Peaks of Ladakh Trek

Discover one of the best places to experience the unique culture of the High Himalaya

Journey among towering peaks to discover Tibetan culture and fantastic trekking routes, many off the beaten track. Ladakh is also the best place to conquer your first 6,000m (19,685ft) Himalayan peak – and if one summit isn’t enough, try two peaks and seven passes! After acclimatisation time in Leh, we begin trekking from Mankarmo. The trail ascends spectacular gorges and crosses mountain passes to reach a high-altitude plain at Nimaling. This is inhabited by Ladakhi shepherds and their huge flocks. Vatseri Peak is a good warm up before summiting our highest peak, Dzo Jongo East, which offers breath-taking views over the Karakorum and Indian Himalaya. This optional climb is tough but technically easy and a much quieter summit than Stok Kangri. We trek out to the roadhead via a remote pass and beautiful valley with fantastic rock formations.

Our 13 July 2024 and 23 August 2025 departures are led by Valerie Parkinson, winner of Best Tour Leader in the prestigious Wanderlust World Guide Awards in 2021.

People, Places & Planet

We work hard to create trips that improve life for the people and places we visit and look after the planet we explore. Find out more about our sustainable travel ethos and practice here, and find out about the work of the Exodus Travels Foundation here.

There are many community projects in Ladakh that Exodus has set up or supported over the years. Some examples include helping to rebuild houses and schools and providing materials to build a flood barrier following devastating flooding in 2007 and setting up a flood relief appeal following mudslides in 2010. In 2021, we launched our Covid Emergency Relief Appeal to raise funds to provide support to our trekking staff in Ladakh.

Some sustainable travel highlights of this trip include:

People

How this trip helps improve life for local communities.

• This trip brings income and opportunity to the destination community through the inclusion of locally owned hotels and restaurants, the emphasis on eating locally produced food, and by supporting other local enterprises.
• The hotels we stay in are dedicated to hiring local staff, this benefits the surrounding community by providing employment opportunities and income alternatives where they may be otherwise hard to come by.
• In 2021, the Exodus Covid Emergency Relief appeal was launched and provided food and health essentials for guides, cooks, ponymen and other trekking staff for a number of months.
• Our Himalayan Community Project is undertaking a wide range of initiatives to support local development.

Places

How this trip helps protect and conserve local landscapes and nature.

• Read about our commitment to nature protection and restoration here including our rewilding commitment for every customer who travels.
• By travelling in a small group, led by a local guide, we ‘tread lightly’ to minimise our impact on local resources and the environment.
• Our trips adhere to ABTA’s industry-leading animal welfare guidelines to ensure the best possible practices with regard to working animals and wildlife viewing. Our animal welfare policy can be found here.
• We work with our partners on the ground to proactively eliminate or reduce waste, for example eliminating all single-use plastic water bottles and instead providing refills for reusable bottles.
• Where possible on this trip, paper bags are used as an alternative to single-use plastics.
• Through Exodus Kickstart Project funding, fruit trees are being planted in villages in Ladakh to provide income and protect biodiversity.

Planet

How we seek to keep the carbon footprint of this trip low.

• Read about our climate action here, including our carbon reduction and compensation commitments.
• Accommodation and restaurants in the itinerary use locally sourced food which has not been transported long distances.
• This trip favours locally owned and run accommodation.

 Tips for sustainable travel on this trip

• Leave no trace: We do all we can to ensure we leave no rubbish behind in the wild and beautiful places we visit; we ask that you do the same. If there are no recycling facilities in-country, we’d ask you to consider bringing recyclable materials home with you.
• Plastic waste reduction: Please bring your own reusable water bottle on this trip; filtered water is provided in Leh at the hotel. On trek, safe boiled water is provided.

