Today begins with a visit to the Leh City and a learning experience on the background of the ancient heritage. We will take a tour of the Leh Fort and the Old City, followed by a visit to the Leh market to purchase any gear or special needs if any. Leh has a rich history of trade during silk route times and is located on the bank of Indus river where Indus valley civilization thrived. We will also visit the Shanti Stupa from where you can get a panoramic view of the City of Leh.

Today is the day when we will leave Leh and only to return after 15 days of having experienced Himalayan Wilderness, Culture and trekked across the hidden valleys of Ladakh – The Zanskar.The journey will start from Kanji, a remote village outside for which we will undertake a drive of 4 hours from Leh. Kanji sits under a steep hill at the confluence of three valleys and the head of a canyon that runs north to the main Leh to Kargil Road. Today will be our first camping day and our camp will be setup by the tea house near the river, the village is above us, sprawling over several low hills.

We will start our day by visiting the Monastery at Kanji Village. Kanji Village is almost like a trekking junction that leads pathways in three different directions. Today being the fourth day of the expedition, we will start our first day of trek by undertaking an easy day trek to the Kanji La Base camp. It will be a flat trek and fairly easy for the participants. On the way you will find Nomadic people settlements (Doksa) with Yak and Sheep. Sometime back this used to be a permanent summer place for many Kanji Dwellers. Overnight at Kanji La Base Camp

Today will be a hard day of trekking. We will start early and will start a steep ascent to Kanji la pass located at altitude of 5246 m. It will take 3.5 hrs to arrive at the top of the Kanjila pass. From the top you will get a beautiful view of the nearby peaks. You can also find the view of Nun and Kun, the highest Peak in Ladakh region. From the top it will be a steep descent to the Base of Kanjila and will take 3 -4 hours. Overnight Camp at River Junction.

The Camp at River Junction of Kanji river and Pigdong river is at 4150 m altitude. Today we will start our trek from the camp, descending along the river and crossing it several times during the four hour long trek.  Sometimes we get to cross deep gorges along with great views of many peaks of the valley till we get our first view of the Rangdum monastery. Rangdum is the gateway to Zanskar and the monastery is 18th Century old that was solar powered by GHE in 2017. We will be camping overnight at fixed tents at Rangdum village. 

Today is the Expedition Impact Day, and the team will be installing Himalayan Rocket stoves in the Rangdum Monastery. This installation addresses the pressing need for more efficient and cleaner cooking solutions in the monastery, where traditional stoves rely heavily on firewood, leading to both environmental and health concerns. During the harsh winter months, when temperatures plummet well below zero degrees Celsius, the need for reliable and efficient heating for cooking becomes crucial. The Himalayan Rocket stoves will not only reduce firewood consumption but also significantly improve indoor air quality. This step towards cleaner energy will benefit the monastic community for years to come, creating a lasting, positive impact.

Begin your day at dawn with a peaceful morning at Rangdum Monastery, where you'll join the monks for their morning prayers. This special moment follows the previous day's efforts, during which our expedition partners installed Himalayan rocket stoves in the monastery. As a token of gratitude and to seek blessings for the impact of the stoves, you'll participate in the prayers with the monks. After this spiritually enriching experience, set out on your journey to Lamayuru, carrying with you the blessings and positive energy from Rangdum.

Today the day will start with the visit to the Stongde Gompa, which is about 750 years old and is one of the oldest monasteries in Zanskar, perched precariously up on a craggy rock ledge, and surrounded by a lovely birch woods. During our visit to the monastery, we may be lucky to visit its room of treasures 'lha khang', or prayer hall. We might be able to catch the morning prayer, which is a surreal experience, a step back hundreds of years in time. After our visit to the Monastery, we will begin the day with a gradual ascent to a beautiful doksa where we will camp for the night.

Today will be a leisure and reflection day for the team to visit the Leh market and pick up souvenirs, including Pashmina, Apricot based food products and other local handicrafts. In the evening, we will have a debrief on how the Expedition experience was for everyone and what can be the next steps for development of the communities that has been impacted by our expedition members. After Dinner at a roof top restaurant, we will head to the hotel for our final expedition night.

“The mighty mountains beckoned, and we answered the call. “It’s time to say our farewell all around and make our way back to the airport with the GHE Team Leaders who will assure your safe departure. It's been an adventurous and impactful Climate Action Expedition 2024