Rangdum to Padum Trek (Zanskar Valley)

Detailed Day Wise Itinerary

• Day 1. Rangdum to Sumdoo (Junction) (4276m) 4.5 hrs

  Your trek will start from the Monastery of Rangdum. You will trek along the small river . It willbe a easy day trek.  You can find some wildanimals on the way. Evening camp at the Junction.  

  

• Day 2. Sumdoo/Junction to Dipling (3900 m) via Pitzongla pass (5025) m 6 hrs.

  Morning after the breakfast you will trek right side of valley to three hours. From their trun to Pidzongla pass. view of Bipling valley .from pass long walk down till Dipling village.just before village nice camp side near stream river.  it is now only a two hour descent to the valley some 900m/3,000 feet below. Leaving the pass, snow slopes and then rocks lead to a gulch down which the zigzag path brings you out past fantastic rock walls and towers on either side to the wide valley. We should say here also that the views from the Pudzong La are superb – snowy peaks in every direction, though it may be cold and windy and you may wish to hurry on. The camp is amongst an area of clumpy small trees and bushes with fabulous views. Ahead and framed at the end of the valley is a distant pointed rock peak. It chance  we saw wolf tracks early on in the day. Overnight camp.

  

• Day 3. Dipling to Lingshed Sumdoo (3800 m) 5 hrs.

  Leaving camp, you stroll easily down the left-hand side of the valley past some deserted houses and some unworked fields before coming to the river entering from the left. Here you have the choice of either wading across (carrying your dry walking boots, obviously) or perhaps riding across on a horse, if one can be made available from the pack animals. Another hour from here brings you to the pretty village of Dibling where there are some 14 houses and a gompa. The monastery, as with virtually all Ladakhi villages, sits above the village and it is well worth the walk up to have a look around. It is a Yellow Hat temple, whose main figures are Shakyamuni Buddha, Chenrizig, Maitreya (Buddha of the future), and Zongkhapa (founder of the Gelukpa Yellow Hat Sect).  Leaving the village, you follow a relatively newly-built footpath and after a while some parts of the path are exposed. One the way you have to walk along the dipling the and cross the river several times. After that you will camp on a lovely area overlooking the river below next to a river coming in from the left. The Ladakhi word for river junction is “sumdo”, hence this is the first sumdo which is base camp of Barmila pass. Overnight camp

  

• Day 4. Lingshed Sumdoo to Lingshed (4000 m) via Barmila (4660m) 5.5 hrs

  It is just over three hours to the pass and an easy gradual path until the last 300 metres which is a little steeper. There are one or two places where you would not want to slip on the narrow path!
  Looking back, the views are inspiring – ranges of snow peaks. As you get higher, the trail turns to the left and then again to the right. The pass itself is broad, with a chorten and prayer flags. It is such a thrill to get to the pass and look down into the valley containing the village and monastery of Lingshed, and the peaks marching off into the far distance. It is a long and hot descent, but the views go on improving of Lingshed and its wonderful monastery.
  You now drop right down past houses and fields to climb back up again to reach the monastery and the camp site just above that. You will feel pretty flaked out by the time you get to camp. Overnight camp.

  

• Day 5. Lingshed to snetse (3753 m) via Hanumala ( 4716 m) 6 hrs

  After breakfast, follow the route that rises steeply in Zig-Zag to the pass Hanamu-la. Begining strenous but the top will provide reward you with wonderful and enchanting landscape. Cross the pass and follow path that descent down as far as river. Cross river over wooden bridge and further few meters trek takes you at campsite. Overnight at camp near river in Zingchen. 

  

• Day. 6 Netse to Hanamul (3414 m) via Parfila (3911 m) . 6 hrs

  Start the trek along the downstream of the river up to the Stupa from where you start climb to the Parfila. Cross the pass, here on top of the pass, you have a amazing and lovely view of Landscape. You will see for the first time the Zanskar River on your left. The camp is another two hours in the tree grove of Hanamur village. Overnight at camp. 

  

• Day 7. Hamanur to Pishu (3407 m). 5 hrs

  From here the route goes across the Right Bank of the Zanskar River and on the way you pass through the village Pidmo and Pastureland. Here you may find some Yaks and domestic animals. After  that you will continue till Pishu village. At Pishu the camping is at beautiful place. 

  

• Day 8. Pishu to Karsha (3655m) 5 hrs

  It willbe a easy day trek along the crossing villages. At start you will cross the Pishu village then continue one hour on flat ground. After crossing Rinam village. After Rinam you will start tosee the centralZanskar. Evening visit Karsha Monastery. From Karsha Monastery you will find beautiful view of Central zanskar. Overnight Camp. 

  

• Day 9. Karsha to Padum (3567 m) 4 hrs

  Last and easiest day of trek. You will cross the beautiful village like Ufti, Pibiting and skidsherak. Padum is the capital of Zanskar. Evening you can get internet facility in the market. Overnight in Hotel.