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| Harvesting mustard in Hemis Shukpachen |
You won’t find an easier trek than this in Ladakh. The passes are all below 4,000m, and the distances between places are relatively short. Plus, there is the added bonus of the Himalayan Homestays offering accommodation in village homes, which means you don’t have to lug tents and equipment all the way.
The Sham area of Ladakh is quite dry and hot and although you can trek this route anytime from the beginning to end of Ladakh’s tourist season (late May-late September), When I trekked this route around ten years ago , the link road from Likir to Temisgam was just being built. Today, it is a full-fledged ‘pucca’ road, albeit with little traffic. So much of the journey can be done comfortably following the road all the way.
ROUTE
ROUTE
DAY 1 LIKIR-PHOBE LA-CHAGATSE LA-YANGTHANG
DISTANCE 9 KM TIME 4-5 HOURS LEVEL MODERATE
We will drive in the morning to Likir from Leh ( 90 min). After visiting the Likir monastery we will start our trek. Although the distance today is short, the route is hot, without any shade or water and you must traverse two passes, so start early with water bottles filled. For Ladakh, these passes are low, but do not underestimate them. From Likir,, take the road heading west up to Phoebe La (3,580m). The climb is gentle and you will top the pass in an hour. From the pass, you can scramble down the short-cut tracks and meet up with the road below, avoiding the longer loops of the jeep road.
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| Young lamas at morning prayers at school in Likir Monastery |
The road continues west to Sumdo, a small settlement where you can stop for tea. Just before Sumdo, you will need to cross the stream over a bridge. From Sumdo, follow the main road that climbs steadily upwards, winding its way to the west for a little over an hour. From Chagatse La it is another 30 mins down. The village of Yangthang (3,630m) is on your left through the fields.. If you reach early and have the energy, check out the Ridzong Monastery, which lies about an hour south of Yangthang. This quiet, secluded gompa is over a hundred years old and nestles in a narrow gorge.
DAY 2 YANGTHANG-TSERMANGCHEN LA-HEMIS SHUKPACHEN
DISTANCE 8 KM TIME 3-4 HOURS LEVEL EASY
Today is an easy walk despite the pass because both the approach and the descent are of gentle gradients. From Yangthang Village, head back through the fields onto the road that brought you here and turn left, or west. The road heads north, descending for a bit, crossing a stream before climbing up west again to Tsermangchen La (3,750m). Take a break at the pass before heading down to Hemis Shukpachen. The village, named after the grove of cedars (shukpa in Ladakhi) is one of Ladakh’s prettiest. There are plenty of sparkling streams surrounded by shady willows and large barley fields that add the much needed dash of green to the otherwise desolate, rocky mountains.
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| Descending from the pass of Tsermangchen La |
Day 3 HEMIS SHUKPACHEN TO LEH
The car from Leh will come around 11 am to pick us up and we will be back in Leh by lunch time.
For more photos of Ladakh and Zanskar do visit http://www.sujoydas.com/Ladakh-and-Zanskar
For our treks in Ladakh in 2017 do visit http://www.southcol.com/treks-nepal/rumtse-to-tso-moriri/
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| Chortens and statues at Hemis Shukpachen |
For more photos of Ladakh and Zanskar do visit http://www.sujoydas.com/Ladakh-and-Zanskar
For our treks in Ladakh in 2017 do visit http://www.southcol.com/treks-nepal/rumtse-to-tso-moriri/