Warwan Valley Trek 2022 – Best of Ladakh & Kashmir

9 Days
Group : 8-15 People
Guided Trek
Difficulty: Moderate
Start: Leh
Altitude: 4420 m

The Warwan Valley Trek is a dramatic Himalayan crossover trek from Ladakh to Kashmir. It’s the best of both worlds – the remote scenery of Ladakh and the lush greenery of the Kashmir valley.

This valley is overflowing with adventure and beauty which is hardly found anywhere else. The trail of Warwan valley goes through one of the remotest and pristine regions of Kashmir. It goes through glaciers, crevasses, and endless moraines.

The whole trek is about 100 kilometers long and takes nine days of trekking amidst a tough landscape. That means that this is not a beginner or easy trek, it’s a tough trek and you must have experience of high altitude trekking before signing up for this trek.

This route was originally used for trading. You go through an area that is unexplored and untouched by others. And you will see the real Kashmir.

This trek is for all nature lovers and adventurers.

Departure & Return Location

Leh

Meeting Time

4 P.M

Price Includes

Activity: Trekking, Camping, etc
Accommodation during Trek (Camping)
Meals during Trek (Veg)
All season Camping tents on twin sharing basis, Sleeping bags with adequate sub-zero temperature rating, comfortable mattress
Safety Equipment includes static rescue rope, seat harness, carabiners, pulleys, ice-axe, micro-spikes, slings
Forest Permits/Camping Charges/Permits, Trek Permit Fee/IMF Permission – up to the amount charged for Indian Nationals.
Mountaineering course certified Trek Leader with First Aid knowledge
Experienced Local guide, cook, helpers
Porters or mules for carrying common luggage
Exhaustive First Aid kit including portable oxygen cylinder, oximeter

Price Excludes

Transportation
Meals during the road journey
Insurance
Any expenses of personal nature
Mules or porter to carry personal luggage. (extra luggage, if any can be left at the base camp with the authorities)
Cost Escalation due to natural reasons
Any expense not specified in the inclusion list

What to Expect

The Bracken GlacierWe will be traversing the Bracken glacier after crossing the Lomvilas Pass. It's a magnificent glacier.
The Confluence of RiversAt Sumdo, the Suru river and another glacial stream come together to form the Shangsi Lungma. It's a beautiful campsite and grassland.
Meadows of KashmirOnce we cross the pass, we enter the lush green valley. You can see the meadows which Kashmir is famous for!
Culture & TraditionObserve the local life and culture of the people while trekking through the Warwan valley. The conversations here are warm and insightful over a cup of warm Kahwa.

Warwan Valley Trek Itinerary

Day 1Arrival in Leh

Your adventure begins the moment you board the flight to Leh. If you’re lucky enough to find a window seat, you are sure to be mesmerized. You can see the views of snow-capped mountains from thousands of feet up in the air. Ladakh is a haven.

You’ll be flying over long stretches of snow-covered Himalayan mountains. In the summer season, you can even take a road trip from Manali to Leh. You will see the changing landscape as you make your way to Ladakh.

You will be transferred to the designated hotel once you arrive in Leh. The first day will be spent getting acclimatized to the high altitude so spend your day outdoors but don’t exhaust yourself. Drink plenty of water to naturally acclimatize your body. This is critical in the days ahead.

Day 2Acclimatization in Leh

Keeping in mind that some trekkers may feel the symptoms of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), we have this extra day in our itinerary to let your bodies get acclimatized to fully acclimatize to the high altitude.

It will be easier and more comfortable for you to stay in your hotel room but it is very important that you go out and explore. Your trek leader will be taking you for an acclimatization walk today and will brief you about the details, do’s, and don’ts of the trek. The Leh market is also a great place to spend the day shopping and remain active. You can do last-minute shopping for your trek.

Day 3Leh to Panikhar

Distance: 280 km

Time Taken: 10 hours (Drive)

Altitude: 3,200 m (10,500 ft)

The Warwan Valley Trek starts from Panikhar in Suru Valley, Ladakh. There are two ways to reach Panikhar – via Leh or via Srinagar. Both routes go through Kargil.

We will be starting our journey from Leh to Panikhar in the early morning. It’s a beautiful drive and you will be driving through culturally rich mountain roads. By now, your body will be acclimatized to the high altitude and you will be able to enjoy the drive.

If you start your trek from Srinagar, your body will not be properly acclimatized. So, make sure to take an extra day in Panikhar if you’re starting from Srinagar.

