DoW Mega Meet 2015 – Suru & Zanskar Valley, The Wonderland

Serenity with Nightmare in Suru Valley | Zanskar 2012

After another superlative success of our Spiti Valley DoW Mega Meet in September 2014 to materialize the vision of DwD Community for promoting Responsible Travel and DoW Causes up in the remote parts of Himalayas, it gives me an immense pleasure to announce the third edition as DoW Mega Meet 2015 which will be held from 4th to 14th September 2015 in Zanskar Valley, Suru Valley and some parts of Changthang Plateau of Ladakh this year. In last year DoW Mega Meet, we took the DoW Causes to the next HIGH and we would like to raise our spirits of Responsible Travel and spreading smiles up there in Himalayas much more in these regions of Zanskar Valley, Suru Valley and some parts of Changthang Plateau of Ladakh.

The Prologue

Somewhere deep inside my heart still remains the sights of our DoW Mega Meets in Ladakh and Spiti Valley where I cannot thank enough to everyone who joined in and participated in spreading loads of smiles in such remote places of Himalayas through DoW Causes. Having same enthusiastic feelings and vision to bring smiles to Himalayan lives while we travel there, we will be undertaking DoW Mega Meet 2015 but this time in Zanskar Valley, Suru Valley and some parts of Changthang Plateau of Ladakh, I call as “The Wonderland” 🙂 :)…

Like I said before many a times, here at DoW, I always follow my heart as a traveller and see what luck & mother nature has planned for the success of any of my tour including this adventure tour to Zanskar Valley, Suru Valley and parts of Changthang Plateau of Ladakh!! So, coming fall or autumn in September 2015, again, are you ready:

to spin over the barren landscapes,
to unwind through the lush green valleys,
to fly with the wind at some of the highest villages/passes of trans – Himalayas,
to get lost in one of the remotest yet magical places in trans – Himalayas,
to spread smiles on the faces of Himalayan Lives through DoW Causes,
to feel the spirit of responsible travel,
to witness the burning colours in their most beautiful form,
to witness the beauty of twin lakes at Penzi La,
to witness the chill on few of the most isolated stretches,
to experience the real feel of camping in lap of mother nature,
to experience a journey, like never before,
to experience the aura of this Wonderland, called Zanskar Valley,,
and finally, to explore THE unexplored !!

Are You Ready for DoW Zanskar & Suru Valley Adventure topped with Changthang Plateau? If yes, then get going and read on… If not, then also get going and read on, who knows you are there right amongst the group after reading it through 😀

Are you ready for the drive to experience the magic of Suru & Zanskar Valley??

Suru & Zanskar Valley | DoW Mega Meet 2015 – Tour Plan

You can find all the details for this DoW Mega Meet below including the eligibility which, as usual, seeing the nature, difficulty, season and distance to travel would mainly be HIGH ENDURANCE and POSITIVE ATTITUDE towards anything and everything…

Here is the complete tour plan for this WILD, ON THE ROAD ADVENTURE which can be experienced LifeMeinBaarBaar 😉 …

Day -1 (02-09-2015) | Delhi – Jammu / Pathankot

Those who plan to self drive all the way will start from Delhi and try to reach Jammu or Pathankot
Overnight at Jammu / Pathankot (hotels, guest houses)
About 13-14 Hrs drive, depending upon the traffic movement and breaks in between

Day 00 (03-09-2015) | Jammu / Pathankot – Srinagar

Self drive guys continues to drive to the Mega Meet Kickoff Point at Dal Lake, Srinagar
Enjoy walk around Dal lake and may be Shikara ride as well
Overnight at Srinagar (hotels, guest houses, house boats)
About 8-9 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks in between

Day 01 (04-09-2015) | Srinagar – Sonamarg – Zojila Pass – Drass – Kargil

Official Kick-off day of DoW Mega Meet 2015 at 9.00 AM
We assemble at Dal Lake Ghaat No. 1 and from there we move ahead towards Kargil
Have late drunch meal at Drass as sometimes it gets difficult to find veg. food at Kargil
Kargil War Memorial at Drass, Tiger Hill view from a road side Dhabha while having lunch
Overnight at Kargil (hotels, guest houses)
About 8 Hrs drive, depend upon the traffic movement at Zozila and breaks you take in between

Day 02 (05-09-2015) | Kargil – Sankoo (42 KMs) – Panikhar (67 KMs) – Parakachik (98 KMs) – Rangdum (138 KMs) – Penzi La (165 KMs) – Padum (255 KMs)

Hit the roads by 6.30 AM, no baths or breakfast just we hit the roads. So, carry munchies or packed breakfast with you.
Witness the excellent views of Nun – Kun Peaks from Parakachik while running through Suru Valley
We rush through the road today due to un-acclimatized bodies to reach Padum with short stop at Penzi La Pass
Beautiful Stod River join us after descend from Penzi La and run along us
Overnight at Padum Village (pre-booked hotel)
About 12-13 Hrs drive, small cars will face challenge and may even need to return

Day 03 (06-09-2015) | Padum – Stongde (15 KMs) – Zang La Fort (32 KMs) – Karsha (62 KMs) – Padum (74 KMs)

