After your International flight to Delhi, India, we'll meet you at the airport and take you to nearby three-star hotel for some much needed rest. We'll answer any questions you may have and address your immediate needs.

 

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We will pick you up at the three-star hotel at 3:00am and drive you to the domestic airport for your short one-hour spectacular flight to Leh (situated at 11,299 feet above sea level) above some of the most remote and scenic mountains ranges in the world. Enjoy a light breakfast, coffee, and tea on your short flight. You will arrive in Leh at 6:50am and a local staff member will greet you at the airport. From there, a five-minute drive to the local class A hotel for some much needed rest and acclimatization. Please note that lodging, breakfast, lunch, and dinners are all included in this all-inclusive trip. Leh is the capital of Ladakh, for centuries it has been a remote and fascinating outpost. Leh is located in the upper Indus Valley, which has made it an important crossroads for pilgrims and traders. Pilgrims continued from here along the Indus Valley to Mount Kailash and Tibet, while traders set off with their caravans over the Karakoram pass to the markets of Yarkland, Kashmir and central Asia.

 

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Today is for wandering around to check out the local markets and stores, rent or purchase any last minute gear needs, along with the opportunity to take a short hike up to visit the monasteries, only a 30 minute walk from your hotel. We’ll also use this day as an extra day in case your flight from Delhi to Leh is delayed by unexpected weather.

 

Today is a full day of sightseeing. We’ll drive to visit a few of the most important monasteries that dot the valley. We'll visit the following sites: 

• Hemis: Monastery follows the same founder and order of the 17th century Drugpa Kagyu and is one of the largest and most famous monasteries of Ladakh. This monastery has been a central attraction for visitors and locals, especially during summer for its festival or Hemis Tsechu. People from far-flung villages flock here to watch the mask dance in the central courtyard and get the blessing of Rinpoche.
  

• Thikse: the 500-year-old Thikse monastery, perched on a hill high above the Indus, has the largest contingent of monks in Ladakh. On the right of the entrance to the main court, yard a new chapel houses an enormous 15-meter high-seated Buddha figure. About 100 yellow-cap monks belong to the Gompa.

• Shey Palace: Lhachen Palgyigon, the first king of Ladakh, built the old ‘Summer Palace’ about 550 years ago. It stands next to the remains of a larger construction on the east side of a hill, which runs southeast towards the Indus. From the palace, you can see over the fertile Indus plain northeast to Tikse Gompa and over the Indus to the Zanskar mountain range. The old Shey palace has the largest golden Buddha statue in Ladakh in its Monastery.

We will leave for Zingchen by jeep in the morning, following the Indus River to our right. When we reach Zingchen,  our ponymen will be waiting to load our gear. The days trek begins through a narrow gorge towards Rumbak, entering Hemis National Park, home to the mysterious Snow Leopard. The trail from Zinchen ascends gradually along the Rumbak gorge until you reach Rumbak, the largest village in the Zingchen Valley (13120 ft/ 4000 m)

 

From Rumbak we'll climb gradually toward the one house village of Yurutse, before reaching camp at the base of Ganda La (14760 ft/4500m). From our campsite, there are awe-inspiring views of Stok Kangri and the entire Stok range. This is an essential day to acclimatize before crossing our first mountain pass: Ganda La.

 

The days trek starts with a gradual ascent followed by a steep climb, which gets you to the Ganda La (16072 ft/4900 m). From the pass we are treated to fine views of snow capped mountains merging into the distant ranges of the Karakoram. The trail descends steadily to Shingo, the head of the Skiu Valley (10168 ft/3100 m)

 

Following the Markha River, we will hike through the enchanting valley on a fairly level path. The trail crosses the river at various points, and passes winter settlements that contain Lhatos (religious shrines for local deities) and Mani walls (stones inscribed with Buddhist prayers).  During peak season a number of tent teahouses will be open for refreshments. Markha (12464 ft/ 3800m) is the largest village in the valley, consisting of around 20 houses, an old monastery and a ruined fort.

 

Day 9 - Markha Rest Day After trekking over the 16,000 foot pass just a couple days before, your body will be ready for a day off to explore Markha village and take a cool dip in the river.

Day 10 - Trek to Hangkar (5-6 hours of trekking) The Markha valley trail continues passed old stone-mills, a ruined castle and the auspicious monastery of Techa, which proudly perches upon a cliff that looms above Markha. The path then intersects the river several times before cutting through the last hamlets in the valley. After leaving the village of Umlung, we are afforded our first view of Kangyatse (20,008 ft/6400m). The village of Hangkar (the last one in the valley), will be our campsite for tonight. (12000 ft/4000m)

Day 11 - Trek to Nimaling (4-5 hours of trekking) Leaving Hangkar, we now have a good view of a prominent snow peak at the head of the valley. This is Kang Yatze, a (20,992 ft) high mountain, which has a subsidiary summit at around (20,008 ft). We’ll continue gradually up to the high and wide-open meadows of Nimaling (15088 ft/4600 m)

