GEOGRAPHY
The river Indus flows through Ladakh, the eastern Buddhist part of Jammu & Kashmir after its birth in Tibet , it flows into Ladakh and exits into the province of Baltistan and Pakistan after gathering much water from its major tributaries, the Zanskar, Shingo & Shyok.
The Zanskar River cuts right through the Zanskar range in a beautiful & imposing 90 km gorge. Zanskar is a remote region in south western Ladakh that remains connected to the capital Leh in the winter only by the Zanskar River being used as a frozen road.

WHITEWATER
The whitewater on the Zanskar is not the hardest but quite serious owing to the high altitude, the cold water and steep sharp rock banks. In low water (Aug-Sep) the gorge has many quality play spots hard to resist.
Below the Indus/Zanskar confluence the river has road support and bigger n better whitewater. There are big rapids at every village owing to debris from the streams that the villages are situated on. The rapids are characterized by large waves haystacks & giant holes, though more haystacks and lesser holes in higher volumes. The lines on some of the rapids are BIG and not a trip is without some action.

DAY 1: LEH
You can get to Leh rather easily with a early morning flight from Delhi or take a few days and make it overland via Manali.

DAY 2: REST & ACCLAMATISE
The bottom of the Indus Valley is about 3300mts/10,000 feet. The human body gets assaulted by the lack of oxygen and takes time to adjust. Mild discomfort is expected and serious conditions like AMS, HAPO/HACO are not unheard of.

DAY 3: ACCLAMATISE A LITTLE MORE

DAY 4: LEH-KARGIL
Its about 200 kms,7-8 hours to Kargil but there are no high passes along the way and the road is fairly good. We stay at the pretty village of Sankoo 20 kms up the Suru river.

DAY 5: KARGIL-PADAM
A brilliant days driving, we go over two small passes and have a close view of the Nun-Kun mountains (7000 mts) and the impressive Drangdrung glacier coming off them. We also drive through the very photogenic Rangdum plains. Finally getting to Padam which is the capital of Zanskar.

DAY 6: PADAM-ZANGLA
First day on the river is through a vast plain which is the confluence of the Doda & Tsrap rivers, the principal tribs of the Zanskar. Zangla is just short of the gorge and a very pretty place.

DAY 7: ZANGLA-NYERAKS
In a few hours we enter the magical 90 km long Zanskar gorge, The Grand Canyon of Asia. There is regular class III ww in the gorge with some real good play spots.

DAY 8: NYERAKS-CHILLING
Another day through the gorge to Chilling where it opens up, we go through a major constriction today the ww is similar otherwise to the previous day.

DAY 9: CHILLING-NIMU
The nicest ww day on the Zanskar has road support and we camp at Nimu in a fixed camp needless to say there's a party.

DAY 10: NIMU-LARDO
The river gets bigger and pushier below the confluence at Nimu, now were on the Indus and we have a nice long rapid at Nimu, followed by a float for 10 kms till the ancient monastery at Alchi. Thereafter the river picks up and culminates at the first Class IV rapid in Lardo. Lardo changed last year, got bigger. We scout and run a big line, as if there is a small line! Camp after collecting the debris from any carnage.

DAY 11: LARDO-DOMKHAR
The rapids are now spaced way closer and we go down 4 -5 big bouncy class III to get to Khaltse which is a long rapid requiring scouting and good lines. There is carnage occasionally but the big boil eddies in the bottom hold everything and its important to recover quick, there is a rather nasty drop on the next bend and its usually a portage. We camp a few kilometers beyond at Domkhar.

DAY 12: DOMKHAR-BAIMA
The last day below Domkhar is the biggest, we start with a long Class IV at Skyurbuchan, then a IV + further on, then class IV at Achinathang & Hanuthang, heaps of big bouncy class III in between.

The last 3 days on the Indus are longer days paddling with some scouting and extra time often to recover after flips. The altitude gets quite low though and paddlers are dong really well by then. A road support jeep follows and we do have some options on camp sites in case we need to change plans.