After our whirlwind 36 hours in Delhi, we boarded a plane to the city of Leh, located in the Union Territory of Ladakh, land currently administered by the Indian Government (so part of India at this time due to a political technicality).

Travelling to Leh was high on George’s request list when we started planning this trip, as he had hoped to make it there during his last travels in India seven years ago. With more spending money than he had last time, a perfect weather window, and two other willing participants (Zoe and me), we were excited to make the trip.

The flight to Leh was just under an hour and a half and a beautiful jaunt on the clear day we had. It was interesting to climb above the clouds and move away from the smoggy areas, allowing visibility to open up with the Himalayas surrounding us. We even think we spotted the peak of K2 from the plane as we were nearing our descent, which I had eagerly researched before we flew.

The landing in Leh was a bit scary, as the plane seemed to have a small valley to land in, surrounded by tall mountains on all sides. We were thrilled to step off the plane into clear, sunny weather and cooler temperatures. Our first steps in Leh literally left us breathless, with the city’s altitude sitting at 3,524 metres—125 metres higher than the altitude of Cusco, Peru!

Days 29-32: Acclimating, Exploring, and Planning

Based on our previous travel experiences at high altitudes and the advice of every travel resource we consulted, we made sure to leave a few days to acclimatize to the high elevation of Leh before venturing out on any hikes or adventures.

We spent the rest of our arrival day settling into our accommodation and getting a “Leh” of the land around us. This primarily involved walking around the main town. We enjoyed taking in the beautiful day, the prayer flags everywhere, the clean air, and the stunning architecture.

We also went to get SIM cards, as our India SIM cards did not work in Ladakh. Since Ladakh is a union territory, other SIM cards do not work in the area, and the SIM cards we bought in Leh did not work anywhere else. This process took quite a while, but we rewarded ourselves with delicious cold coffees (iced coffee with chocolate syrup in it) after completing the errand.

On our second day in Leh, we started by venturing up to the Shanti Stupa, which towers over the town of Leh and offers beautiful scenery from the platform of the stupa. Although we were out of breath climbing the many steps, it was definitely worth it.

After our escapade up to the stupa, we dedicated the majority of our day to figuring out which multi-day hike we wanted to embark on. This was much more labour-intensive than any other hike we had coordinated before. In addition to struggling to decide which specific multi-day hike to take, there was limited information online about companies and pricing, so we had to personally visit and barter with several tourism companies.

While we hoped to leave on our fourth day in Leh for our multi-day hiking adventure, we just couldn’t organize our situation in time, especially since the weather forecast predicted rain on our first day of hiking. Instead, we decided to regroup with a day of close-to-Leh tourism, followed by a preparation day before starting our trek.

On our third day in Leh, we hired a taxi driver to take us around to various monasteries in the area. We visited the Shey Monastery, the Thiksey Monastery, and the Spituk Monastery, all of which were beautiful and unique in their own ways. We enjoyed the Thiksey Monastery the most, as it was the most developed and featured some incredible architecture and scenery.

That evening, we returned to the Shanti Stupa for more views and to watch the sunset.

Day 4 in Leh was spent preparing for our multi-day hiking trip. As I mentioned earlier, there were many more logistics at play than we had previously anticipated, so we spent quite a bit of time organizing permits and supplies for our hike. While Zoe was well-prepared with what she had packed from Canada, George and I had minimal warm clothing and technical gear with us since we had packed very light for our 7 weeks of travels. We managed to find a shop that sold second-hand fleece and stocked up on some winter accessories that we are excited to wear again for Canada’s winter coming up soon.

Days 33-37: The Markha Valley Trek

While we initially had other hikes in mind during our time in Leh, we ultimately decided to do the Markha Valley Trek based on the glowing reviews from everyone we spoke to in Leh and from our research.

The hike can be completed in four or five days, staying at home stays along the route each night. You can undertake the hike independently or hire a guide through a company or contacts at your accommodation in Leh. We booked our hike through the company Ancient Tracks, and after bartering, we paid $280 Canadian (17,000 rupees) each for accommodation, transportation, meals, and a guide for 4 nights and 5 days.

This trek is not for the faint of heart: I am a seasoned hiker and a very active person. For context, I have completed many multi-day hikes in Canada and at various levels of elevation in countries such as Peru, Guatemala, and Colombia. While I found that the first few days of the hike were quite easy, Days 4 and 5 of the hike were very challenging, and I would recommend appropriate preparation before doing this trek.

