A month to spend in India, I had to select some places to visit. For me it was : Rajasthan, Ladakh and Nord-East of India.
One of the stops that I made and which stayed in my mind was my 15 days in Laddak, famous for its treks.
I tried to find some information about treks and the Marka Valley, one of the most famous, was the one I decided to walk. Most of the time people are hiring guides for around 300$-8 days. As I did not have this budget, I decided to go by my self. “For sure Maud, you can do it it’s the highway for the trekkers !”I have been told.
Backpack ready, dry fruits, rain coat and hat bought, I was ready to go for a 8 days trip and pass trough a least 4 900 meters high Pass. Ready as never I was !
First day, a little cloudy, I started from Spituk, not so far from Leh (Laddak main city), just after sleeping in an home stay. I wanted to start early. I found the way pretty easy as I was reaching Jinchang 2 hours later. I would sleep in Rumback tonight, 3 hours of walk from my first stop. I arrived around 1 pm, ate my lunch and tried to find a place to stay. I finally managed to be understood using only the word « Home stay ». A little « BOSSUE » women welcomed me and showed me my bedroom. She also told me where I could take my shower : a small house with a bucket. For the first time of my travel this is the hottest shower ever. Why? They have in the mountain a special solar panel which helps to « warm » the water. Awesome!
I tried local food, I didn’t know what I was eating but still it’s very good. Then, I spent my first night in the mountain lulled by the sound of the rain bringing by the storm.
The next morning, I woke up early to be sure to cross the pass. I had to hurry. Really confident, I started to climb. I crossed rivers, tried to avoid being wet, not really easy because there were a lot of rivers to cross. Each time, I was repeating same thing: counting 1, 2, 3 and jumped. After 5 of 6 crossings, I stopped counting after 6, I did not try anymore to jump! We are not made of sugar: for sure it was cold and I was wet until my knees. Wringing out my trousers, my socks and even my soles.
I kept walking until the next « town » and arrived to 9 am, I had already walked for 2 hours. I should arrived for 1 pm after the pass. I walked, not so easy because it was full of stones, not stable at all.
Two hours later, I was alone on this not-ended path. hopefully, I saw an horseman. It is a men who take care of the horses when people going with guides to carry all the food and tents. I asked him the way and he told me that the pass was behind the mountain we were facing.
If it is behind this mountain, 
, I would take the shortcut by climbing it. Unfortunately the short cut did not exist! One hour later, nothing! I did not wanted to sleep outside, so I came back to the first town. I was so mad against me, you can not imagine how much. Worst thing, I felt bad because everybody told me it was so easy… In the home stay, I met one group and told them what happened. No problem for them, they did not get lost, they had one guide. Tomorrow, I would leave with Grégoire, a French guy who decided to go and meet Indian people, Nadav and Tomer, two Israeli who went on holidays before army, and Ann-Frederick and Alain, daughter and father from Quebec also on holidays.
Next day, I looked at the path I took the day before, I was really on the wrong way. We finally crossed the Pass called Ganda La Pass at 4 900 meters high. Same hight as Mount Blanc in France! The view was beautiful and breathtaking, we could saw also all highest mountains far away. We quickly needed to go down, as the temperature was not that warm.
We discovered another landscape, so green and really rocky . Between two mountains, we stopped in a tea tent in Shingo. It is a small place like a restaurant after each village for the trekkers to rest. Not time to rest a lot after lunch because if we waited too much, rivers could be bigger because of melting ice. And we did not want to be stuck!
Walking after few hours, we reached Shyu, as we were lost in Star wars landscape. Welcomed with a tea in the home stay as the days before, we felt like home. We ended the day with Nadav playing with his guitar, we could felt all good vibes around us. We went to bed, tired by our big day. Tomorrow it should be easier.
Finally, I followed all the group that I met two days ago because all guides told me the rivers to cross would be two or three times bigger than the ones we already crossed. So, I had to go back in Leh. Last walk to the trolley to cross the Zanskar river. I was not really confident but it was the only way to cross. I checked how the people was doing and I sat on this trolley.
End of my trek in Chilling. I just needed to find a way to come back to Leh. I checked all cars who were arriving and going back. I jumped in one pick up. Another experience again! Road was really narrow and you did not have a lot of space for two cars. I crossed my fingers not to fall at each turn.
Arrived in Leh, I would rest for few days before leaving this beautiful place. Trekking alone is an amazing experience that I will do again, this time I would try not to get lost.
What I will remember from my trekking in Marka Valley :
– You have to take all the information you can before trekking alone in order to not get lost.
– Laddak is such a beautiful place as for the people or the landscape.
– Trekking alone is a good experience to find yourself.
If you want more information about Laddak and Marka Valley, do not hesitate to send me an e-mail to Worldwildrunneuze@gmail.com.