Explore local sightseeing in Padum including Sani, Stongdey and Karsha monasteries, Zang La Fort
An old monastery situated in the nearby village of Tsa-zar, midway between Stongde and Zangla
Karsha monastery: Evening visit for nice view of Padum village
Stongde monastery: Morning visit for better views
Zang La Fort: Ahead of Stongde and offers some scenic wide views
In between DoW Causes will be executed in Padum in morning before venturing to the sightseeing, may be.
Overnight stay at Padum (pre-booked hotel)

Day 04 (07-09-2015) | Padum – Penzi La (90 KMs) – Rangdum (117 KMs)

Hit the roads by 8.00 AM
Rangdum Gompa is a MUST DO which is about 5 KMs from Rangdum. We will execute DoW Causes up there in school at Rangdum.
On the way see and click some lovely pictures of Drang Drung Glacier
Spot some wildlife including Marmots as well on the way to Penzi La
Explore twin lakes on the way to Penzi La
Some time at Penzi La with pictures
Overnight stay at Rangdum (camping, homestays)
About 5-6 Hrs drive

Day 05 (08-09-2015) | Rangdum – Parakachik (40 KMs) – Panikhar (71 KMs) – Sankoo (96 KMs) – Kargil (138 KMs) – Mulbekh (180 KMs) – Lamayuru (248 KMs)

Hit the roads by 7.00 AM
Cover Mulbekh Maitrey, Lamayuru Moanstery, Lunar Landscapes
About 9-10 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between
Overnight stay at Lamayuru or Khaltsi (camping, homestays, guest houses)

Day 06 (09-09-2015) | Lamayuru – Dhahanu Valley – Sham Valley – Leh

Hit the roads by 7.00 AM
Explore the two villages of the Brokpa of the Ladakh, Dah and Hanu
On the way to Leh we will also see Gurudwara Pather Sahib, Magnetic Hills, Confluence at Nimmu in Sham Valley
About 9-10 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between
Overnight stay at Leh (hotels, homestays, guest houses)

Day 07 (10-09-2015) | Leh – Chumathang / Mahe Village / Hanle

Hit the roads by 7.00 AM
Explore Something Unexplored around Mahe Village
About 9-10 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between
Overnight stay at Chumathang / Mahe Village / Hanle (camping, homestays)

Day 08 (11-09-2015) | Chumathang / Mahe Village / Hanle – Tso Moriri Lake

Hit the roads by 8.30 AM
Explore Kiagar Tso on the way to Tso Moriri
Relax at Tso Moriri
About 4-6 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between and route we take
Overnight at Korzok or Tso Moriri (camping, homestays, guest houses)

Day 09 (12-09-2015) | Tso Moriri – Tso Kar – Pang – Sarchu / Jispa

Hit the roads by 7.00 AM
On the way cover Suraj Tal, Deepak Tal lakes and Nakee La, Lachulung La
About 8-12 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks and night halt place
Overnight at Sarchu / Jispa (camping, homestays, guest houses)

Day 10 (13-09-2015) | Sarchu / Jispa – Rohtang Pass – Manali / Mandi

Hit the roads by 8.00 AM
About 8-9 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks
Overnight at Manali / Mandi (hotels, guest houses)

Day 11 (14-09-2015) | Manali / Mandi – Delhi

Hit the roads by 9.00 AM
Cruise yourself towards Sweet Home
About 12-13 Hrs of easy drive on the foothills of Himalayas

Highlights?

Apart from amazing, picturesque, breathtaking views of Zanskar Valley, Suru Valley and parts of Changthang Plateau of Ladakh, some highlights of this Mega Meet will be Penzi La Pass with its Twin Lake, Drang Drung Glacier, Dah Hanu Villages, Couple of hidden gems of Changthang and of course Manali – Leh Highway + Srinagar – Leh Highway 🙂 🙂 … For the first timers, almost every other curve or location 😉 ;)…

Heavenly Reflections at Stat Tso & Lam Tso Lakes at Penzi La Pass…

DoW Responsible Travel Initiative

For all those who will be traveling with us, it is Mandatory to support one of the DoW – Causes which are briefly described as follows:
- Carry Rs 499 of general stationary items with you to be donated to local schools or children in the remote villages of Suru, Zanskar and Ladakh.
- Carry Rs 499 of generic medicines with you to be donated to local dispensaries in the remote villages of Suru, Zanskar and Ladakh.
- Carry whatever NEW or OLD but usable woollens you can donate to the needy people in the remote villages of Suru, Zanskar and Ladakh or Changpas.
- Carry whatever NEW or OLD but usable Toys you can donate to the children up there in the remote villages of Suru, Zanskar and Ladakh or Changpas.
Complete details of DoW – Causes can be found at the link: DoW – Causes | A Step Towards Responsible Travel
Kindly go through the link which enlists Tips for Responsible Travel in Himalayas, so that we follow them wherever possible.
Apart from that, we may be holding cleanliness drives along water bodies we will be visiting. We will be carrying the large plastic bags and carry out these cleanliness drives while visiting these lovely lakes in Suru, Zanskar and Ladakh.

