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Mebtak La Contents Introduction Map of the Sham Valley Trek When to do the Sham Valley Trek What to bring for the Sham Valley Trek Internet Connectivity on the Sham Valley Trek Transport to and from the Sham Valley Trek Permits for the Sham Valley Trek Cost of the Sham Valley Trek Navigating the Sham Valley Trek Accommodation on the Sham Valley Trek Itinerary for the Markha Valley Trek Link to my other blogs on Ladakh 1. Introduction I went to Ladakh to do a 35 day trek through Zanskar to Spiti trek with a small group. Before the Zanskar trek I decided to do the short Sham Valley and Markha Valley treks by myself. I started with the 3 day Sham Valley trek as it is an easy trek and altitude acclimatisation isn't an issue as the maximum altitude is about 3,800 metres, which is only 300 metres higher than Leh. I started the Sham Valley trek on 10th August 2024 which is the peak trekking period. I was pleasantly surprised that there weren't that many people doing the trek. I guess about 30 people a day. I really enjoyed the trek and although there are roads nearby it didn't spoil the trek. Some trekkers could find that the 2nd day of the Sham Valley trek is too short as it only takes about 2.5 hours. If so the 2nd and 3rd days could be combined into a 7 hour hike to Temisgam or a shorter hike to Ang. The Sham Valley trek is a good warm up trek for the slightly more difficult Markha Valley trek. It is possible to drive from the end of the Sham Valley trek to the start of the Markha Valley trek without going back to Leh. This journey takes about 2 hours and costs INR 4,000 (USD 48). 2.  Map  of the Sham Valley Trek Red line for the correct route & blue line for my wrong route 3. When to do the Sham Valley Trek The Sham Valley trek can usually be done from May to October. There is a small risk of snow on the passes in May and October but the highest pass is only 3,800 metres so usually it shouldn't be a problem. There are roads to both Yangthang and Hemis Shukpachan and it would be easy to abort the trek if necessary July and August are the busiest months for the Sham Valley trek but by the end of August the number of trekkers should decrease. I did the trek in mid August and didn't find the trail and accommodation to be busy. There were less trekkers than in the Markha Valley and I didn't find the Markha Valley trek to be that busy either. It can be very hot in July and August and I found the first day of the Sham Valley trek to be hot. The temperature would be less extreme in June and September. May and October could be a bit on the cool side. 4.What to bring for the Sham Valley Trek 4.1. Blankets, Duvets & Pillow Cases I brought a silk liner bag for hygiene reasons and used the blankets and duvets provided. I always take a pillow case for lodge/homestay treks and either put it over the pillow provided or stuff my down jacket in the pillow case if there isn't one. 4.2. Drinking Water All the homestays and tented camps provided filtered water and a lot of trekkers drink it. However, I took a Steripen to sterilise the filtered water. Some trekkers use LifeStraw water bottles or water purification tablets. I did a 35 day trek through Zanskar after the Sham Valley and Markha Valley trek s and I relied on filtered water at our campsites. Three out of seven of us got very sick from the water as most filters don't remove viruses. As a result two of us had to end our trek after 26 days. It took me 7 weeks to recover and I am now lactose intolerant as a result. It is better to be safe than sorry when drinking water! 4.3 Footwear I wore boots but the terrain isn't difficult and hiking shoes should be fine. Just make sure they are shoes or boots that you have worn before and they are comfortable. 4.4. Food I didn't take any food as the meals provided by the homestays were sufficient. However, some people might want to take some snacks. 4.5. Power banks I brought a power bank and solar panel but never used them. There is mains electricity in Yangthang, Hemis Shukpachan and Temisgam. 4.6. Medications I would also take plasters for blisters and some basic medication like Panadol and Ibuprofen. 4.7. Other Items Other items worth consider bringing are: A head torch even though there is mains electricity at all the locations. A waterproof jacket. One change of clothes in case you get wet. Hat Sun glasses Walking poles Water bottles Cellphone with a local SIM card ( see the next section ). Toilet paper, toothbrush & toothpaste Sun block. Hand sanitiser. Reading material. I took a Kindle but never used it. Headphones for music. Earplugs. I never use them and all 3 nights were quiet. 4.8. What not to take! Don't bring any satellite communication device, like a phone or Garmin Inreach, to India. It is illegal and in Ladakh they track satellite communications due to the border disputes with China and Pakistan. I personally know 2 people who got into serious trouble using satellite communication devices. The Indian authorities treat it as a very serious matter. 5. Internet Connectivity on the Sham Valley Trek The homestays I stayed in at Yangthang and Hemis Shukpachan had free satellite wifi. I had Airtel and BSNL SIM cards but only tried to use the internet when I reached Temisgam. I could access the internet on my phone in Temisgam but unfortunately I can't remember which SIM I used. 6. Transport to and from the Sham Valley Trek If you are on a tight budget you can hitchhike or probably take an infrequent local bus. I didn't consider these options as the cost wasn't an issue. For taxis it's best to go the taxi stand in central Leh where there are lots of taxis parked. They have set rates to all locations and to Likir the rate is INR 2,511 (USD 50). These rates are usually non negotiable but once you have used a taxi driver they are often willing to offer a discounted fare for the next trip. I used a taxi driver who had already taken me on an outing from Leh and he charged INR 2,000 (USD 24) from Leh to Likir. He stopped at a couple of view points along the way and also at Magnetic Hill. At the end of the Sham Valley trek I tried to find transport from Ang which is where the road to Leh starts. There was a taxi parked on the road in Ang but the locals told me there were no available taxis and to walk on to Temisgam. At Temisgam I enquired at a local store about taxis to Skiu as I wanted to do the Markha Valley trek . The owner shut his store and drove me there for INR 4,000 (USD 48)! The official rate for a taxi from Leh to Temisgam is INR 4,352 (USD 52) and to Ang it is an extra INR 500. Some trekkers prearrange for a taxi to meet them in Ang or Temisgam. Otherwise you would either need to find transport like I did or phone a taxi driver to come. The Ladakh Taxi Union lists the official taxi fares to numerous locations on its website . 7. Permits for the Sham Valley Trek I had read a number of travel blogs about the Sham Valley trek and none of them mentioned permits. However, on my arrival in Leh the hotel manager said I would need one to get through a check point on the road to Likir. I didn't believe him and when I googled it the results were very confusing. I then checked with a few travel agents and they all said I needed a permit costing INR 600 (about USD 7) if I was driving to Likir. All travel agents can obtain this permit for INR 600. However, the permits can only be granted to a group and not to individuals. Therefore travel agents apply for several people at a time even though they won't be travelling together. At the bottom of my permit  there are 4 other people named who I never met! These permits can be arranged very quickly by travel agents who arrange a lot of tours and treks. My hotel recommended using a travel agent called Ancient Tracks which is in the centre of Leh. They can often arrange permits in 2 to 3 hours and give you a receipt for your passport. However, the permit office may not be open at weekends. I was very impressed with them and they are a popular and legitimate agency. When I went my taxi wasn't stopped at the checkpoint and I didn't have to produce the permit. However, I met other trekkers who were stopped and were asked for it. I don't know what happens if you don't have it but the risk is you would have to return to Leh and obtain a permit. It isn't worth the risk when the permit only costs INR 600. If you can't obtain the permit because it's the weekend you might be able to get through the check point if you leave Leh before 06.30 and reach the check point before it starts operating. Road Permit Ancient Tracks Travel Agency 8. Cost of the Sham Valley Trek It costs very little to do the Sham Valley trek if you are doing it by yourself. The cost of my 3 day trek was: INR USD Taxi fare from Leh to Likir Monastery 2,000 24 Homestay - Yangthang 1,500 18 Homestay - Hemis Shukshapan 2,000 24 Permit 600 7 Taxi fare from Temisgam to Leh 4,352 52 TOTAL 10,452 125 9. Navigating the Sham Valley Trek Several blogs said that the trail for the Sham Valley trek isn't well marked and they are right! The Ancient Tracks travel agency had strongly advised me not to do the trek by myself as 2 Germans had recently got lost on the trek and had to be rescued. I had no intention of hiring a guide and downloaded the trail on Maps.Me and took photocopies of blogs providing directions. What could wrong on the easy Sham Valley trek which is sometimes called the Baby Trek! For my trek it went wrong about one hour after leaving Likir Monastery! I think most trekkers don't start the trek from Likir Monastery and start near the turn off from the main road to Likir Monastery. Starting at Likir Monastery made the route finding more difficult. The trail from Likir monastery only had one sign pointing the way and that was the only sign for the entire Sham Valley trek! There might have been the occasional cairn on the trek but if so there were very few. When I reached the road which leads to Yangthang I couldn't figure out how to locate the trail on Maps.Me a nd I asked a local person for directions. He wasn't very helpful and told me to continue up the road and I would see the trail. Further up the road I came across an animal conservation sign on the right and there were blue arrows marking a trail. I decided to follow the blue arrows as I thought the Sham Valley trek would be the only marked trail. The correct trail to Yangthang was later and to the left! The trail was very well marked with blue arrows and cairns. I walked through remote and rugged terrain for 3 hours and didn't see another person the entire time. I must have climbed to over 4,000 metres. It was extremely hot and I was running short of water. After 3 hours I could see a village (Saspochey) down in the valley but I was high above the valley with no clear route down. I then saw a painted animal paw print by one arrow. I had a terrible thought that the trail I was following was an animal spotting trail and didn't lead to a village. I therefore left the trail and tried without success to get down to the village. I couldn't find a way down and I was tired and thirsty. Fortunately I found the blue arrows again and to my relief the arrows did eventually lead to Saspochey. I was puzzled as to why this unused trail was well marked. I can only think the trail was often used before the road from Likir to Saspochey was constructed. It is also an area visited for viewing snow leopards and other wildlife. When I finally reached the road between Saspochey and Sumdo I had walked for 6 hours. Maps.Me showed that it would take another 3 hours to walk to Yangthang and I would reach there around 20.00. I decided to try hitchhiking but before any vehicles passed I came across a friendly road construction crew. The boss called a friend who picked me up in his car and drove me to Yangthang for INR 500. I learnt my lesson from this and afterwards was very careful! The next day's section of the Sham Valley trek was from Yangthang to Hemis Shukpachan. The owner of the guest house carefully pointed out the initial section of the trail to me. After that I used information gleaned from another blog as I knew the trail wasn't properly shown on Maps.Me . It was very easy finding the way from Yangthang to Hemis Shukpachan and I have provided details in the itinerary section. It only took me about 2.5 hours. However, trekkers still make mistakes navigating this section! Whilst I was having dinner at Hemis Shukpachan five Israelis arrived in the dark at 19.30. They had walked from Yangthang to Hemis Shukpachan but had used Maps.Me . It had taken them 9 hours and at the end they had to clamber down a cliff! They told me that there wasn't a trail so I couldn't understand why they hadn't realised the route was wrong. The family running the guest house at Hemis Shukpachen were very helpful and pointed out the first section of the Sham Valley trail to Temisgam. At the first pass a guide for a group pointed out the trail to the Mebtak pass. From the top of Mebtak pass it was very easy to follow the trail down to Ang . From Ang there is a tarred road to Temisgam. I didn't need to use Maps.Me from Hemis Shukpachen to Temisgam but I have been told it shows the correct trail. The five Israelis who got lost the previous day were using Maps.Me on this section and successfully reached the Mebtak La whilst I was eating my packed lunch. I have provided details of the route in the itinerary section. I don't understand why the trail for the popular Sham Valley trek wasn't marked at all yet the trail from Likir to Saspochey was well marked. My advice is to check the route at homestays and when meeting people on the trail. Also be very wary of using Maps.Me between Yangthang and Hemis Shukpachan! 10. Accommodation on the Sham Valley Trek The accommodation on the Sham Valley trek is often described as homestays but the accommodation is far superior to that. The accommodation provided is really in guest houses and and they are very comfortable and reasonably priced. Some of the guest houses in Hemis Shukpachan and Temisgam even offer attached bathrooms and have proper beds. In Yangthang I stayed in the basic old village, rather than the new section. My room was comfortable and there was a flush western toilet inside the building. On the Markha Valley trek the accommodation really is in homestays! The bedrooms are usually basic and the toilets are long drops. On the Markha Valley trek you can't choose the homestay as they operate on a rotation system. On the Sham Valley trek you can choose where to stay. This has encouraged competition and raised the standard of accommodation. I did the Sham Valley trek in the peak season and started from Likir on 10th August 2024. The trail wasn't busy and nor were the guest houses. There is no shortage of accommodation for this trek. 10.1 Yangthang When walking from Likir you reach the new section of Yangthang first. There are several modern guest houses here and I believe most trekkers stay in them. They looked very comfortable. I didn't stay in the new section as I took the wrong trail when walking from Likir and ended up taking an unofficial taxi to Yangthang. I was a bit frustrated when my taxi drove past all the nice new accommodation and took me to the old village. The driver walked me through the old village to the Norbu Togochay Homestay. I was given a very good corner room on the upper floor. There was a shared flush western toilet on the same floor and a bathroom with a sink. The Tibetan dining room/lounge was downstairs. There was electricity in the homestay and I had an electric socket in my room. There were no other trekkers staying and that suited me fine. The family running it consisted of the 80 year old grandfather, his adult grandson, a lady and 2 kids. The youngest kid was a bit of a nuisance. Everyone else was very pleasant and the grandfather spent most of his time praying. Breakfast was freshly cooked chapatis with jam and omelette. Dinner was Chhutagi which is flattened pasta cut into circular shapes and cooked with vegetables. It is a very filling soup. The packed lunch was chapatis, boiled eggs, snack bar and a juice pack. The food was plentiful. There was filtered water which I sterilised with my Steripen. They had satellite wifi which was free of charge. The cost of food and lodging was INR 1,500 (USD 18). This included dinner, breakfast, a packed lunch and tea. When I left the grandson walked with me for a couple of hundred metres and pointed out the first section of the trail to Hemis Shukpachan. The homestays in the new section of Yangthang 10.2 Hemis Shukpachan When I reached Hemis Shukpachan I recognised a guest house recommended by a blog and it had attached bathrooms. Before I could walk up to it a young woman approached me and asked if I was looking for accommodation. She said her family's guest house was better and she would drive me there. Her guest house was in the centre of Hemis Shukpachan near the golden Buddha. They had 2 rooms with attached bathrooms for INR 2,000 (USD 24) and several other rooms without bathrooms for INR 1,500 (USD 18). These rates included dinner, breakfast and lunch. I chose the large upstairs corner room with an attached bathroom and hot shower. The woman who drove me there was the daughter of the owner and was visiting with her sister and brother in law. They spoke good English and I had a good time talking to them. In the afternoon I met them at the Buddha on the hill and they pointed out the trail to Temisgam. They gave me tea and biscuits when I arrived. For dinner they offered to cook either Chhutagi or rice and dahl. There was free satellite wifi and electricity in my room. 10.3 Ang and Temisgam There is some accommodation in Ang and a lot more in Temisgam. There is some very good accommodation in Temisgam and it is an attractive village with a monastery and fortress on the hill above it. I had been planning to spend one night in Temisgam but when I got there decided to go straightaway to Skiu to start the Markha Valley trek . 11. Itinerary for the Sham Valley Trek 11.1. Likir to Yangthang As I mentioned in section 9 I took the wrong trail on this stage of the trek and therefore can give little guidance about the trail. It would certainly be easier to find the trail if your taxi dropped you off at the trail head near Likir village instead of at Likir monastery. The other guidance I can give is that the trail runs along the left hand side of the road from Likir to Phobe La, which is is before the village of Sumdo. The hike from Likir village to Yangthang should take about 4.5 hours. It takes just over 1 hour to hike from Likir monastery to Likir Village. The trail I took was from Likir to Saspochey and if you have time this is a very enjoyable hike to do. From Likir village it takes about 4.5 hours to reach Saspochey. The trail is very well marked from Likir to Saspochey but it would be harder to see the trail markings going the other way. I believe there is one homestay in Saspochey. It should be possible to arrange transport back to Likir or onto Yangthang. If not it wouldn't be far to walk to the village of Sumdo and hitch hike from there. 11.2. Yangthang to Hemis Shukpachan This is a short hike that only takes about 2.5 hours to the centre of Hemis Shukpachan. Don't use Maps.Me for directions as it doesn't show the correct trail. If you are staying in the new section of Yangthang you will need to first descend to the old section. Yangthang is a very small village and easy to navigate through. You continue past the old part of Yangthang and you will a green oasis in the valley below as shown in the first photo. Ask for directions in old Yangthang if you aren't sure of the way. You descend down to the green oasis in the valley and cross a bridge to reach it. Follow the trail upwards with a homestay on the left. The trail by the homestay is a bit indistinct as it goes through a small stream for about 100 metres. You soon reach a dirt track and you turn right and follow it up until you see a pylon on the left and a trail by it. Take this trail and follow the pylons until you reach the top of the Tsermangchen La (3,800 metres). From there you can see a green patch in the distance which is Hemis Shukpachan. From the Tsermangchen La it is easy to follow the trail down to the tarred road on the outskirts of Hemis Shukpachan. It is a very spread out village and there are guest houses as soon as you reach the outskirts. The centre of the village is further on and is below a hill with a large golden Budhha on the top and it can be seen a long way away. I stayed in a very good homestay in the centre and it was located very near the next section of the trek to Temisgam. 11.3. Hemis Shukpachan to Ang or Temisgam This section of the Sham Valley trek is on Maps.Me but I didn't need to use the app as I obtained directions before setting out and whilst on the trail. From the second pass (Mebtak La) it was very straightforward walking down to Ang and on to Temisgam. The trail leaves Hemis Shukpachan near the Disket Guest House which is below the Golden Buddha. You follow a dirt road and after about 10 minutes reach the house in the first photo. There you take a path between the house and the line of Poplar trees. This path becomes a jeep track and you walk up it to a white chorten shown in the 4th photo. You continue up past 2 toilets to the top of the first pass. There is a dirt road to the right of the pass and if you followed it you would reach eventually reach Ang and avoid the descent down the first pass and the ascent up the Mebtak La. The trail doesn't follow the road though! You descend on a trail which turns into a jeep track. At the bottom look out carefully for a blue and red concrete marker shown on the 11th photo. There you will see a feint trail to the right and it steeply ascends the Mebtak La. There are prayer flags at the top. It is worth going a bit further up to the left where there are some other prayer flags as the views are even better there. The trail down to Ang can be clearly seen from the Mebtak La. It eventually turns into a dirt road and the dirt road becomes a paved road before Ang and continues to Temisgam. There was hardly any traffic on the road between Ang and Temisgam. It was very scenic but also hot! 12. Links to my other blogs on Ladakh 2024 Guide to the Markha Valley Trek 2024 Zanskar Trek - Part 1 2024 Zanskar Trek - Part 2 2024 Zanskar Trek - Part 3 Travel Guide for Leh and Vicinity - 2024

