Into thin air - hiking the Markha Valley

“There is a griffin vulture.”

Stanzin hands us the big binoculars and we stand for a long time in the middle of the arid valley path, beside the tumbling stoney river, watching the wide wingspan cut the bright blue sky and the zigzag mountain range tops. 

Chotak the porter points to another part of the sky - he has picked up on our excitement and being a local wants to show off his valley - he has spotted a lammergeier circling even higher.

It’s the third day of the Markha Valley hike and we are having the best time. 

The Sham Valley is the real deal

When I signed up to do the Sham Valley trek, also known as ‘the baby trek’, I expected a gentle 3-day amble along a river valley; a pleasant stroll through a Ladakhi Dovedale with stepping stones and shady willows.

I organised to go with a female guide from the Ladakhi Women’s Travel Company who I hoped would hold my hand and gently encourage my confidence to return after my recent brush with bad altitude sickness.

That’s not quite how the Sham Valley trek turned out. The ‘baby’ trek’s dusty rocky paths cross 5 passes in 3 days - and Lazes, my young guide, was blunt about telling me what to do.

La La Ladakh

Author's note: there are no photos loaded to illustrate this post because of Ladakh's woeful lack of internet capacity. See point 3 of this article. Sorry about that.

Simon: What are you going to write about Ladakh?

Me: I just can’t get my head round this place.

The reason I can’t work out my reaction to Ladakh, and its main city Leh, is because of its weird juxtapositions.

Peace and war

Ladakh is where the nuclear-armed forces of India, Pakistan and China stare each other down over a disputed border. The uneasy truce often descends into stone throwing, armed incursions and threats of annihilation. 

Taking the leap - here's our plan

Nepal, Tibet, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh. Kathmandu, to Lhasa, to Mount Kailash, to Leh, to Dharamsala.

That's where we are headed at the end of July 2017: the Himalayas.