Shang La - Matho La Trek

Today, we fly from Delhi to reach Leh by afternoon, and checkin to our hotel. All of a sudden when you take in the cool dry air of Ladakh, your body won't not conform to the new changed environment, that too in only couple of hours !!

Staying hydrated is the key to a successful trek in Ladakh. Drink enough water from the previous night itself, and not after landing on Ladakh. Likewise, have a Vaseline convenient to apply to your nostrils to keep it moist, else you will feel the air is excessively dry and cold making it difficult to inhale comfortably.

We rest for the rest of the day and meet in the evening for a light Snacks and a formal Team Introduction where we share few important information on the trek preparation and planning.

Time for Dinner to catch some more sleep.

Today we spend our day visiting places around Leh and acclimatizing further. Leh is at very high altitude and this day is very important for us. We visit places like Leh Palace, Chemo Monastery, Shanti Stupa, etc.

Each of these places can be hiked to and its the best for us to do, if we are not feeling exhausted. If we do, we need to take some light walks in the town itself for some window shopping. Leh has some good shops selling trekking gears. So you can do some last moment purchases.

Evening we will visit the monastery of Shanti Stupa to seek some peaceful aura around it.

Tomorrow we start the trek. Hence we recheck that we are all set for it. Do the last moment purchases, repack our bag according to the trek requirement, have dinner and sleep early.

After breakfast drive to Lamayuru 125kms 03hrs , visit moon land and Lamayuru monastery.Later drive back towards Leh . Lunch at Khaltsi, after lunch drive Alchi, visit the most famous monastery Alchi Choskor (Religious Enclave). The 1000 year old gompa was built by a great monk & translator Lotsava Rinchen Zansgpo. The gompa is famous for rare fresco paintings and Kashmiri style woods carvings. Reach Leh and have tea and snacks. Later drive 1 and half hr to Shangsumdo for overnight in Camp enroute visit Thiksey , Takthok and Hemis monasteries. Meet your other trekking crews. Sumdo means meeting place of three ways. The village consists of about 7 houses which takes you to ancient way of living and peace of mind.

Today the trail ascend gradually through green fields of wheat and barley, after distance walk  visit small gompa of Shang and continue to walk path adjacent to a water channel flowing from south of Matho kangri.The trail flourish you with chortens( Buddhist structure which indicates the step to enlightenment of Buddha)many high altitudes flowers like anemone, blue poppies and meadows etc.The valley heads up to shepherd hut where animals from different villages live together for grassing for a period of about 3 months which includes Yak,Zo,Cow, sheep, goat and donkeys. Camp o/n at Shang phu at the height of 4250m. 

The day is long and strenuous with over 6 hrs. walking. The first three hrs.is gradually steep up to shang pass through couple of zigzag trail. The area declares as snow leopard area by forest Dept, where every year about 30 to 40 pet animals has been killed by snow leopards. The killing actions by snow leopards normally done night time but some time you can see them on high mountain cliff. Animals like blue sheep, marmots and brown eagle can find everywhere in that area. When you reach shang pass the view from there puts you in beauty of nature, the mountain wall of Matho kangri 5800 to 5900 m will refresh your mind. As you descend from the left hill side, the undulating slope makes your way more interesting and beautiful. Gangpoche( high plateau)is most wonderful place for camping.

Today the trail steadily ascends to a series of grassy slopes, Yak herders from the nearby villages live in stone settlement at the foot of the pass and the view from the pass is absolute amazing , the popular Stok kangri peak makes you statue for a while. If weather clear you can able to see Karakuram mountains. The route from the pass follows 3 km gradual descend towards Mankarmo campsite

Descent along with the stream through rocky trails. This is a delightful long walk and amazing geographical structure of the mountain. We reach Stok village where transport meets us to take you back to hotel in Leh, enroute visit Stok Palace museum