Contents Introduction Ways of avoiding Crowds at Meteora A One Day Itinerary for Meteora Summer Opening Times at Meteora's Monasteries Dress Code at Meteora's Monasteries Great Meteoron Monastery Varlaam Monastery Agia Triada (Holy Trinity) Monastery Agios Stefanos (St. Stephan) Monastery Agios Nikolaou (St. Nicholas) Monastery Roussanou Monastery Viewpoints at Meteora Accommodation at Meteora Links to My Other Blogs on Greece 1. Introduction Meteora was one of the highlights of our 3 month European road trip. The scenery is out of this world with the 6 ancient monasteries perched on sheer rocks. The only negative was the numerous tour groups. If you have a car you could visit all of Meteora's monasteries in one full day. Two nights would be sufficient if you visit one monastery on the day of departure. We stayed three nights and had two full days in Meteora. Most of Meteora's monasteries close for one day during the week. It is only at the weekend that all the monasteries are open. None of the monasteries open before 09.00 and most close early. If you only stay two nights your visit could be spoiled by bad weather. When we visited Meteora in late May it was very foggy when we arrived and it was raining on the day we left. We thought that the view of the monasteries perched on the sheer rocks, and the scenery, were more spectacular than the interiors of the monasteries. Our visit to Meteora was part of a 3 month road trip from the UK to the Greece. See my blog North Macedonia to Greece - Week 4  for our daily trip report covering Meteora. 2. Ways of avoiding Crowds at Meteora We struggled with the large tour groups that arrived at Meteora by coach. They would crowd into the small chapels, and take over the space, while their guide explained the history. There would occasionally be a queue of tour groups waiting to enter a chapel. You have to understand the logistics of these tours to be able to avoid the crowds at Meteora: Most coach tours only visit 3 monasteries at Meteora. Two of them will be the Great Meteoron and Varlaam, if they are open. The third monastery that groups usually visit is either St. Stephan or Roussanou. Coach tours don't often visit the Agios Nikolaou (St. Nicholas) Monastery and the Agia Triada (Holy Trinity) Monastery. There are too many steps leading up to them for their groups who have already walked up to the Great Meteoron and Varlaam monasteries. Some coach tours have to pick up clients from their hotels and don't arrive at the monasteries until after 09.00. Most coach tours stop at a restaurant for lunch. My recommendation for avoiding the tour groups and crowds is: Great Meteoron Monastery The Great Meteoron monastery only opens at 09.30 so you won't beat the crowds by going early. The best time may be at lunch time around 12.15 pm. That is when we went. Varlaam Monastery We visited the Varlaam monastery at lunch time (12.30 pm) and avoided many of the tour groups. As the Varlaam monastery opens at 09.00 another strategy would be to go early, around 08.30. It takes 10 minutes to walk from the gate at the base of the monastery up to the entrance. I am not sure what time the gate is opened. Agia Triada (Holy Trinity) Monastery You can visit the Aga Triada monastery at any time as it isn't popular with tour groups. Agios Stefanos (St. Stephan) Monastery The third monastery on most tour groups' itineraries is either Agios Stefanos or Roussanou. We arrived at the Agios Stefanos monastery at 08.45 and one tour bus had already arrived. We waited at the gate until it opened at 09.00. It is a short walk to the entrance. As it took time for the tour group to buy tickets we had the chapel to ourselves. By 09.30 there were several tour groups queuing to enter the chapel. When we left there were 13 tour buses outside the monastery! We passed Agios Stefanos at 11.00 a.m. and all the tour buses were leaving. The next day we saw that all the tour buses were leaving just before 11.30 a.m. Therefore late morning is probably a good time to visit. I don't know what Agios Stefanos is like in the afternoons. It is open until 17.30. My guess is that it may be quiet from 16.30. You would have plenty of time to see it before it closes if you arrive around 16.30 to 16.45. Agios Nikolaou (St. Nicholas) Monastery You can visit the Agios Nikolaou monastery any time as it isn't popular with tour groups. It is best to visit the more popular monasteries at the start of the day and at lunch time. Roussanou Monastery The third monastery on most tour groups' itineraries is either Roussanou or Agios Stefanos. We visited Roussanou at 14.00 and there weren't any groups. I didn't observe it at other times but feel that some groups might come here first as for Agios Stefanos. 3. A One Day Itinerary for Meteora This itinerary for Meteora is only feasible at weekends when all the monasteries are open. During the week you will have to visit the monastery that is closed the following morning. Arrive at Varlaam monastery at 08.30. You should then be one of the first to enter when it opens at 09.00. Your visit shouldn't take longer than 75 minutes. Drive to Agia Triada (Holy Trinity) Monastery. The monastery can be seen in 45 minutes. Drive to the nearby Agios Stefanos (St. Stephan) Monastery. You should get there after 11.00 a.m. which is when the tour groups start to leave. You only need half an hour for this monastery. Drive back to the car park at the Varlaam monastery. Have a bit of lunch or a snack there. There are no restaurants at any of the monasteries so you will have to bring something. Walk 10 minutes to the Great Meteoron Monastery and enter by 12.30 at the latest. Drive down to Roussanou Monastery. Drive down a bit further to Agios Nikolaou (St. Nicholas) Monastery. Visit the view points afterwards or at sunset. 4. Summer Opening Times at Meteora's Monasteries Summer is deemed to be from 1st April to 31st October. Great Meteoron Monastery Open from 09.30 to 15.00 Closed on Tuesdays Varlaam Monastery Open from 09:00 to 16:00. Closed on Fridays. Agia Triada (Holy Trinity) Monastery Open from 10.00 to 16.00 Closed on Thursdays Agios Stefanos (St. Stephan) Monastery Open from 09.00 (09.30 on Sundays) to 13.30 and 15.30 to 17.30 Closed on Mondays Agios Nikolaou (St. Nicholas) Monastery Open 09:00 to 17:00. The monastery is open every day Roussanou Monastery Open from 09.00 (10.00 on Sundays) to 16.30 Closed on Wednesdays 5. Dress Code at Meteora's Monasteries The dress code for Meteora requires women to wear a dress or skirt covering their knees and men and women to cover their shoulders. All of Meteora's monasteries, except Varlaam, lend free wraps so you can comply. Varlaam sells them for Eur 3.50 and they only accept cash. I wore long trousers and in late May it wasn't too hot. Lani brought her own wrap to put over her long trousers. Some monasteries in Meteora aren't strict about the dress code but Varlaam and Roussanou are. 6. Great Meteoron Monastery There is very limited parking in front of Great Meteoron monastery and it isn't free. Most people use the free car park at Varlaam Monastery or park on the road. Finding parking can be a problem at peak times. It is a 10 minute walk from the free car park at Varlaam monastery to the Great Meteoron monastery. There are then more than 300 steps up to the entrance of the monastery. The Great Meteoron is the oldest, largest and grandest of Meteora's monasteries. Entry costs Eur 3 and it takes about an hour to see. There is a beautiful chapel, a museum, an old kitchen and excellent views from the monastery. The refectory is now closed to visitors. It is one of the monasteries you should see and for that reason it is always busy. 7. Varlaam Monastery There is a free car park at Varlaam monastery. If it is full you can park on the road. Parking can be difficult as visitors to the Great Meteoron monastery also use this car park and road. There are 142 steps up to the entrance of Varlaam monastery. There you will have to buy a garment for Eur 3.50 in cash if you don't comply with the dress code . They are strict about this. The entry fee is Eur 3.00. At Varlaam monastery you can: Visit the beautiful church dating back to the mid 1500's. See a huge old wooden water barrel. View the old winch which was used to haul people and goods up to the monastery. Visit the museum. The most interesting exhibit is a short film shot in 1924 showing how the monks lived. Enjoy spectacular views from the pleasant terrace. Use the best toilet facilities of the 6 monasteries! 8. Agia Triada (Holy Trinity) Monastery The monastery of Aga Triada isn't popular with tour groups despite being featured in the James Bond movie "For Your Eyes Only". It is more beautiful and interesting than the nearby Agios Stefanos (St. Stephan) Monastery which is visited by tour groups. There is free parking and if it is full you can park along the road. It is a steep climb up about 145 steps to the entrance. The entrance fee is Eur 3. Aga Triada's church has beautiful restored frescoes. There is a garden and there are boulders which you can clamber up to admire the views. 9. Agios Stefanos (St. Stephan) Monastery There is a small free car park in front of the entrance of Agios Stefanos monastery. If the car park is full you can park along the road. This is the monastery with the easiest access as there are very few steps. As a result it is the third most popular monastery in Meteora. The entry fee is Eur 3. The monastery was bombed in World War 2 and rebuilt afterwards. The interior of the chapel is beautiful. The views from the terrace aren't as spectacular as at some of Meteora's other monasteries. 10. Agios Nikolaou (St. Nicholas) Monastery You can park in a small layby across the road from the steps leading up to the Agios Nikolaou monastery. From there it is a 10 to 15 minute steep climb to the monastery. Luckily that deters a lot of people so it is the quietest monastery. The entrance fee is Eur 3. This monastery is the smallest at Meteora. It is very atmospheric and the small chapel is beautiful. I am not sure if it could accommodate a tour group! You can sit in the chairs and admire the fabulous frescoes. You can climb up to the roof top from where there are excellent views of Meteora's stunning scenery. 11. Roussanou Monastery We parked on the road above the Roussanou monastery and had a 10 minute walk down to the monastery. Equally you can park on the road below the monastery which would involve a 10 minute walk up. If there is no parking in one area drive to the other area. There is an entrance fee of Eur 3 and the dress code is enforced. The Roussanou monastery has a small chapel with gruesome seventeenth century frescoes of beheadings, spearings and mutilations! There is a small terrace outside with good views over to the other monasteries. You can see the Roussanou monastery in 15 to 20 minutes but walking to and from the monastery adds another 20 minutes. 12. Viewpoints at Meteora We went to several good viewpoints: The rocks next to Varlaam Monastery's car park. The rocks before the Agia Triada (Holy Trinity) Monastery, when coming from the west. The " Main Observation Deck of Meteora " on Google Maps. They are popular viewpoints and are easy to find. They provide some of the best views of Meteora's monasteries. 13. Accommodation at Meteora Most people visiting Meteora stay in Kalambaka as it has the most accommodation in the area. It is a 15 minute drive to the Great Meteoron monastery Kastraki is a smaller and more attractive place to stay. It is a bit closer to the monasteries but has less accommodation options. We booked a 1 bedroom apartment in Kalambaka through Booking.com at a cost of Eur 61 per night for our 3 night stay. My review of this accommodation is on my blog " UK to Greek Islands Accommodation - Part 1 " (number 12). 14. Links to My Other Blogs on Greece Monemvasia, Greece: Travel Guide Mycenae, Greece: Travel Guide Tiryns, Greece: Travel Guide Epidaurus, Greece: Travel Guide Nafplio, Greece: Travel Guide Corinth, Greece: Travel Guide Delphi, Greece: Travel Guide Naxos, Greece: Travel Guide Mystras, Greece: Travel Guide Tinos, Greece: Travel Guide Syros, Greece: Travel Guide Andros, Greece: Travel Guide North Macedonia to Greece - Week 4 Nafplio, Greece to the Peloponnese - Week 5 Peloponnese to the Greek Islands - Week 6 The Greek Islands - Week 7 The Greek Islands to Albania - Week 8

Contents 1. Vicenza to Koper, Slovenia 2. Koper to Ljubljana, Slovenia 3. Ljubljana Day Trip 4. Ljubljana to Lake Bohinj, Slovenia 5. Lake Bohinj Day Trip 6. Day Trip from Lake Bohinj to Vrsic Pass 7. Lake Bohinj to Novi Sad, Serbia 8. Links to My Other Blogs 26 April 2023 - Vicenza to Koper, Slovenia We woke to sunshine for a change and the weather forecast is good for a few days. Today we drove 3 hours from Vicenza to the old coastal towns of Piran and Koper in Slovenia. We didn't leave Vicenza until midday so that we could arrive at our new accommodation just after the earliest check in time of 15.00. Our Tomtom satellite navigation had problems locating our new accommodation and tried to take us down some very narrow tracks. We were becoming very frustrated and tried Google maps instead and that did the trick. I was surprised to find that our apartment was one of seven apartments in a building. The owner was very friendly and the apartment was very clean and nicely furnished. However, I am concerned that there is a connecting door with another apartment. I dislike such doors as they let in noise. We will see what happens tonight! We drove about 20 minutes to Piran, parked outside the town and took the car park's free bus into the old centre. It is probably misleading to say free as the parking is about Euro 3 per hour! In summer Piran is jammed with tourists and parking is difficult. Luckily for us there were very few tourists and there were plenty of parking places. We walked around the old Venetian town for about 2 hours and then had supper on the seafront. It was warm enough to sit out and we had very good grilled calamari and sardines. I have done a blog on " 1 Week in Slovenia " that provides detailed information on the places that we visited in Serbia. 27 April 2023 - Koper to Ljubljana, Slovenia Last night we had our best night's sleep since leaving home and there was no noise from the adjoining room. We checked out at 10.30 and drove 5 kilometres to the port of Koper. Parking can be a real problem at Piran, and it is very expensive, but at Koper there are plenty of car parks near the city centre. We were about to pay at the machine when a man kindly informed us that it was a public holiday and parking was free. Not only is it a holiday today but also May 1st and 2nd! This does cause a problem with grocery shopping as no supermarkets are open on public holidays. It also seems they won't be open on 30th April. We will have to stock up tomorrow! We wandered around the historic buildings of Koper for a couple of hours in warm and sunny weather. We forked out Euro 4 each to climb up the Bell Tower for views of the city. I don't think we will bother doing this in other towns as it is a lot of effort and cost for very little benefit. We had lunch at a very small eatery outside the market called Fritolin . It is recommended in the Lonely Planet guide book for cheap and fresh seafood. We both ordered grilled calamari and chips and with a soft drink it cost Euro 22. We ate it at one of the few basic tables outside and it was very good. Afterwards we walked an hour and 15 minutes along the coastal promenade to Izola. It was a very nice walk and was popular with the locals who were cycling, roller blading and walking. We had a quick walk around and after buying some bread for tomorrow's breakfast, and gelato, we took a short bus ride back to Koper. It was then just an hour's drive to Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, where we had booked an apartment for 2 nights. See my blog " UK to Greek Islands Accommodation - Part 1 ". I knew that we would be sharing the garden with the owner's parents. However, we were shocked to see that there were 4 people moving a pile of soil, and sifting it, only about 3 metres away from our apartment's windows. They were all talking very loudly and it was like a construction site. The apartment was otherwise very nice and the parents were friendly. By 18.15 I had had enough of the noise and texted a complaint to their daughter. They stopped at 18.30 and agreed to only work the next day whilst we were sightseeing. It did take the edge off things though. 28 April 2023 - Day Trip to Ljubljana We drove to Lidl's in the morning to do some grocery shopping since all the supermarkets will be shut from Sunday to Tuesday. We didn't realise that it was in central Ljubljana, but luckily there was hardly any traffic and driving was easy. Parking was also easy and only cost Euro 1.50 for an hour. After unloading the shopping at the apartment we walked back into Ljubljana and it only took about 20 minutes. Initially it was exceptionally quiet for a capital city but after a while it got a bit busier. The guide books say there is nothing in particular to see, but we found it to be a very pleasant city to walk around. We walked around for about 4 hours and it was very relaxing compared to the crowded towns of Verona and Venice. We had taken sandwiches for lunch, but there were a lot of outdoor stalls selling great smelling food. We walked up the hill to the castle, although you can use a funicular for about Euro 4. It was expensive to enter (about Euro 12), but free to walk around the grounds and even to climb up onto the walls. In Italy we spent a fortune on public toilets as they charged from 70 cents to Euro 1.50 in Venice. In Slovenia there are plenty of clean toilets and they are all free! Great for old guys who need to pee often! 29 April 2023 - Ljubljana to Lake Bohinj, Slovenia We left Ljubljana at 09.30 to make our way to our next accommodation at Lake Bohinj. Going directly would take only about 70 minutes, but our plan was to visit Skofja Loka, Radovljica and Lake Bled on the way. It was very easy driving out of Ljubljana and once we had got off the motorway we drove on pretty, rural roads with the snow covered Julian Alps in the background. We reached the historic town of Skofja Loka after about 30 minutes. There is quite a large historic core and we spent about 2 hours wandering around. Then it was another short drive to the town of Radovljica. The historic centre there mainly consists of one street of 16th and 17th century houses. It only took about half an hour to wander around. A 15 minute drive later and we were at Lake Bled. Slovenia is a very compact country! We experienced traffic congestion for the first time in Slovenia. Lake Bled is obviously very popular and it was a beautiful sunny and warm day on a holiday weekend. We turned off at the first parking sign we saw and the charge was Euro 15 for 4 hours or Euro 25 for the whole day! This is as expensive as Venice, but we decided to pay for 4 hours rather than have the hassle of driving around trying to find somewhere cheaper. It was a very short walk to the lake shore and it was very busy with many local tourists. I dread to think what it would be like in the summer. We walked the 6 kilometres around the lake and it was only busy at the start and end. It should have only taken about 90 minutes, but it actually took 3 hours with a lot of stops, a lot of photos and congestion on the trail. Apart from the number of people it is a very nice path around the lake with great views all the way. It is so photogenic with the island, the castle perched above the lake and the snow covered Julian alps in the distance. Some people were swimming and the water didn't feel that cold. It took 30 minutes to drive from Lake Bled to the apartment we had booked at the village of Stara Fuzina, which is on the shore of Lake Bohinj. Our apartment is on the attic level of a "Swiss chalet" and the owners live on the 2 lower levels. I selected this Airbnb apartment as it had good reviews and I prefer not to have people clunking around above us. The woman running the apartment was very friendly and offered us some honey liqueur. I readily accepted and as it was too harsh and strong for Lani I forced myself to drink hers as well! We had a basic supper of bread, cheese and salad in the apartment and then a very good night's sleep. 30 April 2023 - Day Trip around Lake Bohinj Lake Bohinj's weather forecast was for rain today, but when we woke up it was misty and dry. The mist soon cleared and at 10.15 we started walking the 12 kilometres around Lake Bohinj. We decided to go along the southern side of the lake first, but unfortunately the trail followed the road and trees often blocked the views. We got to the end of the lake at 11.45 and had our sandwiches at a picnic table overlooking Lake Bohinj. The weather was still dry and warm and there were some sunny spells. Clouds covered the tops of many of the snow covered mountains of the Julian alps. There is no road on the north side of Lake Bohinj and the trail is close to the lake. However, there are a lot of trees that partially obscure the views a lot of the time. We got back to our apartment after 3 hours. Lonely Planet states that Lake Bohinj is more beautiful than Lake Bled but I don't agree. However, it is far less touristy. In the afternoon we rested on our apartment's balcony. The weather forecast tomorrow has now also improved and it should be dry. If so we will drive about 1.5 hours up to the top of the Vrsic Pass which is at 1,611 metres. It is usually closed due to snow until the end of April or early May and it has just been opened for this year. 1 May 2023 - Day Trip from Lake Bohinj to Vrsic Pass A few days ago the weather forecast for Lake Bohinj was dismal and over 1 inch of rain had been forecast for today. Luckily weather in the mountains is difficult to predict. The weather forecast improved and we woke up to some sun and views of the snow covered mountains. We started driving to the Vrsic Pass at 09.20. When we reached Kranjska Gora, at the turn off to the pass, the view of the Julian Alps was superb. Unfortunately it wasn't possible to park quickly enough to take a photo and the mountains partially clouded over. There are numerous parking spots on the way up to Vrsic Pass and we used them to enjoy the views and take photos. After 46 miles of driving, and 26 hair pin bends up the pass, we reached the top of the 1,611 metre high pass at 11.30. The road was a bit narrow around the hair pin bends, but otherwise it wasn't a difficult drive. We had originally planned to go back down the same way, but we decided to go down the 24 hair bin bends on the other side. The hair pin bends weren't as tight and the scenery wasn't as dramatic as on the way up. We looked out carefully for the site of the memorial Russian Chapel built by Russian prisoners of war in 1916. Unfortunately we missed it and decided not to drive back up to locate it. The fastest way back to our apartment would have been to go back up Vrsic pass and return the way we came. The alternative was to do a longer circular route, which we decided to do in order to see different scenery. The road was narrow at times and it was slow progress as we had to drive carefully. We reached our apartment at 15.00 after driving 130 miles. 2 May 2023 - Lake Bohinj to Novi Sad, Serbia We woke up to the rain that they had been forecasting for the last 2 days. If it had to rain then today wasn't a bad day for it. We left Lake Bohinj at 09.00 and estimated it would take us 8 hours to reach Novi Sad. We had informed the owner of the next apartment that we would arrive between 17.00 and 18.00. One of the problems with booking apartments, rather than hotels, is arranging a time to collect the keys. We can estimate the driving time from Google maps but there are often delays. With this journey the border with Croatia and Serbia was the big unknown. Particularly since we couldn't buy car insurance for Serbia in the UK and had to buy it at the Serbian border. It was a fairly relaxing drive despite the rain and spray from other vehicles. The highways aren't congested in Slovenia and Croatia like they were in Switzerland and Italy and the drivers are less aggressive. The scenery was very unspectacular and it wasn't improved by the bad weather. Most of the time we drove at about 110 kms an hour, despite the speed limit being at 130 kms an hour. There were no border formalities at the border between Slovenia and Croatia as both countries are part of the Schengen area. It seemed that we would get to Novi Sad at about an hour earlier than expected, but then we reached the border between Croatia and Serbia! There was a huge queue of cars and despite us choosing the best lane it took one hour to enter Serbia. Then we had the issue of buying car insurance. We were relieved when a helpful policeman directed us to an office where we could buy the insurance. Unfortunately the person there didn't know how to issue the insurance and had to seek assistance over the phone. This man was becoming very frustrated with the process and as his English was poor we didn't know what was really happening. After 30 minutes the insurance was issued and we had to pay. Until then we didn't know the cost, but I thought it wouldn't be more than Euro 50 for the 4 days we would be in Slovenia. The amount was RSD 21,000, but we didn't know what this equated to in real money. We couldn't google it as our phones didn't have roaming for Serbia. We tried to pay by credit card but it was rejected. The man then said we could pay in Euro and it was Eur 230! I did query it, but in the end we had to pay, which left us feeling ripped off. Later that evening I researched it and discovered that it is virtually only UK car insurance policies that don't cover Serbia. There were a few comments on the internet about the prohibitively high cost of insurance at the Serbian border so we weren't cheated. However, if I had known what the cost would have been I wouldn't have chosen a route going through Serbia. When we left the Serbian border we texted the apartment owner that our ETA was 18.15. Unfortunately when we got to Novi Sad it was difficult to find the apartment and we didn't get there until 18.35. We booked the apartment through Booking.com and the apartment had excellent reviews. However, no review mentioned that the apartment block dated back to the communist era and didn't look nice on the outside or in the common areas of the building. The apartment itself was a very spacious apartment on the Danube with 2 bedrooms and 2 balconies. It costs only Euro 45 a night! Unfortunately they skimped on items like cooking utensils and there were a few other things that needed attention. See my blog Novi Sad, Serbia: Travel Guide for details about Novi Sad. Links to My Other Blogs Cornwall to Venice - Week 1 Serbia to North Macedonia - Week 3 North Macedonia to Greece - Week 4 Nafplio, Greece to the Peloponnese - Week 5 The Peloponnese to the Greek Islands - Week 6 The Greek Islands - Week 7 The Greek Islands to Albania - Week 8 Albania to Montenegro - Week 9 Montenegro to Croatia- Week 10 Brac to Rab, Croatia - Week 11 Rab to Dolomites, Italy - Week 12 Dolomites to Home - Week 13 UK to Greek Island Accommodation - Part 1 UK to Greek Island Accommodation - Part 2 Hiking in Val Gardena, Dolomites

