JwM Ladakh - Sep 2012 Itinerary & Costs

7/31/2019 JwM Ladakh - Sep 2012 Itinerary & Costs

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September 3rd to 14th

Itsreallytoughtosum up howwonderfulthis triphasbeen. Themanyconversationswehavehad,thepeoplewevemet,themomentswevesharedareirreplaceable. And Ican vouchthatI willbetakingalotbackfromallthatIvelearntandgotexposedto inthesepasttwoweeks.Theseeds

havedefinitelybeensown.

Thanksalot, Vinod &Homi, fororganizing suchawonderful trip. I hopeto joinyouonanotherjourneysometimesoon.

- Avanti Pethe(JwM Ladakhtrip participant, August2011)

itinerary

for

JwM Ladakh

September 3rd to 14th(12 days)


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Religion & Culture

With its emphasis on finding nirvana or enlightenment within oneself - i

solitude & stillness - Buddhism has found a superb ally in Ladakh.

The vast expanses and the immense craggy mountains have been patien

hosts to some of the most remote monasteries the world has seen. Todaythese beautiful oases of calm are easily accessible by roads. But transpor

yourself back mentally a 1000 years, and you will see just how hardy &

sincere the Ladakhi monks of yore were in their quest for wisdom.

Ridzong, Hemis, and Thiksay - some of the oldest & most picturesqu

monasteries that we will be visiting and spending time in. Use the time t

reflect & introspect on your lifes purpose. Or to engage in an insightfu

conversation with the monks there.

Jullay!

Most Ladakhis radiate a deep contentment. The

happiness on their faces & in the cheerful all-

purpose local greeting, Jullay, is unmistakeable.

Which begs the question - how did a community

living in one of Earths harshest environments, find a

way to be truly happy?

Is it because of their beautiful surroundings? Or theirreligion, that emphasizes the acceptance of what is?

Lets find out by talking with them - the citizens of

Leh, the village dwellers we encounter on our treks,

and the nomadic ChangPa. Our conversations with

them should provide us some good insights into their

state of mind.

What attitudes do they practice that allow them to

find peace & contentment in a harsh high-altitude

desert region - a region that experiences severe

winters lasting nearly 7-8 months a year - where

food is hard to come by, unless like the proverbial

ant, they labour through the short summers to stock

up for the long and cold winters.
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But only if you find yourself unable to handle careening down

on a bike from those heights.

InteractionsToo many people travel to the most beautiful places on Earth..

and return home without having increased their knowledge &

understanding of the place. Were not making that mistake.

Every JwM trip comprises a whole bunch of fun activities, bu

always with a healthy balance of inspiring interactions with

people & organizations in the places we visit.

Learn more about:

the traditional organic agricultural practices of Ladakh and how people there have lived in harmonious co-

existence with Nature for centuries, from T.T. Namgyal, our good-natured host & retired school-teacher,

at the picturesque village of Hemishukpachan where we will be helping with the harvest.

earth-friendly solutions to local issues through a visit to an artificial glacier site created by Chhewang

Norphel (the artificial glacier man)

the traditional cultural practices of Ladakh from LAMO (the Ladakh Arts and Media Organization)

the state of education in Ladakh from SECMOL (Students Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh)

Adventure

However, the culture of Ladakh isnt all

that were experiencing! Were taking of

for 3 whole days to enjoy the spectacular

mountain landscapes that surround Leh

- on a moderately challenging trek

between the towns of Spituk and Stok.

This stunningly beautiful trek through

the Hemis National Park, includes an

ascent to an altitude of nearly 16,000

feet! After spending a few days helping

the villagers with their harvest, this trek

will be a refreshing break for us.

