Overview

This remote trail follows the traditional trade route between the people of Spiti, Changthang and Tibet. It begins in the high altitude meadows of Kibber, the breeding ground of the famous Spiti horses and also called the Snow Leopard country

The trail descends the Kibber gorge and then climbs over the Parang la (5600 mts), the source of the Pare Chu river, the only one of its kind to have its source in India, flow into Tibet and enter the country again in Spiti. Across the pass, the trail follows a broad valley till the confluence of the Pare Chu with the Phirtse Phu at Norbu Sumdo. A river crossing here brings one to an almost incredible change of scenery as we walk towards the Rupshu plains of Changthang, known for the abundance of Kiangs (Tibetan Wild Ass). For the last two days, we camp by spectacular campsites, one being on the southern edge of the Tso Moriri (15,000 ft) , a high altitude lake 27 kms long and nearly 8 kms wide. This lake is also the breeding ground for the bar-headed geese, black-necked crane and the Brahminy ducks.

The trail goes along the Tso Moriri till we reach Karzog, a permanent settlement of the Changpas (Changthang Nomads) on the banks of the Tso Moriri. We also visit one of the Changpa settlements in a bowl high above Karzog, where they breed Pashmina, one of the trade items, to over these high passes. A challenging trek for the enthusiastic walker in one of the more spectacular areas of Ladakh recently opened for tourism.

Note
Minimum 04 pax required for inner line permits.
Average walking time per day
5 - 6 hours.
Average altitude (all altitudes are a close approximate) Parang la
18,480 ft.
Tso Moriri
15,000 ft.
Kibber
14,000 ft.