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1st Day: Manali - Udaipur 7 hours
by 4wd
First of all: it is very important that you have to be well acclimatised before you start that trek. From Leh 3.505 m (11.499 ft) you go by jeep to the Tso Moriri Lake 4.530 m (14.862 ft). It takes you 7 to 8 hours. That seems to be a very long time but you pass very nice scenery. On the way you see the Lake Tarsang Tso. The village Korzok is situated on the Lake Tso Moriri. In Korzok you can visit a monastery or climb a hill. On the top of the hill there is an amazing view over the lake. You spend the first night at the camping ground near the lake.
2nd Day: Udaipur (m. 2.650) – Karpar 7 hours
From Udaipur the road winds with a slight slope and it is enclosed by two
walls as far as Shakali ( 8 km), just a group of four houses on a hillock that
stretches out in the valley and overlooks the Myar River.
The road, flanked by the electric line (it’s already fallen down) continues in
the wood as far as an intersection. After the descent, you get to the bridge
leading to the left bank where a trail goes to Chimrat. The road under
construction continues on the right of the river and then it becomes a trail
which always runs parallel to the electric line. You can see more houses and two
nice but dry stone fountains. Then you get to Karpat bridge and you can reach
the village after a short ascent. West there is the trail leading to Gordar pass
(4.800 m.) and to Sdach village in Pangi (region,district? )
3rd Day: Udaipur Karpat-Kanjar
Continue keeping to the right of the river. At about one kilometre from
Karpal Bridge, the trail descends to the river bank onto a small grey sand
beach. After two kilometres you reach Changut and Churput, two small villages (not
marked on the map) situated by two streams and near shadowy thickets. You
continue on nearly flat terrain among meadows and fields as far as another
village. Then the trail reaches some houses, ascends a huge alluvial fan and
reaches a thicket situated by the Gompa temple (lakhang) which has been recently
built (1984-85); from here the trail to the Karpat Pass and the Menthosa starts.
After a short descent you get to the plain on the river bank where the track
winds for two more kilometres on flat terrain as far as the intersection for
Urgos ands for the trail to Urgos Pass (4.950 m.) and the north side of Menthosa.
You take a jula to cross a river (it’s a wooden box attached to a pulley by wire
rope and pulled by a cable acrross the river) and beyond the yula on the left
river bank, the trail climbs for about 20 metres to a cultivated plateau and
reaches the first houses of Chaling. It continues through fields an gets to a
second group of houses, then crosses a thin wood. You then walk across moraines
and more side affluents on small unsafe bridges. The route descends nearly to
the river bank and then ascends to Kanjar (3.350 m.) at about 3,5 km from
Chaling. The small village is made up of a few houses and, unlike Chaling, is
situated on a terraced slope reaching a hundred meters above the river. There
are open spaces where it is possible to pitch tents.
4th Day: Kanjar-Phuk Sar (3.800 m.) 6 hours
From the cultivated terraces of the village many badly marked trails climb
the 150 m. slope to a flat zone at 3.500 m. height. Now the track is visible
again and continues with up and downs among stones, then and meadows, and then
tundra with pastures. You can see many herds and Ghaddi and Lahuli shepherds
living in stone igloos.
The valley broadens and takes a U shape due to its glacial origin. The route
climbs a small col on top of which stands the last chorten of the valley. North
you can see an apparently flat zone at the end of which the valley turns
slightly west while from east descends a minor valley. One of the valleys on the
left of the river allows you to reach a pass beyond which you descend to Jancar
Sumdo in the valley of western Bhaga, below the Shingo La.
Continue on flat terrain as far as the moraines siding the stream which flows
into the valley descending from east. You can see snowfields and hanging
glaciers. An unsafe shaky 10 m. long bridge joins the two banks.
From the bridge you climb among meadows covering rounded cols as far as a morass
above which stands a big rock called Phuk Sar (phuk means cave) or Gompa (it is
not marked on maps and it should not be mistaken for the village).There should
be a meditation cave. There are open spaces to pitch tents.
5th Day: c.q. 3.800-c.q. 4.200 5 hours
Through very beautiful pastures the slightly marked trail is virtually flat
for the whole stage with up and downs on gentle hillocks. After two hours a row
of boulders bars the valley, you pass it and go on. At the end you reach a last
hillock of 20 m. from where you can overlook the plain where several branches of
the river spread out; you can also see the initial part of the glacier. There
are small open spaces to pitch the tents.
