MHE
Zanskar Rafting Expedition 2008
| Duration |
12
night/13 days | |
Departures | 9th
August to 21st August 2008 | |
| 23rd
August to 4th September 2008 |
Introduction
Starting
from Srinagar and finishing in Leh (with a lot of road and river adventure in
between), the MHE Zanskar Rafting Expedition 2008 takes you through some of the
most breathtaking landscape on the planet, from the green hills of Kashmir, high
up through the rocky terrain of the forbidden kingdom of Zanskar, rafting down
three high altitude rivers of Stod, Zanskar and Indus, and landing up in the ancient
Ladakhi capital of Leh. We
start off with a splash of luxury in an overnight stay on a Srinagar houseboat,
before taking to the road for three days and then packing equipment in the rafts
at Remala and heading off on the most exciting part of the trip. For the next
seven days we are on the river, negotiating rapids up to grade IV and camping
on small riverside campsites in the Zanskar gorge until finally reaching Nimmu
the confluence of the Indus and Zanskar rivers before driving to Leh, the magnificent
capital of Ladakh. All
are guides are fully certified with years of experience behind them, and food
is prepared by tried and trusted expert camp chefs who can rustle up a tasty feast
even in the isolated wilderness of Zanskar. Click
here to see a slideshow of the 2007 MHE Zanskar Expedition Location
Chart
:
Delhi/Mumbai – Srinagar - Kargil – Rangdum - Remala - Karsha - Pidmu -
Nyerak - Lamaguru - Nimmu - Alchi - Leh – Delhi/Mumbai Itinerary
Day
1: Fly Delhi/Mumbai
to Srinagar (1730 m). Overnight in houseboat Fly
to Srinagar where you spend a night in a deluxe houseboat on Dal Lake. Over a
sumptuous dinner and a few drinks and meet fellow expedition members, and get
a brief on what to expect from the upcoming adventure. Overnight
in deluxe houseboat Day
2: Drive Srinagar to
Kargil (3201 m, 10,500 ft, 220 km, 6 hours). Overnight in guest house
Today is the first leg of the drive to
rafting departure point, where we drive 220 km. On the way you will pass through
the alpine village of Sonamarg, the snow bound pass of Zoji La and the coldest
inhabited place on earth Dras. Arrive at the frontier town of Kargil where we
check into a small but very comfortable guest house for the night.
Overnight
in guest house Day
3: Drive Kargil to
Rangdum (12,000 ft, 105 km, 5-6 hours). Overnight in camp. We
leave the Srinagar Leh highway behind us and enter in to the heart of Zanskar:
a spectacular drive past Panikar and Parkachik, with magnificent views of the
Nun and Kun massifs (7000 m), hanging glaciers and sprawling meadows. We stop
to make camp in the lush green meadows near the Rangdum monastery for first night
in tents.
Overnight in tented camp Day
4: Drive Rangdum to
Remala (3,365 m. 11,925 ft. 95 km, 5 hours) Drive
over the Pensi La which, at 14,500 ft is the highest altitude we reach on the
expedition. The pass offers spectacular views of the Zanskar peaks, at the bottom
of which lies the Drung Durung glacier that feeds the Stod and Zanskar rivers.
We set up camp at Remala, which is the start point of rafting expedition.
Overnight
in tented camp. Day
5: Raft Remala to Karsha
(3,496 m, 11,466 ft, 40 km, 5 hours) After
breakfast we gather around for a detailed safety briefing after which we pack
up the camp and load up the rafts. We raft approximately 40 km in 5 hrs, including
a break by the riverside for lunch and a hot drink. Today’s
rafting section is a scenic run down the Stod River surrounded by 6000 m high
peaks and the stark barren landscapes that make Ladakh so unique. The stretch
includes a Class II section providing an ideal training ground for first time
rafters. The rafting finishes at Karsha early in the afternoon so that we can
hike to the ancient Karsha monastery near Padum, the capital of Zanskar, after
which we return to camp for a hot dinner and campfire. Overnight
in camp.
Day 6:
Raft Karsha to Pidmu (3,361 m, 11,000 ft, 30 km, 4 hours) Breakfast
is followed by a scenic rafting run down from Karsha to the small hamlet of Pidmu,
getting into camp by mid afternoon. In the early evening we trek to the nearby
villages of Pidmu or Hanumil, before returning to camp for dinner and overnight.
Overnight
in camp Day
7: Rest day in Pidmu
Following
the non-stop action of the past week, we take this day off for rest and relaxation,
for interacting with the local people in Pidmu hamlet and for short treks around
the area. Alternatively we can even raft a short distance to the village of Honyo
and set up camp over there for the night and take a short trek up and down the
Honyo gorge. Overnight
in camp Day
8: Raft Pidmu to Neyrak
(3,286 m, 10,780 ft, 20 km, 4 hours)Revitalised
after the rest day at Pidmu, today is an action packed day with a series of grade
III rapids. The river takes on a different beauty with the walls narrowing in
with towering rock screes on each side, because of which the Zanskar Gorge is
often referred to as the “Grand Canyon of India”. We stop for the day to pitch
camp in a small field below Nyerak village, before walking up to the village and
enjoy local hospitality in Ladakhi homes. Today is a good opportunity to buy local
hand woven Tibetan rugs and pullovers. Overnight
in camp Day
9: Raft Neyrak to Lamaguru
(3,190 m, 10,530 ft, 35 km, 5 hours) Raft
through a series of Class III and a few Class IV rapids. Rafting through the heart
of Zanskar, several sections offer non-stop action with continuous rapids, and
at one point the entire river squeezes through a gap of 16 feet.
