outdoor activities in leh, ladakh

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Outdoor Activities in Leh, Ladakh Willing to put on your adventure shoes once again? Trying to experience the impossible and still get a kick out of it? The Himalayas offer some of the most stunning landscapes in the world and its deep ranges give adventure lovers a wide plethora of adventure activities to indulge in. Ladakh, the highest plateau of the northern state of Jammu and Kashmir offers an excellent opportunity for adventure tourism. Bound by mountains on all sides and with scarce human habitation, this is one of the most well preserved Buddhist cultures of the world. Getting to Leh, Ladakh Getting there in itself is no less than an adventure. During winter, November to May, the area is completely cut off from the outside world. In summer, June to August, is the ideal time to visit this region. Leh, one its main cities, has excellent connections with flights from Delhi, as well

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Outdoor Activities in Leh, LadakhWilling to put on your adventure shoes once again? Trying to experience theimpossible and still get a kick out of it? The Himalayas offer some of the moststunning landscapes in the world and its deep ranges give adventure lovers awide plethora of adventure activities to indulge in.

Ladakh, the highest plateau of the northern state of Jammu and Kashmir offersan excellent opportunity for adventure tourism. Bound by mountains on all sidesand with scarce human habitation, this is one of the most well preservedBuddhist cultures of the world.

Getting to Leh, Ladakh

Getting there in itself is no less than an adventure. During winter, November toMay, the area is completely cut off from the outside world. In summer, June toAugust, is the ideal time to visit this region.

Leh, one its main cities, has excellent connections with flights from Delhi, as well

as cities in Jammu and Kashmir like Srinagar and Jammu. You can even travelby road in jeeps. Once there, transport in the valley is by local buses, taxis orrented motorcycles.

For foreign travelers, making international calls is no big hassle as you get localpre-paid connections and even a few Internet hotspots, if you are lucky.

Trekking in Leh, Ladakh

The breath-taking landscapes are best experienced when on foot. Trekking theHimalayan mountain ranges is a fantasy for all trekkers across the world. Butlying above 3000m, Ladakh can give you a hard time on arrival. Do not overexert yourself for the first 24 hours and take lots of water.

Prepare for steep ascents,acclimate yourself and ensurethat you have the propertravel gear.

You can plan short hikes upand down the mountains in,and around Leh, whileexploring the nearby villagesand monasteries. Forseasoned trekkers, long

trans-mountain treks involve weeks of walking and camping in the valleys.

For example, the trek from Lamayuru, which houses the oldest monastery, in theIndus Valley to Darcha in Lahoul across Zanskar, could take over 2 weeks.Markha valley is also a popular trekking destination not far from the Ladakhiheartland. This established route traverses the Zanskar range which separates theIndus valley from Zanskar.

When to go trekking

The traditional trekking season extends from the beginning of June untilmid-October. However, localized treks within the Indus valley can be arrangedfor May. The tour operators in India, who offer good packages and local guides.

Motorbiking in Leh, Ladakh

If you wish to experience the ultimate challenge that entails a road trip, Manalito Leh is one of the best driving routes in the world. It passes through some ofthe highest mountain passes with spectacular views of snow clad peaks andlandscapes.

This expedition could take you about a week as you cross a lot of mountainpasses, lakes and monasteries on the way.

However, the Leh to Khardungla Pass is the most exciting one. This is the highestdrivable road in the world, at 5600 m above sea level, and features in the GuinessBook of World Records.

River rafting in Leh, Ladakh

The Indus and her major tributaries are a hotspot for white water raftingenthusiasts.

The best stretch is between Spituk and Saspol. The waters get a little nasty afterSaspol and you need to be a pro to indulge in this section.

One of the easiest stretches lies upward of Spituk upto Karu where basic training

can be taken. Zanskar on the other hand is quite difficult to scale and needsbetter organisation and participants need to be trained rafters.

Wildlife spotting in Leh, Ladakh

This isn’t really an adventure activity, but something you can do along the way.

Ladakhi wildlife is very exciting and interesting to spot. Some of the most exoticbirds and mammals can be seen here. Including raptors like the black neckedCrane, the brown headed Gull, the Tibetan Snowcock and the Golden Eagle.

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