6th Day; c.q. 4.200-c.q. 4.500
A side stream spreads out in a many branches in the plain extending between
the hillock and the glacier for a couple of kilometres. You have to ford the
chilly water twice before reaching the terminal moraine of the glacier. The
track is clearly visible and is on the left slope. There are some cairns: the
smaller ones mark the route, the tall ones mark the spots where it is possible
to light fires as a S.O.S signal but they are not always on the right route.
Between the upper lateral moraine and the slope there are small open spaces with
traces of snow, small pools, or grass. There are many alpine stars. The trail is
now only slightly marked and runs first through the meadow between the moraine
and the slope and then along the crest of the upper moraine.
The trail runs 100 m. above the glacier, then continues half away up the slope,
crosses a couple of canyons subject to landslides, then
continues lower on unsafe, débris and below hanging rocks.
You so reach the confluence between the Myar and the lateral glacier. Going down
it is possible to notice several sinkholes and small lakes. Crossing the lateral
glacier is a rather safe but tiring affair. Débris and boulders cover the ice
which forms hillocks of 30 m. It takes two hours to walk 500 m. The track goes
round the lakes, climbs up the hillocks. Climb up for 100 m. on the moraine
which divides the glacier. Descend for 50 m. through débris and rocks and camp
on a sandy open space at 4.500 m. height.
7th Day: c.q. 4.500-c.q. 4.700
After crossing some stony ground, descend on the Myar glacier following an
oblique line; no more stones; it looks like an ice highway, Continue descending
a very a slight slope at a good pace on a badly marked trail. . The valley turns
slightly towards north. Reach a stony spot, situated near left of the river at
4.700 m. height, pitch the tents on the ice or among the stones.
8th Day: c.q.- 4.700-Kanga la (5.450 m.)-c.q. 4.600 8-9
hours
Now you are walking on the glacier. The valley head is not in view yet. On
the right side of the river you can see an endless range of peaks and hanging
glaciers while on the left side there are a couple of big valleys with hanging
glaciers. You have to avoid some areas full of crevasses. One more gentle climb
to over an iced hillock beyond which the glacier bends north-east. You now
overlook a wonderful basin where four glaciers meet (5.000 m.) It’s an immense
spectacular sight.
Another ice-flow comes down from a smaller valley situated between the
south-east branch and the north-north-east one.
Descend into the basin, passing the confluence with the east south-east branch.
In the middle of the basin some small turquoise blue channels flow. You’ll find
traces of many crevasses. The northern branch of the glacier descends into the
basin from north-west along a 100 m. slope. While climbing up, turn west towards
a spot looking like a pass because of its saddle-like shape.
Now you climb more 200 m. on an easier slope. Keep near the rocks of the right.
The Kanga la ( “snow pass” in Tibetan) it is not situated at the valley head:
the northern branch of the Myar glacier climbs up north reaching an assumed
height of nearly 6.000 m. The pass is on the ridge situated west of the glacier.
Virtually on top of the pass a lobe gets detached from the Myar glacier and goes
down towards the Temasha valley. Height: 5.460 m., according to Indian maps,
5.280 m., 5.300 m. according to others.
To descend, you have to come back on the glacier, to avoid the crevasses of the
valley head and to go down walking in the middle of the snowfield as far as its
mouth, situated at 4.800 m. height.
Go down on loose terrain and a badly marked trail for 200 m., as far as the
confluence between the stream flowing from the Kanga La and the Temasha Chu
flowing from the Poat la. 100 m. more and you reach a marshy space where you can
pitch tents.
9th Day: c.q. 4.600- Pibcha about 25 km
It a very long strenuous stage with some fords. The V shaped valley is
rather narrow. After a couple of hours, you can see open spaces and pastures.
After some slight turns, towards north and at the end of the valley the peaks of
Zanskar appear; they are of a different geological shape structure and more
rounded.?? As the height diminishes, there are herds of yaks and stone
enclosures. Easier descent as far as a hillock situated above the confluence
with the Zanskar river.
It is a steep descent onto the route joining Bardan and Mune. Go west along it
and, after a bridge on the Temasha Chu, you reach by a wicker bridge, Pibcha, a
small village situated across the Zanskar river.
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