Markha trek, Ladakh – day 5

trip report by besthike editor Rick McCharles

day 0 | day 1 | day 2 | day 3 | day 4 | day 5 | day 6 | day 7 | info page

Morning coffee.

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These curious (and common) ground birds dropped by. Are they Chukar partridge?

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Sergei packs up his small cycling tent.

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We were surprised when a Tibetan woman appeared asking for 150 rupees each. It had seemed the campsite (dirty and without a toilet) was closed for the season. Apparently not.

Official campsites seem to cost 600 Indian rupees in 2015. Unofficial ones 150 Indian rupee. Both overpriced compared with homestays, we felt. (900 rupees including 3 meals)

UP and off.

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I tried to keep up with Sergei. It wasn’t easy. Especially since I had been exhausted the day before keeping pace.

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On the other hand, we were fairly compatible. Both keen and very independent hikers.

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I found the dry Markha valley gorgeous. Sergei missed trees.

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River crossings were actually a relief. Heat emergency is a real risk here.

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I changed footwear. Sergei plunged through.

We’d anticipated Markha village 3806m to be somehow more impressive than the other villages. But it was very quiet. Harvest was in progress. Everyone in the fields.

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So we continued.

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Horses are the most popular pack animal here. Followed by donkeys.

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I didn’t once see a Yak or Yak hybrid used.

The geology here is stunning.

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Sergei is an alpinist, having summited Lenin Peak. He was interested in these formations.

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Though there are many impressive stupas and monasteries, it seems Ladakh does not have many monks.

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This particular monastery does impress, however. Umlung Gompa 3890m, impossibly situated.

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The parachute camp was closed. So we carried on.

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Seabuckthorn berries are everywhere. Used for jam and other local products.

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Higher and drier.

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We considered stopping near Hankar 3990m. But Sergei likes to walk until dusk. So he can set up his tent in the dark (for free) and not be hassled by passing locals. Everyone who walks past asks for 150 ruppee, even a monk … though the monk actually seemed to have “receipts” in his robes for the camping fee.

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Exhausted and with sore feet, I finally put down my tent in the official camping at Thachungtse 4250m.

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Sergei, lacking firewood to cook his dinner, decided to stay as well and use my gas stove.

See all my high resolution photos from this day on flickr.

day 0 | day 1 | day 2 | day 3 | day 4 | day 5 | day 6 | day 7 | info page

West Coast Trail getting upgrades

The WCT is our favourite hike in the world. 🙂

The 75-kilometre West Coast Trail is getting repairs to bridges, ladders and other sections, as part of $33.6 million in funding announced for Parks Canada.

The money is the largest federal infrastructure investment in Parks Canada since its formation 104 years ago, said Vancouver Island North MP John Duncan. …

Sooke News

West Coast Trail
West Coast Trail

top 10 trekking peaks

We’ve updated our top 10 section. With input from Kraig Becker, of the Adventure Blog. He’s recently back from his second climb of Kili. 🙂

Top-10#1) Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania 5895m
#2) Cotopaxi, Ecuador 5897m <wiki><pb><sp>
#3) Island Peak, Nepal 6189m <wiki><pb><sp>
#4) Mera Peak, Nepal 6476m <wiki><pb><sp>
#5) Stok Kangri, India 6153m <wiki><pb><sp>
#6) Huayna Potosí, Bolivia 6088m <wiki><pb><sp>
#7) Misti Volcano, Peru 5822m
#8) Mt. Toubkal, Morocco 4167m <wiki><pb><sp>
#9) Mt. Rainier, USA 4392m <wiki><pb><sp>
#10) Mont Blanc, France 4810m <wiki><pb><sp>

Aconcágua, Argentina 6,960.8m can be a walk-up. But not many would be willing to call it a trekking peak. 🙂

Trekking peaks are mountains under 7,000 metres (22,970 ft) climbable by anyone with a moderate amount of mountaineering experience and minimal gear.

Others considered for the top 10:

  • Chimborazo, Ecuador 6,268m <wiki><pb><sp>
  • Khüiten Peak, Tavan Bogd, Mongolia 4374m <wiki><sp>
  • Mt. Elbrus, Russia 5642m <wiki><pb><sp>
  • Lhakpa Ri, Tibet 7045m <pb>

Leave a comment if your favourite walk up peak is not listed.

hiking Chapada Diamantina National Park, Brazil

Chapada Diamantina National Park (Parque Nacional da Chapada Diamantina) in Brazil gets great reviews on Trip Advisor.