Panikhar is a small village. There are a few Zanskari style homes and a few shops where you can get some snacks, but not much. So, make sure your shopping is complete before you leave Leh.

The stay will be in a guest house. You can have dinner and relax for the night.

Day 4Panikhar to Sumdo

Distance: 15 km

Time Taken: 7 hours

Altitude: 3,700 m (12,140 ft)

We will be starting the Warwan valley trek today. The trail starts from the main Panikhar market. We will be following the Chelong Lungpa river upstream into the valley.

Once you enter the narrow valley, the landscape changes dramatically. The government is making a path here for the four-wheelers deeper into the valley. We will be following the same path. This used to be a trekking route, so it’s easier to follow.

There is a local check post up ahead, where we need to enter our names and other details before moving ahead.

Once we start moving further into the valley, we will be trekking along the Chelong Lungpa stream, which is tumbling over the boulders. The trail is gradually ascending with a beautiful landscape ahead of you. We will have our packed lunch here in a meadow amidst the raw mountains. There are many water sources along the way.

After lunch, we continue on the trail until we see another confluence. This is the Sumdo campsite. The water here is calm and forking into multiple streams around the grass. It’s a wide meadow but with limited camping ground amidst the streams.

We will find a high camping ground and rest for the night.

Day 5Sumdo to Kalapari

Distance: 4 km

Time Taken: 2 Hours

Altitude: 3,870 m (12,697 ft)

Today is the shortest day of the whole trek. We will be starting the day by crossing multiple streams and going across the valley. The water is less in the early morning but it is ice cold, directly from the glacier ahead.

Once we reach the other side, we will start following the trail. There’s very little ascent today, so it’ll be a pleasant trek through the meadows.

Kalapari is an ideal campsite – it’s a meadow amidst the raw mountains, glaciers, and a flowing river next to it. We will be crossing the pass tomorrow, so we will rest and acclimatize ourselves today.

Have an early dinner and retire for the night.

Day 6 Kalapari to Kaintal via Lomvilad Gully

Distance: 20 km

Time Taken: 12 Hours

Altitude: 3,505 m (11,500 ft) via 4,420 m (14,500 ft)

We will be taking an early start today. This is going to be the longest and hardest day of the trek. We need to cross the mammoth Lomvilad pass. From the lovely meadows to the boulders, and glaciers.

Soon after we leave the campsite, we’re greeted by the moraines. We need to follow the trail which is clearly visible amidst the moraines. You will be getting amazing views of the mountains all around you, and the views of the meadows you left behind.

The route is even now, and you will be nearing the glacier, and you can spot the emerald-colored glacial lake at the base of the glacier. The lake makes for a beautiful setting. You will also be able to see Kalapari peak from here.

From here, we will be trekking on the glacier. You will need a firm footing to make sure that you don’t slip. Again, this trek is for experienced trekkers with a sure foot. The glacier is long and wide, we will need to negotiate crevasses to reach the moraines on the other side.

The climb to the pass is steep through a narrow gully. We will follow the trail that takes us on top of the ridge and to the pass. It’s a completely amazing feeling when you get to the top. The Ladakh-Srinagar passes near the top of the pass. You get to see the views of the magnificent mountains all around you, the lakes, and the beautiful meadows where you’ll be heading next.

But first, we need to cross the large snowfields that lie ahead of us. After spending some time at the top of the pass, we will start descending to the other side. The gradient of the descend is gentle. But we will be crossing the massive Bracken glacier and negotiating crevasses so we will need to be attentive. We will be crossing another glacial lake on our way down.

While descending, you will be able to feel the water running in the glacier, beneath your feet. It’s an adventurous feeling. We will continue descending the glacier until we reach the moraines on the other side. You can now see the Kaintal valley below.

The descend will undoubtedly be hard on your legs and knees. But we keep walking until we reach the Kaintal meadows. The scenery is now changed compared to the previous camps. You can notice more of Kashmiri meadow now.

We’ll rest here for the night after a long and tiring day.

Day 7Kaintal to Humpet

Distance: 19 km

Time Taken: 8 Hours

Altitude: 3,300 m (10,827 ft)

We will be trekking through lush meadows and beautiful landscapes to reach our campsite today. The distance may seem like a lot to cover but the gradient is mostly even so it won’t feel distressing.

We start with trekking along the river and following it into a wide basin. You will be able to see the amazingly green meadows all around you. There will be wild horses grazing and galloping around you. Keep walking and you will reach the Sar meadow.

There is an alternative Warwan valley route through Boban Gali, which is more difficult than the Lomvilad route. Sar meadow is where the two routes meet once again. You can also see a small Sar Lake to your right.

