1. Ladakh- The Land of Wildness
and Adventure

2. A Journey to MOONSCAPE

Overwhelm yourself with the virgin beauty of shimmering lakes, gurgling
rivers, proude mountains, mystic lamas and loving people. Ladakh is an
adventure lovers dream come true and a retreat for the urban dweller
from the daily humdrum of cosmopolitan life in to the caressing lap of
nature.

Ladakh is the highest altitude plateau region in India (much of it being
over 3,000 m), straddling the Himalayan and Karakoram mountain
ranges and the upper Indus River valley.

Although the Ladakh range has no major peaks; its average height is a
little less than 6000 metres, and few of its passes are less than 5000 m.
Within Ladakh it forms the northern boundary wall of the Indus
valley, though when the river enters Ladakh at Demchok, some 250 km
south-east of Leh, it is actually flowing along the foot of the northern flank
of these granite mountains, which it crosses by a great gorge close to its
confluence with the Hanle river.

4. Popularly known as "Hermit
Kingdom", Ladakh is a land
of snow carved
peaks, translucent
Lakes, barren terrain and
mystic culture. The district
of Ladakh lies at the border
with Tibet at the most
eastern corner of the State
of Kashmir.

6. Places to visit; Destinations
to wonder






Drass Ladakh
Drass (3230 m), 60 km west of Kargil on the road to Srinagar, is a small township lying in
the centre of the valley of the same name.
Leh Ladakh
Leh is the the largest town of Ladakh with an area of 45110 Sq Km. The district is bounded
by Pakistan occupied Kashmir in the West, China in the north and eastern part, and Lahul
Spiti of Himachal Pradesh in South East.
Kargil Ladakh
KARGIL is (2704 m), 204 kms from Srinagar in the west and 234 kms from Leh in the east. It
is the second largest urban centre of Ladakh. Kargil once served as important trade and
transit center in the Pan-Asian trade network.
Suru Valley Ladakh
One of the most beautiful regions of Ladakh , the Suru Valley forms the mainstay of Kargil
district. Lying nestled along the north-eastern foothills of the great Himalayan Wall, it
extends from Kargil town, first southward for a length of about 75 Kms.
Zanskar Ladakh
About 20 kms. South of Rangdum stands the Pazila watershed across which lies
Zanskar, the most isolated of all the trans Himalayan Valleys. The Panzila Top (4401 m) is
the picturesque tableland adorned with two small alpine lakes and surrounded by snow
covered peaks.
Padum Ladakh
Once the capital of the ancient kingdom of Zanskar, Padum(3505 m) is the present day
administrative headquarters of the region. With a population of nearly 1500, Padum can
be described as the most populous settlement of Zanskar, otherwise a very scarcely
inhabited valley.

7. Places of Interest

Ladakhi Festival:
This festival showcases the best in Ladakhi culture and traditional sports like archery
and polo. Admission to all events is free. The polo grounds within Leh is the hub of
most activities. The inauguration ceremony is a must see. Colourful processions start
the parade. Contingents in their traditional costumes come from every part of the
district. Some contingents represent particular arts (theatre for instance), rather than
regions. The inaugural show at the polo ground is virtually an abridged version of the
entire festival.

Stok Palace:
Lying at height of 3600 metres in the lower part of the big valley of Stok, was built in
the beginning of the 19th century. It is the residence of the Rani of Stok – the queen
of Ladakh. The palace is now converted into a museum, where exquisite collections
of the royal family is displayed. Stok was the Palace of the banished royal family. This
is the only inhabited palace in Ladakh. A museum in the palace displays fabulous
period costumes and jewellery of the royalty. Interesting historical objects like
coins, seals, armour, weapons, precious jade and porcelain can also be found on
display. The palace is about 200 years old.

Spituk Monastery:
Close to Leh airport, this monastery is about 1000 year old. It has three chapels, from
the highest, perched on the top of a hill, there are superb views over the Indus
valley. One of the lower chapels has some very fine (new) wall paintings. There are
fine tankas and silver Chortens and a statue of Kali, the face of which is only shown
once a year. Spituk stands on top of a hillock overlooking the Indus valley. This 15th
century monastery houses a collection of ancient masks, antique arms, and an aweinspiring image of Kali. The face of the Kali image is kept covered and revealed only
at the annual function in January every two years.

8. 



