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Adventure Sports in Ladakh |
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Ladakh is an ideal destination for adventure enthusiasts. The range of adventure sports activities on offer in Ladakh is sure to satisfy every adventure lover. You can try trekking and mountaineering in the Himalayas or white water rafting on mountain rivers. Traditional sports such as polo and archery, and camel safaris across the countryside, a tour to Ladakh is sure to make a thrill seeker happy with lots of options for adventure sports in Ladakh.
Ladakh’s picturesque scenic beauty invites one to enjoy its innumerable adventure sports. At the Himalayan town at an altitude of 12000 feet it is an amazing experience for one to trek along its narrow and rugged mountain trails. Besides it has numerous opportunities for those keen in river rafting. The splendorous River Indus and River Zanskar offer the best avenues to go river rafting. Climbing the barren mountains is another spectacular sport for those seeking adventure. The beauty often inspires many climbers to achieve daunting feats. Cycling, polo, camel safari and archery are the other Adventure Sports in Leh-Ladakh that tourists love to indulge in. If you are one who wishes to revel in the adventures that nature offers you then this summer while planning for your trip to the Leh-Ladakh gear up for a spurt of trekking, rafting, mountain climbing and safari |
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| TREKKING |
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The rugged landscape of Ladakh offers many routes for trekkers, ranging from beginners to experienced outdoor enthusiasts. Trekking is possible from June to October before the snowfall begins. An experienced guide and good camping gear are essential for a trek. The main trekking areas in Ladakh are Spituk to Marka Valley and Hemis Gompa via Kongmaru La. The journey along the Zanskar River from Lamayuru Gompa to Chilling via Konze La and Dung Dung La is another popular trekking route in Ladakh. |
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Likir to Temisgam is another trek, which can be accomplished by the very fit trekker in a single day. The main trekking routes in Zanskar are Padum to Darcha via Shingo La, Padum to Lamayuru via Singge La, and Padum to Leh via Cha Cha La, Rubra La and the Marka Valley
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| MOUNTAINEERING |
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Ladakh offers many challenging peaks for a mountaineer. Stok Kangri Peak (6121 m) in Zanskar, Kangyaze Peak (6400 m) to the south east of Leh and the Nunkun Massif, which can be reached from the Leh-Kargil road are popular with serious mountaineers. All climbers need to get permission from the Indian Mountaineering Federation in Delhi, before attempting the ascent of an peak in Ladakh.
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WHITE WATER RAFTING
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The swift-flowing Indus and Zanskar Rivers offer rafting enthusiasts excellent venues for white-water rafting in Ladakh. Rafting expeditions are organized from July to September and usually cover the stretches of the Indus river between Hemis to Choglamsar and Nimmu to Phey. River rafting in Ladakh takes you through its picturesque landscape, consisting of deep canyons, soaring snow-covered peaks, hilltop monasteries, hillside villages, and unique wildlife. The best time for river rafting tourism in Ladakh is from June to October.
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| CAMEL SAFARIS |
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Ladakh is the only place in India where you can enjoy a camel safari on a camel that has 2 humps not one! Camel safaris are offered on Bactrian camels across the sand dunes around Hunder in Ladakh. The 'Ship of desert' camel is certainly not confined to the desert of the plains and Rajasthan but is also one of the chief modes of transportation in the cold deserts of Ladakh since the ancient times.
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Mostly available from July to September, camel safaris are one of the most memorable experiences as one gets used to the rolling and wobbly movements of the camel while exploring rugged mountain terrains and enjoy the ride through some of the most ancient passes and have first hand experience of the lifestyle of the remote villages of Nubra Valley.The sudden change of fertile and lush green apricot orchards to the frozen desert and snow-capped peaks takes one almost by surprise.
The other thing about camel safari in Nubra that fascinates one is the shaggy double-humped Bactrian camel. In the earlier times, Central Asian traders used these camels as pack animals but since 50 years they have been bred for transport purposes as well. Today, these camels have emerged as the hot favorites of the tourists as the choice of their mode of transportation during camel safaris. Deskit and Hunder are the popular centers for this activity. Camel Safari provides one opportunity to watch and relish the scenic beauty of the Ladakhi valleys, villages, especially the Panamic village, and the colorful Buddhist monasteries or Gompas and have a dip in the famous hot springs of the region, which are said to possess therapeutic qualities.
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| POLO |
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Polo is a popular sport in Ladakh and is usually played every Tuesday and Saturday in summer on the Leh polo ground. There are usually 6 men in a team riding on sturdy Zanskari ponies. A polo match in Ladakh consists of 20-minute halves and is played in an exhilarating atmosphere with the crowd cheering on both teams with great enthusiasm. Polo tournaments are also held during the Ladakh Festival held in the first half of September.
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Polo is traditional to the western Himalaya, especially to Baltistan and Gilgit. It was probably introduced into Ladakh in the mid - 17th century by King Sengge Namgyal, whose mother was a Balti princess. The game played here differs in many respects from the international game, which indeed, is adapted from what British travellers saw in the western Himalaya and Manipur in the 19th century. Here, each team consists of six players, and the game lasts for an hour with a ten minute break. Altitude notwithstanding, the hardy local ponies - the best of which come from Zanskar - scarcely seem to suffer, though play can be fast and furious. Each goal is greeted by a bust of music from surna and daman and the players often show extraordinary skill. For example, when starting play after a goal the scorer gallops up to midfield holding ball and mallet in the right hand, and throws the ball, hitting it in the same movement towards the opposite goal.
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| ARCHERY |
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Archery is a traditional sport of Ladakh and Archery contests are held regularly in villages and at the National Archery stadium in Leh. Archery contests are accompanied by festivity including drinking singing, dancing and betting on the result. Watching an archery contests is sure to offer an interesting adventure into the cultural life of the Ladakhi people.
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In Leh, and may of the villages, archery festivals are held during the summer months, with a lot of fun and fanfare. They are competitive events, the surrounding villages all sending teams, and the shooting takes place according to strict etiquette, to the accompaniment of the music of surna and daman (oboe and drum). As important as the archery are the interludes of dancing and other entertainment. Chang, the local barley beer, flows freely, but there is rarely any rowdiness. The crowd attend in their Sunday best, the men invariable in traditional dress, and the women wearing their brightest brocade mantles and their heaviest jewellery. Archery may be the pretext for the gathering, but the party's thing.
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