Contents Introduction Leh, Ladakh Stok & Spituk Shey, Thikse, Matho & Hemis Likir, Alchi, Lamayuru & Kanji Nubra Valley & Pangong Lake Taxis, Restaurants, Hotels & Laundry Links to my other blogs on Ladakh 1. Introduction I spent a very enjoyable 6 weeks in Ladakh during August and September 2024. I mainly went to trek in Sham Valley, Markha Valley and Zanskar. However, I took advantage of being in Leh and did a lot of sightseeing whilst there. Leh is a very nice town and there are few hassles like in many parts of India. The people are friendly and welcoming and Leh hasn't been overwhelmed by traffic like in so many Asian towns. It helps that the main shopping street is pedestrianised. Leh is a good base for day trips to many of Ladakh's ancient Buddhist monasteries. It is important to be selective as there are so many monasteries in the vicinity of Leh. I visited most of the most important monasteries and this blog covers them. Trekking is another popular way to see Ladakh. The Markha Valley and Sham Valley treks are 2 short and easy treks near Leh. They can be done independently or you could join a group trek arranged by many of the travel agencies in Leh. See my blogs on trekking in Ladakh for information about these treks. I didn't do the popular 2 or 3 day trip to the Nubra Valley and Pangong Lake. It is very scenic but also touristy. 2. Leh, Ladakh 2.1 Central area of Leh The long pedestrianised shopping street called the Main Bazaar is the centre of Leh. At the northern end is the Jamia Masjid mosque. On the west side there is a Tibetan Refugee market. There are local markets south of the pedestrianised area and to the east a local shopping street runs parallel to it. Leh Palace can be seen from the northern end of the Main Bazaar and the dilapidated old town is east of the mosque. It is worth wandering through the old town on the way up to, and down from, Leh Palace but there aren't many buildings of interest. The Chokhang Vihara Temple was consecrated in 1980 and is in an area just north west of the Main Bazaar. It is worthwhile having a quick wander around this peaceful part of central Leh. 2.2 Leh Palace Leh Palace looks spectacular from the Grand Bazaar and it is lit up at night. It's definitely worth visiting Leh Palace and the entry fee was only INR 300 (USD 4) in 2024 for foreigners. The nine storey Leh Palace was constructed in 1630 and visitors enter on the fourth level. The Royal Shrine and a couple of rooms with exhibitions are on the fourth and fifth levels. Otherwise most of the rooms in the Leh Palace are empty. There are good views of Leh from the top floors. 2.3 Leh Old Town 2.4 Shanti Stupa The white Shanti Stupa was built in 1991 on a hill about 100 metres high. It's a 10 minute walk past the Hotel Omasila in the north western part of central Leh. There are 566 steps from the road to the stupa and there is a cafe at the top. Shanti Stupa is a popular spot at sunset as there are good views over Leh. 3. Stok & Spituk I spent 6 hours visiting Stok and Spituk by taxi that cost INR 2,500 (USD 30). The first section of the journey from Leh to Choglamsar went through an unattractive urban sprawl but the Choglamsar to Stok road was scenic. I returned to Leh via Spituk and the scenery from Stok to Spituk was excellent. It made a nice outing. 3.1 Stok The main places to see at Stok are the Palace, the Golden Buddha on the hill, the monastery and a heritage house. The village itself sprawls over several kilometres and is not worth walking around. Stok Palace was built around 1820 and became the royal residence in 1834. There is a museum and temple included in the small admission charge of about INR 200. Part of the Palace is now a heritage hotel. Photography isn't allowed in the museum and temple. The Golden Buddha is a couple of kilometres from the Palace. It's 22 metres high and was built in 2012. The Buddha is right above a modern monastery and the nearby shop has the key. There are excellent views from the Buddha. There is monastery nearby dating back to the 14th century. I didn't visit it but wish I had. The Gyapthago Heritage Home is a few kilometres further on. I had a tour of the old house and a nice lunch for INR 500 (USD 6). 3.2 Spituk Monastery & Village The impressive monastery at Spituk is built on a rocky outcrop and can be seen from several kilometres away. It is one of the oldest monasteries in Ladakh and dates back to the 11th century. There are about 4 chapels and chambers that can be entered but photography isn't allowed. Spituk village is built on the steep rear side of the monastery. My taxi took me around to this side and I walked up through the old and atmospheric village. There is a long line of white chortens at the base of the village. 4. Monasteries at Shey, Thikse, Matho & Hemis These famous monasteries are south east of Leh and can be visited as a long day trip from Leh. 4.1 Shey Palace There is a 2 storey temple in Shey Palace which contains Ladakh's most famous statue of Buddha. It is large and very impressive. The entrance fee for Shey Palace is only INR 40 (USD 0.50). There is a dilapidated fortress on the hill above the fortress. It's possible to clamber to the top from where there are good views. There are restaurants in the village just below Shey Palace. 4.2 Thikse Monastery Thikse monastery dates back to the 15th century. It is one of the biggest and most impressive monasteries in Ladakh and shouldn't be mis sed. Photography is allowed in the prayer rooms unlike at several of the other monasteries. The entrance fee is INR 50 (USD 0.60). 4.3 Matho Monastery Matho monastery dates back to the 15th century and photography in the interior is permitted. The entrance fee is INR 50 (USD 0.60). 4.4 Hemis Monastery Hemis monastery dates back to the 17th century and is probably the most famous monastery in Ladakh. It houses around 500 monks and there are about 5 chambers that can be visited. 5. Likir, Alchi, Lamayuru & Kanji It is about a 2.5 hour drive westwards from Leh to Lamayuru monastery which would make a long day trip if the monasteries at Likir and Alchi were visited on the way. It would be far more relaxing to spend the night at Lamayuru where there is plenty of accommodation. There are at least 2 decent hotels that have rooms with attached bathrooms. The interesting and attractive Tibetan village of Kanji is only a one and a quarter hour drive from Lamayuru. There is a homestay in Kanji and the night could be spent there instead of at Lamayuru. If you organise this trip yourself do ensure that you obtain a Protected Area Permit as you often need to show it at police road blocks. It only costs INR 600 (USD 7) and can be obtained quickly through most travel agencies in Leh. See my Markha Valley trek blog for further details. On the road from Leh to Alchi there are a couple of quick pull overs: The first one is Magnetic Hill where vehicles which have stopped appear to move uphill due to an optical illusion. In reality the road goes downhill. The next one is Sangam viewpoint which is above the confluence of the Indus and Zanskar rivers. 5.1 Likir Monastery Likir monastery was founded in the 11th century and there are now around 100 monks practising there. The monastery sits impressively on a hill that is about 5 kilometres off the Leh to Srinagar road. There are 2 main chapels and a museum that can be visited. Behind the monastery there is a 25 metre high golden image of the Maitreya Buddha. The entrance fee is only INR 50 (USD 0.60) and the opening hours are 08.00 to 13.00 and 14.00 to 18.00. Photography is allowed in the chapels but not in the museum. 5.2 Alchi Monastery Alchi Monastery is one of the oldest in Ladakh and is different from most of the other monasteries. It doesn't have a spectacular setting and is very small. However, the monastery's 3 very small chapels were very atmospheric and impressive. Alchi Monastery is open from 09.00 to 13.00 and from 14.00 to 18.00. At the entrance all cameras must be put in individual lockers. I visited at midday and fortunately there were no other visitors in the small chapels. However, when I left Alchi just before the monastery reopened at 14.00 there were groups waiting to visit. The chapels wouldn't be so magical if there were too many other visitors. The best restaurant in Alchi is the popular Alchi Kitchen run by women. 5.3 Lamayuru Monastery Lamayuru monastery is one of the most impressive and largest monasteries in Ladakh. It is surrounded by a moonscape landscape and there are several viewpoints in the vicinity from which this moonscape can be fully appreciated. It takes about 2 hours to explore the fascinating monastery complex and there are around 4 chapels that can be visited. Photography isn't allowed in most of the chapels. 5.4 Kanji It is about a 1.5 hour drive from Lamayuru to the interesting and very scenic Tibetan village of Kanji where there is a homestay . The road to Kanji goes over the 4,108 metre high Fatu La which is the highest point on the Leh to Srinagar road. Just before Kanji the road goes through a spectacular canyon. I walked through it and met up with my vehicle on the other side of the canyon. 6. Nubra Valley & Pangong Lake The scenic drive to Nubra Valley and Pangong Lake is very popular. You can either arrange your own taxi or join one of the tours organised by the numerous travel agencies in Leh. When I was in Leh the reputable Ancient Tracks travel agency were advertising tours shown on the photo below. I didn't do this trip as I didn't have enough time and I was going to see a lot of Ladakh's wonderful scenery during my 6 weeks trekking in Markha Valley, Zanskar and Sham Valley. 7. Taxis, Restaurants, Hotels & Laundry 7.1 Taxis Taxis aren't usually hailed in the street. There are 2 main taxi stands in Leh, one is near the Main Bazaar and the other is by the bus station. There is a taxi union in Leh and they set the rates to each destination in Ladakh. The 2022/23 rate sheet is on their website . The cost of a taxi from the airport to Leh was INR 550 (USD 7) in 2024. 7.2 Restaurants in Leh There are a lot of good restaurants in Leh. I mainly ate at the following ones: Chopsticks Tibetan Kitchen Bon Appetit Most restaurants in Leh don't serve alcohol but Bon Appetit does. 7. 3 Hotels in Leh There are a lot of good looking hotels in Leh. I stayed at the Hotel Omasila which was one of the first hotels in Leh. The hotel is set in nice grounds and the rooms are spacious but need updating. The staff were very pleasant and helpful. 7.4 Hotels in Lamayuru The Grand Moonland and the Dragon Hotel get good reviews. Both hotels have attached bathrooms. I think I stayed in the old Hotel Moonland which was fine. I had an attached bathroom which was more than I expected. 7.5 Homestay in Kanji I camped at Kanji as it was the start of my Zanskar trek . I saw the Thankar Painter Homestay whilst wandering around the village. 7.6 Laundry There are 2 laundries near the Hotel Omasila in Leh. They are both on the same side of the road as the hotel and one is before the hotel and the other one after it. Usually laundry handed in by 21.00 it will be ready for collection the following evening. The cost is very reasonable. 8. Links to my other blogs on Ladakh 2024 Guide for the Markha Valley Trek 2024 Guide to the Sham Valley Trek 2024 Zanskar trek - Part 1 2024 Zanskar Trek - Part 2 2024 Zanskar Trek - Pa rt

Contents Map of the Zanskar trek 8 September 2024 - Rest Day in Shade 9 September 2024 - Trek towards Phugtal Monastery 10 September 2024 - Trek to Phugtal Monastery 11 September 2024 - Drive to Kargyak 12 September 2024 - Rest day in Kargyak 13 September 2024 - Ascent to 5100m before Tserichen La (5680m) 14 September 2024 - Trek to Chumnik Marpo via Tserichen La 15 September 2024 - Trek to Kham Krap Sumdo (4500m) 16 September 2024 - Trek to Sarchu (4300m) 17 September 2024 - Drive to Leh Links to my other blogs on Ladakh & Zanskar Map of the Zanskar trek 8 September 2024 - Rest Day in Shade We had a rest day in the unspoiled village of Shade. Our campsite is just 100 metres from where the friendly local women milked the yaks every morning and evening. They usually finished at 19.00 and then started again around 05.30. They have a very tough life. I wandered around Shade a couple of times and it was deserted during the day time as the villagers were harvesting crops. 9 September 2024 - Trek towards Phugtal Monastery The government has upgraded the trail from the village of Shade to Phugtal monastery. This section of the trail for the Zanskar trek is now in a very good condition and provides spectacular views as it runs above the blue Tsarap river. The plan had been to camp in a side canyon about 3 hours before Phugtal monastery. Unfortunately the stream in the side canyon had dried up and we couldn't camp there. We continued for another hour and camped in a small rocky area just off the main trail where there was a small stream nearby. 10 September 2024 - Trek to Phugtal Monastery We continued our walk along the Tsarap river to Phugtal monastery. It only took 2.5 hours to reach the monastery and it looked spectacular in the bright sunshine. Our campsite was at a basic lodge 10 minutes past Phugtal monastery. Whilst waiting for the horses to arrive the weather changed and it started to rain. In the afternoon we visited the atmospheric Phugtal monastery which is one of the main monasteries in Zanskar. As usual photography on the interior wasn't allowed. 11 September 2024 - Drive to Kargyak I didn't like last night's campsite as there were too many people camping and staying at the nearby basic lodge. An Indian group made a lot of noise until 22.30 and we normally go to sleep well before then. In the morning we walked 1 hour to the road and were met by 2 jeeps. All the luggage and camping equipment was transferred from the horses to the jeeps. From there it was a 1.5 hour drive to the village of Kargyak, which was the home of one of the crew. Initially the road was rough but nearer the Kargyak it was tarred. The weather was very windy when we arrived at the campsite and it looked like it would rain. We therefore had lunch and sat in the dining tent until the weather improved enough for us to put up our tents. The weather got worse again in the late afternoon and it became chilly and wet. 12 September 2024 - Rest day in Kargyak The weather was miserable yesterday afternoon and evening. However, when I got up at 07.00 the sky was clear and it wasn't windy. I was pleased that it was a rest day as my tent was covered in ice. The day was mainly spent washing clothes, having a wash in the cold river and using the internet. In the late afternoon I wandered around the village of Kargyak and as usual the villagers were very friendly and welcoming. 13 September 2024 - Ascent to 5100m before the Tserichen La We left the village of Kargyak (4,120 metres) to begin our ascent over the 5,680 metre high Tserichen La. We stopped and camped for the night at 5,100 metres. Two of the other trekkers began having problems with diarrhea in the afternoon but I was feeling fine. I had been walking strongly and someone complimented me about it during supper. Unfortunately that's when my problems started! Shortly afterwards I started feeling a little bit off and I took Diamox on the assumption it was mild altitude sickness. During the night I hardly slept as my stomach ached and I felt very nauseous. 14 September 2024 - Trek to Chumnik Marpo via Tserichen La We woke up to light snow. Martin from Canada had frequently vomited during the night and couldn't continue trekking. He therefore descended back down to Kargyak with one of the crew with the intention of joining us 4 days later at Sarchu. Another trekker had bad diarrhea but continued trekking like me. It was a huge effort to ascend 600 metres to the top of the 5,680 metre Tserichen La whereas the previous day I had no problem ascending 1,000 metres. I really struggled and had to constantly stop. At the top I started vomiting. I didn't have any lunch and descended down to our next camp at 4,900 metres. It was a very tough day as I was very sick. I skipped supper and just lay in my tent from the time I arrived at camp to the next morning. During the day I had started to suffer from diarrhea. I took the antibiotic Azithromycin and that quickly cured the diarrhea. Unfortunately it had no effect on my nausea and vomiting. At least I didn't need to frequently run to the toilet tent! 15 September 2024 - Trek Kham Krap Sumdo (4500m) I slept for about 12 hours and still felt nauseous when I woke up. I just had Muesli with water for breakfast. Fortunately it was only a 4 hour hike today and the majority of it was downhill. The weather wasn't good and I didn't take many photos. I skipped lunch again and didn't have dinner. I just lay in my tent from the time I arrived at camp to the next morning. 16 September 2024 - Trek Sarchu (4300m) Jamie said it would be another short 4 hour hike to our next camp at the village of Sarchu (4,100 metres). I was relieved about that as I was still feeling very sick. Unfortunately it turned out to be a 7 hour hike! The trail was reasonably flat but there were a lot of ravines to go down and back up again. An hour before camp we had to cross a river which involved changing into river shoes. The river level was about knee height and the rocks on the river bottom were very slippery. The scenery was quite stunning as we approached Sarchu but I was too exhausted to properly appreciate it due to my illness. When we reached camp I was relieved when one of the crew helped to put up my tent. I briefly joined the group for supper and just had soup. I was still feeling very sick and knew I wouldn't be able to continue trekking and do the last 9 day section of the Zanskar trek. Jamie and Esther thought I would be able to continue as I had been walking at a reasonable pace. However, that pace had pushed me to my limit and I knew I couldn't do it for another 9 days. Another factor was that in India satellite phones are prohibited so a helicopter rescue wouldn't have been possible. 17 September 2024 - Drive to Leh Three of us drove back to Leh. Martin from the UK had always intended to end the trek in Sarchu due to time constraints. Martin from Canada had recovered but didn't feel strong enough to continue. Only the 2 Australian trekkers were completing the final 9 day section of the Zanskar trek with Jamie and Esther. The camp was packed up by 10.00 and we all walked a mile along a flat track to where the jeep was parked. I really struggled on this very easy section and felt very nauseous. I had clearly made the right decision to go back to Leh. It was a tiring 7 hour drive to Leh through very bleak and unattractive mountain scenery. The Mamali to Leh highway had a lot of road construction going on for most of the way which slowed us down. We stopped for lunch but I was too sick to eat anything. I didn't have any dinner either! Instead I went to the hospital in the evening and the doctor prescribed a lot of medication. Everything was free! When I returned to the hotel I researched the medication on the internet and decided not to take it. 18 September 2024 and onwards I managed to change the date of my Virgin Atlantic flight from Delhi to the UK and surprisingly the flight change cost only £45. Unfortunately my flight on the morning of 20th September was cancelled and I was rebooked on a 01.00 flight the next morning. I spent the rest of the 20th September lying sick in bed at a 5 star hotel provided by Virgin Atlantic. I was too sick to eat any of the free food at the hotel. I went back to the airport in the evening and struggled to make it through the long line ups for passport control and security. I was very happy when I managed to make it to the boarding gate. I wasn't so happy when they announced that the flight would be delayed by 2 hours due to a software issue. Then they kept putting back the departure time. It looked like the flight would be cancelled again. However, they eventually announced that the software issue had been resolved and we took off 5.5 hours late. I reached home on the evening of 21 September and I was starved as I had hardly eaten for 8 days. My weight was down to 63 kilograms which was 10 kilograms less than when I flew to Ladakh. I improved a lot a few days after returning to the UK but still had stomach pains. I saw my doctor who arranged blood and stool tests and an ultrasound scan. It seems that I had bad gastroenteritis and that has caused lactose intolerance. My 44 days in Ladakh were fantastic but it was a shame it had ended this way and that I couldn't do the last section of the Zanskar trek. I will never rely on filtered water again. I will either drink boiled water or sterilise the water with a Steripen. Links to my other blogs on Ladakh & Zanskar Zanskar Trek - Part 1 Zanskar Trek - Part 2 2024 Guide for the Markha Valley Trek 2024 Guide for the Sham Valley Trek Travel Guide for Leh and Vicinity - 2024