Then theres the mighty Khardung La, a

behemoth at 18,030 feet, down whichyou will be cycling! Yes, thats right...

cycling the 39 kms to Leh. This 3-hour

long ride will leave you feeling

exhilarated. And possibly bruised!
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Date What we will be doingMon,

Sep 3rd

Day 1: Meet in Leh by mid-morning. Leave for Hemishukpachan, a picturesque village in

the Sham Valley - our base for the next 3 days. Get to know our fellow group-members

and meet our host, Mr. T T Namgyal, who will show us around the village and talk to us

about the traditional Ladakhi way of life. End the day with some heart-warming Ladakhi

dinner at our homestay.

Tue,

Sep 4th

Day 2: Explore Hemishukpachan on an early morning walk. Watch the sun do its magic on

a beautiful autumn morning. After breakfast, help the village folk with the harvest of

wheat and barley. Go for a walk along one of the 5 streams that flow through this

picturesque village. Documentary screening in the evening, followed by a discussion on

the need for ecological balance, and other issues related to climate change.

Wed,

Sep 5th

Day 3: Work the fields with the village folk. After lunch, trek to the ancient monastery at

nearby Ridzong, an hour away on foot. Converse with the monks about Buddhism and

their way of life. Return to Hemishukpachan for dinner.

Thu,

Sep 6th

Day 4: Our final day with the harvest at Hemishukpachan! Documentary film-screening

followed by a discussion with the group. After dinner, count the shooting stars!

Fri,

Sep 7th

Day 5: Leave early for SECMOL, located on the banks of the Indus. Enjoy the spectacular

views on the way. Walk around - get hugely inspired by their sustainably-built campus.

Over the next 2 days, learn about their work on education reforms and engage in lively

interactions with their bright students who come from all over Ladakh.

Sat,

Sep 8th

Day 6: Continue with our interactions with the students at SECMOL. Have conversation

classes with them to help them improve their English. Pick up some Ladakhi ourselves!

Share skills that you may have, with them. Learn about passive solar technology from the

students.

Sun,

Sep 9th

Day 7: Trek day! Leave early for the village of Spituk where we begin our trek. Walk from

Spituk to Zingchan, where we stay the night at a village homestay. A hearty Ladakhi

dinner, followed by stimulating conversations under the night sky.

Mon,

Sep 10th

Day 8: Leave early from Zingchan for the beautiful village of Rumbak, our midway point

on the trek. Have packed lunch on the way and rest for a while. Continue ascending until

we cross the magnificent Stok La at nearly 16,000 feet! Then another 2-3 hours to the

picturesque village ofRumbak, our home for the night.

Tue,

Sep 11th

Day 9: Start for the village of Stok, our last leg of the trek before head back to Leh. Reach

Leh by late afternoon. Spend the evening relaxing and taking a well-deserved break in

Leh! Do some shopping for your families and friends.

Wed,

Sep 12th

Day 10: Go for a pre-sunrise walk up to the quietly beautiful Shanti Stupa. Enjoy the

stunning views of Leh. After a good Ladakhi breakfast, walk around this little town which

was an important stopping point on the old Silk Route. Take in some history at the

recently opened Central AsianMuseum. After lunch, drive up to the mighty Khardung

La, carrying our rented bicycles. Cycle down from an altitude of 18.030 feet all the way to

Leh which is 39 kms and 3 hours away. Dinner at Leh.

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Thu,

Sep 13th

Day 11: Drop in at the beautifully restored oce of LAMO (the Ladakh Arts & Media

Organization), housed in a beautiful 17th century house. Learn more about Ladakhi art &

culture through a film-screening & interaction over tea, with a Ladakhi elder. Still up for

more? Well, the now unused, but still breath-taking Leh Palace awaits us just around the

corner. Breath-taking, as it is one of the highest points in Leh and is reached only after

hung & pung up a flight of steps! :)

Fri,

Sep 14th

Day 12: Our last day in Leh - Visit the hugely useful and earth-friendly artificial glacier

created by Chewang Norphel, the sprightly ex-engineer. Stop at the beautifully serene

Thiksay monastery and the ruins of Shey Palace on the way back. For those choosing to

travel by road, leave for Srinagar in the afternoon or for Manali at midnight. Others fly out

to Delhi the next morning.

