Shang Sumdo & UT Kangri
Walked first, climbed second: the end of the Markha Valley and a 6,070m summit.
Since 2024 · 2 visitsPDF
UPCOMING EXPLORATION · LADAKH · SUMMER 2027
Zanskar
A high valley south of the Indus, where monasteries cling to cliffs and the roads close for half the year.
Region
Ladakh, Zanskar
Format
Trek and overland
Altitude
3,500 to 4,900m
Season
June to September
Company
Small group
The exploration
A valley that keeps its own time
South of the Indus, the road to Zanskar climbs through the Suru Valley and over the Pensi La, then drops into a broad, quiet valley. Villages of whitewashed houses sit among barley fields, with monasteries built into the rock above them.
Zanskar rewards slowness. Its pleasures are quiet ones: a village you walk into at dusk, a monastery reached only on foot, the sense of arriving somewhere that has stayed itself.
What it is about
A valley, a way of travelling, and a friend
Zanskar rewards people who like quiet places and a human pace. This is what the exploration is made of.
01 Landscape
A broad, quiet valley south of the Indus, ringed by high passes. Barley fields on the valley floor, cliffs and ridgelines above, and a river that runs green in summer. The Pensi La, at around 4,400 metres, is the way in.
02 What we will do
Mostly walking, between villages and up to monasteries, with road journeys linking the valley. Phugtal, reached only on foot, and Karsha above Padum. Some long days, and time to sit and watch.
03 Culture
Nights in family homes and village guesthouses, with meals from a family kitchen and tea offered at the monasteries. The people of Zanskar are the reason to go, as much as the landscape.
Our friend and guide
Exploring Zanskar with Thinless Konchok
Thinless is a local guide and a friend of ten years. We are exploring Zanskar with him, not simply visiting it.
The route is set in outline and shaped by his advice, then finalised together as the pass and the weather allow. It is the main reason this is an exploration and not a tour.
The shape of the journey
Organised, not scheduled
There is no fixed day-by-day here. There is a clear shape, in four parts. The detailed route sits in the trip note.
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One
Arrive and settle
Time to adjust to the altitude, and to meet the people we will travel with.
Around 3,500m
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Two
Into the valley
The road through the Suru Valley and over the Pensi La, into Zanskar.
Pensi La, around 4,400m
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Three
On foot
Villages, monasteries and walking days, with room to stay where it is good.
3,500 to 4,900m
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Four
The way out
An unhurried return, and time to talk through what we found.
Heading down
Questions we hear
Three things people ask us about Zanskar
Short answers here. The full route is in the trip note.
01How do you reach Phugtal, a monastery with no road?
Phugtal is reached on foot. The road ends some distance away and the final approach is a walk along the valley, with the monastery built into the cliff above. The trip note describes the route, the time it takes and how we pace it.
02What is a night in a Zangla family home really like?
Simple and warm. You sleep in a family guest room, eat what the family kitchen prepares, and are offered tea by the household. Hosts decide as much of the evening as we do, so it is about sharing a home rather than staying in a hotel.
03When is the Pensi La open, and what happens if it is not?
The Pensi La, at around 4,400 metres, is generally open in summer, which is why we travel between June and September. If weather or snow delays the crossing, we adjust the days with the guides rather than force it. The trip note explains the fallback.
Trip note
Want the exact route? Get the Zanskar trip note.
The trip note holds the exact route, the day-by-day itinerary, altitudes, season, kit and practicalities, drawn from years of notes in Ladakh. It is free, and sent to your email as a PDF.
Zanskar is not on the way to anywhere. That is rather the point.
Zanskar
Is it for you?
An honest word before you decide
You will love it if
You like walking and quiet places, you are curious about Buddhist culture and village life, and you are happy with simple stays and some long days on the road.
It may not suit you if
You want hotel comforts every night, high passes and altitude worry you, or you prefer every hour to be fixed in advance.
When we go
Summer 2027, between June and September, when the Pensi La is open and the valley is green.
Related field notes
Field notes from this region
Bagoling
A village that exists mostly by word of mouth.
Since 2024 · 2 visitsPDF
Nubra: Thoise, Hunder, Diskit
Over Khardung La into a valley of dunes, camels and a cliffside monastery.
Since 2022 · 3 visitsPDF
Other explorations Spiti 2027 Kangchenjunga 2028 Upper Mustang 2028
Join us
Join the Zanskar exploration
Anyone can join. Tell us who is coming and when you would like to go, and we will reply honestly with dates and next steps.
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