… the altitude of the park is between 800 and 1000 metres above sea level, although parts are as high as 2000 metres above. … The park is typified by hills, mountains, valleys and monoliths …

The jumping off point is the town of Lençóis. Not easy to reach. There are a few flights. But most people travel 400km by bus from Salvador.

There are plenty of things to do and see.

Click PLAY or watch a highlights video on YouTube.

Ideally I’d do a 3-5 day hike.

Perhaps Guiné Paty Valley Capão Valle or Lençóis Fumaça Capão Valley.

Here are highlights from 3 days of hiking in Pati Valley.

book an independent TOUR de MONT BLANC online

The Tour of Mont Blanc is one of the best hikes in the world.

Duncan Boar, a guide with Tough Mountain UK, sends news that there is now a website that helps you plan a self-guided route on the TMB. It has a list of accommodation in each of the villages with prices and email/phone contacts.

It looks pretty good. And is posted in 5 languages: French, English, Italian, German and Spanish.

click for larger, original version
click for larger, original version

Check it out montourdumontblanc.com

The Tour du Mont Blanc is a unique trek of approximately 200km around Mont Blanc that can be completed in between 7 and 10 days passing through Italy, Switzerland and France.

Kilimanjaro Experience

Like every year, I’m still looking to find the right time to do Kili.

KILIMANJARO-EXPERIENCE leads 4 different routes: Marangu ‘Coca- Cola’, Machame, Lemosho, Rongai.

“More than 85% of our clients successfully reach Kilimanjaro’s summit.”

Click PLAY or watch a promo on YouTube.

hiking Cerro Chato, Costa Rica

trip report by site editor Rick McCharles

Chato Volcano, sometimes called “Cerro Chato” (Spanish for “Mount Chato”), is an inactive volcano in north-western Costa Rica …

It is southeast of the nearby Arenal Volcano …

A crater about 500 metres (1,600 ft) wide is filled with a lagoon, Laguna Cerro Chato. …

Chato hike map

Since I hate taxis, I instead walked the 3.5km from La Fortuna town to Cerro Chato Eco Lodge.

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Paid $12 for the hike. And $4 for two Diet Cokes. (One of the ’10 essentials’ of hiking.)

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Many tourists feel prices are too high in the Arenal area. I agree.

The weather looked bad. Normal for the rainy season here.

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Still, I was psyched. I love climbing volcanos.

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There were some views.

Arenal town
Arenal town

You have to get lucky to see animals on popular trails here. I saw only birds.

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And cows. There are plenty of cows.

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It’s steep in parts. Muddy. You must scramble tree roots.

Everyone gets sweaty, regardless of their fitness. It’s hard work in a humid environment.

I stopped at the volcano rim, however, when two hikers told me they had given up on the steep, muddy descent to the water. ’Sketchy’, they warned.

We agreed that there was not much to be seen down there, in any case, as the summit was cloud covered.

After hiking down quickly, I ran some of the 3.5km downhill back to my hostel. A big day, all-in-all. My celebration meal was Calzone. I was hungry. 🙂

more photos

related – Trip Advisor – Cerro Chato

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, Costa Rica

trip report by site editor Rick McCharles

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The highlight was seeing 2 resplendent quetzal. Another Canadian saw 4 the same day. May is breeding season.

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… The “song” is a treble syllable described as kyow or like “a whimpering pup”, often in pairs, which may be repeated monotonously. …

It was something closer to a puppy whimper than a kitten’s sound.

… classified as near threatened on the IUCN Red List due to habitat loss. …

The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve (Reserva Biológica Bosque Nuboso Monteverde) … founded in 1972 … visited by roughly 70,000 visitors a year. …

… extremely high biodiversity, consisting of over 2,500 plant species (including the most orchid species in a single place), 100 species of mammals, 400 bird species, 120 reptilian and amphibian species, and thousands of insects, has drawn scientists and tourists since. …

I hiked all the trails in less than 4 hours. A number were closed. They looked to me to be closed permanently.

trail map

I did take one of the closed trails for a few hundred metres, just to compare. It seemed about the same but without trail maintenance.

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For lunch I propped myself up against my pack under a giant tree. And enjoyed it so much that I left behind a Summit Stone.

