Markha Valley Trek: Best Treks in Ladakh

In the extreme north-western regions of India, Markha Valley is one of the most popular treks of Ladakh. Leh and Ladakh is the one-stop destination for the greatest adventures and which is extremely popular for its raw and arid thrills. Markha Valley is considered one of the best treks in India for its untouched beauty and wildness.

The trek is known as Markha Valley trek as it goes alongside a river known as Markha which is a tributary of Zanskar. It is the biggest valley of the region and is surrounded by beautiful big and the rocky mountains. Markha Valley, being India’s best trek, give you a whole new experience of incredible sights, snowy mountains and the delightful Buddhist settlements which surrounds the area.

Important facts about the Markha Valley Trek

• Altitude: The trekking peak is Kongmaru La (17,060 ft.). The highest nearby peak in this trek is Kang Yatse which is 21,000 ft. Other peaks include Stok Kangri peak (20,086 ft.), Gandala La (15,748 ft.)
• Best time to visit: June to September
• Duration: 7-9 days
• Difficulty level: challenging and hard level of difficulty
• Nearest airport: If you prefer to travel by air, then you can book your flight. The nearest airport to Leh is Kushok Rampula Bikochee airport and it receives flights from all the major Indian cities like Srinagar, Mumbai, Delhi, Jammu, and Chandigarh.
• Nearest railway station: The nearest railway station is Tawi in Ladakh which receives trains from all the faraway cities.
• Minimum age: The minimum age required for this trek is 12 years.

Markha Valley Trek offers a miscellany of landscapes. While covering this trek, you will be ascending to various peaks and the entire journey is filled with beautiful and serene views and it will fill you with exhilaration with snow-cap Rivers and spine-tingling meadows.

About the Markha Valley Trek

In order to cover this thrilling trek, you will be covering some beautiful valleys and peaks. It will take you through the Zingchen and Yurutse plateaus before reaching Skiu. The journey, adorned with lush green and yellow fields, will take you the most awaited Markha Valley. In addition to this, you will also encounter Tocuntse in your route to view the peak of Kanyazte and then further to Nimaling in order to reach Kongmaru La Peak, which is the center of attraction of the entire journey.

Brief Description of the The Itinerary of Markha Valley Trek

• DAY 0: reach Leh by air
• DAY 1: Leh – Chogdo (4000m), travel by jeep, 4-5 hours.
• DAY 2: Chogdo – Nilaming via Kongmaru La (5200 m) trek, 6-7 hours, 8 Km
• DAY 3: Nilaming – Hankar – Markha trek (3650 m), 6-7 hours, 7 Km total
• DAY 4: Markha – Skiu (3820 m)
• DAY 5: Skiu – Shingo (4125 m), 4-5 hours, 5 Km
• DAY 6: Shingo – Rumbak (4850 m)

Detailed Itinerary of Markha Valley Trek

DAY 0: Reach Leh

Arrive in Delhi and then reach to the nearest airport in Leh. Take a domestic flight to Leh and you can spend the day in Leh where you can explore the place by visiting the Leh market, Shanti Stupa, Leh Palace and many more tourist attractions.

DAY 1: Leh to Chogdo

• Altitude: 4000 m
• Distance: approximately 150 Km drive
• Time: 4-5 hours
• Gradient: Combination of ascent and descent
• Water source: Carry 2-3L with you. Refill at Chodgo

After reaching Leh, you will cover a road trip from Leh to Chogdo (4000 m) and in order to do this, you will need to hire or get a jeep from Leh only. The trek begins as soon as you enter the Hemis National Park where you can get the glimpse of some of the endangered wildlife species including the snow leopard, great golden eagle as well as Tibetan wolf. Reaching Chogdo will take about 4-5 hours.

DAY 2: Chogdo to Nilaming via Kongmaru La

• Altitude: 5200 m
• Distance: 8-9 Kms trek
• Time: 6-7 hours
• Gradient: Combination of ascent and descent
• Water source: carry 2-3L with you. Refill at various waterfalls in your way

The journey for your steep ascent begins which will take you to Kongmaru La (5200 m). You can have the glimpse of the mind-blowing views of the face of Kangyatse (6400 m), Karakoram Range as well as Zanskar from Kongmaru La. After this, you will descend towards Nilaming. Here you can explore the village life of the people of Nilaming and meet new people. It takes about 6-7 hours to reach Nilaming and you will require to camp the night here.

DAY 3: Nilaming to Hankar and then finally to Markha

• Altitude: 3650 m
• Distance: 7 Km
• Time: 6-7 hours
• Gradient: Combination of ascent and descent
• Water source: Carry 2-3L with you. Refill at various waterfalls in your way

Now it’s time to descend to the village of Hankar. In order to reach there, you will walk through lovely and beautiful green pastures and then a cool mountain lake. You can enjoy the beautiful views and then reach the farmlands of Tochungste. Finally, you will reach Markha (3650 m) and will camp there.

DAY 4: Markha to Skiu

• Altitude: 3820 m
• Gradient: Combination of ascent and descent. Mostly descent
• Water source: carry 2-3L with you. Refill at various water falls in your way

Numerous river crossings will be required to make along the way in order to reach Skiu. After exploring the village at Markha, you will head towards Skiu. You will descent through Nakdi, Sarah, Pentre, and Hamburjah. Reach the beautiful province of Skiu and camp the night here.

DAY 5: Skiu to Shingo

• Altitude: 4125 m
• Distance: 5 Km trek
• Time: 4-5 hours
• Gradient: Combination of ascent and descent
• Water source: carry 2-3L with you. Refill at various waterfalls in your way.

After Skiu, follow the river and get the stunning gorge up in Shingo (4125 m). It will take 4-5 hours to reach Shingo and you will also camp here.

DAY 6: Shingo to Rumbak

• Altitude: 4850 m
• Gradient: Combination of ascent and descent
• Water source: carry 2-3L with you. Refill at various waterfalls in your way

Rumbak is situated at 4850 meters. In order to reach Rumbak, you will travel via Ganda La pass. From here, you will also continue down to your camp near to Rumbak.

Fitness required for Markha Valley Trek

In order to cover this trek, you should be physically fit. We strongly recommend you to train yourself for the trek and start this training at least 10-12 days prior to your trek. You can start with walking and then slowly move to jog and running, increasing the pace each day. Make sure that you cover the optimum fitness level before starting this trek. Even if you walk regularly, you will still require to train for this trek. The more fitness level you have, more challenging and adventurous your trek can be.

Important things to carry

• While travelling to the Ladakh Markha valley, make sure that you have packed the following items:
• Good quality trekking shoes which should be durable as you are required to walk for prolonged hours.
• As you will cross the streams, therefore, you must bring your camping shoes.
• The weather can be extremely harsh and arid, and hence, make sure that you have your winter clothes, socks, sweaters and jackets with you.
• All the camping equipment.
• Plastic bags where you can store your wet clothes or used clothes.
• A waterproof coat.
• Torch, whistle, sunglasses and Swiss knife, which are required for camping.
• Toiletries and sun-screen lotion for protection against sun rays.
• Woolen caps, gloves
• First aid kit as well as personal medication