Lunch stop
today will be at the base of a breathtaking waterfall that surprisingly gushes
out of a small hole in a cliff. The brave-hearted can enjoy a shower below the
cold waterfall. Raft
another couple of hours to the confluence of the Markha and Zanskar rivers where
we will set up camp for the night. Overnight
in camp
Day 10:
Raft Lamaguru to Nimmu (3,145 m, 103,75 ft, 40 km, 4 hours). Overnight in camp.
Another
exciting day of white water rafting on the river, covering 40 km of grade III
rapids. Today you will see the Zanskar gorge gradually open up with more and more
villages and hamlets on either side. Set
up camp on a small beach just before the confluence of the Zankar and Indus rivers
at Nimmu. Overnight
in camp
Day 11:
Raft to Saspol. (20 km, 3 hours) Drive to Leh via Alchi. Overnight in hotel.
Raft
on the Indus and run parallel to the famous Leh – Kargil highway. After a short
but exciting rafting session to Saspol (after here the Indus cuts into another
gorge and drops into Pakistan), we bid farewell to rafts and river guides.
Drive
for a short distance (7 km) to the village and monastery of Alchi and then return
to Saspol to drive 60 km to Leh, the capital of Ladakh, Overnight
in Spic n Span or similar hotel
Day
12: Shopping and sightseeing
in Leh. Overnight in hotel Return
to civilisation is a return to the friendly and charming civilisation of Leh,
the capital city of Ladakh. There is plenty of time to visit nearby monasteries
as well as do some last minute shopping. Leh was at one time was a major stop
on the Asian “Silk Route”. A stroll along the main bazaar, observing the varied
crowd and peering into the curio shops, is an entrancing experience. Chang Gali,
behind the main bazaar is less bustling but has intriguing little shops selling
curios and jewelry like pearls, turquoise, coral, malachite, lapis and many other
kinds of semi-precious stones, as well as curiously carved Yak-horn boxes, quaint
brass locks, china or metal bowls etc. Overnight
in Spic n Span or similar hotel
Day
13: Fly Leh to Delhi/Mumbai
After
breakfast drive to airport on time to connect flight for onward destination.
Price: Rs. 65,000/- per person
(inc. taxes) Single
person supplement: Rs. 13,195/- Price
to agents: Rs. 53,500/- per person (inc taxes) Single
tent supplement: 12,8000/- (Note:
Leh to Leh option, suitable for inbound:
Rs. 56,670/- inc. taxes) Price
includes: -
3.09%
service tax -
Local transportation in jeeps -
Breakfast,
lunch and dinner on each day -
Rafting
equipment: rafts, wetsuits, life jackets, helmets, dry bags -
Camping
equipment: tents, camping mats -
Group
escort, guides and safety kayakers -
Accommodation
on twin share basis in either tents, guest house or hotel as per itinerary Price
does not include: -
Airfare -
Alcoholic beverages -
Expenses
arising from unexpected fuel hikes, and other situations beyond control such as
landslides etc. -
Medical
or travel insurance -
Costs
towards evacuation of customers for medical or any other reason Transport
Transport
from Srinagar to Remala (the rafting starting point), and from Saspol (the rafting
finishing point) to Leh, will be in jeeps.
Equipment
Tents
are high comfortable and quality imported weatherproof expedition tents. You will
also be provided with a camping mat and you may prefer to bring own sleeping bag,
although we can also arrange sleeping bags for you on prior request. On the river
you will have dry bags, which are attached to the rear of the raft, in which to
keep luggage. All expedition members are equipped with wetsuit, life jacket and
helmet. Expedition
Staff Escort
stays with you during the whole trip. There is one rafting guide for each raft,
and we also have expedition safety kayakers at a ratio of one safety kayaker for
every client raft. It is said that nobody loses weight on an MHE trip and expedition
cooks are there to make sure of that.
The
river The
icy Zanskar river originates from the high altitude plateau of Sarchu on the border
of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. Originally known as the Tsarap, the
river gorges a path out of the rocky mountains of western Himalayas, dropping
in a continuous torrent of grade V rapids. The river then eases into the forbidden
Kingdom of Zanskar and slowly flows past the capital at Padum. Here it joins with
the Stod river which flows down from the Pensi La pass on the road from Kargil
to Padum.
It is from this confluence of the Tsarap and Stod rivers that
the mighty Zanskar takes birth. This expedition starts on the Stod river and moves
in to the Zanskar Gorge. The river expedition takes you through one of the most
breathtaking gorges in Asia. The stark, barren and rocky massifs are interspersed
with colorful bands of mineral deposits, which run through entire mountainsides
giving it a picture book finish.
The waters of Zanskar are cold at 6
– 7 degrees Celsius, making wet suits mandatory. A series of grade III and IV
rapids make the Zanskar an ideal way to explore this river.
Why
go with MHE? Mercury
Himalayan Explorations is India’s oldest and most experienced specialist adventure
travel company. Started in 1982 by Col. N. Kumar (Bull), India's most decorated
mountaineer, Mercury Himalayan Explorations has lead the first ever descents down
the following rivers:
- Bhramaputra
(Tsang Po) in Arunachal Pradesh. (Filmed by BBC) (1991)
- Sindh
and Lidder Rivers in Kashmir. (1989)
- Shyok
and Nubra Rivers in the Karakorams. (1999)
- Teesta
River in Sikkim. (1998)
- Suru
River near Kargil, Ladakh. (2000)
- Narmada
River in central India. (1997)
Impeccable
safety record over the years is due to insistence on the highest safety standards:
imported world class rafts, 1 safety kayaker for every client raft, experienced
and fully certified rafting guides, and all standard safety equipment (life ropes,
life jackets and helmets). | 
- Section Contains Photographs taken by Nivalink Team.