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A second highlight was the bridge through and above the forest canopy. Dangling plants living only on “air” are amazing.

click for larger version

Cost for entry in 2015 was $20 for a foreign adult. Locals consider that high compared to a similar experience in the other reserves.

On the other hand, this is the only official local hiking area that reaches the continental divide.

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Though you are not likely to see any animals … (I saw only one mammal fleetingly) … I recommend this hike.

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Transportation between San Jose and Monteverde is relatively painless. You can easily get to the Arenal volcano, as well.

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I recommend it. Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is one of the best hikes in Costa Rica.

more photos

TrekkingPartners on the Nepal disaster

via email …

Dear Trekkers,

It’s been ten days since a large-scale earthquake shook Nepal. It’s been a hard time for everyone, with the loss of family members, homes, entire savings, and historical landmarks. On the other hand, it’s brought the people of Nepal together in the face of adversity and strengthened bonds with those from outside Nepal who offered aid.

Still, with the death toll estimated at 7500, along with 10,000 injured and 1.4 million in need of food assistance, there is still a need for assistance.

We’ve spent the last few days compiling a list of reliable, effective groups working hard to bring support to the people of Nepal. If you’re able, please consider donating time, money, or volunteering via the links below.

What’s Needed Now

  • Remote villages are still in need of relief;
  • Because of sanitation problems, there is a high risk of disease;
  • Lack of electricity and water supply;
  • The monsoon season is a month away, making shelter an urgnet need;
  • Basic necessities like food, water purification tablets, medicine, blankets, and tents are still needed;
  • Support for the long-term rebuilding of homes, villages, and historical landmarks.

Effective Ways To Donate

If you are in a position to donate, here is a list of local, grassroot initiatives working hard to provide relief. By donating to these groups, your money will go directly to the people that need it most via local channels mobilized by local experts:

  • Rebuild Langtang Campaign Langtang village, in particular, will need rebuilding support after the first weeks have passed. After first medical care has been delivered it will take large efforts to re-establish community life back in the valley.
  • Lokesh Todi’s Relief Fund to support and sustain the work of local NGOs and first responders on the ground.
  • Mountain People’s Initiative to provide assistance to those in need around Kathmandu. They’ve set up a temporary relief centre in Thamel functioning as shelter/store/aid post for local Galdunga people.
  • Tsum Nubri Relief & Recovery Program set-up by the local people based in Kathmandu.
  • Sherpa Gear’s CrowdRise Campaign. 100% of your donation will go for immediate relief on the ground through our Paldorje Education Fund network, already set up to benefit the children of Sherpa families in remote villages.
  • Tripureshwor Village Aid Campaign: raising money to distribute rice to 300 families in Dhading Region (close to the epicenter).
  • GlobalGiving’s Campaign to help address the immediate needs for food, fuel, clean water, hygiene products, and shelter. Once initial relif work is complete, remaining funds will transition to support longer-term recovery efforts run by loca, vetted organizations.
  • Karma Foundation is a non-profit branch of socialtours & Karma Coffee working on responsible philanthropy disbursement to projects in Nepal, now for Quake relief.
  • Seva Foundation is working to supply tents to those in need of shelter.
  • To Da Loo Community toilet builders initiative in the wake of the earthquake. Toilets or latrine pits are raised in densely populated communities.
  • Helter Shelter Shelter relief effort for those left homeless.

Other Ways To Help

There will be long-term rebuilding projects that will need volunteer support. If you’re planning a trip to Nepal in the future, consider volunteering as an option. When the media spotlight shifts to another problem in the world, there will still be people in Nepal working to rebuild and regain what was lost.

Continued News, Updates, Photos…

Please share these links with others whom you feel can help. Thanks for your support, and hope to see you back in Nepal someday soon.

Best wishes,
Alex
Founder | TrekkingPartners

get paid CDN$20,000 plus expenses to HIKE

Trans Canada Trail 6 days a week from May 12th to Sept. 30th, 2015.

Woods Canada:

We’re hiring 2 Woods™ explorers for the ultimate Canadian Dream Job!

You will be awarded a contract and be paid to explore the Trans Canada Trail and share your adventures while using the latest Woods™ gear! Apply as an individual, or as a pair. Submit a 60 second video and tell us why we should choose you.

Submissions are due by April 17, 2015!

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

details

(via MSN Money)