Cultural respect

• Sometimes local people may object to being photographed so please ask first.
• It’s polite to use only your right hand when eating something without cutlery and when handing money and small objects to someone else.
• Dress modestly to be polite and avoid stares. Do not wear tight or sheer clothing and it is preferable to have shoulders covered and skirts or shorts below the knee.
• When visiting a sacred site, sleeveless tops and shorts are not acceptable for women or men and you need to remove your shoes. You are permitted to wear socks in most places of worship. Take your hat off before entering temples.
• Religious etiquette also includes not touching anyone on the head or directing the soles of your feet at a person, religious shrine or deity. You should also not touch a carving of a deity.
• It is common practice to remove one’s shoes before entering someone’s home and you should tuck feet under if sitting on the floor.
• Making the effort to fit in is invariably appreciated so being aware of these aspects of cultural respect will assist you during your travels in Ladakh.

Is this trip for you?

This trip is rated Activity Level 7 (Tough). For more on our trip gradings, visit our Activity Level Guidelines page.

This is a demanding full-service wild camping trek involving 10 days of point-to-point walking at high altitudes. The maximum altitude on the trek is 17,455ft (5,320m), average 14,765ft (4,500m). The optional peaks are Vatseri (18,505ft/5,640m) and Dzo Jongo (20,305ft/6,189m). Most days involve five to eight hours of walking, although there are a few longer days. There are five passes over 16,075ft (4,900m). The two peaks are entirely optional – there are alternative treks offered to those not wishing to climb them. Vatseri Peak is a straightforward, easy-angled walk up a slope requiring no technical skills. The highest peak is Dzo Jongo East (20,305ft/6,189m) and anyone wishing to make the ascent should have experience of using ice axe and crampons, which are sometimes required if snow is encountered. Roping up is not usually necessary but a rope is carried in case of need. Dzo Jongo East is approached via a broad ridge at a comfortable angle; the summit day is about a 12-/14-hour day (waking up around 12:30am and starting the trek at 01:30am) and is made tough by the altitude. The climb is suitable for experienced walkers who are comfortable scrambling on loose rock on a ridge.

Most of the trekking trails are well made on sandy paths. There are a few river crossings. Daytime temperatures can be very hot, especially in the middle of the day as the sun is very strong at these altitudes. Nights are cooler and cold at base camp. This trek is for those who are willing to put in the necessary fitness preparation and are confident of their physical fitness. It is not a beginner’s trek and we recommend you have trekked at high altitude before. This is a fully supported camping trek with full porterage (mules and ponies) throughout; you need only carry your backpack.

The transfers at the start and end of the trek are both very short (less than a two-hour drive).

As this trip spends considerable time at altitude, we ask you to refer to the altitude warning within the Trip Notes. We spend three days in Leh (11,485ft/3,500m) to allow you to acclimatise before starting the trek.

Walking distances and hours are given as approximates only. Timings stated include rest and photo stops but not a longer lunch break and vary depending on the group’s pace.

Why trek with Exodus?

• More than 30 years’ experience organising treks in Ladakh.
• ‘Ask an expert’ – talk to Exodus office staff who have done the treks themselves.
• Experienced English-speaking local leaders who are qualified in first aid and trained in recognising and dealing with altitude sickness.
• All staff (leaders, guides and porters) are fully insured and paid a fair wage.
• Carefully planned ascent rates and itineraries with built-in acclimatisation and contingency days.
• Staff carry oxygen and first-aid kit.
• Self-assessment AMS cards used to monitor every client at altitude.

Following a review of all our trips we have categorised this trip as generally not suitable for persons of reduced mobility. However if you are a regular traveller on such trips, please contact customer services to discuss the trip and your personal condition.

Vaccinations and Health

India

There are no required vaccinations. However, you may want to consider vaccinations for tetanus, hepatitis A, typhoid, cholera, hepatitis B, Japanese encephalitis, rabies and tuberculosis. The risk of malaria is slight, but you may wish to consult your doctor or travel clinic for further advice.

You will also require a yellow fever vaccination certificate if arriving from a country with risk of yellow fever transmission. Proof of a polio vaccination may also be required by some travellers. Please confirm all requirements and recommendations with your doctor or travel clinic.

Additionally, dengue, a viral disease spread by mosquitoes, is a known risk in India. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available, so we strongly recommend you take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites.