Most people choose to complete the hike in four days, which means completing more kilometres than we did on Day 1 or Day 2. You can also finish the hike in more days, starting or ending at towns farther away from our start and end points. However, now that there is a paved road connecting those towns, we heard that those parts of the trek no longer have that rustic feel. Speaking of rustic, there was no cellular service anywhere on the hike except for at the Kongmaru La pass. Note that the hiking times noted below are total moving times and do not account for breaks or meals.

Trek Day 1: Skiu to Sara
On the first day of our hike, we left Leh bright and early and had about a two-hour drive to the start of our trek. The drive was smooth and mostly on a paved road, except for when our driver took a very scary shortcut between the town of Chilling and the town of Skiu, where we started our hike. Upon arrival, our guide provided us with a packed lunch to put into our bags before we set off on our first day of mileage.

We found that the first day was quite easy. Although we hiked 13 kilometres, we only gained 332 metres of elevation. Since we had acclimatized to Leh’s elevation by this point, it was no problem for us, aside from being a bit out of breath. We stopped for a quick lunch about two-thirds of the way to our accommodation, and the total trek time for the day was about three hours.

We arrived at a lovely little homestay, our source of accommodation each night on the trek. While all the homestays we stayed in were basic, with mattresses on the floor and squat toilets that were literally holes in the ground, this was part of the fun and adventure of our trek. We always had access to fresh water, and the food and drink at every homestay were fantastic. Our homestay in Sara also offered us some electric power for our phones and limited Wi-Fi.

For dinner on the first night, we were treated to a delicious soup and as many momos (dumplings) as we could eat. Our extra special post-dinner treat was a beautiful, unobstructed view of the stars above the Himalayas while brushing our teeth with the cold mountain water.

Trek Day 2: Sara to Markha
The second day of our hike took us from Sara to the larger village of Markha, the namesake of the valley we were trekking through. This was a shorter day, with only 9 kilometres of hiking and 336 metres of elevation gain, which took us just under two hours.

The scenery on Day 2 was quite similar to that of the first day; however, entering the town of Markha was notable as we passed the old monastery and ruined fort that sat above the village on a little hill we had to cross to enter.

This was one of the days when we were grateful to have a guide, as he helped us find a homestay that was the best available. We first stopped at a place just outside Markha, but the family said they couldn’t accommodate us that night due to some logistical issues, so we continued further into the town to find another place to stay. After checking out a homestay farther up in the valley, we finally settled on one closer to the river.

We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing, playing cards, and reading, and then had a delicious dinner of dahl, rice, and bread.

Trek Day 3: Markha to Hankar
Our third day of trekking took us from Markha to Hankar, which was a slightly longer distance-wise, at approximately 11 kilometres and 300 metres of elevation gain. Even still, we were only hiking for two and a half hours that day.

Our accommodation that afternoon and evening was a beautiful family homestay slightly upriver from the village centre, in the heart of the valley. This homestay had everything we needed: amazing scenery, delicious food, and even a mother and baby donkey out back. We were even able to take a shower, which involved getting water from the solar-powered heater and mixing it ourselves in the shower room, which was a separate small building at the back of the property. It was probably one of the most beautiful showers I have ever had, as it felt incredible and had an amazing view!

Our homestay in Hankar was special for many reasons, not least because the owner’s sister was visiting during her university break. She had the best English-speaking skills of any local we had met on the trek so far, as most people primarily spoke Ladakhi and Hindi. It was a delight to get to know her and her family, with her translation skills bridging any communication gaps. This provided us with a unique window to learn about the beauty and magic of Ladakh from a local perspective.

That night, we enjoyed another fantastic spread of rice, dahl, and dumplings before turning in early to prepare for the demanding days ahead.

Trek Day 4: Hankar to Nimaling

While the first three days of our trek felt almost too easy, we were grateful for the slower pace as we faced the challenges of Days 4 and 5. Day 4 took us from our homestay in Hankar, at an elevation of 4,030 metres, up almost 900 metres to the Nimaling base camp, which sits at 4,841 metres.

