Skypacking Ladakh : Day 08: Yar La (4930 m) - Meeting The Zara Chu
17th July, 2024
Route : Dat Gompa (4300 m) to Sangtha (4400 m) via Yar La (4930 m)
Distance : 31 km
Elevation gain: 700 m
The gompa at Dat (4300 m) was facing the bright sun early in the morning, and I woke up at 07:00 am. It was a very comfortable night, as we were able to sleep inside the Gompa complex, which was pretty warm.
We tried our best to convince a guided hiking group to drop us near Yar La (4930 m) in their tempo traveller, but sadly there was no space. After spending some time inside the 600-year-old Gompa, we decided to start walking
It is always a challenge to walk on long road sections as a hiker. Today was tough because the sun was harsh, the road section was very long (13-14 km), and it was slightly uphill. The monotonous motion of the road usually makes the bottoms of my feet hurt.
We somehow walked the entire 13.6 km road section in 3 hours and then took a break before ascending Yar La (4930 m). The climb was quick, as it was just 200 meters up, but the sun was very harsh. We sat at the pass for half an hour and then started descending into the Kharnak Valley.
I was able to hike in the valley along a faint trail. I will map this section of the trail so that hikers can avoid taking the road while descending from Yar La. The nomadic settlement of Kharnak (3600 m) looked very pretty in the aerial shots. It is a wide and beautiful valley with a clear line of sight. The whole settlement was empty as the villagers had gone with their cattle towards More Plains.
We quickly linked back to the mapped trail that took us to Sangtha (4400 m). On the way to Sangtha, you will see an AM tower, and as soon as you hike up the last saddle, you will be able to see the huts at Debring. Luckily, we got some fine internet connectivity (Jio) there, and we stopped for 30 minutes to quickly check our inboxes.
We descended and, after hiking for another hour through some rolling hills, reached Sangtha by 06:30 pm. The last section of the trail goes through a small gorge, which looks pretty and unearthly. You will see a lot of pigeons nesting in the holes of these naturally formed rock towers.
Sangtha is another nomadic settlement that was empty, but one of the huts was clean enough. Artik decided to sleep inside the hut, while Pete and I decided to pitch the tent.
We cooked some masala oats inside the hut and cleaned ourselves in the Zara Chu stream. We used our water filters to fill our water bottles. After a wholesome dinner, we went inside our tents and fell fast asleep.
The major struggle for today was the 13 km long walk on the road, which drained us both physically and mentally.
The plan for the next day was to follow the Zara Chu downstream and cross a pass known as Jinz By or Bong La (4581 m).
On each day of this hike me and Pete recorded a podcast sharing a summary of the day. We named it Tent Talk. Sharing the audio podcast here.
Tips:
It is rare to hitch a ride, so be mentally prepared to walk on the road.
Carry enough water (2 litres) just for the road section.
If possible, you can arrange a vehicle for pickup from Dat. Otherwise, you can also hike back to Hankar via Zalung Karpo La.
Acclimatize well
If you wish to learn how to execute these treks in a DIY style, check out the DIY Trekking Field Course, where I teach all the important modules that can help you become an independent hiker.