Tempted by a trekking agency in Leh, we have taken a monk(!) as a horseman with two beasts of burden for a trek from Ladakh through Zanskar waging a novel route. Ended up joining a larger group from the same agency and trying (almost in vain) to realise our route against all odds — and it was an exceptionally rainy summer in Ladakh & Zanskar. After reaching Phuktal Gompa it was finally all new too us — until the Leh-Manali road. August 2006.

The trekking route was (night stays and [highs/lows] only, the heights vary from source to source!): Jeep Leh, [Lamayuru 3430] — [Prinkti La 3750] — Wanla 3170 — Hanuputta ~3900 — [Sirsir La 4805] — Photoksar ~4100 — Sengge La base ~4400 — [Sengge La ~5000] — Skyumpatta ~4300 — [Lingshed ~3800] — Hanuma La base ~4000 — [Hanuma La 4710, Snertse] — Zingchen ~3400 — [Parfi La ~3900] — Hanumil ~3400 — Zangla ~3600 — [Stongde ~3700] — Padum ~3600 — jeep Reru 3770 — Tsetang ~3850 — Phuktal ~4000 — Tantak ~4000– by Nialo Kontse La ~4600 — [Nialo Kontse La 4850, Isoah plateau, Gotunda La 5100] — The Tsarap by Hormoche 3940 — [Munele] — Satak ~4050 — [Tsok Mesik 4220] — Leh/Manali road loop by Takh ~4200 (S of Gata serpentines leading to the Lachalung La 5060), occasional jeep to Sarchu — regular jeeps to Manali.

• Ladakh gallery on pastvoyages.jankowski.org. (Sightseeing in Ladakh before the trek.)
• Zanskar gallery on voyages.jankowski.org. (The actual trek.)