Contents Map of the Zanskar Trek 29 August 2024 - Trek to Chapskang (4270m) 30 August 2024 - Trek to Zingchan 31 August 2024 - Trek to Hanumil (3600m) 1 September 2024 - Trek & Drive to Zangla (3600m) 2 September 2024 - Visit to Padum & Karsha Gompa 3 September 2024 - Trek to Zangla Sumdo (3850m) 4 September 2024 - Trek towards Yarichun 5 September 2024 Trek to Yarichun (4220m) 6 September 2024 - Trek towards Shade 7 September 2024 - Trek to Shade Links to my other blogs on Ladakh Map of the Zanskar Trek 29 August 2024 - Trek to Chapskang (4270m) We started hiking to the top of the 4,640 metre high Barmi La at 08.30. There is now a rough road over the pass and in the next 2 to 3 years the road will go all the way to Dibling. Jamie had arranged for a jeep to come from Leh with resupplies for the next stage of our Zanskar trek. Jamie had hoped the jeep would come early and we reached the top of the Barmi La at 09.30. Unfortunately the jeep only arrived at midday and then the supplies were loaded onto the horses. After lunch we descended steeply to our campsite where I had a well needed wash in the river! 30 August 2024 - Trek to Zingchan We kept to our usual routine of breakfast at 07.00 and leaving camp at around 08.00. We immediately hiked steeply to the top of the 4,710 metre high Hanuma La. It took 2 hours to ascend 700 metres to the top of the pass where there were very good views. Initially the scenery on the other side of the pass wasn't very special. However, after lunch we followed a high, narrow and very exposed trail above a spectacular canyon. We reached our campsite at 15.30 and had it to ourselves like all the other campsites so far on our Zanskar trek. It was in a scenic location and there was plenty of flat space for our tents. We had dinner outside for the first time as it was a warm evening. 31 August 2024 - Trek to Hanumil (3600m) We often camp at the bottom of valleys which means there is often a steep ascent at the start of the day. That's what happened this morning as we immediately hiked about 600 metres to the 3,900 metre high Parpi La. It took about an hour and a half to reach the top of the pass. We then had the inevitable descent to our campsite. It was very scenic as the path was on the mountainside above the wide Zanskar river. The path was at times only 12 to 18 inches wide which is often the case in Zanskar. It wasn't a problem until there was an eroded section and then the exposure was a bit nerve wracking. It was a shorter and easier day and we arrived at a pleasant campsite outside the tiny village of Hanumil around 14.00. 1 September 2024 - Trek & Drive to Zangla (3600m) We had our breakfast outside as it was sunny and warm. We delayed setting off until 08.40 as we were meeting up with jeeps later in the morning in order to avoid walking along a section of road. It only took 1.5 hours to walk from our campsite at Hanumil to the village of Zangla. It was another very scenic hike above the impressive Zanskar river. Two jeeps and a tractor trailer were waiting for us. It was then an half hour drive along a good tarred road to our campsite. Initially I wasn't very impressed with the campsite as it was just off the main Zanskar road. The campsite was very spacious and grassy but there wasn't any shade and it was hot. There were quite a few locals picnicking there as it was a Sunday. The locals were very friendly and gave us some of their local brew and some snacks. Later the local women danced whilst the inebriated men slept. 2 September 2024 - Visit to Padum & Karsha Gompa It was a rest day and we were driven to the town of Padum after breakfast. There was a lot of construction going on in Padum which made it very messy and not very pleasant. A lot of trekkers start or finish their treks in Zanskar in Padum or use it as a resupply point. We took a taxi from Padum to the nearby Karsha monastery which is the most important monastery in Zanskar. The Karsha monastery dates back to the 10th century and it was atmospheric with five monks reciting holy scripts. We had lunch at a Korean restaurant in Padum! Most of us also treated ourselves to cake and coffee. I am not particularly keen on Korean food but the cake and coffee were good. 3 September 2024 - Trek to Zangla Sumdo (3850m) A taxi was meant to drive us to Zangla palace but it never turned up. We ended up walking there on the main road and it took 45 minutes. Zangla palace was built in the 10th century by the king of Zanskar and is on a hill outside the village of Zangla. The palace wasn't open but it was interesting walking around the site. After leaving the palace we descended into canyon and walked through it for about 4 hours until we reached our campsite. We had to wade through the river numerous times. 4 September 2024 - Trek towards Yarichun We started hiking at 08.00 and ascended 500 metres to our next camp, which was at an altitude of 4,350 metres and on the way up to the Pangdang La. The terrain was very barren and rocky today with one slightly tricky section across a scree slope. We had to cross the river several times. In the late afternoon 4 young Israelis came past our campsite. They were trekking in the opposite direction to us and were going to camp a bit further down. They were carrying very basic food supplies and their meals weren't going well. 5 September 2024 - Trek to Yarichun (4220m) We left our campsite at 07.50 to begin the 900 metre ascent to the Pangdang La (5,250 metres). Yesterday the scenery was very barren and desolate but today the hike was very scenic. The trail wasn't tricky and it took 3 hours to reach the top of the Pangdang La. From the summit we descended for one hour to our campsite. We stopped before we reached Yarichun and the campsite was at an altitude of 4,600 metres. When I returned to my tent after dinner my head lamp lit up the eyes of an animal which was initially about 100 metres away. It came closer before going up the mountainside. It moved like a cat and I think it was a snow leopard. 6 September 2024 - Trek towards Shade It was a cold night and the temperature dropped to 4 centigrade in my tent. In the morning there was frost on my tent and my hands were very cold and painful when packing it up. Fortunately the sun hit the campsite at 07.00 and we had breakfast outside in the warmth. There were numerous river crossings today. Due to the low river levels we could jump across on rocks most of the time and only had to change into river footwear twice. The weather changed for the worse as we walked and at lunchtime it started to lightly rain. The scenery was great but would have been so much better with sunshine. At the end of the day we had to ascend 420 metres to the 4,680 metre high Lar La. It doesn't sound much but it was tiring at high altitude. It was sunny at the top of the pass and we had great views. On the way down it rained heavily and it was the most rain we had in Zanskar. 7 September 2024 - Trek to Shade It was below freezing last night and there was frost on our tents again. We left the packing up of the tents until the sun came out at 07.05. We had breakfast outside as the temperature was pleasant in the sun. Soon after leaving camp we had a 600 metre ascent to the Rotang La. The trail wasn't as steep as yesterday's and we reached the top of the Rotang La after 2 hours. It was a clear and sunny day but at the top of the pass it became very windy. It was a very scenic descent to the small village of Shade where we camped for 2 nights. Links to my other blogs on Ladakh Zanskar Trek - Part 1 2024 Zanskar Trek - Part 3 2024 Guide for the Markha Valley Trek 2024 Guide for the Sham Valley Trek Travel Guide for Leh and Vicinity - 2024

Contents Introduction to the Zanskar Trek Map of the Zanskar Trek 21 August 2024 - Drive from Leh to Lamayuru (3550m) 22 August 2024 - Drive from Lamayuru to Kanji (3850m) 23 August 2024 - Trek to Kanji River Junction (4050m) 24 August 2024 - Trek to Kanji La Base Camp (4345 m) 25 August 2024 - Trek over the Kanji La (5250m 26 August 2024 - Trek over the Pitung La (5020m) 27 August 2024 - Trek to Dibling (3850m) 28 August 2024 - Trek to Lingshed Sumdo Links to my other blogs on Ladakh 1. Introduction to the Zanskar Trek I booked a 48 day trip with Project Himalaya that went from Leh to Spiti and onto Delhi via Shimla. 36 days of the 48 day trip involved trekking through Zanska from Kanji village in Ladakh to Spiti. The itinerary for my Zanskar trek can be seen on the Project Himalaya website . I had never been to Ladakh before and decided to do the easy 3 day Sham Valley trek  and the 4 day Markha Valley trek  by myself before doing the Zanskar trek. I don't normally like trekking in a group but Project Himalaya's treks are different: The itineraries are adventurous and Jamie McGuinness (the leader) likes to get off the beaten track. He certainly does this in Ladakh and Zanskar! The group sizes are smaller and on the Zanskar trek there were only 5 trekkers plus Jamie and his partner. There were only 5 local staff on the trip as horses were used to carry all the loads. The trekkers don't walk closely together in a line as happens with most other group treks. There weren't any guides at the front and rear of the group and sometimes we were so spread out that there was no one else in sight. Pitching and taking down tents were the trekkers' responsibility. As a result we could find our own spot to pitch our tents and our tents weren't crammed next to each other. We were very fortunate that the river levels in Zanskar were low in 2024. We still had to wade through a lot of them. Often the river beds were uneven and the rocks were slippery. In high water the crossings would have been a challenge. I found it a hassle changing from boots to water shoes and then back again for each river crossing Everything went well on the Zanskar trek until we left the village of Kargyak on the 26th day of the trek. Three of us became sick from drinking contaminated water and one trekker had to turn back the next morning. The water had been filtered but I hadn't realised that filtering doesn't remove viruses. If I had realised this I would have used my Steripen to sterilise the water. I managed to treat the diarrhoea with Azithromycin but couldn't stop the vomiting and nausea. I trekked for a further 3 days until we reached the village of Sarchu. I then returned to Leh with one of the other sick trekkers and a trekker who was doing the shorter version of the Zanskar trek that finished in Sarchu. As a result I missed out on the final 8 days of the Zanskar trek, the 4 day jeep ride from Spiti to Shimla and the train from Shimla to Delhi. It was a real shame but until I got sick the Zanskar trek had been fantastic. 2. Map of the Zanskar Trek The most detailed maps for the Zanskar trek are published by Olizane and their maps for Ladakh & Zanskar Centre and Ladakh & Zanskar South covered my trek. The Olizane maps are expensive and can be purchaed online and in Leh. Cheaper and less detailed maps for the Zanskar trek can be purchased in Leh and on Amazon. The map below shows the first section my Zanskar trek and is an extract from the Olizane Ladakh & Zanskar Centre map. 21 August 2024 - Drive from Leh to Lamayuru (3550m) We set off at 09.30 from Leh in 2 vehicles to drive to the starting point of our Zanskar trek. On the way we stopped at Alchi to visit the oldest monastery in Ladakh. It dates back to the 12th century and has 3 very beautiful and unspoiled temples. Unfortunately photography is forbidden inside the temples. The temples are very small but fortunately we visited just before they closed for the morning and we were the only ones visiting. It wouldn't have been a good experience with too many people. We had lunch at the popular and highly rated Alchi Kitchen . After a very good meal of vegetable momos we drove on to Lamayuru and checked into a reasonable hotel. We all had rooms with attached bathrooms which is much better than I expected. I think the hotel was the Moonland. There is now a newer and better hotel called the Grand Moonland but it was full. There is a spectacular monastery at Lamayuru and we spent a couple of hours visiting it. We were again very fortunate that there were no other visitors. Unfortunately photography isn't allowed in most of the temples. 22 August 2024 - Drive from Lamayuru to Kanji (3850m) In the morning we did a 3 hour hike from our hotel in Lamayuru and this entailed hiking over a 3,700 metre pass. We returned to Lamayuru for a basic lunch and then drove to a campsite in the village of Kanji for the start of the Zanskar trek. On the way to Kanji we stopped at numerous viewpoints and walked through a dramatic gorge just before Kanji. The campsite was in a very scenic position. Kanji is an interesting village with some old Tibetan houses, a Gompa and excellent views of the surrounding valley and mountains. There is at least 1 homestay there. 23 August 2024 -Trek to Kanji River Junction (4200m) We started the Zanska r trek today. It was a n easy walk from the village of Kanji (3,700 metres) to our next campsite at 4,200 metres. It took 6 hours but we had numerous stops for photography and we also had lunch on the way. We had to cross the river about 7 times but fortunately the river level was low. We couldn't hike any further due to the risk of altitude sickness. 24 August 2024 - Trek to Kanji La Base Camp (4345 metres) It was another easy 3 hour walk today due to not being able to ascend too high because of the risk of altitude sickness. We had to cross the river several times but didn't have to change into water footwear as we could jump over. Two trekkers had become sick on the day we left Leh and were coughing and spluttering. I am germ phobic and tried to keep my distance as I didn't want to catch their bug at the start of the Zanskar trek. One of them struggled on today's easy hike and hopefully he will be able to complete tomorrow's hike as it is one of the toughest sections of the Zanskar trek. 25 August 2024 - Trek over the Kanji La (5,250m) The start of the 900 metre ascent up the Kanji La was meant to be from near our campsite but the trail couldn't be located. We could have walked 5 minutes back to the camp to check the route with the horseman. Instead it was decided that we should scramble 230 metres up a steep scree gully! When we got to the top we could see the trail in the distance and had to traverse across a steep scree slope to reach it. It was a hard slog to the top of the pass and we stopped for lunch just before the top. There was an Italian group at the top who had come from the opposite direction. They were doing a much shorter 8 day Zanskar trek and were finishing at Kanji village. It was then an 850 metre descent to our campsite. One person took the wrong route near the end and Jamie had to go back to find him. Three of us arrived at the campsite at 17.00 and we were tired and dehydrated after a 9 hour hike. One of the trekkers who was sick took 11 hours! After putting up our tents it was time for dinner and then bed! This turned out to be the toughest section of the Zanskar trek. 26 August 2024 - Trek over the Pudzong La (5020m) We had to cross over the 5,020 metre high Pudzong La today which involved ascending 620 metres and then descending 720 metres. We had to wade through the river a few times on the way up the Pudzong La. It was a 7 hour hike and fortunately it was easier than yesterday. We arrived at our campsite at 15.00 which gave us time to relax. 27 August 2024 - Trek to Dibling (3850m) It was a short 2 hour hike to the village of Dibling. There were 2 river crossings but they have now built bridges across the river. We camped in the centre of the village which is unspoiled as the road from Lingshed doesn't reach Dibling yet. The villagers were very friendly and the village is very photogenic. It was interesting staying in Dibling and watching daily life. They were cutting hay and transporting it on their backs from the fields to the top of their houses for winter. In the evening hundreds of goats came back to the village for the night. The only disadvantage of staying in the village was the dogs barking at night. Jamie got out of his tent at 02.30 and shooed away one dog by throwing stones at it. 28 August 2024 - Trek to Lingshed Sumdo We left Dibling at 08.00 and followed a path above the river. There was one hairy section where a slip would have resulted in a serious fall. After a while we reached an area where a road to Dibling is being constructed. It will probably take 3 years to complete as the terrain is so difficult. So many roads are being constructed in Zanskar. We were told that it would take 1 hour to walk to our campsite after lunch. Unfortunately the first campsite wasn't suitable. It ended up taking just over 2 hours to ascend 700 metres to a very rocky area where the horsemen had decided to camp for the night. The two sick trekkers took 4 hours. Most of us now have colds or coughs. I started a slight cold yesterday. On previous treks I often had trouble sleeping above 4,000 metres but so far on the Zanskar trek I haven't had a problem. Links to my other blogs on Ladakh 2024 Guide for the Sham Valley Trek 2024 Guide for the Markha Valley Trek 2024 Zanskar Trek - Part 2 2024 Zanskar Trek - Part 3 Travel Guide for Leh and Vicinity - 2024

Contents Introduction When to do the Markha Valley Trek What to bring for the Markha Valley Trek Internet Connectivity on the Markha Valley Trek Transport to and from the Markha Valley Trek Permits for the Markha Valley Trek Cost of the Markha Valley Trek Map of the Markha Valley Trek Navigating the Markha Valley Trek Homestays & Tented Camps on the Markha Valley Trek River Crossings on the Markha Valley Trek Itinerary for the Markha Valley Trek Links to my other blogs on Ladakh 1. Introduction I did the Markha Valley trek by myself in mid August 2024. Before doing this trek I spent 3 nights acclimatising in Leh and then trekked in the Sham Valley for 3 days to further improve my acclimatisation. At the end of the third day of trekking in Sham Valley I took an unofficial taxi to Skiu. I stayed in a homestay for the night (12th August) at Skiu before trekking through Markha Valley for 4 days. I spent the nights in Skiu, Markha, Thachungtse and Nyimaling. I was concerned that the trails and accommodation could be very busy as I was hiking in peak season. I was pleasantly surprised, and probably fortunate, that neither the Sham Valley trek nor the Markha Valley trek were busy except at Nyimaling. I wanted to have my own room or tent and fortunately this was possible. At Skiu I had the homestay to myself. In Markha I had a triple bed room to myself. It was fortunate that I decided not to stay in Hankar as I later heard it was overflowing with trekkers. I had continued on from Hankar to the Thachungtse tented camp and had a tent to myself. I was one of the first trekkers to arrive at Nyimaling and was only allowed to have a tent to myself as the outer zip was broken. I really enjoyed the Markha Valley trek. The scenery was fantastic and there was great camaraderie with other trekkers. I usually don't like trekking on roads but the rough road from Skiu to Markha didn't spoil my trek. There was very little traffic and it made navigation very easy! The Markha Valley trek isn't difficult but the section between Skiu and Hankar can be very hot. There are now bridges over the river in many places. However, in years when the water level is high river crossings could be difficult on the descent from the Gongmaru La to Chokdo. I was fortunate that there was little snow last winter so the river levels were low. 2. When to do the Markha Valley Trek The Markha Valley trek can usually be done from late May to mid October. There is more risk of snow on the pass in May and October. In late June and July the river levels are often higher. As discussed in the section on River Crossings the river level is mainly a concern when descending the Gongmaru La as there are now bridges over most of the rivers until Nyimaling. Another consideration is the number of trekkers. July and August are the busiest months for the Markha Valley trek but by the end of August the number of trekkers should decrease. The section of the Markha Valley trek from Skiu to Hankar can also be very hot in July and August as it is in a valley. I trekked in mid August and the temperature on this section felt like it was in the mid 30's centigrade. In my opinion late August to mid September would be a very good time to do the Markha Valley trek. There should be less trekkers and the temperature would be less extreme. 3. What to bring for the Markha Valley Trek 3.1. Blankets, Duvets & Pillow Cases Unless you are bringing your own tent you don't need to bring a sleeping bag for the Markha Valley trek. I brought a silk liner bag for hygiene reasons and used the blankets and duvets provided. For temperatures in mid August there were sufficient blankets and duvets at all the places I stayed at, including the tented camps at Thachungtse and Nyimaling. It would be colder in September and October but as there are less trekkers there should be more blankets and duvets available. I always take a pillow case for lodge/homestay treks and either put it over the pillow provided or stuff my down jacket in the pillow case if there isn't one. You can be sure that the pillow cases provided are rarely washed. 3.2. Drinking Water All the homestays and tented campson the Markha Valley trek provided filtered water and a lot of trekkers drink it. However, I took a Steripen to sterilise the filtered water. Some trekkers use LifeStraw water bottles or water purification tablets. I did a 35 day trek through Zanskar after the Markha Valley trek and relied on filtered water at our campsites. Three out of seven of us got very sick from the water as most filters don't remove viruses or parasites. As a result two of us had to end our trek after 26 days. As a result two of us had to end our trek after 26 days. It took me 7 weeks to recover and I am now lactose intolerant as a result. It is better to be safe than sorry when drinking water! 3.3 Footwear I wore boots but the terrain isn't difficult on the Markha Valley trek and hiking shoes should be fine. Just make sure they are shoes or boots that you have worn before and that they are comfortable. I met some trekkers who had bought new footwear in Leh and were really suffering with blisters. To make matters worse they hadn't brought any plasters or Compeed. I also took water shoes as I had brought them for the Zanskar trek. I didn't use them as the river levels were low in 2024. However, when the river level is higher it would be good to at least have a cheap pair of plastic crocs for river crossings and they can be bought in Leh. 3.4. Food I didn't take any food as the meals provided by the homestays were sufficient. However, some people might want to take some snacks. 3.5. Power banks I brought a power bank and solar panel but never used them. There was mains electricity in my room at Skiu and at Markha the homestay charged my cell phone from their solar powered batteries. My phone battery then lasted on airplane mode until I finished the trek. 3.6. Medications I hadn't taken Diamox for 20 years before this trek. However, I decided to take half a tablet on my arrival at Delhi at midnight and also the next morning and evening in Leh (3,500m). I didn't have any problems with altitude acclimatisation in Leh as a result. I decided to take half a tablet of Diamox when I arrived at Nyimaling and half a tablet early the next morning. I didn't have any problems with altitude acclimatisation but I usually acclimatise well anyway. Therefore I would suggest taking some Diamox with you in case you need it unless you have already spent a week or so at altitude. I would also take plasters for blisters and some basic medication like Panadol and Ibuprofen. 3.7. Other Items Other items worth considering: A head torch even though there is electricity at some locations. A waterproof jacket. One change of clothes in case you get wet. Warm clothes for Nyimaling and the amount depends on the season. It got close to 0 centigrade during the night in mid August. I had a thin down jacket and long johns. I took a pee bottle which I had bought for my Zanskar trek. Hat Sun glasses Walking poles for the descent. Water bottles Cellphone with a local SIM card ( see the next section ). Toilet paper, toothbrush & toothpaste Sun block. Hand sanitiser. Reading material. I took a Kindle but never used it. Headphones for music. Earplugs. I never take them and all 3 nights were quiet. 4.8. What not to bring! Don't bring any satellite communication devices, like a phone or Garmin Inreach, to India. It is illegal and in Ladakh they track satellite communications due to the border disputes with China and Pakistan. I personally know 2 people who got into serious trouble using satellite communication devices. The Indian authorities treat it as a very serious matter. 4. Internet Connectivity on the Markha Valley Trek There was connectivity with the Jio network at Skiu according to the lady running the homestay I stayed at. However, I didn't have a Jio SIM card. Outside Markha's monastery there is free internet and it worked well. The password at the time was 1234567890. However, check the password with your homestay before walking up! The Jio and Airtel networks can be accessed at the top of the Gongmaru La. Many trekkers phone from there to arrange for a taxi to meet them at Chokdo. I don't think there is any connectivity to the BSNL network on the Markha Valley trek. I had BSNL and Airtel SIM cards and the BSNL SIM card was of no use to me during my 6 weeks in Ladakh. Jio seems to be the best and then Airtel. 5. Transport to and from the Markha Valley Trek If you are on a really tight budget you can hitchhike or perhaps take an infrequent local bus. I didn't consider these options as cost wasn't an issue. For taxis it's best to go to the taxi stand in central Leh where lots of taxis are parked. They have set rates to all locations and to Skiu it costs INR 4,175 (USD 50). These rates are non negotiable but once you have used a taxi driver they are often willing to offer a discounted fare for the next trip. I took a taxi to Likir to start the Sham Valley trek and then at the end of the Sham Valley trek I tried to find transport from Temisgam to Skiu for the Markha Valley trek. I asked about taxis at a local store in Temisgam and the owner shut his store and drove me there for INR 4,000! For the return journey from Chokdo to Leh you have several options: Arrange a taxi to meet you at Chokdo before you start the Markha Valley trek. The official rate is about INR 4,500. The problem would be estimating your arrival time in Chokdo. I left Nyimaling at 07.15, immediately after breakfast, and got to Chokdo at 12.00. However, the numerous river crossings were very easy in 2024. Phone a taxi driver once you reach the Gongmaru La using a Jio or Airtel SIM card. It took me about 3 hours to descend to Chokdo. Hope that there is a taxi waiting at Chokdo. There were several when I got there but they may have all been prearranged by other trekkers. Try and share a prearranged taxi at Chokdo. That's what I did and the other trekker wouldn't accept any payment from me. Phone for a taxi from Chokdo and probably wait 1.5 hours for it to come from Leh. The Ladakh Taxi Union lists the official taxi fares to numerous locations on its website . 