3 Days in Leh - What to do? Nubra valley or Pangong Tso

Hi all, will be in Leh in July for 3 days before doing the Markha Valley trek. We are gonna relax around Leh on day 1 to help acclimatise. Day 2 we're thinking of doing some white water rafting. Day 3 we're thinking of renting motor bikes and crossing the Khardung La or visting Pangong Tso? Any advice on what to do would be really appreciated!!

Unless you already know that the altitude won't bother you (maybe you are going there from another mountain area), you may find one day is not long enough to adjust to the altitude before doing such energic things.

Maybe read the second paragraph of this first: http://www.jktourism.org/cities/ladakh/leh/index.htm

I would suggest using your second day just to walk around Leh itself, including walking around the Changspa area, to give yourself more time to acclimatize. White water rafting if you aren't sure you're fully acclimatized is a seriously bad idea. When you say you plan to "relax around Leh" on the first day in order to acclimatize, I get the impression that you think that this would/could involve walking around, checking out the town. No. It will mean parking yourself somewhere - probably your hotel/guesthouse (which, if you're lucky, will have a nice terrace or garden) -- and doing nothing. I, too, thought I could tour around the town on my first day in Leh, but I was wrong - even though, for whatever reason, I adjust more easily than some people to high altitude. But see my post #9 in this thread:What are some things to do in Leh?
Use your second day to do the kind of poking round Leh I suspect you think (erroneously) that you'll be able to do on Day One.

For the the third day I suggest hiring a car and driver and visiting Hemis Gompa, Thiksey gompa, and the old Shey Palace and gompa. Again, your plan to go to Khardung La or Pangong Tso doesn't seem to take into account that these places are at even higher altitude than Leh and setting off to explore these places on your own, without knowing the state of your acclimatization, isn't very prudent. You won't get to these altitudes on the actual trek until several days in, after time for further acclimatization. Also, I'm pretty sure you still need an Inner Line Permit to go to Khardong La and a special group permit to visit Pangong Tso, plus I think you need either an Indian two-wheeler driver's license or a two-wheeler certification on an international license to operate a motorbike, assuming there are any for rent (I never looked into the availability of rentals).

Have you ever been at this altitude before? If not, don't underestimate the uncertainties (and risks) involved in inadequate acclimatization. IM member vistet has lots of excellent info on this subject and I suggest you search for some of his posts on the topic.

Excellent info dzibead...I always hesitate to be so specific because it seems the majority of travelers can't imagine how high Leh really is & sometimes resent being told their plan isn't very good. Just a number, no big deal enthusiasm is all I need, etc. That's why I put in the link! So it's not coming from me--nag, nag

I spent almost a month in Srinigar at 1554 meters (5101 feet) before I went to Leh (3505 meters--10,500 ft) and still had an awful time adjusting, particularly at night when I was trying to sleep. Kept awaking gasping for air.

I thought it would be no big deal after being adjusted to Srinigar for so long but I was wrong. I also may have a harder time of it than some people (you?) but it's important for someone who has never been at this altitude to know it's serious.

We still don't know if the OP is starting with some high altitude adjustment already or if he's starting from sea level.

Thanks, camelgal. Yes, I think people really don't get it. And as I said in my story in the linked thread above, initially I didn't even feel anything on arrival in Leh (I flew in), in contrast to my traveling companions, so I thought, hey, this is no big deal. Wrong. And I'm a person who doesn't even start feeling the effects of altitude at all until I get over about 8,500-9,000 feet. In another thread the OP says he's flying from Dublin to Delhi, and going from Delhi to Leh, so I suspect he's flying or otherwise he probably would have mentioned that he was going by road. If he had been doing that, there would have been the chance to acclimatize on the way, although people often have itineraries that don't allow for proper acclimatization en route either (as the invaluable vistet is constantly having to point out).

Here's some more acclimatization information: http://www.ismmed.org/np_altitude_tutorial.htm
http://www.abc-of-hiking.com/hiking-...-altitudes.asp

I hope the OP reads this stuff. One important thing to note is the just being physically fit does not mean you will acclimatize easily or quickly. Of course, being fit can't hurt, but an individual's ability to acclimatize to high altitude is more a matter of his/her innate physiology than fitness level per se - and even people who usually acclimatize easily can have different experiences at different time. Sometimes physically fit jocks are dismissive of the problem, push themselves, and then get into real trouble, and I fear the OP may be headed in that direction, with his talk of wanting to do whitewater rafting on Day Two. No. Just ... no. The OP should just take it easy in and around Leh, acclimatize, and then have a great trek. The last thing he should want to do is come down with AMS before even starting the trek!

Hi all, thanks a mill for the advice!!!

Good luck! The Markha Valley trek looks fantastic.