THE VILLAGES AND HIGH MOUNTAIN PASSES OF LADAKH

You can find advice on foreign travel from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs on their official website at diplomatie.gouv.fr under the heading “Conseils aux voyageurs”.

Information published on the website of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs is subject to change and is provided for guidance only. Furthermore, please remember that no country or region of the world can be considered safe from the risk of terrorism.

Nestled between the Himalayas to the south and the Karakorum to the north, Ladakh, at an average altitude of 5,300 m (17,390 ft), has two main seasons:

– Winter, with temperatures down to -30°C, snow and road closures.
– Summer (mid-May to mid-October), when the climate is very dry and harsh (the mountains stop the monsoon, in principle) with intense sunshine.

In September, it is already freezing at night… and on some summits, it starts to get cold from mid-August. It is quite possible to encounter snow in Ladakh in September, so be prepared and well equipped.

Reminder: the weather is unpredictable, so it is important to be prepared in case of exceptional and difficult weather conditions.

During the trip, you will only carry your light backpack (30/35 L) with useful things for the day (water, sun cream, jacket, small first-aid kit, etc.). Every evening, you will collect your travel bag (80/100 L) entrusted to the mules during the trek.

During the trek, mules or horses are used to transport your personal belongings. Therefore, it is imperative that you only take the bare necessities (maximum 15 kg) on your trek. Your luggage may be weighed at the start of the trek and if it is overweight you will have to review its contents. You can leave the rest of your belongings at the hotel and collect them at the end of the trek.

Travel overland is by private vehicle.

Airfares will be maintained until 3 months before departure and may be readjusted if necessary if you are booking less than 3 months before.

No adapter needed for power outlets

Picnics or hot meals at midday, hot meals in the evening either in restaurants in the towns, in the hotel or prepared by the cooking team during the treks.
Meals in town are not included so you can eat what you like before and after the trek.

Hotels in the towns and camps on the treks.

In the towns, we have chosen comfortable hotels that are always well located.

On the trek, we use 3-person tents for 2 people for more comfort. You will find the camp already set up when you arrive. A helping hand (especially for dismantling in the morning) is welcome and allows an earlier start. Meals are taken in a mess tent and a toilet tent is set up when there is no toilet at the camp. A basin of hot water is provided or can be requested from our local team for a quick wash.

No compulsory vaccines.

We strongly recommend that you make sure you are up to date with the standard vaccinations: diphtheria-tetanus-poliomyelitis, whooping cough, tuberculosis, typhoid fever, hepatitis A and B.

We recommend that you have a check-up with your dentist before you leave.

No vaccinations are required for entry into India. We recommend that you are up to date with the standard vaccinations, primarily tetanus and polio. Typhoid and hepatitis A and B vaccines are recommended. Hepatitis A is transmitted by drinking contaminated water, B is transmitted by sexual intercourse or blood contact and sometimes by saliva.

Supervision by a qualified French mountain leader and a local Ladakhi team. This team varies from day to day but is composed of a local, English-speaking Ladakhi guide for the visits and helpers for the trekking part.

For French nationals:
• Tourist visa to be requested from VFS GLOBAL or other visa service.
• Your passport must be valid for 6 months after the mandatory return date and have at least three blank pages, two of which must be consecutive.
For nationals of other countries, please contact the Indian embassy in your country to find out about the formalities.

Procedure for obtaining a visa:
• e-Visa (via Internet): Less expensive and quicker to obtain than the classic visa, an e-Visa (electronic visa) can be obtained from the following official website: https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/tvoa.html
You will need to fill in a form, upload the administrative copy of the passport you will be travelling with, a passport photo and pay the consular fee by bank card. Your e-Visa will then be sent to you by email. You will have to print it out and present it with your flight tickets when you board your flight and when you arrive at the Indian immigration office. We advise you to apply for a multiple-entry tourist visa valid for one year, once your stay is confirmed.

• Classic visa (via an embassy or consulate), especially when the conditions for an e-Visa cannot be met. You will need to submit/send your application to an embassy or consulate (Paris, Lyon, Marseilles, Bordeaux, Strasbourg).

As these formalities may change, please check with the consular authorities in your country to ensure that they are accurate. Each individual traveller is responsible for complying with the entry requirements of the countries they visit. Watse cannot be held responsible for any changes in formalities.

The currency in India is the Indian rupee. Abbreviation: INR. Indicative rate in November 2020: €1 = 79 INR
Cash: you can travel with both euros and dollars. Currency exchange can be carried out in exchange offices, banks or even hotels.

– Meal in a tourist restaurant: between €8 and €15
– Coffee: between €0.6 and €1
– Bottle of mineral water: €1

By post:

Ask us for a registration form

• By phone: +33 (0)665 932929
• Or email: contact@watse.fr

Send us your registration along with a copy of your passport, your details (postal address, phone numbers and email address) and a deposit of 30% of the cost of the trip.

Also, if you wish to take out a Comfort or Comfort Multi-risk cancellation insurance policy, this must be paid at the same time as the deposit when you register. You can consult the insurance contracts on our website.

On the internet:

Book your stay directly on our website: on the page for the trip by selecting your date and insurance options.

PLEASE NOTE: Airfares will be maintained until 3 months before departure and may be readjusted if necessary if you are booking less than 3 months before.

We strongly advise you to take out insurance for the duration of the trip.

We offer two tailored insurance policies: Comfort Cancellation and Comfort Multi-risk to be taken out when you register for the trip.

Details of this insurance cover can be provided on request or can be viewed by clicking here.

There are other insurance options available, such as Mondial Assistance, your own insurance company or the Club Alpin Français. You should check that they cover trekking.

Make sure that your insurance covers all medical costs in the event of an accident.

It is essential that you check and ensure that you have insurance cover for mountain rescue costs. If this is the case, you must provide us with the following information prior to your departure on the trek:

A certificate from the insurance company stating that mountain rescue costs are covered.

The contract number and telephone number of the assistance centre.

Be aware of the restrictive clauses contained in certain insurance policies (particularly those linked to bank cards such as Visa Premier, Gold or others), for example mountain insurance restricted to snow activities and altitude sickness not recognised as an illness requiring repatriation, resulting in refusal to repatriate.

Please check the actual content of your insurance and make the necessary arrangements where required.