6. Permits for the Markha Valley Trek I had read a number of travel blogs about the Markha Valley trek and none of them mentioned permits. However, on my arrival in Leh the hotel manager said I would need one to get through a check point on the road to Chilling. I didn't believe him and when I googled it the results were very confusing. I then checked with a few travel agents and they all said I needed a permit costing INR 600 (about USD 7) if I was driving to Chilling. However, if I was doing the longer and more difficult trek starting in Zhingchan it wasn't necessary as the road didn't go past the check point. All travel agents can obtain this permit for INR 600. However, the permits can only be granted to a group and not to individuals. Therefore travel agents apply for several people at a time even though they won't be travelling together. At the bottom of my permit there are 4 other people named who I never met! These permits can be arranged very quickly by travel agents who arrange a lot of tours and treks. My hotel recommended using a travel agent called Ancient Tracks which is in the centre of Leh. They can often arrange permits in 2 to 3 hours and give you a receipt for your passport. However, the permit office may not be open at weekends. I was very impressed with them and they are a popular and legitimate agency. When I went my taxi wasn't stopped at the checkpoint and I didn't have to produce the permit. However, I met other trekkers who were stopped and were asked for it. I don't know what happens if you don't have it but the risk is you would have to return to Leh and obtain a permit. It isn't worth the risk when the permit only costs INR 600. If you can't obtain the permit because it's the weekend there are 2 options. Start the Markha Valley trek from Zingchan or leave Leh by about 06.30 so you can get through the check point before it starts operating. 7. Cost of the Markha Valley Trek It costs very little to do the Markha Valley trek if you are doing it by yourself. The costs of my 4 day trek were: INR USD Taxi fare from Leh to Skiu (Estimate) 4175 50 Homestay - Skiu 1600 19 Homestay - Markha 1600 19 Thachungtse tented camp 1600 19 Nyimaling tented camp 2000 24 Permit 600 7 Taxi fare from Chokdo to Leh (Estimate) 4500 54 TOTAL 16075 192 Regarding taxi fares I actually took an unofficial taxi from the end of the Sham Valley trek to Skiu for INR 4,000 and a kind trekker gave me a lift in his prearranged taxi from Chokdo to Leh. 8. Map of the Markha Valley Trek 9. Navigating the Markha Valley Trek Before travelling to Leh I read several blogs about the Markha Valley trek and also the Cicerone Trekking in Ladakh guide book. I brought photocopies on the trek as they kept warning about wrong turns and difficulties navigating the trail. I also downloaded maps on Maps.Me and Mapy.cz . The reality is that the trail is very easy to navigate and it would be very hard to go wrong except in very poor visibility for the section after Hankar. I never had to look at the photocopies or the downloaded maps. There is now a road all the way from Chilling to Markha so it is virtually impossible to go wrong on this section of the Markha Valley trek. From Markha to Lower Hankar there seems to be a jeep track although no vehicles were using it as they couldn't cross the river just before Markha. The trail was a bit confusing after the restaurant in Lower Umlung and after leaving Upper Hankar. After Upper Hankar you go through a gate and then walk along the left bank of the river. After a while there is a steep trail on the left up the hillside. It looked a bit hairy but it was actually okay. You don't cross the river at all until you get to the bridge just before Thachungtse. The only other time I was a bit uncertain of the trail was at the Tsigu lakes, between Thachungtse and Nyimaling. Two other trekkers in front of me were uncertain whether to take the left or right path but we all correctly guessed to the left. Other blogs suggest following the horse droppings on the trail and it is a good indicator of the right path, particularly on the descent from the Gongmaru La. On this descent there are a couple of sections where the trail briefly ascends in order to avoid going through narrow and difficult canyons. The locals can often get through the canyons when the river level is low but it is safer to take the trails up. 10. Homestays & Tented Camps on the Markha Valley Trek The homestays on the Markha Valley trek run on a rotation system with each homestay in the village taking turns to take in trekkers. If the designated homestay is full they will send you to the next designated one, if there is more than one in the village! The rotation system sounds very fair but in reality it isn't. The rotation system means that poor quality homestays receive the same income as good quality homestays and they have no incentive to improve. In Skiu the lady running the homestay didn't like me taking photos as some areas were very untidy. She should have tidied up instead! In Markha I had a great homestay in the new section of the village but some trekkers in the old section were complaining about their accommodation. All the homestays charge INR 1,600 (USD 19) per night for food and lodging. Nyimaling tented camp charges INR 2,000 (USD 24). This cost includes dinner, breakfast, a packed lunch and cups of tea. Breakfast usually consisted of freshly cooked chapatis or Tibetan bread with jam. At Skiu I was also served eggs. Dinner was usually Chhutagi or a rice dish. Chhutagi is flattened pasta cut into circular shapes and cooked with vegetables. It is a very filling soup. The packed lunches consisted of a sandwich or large pastry with a filling. Cold boiled potatoes were sometimes added. There was also a small juice box and chocolate bar. If the homestays are busy you might have to share rooms or sleep in the dining room. I was lucky and always had a room to myself. The toilets were long drops. They had a good system where you put soil down the hole after going to the toilet. I didn't find the toilets bad and they were clean. I was a bit perturbed at Markha when I saw the neighbour's dog lying underneath the long drop! The homestays provide filtered water but I recommend sterilising it. 10.1. Homestays in Skiu A couple of years ago travel blogs for the Markha Valley trek reported that there were no homestays in Skiu. I don't understand this as there are several. The taxi dropped me off at the far end of Skiu. The first homestay I enquired at informed me it wasn't their turn and directed me to the next homestay about 5 minutes away. There are also homestays at the start of Skiu which operate on a separate rotation system. My homestay was fine. I had my own room, the food was good, it was quiet and the toilet was clean. I had mains electricity in my room and I could charge electrical devices. There was limited Jio cellphone connectivity and the owner only seemed to be able to make calls from 1 room. There is probably better phone and internet connectivity in the first part of Skiu. 10.2. Homestays between Skiu and Markha When I arrived at Skiu in the late afternoon I had considered walking on as the heat had subsided. However, I wasn't sure about the accommodation after Skiu. I met some other trekkers who were continuing on but they had their own tents. The Skiu Women's Eco Cafe is a 50 minute walk from Skiu and the trekkers I had met camped there. The cafe was closed when they got there and it was closed when I passed it early the next morning. The sign doesn't mention that there is camping or homestay accommodation and the fancy flush toilet was locked. There is a camping site and restaurant at Hamurja which is a 1 hour 40 minute walk from Skiu. The sign mentions that beds are available and it looked like there were at least two fixed 2 man tents. I have never seen any mention of a settlement called Hamurja before and it is probably near Pentse. Sara is 2.5 hours from Skiu and there is a homestay and camping site. 10.3. Markha's Homestays There is at least one homestay and two campsites before you cross the river and enter Markha. They were probably used more when there weren't bridges over the 2 river crossings before Markha. Trekkers often had to wait until the next morning to cross the rivers. There are about 10 homestays in Markha. There are about 7 homestays in the old section of Markha at the foot of the hill below the monastery. There are another 3 homestays about 5 minutes further on and they are just off the trail to Umlung. I stayed in the new section and my homestay was very good. I was given a triple room and I checked that they wouldn't put other trekkers in before accepting it. The homestay was very clean and tidy, the food was good and the hosts were very pleasant. 10.4. Homestays between Markha and Thachungtse I had a drink at the restaurant at Lower Umlung. The restaurant looked good and the lady running it was very pleasant. I can't remember the homestay in detail but I think it should be a reasonable place to stay. Lower Umlung is a 90 minute walk from Markha. The homestay and camping site at Upper Umlung is about 15 minutes from Lower Umlung. I didn't take any photos of the homestays at Lower Hankar or Upper Hangkar. There are several homestays in Lower Hankar and two in Upper Hankar. Upper Hankar is the nicer location but it seems to fill up. I visited one of the homestays and the dining room looked nice but there might have only been one bedroom with triple beds. Trekkers at Nyimaling told me that the homestays in Upper Hankar had been packed the previous night and trekkers were sleeping in the dining room. 10.5. Thachungtse Tented Camp I intended to stay in Hankar rather than Thachungtse as I wasn't sure if they had fixed tents for trekkers at Thachungtse. I was also concerned about the river crossing just before Thachungtse as a YouTube video mentioned there wasn't a bridge in 2023 and that the river crossing in the afternoon was very difficult. I reached Lower Hankar very early at 10.50. It was so early that I didn't register that I was in Lower Hankar! I soon got up to Upper Hankar and had problems locating the homestays. I was finally shown the homestay and was given a triple room. I decided not to stay as I wasn't keen on the room and I wasn't sure if I would have it to myself. I tried without success to find another homestay. Luckily I met a small group of trekkers and their guide said they were going to Thachungtse. He said there were fixed tents there and that there was a bridge across the river before Thachungtse. I therefore decided to go there. There is a lower and upper part to the Thachungtse campsite and I was directed to the upper area where there were 4 two man tents and a large dining tent. There were only 3 other trekkers there and I was given my own tent with a sleeping mattress and duvets/blankets. The man running the upper campsite told us that early the next morning he was going to Hangkar for 2 days and his campsite would then be closed. We therefore had to have breakfast at 06.00 but we could leave after him. I asked him if trekkers would be allowed to stay in the tents whilst he was away but he said not. The cost was INR 1,200 like the homestays and that included tea, dinner, breakfast and a packed lunch. The campsite was good but it concerned me that they were closing for 2 days in peak season. If I had arrived a day later accommodation may have been a problem. I did pass another campsite between Hankar and Thachungtse so it may be possible to stay there if Thachungtse was full. The lower campsite had some larger fixed tents and a stone dining room. It was full as a group was staying in most of the larger fixed tents. I met 2 trekkers who were staying in a 4 man tent and they said the owner had tried to charge them for 4 persons. They did negotiate the rate down a bit. 10.6. Nyimaling Tented Camp I arrived at Nyimaling at 11.15 which was very early. I asked the owner for a single tent but it wasn't possible as he didn't know how many people were coming. As he took me over to the 2 man tents he showed me one with a broken zip on the fly sheet and said I could have that tent to myself. I was delighted. The camp filled up with trekkers and by mid afternoon it was full. The last couple given a tent were told that if any one else came a third person would be squeezed in! Officially it was a 3 man tent but in reality it was tight for even 2 people. Later in the afternoon it started to rain and the campsite became muddy. One trekker who had intended to sleep outside asked for a tent and the owner told me that he would have to sleep in my tent. I refused as the vestibule of my tent couldn't be used for luggage. I would have been sharing the worst tent even though I was the first person to arrive at the campsite. In the end they found a tent for him but the owner wasn't happy with me. I read a blog that said they have plenty of spare tents at Nyimaling which they can erect if necessary. That isn't correct and the only tents are the ones erected. Most of the tents are 2 man tents but they also have a couple of 8 man tents. In total 50 to 60 people can be accommodated. Groups with their own tents tend to camp a few hundred metres away. As it often rains or snows at Nyimaling the campsite can be muddy. When it is sunny it is pleasant and you can sit outside and drink tea. When it rained everyone stayed in their tents until dinner time and then went into the very rudimentary and dark dining tent. The owner said that it was very difficult planning for meals as the number of trekkers staying varied so much and he didn't know the number until the actual day. Apparently the day before the camp was only a third full. Supper consisted of 2 huge pots of food and rice and it was self serve. It's best to line up as quickly as you can and not sit in the seats by the walls as it is difficult to get out. The food was good and plentiful. It was very sociable in the basic surroundings. Breakfast was served at 07.00 and it was again self serve. I think there was porridge and chapatis. Whilst we were eating breakfast they were preparing our packed lunches in the kitchen. I went to the kitchen after breakfast to pay the INR 2,000 for the night and collect my lunch. I didn't eat it until I got back to Leh! When I left two Israelis were trying to pay for their share of an 8 man tent. The owner was insisting they pay for all 8 people even though they weren't all hiking together. Apparently 2 of the others had already paid and left but the owner couldn't remember this. I don't know how it was resolved but the owner wouldn't back down and started being rude about Israelis. It was all a bit unpleasant. It is best to arrive at Nyimaling early so you can get reasonable accommodation. Otherwise you could end up in a 8 man tent, share a 2 man tent with 2 other people or sleep in the dining room. None of those options appeal to me! They don't make single trekkers share a tent with the opposite sex. As a result one woman had a tent to herself. 11. River Crossings on the Markha Valley Trek The river crossings on the Markha Valley trek were my main concern as I was doing the trek by myself. All the travel blogs said that river crossings could be a problem just before Markha, between Markha and Umlung, before Thachungtse and on the descent from the Gongmaru La. The first river crossing before Markha village now has a bridge for pedestrians but not for vehicles. In mid August 2024 most vehicles couldn't cross this river. The final river crossing before Markha has a bridge suitable for vehicles. There are now bridges where the river crosses the trail between Markha and Umlung and also before Thachungtse. I crossed the bridge near Thachungtse in the early afternoon and it was a raging torrent. I wouldn't have attempted to wade through that river by myself. It was worse than any of the rivers I crossed on the Zanskar trek. I had to cross a small stream about 15 minutes after leaving Thachungtse early in the morning. It was very easy to jump across as the water level was low. A trekker reported in July 2018 that this stream was a raging torrent at 14.00. The time of day, snow fall the previous winter, rain, temperature etc can make such a big difference. At Nyimaling you have to cross the river to take the trail ascending to the Gongmaru La. When I arrived in the afternoon it looked like I would have to wade through it the next morning. However, the next morning the river level had dropped and it was possible to hop across on the rocks. After the initial descent from the Gongmaru La the river has to be crossed numerous times, perhaps around 30 times. Fortunately the river level was very low in 2024 and it was easy to cross each time without removing my boots. In some years this river on the descent can be a raging torrent and difficult to cross. One blog recommended trying to get to Chokdo by 10.30 to avoid difficulties in crossing. The bridges were well made but there is always a risk that a bridge can be swept away in floods and not replaced immediately. The first steel road bridge at Chilling, built in 2015, was washed away in flood water later that year! Therefore you cannot rely on the bridges I mention being in place. You should enquire about them when trekking. 12. Itinerary for the Markha Valley Trek The Markha Valley trek traditionally used to be started from either Zhingchan or Chilling. The Zhingchan route takes about 7 days and requires crossing the 4,973 metre high Kanda La at the start of the trek. Most trekkers don't take this route due to the risk of altitude sickness and the extra time required. If you acclimatise properly, and have the time, the Zhingchan route is the superior option. I did the Chilling route as time was a constraint and I wasn't adequately acclimatised. I actually started the trek in Skiu as there is now a road from Chilling to Markha. Very few trekkers now start from Chilling and I don't recommend doing so for reasons detailed in the next section. Many trekkers take a taxi to Markha in the morning and either stay there or hike to Hankar the same day. This reduces the trek to 3 days and 2 nights. I think that it is a shame to drive from Skiu to Markha as the scenery is excellent and there is very little traffic on the road. 12.1. Chilling to Skiu I was driven along this section of the Markha Valley trek and most trekkers do the same. I don't recommend hiking this section as: The first part of the road is tarred and the traffic is fast. The scenery isn't as good as during the rest of the trek. In July and August it is likely to be very hot. 12.2. Skiu (3430m) to Markha (3806m) As I mentioned earlier many trekkers skip this section of the Markha Valley trek as they drive from Leh to Markha. I think that is a mistake as the scenery is excellent and can't be appreciated from a vehicle. The dirt road doesn't spoil the hike as there is very little traffic and it makes route finding very straight forward! I arrived in Skiu late in the afternoon and stayed the night there. That meant I could leave Skiu early and walk in the cooler early morning temperatures. It would have been even better if I had walked for 1 hour 40 minutes the previous afternoon from Skiu to the tented camp at Hamurja . I left Skiu at 07.30 and reached Markha at 13.00. The temperature was very pleasant for the first couple of hours but then it became very hot as the trail is in the Markha valley. Markha is an attractive village with a crumbling old fort and a monastery on the hillsides. I didn't see any other trekkers until I reached Markha and then I met plenty. 12.3. Markha (3806m) to Hankar (3990m) or Thachungtse (4250m) It only took 3 hours to walk to Lower Hankar (3,990m) and from there it was another 20 minutes to Upper Hankar (4,048m). It was too early to stop for the day and I walked another 2 hours to the tented camp at Thachungtse. Most trekkers spend the night at Lower Hankar or Upper Hankar. Upper Hankar is in a very attractive location with an old fort perched on a rocky outcrop. Apparently it is possible to scramble up to visit it. The altitude at Thachungtse would be too high for most trekkers who drive from Leh (3,500m) to Markha the same day. I saw very few other trekkers on the trail as I left Markha at 07.30, which was earlier than most trekkers. 12.4. Hankar (3990m) or Thachungtse (4250m) to Nyimaling (4848m) The weather was overcast for the first time during the Markha Valley trek. The sun makes such a difference to the the scenery and it seemed a bit bleak at times. However, there were good views of the snow covered Kang Yatse which is 6,400 metres high. It was an uphill walk to Tsigu lake. After that the terrain flattened out and the last section to Nyimaling was across a plateau. It took 3.5 hours to walk from Thachungtse to Nyimaling and the previous day it had taken 2 hours to walk from Upper Hankar to Thachungtse. As I had left Thachungtse early at 07.30 I only saw 2 other trekkers on the trail. Nyimaling is in a bit of a bleak setting. Some trekkers climbed up the hillside to the south west of the campsite to get better views of Kang Yatse. There are apparently some very nice walks around the Nyimaling area but you have to know where to go. It wasn't advisable for me to explore by myself and I wouldn't fancy spending a second night at Nyimaling's muddy tented camp. 12.5. Nyimaling (4848m) to Chokdo (3660m) I wanted to set off very early from Nyimaling but breakfast was only served at 07.00. I left at 07.15 which was before many trekkers but I still had about 10 trekkers ahead of me. There were 2 groups camped near us and I was pleased that I was about 20 minutes ahead of them. It is a steep 440 metre ascent from Nyimaling to the Gongmaru La (5,287m) but it wasn't difficult and it took 1 hour 40 minutes. It wasn't cold or windy at the top and I spent 15 minutes enjoying the views before starting the descent to Chokdo. The very first part was steep but there was a good path that snaked down. I was pleased that no one was ahead of me or behind me and it stayed that way until I had almost reached Chokdo. The trail to Chokdo was very clear. It crossed the river about 30 times but since the river level was so low the crossings were easy. The only time I had any doubts about the trail were when it ascended a couple of times to avoid difficult sections through the canyon. It took about 3 hours to descend 1,600 metres from the Gongmaru La to Chokdo. I didn't find the descent difficult or tiring and the scenery was very good. It is an enjoyable section of the Markha Valley trek when the river level is low. I was fortunate that another trekker overtook me before Chokdo. At Chokdo I asked if I could share his taxi and he very kindly agreed and wouldn't accept payment. I was back in Leh by about 13.30 and ate my packed lunch at my hotel! 13. L inks to my other blogs on Ladakh 2024 Guide to the Sham Valley Trek 2024 Zanskar trek - Part 1 2024 Zanskar Trek - Part 2 2024 Zanskar Trek - Part 3 Travel Guide for Leh and Vicinity - 2024

