Trekking in the Markha Valley, Ladakh..... Say Where?

After nine years without having to travel halfway 'round the world, we blew it. We became convinced that returning to Ladakh to go trekking in the Himalayas was absolutely essential. Silly, silly us.

Door-to-door: over 33 hours in transit. Altitude: from sea level in Oakland to 11,500 ft. in Leh, the capital city of Ladakh. And only up from there. But we really loved the place then. And, for all the challenges, it truly was worth going back once more.

I am very happy to give our team -  Gelsim, Jigmet, Dorje and Norbu (left to right) - full honors, because without them, quite literally, we wouldn't have "gone the distance" (+/- 70 miles). And it sure wouldn't have been anywhere near as fun, or as interesting, or as tasty.

And to the rest of the team - names unknown - without whom none of us would have wanted to keep on going. They carried everything, including my lunch some days, when I wasn't hungry enough to haul any extras for seven or eight miles up 1000 feet or more. Usually more, and often straight up.




We camped out and hiked for ten days. A typical morning started with hot tea at the tent door, followed by bowls of warm water for washing and a large breakfast eaten outdoors in the bright sunshine.



Then we were ready to walk:






Upwards, with fabulous views of the early light on the Ladakh Range.

Along the Markha River (that's me and the teams near the water), where barley has been cultivated for centuries. There are no roads in the Markha Valley, meaning no cars, no traffic, few bridges and great quietness.

Most of the sounds came from the wind moving through the willow and poplar trees which are found anywhere there is water. And from the bells which all of the horses were wearing - we called it the Ladakhi Pony Gamelan.





To the top of  Gongmaru La (la means "pass" in Ladakhi) at 5200 meters (17,050 ft.), one of the few places where there is cell phone reception. From there, in one direction, you can see all of the Ladakh Range. And beyond. In the other direction is the Zanskar Range.














Past chortens constructed by villagers (a "village" can be as small as one or two families).

And back down alongside the barley fields. The white tents in the distance are parachutes donated by the Indian Army. They now serve as summertime tea houses for trekkers and other travelers.

And back into a newly set-up camp, where a snack of hot, milky tea and biscuits ("cookies" to Americans) was always waiting. Followed by a nap. Otherwise, how could you do it all again the next day?