- Time: 3-4 hrs
- Distance: 10.7 km
- Drive from Leh to Chilling Trekking Point.
- From chilling cross the Zanskar river into Skiu.
- There is a nice gompa in Skiu on your left..
- Distance: 22km
- Elevation: 3400m/11,160ft/3700m/12,140ft:
- The trail to Markha is not too strenuous rising above 300m.
- From Markha after an hour you start walking though thorny scrubs for a short term, you will need to cross the river.
- Approaching Markha you get the first glimpse of the snow-covered slopes of Kang Yatse/Nimaling(6400m/21,000ft).
- Distance: 6 km
- Elevation:3700m/12,140ft/4150m/13,620ft.
- The path keeps close to the river until reaching a wooden bridge crossing the river, don’t cross the bridge but continue up the short slope.
- A large rock spire marks the entrance to this valley. This is the beginning of the Jhunglam trek, an extremely demanding route into Zanskar.
- Approaching Umlung village keep the fields on your right. It’s a wonderful level from here to Hankar with the towering peak of Kang Yatse standing
over the valley. - Thathungtse is a lovely camp site, you can cool off from the day trek in the icy stream.
- Distance: 4-5hrs.
- Elevation.4150m/13,620ft /4720m/15,490ft
- The trail continues to climb above Thathungtse and keep the mountain on your right always, the trail rises gently past lots of mani walls and then descends slowly to the high-altitude valley of Nimaling.
- The beautiful eroded rock spikes down to the left. You pass several mani walls, in summer there is a tent for refreshment
- This large flat-bottomed valley has a semi-permanent population of villagers who come up from the Markha valley to graze their livestock.
- Distance: 6 km
- Elevation:4720m/15,490ft/5100m/16,730ft
- The Gongmaru la pass lies on the east side of the valley opposite kang- Yatse as you climb the last short and steep slope to the top of the pass there are good views over the Zanskar Range and of the vertical ice walls of north face of Kang-Yatse peak.
- The trail climbs steeply from behind a small group of shepherd’s huts.
- From the pass descent to Chogdo, a tiring descent. Below the trail follows the stream as best as it can.
- Distance: 6 km
- Elevation:4070m/13,350ft/3660m/12,010ft
- Walk in the river bed until you are almost past the neat village of Chogdo.
- The village gompa is up the valley to the north west some 20 mints walk away.
- Leaving shang-sumdo by Jeep for Leh, there is a road that connect shang-sumdo to the main Leh Manali high way.
- From shag-Sumdo it takes around 2 hours to get back to Leh..