Trek from the beautiful Spiti valley in Himahcal over high passes to the picturesque lake of Tso Moriri in Ladakh and then on to the rugged mountains of Rumtse. It is one of the most beautiful trails in the Western Himalayas going over Parang La with its grand view and Changpa territory.
A nomadic community, living off flocks of yaks and sheep, the Changpas have a timelessness about them. Trading in pashmina, yaks and living in yak hair tents called rebos, they have adapted to the harsh dry air of the Changthang.
The trek is also a great one to catch sight of high altitude wildlife such as kyangs or Tibetan Wild Asses (their only other cousins are the wild asses of Rann of Kutch in Gujarat), the highly endagered black-necked cranes, bar headed geese and tibetan wolves.
SEASON: Mid July - September
MAX. ALTITUDE: 5600m
NUMBER OF DAYS: 21 days
HIGH PASSES: Rohtang, Kunzum La (4551m), Gyamar La (5300m), Shingbuk La (4950m) and Parang La (5600m)
TREK GRADIENT: Challenging
Day 01: The participants arrive in Manali.
Day 02: Manali - Kaza (3900m)
Duration: 8 hours
The drive to Kaza takes one past Rohtang pass (3970m) and Kunzum La (4551m). From Rohtang, the road descends in to the Lahaul valley to Gramphu, from where the road forks towards Kunzum and Kaza. Till Batal, the road continues through the rugged Chandra river valley. On the way, are great panaromic views of the Bara Shigri glacier, one of the biggest in the Himalayas.
Day 03: Acclimatize around Kaza
Soak in a bit of Spitian culture with a visit to the ancient monasteries in Dhankar and Tabo. Towards evening, drive upto Kibber, the highest motorable village in the world and the ancient monastery at Ki. Camp for the night in Kibber.
Day 04: Kibber - Dhumle (4260m)
Duration: 2 hours
On the first day of the trek, the trails descends through a gorge and arrives at the last village of the trek, Dhumle. You can see Parang La from here at a distance of about 500m.
Day 05: Dhumle - Thaltak (4560m)
Duration: 5 hours
The trail now turns into a steep climb to take you to the next camp on a meadow at Thaltak.
Day 06: Thaltak - Base of Parang La (5000m)
Duration: 6 hours
The trail takes you down a steep path down to the Parilungbi gorge before ascending to the campsite. The majestic Parilungbi peak stands to the South of Parang La. Look out for one of the rare sightings of bharal, marmot etc.
Day 07: Base - Karsha Gonma (4930m) via Parang La
Duration: 7 hours
The Parang La at 5600m is one of the highest passes in Western Himalyas and offers some grand views. Descend from the pass to Karsha Gonma which is at the head of the Para Chu valley.
Day 08: Karsha Gonma - Umna (4680m)
Duration: 5 hours
It's a relaxed walk after the strenous pass. The only challenge is a stream crossing before reaching the campsite.
Day 09: Umna - Rachu Lamo (4470m)
Duration: 5 hours
It's an easy walk, the trail keeping next to the Para chu river most of the way.
Day 10: Rachu Lamo - Chhumik Shirde (4300m)
Duration: 5 hours
The trail continues next to the Para Chu river. But the campsite is set on the far bank and the day's challenge is to cross the river.
Day 11: Chhumik Shirde - Kyangdom(4350m)
Duration: 5 hours
The trek continues on the flat ground of the Changthang plateau with some spectacular views along the way.
Day 12: Kyangdom - Tso Moriri (4450m)
Duration: 5 hours
Walking through the Para Chu valley, the valley suddenly opens up and the landscape turns greener as you approach the lake. The valley is famous for the wild life mainly comprising of Kyang (wild ass). Camp midway on the lake's banks on the way to Karzok.
Day 13: Tso Moriri - Karzok (4267m)
Duration: 8 hours
Walk along the lake right up to the Karzok village. The day might seem never-ending, because though Karzok looks near enough, it takes 8 hours to finally reach the campsite. But the walk is worth it with all the flora and fauna that one gets to see.
Day 14: Karzok - Gyama
Duration: 6 hours
Cross the small pass of Horlam La (4500m), then descend to Gyama.
Day 15: Gyama - Gyama Numa
Duration: 7 hours
Crossing the river twice, today the trail continues to Gyama Numa. After an hour's walk through the gorge, you will come to the first crossing. From there, ascend to the second crossing through a rocky trail.
Day 16: Gyama Numa - Rachung Karu
Duration: 6 hours
It's an easy enough walk through the nomadic camps to Rachung Karu. It first ascends to the pass, Kazur La. An easy descent takes you to the summer pasture at Rachung Karu.
Day 17: Rachung Karu - Nuruchan
Duration: 5 hours
The trail goes over a small pass that takes you to Nuruchan. This area is principally inhabited by the nomadic people with their yaks, sheep and pashmina goat. This is the head of the Tsokar lake.
Day 18: Nuruchan - Pungunagu
Duration: 6 hours
The trail leads around the Tso Kar Lake today. The path then deviates from the lake to the left and enters Pungunagu. The camp is set close to the village of Thugje.
Day 19: Pungunagu - Tisaling (4520m)
Duration: 7 hours
The path now ascends for 2 hours towards the Shingbuk La (4950m). From top of pass, you can have panoramic views of Tso Kar Lake and the Rupshu valley. On the other side of the pass is the campsite at Tisaling.
Day 20: Tisaling - Chorten Sumdo
Duration: 7 hours
A challenging day, two passes will be crossed on this day. A short ascent takes you to Kyamur La (5300m). From the top of the pass there are great views of Kang Yatse peak and the Ladakh mountain range. Descending from there, you come to the base of Mandalchan La (5320m), crossing which will bring you to the campsite at Chorten Sumdo.
Day 21: Chorten Sumdo - Rumtse (4040m)
Duration: 5 hours
Walking through a gorge, the challenge of the day is when the river has to be crossed twice. At rumtse, a vehicle will pick you up and drop you at Leh.