can be very pushy sometimes.

Go With the Flow: Despite the fact that the cities in India can be tiring with all the staring, crowded streets, beggars, pestering hawkers’ etc. try not to care about the small stuff. If you get caught up and stress about the little things, you will miss out on the bigger picture, which is that you are in one of the most distinctive and important cities in the world. The city will often come to feel like another planet entirely.

“TODAY IS YOUR DAY! YOUR MOUNTAIN IS WAITING, SO… GET ON YOUR WAY!”
DR. SEUSS