Day 12 - Trek to Shang and Drive to Leh (6-7 hours trekking and a 1 hour drive) We trek up to the Kongmaru La (17056 ft/520 m) on a well-marked trail, which zigzags across scree for the final 820 feet to the pass, a breathtaking (literally) 2 hour ascent. From the pass there are views north to the hills of the Eastern Karakoram and China, whilst the shapely Kang Yatze dominates the southern panorama. Descending, we enter a narrow gorge to Chogdo, before the valley opens up at the village of Shang. From here we will drive back to Leh.   Day 13 - Leh to Delhi After breakfast, we'll drive to the Leh airport and our driver and guide will meet you at the Delhi airport, after your short one-hour flight back to Delhi, again over some of the most remote and beautiful mountains in the world. From there, we'll drive to Agra, to visit the world famous Taj Mahal. After spending an afternoon exploring the Taj Mahal, we'll drive into town to enjoy a night at a three-star bed & breakfast.   Day 14 - Agra to Delhi International Airport In the morning, we'll drive back to the Delhi International airport, there you will catch your plane for your journey home.   What's included in this trip & trek? 3 star hotel in Delhi, 3 star bed & breakfast in Agra, class A hotel in Leh, & all camping fees on trek All ground transportation, airport transfers, and guided jeep sightseeing All inclusive Markha Valley trek English speaking guide Chef & assistants All breakfast, lunch, & dinners Tents (for camping on trek, dining tent, kitchen tent, toilet and shower tent) Trekking tables and chairs for relaxing and meals Foam mattresses on trek Pack horses Camping fees What's not included in this trip & trek? International & domestic airfare - Average airfare from major US Cities is $950 (we'll help you find the best flights that fit your location and needs) Hiking shoes, clothing, sleeping bag, and personal items (but they're all available for rent in Leh or purchase from www.mtnittanyoutfitters.com, at 30% off. Your adventurous spirit - you bring that and we'll supply the rest! How much does the trip cost? There are two options for signing up for this trip, which effects the trip cost. We offer an exclusive trip, which means you can sign up as an individual or small group and there will be no other random folks on your trip. We also offer a non-exclusive trip, which means you can sign up as an individual or small group, but we'll include other trip members to round out the group with a minimum of five up to eight folks. If you would like to sign-up for an exclusive trip with more than 8 people, please email us at owner@mtnittanyoutfitters.com and we can make arrangements for that possibility. Based on what experience you are looking for, flying solo and/or with your friends and family or the experience of being teamed up with a few other like-minded adventurous spirits, that will determine the total trip cost, as listed below: 1 person (exclusive): $3,025 ($2,420 - Save 20% for all remaining slots!) 2 people (exclusive): $2,256 per person ($1,805 - Save 20% for all remaining slots!) 3 to 4 (exclusive): $2,128 per person ($1,703 - Save 20% for all remaining slots!) 5 to 8 (exclusive): $2,000 per person ($1,600 - Save 20% for all remaining slots!) For all non-exclusive trips, the cost is $2000 per person. ($1,600 - Save 20% for all remaining slots!) We'll include a minimum of 5 people and a maximum of 8 people on all non-exclusive trips. We only allow eight people on these trips to maintain the utmost quality and personal experience our customers have come to expect. When are these trips offered? These trips are offered anytime between the beginning on May 1st through the end of September 30th. Exclusive trip individuals or groups can decide which dates work best for them. Non-exclusive trips are available on the following dates: Dates from Arrival to Departure  Trip Status May 1, 2009 - May 14, 2009 Slots Available May 14, 2009 - May 27, 2009 Slots Available May 27, 2009 - June 9, 2009 Slots Available June 9, 2009 - June 22, 2009 Slots Available June 22, 2009 - July 5, 2009 Slots Available July 5, 2009 - July 18, 2009 Slots Available July 18, 2009 - July 31, 2009 Slots Available July 31, 2009 - August 13, 2009 Slots Available August 13, 2009 - August 26, 2009 Slots Available August 26, 2009 - September 9, 2009 Slots Available September 9 - September 22, 2008 Slots Available September 22, 2009 - October 5, 2009 Slots Available How can I pay for a trip? We can invoice you via pay-pal or Google-checkout. You can also pay via USPS Money Order, check, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover credit cards. What is your cancellation policy? Cancellation 60 days & up before departure: 90% refund Cancellation 31 to 60 days before departure: 70% refund Cancellation 15 to 30 days before departure: 50% refund Cancellation 14 days or less before departure: No refund Can I see photographs from previous trips? Yes, Mt. Nittany Outfitters owner, Matthew McKinney, scouted out this trek during the summer of 2007 and took over one-hundred photographs during his trip. If you would like to see photographs from the Markha Valley trek, send him an email at owner@mtnittanyoutfitters.com and he'll send you a personal email invitation via snapfish.com to view the online photograph album from his journey. Is this a safe region of India? Yes, India is the world's largest democratic republic, has a very diverse population, geography and climate. The US State Department website considers eastern Ladakh and Leh safe for US citizens who travel abroad. We do not offer treks or travel into any of the remote outlying areas in the Jammu & Kashmir State. Leh and the surrounding area have an extremely visible and large Indian military presence, which makes this one of the safest areas in all of India and a very popular tourist destination for adventurous tourists from around the world. Will I need a passport and visa? Yes, you will need both a passport and tourist visa for India. We'll help you through this process. What if I have more questions or need additional information? Send an email to owner@mtnittanyoutfitters.com and Matt will answer all of your questions and concerns.