Rupsu valley trek in Ladakh

Pradeep Nayak

Hi everybody!

I am back in Mumbai after successfully completing Rupsu Valley trek in Ladakh.
I and my three friends Ambrish Beniwal, Indrajit Deashi and Sharad Govindan,
completed the trek in 10 days without mules! - and we never had any problem other
than two - three blisters in our feet; that's all.

After the trajik flood in the valley last year(of course due to global worming) we
were among the very few trekkers to trek the valley, that also without guide. Actually
we took one cook and two porters (Nepali people - Pashang, Amar Adhikari and Sher Singh)
who carried the utencils, gas and kerosine etc.

And yes, these boys were very plesent in nature, advanture loving and indeed helpful.
We became like a family third day onwords.

At such a hight (more than 4000 metres on an average) it is very tedious to eat any thing
because always there is a mild feeling of nausia (may be I personallly felt that).
Yet we enjoyed the rice and daal immensely.

We started our trek from Martselling instead of Hemis - as one can ride a vehicle upto
that point. Our last camping site was Debring (not very sure about the name, but it is
the summer pasture campsite of the tribals of Dat village).

While two of our friends relaxed for one day the rest of us went upto Cho Kar (the lake)
and returned back. At this point of time Cho Kar is not very beautiful. May be in
July - August it'll look good. So you may end your trek on Debring pasture camp itself.
That place overlooks Manaly - Leh highway (around 1 hour walk). Either you book a vehicle or
ask for lift either to Leh or Pang.

Since we had come by Srinagar, we sent our porters and cook to leh and took the opposite road to Manali.

Enroute Pang, Sarachu as well as Barlachala are breathtakingly beautiful...I forgot all my pains of trek
simply watching these.

I am pretty sure I need at least five visits to this place to somewhat explore and familierise the place.

And I must tell you that ladakh is the most difficult and most sparsely populated place in the Himalayas
that I have visited so far - so if you are planning a trek definightly carry food and guide.

The young Nepali cook also gave me his e-mail address - amona07_@hotmail.com
This guy is a educated guy, has travelled allover India - talks a lot and never tires.
The person who arranged every thing for us quite carefully was Siameh (he is a manager of shorts of
a cheap guest house called Hotel Mayflower(we payed rs 200/- per noght per double room) -
off the fort road; e-mail: psgtamang@yahoo.com)

The young cook also gave me his e-mail address - (Amar Adhikari) - amona07_@hotmail.com.
He is an educated nepali guy, passionate about politics, cook as well as talks well. He has travelled
many parts of India for job or otherwise. I did not see him tired anytime!

Pradeep

swamis1971

Pang to Tsomoriri trek is also an awesome route.. quite easy..

without guide or porter/mule guy who knows the way, it is possible to get lost though

gobbledegeek

Thanks for the post. How much did the cooks and portes charge? How much water did uhave to carry? Is this posible solo, without porter and cook? I normally prefer sole trips.

Cheers

gobbledegeek

what altitude did you reach Swamiji?

Cheers

gobbledegeek

BTW How much weight did these guys carry each? This is important. How much did you carry?

Pradeep Nayak

Hi!
If you are planning Rupsu or Markhya Valley, you must take cook, tent and food for all the days. In Rupsu valley you also need a guide. (I have not trekked Markhya valley - so I don't know how confusing is the trek.)

Its because there is no accomodation available at all enroute. Of course you'll find water, so no need to worry about that. In the mid portion of the Rupsu valley trek there are two three different ways that makes one confused.

If you are lucky enough to get company (of other trekkers) you can manage on your own.

One more thing, keep two three extra days in your disposal because traffic is sparse. May be these months you'll get more vehicles on the highway, but in June it was almost empty!

And finally, be prepared to face the COLD DESERT.

Have fun.
Pradeep

gobbledegeek

Pradeep
Do we need a cook because he can cook or do we need an additional person just to carry food? I have a good expedition stove and cook regularly at home, so why take a cook?

Is Ladhak advisable in October end?

Cheers

Pradeep Nayak

Hi!
How many persons are you? Actually the Rupsu valley trek is quite strainuous as you have to cross at least three 5000 meter+ passes.

What we found, no local will agree to acompany you in this trek unless you hire mules. Luckily we got these people who agreed to acompany us without the animals. (Every body who saw us on the trek thought we were no less then mules..)

And then calculate - for an 11 day trek, in which you have to cook every day - the waight of food, gas/kerosine, tents(must in this root - you have to put tents each day)- will be enoromus for you. Moreover, you'll have so much work to do after camping that you'll really miss the wonderful landscape and the cerenity of the place.

Thirdly, the cook will be your guide actually - will tell you the local stories, the interesting events, inform about local customs and landscapes. In fact the three people accompanied us even did fishing for us in the river.

I have been trekking since 1995. For the first time I took the local guide/cooks in this trek...and I tell you,otherwise this trek is near impossible.

Of course we were the first group in two years to trek that place. Nobody was going on that route at that time. So if you get company then nothing like it.

I don't know about October - I think you won't have any weather related problem.

Do the trek - you'll have a real different experience.

Best
Pradeep

gobbledegeek

Thats precisely the info I need. I think I will find porters and cook. Not planning until summer 2008 actually. So I will ping you if I need any other advice.

Thanks very much for the tips.

Regards

swamis1971

The usual trek which people promote is Tso-kar tso-moriri that one has quite high passes.

But if you want easier option go from Pang right up to Tsomoriri-Korzok, and have plans to get yourself picked up from Korzok, as the vehicles standing there would charge you the moon ( if the vehicles are there that is )

Regarding cook, he is not necessary

Even if cook is there, he would not carry your food.
Porters can carry about 15 Kgs in this terrain.
Usually people prefer ponies.

In Rupshu, you should have guide. There are quite a few places where one can get lost, and there is no proper trail as largely it is not grassy.

For Rupshu you need permits as well.

Swami