Doug and Ian have just got back from a remote corner of Ladakh in Northern India. With them were a team of paddlers, many who are regularly seen working at the Lodge. Two years in the planning the first objective was trying to acclimatise as fast as possible to the 4500m altitude at which the river started. One thing you can’t plan for is water levels, and this year was huge – the biggest water they had seen out there in 16 years. So a little out of breath a team of 7 boaters started on the Tsarup Chu river in big water – we were pretty much paddling from the top of Mount Blanc! The Tsarup Chu involved 4 days of self support kayaking in one of the remotest and inhospitable places on earth. With heavy boats and high water levels it was straight into some fairly solid class 4 boating, the river forcing it’s way through 6 sheer sided box canyons. These canyons were often no more than 5 metres wide, were completely blind, inescapable and involved paddling through boils that need to be seen to be believed.
After two days of box canyons, half a day on some easier water though spectacular open gorges the river picked up volume and gradient as it cascaded towards the confluence with the Zanskar River. A couple of big portages were required in between some big and steep class 4 and 5 rapids. The final day gave unbelievable white water, big heavy volume class four, all read and run with non stop adrenalin.
Joining the Zanskar the Tsarup Chu team met up with another 6 friends and the raft support team to continue for 5 days down the Zanskar River. The Zanskar is often referred to as the ‘Grand Canyon’ of the Himalaya, and in this it did not disappoint. The scenery was unbelievable and around every corner something new would take your breath away. The only thing that stopped you taking in the views was the white water. Although not as hard as the Tsarup Chu, it was still big and very continuous at the high flows. So waves and boils were regularly engulfing the team of paddlers as they journeyed down one of the greatest canyons on earth.
Ten days after starting the river journey everybody arrived safely back in Leh, time to reflect of what was for the majority one of the most amazing river expeditions they had ever done.

No doubt Doug and Ian will still be telling the stories well into the autumn. If you are up here on a course then you can hear the full account from them!