Lamayuru to Alchi trek

Around 125 km off Leh, on a spectacularly beautiful road, lie some of the earliest surviving monasteries ofLadakh. The Gompas are remarkably built on sand stone and date back to the 11th Century. The monastery has a remarkable history and the surrounding areas present an interesting topography.

The Alchi Monastery lie 69 kms west of Leh, the most famous and largest of all the Gompa built by Rinchen Zangpo in the 11th Century. The monastery houses some of the best murals and frescoes representing the Kashmiri style of Buddhist iconography. Each monastery in Ladakh is distinct in itself and for those who wish to experience the uniqueness of Ladakhi monasteries this is an ideal opportunity.

This is a beautiful and interesting Ladakh trek where we will come across some of the oldest and most famous monasteries in Ladakh tourism, founded around 11th century by Lotsawa Rinchen Sangpo. Lamayuru, Wanla, and Alchi are too important to be missed because of their historical values. This trek is unique as it offers an opportunity to see not only the many natural beauties of Ladakh trip, but also some of its most famous monasteries.

This 5 day trek is spiritually enlightening. It reinvigorates the senses and compels one to introspect and express gratitude to some of the world’s most sacred places.

ay 01: Leh - Lamayuru – Wanla 3250 m (3-4 hrs)

We drive from Leh in the morning towards Lamayuru (3 hrs) along the Indus River through Sham valley. After visiting the Lamayuru monastery, we pack our backpacks, watch the horses get ready and set off for our first day's trek. After following the stream for some time, we will gradually move up to the small pass of Prinkti La (3750m). We will then walk down a narrow gorge to the small village of Shilla, and the last 3 kms will take us to Wanla (3250m).

Day 02: Wanla – base of Tarla 4200 m (8 hrs)

On this day we will follow the dusty road along the river's left bank and arrive at the small village of Phenjilla (3410 m). From Phenjilla, we will follow the left side of the valley along a small stream for around an hour and arrive at the scattered Ursi village. We will walk a little further to arrive at our campsite.

Day 03: Base of Tarla –Tar (6-7 hrs)

The trail from the camp is clear but challenging as we will have to trek up and down a few times before reaching the Tarla (5250 m). Our hard labor will be rewarded with the splendid view of the mountains around. Climbing down is difficult due to a mass of fallen rocks strewn about. It takes 3-4 hrs for us to reach our campsite at the village of Tar.

Day 04: Tar – Mang Gyu (4-5 hrs)

From Tar, the path heads up along the mountainside to a small pass. We will have an easy descent to Man Gyu village, where there are traditional Ladakhi houses and an ancient monastery worth visiting. It is believed that the monasteries of the Mang Gyu and Alchi were built on the same day.

Day 05: Mang Gyu – Alchi – Leh.

We will end our last day by walking down a very beautiful narrow valley covered with rosebushes all along the path. We will reach the village of Gera, where we’ll find our vehicle waiting to take us back to Leh. But before that we will visit the beautiful and famous monasteries of Alchi and Likir.