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 over a novel route. Ended up joining a larger group from the same agency and trying to realise our (novel) 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 very classical trek with four packhorses through Zanskar, from Manali to Darcha and via Shingo La and the Tarasp Valley to Padum, then roughly along the Zanskar River Canyon to Lingshed and exit via Sengge La and Sirsir La to Lamayuru and to Leh by the road. July/August 1997.