Although an 800-metre elevation gain is pretty standard for hiking in British Columbia, Canada, it feels significantly different when you’re not starting from sea level. We found this section of the hike quite challenging, covering just over 13 kilometres in 4 hours. We followed the river for a while before climbing up onto a ridge, which we followed to reach the base camp.

This was also the day we began seeing more fellow hikers on the trails, and eventually, everyone trickled into the base camp. The camp was exactly what I had imagined a Himalayan camp would look like: several tent rooms for sleeping (I’d call it “glamping” since the bedding was quite comfy), pit toilets located farther from the main camp area, and a dining tent. Wild cows roamed freely around the perimeter of our fenced base camp throughout our stay.

The highlight of being at Nimaling was the opportunity to talk to other trekkers. This was the most interaction we had with fellow travellers during our time in India, and it was enjoyable to exchange stories. One man even shared his experience climbing the 6,400-metre Kang Yatse peak earlier that day, which was both incredible and terrifying to hear about.

Despite it being our coldest night, we were so exhausted from hiking and the increased elevation that we slept quite soundly.

Trek Day 5: Nimaling to Chogdo

We started the morning early to tackle the Kongmaru La pass. We felt awful waking up, chilled to the bone and generally unwell from the high altitude. I remember waking up with a splitting headache that didn’t subside until I descended to a significantly lower elevation a few hours later.

After a quick breakfast, we began the 3-kilometre trek to the pass, located at 5,260 metres above sea level. The climb was slow, taking an hour and 20 minutes, and I felt out of breath (and just generally awful) the entire way up. The path was quite barren, but it was promising to see the highest point from early on in the hike that morning.

Reaching the summit was exhilarating, and we were delighted to discover cell service for the first time during our trek! We enjoyed the novelty of FaceTiming our families from such a high altitude and sharing the stunning views. We noticed that many trekkers took this opportunity to call for their taxis in Leh, arranging pickups for a few hours later in the towns farther down.

After soaking in the breathtaking views from both sides of the pass, we began our descent along an 8-kilometre path, dropping 1,200 metres in elevation. The first part of the descent involved steep switchbacks, which eventually transitioned to a more gradual path that followed the river. Along the way, we noticed areas that had been washed out or rebuilt, and we were grateful to have our guide to ensure we took the correct path on the first try. The geology of our surroundings was captivating, with many different rock colours visible from the valley carved by the river.

We arrived in the town of Chogdo after three hours of hiking from the summit. Our pre-organized taxi was waiting for us, and it took us back to Leh after about a 90-minute drive. Exhausted yet accomplished, we couldn’t wait to check into our hotel and take a shower!

Final Thoughts on the Markha Valley Trek

If you have the time while visiting Leh, and have hiking experience, I highly recommend this trek as a “must-do” activity. If you’re short on time, you could complete the trek in four days, but we enjoyed the leisurely pace of the five-day itinerary. We were particularly grateful for the easier first few days, which helped ease us into the elevation gain and the significantly more challenging final two days at high elevation.

While it’s possible to do the trek independently, organizing through an agency isn’t much more expensive if you shop around and haggle. We were extremely thankful for our guide, who assisted with navigation, accommodation, and translation with the homestay owners.

This hike was undoubtedly one of the most challenging I’ve ever undertaken, but it was worth every effort and stood out as a highlight of our time in India.

Day 38: Final Day in Leh

Our last day in Leh was relaxed, consisting mostly of logistical tasks: picking up our laundry, some last-minute shopping, returning rented hiking equipment, and soaking in the tranquility of the town before heading back to the heat and chaos of the remainder of our trip in India.

That evening, we decided to treat ourselves to a special meal, given that it was our last night in Ladakh. On the recommendation of someone we met on the hike, we dined at a lovely Ladakhi restaurant called Namza. We savoured local favourites such as pulao rice, mutton sausage, and apricot cheesecake for dessert. It was a dinner to remember!

Day 39: Back to Reality

As we prepared to leave Leh, we felt a bittersweet mix of sadness and excitement for the next leg of our journey. Leh is an incredible and unique part of the world, and we felt so fortunate to have experienced it.

If you’re headed to India, make sure to add Leh to your itinerary!

---

I’m slowly working my way through the final blog posts of this trip. Thank you for your patience as I continue to upload and share these experiences, slowly and steadily.

As always, thank you for reading, and “see” you soon!