Kangla Pass trek was originally undertaken by the Lahulis(people of Lahul) as the Kangla pass connects Lahaul to Zanskar. The Kangla Pass trek in Ladakh is one of the highest passes on The great himalayan range where you can crossover from Himachal and into Ladakh which is Trans Himalayan. The Kangla Pass trek is one of the most remote and secluded treks of the world and therefore it offers its travellers one of the most scenic and most beautiful views of the Himalayan trails, which includes the lush green meadows with wildflowers, Gaddi shepherds, sparkling streams, pristine glacial lakes. This is not all, once you cross the Kangla, you enter into a whole new world- the kingdom of Zanskar with its monasteries built in the edges of the mountains and people so beautiful inside and out. Miyar Nalla as is often known is a very long valley with the Miyar river running and mingling with the Chandrabhaga river at Udaipur. Miyar valley has its cultured influenced by Hinduism and Buddhism. The valley contains lush green flora and fauna. The trekking route initially is pleasant with flat green lands, which gradually becomes harder as the moraine slants and chilling rivers start to show up. The moraines are vast and endless until the Kangla Pass and beyond. The Kangla glacier is stretched at about 10-13 km on each side of the pass with dangerous crevasses on the top and below. If we are lucky enough we might catch a glimpse of Yak, Marmot or a musk deer. Overall the trek is comprehensive with pleasant memories.
Trip Highlights
You will be driving to Tandi, a place where Chandra and Bhaga River come together as one.
You will climb up to Khanjar which is the last village of Miyar valley.
At Phalpu your camp for overnight stay will be between in the lap of glaciers and mountains.
You will be crossing various glacial lakes to reach Camp 1.
On your way back you can explore Leh/Srinagar.
Itinerary Details
Himachal tourism offers buses that run overnight. Manali is at a height of about 6,233 ft so mild cold winds can be expected. You will have to reach Manali on day 1 and report at the meeting point.
After having breakfast or lunch, you can stroll around and explore Manali and indulged in local sightseeing. Stroll around the mall road of Manali while trying to get acclimatized to the weather conditions. Overnight stay in Manali.
This will be a long drive. We will drive over Rohtang pass and enter Lahaul Valley. We will continue on the Manali-Leh highway till we reach Tandi which is the meeting point of Chandra and Bhaga river which originate from Baralacha La Pass in Jammu and Kashmir state. We turn west and drive along with the beautiful Chandrabhaga river till we reach Udaipur, where Miyar river merges with the Chandrabhaga river. From here we turn towards the north and follow Miyar river until we reach Urgus and then to Shukto. Overnight stay in a guest house.
Today is the day when we will actually begin
our Kangla Pass Trek.
After we cross the wooden pedestrian bridge there is a small climb up to Khanjar
which is the last village of Miyar valley. Shukto and Khanjar are parallel to each
other, they are separated by a river on which can be crossed by a small bridge. You
will trek for about 5-6 hours and walk along the left bank crossing some stunning
campsites at Doksa till we reach Thanpattan. After reaching we will stay there
overnight in our camps gazing over the beautiful stars which are not a very common
sight in cities these days.
From here most campsites that you will find
will be vast, grassy and abundant with flowers that literally make it look like a
flower blanket. We will again trek for 5-6 hours on the fifth day of our trek. We
will turn northwest from Gumba Nalla and will continue to follow Miyar Nalla to
reach our beautiful campsite at Zardong, and of course, we will encounter amazing
views of nature in the Himalayan trails.
The beautiful views of the lush green Meadows and white glaciers, sparkling chilled
streams will make you forget all your tiredness and fill you with new energy to
climb more and continue with your journey. On reaching Zardong we will retire for
the night and take a deep sleep in our cosy camps.
On our day six when we've had our hearty breakfast we will walk on towards Kesar Yonn Chap(meaning the 7 holy waters), which is another amazing campsite. The campsite near a dry lake bed and has mountains and glacial lakes all around. Overnight stay in camps.
Camp 1 is at a height of about 14,435 ft. We will trek for about 1 hour till we reach the glacier and continue on our Kangla pass trek facing all the difficult moraines and some huge snowfields with determination. There are a lot of glacial lakes that we pass on from or camp at. Day 7 can be a bit on the tougher side as we will be trekking for about 7 hours, having snow-capped peaks all around us. On reaching camp 1 we will take our break and rest overnight at camp 1.
On the 8th day we might have to start early to continue and safely cover the 4 hour of snow walk. The climb will mostly be gentle, rest depending upon the snow and overall weather conditions, the open crevasses will determine our time which can vary until we reach our campsite which is also the base of Kangla jot, the average time to be estimated can be somewhere around 6-7 hours. We will be camping at a field on the glacier with snowy mountains and glaciers all around us. The view will make your jaw drop and we can guarantee that. On reaching our destination for the day we will be saying our temporary goodbyes and staying overnight in our camps.
