We drove to the trek's starting point where we met our support team. A rather huge team 14 horses/mules controlled by 3, 2 cooks, and 4 other guides. Our lead guide was Dorjey supported by Norboo-1 and Norboo-2. The mules carried our luggage [One 10-12kg duffel bag per trekker], tents, and most important the food for the next 7 trekking days. After we collected our pack lunch we started towards Zingchan on a 4WD track along side the mighty but calm and quite Indus. Indus touches Leh and makes it the most green spot in the area. The people here have used this river wisely for farming and tree plantation. The four wheel trachk is intended to reach Rumbuk but its only completed till Zingchan. I hope they dont complete it just to save the eco-system. Actually you can drive till Zingchan but we decided not to, for acclimatization sakes. I was the trek route planner and I had introduced this day like a warm-up day. And the day really warmed up as we approached Zingchan. The day temperatures soar to near 30* and the UV fator burns it more. After walking for more than two hours we stopped for tea in the first parachute tent [typical to this area]. The tent was pitched in trees  or bushes to be more specific alongside a small but lively stream. The stall owner served everything from frooti/coke to old monk rum. But the most delicious thing he served was fresh,juicy sweet apricots I think I ate 3-4 and guess what they are free. After a quick round of lemon tea and a some rest we got back on track. We met a checzk couple here who were trekking into Markha valley and they would camp along side us at Zingchan.

Zingchan is just 30-40 mins walk from here, it seemed long as the sun had started burining in full glory. There is almost no vegetation on the route just grey and brown sometimes red coloured mountains towering above the Indus gorge. Zingchan is a two hut village and more of a camping site. there are fairly big trees here along side a murky stream and so one can camp. Also the next camping spot is around 3 hours away. We reached here and finished our packed lunch of one banana, garlic bread and cheese, pineapple juice, one choclate bar. We set our tents with the help of our guides, while our kitchen staff pitched the dining tent and the kitchen tent.

After everything was set our cook Prem served us Tea and biscuits and potato wedges for snack. The arrangement is superb, you get a dining table to sit around and chat as you sip on your cooffe/tea. We passed our time playing rummy till it started getting cold. We had standard Dal bhat and roti sunzi for dinner follwed by tea again. During dinner Dorjey used to brief us about the next day's schedule and what to expect. He had was a 23 year old laen fellow but he had climbed Kangri 3 times alone this season. He was coming with us for the forth time. We hit bet around 9 PM but before we had a great informative session with Dr. Vishwanath Jigjinni on star gazing. As the moon was still not out the sky was filled with stars and planet and constellation and milky ways and what not. Leave aside the technical details, it was a fabulous site to watch.