MYTH OF HIMALAYAS- LADAKH

Dispersal Time & Venue are specified in the Itinerary wherein the time of dispersal at a particular venue is stated. Dispersal time in the itinerary should be considered as an expected time of dispersal and you should take into consideration delays due to traffic, breakdowns, etc. Further your return travel arrangements should take into account the flight reporting time.

This tour is recommended for people with a good level of physical fitness. The highest altitude that we attain on
this tour is 4500m/14,765 ft. We do not recommend this tour to people with chronic problems like epilepsy and
those related to blood pressure or heart or diabetes.
The biggest advantage of Uley is the fantastic road access that takes guests right up to the wildlife spots in most
occasions. We do encourage guests to walk (simple walks) into the valleys and to some low passes as these are
the best ways to connect with the starkness of the landscape and develop a real appreciation and understanding
the wildlife of the region.

 SETUP – The Lodges is set in two blocks at the start of Uley village, separated by a 40-50 metre walk. The main block which is the original Snow Leopard lodge has 6 rooms, 4 bathrooms (1 attached), the kitchen, dining and a common lounge. The second block, the annexe has 5 rooms (3 rooms with attached bathrooms) and a lounge.

• POWER SUPPLY – the lodge gets power from the local grid and in times of power outage, there is a generator backup which comes up in the evening till 10pm and then in the morning again. Multi pin chargers are also provided on request at the lodge because of the limited number of power sockets in each room.

• HEATING – Heating in the rooms is done using electric heaters and kerosene burners (Bukharis as they are known locally). Gas heaters are used in periods of long power outages or limited of fuel availability.

• BATHROOMS – The lodge is a mix of attached and common bathrooms and depending on your room assignment (we allocate on first come basis usually). Out of the 11 rooms there are 4 rooms with attached bathrooms and the remaining 7 rooms share 4 bathrooms. The common bathrooms are close to the rooms and in the same blocks (down the hallways) and do not involve much of walking to access.

• RUNNING WATER – Running water is not available at our lodging in remote locations but water will be provided at all times (both hot and room temperature) in buckets. Even the toilets will have to be flushed down using the water from the buckets. Hot and room temperature water will be provided in buckets on request. (24 hrs)

• OXYGEN CYLINDERS – Oxygen cylinders are available at all times in both the vehicles and in the lodges for guests who experience health complications while on the expedition. Anything more complicated and the guests will be driven to Leh (2 hours) to consult a doctor or hospital.

• MEALS AT THE LODGE – Leh is completely cut off in the winter months and this makes bringing in fresh supplies a lot harder than usual. Food at the lodge is cooked using ingredients that are available at that time in the local markets and villages. Most of the food is locally sourced. The cuisine is a mix of Indian, Chinese, Ladakhi and continental meals and is served on a fixed menu basis. Guest preferences are taken into consideration (if informed in advance) when these menus are setup. Specific food requests or allergies need to be mentioned in advance so that the right ingredients can be flown in on time. • Both alcoholic (specifics based on availability in Leh) and soft beverages are served.

• LAUNDRY – very minimal laundry can be done at the lodge.

• BINOCULARS and SCOPES – Good scopes and simple binoculars are there at the lodge but those are shared by all and not for personal use.

• PORTERS AND MULES – The drivers and spotters will help where they can but for guests who want dedicated help, porters/mules need to be pre-booked. (at an extra charge on a per day basis)

. • TIPPING – Tipping will be done separately for spotters, staff and the driver who drives you to and from Leh and in the valleys around Ulley. If there is someone who has lost livestock in the course of your stay to wildlife, and if we see the animals owing to that kill, we recommend that some amount of money is contributed by the guests to that family to keep the ideas of wildlife among the local communities positive. 

This trek involves walking for 7 hours daily at an average pace, but we recommended this trek for people with an extremely good level of physical fitness. The highest altitude that we attain on this trek is 4131m/13,554 ft. We do not recommend this trek to people with chronic problems like epilepsy and those related to blood pressure or heart or Diabetes.

The permits to visit Khardungla is processed once you are in Leh. It’s mandatory that all the participants carry a valid photo id., (Driving License, Voter Id., Passport or Adhar Card) for issuance of permits and 02 passport size photographs.

• For accompanying children above 12 yrs (who do not have a Passport or Adhar Card), it’s mandatory to carry the School Id. Card/College Id. Card along with 02 passport size photographs. It is mandatory that all participants carry 02 passport size photographs for issuance of permits.

• Hand Baggage is not allowed on Leh – Delhi flight.

Day temperatures average minus 13ºC and at night it drops to minus 30ºC. However, the temperatures would
vary a lot depending on the season and altitude.

The tour involves exposure to extreme cold temperature upto minus 30 degrees Celsius, causing cold injuries & sickness. One must exercise caution & protect themselves from these temperatures. Acute mountain sickness (AMS) can be caused due to high altitudes. The AMS may be avoided by taking precautions given in the document attached on high altitudes, please read the document carefully. The high altitude can cause Acute Mountain Sickness and may lead to serious critical medical conditions such as cerebral or pulmonary edema.

On this tour we drive on the ice & snow-covered roads which can be dangerous. The weather can change dramatically causing blizzards, heavy snowfall and severe drop in temperatures, causing severe physical hardships and at times one can be stranded in the vehicle during the excursions

Flights in Leh sector are subject to weather condition, so it is advised that, you should book your return international flight 2-3 days after your expected date of arrival in New Delhi. • Vehicles in Ladakh are not at disposal. Any additional transfers or pick up drops are to be settled at actual. • The vehicles in Ladakh are hired from Leh union hence there is a possibility of change of vehicles every day, however we will try for the same vehicles.

COUNTRYSIDE ADVENTURE HOLIDAYS PVT. LTD. Email: info@countrysideindia.com Website: www.countrysideindia.com

• It gets very cold in winter i.e. December through February with temperatures hitting – 30C. You will need to be mentally and physically fit and must have done some high-altitude travel in order to be able to handle travelling through this terrain. • We can make last minute plan changes due to bad weather for your safety and wellbeing. • Expected to walk around 1 – 2 km per day; but will depend more on road/snow conditions. • In peak winter i.e., January and early February all the places might not be open due to adverse weather conditions. We will keep you updated of the same in case any last-minute changes need to be made to your plan.