Leaving our camps before the first daylight we will be walking along the middle of the huge snow-covered glacier having a gentle incline for about 3-4 hours. Then we will take the ropeway. Climbing up to a small summit for an hour. After this, we will continue to move forward to Kangla pass. On reaching you will be surrounded by snow-capped peaks and beautiful glaciers. We will begin our descent and move along the right of the valley to the river, the junction of two valleys where we will be camping and staying overnight.
Descend on rocks and follow a path along the Tema river having grazing grounds and meadows having flowers. The landscape becomes more and more beautiful as we enter in the Zanskar valley. We trek for about 2 km and reach Bardan Gompa. Meet the vehicles and drive towards Padum, the district headquarters of Zanskar. Later we will drive to Karsha to see the monastery spread alongside the cliff. The largest in the Zanskar. The camps will be in the village’s camping ground. Overnight staying.
We will be driving for about 7-8 hours to reach Kargil where if we reach on time, we can visit the famous Kargil war memorial which was built after the Kargil war between India and Pakistan and a beautifully maintained Gurudwara. The drive will include some fantastic scenic views of the Zanskar valley. Overnight stay in a hotel.
From here on you can choose your own option from the two options available. Either you take a right and drive to Leh or you turn left and drive to Srinagar. The drive for Both destinations will be of 8 hours. Overnight stay.
Enjoy anything and everything that you want. You can go out and explore the city you are in or you can stay in your hotel and relax or you can go for spa somewhere around the city. Relaxing after a long trek is very refreshing and indeed very important for your body. If contingency day is not used then you have a free day to explore and enjoy.
After relaxing for a day and doing all that
you want. We are set to return home after 14 days of continuous journeying.
The next day after having our lunch or breakfast if you want to explore the city
more you can take a later flight but if you want to reach home early you can take a
flight in the morning the Kangla pass trek in Ladakh will come to an end.
How To Reach
The Pickup point and Drop Point will be Jagatsukh, Manali. We can arrange a cab for you from the bus station in Manali, the charges for the same are not included in the package. The cost of the cab can be shared among the trekkers joining the trek. For communications purposes, we will create a Whatsapp Group before the departure date of the trek and will share the details regarding the transportation. The drop at Bus Stand after the trek will be arranged in a similar way.
By Air
To reach Hampta pass, the nearest airport is in Bhuntar which is 11km from Kullu and 52 km
from Manali. You can take a taxi from Bhuntar to Manali which will cost approximately Rs,
1000/-. The airlines that you can take are Indian Airlines, Kingfisher Airlines, Jagson
Airlines operating flights from Delhi as well as Chandigarh. To reach Manali by air, you need
to have a connecting flight via Delhi or Chandigarh. Delhi or Chandigarh is well connected to
major airports across the country. You can check your flight in the following links: 1.https://www.google.com/flights ,2. https://www.makemytrip.com/flights/
By Train
We do not recommend you travel by train as the closest railway station, Jogindernagar is 5
hours away which you will again have to cover by bus or cab.
By Road
To reach Hampta pass by road, you can take an overnight bus from Delhi to Manali or
Chandigarh to Manali. Manali is well connected to cities by road. The roads are in good
condition but there are sudden landslides in the monsoon season. The bus from Delhi to Manali
can take up to 14 hours and from Chandigarh to Manali is 9 hours at least. Tickets are
available online on Redbus.in, Goibibo.in or Hrtc.gov.in. You can pay online for the bus
tickets. You should always take the Himsuta bus from HRTC as they are the most comfortable
government buses on this route. You can also book private buses but sometimes sudden hiccups
come with them. The last government bus leaves at 11:15 pm at night and starts from ISBT
Kashmere Gate. Plan your onward journeys only post noon giving enough buffer for bus delays.
Inclusions
- To and Fro economy class air trave
- Travel by comfortable A/c or Non A/c coach / Vehicle as per the tour itinerary
- Entrance fees of all sightseeing places to be visited from inside
- Accommodation in comfortable and convenient hotels
- All Meals – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (set menu) as mentioned in the itinerary
- All Tips – Guide, Driver & Restaurants
Exclusions
- Govt Tax of 5.00% over and above the Tour Cost mentioned
- Any applicable new taxes from Government
- Any upgradation in Airline class or hotel room category
- Any extra expense such as route change, Airline change, Date change, Accommodation facilities, etc incurred due to the unforeseen, unavoidable forced majeure circumstances during the tour
- Porterage (coolie charges), laundry, telephone charges, shopping, wines & alcoholic beverages, mineral water, items of personal nature and food or drink which is not part of a set group menu
- Any extra cost incurred on behalf of an individual due to illness, accident, hospitalisation, or any personal emergency