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Saspotse to Skuru, Nubra Trek

Remotre villages, High mountain Passes.
Duration of Trek: 06 Days.
Best Time: Mid June to September.
Highest Point: Lagola (5400m)
Focus: Monasteries, Monks, People Villages.
Highlight:  Remotre villages, High mountain Passes.
Physical Challenge: Moderate overall.

Day 1 : Drive to Saspotse, Trek Saspotse to Shepherds Place, 3-4 hrs.
Drive by car from Leh to Saspotse. The pleasant 65 km drive along the Indus takes around 2 hrs. Saspotse is the village behind Likir on the less driven road to Hemis Schukpachen. Start in the centre of the village on 3.795 m. There is a little gompa in the last but one house of the village on 3.860 m. Continue the path through the valley to the North along the west side of the river Saspol Tokpo. When there is a river junction on 4.345 m, take the path to the west, continue for an hour and leave it to climb the ridge to the North to reach a shepherds place at 4.500 m. Camp 

Day 2 : Trek Shepherds Place to Lago-la Base Camp, 4 hrs.
Set off to the North a little up and down over moraines again along the river Saspol Tokpo. On 4.600 m you come across a dried up lake (called Zingog) which can sometimes be used as a water supply damm.  100 m of altitude higher is a small yellow lake called Tso Sermo. After an hour one comes across an abandoned shepherds place. Just before arriving in the Base Camp which is at a junction of three valleys, one has to cross a river. Camp at 5.000 m with a fine scenery.

Day 3 : Trek Lago-la Base Camp over Lago-la to Rakuruk Doksa, 9 hrs.
Getting higher and higher to the North one comes across the lake Tso Chiang Gongma on 5.180 m and finally reaches the pass Lago-la on 5.400 m after 2,5 – 3 hrs. after departure. From here one has a great view over the Zanskar range to the South and the Saltoro Range to the North. For the decend one first has to cross a little glacier/snowfield, depending on time of year and snowfall how long it is (beginning July 2011 1,5 km). In the end the snow turns into water and gurgles down the valley to turn into a river named Rhakura. On 5.100 m one comes across a huge valley of violet flowers. To get down quite a bit to lower altitude one has to leave several camping possibilities and arrives slowly slowly to an old shepherds place called Rakuruk Doksa at the junction of two valleys. On the last decades some landslides brought down huge boulders which covered the old track and were quite dangerous for horses. But there has been a lot of work down by making the track easier for the horses and also put up stone piles to navigate following trekking group for the best way through the boulders. Camp at 4.720 m after a last river-crossing (there have been 2-3 before, too).

Day 4 : Trek Rakuruk Doksa to Rakuruk, 4,5 hrs
One follows down the Rakuruk river on the west side down along small pastures, gets glimpses of other valleys leading into the mountains and comes across a huge variety of vegetation. Finally one arrives in the small village of Rakuruk, containing of seven houses and being located at an elevation of 4.040 m. Lots of water sources make the village a very flowerful one besides the barley- and green-pea-fields and the vegetable gardens.

Day 5 : Trek Rakuruk to Skuru, 3,5 hrs.
The sides of the river narrow until it becomes a small gorge where one has to follow the small path high above the gurgeling water. One has to be free of fear of heights and must be sure-footed. The gorge opens into the Nubra Valley at the small village of Skuru with around 300 inhabitants at an altitude of 3.150 m. Here one can do camping or take a room at one of the family houses.

Day 6 : Drive back the ca. 150 km via Khardong-la to Leh or use the chance to discover more of the Nubra Valley visiting the beautiful villages of Hundar, Deskit, Sumur etc.