Zanskar Trekking Tour : To the Heavens in the Himalayas
In the former Buddhist kingdom of Zanskar lie villages and monasteries among the most remote in the Himalayas. To reach them, one must walk—and in doing so, encounters a breathtaking world of mountains.
ABOUT THE PERSON
Michael Martin, born in 1963, is a geographer and renowned desert photographer. The Munich native has undertaken 150 desert journeys since he was 17 and has published more than 20 books on the subject, including “The Deserts of the Earth” and “Planet Desert.” Martin has named his new project “Terra.”
“Julley!” greets us Tesering, a kindly man marked by life in the high mountains. He stands among his eight horses, without which progress would be impossible.
After two days of driving, we have reached the end of the road, which began as a paved street in Leh and has become a narrow, pothole-ridden track in Zanskar. It remains the only access to the former kingdom in the Indian Himalayas, and that only during the brief summer. In winter, the region is almost completely cut off from the outside world.
Our trekking and photographic gear is distributed among the horses, along with the cooking tent and food supplies. My wife Elly and I are set to trek an isolated route through Zanskar. Along with Tesering, we are accompanied by Rabyang as our guide, Tensing as the cook, and Keseng as the assistant cook.
By noon, our caravan sets off, and immediately we begin a steep ascent. We pass through the village of Cha and soon view the bright blue Tsarap from a small pass, one of the two main tributaries of the mighty Zanskar River. Our first destination is the Buddhist monastery of Phuktal by the Tsarap. Ninety-five percent of Zanskar’s nearly 15,000 inhabitants adhere to Tibetan Buddhism, which, unlike in Chinese-occupied Tibet, has always been freely practiced here.
At Six in the Morning
At six in the morning, we sit in the prayer hall, listening to the monks’ chants. A novice pours butter tea, prepared on the fire in the kitchen. Afterwards, the young novices gather in front of the tiny school, memorizing Buddhist texts; later in the morning, the secular lessons begin. To this day, most families in Zanskar send a boy to the monastery for at least a few years to be educated.
Throughout the afternoon, we follow the Tsarap River up to a high plateau where the horses graze until morning. The next day, we reach Shade, one of the most isolated villages in the entire Himalayas. Even before we enter, the villagers call out to us from their ripening grain fields: “Julley! Julley!”
Shade consists of a handful of mud houses clinging to a slope that splits a valley like the bow of a ship. The barren soil, watered by channels of meltwater, yields barely one harvest a year.
As Zanskar lies in the rain shadow of the main Himalaya range, it receives only 70 millimeters of precipitation annually, mostly falling as snow in winter. Thus, snowmelt and glaciers are the main sources of water. But the glaciers are melting rapidly. Once they are gone, there will be no water left for agriculture.
In the Morning, the Horses Are Gone
Our route crosses two high passes: the 5030-meter Gorena La and the slightly lower but steeper Lar La. We are grateful to be walking without baggage, though after a week in the Himalayas, we have adapted fairly well to the thin air. To keep our cameras always within reach, a horse accompanies us directly. In the evening, we camp with yak herders from Shade, who tend to 50 animals during the brief mountain summer. Soon, they will return to the village with their yaks for the long, harsh winter.
The next day, we follow the Niri Chu flowing through a gorge and set up camp at one of the few spots where the horses find enough fodder. They need strength for the highest pass of the journey, the 5160-meter Penang La. By the following noon, as we reach the top, snow begins to fall. We descend swiftly and set up camp once more by the Niri Chu.
The Day of Long-Awaited Sunshine
The following day brings the long-awaited sunshine—but the horses are gone. It takes four hours for Tesering to find them again on a high pasture. Elly and I push on ahead. The descent is gentle, but numerous river crossings drain both time and patience.
By noon, the team with the horses catches up with us. Together, we move into the broad valley of the Zanskar River and rest in the village of Zangla. After six hours on the trail, we’ve covered only half the day’s distance. Yet the route is so varied that we manage the additional five hours to the village of Hanumil with relative ease.
Monastery Lingshed Glows in the Rock
The next day, we continue following the Zanskar River, then head north over two smaller passes toward our destination, the monastery of Lingshed. We camp on a steep slope with barely enough food for the horses, and once again, they escape in search of more fodder during the night. Tesering spends hours tracking them down. Elly and I use the opportunity to push ourselves up the final pass, the 4720-meter Hanuma La.