Eligibility

You can easily see that the above tour plan has about 100 Hrs of drive time in 11 days which makes an average of 9 Hrs of drive time per day that is the time you will be on the road itself almost every day. This tells that the difficulty level of the trip will be somewhere in between Moderate and Tough. Hence, for being apt traveller for this tour:

You must be adventurous enough to take up this heavy duty road trip.
You must have high levels of endurance and low levels of fatigue.
You must have a positive outlook towards adventure & should always respect the time to hit the roads.
It is trans-Himalayas, a place where Mountain rules… So, you must always be ready for the surprises or change in plans.
If required, you must be ready to camp out or stay at moderate Guest Houses or Homestays especially when away from big towns.
I feel families looking for relaxing vacation should not pay attention to this tour as it might be little difficult.

The Loose Ends

In order to have a varied flexibility, I have kept loose ends, head and the tail. So, in case you wish to start and end as per below options, please feel free to do so. Here are the options we can think about as of now:

Option 1 for Self drive guys covering delhi to delhi, start 2nd sept and end at 14th sept
Option 2 for guys flying to srinagar covering srinagar to delhi, start 4th sept and end at 14th sept
Option 3 for guys flying to srinagar and flying out from leh without Tso Moriri and Manali – Leh, start 4th sept and end at 10th sept
Option 4 for guys flying to srinagar and flying out from srinagar, start 4th sept and end at 10th sept
Option 5 for guys flying to srinagar and flying out from leh after covering Tso Moriri, start 4th sept and end at 13th sept

Accommodation and Cost Estimate

We plan to carry our own tents, sleeping bags and camping gear in order to stay wild and open with nature wherever we can and where we do not find any accommodation. However, you are free to opt for any home stays, guest houses, hotels, etc.. based upon your own choice. There won’t be any pre-bookings except Padum because plan can change dynamically in case the need arise beyond Rangdum. So, be ready for some set-backs too 😉 …

Apart from that regarding cost estimate, I feel that you can take somewhere about Rs 800-1000 per day for both Food and Stay. Hence, over 11 days, it will be somewhere around Rs 9000 – 11000 ex. Delhi we are looking for about 3500 KMs of journey, meaning if your own commute/car gives an average of 10 KMs over in Hills + Plains then you are looking for Petrol of about Rs 25000. With 4 people in one car, it will be like Rs 6250 for the transport per person. Hence, total approx. cost by own vehicle of this trip should be around Rs 18000 excluding all personal shopping aside ;)… Bikers of course, will have less expenses on fuel, so can consider accordingly.

Taxis from Srinagar to Manali drop with whole of Zanskar and stuff shall cost us around 60-70K. And now considering 5 people can easily be accommodated in one taxi, you are looking for Rs 12000 – 14000 for taxi share per person. Hence, total approx. cost by taxi of this trip should be around Rs 25000 excluding all personal shopping aside. Based on my personal experience, these are decent numbers and I am sure we will be able to make it under these figures considering we are traveling on budget and will be taking our own camping gear for some places. Above all, we will use our presence felt as a community so that we are offered the best prices in terms of taxi as well as lodging/stay too 😀 :D.

A Scenary to Die for in Suru Valley…

Are you interested?

In case, you feel the RUSH in the blood, want to feel the AWESOMENESS of ADVENTURE at its best, want to feel CLOSER to the nature, want to get OUT of the comfort zone, want to be a part of a journey where there is no destination rather JOURNEY itself is the DESTINATION… Then don’t wait to send out a request of registeration in DoW Mega Meet 2015 to us by filling up this google form at the link: DoW Mega Meet 2015 | Registration

Please read the Rules and Regulations carefully which are linked at DoW Mega Meet 2015 | Rules and Regulations, in order to understand the expectation and process we follow when we Travel together for such DoW Mega Meets or DoW Himalayan Meets and how the cost gets split between us.

Last date of sending your registration will be 15th July 2015 after which we will not accept any further registration requests.

Confirmations

Please subscribe to the DoW Mega Meet 2015 | Zanskar Valley | 4 – 14 Sept topic thread where we will be sharing/announcing the list of people selected and then confirmed after going through the details of registration forum submitted by them. We will be sending mails as well to all the travelers who are selected for the DoW Mega Meet 2015 to spread smiles in Himalayas with us. But, please also subscribe to community thread linked above.

Picture Perfect at Rangdum Village in Suru Valley…

Conclusion

Looking forward to meet and travel with you all over this Mega Adventure trip of our DwD Community in order to spread smiles up there in Himalayas. For other details about Traveling over this adventure trip, discussions, queries, finding travel partners, please go through the DwD Community Mega Meet thread at the link: DoW Mega Meet 2015 | Zanskar Valley | 4 – 14 Sept. Please read the Google Registration Form above carefully including Formal Disclaimer. You must especially understand and then agree, accept the Rules and Regulations linked in the registration form before submitting your request.

You can use Private Messaging feature of DwD Community in order to communicate or post on meet thread over there to get your queries resolved. We can talk over phone from there and discuss if it really suits / meets the expectations from both ends and get going from there…