Markha Valley trek is the finest ever trek of Ladakh. Set in the picturesque river valley called Markha, this trek gives you the best feel of the mighty Himalayas in its 7 days duration. The trek goes over the majestic cold, arid deserts of Markha which is part of the famous Hemis National Prak. The trek is a bundle of high-altitude passes, river crossings, rocky canyons, and vast wildlife. While on this trek you get a magnificent view of Mt Kang Yatse on the third day of the trek. This near pyramid peak has an altitude of 21300 ft. It also goes to the high mountain pass of Kongmaru La which has an altitude of 17060ft. You will get a lifetime view from this pass of the wide range of the Indus valley and Ladakh mountain ranges.
Markha valley trek India is a grand trek of Ladakh and Kashmir region. You get an amazing view on the trail amid barren mountains for which Ladakh is famous. The Markha valley trek exposes you to the villages of Markha valley. The modest mud houses are set on the beautiful trail of this trek. There are local houses and traditional Buddhist religious motifs that you will see on and off during this trek The culture and architecture of the valley will mesmerize you.
The best part of this trek which is quite different from other treks is the stay in homes. On this trek, you can lodge in one of the local houses. This makes the Markha valley trek one of the rare tea-house treks in the Indian Himalayas.
Price Includes
Neat, clean, hygienic accommodation on Triple / Quad Sharing as per your preferences. Accommodation during the trek will be in camps
Inclusive of transport services for 5 Nights & 6 Days. All toll, tax, parking and driver allowances are included.
Veg Only All Breakfast & Dinner. Note:(Lunch is not included.)
All point to point sight-seeing as per given program possible in time frame.
Price Excludes
This is the first day of the Markha valley trek. The day starts with a drive from Leh for about 2 hours until you reach Chilling. Chilling is the base of the trek. Gear yourself in the trekking wears and start your trek. The cliffhangers trek leader will brief you for the day and give you the overall trek details. The Trek leader will give you dos and donts of the trek and will explain in detail about the trail.
You will have a short walk over the road and a trolley bridge. The trail takes a right turn and you will have the proper trail. It is a steep ascent. However, the steepness is for a short distance and then the trail opens out and flattens. This day is a flat walk above the Markha river until you reach Skiu.
The gradient of the day is easy. The distance of the 7km trek is a flat and easy one. You will be passing the beautiful village of Kaya where you can stop for a break and refreshments. From Kaya, 3km ahead is your night stay in Skiu. The homestays in this village are decent and quite a relief in the middle of the rocky landscape.
Today the trek starts along the river. This is a beautiful walk along the gushing stream. The trail as it diverges from the river exposes you to the rough and non-definite trail. You will have to maneuver the trail quite carefully as some portion of the trail is washed away. You will reach after this portion a valley called Sara. It is also a beautiful camping location. However, this is not our campsite.
We will have to walk further until we reach Chalak. It takes around 6 hours to reach Chalak from Skiu. The trail gets a bit challenging as it gradually takes an ascent. Just a few kilometers ahead you will enter Markha valley. The Markha valley has deep river crossings. You will have to take off your shoes or be in shorts to ford the stream. Shortly after this fording, you will reach the Markha village which is our night stay.
The gradient of the day is easy. This day is very much rewarding as you go to the upper reaches of Markha valley. The valley starts to open up as you trek for some time. You get to see the magnificent view of Kang Yatse today. This peak is the major attraction of the day.
The trail runs parallel today to the river stream. You will be crossing the Markha river twice on your trail. Shortly you will reach Umlung. It’s a bit away from Umlung you behold the eternal Mt. Kang Yatse. Once you have crossed Umlung and got the view of the peak, a trek of around an hour will take you to the village of Hankar. This is a gorgeous village with mud houses and homestays to spend the night at.
The gradient of the day is moderate. You will be trekking mostly on the flat trail with a beautiful landscape surrounding you.
From Hankar, start trekking after your breakfast. The trail starts with a steep ascent and then reaches the Thochuntse campsite. Here you will find beautiful treehouse tents. A short-distance trek will take you to the base camp of Kang Yatse. The trail gains steepness and you will have to trek in steep ascent for around 70 minutes and then the ascent turns gradual.
The gradual ascent gives a perfect stop for rest as you will reach a river pond that has Kang Yatse in its background. From here you will have to gradually descend to reach Nimaling. Nimaling has a contrasting landscape to what you have seen so far. There is greenery and it is a grazing area of Ladakh. This is the campsite for the night.
The gradient of the day is difficult. This is the day you will be ascending the steep Kongmaru La and then have a long descent down to Chokdo. Brace yourself in the morning and be prepared for the tough trek day.
The day starts with a river crossing and trekking towards Kongmaru La pass. The trail of the day is definite and it takes around 2.5 hours of moderate-paced walking to reach the top of the pass. But reaching the pass is rewarding. Once you are at the pass, you will get a fantastic panoramic view of the Indus and Ladakh ranges. It is essential to take some rest here at the top. From the top will start a long tiring descent. The descent is very sharp and steep with the trail going over rocky terrain which is quite heavy on your legs, particularly on your knees and ankles. It is suggested to carry your kneecaps with you. The trail is over canyons. This long descent will end in Chokdo where you will take a sigh of relief.
Chokdo is a small village for your night’s stay. The best thing is you will have your phone network here.
This is the last day of the trek and the gradient of the day is easy. The day has a short trek day of around 5km only. The walk is along the river and is a flat walk. You will reach Shang Sundo in about 1.5 hours. From Sumdo take a cab to Leh. This finishes your eternally beautiful Markha valley trek.
Make your booking 15 days prior in advance. If you cancel the trek due to any reason, it is mandatory to notify us. Cancellation charges will only be effective from the date we get your request to cancel the trek.
If the trek gets cancelled from our side due to any reason (heavy snowfall, rainfall, natural disaster etc.) then the refund will not be initiated but we will arrange another trek.
Note :- If your trek starts once, and in between 2 or 4 days at the time of the trek, the weather gets bad or the trek route is closed for some reason due to which the trek cannot be done, then the company will not refund the any money to you.
The cancellation charges are as follows –(Bank charges deducted are not Refundable)
(Refund is initiated within 7-8 business days)
Certainly. You do not need any technical skills to complete this trek. The trail is also fairly well defined so you do not need a guide. It would however be advisable to get a map, though you can get by without one. There are some tricky portions and side trails, so be sure to check with fellow trekkers and locals.
Plenty. There are villages on the route, and they all have homestays. In the summer months, there are also teahouse tents put up along the trail. This is what makes this a teahouse-style trek. As of 2019, it costs Rs. 1000 at homestays and Rs. 1200 at Nimaling, including food, tea, etc. Keep in mind that the prices have been increasing regularly.
The food is generally very nice at the homestays. For dinner, you will likely get local Ladakhi dishes like skyu. Breakfast is generally Tibetan bread with apricot jam and butter. Homestays also give you a packed lunch which generally includes a boiled egg, chocolate, and maybe some more Tibetan bread.
There are not many water sources along the trail. There are a few streams, but the water from the Markha River itself is not drinkable. It is highly recommended to fill your water bottles at teahouse tents and homestays en route. They have boiled and filtered water and charge a nominal fee for it.
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