🏜️ Ladakh

Ladakh is unlike anywhere else on Earth — a high-altitude cold desert at 11,000–14,000 ft, flanked by the Karakoram range to the north and the Great Himalayas to the south, where the sky is impossibly blue and the air is impossibly thin. Carved by glaciers and Buddhist monks over millennia, its valleys are lined with whitewashed monasteries, prayer flags, and mani stone walls.

Trekking in Ladakh is a different proposition from trekking in the greener Himalayan states. There are no forests. The trails wind across bare scree, glacial moraines, and frozen river corridors. The most legendary of all Ladakhi treks is the Chadar Trek — a winter walk on the frozen Zanskar River through a 300 m deep gorge, in temperatures that drop to -25°C. It is one of the most unique trekking experiences in the world.

All Ladakh treks require a minimum two-day acclimatisation in Leh before setting off. HeyHikers handles airport transfers, acclimatisation schedules, permits, and experienced local Ladakhi guides throughout.

Best season: Chadar Trek operates in January and February only when the Zanskar River freezes solid. Summer treks in Ladakh (Markha Valley, Zanskar crossings) run July–September.