Some of our India trips spend time at altitude. In regions over approximately 6,560ft (2,000m), there is little risk of mosquito-borne diseases. For trips above 9,840ft (3,000m), there is a risk of being affected by acute mountain sickness. Our itineraries are designed to enable everyone to acclimatise to these altitudes, but you should be aware that it is still possible for you to be affected. Please see the Trip Notes for further information.

Visa

To avoid possible problems at immigration, make sure your passport is valid for a minimum of 180 days at the time of entry into India.

Travellers from the UK, US, CA and EU normally need a visa to enter India. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

• Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/asia/india
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/india
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/india/entry-requirements
• USA: www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/India.html

Travellers eligible for an e-visa, which includes those from the UK, US,CA and EU, can apply at www.indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html.

Please Note: If your trip visits Ladakh, in the very north of India, or Sikkim in the northeast, do not mention this on your Indian visa application. This can sometimes slow down or even cause the embassy to reject your visa.

For more information on applying for your Indian Visa, including details required for your start hotel and local reference contacts, please click on this link: Indian Visa Information

Food & Drink

All breakfasts, nine lunches and nine dinners are included.

India is famous for food and there is ample chance to try various Ladakhi favourites, which are often influenced by the cuisines of Tibet and China thanks to the passing Silk Road traders of yesteryear. Momos (filled dumplings) and yaks cheese are popular. Other favourites (but there are plenty more) are: thukpa, a clear vegetable soup with noodles and often mutton, chicken or yak meat; tingmo (pronounced tee-mo), a steamed bread eaten with dal; and chutagi, a thick soup of local vegetables with bow tie-shaped pieces of dough cooked in broth (also served with meat).

Allow at least 1,000-2,000 rupees (US$20-US$25) per day for lunch and dinner, where it is not included. You can eat out very cheaply in India, but if you go to the more expensive restaurants most of the time, you will spend more than the suggested amount. Please note, service in restaurants can be quite slow. Tea and soft drinks are very cheap. A large bottle of beer is approximately 300 rupees (US$4).

While camping, staff bring a hot drink (usually tea) to your tent each morning. When you reach camp in the afternoon, tea and biscuits are served. At breakfast, dinner and in the afternoons, there is a choice of hot drinks. Breakfasts typically include cereal, toast and jam, eggs and porridge. Lunch on trek is usually served as a picnic en route (except on shorter days when it is in camp). Lunch and dinner typically include soup to start, followed by a variety of hot dishes (both local and Western) such as potatoes, vegetables, curry, pasta, rice, dal and paneer (cottage cheese). At dinner, a dessert such as tinned fruit and custard, fritters or cake is also served.

Please note, although some meals include meat, it is not as readily available while camping.

Drinking water

Staying hydrated is important when undertaking any physical activity but particularly so at altitude where it is generally recommended to drink at least 100 floz to 135 floz (3-4 litres) per day. We strongly encourage you not to buy bottled water as this contributes to the growing problem of plastic pollution in Ladakh. In Leh, there is a shop called Dzomsa which sells safe drinking water. Your leader will show you where this is on your first day in Leh. During the trek, the cooks collect and boil drinking water from the mountain streams and fill up your water bottles for you, but you may need to collect water during the day and may wish to use your own water purification treatment too.

Weather

Generally, the weather is good in Ladakh during summer, with warm to very hot sunny days (temperatures can reach up to 35C/95F or more), and cool to cold nights depending on the altitude (it can be just below freezing at the highest camps in late August). There is, however, always the possibility of rain and snow at higher altitudes. Please note, the sun is very strong at these altitudes and it can be very hot in the daytime. For the climb of Dzo Jongo, we set off before dawn and it can be very cold that day and snow may be encountered.

Ladakh, though technically part of the Tibetan plateau and classified as a high-altitude desert, occasionally experiences the effects of the Indian monsoon. Although the departures are timed to coincide with when the weather is normally good, the weather is never wholly predictable in any mountain area and you should be prepared and equipped to deal with any differences in weather beyond the conditions described above.

Delhi in summer is very hot and humid.