Little-known Ladakh is ancient, exquisite, and exciting.  The eastern, Buddhist part of the Indian state of Kashmir,   Ladakh’s Shangri-la valleys, high passes, laughing people, and thrilling rivers make it our choice for a new rafting expedition.  This is an expedition-level trip.

The Himalayan and the Karakoram mountain ranges have kept Ladakh somewhat isolated, so that Tibetan Buddhist culture has remained strong.  The region straddles two more mountain ranges, the Ladakh and Zanskar.  It is a remote, gorgeous land of surprising views and white-water rivers.  We’ll be paddling down the Zanskar River, which is accessible only a few months of the year when the mountain passes are open.

Ladakhis are intensely devout.  The bleak, ethereal landscape is dotted with hundreds of monasteries, prayers walls, and stupas.  Leh, Ladakh’s capital, is a charming small city where you can wander through tiny, clean paths bordered by old stone walls and streams and see fascinating shops and beautifully kept traditional homes. There are wonderful restaurants, and we’ll also see the traditional procession of monks, villagers, and dancers for the annual Ladakh festival.  Maybe best of all, there are hillsides of steps up to monasteries, from which to watch dawn and sunset.

This trip begins in Delhi, the trendy, bustling capital of India.  We fly to Leh, meeting a Snow Leopard representative  at the airport, and then must spend several delightful days in the city, shopping, hiking,  and visiting monasteries while we  acclimatize ourselves to the 11,000-foot altitude.

On day 4, we raft on the Indus River and then visit a Tibetan refugee center, near the lovely gold-roofed summer palace of the Dalai Lama.  We may also visit a local oracle or shaman.  On Day 5 we start our trek,  driving to paddle the Indus and then staying in a camp in Topko.  We then take a spectacular three-day drive to the very remote starting point of the rafting trip on the Doda River.  We visit Lamayuru monastery, Mulbek, and Kargil.  We see the Nun and Kun peaks (7000 m) and camp in high meadows.  Then we raft seven days on the river, camping, visiting monasteries, and meeting nomads.  The paddling is fabulous, with some grade 4+ rapids.

Dates: August 17 - September 3

Cost: $4,295