I did the Makalu Base Camp trek in mid November 2022 with a porter/guide. This blog provides the necessary information to enable you to plan this trek. The topics covered include when to go, how to get there, itineraries, permits, day hikes, tea houses etc. I have also done blogs on several of the other treks that I have done in Nepal. Click here to see them. Contents The Weather in the Makalu Region When to do the Makalu Base Camp Trek Reaching the Trail Head for the Makalu Base Camp Trek Itinerary for the Makalu Base Camp Trek Day Hikes from Makalu Base Camp Trek Other Hikes on the Makalu Base Camp Trek Permits Guides & Trekking Agencies Tea Houses on the Makalu Base Camp Trek Things to Consider Taking on the Trek Link to my other treks in Nepal 1. The Weather in the Makalu Region I normally trek in May and early June as I don't like busy trails and Lani (my wife) doesn't like the cold. However, I started the Makalu Base Camp trek on 12 November 2022, when clear skies are more or less guaranteed. Lani didn't join me on the trek. I was therefore dismayed when I had bad weather for 3 days between Khongma and Langmale Kharka. It wasn't pleasant as the tea houses are very basic, cold and uncomfortable. The weather was better on the way back but there was still a day of low cloud. Fortunately the weather between Langmale Kharka and Makalu Base Camp was excellent. When I returned to Kathmandu I met up with someone I knew and told him about the weather. He was surprised as he had excellent weather doing the Everest 3 passes trek during the same period. The Khumbu area isn't that far from the Makalu Base Camp. On my return to the U.K. I did more research on the Makalu Base Camp trek. I discovered that the area between Tashigaon and Yangle Kharka has a micro climate with more moisture than most other areas in the Himalayas. Warm and humid air rises from the Arun Valley and condenses on the mountains in the form of rain or snow. Other trekkers' blogs confirmed that there is often bad weather in the middle section of the Makalu Base Camp trek. Fortunately the area around Langmale Kharka and Makalu Base Camp isn't affected by this micro climate and has a normal Himalayan climate. 2. When to do the Makalu Base Camp Trek The 3 main factors to take into account when doing the Makalu Base Camp trek are the weather, the number of trekkers and whether the tea houses higher up are open. 2.1 Number of Trekkers The official tourism statistics for 2022 show that the numbers of foreign visitors starting the Makalu Base Camp trek by month were: January 2 February 15 March 393 April 837 May 73 June 11 July 5 August 18 September 262 October 339 November 102 December 0 These figures don't include porters, guides and Nepali trekkers. March and April are the busiest months on the trail to Makalu Base Camp as it is the start of the climbing season for Mount Makalu. May would also be busy with the climbers descending. October is the busiest month for trekking in Nepal but there are far fewer climbers. Many of the trekkers reflected in October's figures would have still been on the Makalu Base Camp trail in early November. A trekker who started the Makalu Base Camp trek on 21st October 2024 reported that there were a lot of other trekkers on the trail. Her itinerary coincided with 2 other groups and there were at least 21 trekkers and their staff at each overnight stop. The tea houses on the Makalu Base Camp trek cannot properly accommodate such numbers. I would hate to stay in such crowded conditions. Many Nepalese trek during the festivals of Dashain and Diwali (Tihar). The timing of these festivals is governed by the lunar calendar but they take place in October and November. The Nepalese often seem to take a holiday after Tihar and there could still be many Nepali trekkers on the trail 7 to 10 days after the end of Tihar. 2.2 The Weather The monsoon season is slightly longer in the Makalu region as the monsoon enters Nepal from the east and withdraws from the west to east. This means that in the Makalu region the monsoon can commence about 5 days earlier than in Kathmandu and last 5 days longer. My blog on the Everest Base Camp trek details the monsoon start and finish dates from 2002 to 2023. Over the last couple of decades the monsoon has been starting around the 12th June and ending around the 15th October. I don't recommend trekking in the monsoon as you wouldn't have good mountain views and there would be leeches. Every 2 or 3 years Nepal is impacted by cyclones originating in the Bay of Bengal. This can spoil a trek and be dangerous for trekkers. The cyclones mainly occur in May and October. In October there is little risk of cyclones after October 20th. Until last year I mainly trekked during May and early June in Nepal. The weather in May and early June isn't as dependable as in April, late October and November but it is warmer. In 2022 and 2023 I trekked in October, November and early December. The sky is certainly much clearer at this time of year and the cold didn't bother me too much. For me the worst time for feeling the cold is in the early morning but it wasn't an issue the rest of the time. 2.3 Tea House Closure Dates The tea houses at Makalu Base Camp close before the end of November. In 2022 the owner of the tea house at Langmale Karkha said that he would reopen his tea house at Makalu Base Camp for any trekkers wanting to go there in late November. He intended to shut his tea house at Langmale Kharka on 1st December. These dates aren't fixed. When I flew back to Kathmandu on 27th November 30 Spaniards arrived at Tumlingtar airport. They were going to trek up to Makalu Base Camp with 80 support staff (see Alex Tixikon's website ). I am sure all the tea houses stayed open for them. I pity any trekker who was there at the same time and expected to have the trail to themselves! 2.4 Conclusion on the Best Time to do the Makalu Trek In my opinion the best time to start the Makalu trek is in mid November. Normally it isn't busy and it wasn't when I trekked at that time of the year. The weather should be clear but cold at night. However, it would be best to return to Tashigaon by 30th November as the tea houses higher up might close after that. 3. Reaching the Trail Head for the Makalu Base Camp Trek 3.1 Kathmandu to Khandbari Most trekkers fly from Kathmandu to Tumlingtar in eastern Nepal. Buddha Air has one flight a day that leaves Kathmandu at 09.20 and it returns from Tumlingtar at 10.20. The flight costs $153 each way. The flights are often delayed by 1 or 2 hours due to morning mist and cloud. The best seats for mountain views are at the front and on the left hand side when flying to Tumlingtar. It is approximately a 40 minute journey from Tumlingtar to Khandbari on a steep tarred road. The agency I used arranged a Tuk Tuk for this journey and it is probably the cheapest option. It is possible to take a very long 22 hour bus ride from Kathmandu to Khandbari and the fare was R2,700 ($20) in November 2022. 3.2 Khandbari to Num The road from Khandbari to Num is in reasonable condition for about the first 30 minutes. After that it is a very rough and uncomfortable 3 to 4 hour journey, even if you are in a private jeep. There isn't any advantage in going onto Num the day you fly to Tumlingtar. Most trekkers usually spend the second night in Seduwa regardless of whether the first night is in Khandbari or Num. I recommend spending the first night in Khandbari. The accommodation is better in Khandbari than Num but still not great. Another factor to take into account is that if you stay at Khandbari the jeep can take you the next day about a half hour drive past Num to where the road intersects the Makalu Base Camp trail. This reduces the hiking time to Seduwa by a couple of hours and avoids 475 metres of descent. There are shared jeeps between Khandabari and Num. My trekking agency arranged a private jeep and it cost $100. 4. Itinerary for the Makalu Base Camp Trek 4.1 Map Showing the Route of the Makalu Base CampTrek 4.2 The Ascent to Makalu Base Camp The itinerary for the ascent to Makalu Base Camp trek depends on how well you acclimatise to the altitude. All the trekkers I met hiked to Makalu Base Camp without having to spend more than 1 night at each location. However, some trekkers may need to spend extra nights at Khongma and Langmale Kharka. I wouldn't relish an extra night at Khongma as the 2 tea houses there are very basic. Also the weather is often bad at Khongma and there aren't any good day hikes. There is more to do at Langmale Kharka if the weather is fine. It is a cold place to stay in bad weather as they don't light the fire until the late afternoon. I was acclimatised before starting the trek but met up with a German trekker who wasn't. He didn't have a problem with the altitude until he reached Makalu Base Camp. He had a headache soon after arriving there. The next day we hiked up to a 5,738 metre high viewpoint and he got a bad headache during the descent. The trail to Langmale Kharka has stone steps and paths most of the way. An experienced trekker described it as relentless and taxing on the knees. This trail is also used for the descent! 4.3 The Descent from Makalu Base Camp The descent from Makalu Base Camp can be done faster than my proposed itinerary as there are no altitude restraints. There are a few very basic tea houses between the main stops on the Makalu Base Camp trek that support a quicker descent. These tea houses are at: Pematang which is between Yangle Kharka and Dobato. The tea house is just before the large landslide. Shipton La between Dobato and Khongma. Danda Kharka between Khongma and Tashigaon. 4.4 Proposed Itinerary Day 1 - Kathmandu to Khandbari See section 2 of this blog for details. Day 2 - Khandbari to Seduwa (1,530 metres) See section 2 of this blog for details of how to get to the trail head. It takes approximately 3 hours to hike from the trail head below Num to Seduwa. The first section is a steep 350 metre descent to a suspension bridge crossing the River Arun. After that there is a steep 900 metre ascent to Seduwa! It would take another 2 hours to descend from Num to where the trail head intersects the road. Day 3 - Seduwa to Tashigaon (2,167 metres) or Danda Kharka (2,962 metres) The trail ascends 630 metres to Tashigaon, passing through farm land, small villages and cardamom plantations. There are 2 basic tea houses at Tashigaon and they both have good campsites. A good option, if you are fit, would be to hike a further 3 hours to the tea house at Danda Kharka (2,962 metres). The tea house there is at least the same standard as the ones at Tashigaon and the bedrooms may be better. Danda Kharka is at a higher altitude and would be better for acclimatisation than Tashigaon. You should check at Tashigaon that the tea house at Danda Kharka is open. Day 4 - Tashigaon to Khongma (3,602 metres) The trail ascends 1,430 metres steeply through forest and it takes 5.5 hours. On the way there is a tea house at Danda Kharka which serves food and drinks. There are 2 basic tea houses at Khongma and the second one is better. Day 5 - Khongma to Dobato (3,860 metres) If you are feeling the effects from the altitude you should spend another night at Khongma before proceeding. The hike is strenuous as it crosses 4 passes and Shipton La is at an altitude of 4,216 metres. There is a tea house with rooms at Shipton La. The weather can be bad on this section of the Makalu Base Camp trek and as a result there is often snow and ice on the ground. The hike takes about 5 hours. Many websites incorrectly state that the altitude of Dobato is between 3,300 and 3,400 metres. My Garmin Inreach showed that the tea house is at an altitude of 3,860 metres. Day 6 - Dobato to Yangle Kharka (3,634 metres) The weather tends to be bad on this part of the Makalu Base Camp trek as well. There is often snow and ice on the first section of the trail and it descends 400 metres steeply to the River Barun. When the trail is icy it takes about 1.5 hours to reach the river. The trail follows the River Barun and soon reaches a large landslide area. It is an easy traverse that takes about half an hour. There is a risk of falling stones from the overhanging cliffs and I was almost hit by some. After the landslide there is a basic tea house at Pematang. The trail then crosses the River Barun and continues to Yangle Kharka. Day 7 - Yangle Kharka to Langmale Kharka (4,452 metres) If you are going to do the day hike to the Shiva Dhara it is best to do it on the way up to Makalu Base Camp to aid acclimatisation. It is a scenic 3.5 hour walk from Yangle Kharka to Langmale Kharka. There is apparently a tea house on the way at Tadosa but I can't remember seeing it. Some trekkers spend the night there for acclimatisation as Tadosa is at an altitude of 3,964 metres. There is only 1 tea house at Yangle Kharkha. Day 8 - Langmale Kharka to Makalu Base Camp (4,860 metres) Some trekkers may need to spend 2 nights at Langmale Kharka due to the altitude. If so there is a viewpoint above Langmale Kharka but there isn't a trail. You could also visit Lower Barun Lake from Langmale Kharka. The mountain scenery on this section of the trail to Makalu Base Camp is fantastic. I took 5.5 hours to reach Makalu Base Camp but I spent quite a bit of time at both ends of the beautiful Lower Barun Lake. As I have mentioned in section 6 the lake could be visited instead on the descent if you are suffering from the altitude. It doesn't take long to reach both ends of the lake and it shouldn't be missed. I stayed at the Yak Hotel and Lodge at Makalu Base Camp as I thought it was the only tea house there. I have since read that there are 3 other tea houses but the one I stayed at was the best. Day 9 & 10 - Makalu Base Camp Day Hikes Some trekkers rush back down from Makalu Base Camp the next day. It is a shame to do that after all the effort of getting there without fully enjoying the incredible mountain scenery. I recommend that a minimum of 2 nights should be spent at Makalu Base Camp and 3 nights would be better. Although the bedrooms at the Yak Hotel & Lodge are basic the dining room is quite pleasant. There are comfortable plastic chairs and the dining room is very light because of all the windows. The hike to the viewpoint to the north east of Makalu Base Camp shouldn't be missed. See the day hike section for further details on the hike to the 5,300 metre lower viewpoint and the 5,735 metre higher viewpoint . Trekkers are likely to suffer from the altitude if they ascend to the upper viewpoint on the day after arriving at Makalu Base Camp. It would therefore be better to hike to Swiss Base Camp on the first full day at Makalu Base Camp and to the upper viewpoint the next day. If you don't have enough time at Makalu Base Camp I would recommend at least doing the following: Hike to the lower viewpoint at 5,300 metres. Visit Barun Nadi (lake) which is only a 10 minute walk from Makalu Base Camp. Hike the first easy section of the trail to Swiss Base Camp until it degenerates into a field of rocks and boulders. Day 11 - Makalu Base Camp to Yangle Kharka I took 5 hours and 45 minutes to hike from Makalu Base Camp to Yangle Kharka. That excluded the time for lunch at Langmale Kharka. It would be possible to hike further. There is a small tea at Pematang and it probably would take another 1.5 hours to reach there. Day 12 - Yangle Kharka to Dobato This is about a 5.5 hour hike and the last section up to Dobato is very steep. It would be another 2 to 2.5 hours to the tea house at Shipton La. Day 13 - Dobato to Khongma This is about a 5 hour hike. Day 14 - Khongma to Seduwa The section from Khongma to Tashigaon descends 1,430 metres steeply through forest and it is tough on the knees. The next section from Tashigaon to Seduwa is easier and more scenic. It is approximately a 6.5 hour hike in total excluding stops. Day 15 - Seduwa to Khandbari It is a 2.5 hour hike from Seduwa to where the Makalu Base Camp trail intersects the road to Num. You should arrange to have a jeep meet you there. If you are taking a shared jeep from Num you would have to walk another 2 to 3 hours uphill to Num in hot weather. If you are taking the bus back to Kathmandu you can buy the ticket in Khandbari Day 16 - Khandbari to Kathmandu Take a tuk tuk or taxi to Tumlingtar airport to await the arrival of the morning flight from Kathmandu. 5. Day Hikes from Makalu Base Camp Many trekkers don't spend long enough at Makalu Base Camp to properly enjoy the incredible mountain scenery. I recommend spending 3 nights there and the minimum should be 2 nights. There is enough to do at Makalu Base Camp to keep even the fittest and most active trekkers occupied during a 2 night stay. If you weren't acclimatised before starting the Makalu Base Camp trek it would be best to leave the hike to the upper 5,735 viewpoint to the last day. 5.1 Lower View Point East of Makalu Base Camp It takes about 1.5 hours to reach the plateau viewpoint which is at an altitude of around 5,300 metres. It is a steep climb up the hillside and we didn't follow a trail. There may be a trail but I just followed my guide. There are fantastic mountain views and it is worth walking around to the other side of the plateau. 5.2 Upper View Point East of Makalu Base Camp I hiked up from the lower view point. It was a difficult 400 metre hike over rocks and boulders which took around 2 hours. It is a short scramble up to the viewpoint at the very top which is at an altitude of 5,738 metres. There was no snow or ice when I was there. It was cold and windy at the top but the views were superb. It is possible in the right conditions to continue up a ridge to a higher viewpoint which is probably at an altitude of around 5,900 metres. It was too dangerous when I was there due to the wind and ice. I went back down to Makalu Base Camp on the normal route and there was sort of a trail. There were not many rocks and boulders to cross and it was far more enjoyable and straight forward than the ascent. The 900 metre descent took about 2 hours. It would be far easier to ascend to the upper view point on the trail I descended on rather than going via the lower view point. 5.3 Swiss Base Camp Swiss Base Camp is to the west of Makalu Base Camp. I didn't believe my guide when he said there were 2 Swiss Base Camps but apparently there are. The first one is at an altitude of 5,150 metres and the next one is at an altitude of 5,183 metres. Initially it is a pleasant hike on a good trail along the Barun Glacier. Then there is just a mass of rocks and boulders. There are cairns but there isn't a defined trail. It isn't easy or pleasant hiking. I got to within 10 minutes of the first Swiss Base Camp and turned back at 5,130 metres. My guide was sick, my hip was hurting, the terrain was difficult and the views wouldn't have improved. It takes about 3 hours to go from Makalu Base Camp to the second Swiss Base Camp and then 2 hours to return. It is worth doing at least the first section of the hike to Swiss Base Camp. After that the views don't alter much and it is more about achieving the objective of reaching Swiss Base Camp. The trail continues from Swiss Base Camp to Sherpani Col High Camp but it is too far for a day hike and the terrain is difficult. 5.4 Barun Nadi Barun Nadi is a lake only 10 minutes from Makalu Base Camp. It is a good place to while away any spare time. 6. Other Hikes on the Makalu Base Camp Trek 6.1 View Point above Langmale Kharka I didn't go to this viewpoint as the weather was bad. There is no defined trail and it is a matter of walking up the steep slope behind the lodge. It takes 2 hours to reach the summit which is at an altitude of 5,000 metres. There are excellent views of the mountains and Lower Barun Lake. The descent takes an hour. 6.2 Lower Barun Lake This stunning lake is just off the main Makalu Base Camp trail between Yangle Kharka and Langmale Kharka. There is a bridge on the left about 1.5 hours from Yangle Kharka. After crossing the bridge you climb up the lateral moraine and then down to the southern end of the lake. There is another bridge further along the Makalu Base Camp trail. You can climb to the top of the lateral moraine from there and get fantastic views at the northern end of Lower Barun Lake. It is worth seeing the views from both ends of Lower Barun Lake. It might be better to see Lower Barun Lake on the return from Makalu Base Camp if you aren't yet acclimatised to the altitude. Definitely don't skip it. 6.3 Shiva Dhara Shiva Dhara is a well known pilgrimage site for Hindus and Buddhists. It consists of 2 caves at an altitude of 4,310 metres and a waterfall passes through one of them. The caves are reached from Yangle Kharka which is at an altitude of 3,600 metres. The round trip takes about 6 hours. The Nepalese government has spent money improving the paths leading to the mountain. Unfortunately nothing has been done to improve the dangerous sections up the mountainside. There are metal stakes and cables to aid the climb up the rock face although they aren't in good repair. Like most foreigners I didn't do this hike due to safety concerns, particularly since it was icy when I was there. Although it looks dangerous I have seen videos of Nepalese families with young children doing the hike. My guide took an overweight Indian pilgrim up to Shiva Dhara and saved him from falling to his death. 7. Permits for the Makalu Base Camp Trek 2 permits are required for the Makalu Base Camp trek: Makalu Rural Municipality Permit - R2,000 ($15) Makalu Barun National Park - R3,000 ($23) They can be purchased at the National Park's office in Seduwa. I met a trekker who inadvertently didn't buy the permits and was fined. 8. Guides & Trekking Agencies You don't have to hire a guide, or use a trekking agency, to do the Makalu Base Camp trek. When the weather is good it is easy to follow the trail to Makalu Base Camp. It could be difficult, however, when there is a lot of fresh snow. There is often snow and ice in the middle section of the trek from Khongma to Dobato. There are thousands of trekking agencies in Kathmandu. I can recommend 2 agencies for this trek. The first agency is the only one based in the Makalu region. The second one is based in Kathmandu. 8.1 Makalu Arun Social Treks I used Makalu Arun Social Treks which is run by Tejanath Pokharel, a retired English teacher living in Khandbari. The agency is mentioned in the Lonely Planet guide book on Trekking in the Himalayas. They also have good Tripadvisor reviews . They use local guides and porters who know the Makalu Base Camp trek and the people running the tea houses extremely well. It also means that you don't have to pay to fly a guide from Kathmandu. I had a porter/guide who carried about 18 kilograms for me as I took a tent. I was very happy with the service that Tejanath provided and the trek went very well. I booked my own flights online with Buddha Air and Tejanath met me at Tumlington airport. He arranged a hotel in Khandbari and the jeep to and from the trail head for the Makalu Base Camp trek. The porter/guide paid for his own food and accommodation and I paid for mine. They do offer all inclusive packages. However, it is cheaper and better to pay for one's own food and accommodation. 8.2 Enjoy Nepal Treks I used Enjoy Nepal Treks in late 2023 to do the Kanchenjunga, Langtang, Gosainkunda and Helambu treks. They have excellent Tripadvisor reviews and I was very satisfied with their service. They are a larger agency and can provide porter/guides who will carry up to 15 kilograms. They will carry a bit more if necessary. The owner of the agency is well organized, punctual and speaks English and German. They will obtain your airline tickets and provide a porter/guide for $30 a day. There is also a one off fee of $35 for his insurance. The guide will meet you at your hotel and fly with you to Tumlingtar. The client and guide have to organize the transport to the trail head and the client pays for it. 9. Tea Houses on the Makalu Base Camp Trek 9.1 Tea House Quality I have done many tea house treks in Nepal and I found that the tea houses on the Makalu Base Camp trek were the most basic and uncomfortable. This might be because the main tea houses are run by the same family so there is little competition. A person who did the trek in October 2024 reported that the accommodation hadn't improved. Most of the dining rooms don't have comfortable seating and fires are only lit in the late afternoon. The seating is often just benches and without back support. The best dining room was at Makalu Base Camp as the dining room was large, bright and had plastic chairs. The worst dining room was at Yangle Yarkha as the benches were fixed along the wall and were too far from the fire. I sat on a table so I could be close to the fire which became very uncomfortable after a few hours. Unfortunately a lot of time is spent in the tea houses' dining rooms on the ascent to Makalu Base Camp. That's because the time spent trekking each day is quite short due to the issue of altitude acclimatisation. Also the weather in the middle section of the trek can be poor and not conducive to being outside. 