We will continue on the same trail and move closer to the intersection of two valleys – this is where the Dhrumgam Nala meets the Mariv Sudir stream. Humpet is not far from here.

Humpet does justice to its name – it’s on a hump that you spot from far away. You can get great views of the whole valley and the towering mountains from here.

We’ll rest here for the night.

Day 8Humpet to Sukhnai

Distance: 19 km

Time Taken: 8 Hours

Altitude: 2,800 m (9,186 ft)

We will be descending down to the intersection of three valleys today. The trail will initially climb up to a ridge and steeply descend down to the end of the valley. This is where the Sain Nar stream meets the Mariv Sudir stream. The famous Sheeshnag Lake is located behind the mountains in front of you. You won’t see it from here. That demands another adventure!

We will be trekking to the valley on our left. This is the actual Warwan Valley. The Warwan village lies at the end of this trail. We continue moving down the valley beside the rushing river. You’ll see several streams to your left descending and joining with the main river.

We will eventually cross to the right of the river using a wooden bridge and join the broad trail. There are several streams on this side of the river as well, which we will need to cross. This trail leads us straight to Sukhnai.

As we move closer to Sukhnai, you can notice that the valley is expanding and making way for more greenery. Sukhnai is a small pretty village situated in the middle of the valley. There are several houses and an army check post. We will be camping close to the village. The meadows look like a perfect picnic spot – close to nature, yet not far from civilization.

Day 9Sukhnai to Basminah

Distance: 17 km

Time Taken: 7 Hours

Altitude: 2,610 m (8,562 ft)

Compared to the last week, the trail today feels like a highway. The trail today is not steep, it’s a gentle walk. We won’t be losing much altitude. It’s extremely beautiful with meadows on both sides of the trail. We will be crossing several small villages on the way to Basminah today. So, if you’re looking for an unadulterated view of Kashmir and its people, this is the perfect trek for you.

The first village that we’ll be crossing is the Rikinwas village on the left side of the river. We’ll cross the farms, homes, and the curious villagers on our way. We’ll rest and chat with the villagers before moving on to the next one. Take the trail that moves out of the village, towards Gumbar village.

As you keep walking, the river is on your right. We will avoid the trail that ascends to the Gumbar village. We’ll bypass the Gumbar village, which is perched on the base of a valley towards our left. You can see the Gumbar Nala flowing into the main river.

We’ll be taking the trail to the Margi village from here. The village is not far from here. As you move closer to Margi, you’ll see a couple of trails. One that leads to the village, and the other moves across a wooden bridge to the other side of the river. We’ll cross the bridge and move to the other side. Now, the river is on your left.

You can now see the Basminah village ahead. It’ll take us another hour from here. Basminah is a comparatively bigger village with a lot more homes, shops, and basic necessities of everyday life. We’ll cross a couple more streams, the Basminah Nala, and enter the village.

The road is continuously been constructed deeper into the valley. We will end our trek at the road head depending on the latest. As soon as we reach the road-head, we’ll be on our way to Srinagar. The road is bumpy but scenic. We will be crossing the Margan Pass which connects Warwan Valley with the main Kashmir Valley. You can expect to reach Srinagar by 9 in the evening. The Warwan Valley Trek ends here.

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Got a Question?

Warwan Valley Trek 2022 – Best of Ladakh & Kashmir

Departure & Return Location

Meeting Time

Price Includes

Price Excludes

What to Expect

Warwan Valley Trek Itinerary

Day 1Arrival in Leh

Day 2Acclimatization in Leh

Day 3Leh to Panikhar

Day 4Panikhar to Sumdo

Day 5Sumdo to Kalapari

Day 6 Kalapari to Kaintal via Lomvilad Gully

Day 7Kaintal to Humpet

Day 8Humpet to Sukhnai

Day 9Sukhnai to Basminah

Warwan Valley Trek Map

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Why Book With Us?

Got a Question?

Warwan Valley Trek 2022 – Best of Ladakh & Kashmir

Departure & Return Location

Meeting Time

Price Includes

Price Excludes

What to Expect

Warwan Valley Trek Itinerary

Day 1Arrival in Leh

Day 2Acclimatization in Leh

Day 3Leh to Panikhar

Day 4Panikhar to Sumdo

Day 5Sumdo to Kalapari

Day 6 Kalapari to Kaintal via Lomvilad Gully

Day 7Kaintal to Humpet

Day 8Humpet to Sukhnai

Day 9Sukhnai to Basminah

Warwan Valley Trek Map

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