Dear Readers,
Ever thought of trekking through a majestic valley with dream-like surroundings and then viewing it from its breath-taking peak? Well, not always do you get a combo like this but when it comes to the Markha Valley and Kang Yatse II, you are surely gonna fall in love with the trek and the peak both. Needless to mention that the ‘ BUY ONE, GET ONE FREE’ tag comes so appropriately attached to this trek. The icing on the cake comes from the fact that you can spice up your trek with a combination of homestays and tent stays, adding on to exploring the nature and culture of the valley. So, let me bring to you all the journey of trekking through the Markha Valley and summiting Kang Yatse II (6250m).
Location and General Info
Located in the Leh, Ladakh region of J&K, Markha Valley offers a trek of approximately 80km over a period of 11 days.
Kang Yatse II (6250m) is the one of the two peaks of Kang Yatse massif in Markha Valley, offering a beautiful view of Zanskar & Karakoram ranges.
Difficulty Level and Preparation
I would personally rate this combo somewhere between moderate and difficult (happens to be a combo at the end!) keeping in mind the distance of the trek, the rarefied atmosphere, high altitude region of Ladakh and the gruelling summit push.
The trekkers do need to gear up and tone their calves, hamstrings & deltoids in order to enjoy the trek and the peak with less physical exertion. A good mix of cardio and weight training, conditioning and toning of muscles, hydration and abstinence from alcohol and smoking a few months prior to the trek would surely yield good results. Prophylactic dose of Diamox from a few days prior to entering the high altitude area (strictly post consultation with your doctor) and a good two to three days of acclimatisation at Leh would do wonders for the aspirants.
Here, I would advise the aspirants to go through blogs on Bikat Portal to gain more information on kitting and packing aspects that also enlists the required items as per the requirements of summer and winter treks (I personally found them to be very educative and practical).
Journey
It would be prudent to say and most relatable for many of us trekkers and mountaineers that the journey is generally triggered much prior to actually starting of the trek. For me, it started after completing the Advance Mountaineering Course from HMI, Darjeeling in the earlier half of the year and then summiting to Mt Frey (5830m) that ignited the thought of attempting my first SIX THOUSANDER. Having (now) a considerable experience in mountains, I wanted to home on to something refreshing, yet pushing and TADA !! The combo struck my thoughts. So, Markha and Kang Yatse II it was! The research that followed got me instantly anchored to Bikat Adventures and the deal was DONE!
Day 1 : Welcome On-board
The first day, of course, happens to be the reporting day of the participants to Leh, who till now, thanks to social media would be connected through a Whats App group (don’t forget to carry a postpaid SIM to continue utilising the available network in Leh). This day provides an excellent opportunity to the participants to interact with each other, explore the Leh market and even pick up a few trek essentials. The day also happens to be the briefing day by the Trek Leader, who, apart from acquainting himself with the participants would brief on important trek related aspects and collect the requisite documents.
At a personal level, I would suggest the participants to have adequate water and fluids and avoid heavy meals on the first day, keeping in mind their entry into a rarefied high altitude area at 11,500ft. Please avoid drinking and smoking in Leh, unless you want to ruin the entire line-up of the beautiful events.
Slow walks, exploration of Leh market and abstinence from sleep during the day are a few tips that were brought to fore by our trek leader Somnath (Som Bhai as we call him).