NOTE: This trip is ex-Leh. As were meeting in Leh on the morning of September 3rd,please try andarrive in Leh on Sep 2nd so that you will have a whole day to acclimatize to the altitude, especially if

youre flying in.

This cost may go up marginally if we have less than 12 participants. And will come down there are 13

participants. The group will be limited to 15 people:- 2 JwM facilitators + 13 participants max.

INCLUSIONS

All travel within Ladakh - this will be in a Tavera/ Maxicab or similar vehicle.

Accommodation will be in clean & comfortable guesthouses and homestays. 2-3 people to a room,

depending on room size.

The trip cost comprises 2 kinds of costs - fixed & variable. Fixed costs are for accommodation, most

travel costs, and the fee you pay us for organizing & facilitating this trip. Variable costs include most

meals as we may eat at diferent places everyday, and some travel costs as there can be some

fluctuation depending on weather & other conditions at the time. These 2 costs add up to Rs.23,000/-.

On the variable side, weve assumed an average of Rs.500/- per day for meals (bfast/lunch/dinner)

based on earlier visits. This cost is usually lower when we eat more local food. If we insist on eating

pizzas in Leh, however, this per day cost could easily go up. Please also see exclusions below.

EXCLUSIONS Travel costs from your home-city to Leh and back are not included. You will need to make your own

travel arrangements up to Leh and from Leh to your home-city. Well help out with suggestions though.

Any meals apart from what is already included, soft drinks, STD calls, laundry, etc.

Entrance fees to places of interest, camera & video camera fees, tips to waiters/driver/guides, etc.

Any other expenses of any nature that are not in the INCLUSIONS section.

Any extra expenses due to delays arising from bad weather & unforeseen circumstances.


Cost -Rs.23,000/-per person for a 12 DAY trip(group size: 12 people)
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CONFIRMING YOUR PARTICIPATION

If youre sure about joining in, please confirm your participation soonby sending in an advance of Rs.

9,000/-. Please email us at [email protected] for details of our bank account.

LAST DATE for confirming your participation is August 25th.

CANCELLATION CHARGES

For any cancellations made between now and Aug 25th, you will forfeit 10% of the trip costs. For

cancellations after August 25th, the advance paid will be non-refundable unless you have to opt out for

genuine reasons, such as a family emergency. Please do remember that we make our room & vehicle

bookings for our journeys based on your confirmations, and that we stand to lose a lot monetarily when

there are last-minute cancellations.

Please contact Vinod, Homi, or Moresha with any questions that you may have about the trip. You can

email us at [email protected] or call us:

Vinod - 098191 54365 | Homi - 098691 75484 | Moresha - 099204 44042

Important The itinerary is loosely structured to give you an idea of what to expect. We may switch some activities

to diferent days, however, depending on your feedback and based on what we feel is needed at the

time.

We will also have free photographylessons during the trip. Please carry your DSLRs or point-and-shoot

cameras. Ladakh is a photographers delight.

We will not be liable for any delays or cancellations arising out of unforeseen circumstances or badweather.

Some of you may want to visit Pangong Lake/ Tso Moriri Lake/ Nubra Valley, or go rafting on the

Zanskar. You can choose to opt out of the trek and do these activities then. Or you could stay back after

the trip for 2 or 3 extra days to do these. If you opt out of the trek, your trip cost will come down to

approximately Rs.17,000/-. We can connect you with a reliable travel agency in case you choose to go

rafting or visit the above places.

Thank you for considering joining Journeys With Meaning on this trip to Ladakh. As weve been doing

since 2007, our efort will be to make this journey an experience that you will not only remember with

great joy, but also one that will leave you with lasting insights & perspectives into one of Indias little-

understood regions. Welcome aboard! :)

- the JwM Team

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Documents

JwM Ladakh - Sep 2012 Itinerary & Costs