is a minimal set of clothes. If you trek in the autumn, taking one more jacket that could be used as an extra layer is not a bad idea.
While walking, I wore cotton trousers, thermal T-shirt and polar fleece pullover. On cold days, although rarely, I added the polar fleece T-shirt under the pullover. Occasionally, on very hot days, I removed the thermal T-shirt and just wore the pullover. It may seem strange, but the pullover was fine. Even if it was a bit too hot while I was in the sun, it was just perfect in the shade and on ascents to passes. While resting on the way, I put on my jacket and, sometimes, especially on passes, my coat. At camps, I changed the cotton trousers for the pair of polar fleece ones, and the thermal T-shirt for a dry cotton one, then I put on all the remaining layers. I wore woolly Ladakhi socks while in camp and modern trekking socks for walking. Usually I slept in just my underwear and the cotton T-shirt. Additionally I used a piece of cloth to make a turban to protect my head and neck from the sun, a light cap for warmer evenings and colder days, a thick polar fleece cap for evenings, mornings and passes, and a balaclava for windy days and evenings.
Trekking boots and rucksack have already been mentioned. Sandals are necessary for crossing rivers and for giving your feet a rest in camp. Make sure they fit properly and that you can tighten them firmly.
Tents and cooking equipment
A summer tent is not enough even if you trek in the hottest part of the season. You need at least a three-season tent, and if you plan to trek in spring or autumn, a four-season tent.
Independent camp in the Langthang Valley (Trek 1)
Air-filled sleeping mats are recommended, as they generally give better insulation than simple foam mats. Your sleeping bag needs to have its lower limit a few degrees below 0ºC. If you are not sure whether your sleeping bag will do, buy a polar fleece inner bag to augment warmth. These are available in Leh and are certainly a cheaper solution than buying a new sleeping bag.
Kerosene is the most commonly used fuel in Indian households and is easily available; sometimes it is even possible to buy it in a remote village, although you should not expect to do so. Kerosene stoves are therefore the most suitable on trek, and MSR products (www.msrgear.com) considered by many travellers to be the best. Primus (www.primus.eu) is another legendary stove manufacturer. Simple Indian stoves, even portable models, are widely available, including in Leh, but they are heavier than the modern ones designed for outdoor activity. Trekking stoves are available in Leh, both for hire and to buy, but don’t expect to have a choice. A lone trekker with a modern, good quality stove, will need around a litre of kerosene for a 10-day trek.
Gas cartridge camping stoves and cartridges are available in Leh. It is fine to use them (and they cook faster than petrol stoves), but you cannot buy the cartridges anywhere outside Leh. If you go on a trek where most nights will be spent in villages, you may want to use a solid fuel stove and fuel tablets. These are unsuitable for cooking full meals, but can be useful for boiling water and making instant soup and so on along the way.
Relying on a campfire for cooking is almost impossible, as you will find hardly any wood, only dry shrubs and perennials. Dried horse and yak dung is also used for fuel by locals in the villages. Using this you can make a small fire and cook a meal, but it requires quite an effort and takes much time.
The camp in Nyimaling (Trek 8)
Don’t forget a couple of boxes of matches; lighters are usually unreliable, especially at high elevations. A candle is useful too.
The cooking equipment that you need depends on the food you take for the trek; you will certainly need no more than two pots, a lid, a cup and a spoon.
Other personal items
The use of trekking poles is strongly recommended. They will help when crossing rivers, support your knees on descents, help you to balance when traversing sheer slopes and generally support your walking. The locking system must be strong; tips must be hard and quite sharp.
A pair of good quality sunglasses, reflecting or filtering 100 per cent of UVA and UVB light, with blinders at the sides, is essential as protection against both the sun and snow blindness.
Medicines have been already mentioned, but you must be prepared to deal with cuts, wounds, blisters, sprains, burns, fever, diarrhoea and pain. Carry antibiotics in case of serious infection.
You must have a sun cream with a high factor sunscreen, and a sun-blocking lipstick. You will also need suitable ointment to deal with the cracked skin that will certainly form on your fingers, toes and heels due to the cold, dry air and freezing water. Consult your doctor about the exact list of medicines, bearing in mind the region to which you are heading, the activities planned and your personal health record.
A man from Zanskar posing for a group of trekkers in a village in the Kargyak Valley (Trek 3)
Don’t forget a pocketknife, torch, sewing kit and photographic equipment, and spare batteries. A GPS receiver is not really necessary unless you have a digital map of the region or someone’s GPS tracks uploaded to your unit. A compass is needed.
Food
Food needed for a trek, including high-energy, freeze-dried food as well as local organic produce, is available in Leh. On an organised trek food will be usually prepared for you. Expect breakfast, dinner and a packed lunch. Breakfast will probably consist of some kind of simple Indian bread like chapati or parantha and an omelette or porridge. For dinner expect rice with some sort of vegetable/lentil/meat sauce. As mentioned earlier, if you arrange the trek directly with the local agent, you can discuss the menu in advance. Try to use local products instead of manufactured food (see How to trek?).
A child from Kalbok village (Treks 2–4)
EATING ON AN INDEPENDENT TREK
I eat twice a day during treks. The morning meal is based on milk prepared with milk powder. I make porridge, adding nuts and raisins, or just eat it with muesli or tsampa. The latter is a sort of porridge made of roasted barley. It is the most popular and the simplest local food, and needs no cooking. You can add chur ship/churpe (mild homemade granulated cheese, dried in the sun, made from the milk of a dimo (female yak) or dzomo (yak/cow hybrid)).
Evening meals almost always consist of rice. I eat it with tinned tuna or instant soup. When preparing the latter, I add chur ship and onion or garlic. Occasionally I eat two instant noodle soups, but I always add onion, garlic and some kind of dry yak cheese to make it more nutritious. Sometimes a plain noodle instant soup is the first plate for me, followed by rice. I also use bouillon cubes – they are great for making a warm drink – and tea, preferably green, sometimes with cardamom and cinnamon bark. During the day I eat nuts, raisins or dried fruit, and occasionally biscuits, when small shops are available on the way.
Using this guide
Route descriptions and maps
Eight trekking routes are described in this guide, each divided
