Miyar Valley, Kangla Jot, and Zanskar

A first-person account

If there could be a trans-Himalayan trek going through the variations of the mountains without having to be months long, this would be it. A journey that spreads across 3 weeks, this trek takes you from the grasslands of Miyar Valley, over the ice of the Miyar Glacier, over the Kangla Pass and through Zanskar to Ladakh. The best time to travel through this region is between July and August. In 2016, a festival will be on that happens only once in 12 years.

Location

Routing:Khanjar - Thanpattan - Gumba Nala - Zardang - Miyar Base Camp - Glacier Camp 1 - Glacier Camp 2 - Kangla Pass - Zanskar Camp - Barden Gompa - Padum

Day 1: Trek starts from Khanjar, the last village on the route. After crossing Khanjar, you trek along the left bank of the myar nalla to Thanpattan, which is a 2 hrs, easy walk on the green pastures. Thanpattan is the base camp for mountaineers who come to Myar for climbing Tharang peaks.

Day 2: The trail is easy and you will be walking along the left bank of the river, mostly on the flat terrain with gradual slopes. By afternoon you would arrive Zardang. This campsite is a haven for people who love bouldering and climbing. Just above the campsite the mountains are scattered with boulders of all shapes and sizes. The campsite is on a green patch of meadow with big boulders around it, which is a great setting as it protects you from the mountain winds.

Day 3: This is yet another beautiful day in the valley. Trail is easy, today you will have to cross two or three streams to reach the campsite. The green slopes of the valley end here and you can see the rubble of boulders right ahead you from the campsite.

Day 4: This route is the most challenging as you have to walk on uneven boulders to reach your campsite on the glacier. The trail begins from the left bank of the glacier and we walk across to the right bank. You will be sleeping on ice today.

Day 5: The walk on the glacier requires good waterproof shoes. Its a long, but easy walk on the glacier. No crevices on this day. You will camp at the base of the pass, on the snow.

Day 6: Today is the most crucial day of the trek as you have to negotiate the glacier with scattered with crevices. The walk to the summit is a steep climb for 3 hrs. After crossing the pass you will reach on the other side of the mountain range in Zanskar and camp on the Zanskar base.

Day 7: Today is a long walk through undulating mountains, boulders and meadows.