Equipment Used(temperature between 10 degrees to 0 degrees) Rucksack , 5/3 season tent, 5/3 season sleeping bag Rain wear (Trekking season overlaps with monsoon. showers are scant), Snow shoes, Sleeping mats, Thermal liners, Snow coat, sweater, muffler, gloves, Torch, Match Sticks, Maps of the trekking route, first-aid kit, Knee caps

Ready-to-Eat Food MTR ready-to-eat food packets. (one per day per person) Dry fruits, Crackers (mixture), Nutrine Naturo fruit bars (3 per day per person)

Health Issues You will reach an altitude of 5100mts above sea level (average height about 4000mts). Be sure not to have high altitude sickness also called "Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS)". People with knee problem should avoid this trek.

Purchases in Manali Water purifier (tablets/drops), kerosene (10-20 litres depending on duration), jerry cans for drinking water(10/20litre capacity), Vegetables, kerosene stove, utensils, rice, wheat flour, oil (things required for a portable kitchen) Mules and the mule-man Make arrangement with the "Himalayan Mule Trekkers Union" for mules to carry the kitchen, kerosene and things one cannot carry.  One could make arrangements with the mule-man after reaching Manali. It is good to book mules over phone before reaching Manali. The mule-man carries a cooking tent (to set up a kitchen). If he is a good guy (most of them are) he will cook food in the afternoons. He will not take the responsibility of guiding the trek (if you are lost, God help you). It is courtesy to help him set up the kitchen tent and bring potable water from what ever source he recommends.

How to reach the base camp

=> Bangalore to Delhi by train
=> Delhi to Manali by HPTDC bus
=> Stay at Renuka Lodge in  Manali. Buy required things in manali and book your mules. Mules will meet you at Darcha.
=> Travel from Manali to Darcha by : Himachal pradesh transport corporation buses (lousy but cheaper), OR private operators operating to Leh (good but costly)  OR Tata Sumo (good and convenient but very costly)

Some Photograps

Base Camp at Darcha	Tents at Darcha
With Chaban Rinzing, the mule man	Mountain around Darcha
At Barai Naala, near Palamo	Fixing a Horse Shoe
Camp at Palamo	On the way to Zanskar Sumdo
Zanskar Sumdo	Leaving Zanskar Sumdo

Zanskar Sumdo as seen on the way to Ramjak	Ramjak
Chumi Nagpo	Shingo-La
Shingo-La