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28/6-30/6 2019.
Chilling - Sara - Markha - Hankar
 



 28/6: Along the way from the town Leh in a taxi, the
 confluence between Zanskar River (brown water) and
 Indus is seen below. My route now continues into
 Zanskar Valley. It's the road seen in the picture.
Just south of the villlage Chilling we reach a bridge over Zanskar River. From here I¨m on my own and start trekking. After climbing some 100 altitude meters and reaching 3300m, the Markha Valley opens up ahead. I had only two acklimating days in Leh, so I feel the climb...



 Arriving in the village Skyu just in time for lunch. I find  something to eat in a teatent before going on. Here I meat
 a french couple and we continue together, with the target
 Sara village.
The valley gets more beautiful after a while. Today there is
a drivable road until Skyu and it will be contIinued at least
to Markha Village. This being said, if you are thinking about trekking the Markha Valley, don't wait to long. It wont stay
as it is now.
Arriving in Sara (ca 3570m) after a long day. There are just two houses in the village and we stay by a very nice lady. Markha Valley trek is a very social story, you meet people from the whole world and not least the locals.We live in homestays, meaning a mattress in a room and some blankets, dinner, breakfast and a lunchpackage.The price is 1200INR (2019).



 29/6: This day is a shorter trek than yesterday, good for my  part. The landscape can be arid and desertlike. But then there are flowers and green again. This, together
with the grand mountains around, makes the Markha
Valley Trek a true nature experience.
A look forward as we get closer to the village Markha.



 And a look back, where you can still see the sharp peaks
 of Zanskar Range.
Almost in Markha we can see Kang Yatse 6400m ahead
for the first time. This is where we are heading.
Even if Markha (3770m) is the main village of the valley it still consists of just some 20 households. Here I part with the french couple since they want to go further today. 


 30/6: Leaving Markha after breakfast. Even this day I
 choose a shorter distance. It gives me more time for  acklimating and better legs for whats to come. 
The further into the valley, the stranger the landscape gets. Here is the monastery outside of the village Umlung, built high up on a cliff.


 Arriving in the village Hankar at around 4000m, taking a
 brake at a teatent. As I said, The Markha Valley trek is a
 social story. Here are some czecks and an australian. 


 All material: Copyright ©Mats Olsson