9.2 Food at the Tea Houses I didn't see any menus at any of the tea houses although a 2019 blog mentioned there were menus at Langmale Kharka and Makalu Base Camp. It was therefore difficult to know what food was on offer. It seems that only basic rice, noodle and pasta dishes are available. That wasn't a problem for me as I usually only eat local rice and noodle dishes when trekking. At Langmale Kharka they had potatoes which made a nice change. I usually had oat porridge for breakfast but Tsampa porridge was also available. I tried the pancakes but they were like rubber. Someone said that they miss out one essential ingredient when making pancakes on the Makalu Base Camp trek. It's strange as the pancakes on the Kanchenjunga trek were great. It was frustrating that breakfast would often not be served at the agreed time. For example at Khongma it was meant to be served at 06.30 but it came at 07.15. When I stopped for lunch I had vegetable noodle soup. On other treks I have had more for lunch but for some reason I didn't on the Makalu Base Camp trek. 9.3 Location of Tea Houses There are Tea Houses at the following locations: Seduwa (1,530 metres) Tashigaon (2,167 metres) Danda Kharka (2,962 metres) Khongma (3,602 metres) Shipton La (4,247 metres) Dobato (3,860 metres) Pematang (3,494 metres) Yangle Kharka (3,634 metres) Tadosa (3,964 metres) - I can't remember this tea house but it is mentioned in a blog. Langmale Kharka (4,452 metres) Makalu Base Camp (4,860 metres) 9.4 Pictures & Details of the Tea Houses I stayed at Tashigaon's Tea Houses There are 2 basic tea houses at Tashigaon. I am not sure of the name of the lower one where I stayed on the ascent. The building I slept in had a sign stating it was the Tashigaon Sherpa Buffer Zone Community Homestay. The dining room building had a sign saying it was the Makalu Barun Hotel and Lodge. This first tea house is in the centre of Tashigaon and has a large grassy camping area around it. It would be a pleasant place to sit in good weather. The bedrooms were small, old and basic. There were mice scratching around in the ceiling above me. The dining room is small and gloomy. The food was good and the lady running the tea house was very pleasant. The second tea house is a bit higher up and also has a large grassy campground. There are 3 large bedrooms with several beds in each. The dining room is large and quite nice. If I did the trek again, and wasn't acclimatised, I would hike on to Danda Kharka (2,962 metres) as it's at a better altitude for acclimatisation. A person who did the trek in October 2024 said that this was one of the better tea houses on the Makalu Base Camp trek. My bill at Tashigaon on the way up to Makalu Base Camp came to R2,150 ($16.50). Dal Bhat cost R450 ($3.50). On the way down from Makalu Base Camp I stayed at the upper tea house and I paid R1,850 ($14). Khongma's Tea Houses There are 2 basic tea houses at Khongma. The Hotel View Point & Lodge is the first tea house when coming from Tashigaon. It is the more basic of the 2 houses. There is a building with a dining room, kitchen and some bedrooms. There is another building with about 8 bedrooms. The dining room is cold as the fire is in a small room off the main dining room. Noise travels easily in the bedrooms as the walls don't go all the way up to the ceiling. A mouse visited my room during the night. The next tea house is the Shiva View Hotel & Lodge. It is better but still far from being good! The dining room isn't comfortable or warm. There is a new building with several bedrooms and I slept there. It can be treacherous going down to the toilet when there is snow. I read a blog which said there were mice in the bedrooms of the old building. I paid R2,550 ($20) on the way up to Makalu Base Camp for my stay at the Shiva View Hotel. On the way to Kongma I stopped for lunch at Danda Kharka and had noodle soup R400 ($3) and coffee R200 ($1.50). On the way down from Makalu Base Camp I paid R1,600 ($12) at the Hotel View Point & Lodge. The room cost R400 ($3), dal Bhat cost R500 ($4) and noodle soup cost R200 ($1.50). Dobato's Tea House There is 1 basic tea house at Dobato. There is a building with the kitchen, dining room and 5 bedrooms. There is only a sheet of corrugated iron separating the dining room from the bedroom area. As porters and guides often sleep in the dining room their noise can be heard clearly in the 2 bedrooms next to the dining room wall. The other 3 bedrooms would be quieter but they are smaller. There are also some bedrooms in a stone building which would probably be quieter. On my way down from Makalu Base Camp I stayed at this tea house for the second time. The snow on the steps to the dining room hadn't been cleared and had turned to ice. I fell badly and it took a month for my arm to fully recover. Be very careful when it is icy. On the way up my stay at Dobato cost R2,600 ($20). On the way to Dobato I had noodles and coffee at Shipton La for R600 ($4.50) and paid R2,300 ($17.50) for my stay at Dobato. Yangle Kharka's Tea House This basic tea house is in a very pleasant and scenic setting. I slept in a separate building with 3 bedrooms when I stayed there on the way up to Makalu Base Camp. This building is on the right in the photo. The main building has the kitchen, dining room and about 8 other bedrooms. They were "renovating" those bedrooms on my way up and I slept in 1 of them on the way down from Makalu Base Camp. I preferred the bedrooms in the separate building as they were quieter. The dining room isn't laid out well as the benches are too far from the fire and can't be moved closer. There is a television in the dining room and on the way down a lot of construction workers had their meals in the dining room and watched the television. I don't like television when trekking. My bill on the way up at Yangle Kharha was R2,000 ($15). Dal Bhat cost R500 ($4) and the room was also R500. I also paid R350 ($3) the previous day for a large bowl of vegetable noodles and a cup of hot tea at Pematang. My bill on the way down from Makalu Base Camp was R1,500 ($11.50). Langmale Kharka's Tea House There are 6 bedrooms in a separate building which is on the left in the photo. There is another building with the kitchen and an unheated dining area. A third building has a dining room with a fire and perhaps some additional bedrooms. Be very wary of sitting in the very smoky kitchen. I sat for several hours in the freezing dining room to avoid the smoke. It was a good decision as my porter/guide sat in the kitchen and developed a terrible cough. The owner and his daughter were running the tea house. The owner also has the best tea house at Makalu Base Camp. In the latter part of November the people running the Makalu Base Camp tea house go back down. If trekkers want to stay at Makalu Base Camp the owner will go and open it up. I paid R3,400 ($26) for my stay. The room cost R600 ($4.50) and the dal Bhat also cost R600. I had a lot of hot drinks and lunch there. Makalu Base Camp's Tea Houses I stayed 3 nights at the Yak Hotel and Lodge at Makalu Base Camp. Apparently there are 3 other tea houses but the one I stayed in is the largest and best. The main building has a dining room, a kitchen and a few bedrooms. The dining room is very pleasant as it is spacious and there are a lot of windows letting in the light and warmth from the sun. There are comfortable plastic chairs. There is another building with about 5 bedrooms (on the left in the photo). I stayed in one of these bedrooms and it was fine. There were plenty of duvets and they are needed as it is cold at night. The water in the dining room was frozen in the mornings and I paid for hot water. The trekker I met on the trek filled his bottle from a nearby river. The outside toilet also froze at night which wasn't so pleasant. I paid R10,200 ($78) for my 3 night stay. This included filling my 2 bottles with hot water each morning. 10. Things to Consider Taking 10.1 Microspikes I took Kahtoola microspikes and used them several times on the icy middle section of the trek. Unfortunately the surface of the trail constantly alternated between ice and bare rock. It was a hassle putting them on and taking them off. Kahtoola micospikes are of a very good quality and I didn't always remove them when walking on short sections of rock. Much cheaper microspikes can be purchased in Kathmandu but they are less durable. I recommend taking microspikes but the locals and some trekkers manage without them. The German trekker I met didn't use microspikes or trekking poles. I needed both! 10.2 Steripen or Water Filter You can't buy bottled water after the initial section of the trek and hot water can be expensive. You therefore need to have some method of purifying the water. I always use a Steripen and it takes a minute to sterilise one litre of water. Other options are: A Life Straw Bottle Sterilising Tablets Water Filters. I don't recommend the popular Sawyer water filter as its seal must not freeze. 10.3 Power Bank and Solar Charger Above Tashigaon I believe you cannot charge electrical devices at any of the tea houses. I took a 3 panel solar charger and a couple of power banks. 10.4 Tent I took a tent in case the tea houses on the Makalu Base Camp trek were full or there was a problem with rodents in the rooms. I also didn't want to share a room if the tea houses were busy. My agency was in favour of me taking a tent as one of their clients had been unable to obtain a room at Khongma and had to hike on to the tea house at Shipton La. As it turned out the tea houses weren't busy when I did the Makalu Base Camp trek in mid November. However, I passed more trekkers coming down the trail and had only just missed the peak season. Mice weren't much of a problem. There were only mice in the ceiling of my room at Tashigaon and I had one mouse in my room at Khongma I slept in my tent at Tashigaon as there was a good camping area and I was concerned about mice in the tea house. There were no mice but it was a good decision as my porter/guide was sick and disturbed the trekker I had met at the start of the trek. This other trekker had also brought his own tent but unlike me he was carrying it! When he reached Yangle Kharka he left it there until the return journey as it was too heavy and he wasn't using it. Apparently a lot of independent trekkers end up doing this. There is often snow on the ground a Khongma and Dobato. I met some people who were doing a camping trek but stayed in the tea houses there because of the snow. Despite what I have said above I think it is advisable to take a tent if you are trekking in the peak season of October and early November. There are less trekkers in Spring but there are a lot of climbers. The climbers might camp rather than stay in the tea houses but taking a tent might be advisable. 10.5 Warm Sleeping Bag There are blankets and duvets at all the tea houses on the Makalu Base Camp trek and you could have more than one if they aren't busy. In winter it is still advisable to bring a warm sleeping room as it gets very cold at night and the walls of the rooms are constructed from sheets of corrugated iron. I was lent a North Face -40 centigrade sleeping bag that had been used on an Everest expedition. That was over the top but in winter it would be best to bring a sleeping bag with a rating of around -20 C. That might sound excessive but sleeping bag temperature ratings are often misleading. Just before the Makalu Base Camp trek I was trekking in Lower Dolpo. My Rab -13 centigrade sleeping bag was insufficient for temperatures of - 7 centigrade despite wearing numerous layers of clothing. 10.6 Tea Bags & Coffee If you are on a tight budget bring some tea bags, coffee and a spoon. Hot water is much cheaper than cups of tea and coffee. I had a lot of hot drinks due to the cold and miserable weather in the middle section of the Makalu Base Camp trek. 10.7 Boots It is very likely that there will be snow on the ground during the middle section of the Makalu Base Camp trek. Therefore boots are much better than trainers. 10.8 Snacks & Toilet Paper The food on the Makalu Base Camp trek is as basic as the tea houses! You can buy biscuits, chocolate bars and toilet paper at the tea houses but they are expensive higher up the trail. If weight isn't an issue it is best to bring a supply from Kathmandu or Khandbari.

I have reviewed and recommended tea houses at the overnights stops on the Everest Base Camp and Everest 3 Passes treks. Unfortunately there aren't any tea houses that I can recommend in Gorak Shep! There is also information about food, drinks, showers, internet and charging of electrical devices. Click here  to read my other blogs about the Everest Base Camp and Everest 3 Passes treks. Contents Accommodation Food & Drink Drinking Water Showers, Electrical Charging and Internet Cost of Lodging, Food and Drink Tea House Recommendations & Reviews Links to my other Everest Base Camp Trek Blogs 1. Tea House Accommodation on the EBC Trek Nepal is unique in having so much available accommodation on many of the high altitude trekking routes. It is cheap and, unlike in many European mountain lodges, you can get your own room. The rooms even have attached bathrooms sometimes. The comfort and quality of the Everest Base Camp accommodation is probably only matched in the Annapurna and Langtang regions. The Everest Summit Lodges and Mountain Lodges of Nepal have high quality lodges up to Pheriche. The tea houses on the Everest Base Camp trek are fine until you get to Lobuche and Gorak Shep. It would be a big adjustment to stay at luxury lodges up to Pheriche and then have to slum it at Gorak Shep. We did both Everest Base Camp treks with a guide. We have always made it clear to the agency and guide that we would have the final say as to where we stay. It is important to clarify this before the trek. It avoids any upset when the guide wants you to stay in his friend's dismal tea house and you don't! Even when the package includes accommodation and food you should still be able to choose where you stay. It is best to pay for your own accommodation and food. See my blog Guides, Porters & Trekking Agencies in Nepal for further information. When we are trekking we aim for a room that: Has an attached bathroom if possible. Is away from the toilets and dining room. Is an end room so we only have neighbours on 1 side of the thin walls. A room on the top floor for views, brightness and quiet. We also check that the dining room fire that will be lit at a reasonable time. It is possible to negotiate a bit when the tea houses aren't busy. I have never had a free room but have had reductions in the room rate and charging of electronics included. I ask politely and never want to upset the owners by being bargaining hard. 2. Tea House Food & Drink The tea houses make most of their money on the food and it is usually good. I mainly have dal bhat and other local dishes when trekking, but all tea houses offer a variety of western dishes. The food is reasonably priced. It is much faster if every one orders the same dish at lunch time. We always had dal bhat for lunch as this is what our porter and guide would order. If possible our porter would go on ahead to order lunch, as it takes a while to prepare dal baht from scratch. Dal baht is filling and there is always an offer of seconds. Tea houses sell soft drinks, beer and other alcoholic beverages. It isn't advisable to drink alcoholic beverages until you are fully acclimatized for altitude. I didn't drink any beer on our EBC treks so I have no idea of the cost . On another trek it cost from NPR 500 for a large bottle at lower altitude increasing to NPR 800 at high altitude. The tea houses on the Everest Base Camp trek can be leased out so it isn't always the owners running things. As a result the quality of the food, and the welcome you receive, can vary from year to year depending on who is in charge. 3. Drinking Water The tea houses sell bottled water, but it becomes progressively more expensive the higher you go. They have a huge environmental impact as plastic waste is usually dumped down a hillside on the edge of the village. Tea houses also sell boiled at a cost of between NPR 100 to NPR 200 per litre. As with everything the cost increases with altitude. We have always used a Steripen Classic 3 UV water purifier which purifies a litre of water in one minute. It takes 4 AA batteries and we find that the Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries almost last long enough to purify about 8 litres of water a day for a 16 day trek. Always take spare batteries as the ones sold on the trail barely last a day! If the water source is frozen in the morning it can be necessary to revert to boiled water. LifeStraw water bottles filter water as you drink and are very popular now. Some reviewers on Amazon have mentioned a plastic taste, but that may vary with different models. You can buy various water filter pumps. I used one many years ago but I find the Steripen much easier to use. Some of the smaller filters, like the popular Sawyer , can be damaged if they ever freeze . 4. Showers, Charging and Internet 4.1 Showers Most lodges have gas or solar heated showers. It is probably best to skip showering when it's very cold to avoid getting sick. In 2022 the lodge at Namche included the shower in the rate; at Dingboche the shower cost NPR 600 and NPR 800 at Gokyo. 4.2 Charging of Electrical Devices All the tea houses on the Everest Base Camp trek usually provide charging of electrical devices. It was free at the start of the trek at places like Lukla, Phakding, Namche and Kyangjuma. At Pangboche we negotiated free charging but after that we had to pay. Our only record of what we paid was NPR 300 for charging a phone at Dzongla. It costs more to charge power banks. It isn't worth buying a solar panel purely for the Everest Base Camp trek, but if you already have one it will save a bit of money if you bring it along. Recently I used a 3 panel solar system attached to my back pack for trekking in Lower Dolpo and to Makalu Base Camp . It worked very well. 4.3 Internet We bought a Ncell package for the Everest Base Camp trek, but could only use it for internet as far as Namche. After that it was good for phone calls only which we didn't need. We got internet at all lodges, except at Lungdhen, usually costing NPR 500 per day. It is much cheaper to buy an Everest Link internet package in Lukla or Namche which will enable access to the internet at most lodges. The package costs NPR 1,999 for 10 GB and NPR 2,999 for 20 GB and lasts for 30 days. 5. Cost of Lodging, Food and Drink Post 4 of this linked Tripadvisor forum posting will give you an idea of the cost of food and drink in December 2021. Allow about $30 per person a day for room, food and hot drinks. You will need extra for showers and alcoholic/soft beverages. Always bring extra NPR in case, but you may be able to exchange USD. Your flight out of Lukla could be delayed, involving additional costs on food and lodging in Lukla or on alternative travel arrangements (helicopter or jeep from Tham Danda). I always bring the tip for our guide and porter in NPR. If I run short of NPR I can use it for my expenses and tip them in USD. 6. Review of Tea Houses on the Everest Base Camp Trek 6.1 Phakding We stayed at the Mountain Resort in Phakding. It is on the west side of the river near the suspension bridge. It is a large lodge and we had a spacious room with a good attached bathroom. I forget the cost but it wasn’t expensive. There was only one other couple staying here so it was quiet, except for the TV in the dining room that the staff were watching! I managed to turn the volume down at first and then turn it off later! Groups do stay here and a smaller tea house would be preferable then. 6.2 Namche Bazaar There is a "cartel" in Namche controlling room rates and keeping them higher than they would otherwise be. In 2022 the rate for a room with an attached bathroom was NPR 2,000, which is higher than for lodges up the trail. A Tripadvisor Forum post had recommended the AD Friendship Lodge in Namche. We stayed in the room that he had mentioned which had an attached bathroom and a small balcony. It cost NPR 2,000 including hot showers. The lodge is comfortable but unfortunately it is popular with groups. We weren’t disturbed by noise at night. Porters and guides use the room below it and noise could be an issue. It may therefore be better to take another room, although none of the others have a balcony. In May 2014 we had stayed at Hotel Khangri and had a nice quiet corner room with an attached bathroom. The hotel is very clean and has a good dining room. It isn’t very big so probably not suitable for groups. It is more central and has excellent Tripadvisor reviews. It is about the same price as the AD Friendship lodge and I think it's better. 6.3 Khyangjuma We stayed at the Ama Dablam Lodge & Restaurant in Khyangjuma. The original hotel burnt down in 2017. When it was rebuilt the owner decided that all the rooms would have attached bathrooms with western toilets, sinks and showers. The cost was NPR 1,000, including showers and charging, which is half the very high rate charged by the hotels in Namche! The water pressure was weak on the upper floor. We enjoyed our stay there and the lodge has a huge terrace where trekkers can sit and enjoy the views if the weather is good. It wasn't when we were there! 6.4 Deboche We stayed at the Rivendell Lodge at Deboche in 2014 and liked it. Lani stayed there again in May 2022 and liked it even more! The owners were very helpful and friendly. They have a new wing which is of a western standard. The rooms in the new wing cost $50 which include hot showers, internet, charging, bed linen and even electric blankets! The rooms with attached bathrooms in the old wing cost NPR 3,500. As Lani was sick they gave her room in the new wing for NPR 4,000. In my opinion Deboche is a much nicer place to stay than Tengboche. The only advantage of staying in Tengboche is the proximity of the monastery and the bakery! 6.5 Pangboche We stayed at the Highland Sherpa Resort, which is in Lower Pangboche. We chose Lower Pangboche, which is about 100 metres below Upper Pangboche, to aid altitude acclimatisation. It cost NPR 1,500 for a room with an attached toilet and we negotiated free charging. There was a funny smell in the nicest corner rooms so we took one of the other rooms and it was fine. We were the only guests in the lodge so it was quiet. There was a bad smell in the corridor from the communal toileowever. 6.6 Ama Dablam Base Camp/Mingbo There are 3 lodges near Ama Dablam Base Camp but in May 2022 only the Ama Dablam Base Camp Lodge was open. We only had lunch there and the dal baht was good. The lodge is mainly used by climbers. 6.7 Dingboche In 2014 we stayed at the Mountain Paradise Hotel in Dinboche. It certainly wasn’t paradise the first night! The next day it went from bad to worse when a large Indian group arrived. The smoky yak dung fire gave me the Khumbu cough for the rest of the trek. In May 2022 we stayed at the Hotel Tashi Delek which is fairly central on the east side of the path through Dingboche. We had a bright and comfortable corner room with an attached bathroom. The dining room and food were excellent and the lodge was run by a very pleasant couple. There were very few people staying there and it appears groups don’t use it. It was being expanded in December 2022. Hopefully this won't attract groups. 6.8 Chukhung There aren’t any lodges with attached bathrooms at Chukhung. We stayed at the Khangri Resort , which is probably the biggest and best lodge in Chukhung. We were shown to a dark corner room on the bottom floor, which I accepted as I wasn’t feeling well. As we were having lunch our guide told us that there were better rooms upstairs and that the owner said we could change rooms. We ended up in a much better corner room which was bright and had good mountain views. Another advantage of being upstairs is that there were less trekkers and we had the large sun room to ourselves. The room cost NPR 500 and the hot shower, and the expensive internet, were extra. 6.9 Lobuche The accommodation in Lobuche has improved to some extent and there are more tea houses. I still wouldn't want to spend longer than necessary there, particularly when it is busy. The New EBC Lodge had been recommended on the Tripadvisor forum. There are only 2 ensuite rooms costing NPR 1,500 and we managed to get the last one in May 2022. Internet was NPR 500. I think it is the best lodge in Lobuche. It is also probably the most popular one and also used by groups You can reserve rooms but the reservations aren't always honoured, particularly if you arrive late. Our ensuite room had been reserved by someone else but we got there an hour before him! Alpine Home has 3 rooms with attached bathrooms. On the Tripadvisor forum they mentioned that they might have had some flooding in the rooms resulting in a funny smell. We met a trekker who was staying in one of these rooms with attached bathrooms. He said it was fine initially as the lodge had used air freshener. The smell deteriorated and he had to move into a standard room. The lodge might have sorted this out now, but if you smell air freshener they haven't! Mother Earth House - We stayed there in 2014 and it was the newest, largest, swankiest and most expensive lodge in town. I think the rooms on the main floors were about $35 per night and $25 in the attic. They couldn't charge that much now as there are no attached bathrooms. There have been a couple of bad reviews. 8000 Inn at The Pyramid - The Italian research station, 20 minutes north of Lobuche, offers accommodation. It is the most upmarket lodge in Lobuche but it feels claustrophobic. It is popular with groups and doesn't have attached bathrooms. There are a few reviews on Tripadvisor. They have various packages. One includes unlimited food, hot showers, a bath towel, electric blanket and internet and costs $45. This would be a good option when the lodge isn't busy. Call beforehand to check. 