At the summit, we almost lose our breath as we gaze into a rock arena. In seemingly reachable proximity, the monastery of Lingshed glows in pristine white. “Six hours,” our taciturn guide Rabyang murmurs, a claim we find hard to believe. Six hours later, we are wiser. Beneath the monastery, fields and houses of a few farming families spread out. The grain fields gleam yellow in the afternoon sun. We set up our tents beside the monastery.
Packing Up for the Last Time
In the morning, we pack up for the last time and saddle the horses. After three hours, we reach the current end of the road, which is being constructed from the Indus Valley toward Lingshed. A bulldozer noisily tears through the steep slopes. Similar work is happening along the Zanskar River and south of Padum, the administrative center of Zanskar.
The aim is to create a year-round connection between the Indian plains and Ladakh, a region of great strategic importance due to its proximity to Pakistan and China. It is likely that Indian military forces will also make their presence felt in Zanskar. The traditionally shaped Zanskar of today will not remain for long.
Trekking Tour in Zanskar: Through Rivers, Over Passes
Zanskar offers numerous, often very remote trekking routes. Good acclimatization and a willingness to forgo any comfort are prerequisites. Photo: Michael Martin
Elly and Michael Martin’s route initially follows the Tsarap River, which only takes on its turquoise color in autumn, after the snowmelt has ended. Photo: Michael Martin
The cave monastery of Phuktal is the first destination. Founded in the early 15th century in a natural cave, it can still be reached only on foot. Photo: Michael Martin
Each morning, the monks gather in the prayer room. Photo: Michael Martin
Afterward, they attend to their tasks in the monastery, ranging from preparing butter tea in the monastery kitchen to construction work. Photo: Michael Martin
For the novices, the day starts with memorizing prayers in a space in front of the school. Photo: Michael Martin
The spectacular location of Phuktal becomes even more apparent as Michael Martin sends his drone aloft. Photo: Michael Martin
The surrounding monks, open and curious, watch the 20-minute flight of the drone with great interest. Photo: Michael Martin
Shade is one of the most remote villages in the entire Himalayas. The fields along the valley floor are irrigated with meltwater. Photo: Michael Martin
In addition to growing crops, the villagers keep yaks, which spend the summer on distant high pastures. Photo: Michael Martin
The Resilient Animals are Cared For by Women
The resilient animals are cared for by women who return to the village only in the autumn with their charges. Photo: Michael Martin
Pass Heights Provide Rest and Orientation
The numerous pass heights along the route offer the team and their horses not only a chance for rest but also orientation in the rugged mountainous terrain of Zanskar. Photo: Michael Martin
The Route Follows the Niri Chu Through Desolate Terrain
The route continues for two days along the Niri Chu through desolate areas, offering little sustenance for the horses. Photo: Michael Martin
Crossing Rivers Brings Wet Feet
The next day brings numerous river crossings where wet feet are almost inevitable. Photo: Michael Martin
The Zanskar Valley Widens at Zangla
In the village of Zangla, we reach the broad valley of the Zanskar River, which flows northward before eventually merging with the Indus. Photo: Michael Martin
The Valley Narrows as the Zanskar Vanishes into a Gorge
After a day’s march, the valley begins to narrow increasingly until the Zanskar vanishes into an inaccessible gorge. Photo: Michael Martin
The Ancient Trade Route Ascends Steep Slopes
The ancient trade route, used by salt traders in earlier centuries, ascends steep slopes. Photo: Michael Martin
The Village of Lingshed and the Harvest
On the penultimate day of trekking, the team reaches the village of Lingshed, where the harvest is in full swing. The aerial view shows the terraced layout of the irrigated fields. Photo: Michael Martin
The Lingshed Monastery
Above Lingshed, the monastery of the same name, founded in 1440, stands majestically, housing 60 monks. Photo: Michael Martin
Novices Practice Prayers
In the courtyard, novices practice gestural prayers under the watchful eye of a teacher. Photo: Michael Martin
Gratitude to the Team
Guide, cook, horsemen: After ten days of trekking together, Michael Martin thanks the team for their efforts. Photo: Elly Martin
The Reference Article Himmelhoch im Himalaja