Drang-Drung Glacier , Zanskar- The three day voyage from Leh
Zanskar valley is crammed with natural marvels like stunning
glaciers, spectacular mountain ranges and fruit orchards.
Suru Valley , Kargil-Kargil is a part of Suru Valley and this valley
forms the mainstay of Kargil district, situated on the northeastern foothills of the great Himalayan Wall. The valley is
picturesque especially in spring when the apple, apricot and
mulberry tree are all in bloom and in autumn when they are
laden with fruits. It is worth visiting place to experience the
serene beauty of nature.
Alchi Monastery , Alchi- Alchi village in Leh is famous for the
existence of one of the oldest monastery in Ladakh, Alchi
Monastery. Located on the banks of Indus River, the monastery
is also called as Alchi Choskhor. It is only the monastery that
has been built on a flat ground.
Hemis Monastery, Hemis- Hemis Monastery, located in Hemis
town, 45 km southeast of Leh in Jammu & Kashmir was reestablished by King Senge Nampar Gyalva in 1672. Built in
Tibetan style of architecture, the monastery highlights the
Buddhist culture and the Buddhist way of lifestyle. There are
several shrines surrounding the monastery and statue of Lord
Buddha, made of copper being the main attraction. It is a well
worth place to visit.

9. 

Trekking :- Ladakh is "Trekker's
Paradise" for that it mainly
consists of rugged terrain and
challenging peaks which has
always intimidated trekking
lovers and explorers to be
there and set new limits after
breaking the already set one.
Trekking Season starts from
beginning of June and lasts till
mid October. The weather
during this time is well suited
for trekking.
Rafting:- Rafting in Ladakh is
adventure par excellence.
Here you get to enjoy the
turbulence of Indus and
Zanskar Rivers. Enjoying thrills
and chills of Rafting and
Kayaking from Grade-I to
Grade-V through
breathtaking landscapes and
gorges of Ladakh Valley.
River rafting in Ladakh is quite
unlike anywhere else in the
world.

10.  Jeep Safari:- Several Exotic places in Ladakh are far
off and inaccessible normally and can only be
explored by a Jeep / 4 x 4 - wheel drive. The
people of Ladakh have lived for centuries in
barren inhospitable terrain , but Ladakh for
traveler, Ladakh for trekker and Ladakh for
climber are different words. Some of the famous
jeep safari tour are : Leh-Nubra-leh
 Leh-Pangong tso -leh.
 Leh -tso morori –leh
 Leh –sarchu-keylong-manali
 Leh- kargil-suru valley-kargil-srinagar
 Kargil-suruvalley-zanaskar-kargil.
 Mountain Biking :- Mountain Biking in Ladakh
gives you an opportunity to reach the roof of the
world - the highest point, which you may have ever
thought to reach but wasn't possible by any means .
Mountain biking in Ladakh provides you with a great
variety of trips ranging from daily trip to long and
medium trips. It is one of the most challenging and
physically demanding adventure sports you have
ever indulged in.

11. 
Wildlife Tour:- Ladakh is
also home to some
beautiful and rear birds
like the critically
endangered black
necked crane.
Bar headed
geese, woodpeckers, d
ucks, partridges, barbet
s, kingfishers, parakeets,
swifts eagle, owls to
name a few are some
birds commonly seen in
Ladakh. This rich rather
exclusive wildlife
however, is severely
threatened by habitat
loss and poaching.
Yak , Nyan , Mouse
Hare, Urial or Shapu are
some of the wildlife
species found in
Ladakh.

12. Some of the famous treeking places in Ladakh are:Leh :- Leh, a paradise for trekkers, is attracted by many natural lovers
and adventurous tourist. The snow covered Himalayan trekking terrains
poses mild to very tough challenges to trekkers. The experienced
trekkers got the competitive chances of highly challenging and
breathtaking trekking trails in mountain ranges surrounding Leh.
Some popular trekking routes include Spiti to Ladakh, Markha Valley
trekking, Ladakh Zanskar trekking and the Nubra Valley trekking.
Kargil:- Kargil in Ladakh is one of the popular destinations for trekkers.
This mountainous district that lies at a great height offers excellent
area for those who love trekking and mountain climbing. Without
trekking, a tour to Kargil would be incomplete. Best time to trek is
during June to October.
Padum to Lamayuru trail is one of the most popular routes in Kargil.
.

13. Zanskar:- Zanskar provides a wide range of trekking opportunities
from short walks through the undulating mountains to a frisky visit to
the pleasing monuments and monasteries.
Most popular treks of this region are the 11-day Lamayuru-Padum
traverse, the 4-day Stok-Khangri round trek and the 10-day Markha
Valley trek.
The hiking expedition usually starts from early June to mid-October.
Dras:- Dras, mainly popular for its rugged landscape, is a popular
destination for trekking. The Suru Valley, located close to the Dras
town is a main destination for trekkers, who traverse along the sub
range in order to reach this valley. Another trek route is to the holy
cave of Amarnath, starting from Minamarg below Zojila, which usually
takes 3 days and involves crossing of 5200 m high pass. The place
also offers several shorter treks and hikes to the upland villages.

15. CONCLUSION….
A land so remote yet your grasp, where the
only noise that you hear are the silent
echoes of your own thoughts amidst the
sand dunes of Nubra or the barren
landscape of Chumathang. Sit tete, a tete
with yourself, your family or friends at the
adventurous Trekking Route and enjoy the
aproximity. Welcome to the Moonland…

16. Thank you
Ashish Barnwal
BBM(Hons.) in TTM