6.10 Dzonglha The Hotel Green Valley in Dzongla had been recommended on the Tripadvisor forum. They have a few rooms with squat toilets. There are also pairs of rooms with a shared toilet. These units consist of a shared entrance hall leading off to 2 separate rooms and a shared toilet. There were very few trekkers at the lodge so we took 2 rooms with a shared attached toilet at NPR 500 per room. The food at the lodge was good and the owner was helpful. In winter the rooms with attached bathrooms might be closed due to frozen water as was the case in December 2022. 6.11 Dragnag/Thangnak I stayed at the new Hotel Khumbi-La & Restaurant in Dragnag which has at least 4 rooms with attached bathrooms, a good dining room and a sun room. A room with an attached bathroom costs NPR 1,000 (normally NPR 1,500) and the standard rooms were NPR 500. Internet cost NPR 500. I enjoyed my stay there. 6.12 Gokyo The Gokyo Resort is currently the best lodge in Gokyo and has excellent reviews . There was a discussion about it on the Tripadvisor forum in November 2024. Gokyo Thanka Inn on the lake shore was the nicest and priciest lodge at Gokyo in 2022. Rooms are $35 a night but they were offering the rooms at $25 a night in May 2022. I stayed at the Cho-Oyu View Lodge which is on the lake shore next to the Thanka Inn. The lodge is new and has double glazed windows. There aren't any attached bathrooms. I had an upstairs corner room with a lake view for NPR 500. This lodge is very comfortable. The Fitzroy Inn has some rooms with attached bathrooms. It gets good reviews but is used by groups. I had a good lunch there and they also have a bakery. It isn't on the lake but north facing rooms have lake views. 6.13 Pheriche The Edelweiss Pheriche has attached bathrooms and gets excellent reviews. In 2014 we stayed at the Himalayan Hotel in Pheriche which gets good Google reviews . It had a very good dining room and there were some attached bathrooms. 6.14 Lungden I stayed at the Renjo Pass Support Lodge in Lungden which has old and new wings. The rooms in the new wing all have an attached squat toilet (no sink) and cost R500. The food was good and the owner was very welcoming. They lit a fire in the evening even though it wasn't very cold. There was no internet when I stayed there in May 2022. 6.15 Lukla In Lukla it is important to stay at a lodge with good airline connections in case your flight is cancelled. The lodge we stayed at in 2014 couldn't help with the airlines when bad weather cancelled flights and it was very stressful. In May 2022 our guide said that their agency always used the Lukla Numbur Hotel as the owner had good airline connections, having worked for one of the airlines. We agreed to stay at this hotel even though we feared it could be a bit of a dump. We were very pleasantly surprised as it is a very comfortable hotel just behind Lukla airport. There are two buildings and I think most rooms have attached bathrooms. We were given a room in the annex building as there was a group of noisy women from the UAE in the main building. The owners were very friendly and helpful. When rain delayed our early morning flight they told us to stay in the dining room and they would let us know when to go to the airport. At midday we were told to go to the airport as flights were coming in from Kathmandu. When we got to the airport the owner and our guide had already checked in our luggage and got our boarding passes. 7. Links to my other Everest Base Camp Trek Blogs My Daily Reports on the Everest 3 Passes Trek Day Hikes on the Everest Base Camp Trek When to trek to Everest Base Camp Kathmandu to Lukla and Back What to take for the Everest Base Camp Trek Forum Posts, Vlogs & Webcams for Everest Base Camp Trek Guides, Porters and Trekking Agencies

This blog provides links to useful trip reports and information on the Tripadvisor forum about the Everest Base Camp trek, videos of EBC treks and live webcams at Lukla and Namche Bazaar. Click here  to read my other blogs about the Everest Base Camp and Everest 3 Passes treks. Contents Tripadvisor Posts Vlogs Webcam Nepal Live (Lukla, Namche, Khumjung & Pheriche) Links to my other Everest Base Camp Trek Blogs 1. Tripadvisor Posts My blogs on trekking in the Everest Region are based on my 2 treks there in May 2014 and May 2022. See my blog My Daily Reports on the Everest 3 Passes Trek . I am also an active participant on the Tripadvisor forum for Nepal. I follow this forum every day and obtain a lot of useful and up to date information. I have included some of this information in my blogs. It can be difficult to find relevant and useful posts on the Tripadvisor forum later on. I have therefore listed below some of the best posts regarding the Everest Base Camp trek. For easy reference the headings are linked to the posts on Tripadvisor. Some of the posts have over 300 threads and in such instances I have provided a summary of the most relevant and helpful postings. 1.1 Warning: Heavy Smoke Across Country This 2024 post highlights the problem from wild fires and pollution in Nepal during Spring. It wasn't the first year that this has happened but Spring of 2024 was particularly bad. Internal flights were cancelled and this included flights to Lukla for trekkers doing the Everest Base Camp trek. Views on the EBC trek were affected by the pollution particularly at lower altitude. The wild fires were put out by rain on 6th May 2024. In the past the pollution from wild fires hasn't been a problem from about this date. 1.2 How My Guide Almost Killed Me This Thorntree post about the Everest 3 Passes trek was written by a Canadian lady in 2014. She had a bad guide and they got lost in bad weather on the Ngozumpa glacier near Gokyo. They spent the night on the glacier and she suffered frost bite as a result. It is a fascinating report and highlights the risk in crossing the 2 glaciers on the Everest 3 Passes trek. In May 2022 I met several trekkers who had got lost on the Khumbu glacier after crossing the Kongma La. Luckily the weather was clear and warm. See my blog Guides, Porters & Trekking Agencies in Nepal . 1.3 Trekking in Nepal after April 1st 2023 - Live Reports The Nepal Tourist Board unsuccessfully tried to ban independent trekking in Nepal from April 2023. This post provides up to date information on this matter. 1.4 A Walk in the Khumbu in October/November 2021 This is a very interesting, and informative, Tripadvisor Forum post from a German trekker (aka Dharma Bum) who travels very lightly. He walks to Everest Base Camp from Dhap and does the Everest 3 passes trek. His backpack weighed 4.26 kgs ! He doesn't take a sleeping bag even though he trekked in November. He used the lodges' not so clean blankets and duvets. He is a fast trekker so take that into account when he mentions trekking times. Before the trek he asked Tripadvisor forum members to critique his proposed itinerary for his Everest Base Camp trek. After the trek he posts trip reports for his 29 day trek. It ends up being a very long thread with 192 posts from himself and other trekkers, many of whom know the Everest region very well. If you just want to read his trips reports these are the relevant links: Post 114 - Day 1 (Dhap) to Day 3 (Junbesi) Post 118 - Day 4 (Junbesi) to Day 8 (Namche Bazaar) Post 125 - Day 9 (Namche Bazaar) to Day 12 (Pangboche) Post 136 - Day 13 (Dingboche) to Day 16 (Lobuche) Post 140 - Day 17 (Pangboche) to Day 21 (Gokyo) Post 144 - Day 22 (Gokyo) to Day 27 (Namche Bazaar) Post 153 - Day 28 (Namche Bazaar) to Day 29 (Lukla) 1.5 Live report: Everest Base Camp Three Passes Trek in Spring 2022 An entertaining, informative and well written live trip report from an American (Ling) based in Thailand. He has done the Everest 3 passes trek numerous times but until now always in the winter months. His Everest 3 Passes trek started on 30th March 2022 when the number of trekkers was fairly low due to Covid. There are 302 posts in this thread due to all the feedback from Tripadvisor forum members! Post 1 - Day 1: Flight to Lukla & trek to Namche Bazaar Post 21 - Day 2: "Rest day" in Namche and his day hike to Mong and Khumjung. Post 29 - Day 3: Namche Bazaar to Phortse Post 117 - Day 4: Phortse to Dingboche Post 148 - Day 5: Dingboche to Chukhung Post 170 - Day 6: "Rest day" in Chukhung Post 175 - Day 7: Chukhung to Lobuche via Kongma La Pass Post 180 - Day 8: Lobuche to Dzonglha Post 198 - Day 9: Dzonglha to Gokyo via the Cho La Pass Post 211 - Days 10 & 11: "Rest days" in Gokyo Post 232 - Day 12: Day hike from Gokyo to Renjo La Pass Post 256 - Day 13: Rest day in Gokyo Post 272 - Day 14: Gokyo to Namche Bazaar via Renjo La Pass Post 292 - Days 15–18: 3 Rest days in Namche Bazaar & the walk back to Lukla 1.6 Liveish Report: EBC Three Passes Trek December 2022 Another trip report by Ling for his second Everest 3 passes trek in 2022! Post 7 - Day 1: Kathmandu to Namche Bazaar Post 9 - Day 2: Rest day around Namche Bazaar Post 24 - Day 3: Namche Bazaar to Phortse Post 41 - Day 4: Phortse to Dingboche Post 53 - Day 5: Dingboche to Chukhung Post 58 - Day 6: "Rest day" in Chukhung with a stroll up Chukhung Ri Post 69 - Day 7: Chukhung to Lobuche via the Kongma La Pass Post 77 - Day 8: Lobuche to Dzonglha Post 81 - Day 9: Dzongla – Cho La Pass - Dragnag Post 96 - Day 10: Dragnag to Gokyo & Climb up Gokyo Ri Post 111 - Day 11: Hike to Gokyo Fifth Lake & Scoundrel's Viewpoint Post 132 - Day 12: Gokyo to Thame via the Renjo La Pass 1.7 Another Khumbu Report, off the beaten paths - October 2022 A trip report of an extremely exploratory trek in the Everest/Khumbu region. A lot of what he did is beyond the capability of the average trekker. That definitely includes me! The posts of interest to the ordinary trekker, looking to do side trips, are: Post 13 - The trail southwards of Thame that climbs up to Kongde and then descends to Toktok. Post 17 - Sunder Peak (5,368 metres) north west of Thame Post 33 - Lodges at Thyangbo (4,320 metres) on the way from Thame to Tashi Lasbsta 1.8 A Side Trail with Great Views between Lobuche and Gorak Shep Post 142 provides details of a very scenic route that runs from the Pyramid Lodge (north of Lobuche) towards Gorak Shep. It runs above, and parallel to the main Everest Base Camp trail. The trail is very scenic and not difficult. It is also possible to walk westwards from this path up a grassy slope to about 5,300 metres. 1.9 Daily Meal & Beverage Costs for the EBC 3 Passes Trek & trek in from Jiri Post 4 is by Ling again and he details all the daily meal and beverage costs he incurred during his December 2021 Everest 3 passes trek. Costs will have increased since then! 1.10 Pikey Peak on the way to the EBC Trek - where to sleep & eat? This Tripadvisor forum post provides pre Covid information on the trek from Dhap to Namche Bazaar. It is a thread of 20 posts with contributions from some trekkers who have done a lot of hikes in Nepal. 1.11 Dhap to Pikey Peak Trek Questions Another more recent Tripadvisor forum post on the Pikey Peak trek from early 2022. It is a thread of 59 posts. 1.12 Dharma Bum’s Recipe for Happiness: Boudhanath This post provides a lot of information on accommodation, restaurants and what to see at Boudhanath. 1.13 Back for more cake: Everest Three Passes Trek deep thoughts A trip report for Ling's Everest 3 passes trek in December 2023. In post 138 (written on 4 January 2024) he recounts his near fatal fall while crossing the Ngozumpa glacier near Gokyo! 1.14 Dharma Bum's Guide to Paths Less Travelled: Khumbu Edition   Information about alternative trails and day hikes when doing the Everest 3 passes and Everest Base Camp treks. 1.15 First Half of November Crowds This post provides information about the number of trekkers doing the Everest Base Camp trek in the first half of November 2024. Surprisingly it didn't appear too busy as usually it is a very popular and busy period. 2. Vlogs There are quite a few interesting vlogs covering the Everest 3 passes and Everest Base Camp treks. Watching one or two will give you a feel for the scenery and what to expect. I find that they usually provide little factual information and are not that useful for planning the Everest Base Camp trek. I have provided links to a few of the better English speaking ones. 2.1 Everest Three Passes Trek This is a vlog by an Australian couple who were driving from Australia to Europe. They drove from Kathmandu to Salleri in their vehicle and then did the Everest 3 Passes trek in 21 days. They were later arrested and imprisoned for almost 3 months in Iran for flying a drone! 2.2 Motor Bike Ride to Bupsa & then Trekking to Everest Base Camp This is a video by a Nepalese couple who ride a motorbike from Kathmandu to Tham Danda, which is north of Bupsa. It gives a good idea of the road if you want to drive in rather than fly to Lukla. The road appears better than I thought it would be, but after rain it would probably be a mess. After walking to Namche Bazaar they take the standard route to Everest Base Camp. The only thing I didn't like was that they took a helicopter back from Gorak Shep. 2.3 Gokyo Trek (Part 1) - Lukla to Ama Dablam Base Camp The trekker is German so there is also a German version of this vlog. It covers the first part of his trek to Gokyo. He first hiked to Ama Dablam Base Camp to acclimatize. 2.4 Gokyo Trek (Part 2) - Pangboche to Gokyo This video is of his trek up the Gokyo Valley to Gokyo and then back to Namche via the Renjo La and Thame. 3. Webcam Live Nepal This YouTube site has links to several webcams set up along the trail for the Everest Base Camp trek. There are webcams at Lukla airport, Namche Bazaar, the Everest View Hotel above Namche Bazaar, Khumjung and Pheriche. This is very useful when you are sitting at Kathmandu or Ramechhap airport wondering if the weather will improve in Lukla so your flight can take off! 4. Links to my other Everest Base Camp Trek Blogs My Daily Reports on the Everest 3 Passes Trek Day Hikes on the Everest Base Camp Trek Lodges and Tea Houses on the Everest Base Camp Trek When to trek to Everest Base Camp What to take for the Everest Base Camp Trek Kathmandu to Lukla and Back Guides, Porters and Trekking Agencies

When to do the Everest Base Camp trek is probably the most important decision to make when planning your trek. Some months are far too busy with trekkers and other months are affected by the cold, the monsoon, haze and cloud. This blog give you the facts to enable you to make the right decision. Click here to read my other blogs about the Everest Base Camp and Everest 3 Passes treks. Contents Mid December to Mid March Trekking Mid March to beginning of May Trekking May Trekking June to September Trekking October to Mid December Trekking Nepal Monsoon Dates Monthly Trekker Numbers for the Everest Base Camp trek Historical Weather Data and Weather Forecasts Links to my other Everest Base Camp Trek Blogs 1. Everest Base Camp Trek from Mid December to Mid March This is the off-season due to the cold winter weather and the increased risk of heavy snowfall. This period has become more popular with independent trekkers recently. Very few groups will do the Everest Base Camp trek at this time of year which is very appealing! There is also a greater chance of clear skies and crisp views. Many lodges on the Everest Base Camp trek will close during the winter due to the cold so even though there are fewer trekkers the lodges will often be busy. There should be at least 1 lodge open at each location, but the few trekkers around will be funnelled into them. Toilets and water pipes will often be frozen and the bedrooms will be very cold. Another important factor to take into account, apart from the cold, is that the days are much shorter. 2. Everest Base Camp Trek from Mid March to Start of May The Spring peak season is probably from about 20th March to about the 7th May. It is almost as busy as the autumn season as per the Sagamatha Park Monthly Trekker Numbers chart . The sky will not be as clear as in the autumn peak season which comes after the monsoon. In recent years there has been terrible air pollution in Kathmandu, and the lower elevations of the Everest region, from wild fires in late March and April. See reports in the Kathmandu Post and on the TripAdvisor Forum . During April the lodges on the Everest Base Camp trek will be very busy and some will be full. Single trekkers may find it difficult to get their own room. So there is pressure to rush from one location to the next to obtain a room. You will always find a place to sleep, even if it is in the dining room. Lobuche and Gorak Shep are the 2 locations where the accommodation will be the most limited. Groups either pre-book the accommodation or send a guide or porter ahead to reserve rooms. Independent trekkers get the remaining rooms! See my blog Lodges & Tea Houses on the Everest Base Camp Trek for recommended tea houses. 3. Everest Base Camp Trek in May I have trekked to Everest Base Camp in May twice and haven't had a problem with air pollution. The first week of May could still be busy but after that the number of trekkers drops off. There are less trekkers in May than March, April, October or November. May is pre-monsoon but it is also the month when most climbers summit Everest. You need reasonable weather to do that! Most climbers summit Everest between May 10 and 20. My logic has been that May should be a reasonable month for trekking. May is also reasonably warm and the days are long. When we did the standard Everest Base Camp trek in May 2014 we had incredible weather. We only had a bit of drizzle in the afternoon of the acclimatization day in Namche Bazaar and some mist in afternoon when descending from Lobuche to Pheriche. It was so nice and warm at the top of Kalar Patthar that I sat at the summit for over an hour! In May 2022 when I did the Everest 3 passes trek over 17 days the weather wasn't as good. The locals said that the weather was unusually bad for May. However, it only rained 1 day and clouds spoiled the view for a further 3 days. If you are going to do the Everest Base Camp trek in May I recommend going after the first weekend to avoid the crowds. The number of international groups decreases substantially after that. Try and fly into Lukla from the Wednesday after that weekend as a lot of trekkers fly into Kathmandu at the weekend and then fly to Lukla after two nights in Kathmandu. 4. Everest Base Camp Trek from June to September I would definitely recommend not doing the Everest Base Camp trek from mid June to the end of September as it is the monsoon season. The monsoon used to end in September, but the Nepal Monsoon Date chart below shows that it now ends in October due to climate change. Rain isn't necessarily a problem as it can be for just a short period or at night. There is little point in trekking if clouds constantly block views of the mountains. There will also be leeches at lower altitude and dengue fever is a big problem in Kathmandu from July to October. In the first half of June the weather could be okay. If so then that would be a fantastic time to trek with few trekkers, nice temperatures and long days. I have trekked twice up to the 12th June in the Annapurna and Nar Phu regions and have had good weather both times. I have never done the Everest Base Camp trek during this period. 5. Everest Base Camp Trek from October to Mid December October was regarded as the best trekking month in Nepal as the temperatures weren't yet too cold and the air was clear after the monsoon. In recent years the monsoon hasn't ended until almost mid October as per the Nepal Monsoon Dates chart . Also cyclones originating in the Bay of Bengal have hit Nepal several times in the first half of October. On 14 October 2014 cyclone Hudhud resulted in the death of 21 trekkers on the Annapurna circuit. In early October 2022 a cyclone hit the western and central parts of Nepal and caused great disruption to trekkers. I started a trek in Lower Dolpo in mid October 2022 and there was so much snow on the passes that we couldn't cross them. A blog by ResponsibleAdventures.com highlights the bad October weather in 2018, 2019 and 2021. The beginning of October to mid November is the busiest time of year for the Everest Base Camp trek. If you don't like crowded trails and busy lodges it would be better to start trekking after mid November. The later the better for quieter trails. With regard to weather it would be best to wait until after 20th October to commence the Everest Base Camp trek. This video of the climb up to Namche Bazaar shows how busy the trail to Everest Base Camp can get at peak times! I don't think it is normal though. The video was taken on the 13th October 2023. 6. Monsoon Dates for the Everest Base Camp trek These dates reflect when the monsoon first enters Nepal and finally exits the entire country. It should be taken into account that the monsoon enters and exits Nepal from the east when analysing these dates. Therefore for the Everest Base Camp trek the monsoon starts a few days later and ends a few days earlier. I have personally experienced how these monsoon dates can be misleading because the monsoon takes time to cross Nepal. The 2022 monsoon start date was 5 June yet we had great weather trekking in the Annapurna region until it rained in the evening of 10 June. The 2019 monsoon end date was 12 October but we had perfect weather in the Manaslu region from 10 October and the weather had been fairly good for about a week before that. YEAR START DATE END DATE ​ 2002 15 June 19 September ​ 2003 16 June 30 September ​ 2004 9 June 1 October ​ 2005 20 June 2 October ​ 2006 1 June 29 September ​ 2007 7 June 9 October ​ 2008 10 June 17 October ​ 2009 23 June 15 October ​ 2010 17 June 1 October ​ 2011 15 June 7 October ​ 2012 16 June 28 September ​ 2013 14 June 19 October ​ 2014 20 June 7 October ​ 2015 13 June 3 October ​ 2016 15 June 12 October ​ 2017 12 June 16 October ​ 2018 8 June 5 October ​ 2019 20 June 12 October ​ 2020 12 June 16 October ​ 2021 11 June 11 October ​ 2022 5 June 15 October ​ 2023 14 June 15 October ​ 2024 10 June 12 October 7. Monthly Trekker Numbers for the Everest Base Camp Trek These numbers are recorded when trekkers enter the Sagarmatha National Park at Jorsale. Most trekkers going to Everest Base Camp are recorded as entering the park on the day after they fly into Lukla. I haven't shown the numbers for 2015 as they were affected by the earthquake. Likewise I haven't shown the numbers for 2020 to 2022 as they were affected by Covid. The number of trekkers doing the Everest Base Camp trek started to increase at the end of 2022 and 11,319 trekkers entered Sagarmatha National Park in October 2022. When reviewing these numbers you should take into account that: The majority of trekkers for March will start the Everest Base Camp trek in the last half of March. Therefore from the middle of March it will be busier than it appears. There will be a lot of trekkers that enter Sagarmatha National Park at the end of April who will be doing the Everest Base Camp trek mainly in May. October is very busy but most trekkers entering Sagarmatha National Park at the end of October will be doing the Everest Base Camp trek mainly in November. Also most trekkers entering Sagarmatha National Park in November will do so in the first half of November. Therefore the first half of November will be busier for the Everest Base Camp trek than the statistics imply and the second half of November less so. Foreign climbing expeditions aren't included in these statistics. Therefore early to mid April will be busier with climbers entering the park. MONTH 2014 - 19 AVERAGE 2014 2016 2017 2018 2019 JANUARY 1072 930 589 1297 1466 1076 FEBRUARY 1265 975 1078 1363 1654 1256 MARCH 4980 3829 3804 5058 6609 5598 APRIL 8976 6808 5520 9592 10576 12386 MAY 3731 2397 3124 4487 4565 4082 JUNE 494 328 399 557 637 549 JULY 314 254 354 342 335 287 AUGUST 485 484 351 542 498 549 SEPTEMBER 3172 2788 313 4400 4818 3542 OCTOBER 11806 9463 10013 12479 12532 12542 NOVEMBER 7525 6496 6274 7687 8869 8300 DECEMBER 2507 2272 2467 2584 3080 2132 8. Weather Data & Forecasts for the Everest Base Camp Trek Meteoblue provides historical weather data and weather forecasts for several locations on the trail to Everest Base Camp. 9. My Other Everest Base Camp Trek Blogs My Daily Reports on the Everest 3 Passes Trek Day Hikes on the Everest Base Camp Trek Lodges and Tea Houses on the Everest Base Camp Trek Kathmandu to Lukla and Back What to take for the Everest Base Camp Trek Forum Posts, Vlogs & Webcams for Everest Base Camp Trek Guides, Porters and Trekking Agencies