On the Kashmir Great Lakes trek video by Dr Ajay Lall #southcolexpeditions #kashmirgreatlakes

If you are looking for a short trek in Ladakh and don't want the crowds of Markha then the four day route from Shang Sumdo to Stok village is extremely attractive. The route walks in the shadow of the Matho Kangri and Stok Kangri peaks with typical rolling grasslands, fast flowing rivers, wildlife and nomadic settlements of sheep and yak. The trek approach is close to Leh making this an ideal one week vacation. Who should join this trek? A good choice for regular hill walkers, moderate level of fitness required. Prior trekking experience is advisable as it is a camping trek . There are two passes to below 5000 metres. 1) Walking times: average 6 to 7 cros just hours walking per day. 2) Altitude: up to 4,940 metres at the passes and around 4200 4400 metres at the campsites. 3) Terrain: for some of the time following welltravelled trails although also likely to encounter rough and rocky conditions near the passes. 4) Remoteness: the trek is in a remote mountain area but not far from the roadheads at Shang Sumdo, Matho, Stok. There is no mobile phones and wifi connectivity on the trek. Please direct message us for a detailed trek pdf and cost

Most of us think that Ladakh is a cold desert dry brown and barren but in summer the valleys are carpeted in flowers - this is around 4800 metres below the peak of Kangyatse on the Markha valley trek

The Markha Valley is one of the most popular treks in Ladakh. It is relatively short, located close to Leh, the walking is mostly below 4000 metres with  night stops around 3500 metres and has the best of Ladakh thrown in: Sculpted canyons and fantastic rock formations, medieval villages,  Buddhist gompas and snow-peaks. When approached from Chilling there is only one pass to cross the Kongamaru La 5200 metres - we did this route in July 2021 in great weather #markhavalley #ladakh #southcolexpeditions

The walk to Kangyatse base on the Markha trek Ladakh

Heading back to Ladakh tomorrow after almost two years - the pandemic sadly ended our hopes of trekking in 2020 😢😢 nice to have these maps and Loram’s guide book now out of print - we hope to do the Markha route next week - all prayers for a safe flight and most importantly a covid free trip - Om mane padme hung 🙏🙏🙏

The Markha Valley is one of the most popular treks in Ladakh. It is relatively short, located close to Leh, the walking is mostly below 4000 metres with  night stops around 3500 metres and has the best of Ladakh thrown in: Sculpted canyons and fantastic rock formations, medieval villages,  Buddhist gompas and snow-peaks. When approached from Chilling there is only one pass to cross the Kongamaru La 5200 metres seen in the photo which comes on the final day  of the trek by which time most trekkers are properly acclimatized. Join us after this second wave in Ladakh for one of the finest high mountain experiences in the Trans Himalaya. Dream now, trek later. #ladakh #ladakhtourism #southcolexpeditions #leh #markhatrek #ladakhtrekking #mountains #passes #passionpassport #bbcearthlife #iamnikon #nikonindia

The two base camps of Kangchenjunga- Green Lakes in the Zemu Valley Sikkim and Pangpema in Nepal. The north east spur of Kangchenjunga was first climbed by an Indian expedition led by the late Bull Kumar in 1977 - the Germans under Paul Bauer had tried this route unsuccessfully in the 1930s. The north west ridge seen from Pangpema was climbed in a brilliant alpine style attempt by the British team of Tasker, Boardman and Scott in 1979 without oxygen and sherpa support - the trek to the Green Lakes Base Camp taken about 10-11 days Gangtok to Gangtok and the Pangpema trek including the south Base Camp Oktang can take between 18-21 days. #kangchenjunga #himalayan #sikkim #zemu #pangpema #southcolexpeditions #bwphotography #mountains #mountainscapes #mountainphotographer #mountainphoto #8000m #kanchenjunga #kanchendzonga #kanchenjunganationalpark

Climbing to the Shangla Pass 4940 metres in Ladakh on our five day Shang to Rumbak trek across three high passes - Stok la, Matho la, and Shang la. Hope to be back in Ladakh this June for the classic Markha Valley trek - do contact if interested. #ladakh #ladakhtourism #ladakhdiaries #markhatrek #southcolexpeditions #passes #himalayan #himalayas #lehladakh

Day walks in West Sikkim a five day trip in a covid free environment 🙏🙏 #southcolexpeditions #sikkim #westsikkim #rinchinpong #himalaya #himalayangeographic #walks #daywalks #treks #covidfree #shotoniphone #rhododendron #flowers

2021 is 100 years of the first Everest Reconnaisance Expedition 1921. On January 11th 1921 this is what Sir Francis Younghusband said in The Times London: From The Times: January 11, 1921 Sir Francis Younghusband, President of the Royal Geographical Society, announced at a meeting of the Society last night that the political obstacles to the proposed attempt to cliimb Mount Everest have been removed, that a preliminary reconnaissance will be made of the ground this year, and that the actual attempt on the summit will follow in 1922. As has been previously stated in The Times, the Society and the Alpine Club have been planning an expedition to scale Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world, for the past 18 months, but on November 8 Sir Francis informed the Society that in the view of the Government of India there were political reasons against proceeding further with preparations. Last night, however, he was able to announce news from the Secretary of State for India that the Tibetan Government had been approached, and had given permission for an expedition to be sent to explore the peak. Such an expedition, said the President, must be essentially a great adventure. High risks will have to be run, and severe hardships endured — risks from icy slopes and rocky precipices, and such avalanches as buried Mummery’s party on Nanga Parbat 26 years ago; and hardships from intense cold, terrific winds, and blinding snowstorms. In addition, there will be the unknown factor of the capacity of a human being to stand great exertion at a height more than 4,000ft higher than man has as yet ascended any mountain. The expedition will also be in the highest degree scientific. The summit will never be reached unless we have first explored all the approaches to it through country at present entirely unknown; and then examined, mapped, and photographed the mountain itself in fullest detal. In the present year the Alpine Club and the Royal Geographical Society propose to organize a reconnaissance party to acquire this geographical knowledge. Next year we will send to Tibet a climbing party to apply it in a great effort to reach the summit.