Villages and high passes of Ladakh

• Return international flight and international airport taxes
• Ground transportation and domestic flights as described in the program
• Trekking and climbing permits
• Guesthouse and tent accommodation
• Meals on the trek, including hot drinks and filtered water
• Supervision by a qualified French mountain leader and an English-speaking local guide for the trek.
• The assistance of a local team and the carrying of equipment during the trek
• For the trek, camp, rescue and assistance equipment
• Ifremmont’s SOS MAM, a team of altitude specialists who can be reached by satellite phone 24/7 (as long as communication can be established).
• A hyperbaric chamber and a first-aid kit adapted to high-altitude conditions

• Meals in Leh and Delhi
• Soft drinks in general
• Personal hiking and travel equipment (boots, poles, personal first-aid kit, etc.)
• Cancellation and repatriation assistance insurance to be taken out on registration.
• Visa fees
• Single room supplements in accommodations
• Anything not mentioned in “included in the package”.

SAFETY

You can find the Quai d’Orsay’s position on these countries on the official website of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs: diplomatie.gouv.fr in the “Conseils aux voyageurs” section.

The information contained on the website of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs is subject to change and is given for guidance only. Please note that no region of the world or country can be considered safe from the risk of terrorism.

REGISTRATION

By post:

Ask us for a registration form

• by phone: 06 65 93 29 29
• or e-mail: contact@watse.fr

Send us your registration with a copy of your passport, your postal address, telephone number and e-mail address, together with a deposit of 30% of the cost of the trip.
Also, if you wish to take out a Comfort or Comfort Multirisk cancellation insurance policy, this must be paid at the same time as the deposit when you register. You can consult our insurance contracts on our website.

By internet:
Book your holiday directly on our website: directly on the holiday page, choosing your dates and insurance options.

ATTENTION: air fares will be maintained until 3 months before departure and may be readjusted if necessary if you book during this period.

ASSISTANCE AND SAFETY

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

We offer two different types of insurance: Comfort Cancellation and Comfort Multirisk, to be taken out when you register for your trip.

Details of this insurance are available on request or can be viewed by by clicking here.

Other offers include Mondial Assistance, your own insurance company or Club Alpin Français. Check that your trekking activity is covered.

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

You must make sure that you are covered for mountain rescue costs. If this is the case, you must provide us with the following information before you set off on your trek:

• a certificate from the insurance company covering mountain rescue costs.
• the contract number and telephone number of the assistance center

Beware of restrictive clauses in certain insurance policies (particularly those linked to Visa Premier, Gold or other cards), such as mountain insurance limited to snow activities, or altitude sickness not recognized as an illness requiring repatriation, which will be refused.

Please check the actual content of your insurance and take the necessary steps if necessary.

JET LAG

+ 3h30 compared with France in summer

+ 4h30 compared with France in winter

CLIMATE

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

– winter, with temperatures dropping to -30°C, snow and road closures.
– and summer (mid-May to mid-October), when the climate is very dry and harsh (the mountains basically stop the monsoon), with intense sunshine.

By September, it’s already freezing at night, and on some summits, it’s as early as mid-August before the cold sets in. It is quite possible to encounter snow in Ladakh in September, so you need to be prepared and well equipped.

Remember: weather is an unpredictable parameter, so it’s best to be prepared in the event of exceptional and difficult climatic conditions.

HEALTH AND VACCINES

No vaccinations required.

We strongly recommend that you are up to date with the usual 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.

IFREMMONT

For this trip, Watse offers you Ifremmont’s SOS MAM service, which means that in the event of a problem, a French doctor specializing in altitude and isolated environments can be reached by satellite telephone. Your Guide is also specially trained by Ifremmont to deal with these situations. He is the local medical correspondent for these doctors.

We’ll ask you to create an online medical record (http://www.teleconsultationsosmam.com), which you can also use every day to take charge of your health. We’ll provide you with a code to link your file to the trip you’re about to make. You’ll then be able to carry out a teleconsultation with these mountain medicine specialists before you leave, at a cost of €46 (non-reimbursed). This service is a real plus in terms of preventing the risks associated with altitude and remote areas.

Please note that this service does not replace your repatriation insurance, which is compulsory in some countries.

Overland travel is by private vehicle. We also use a domestic flight from New Delhi to Ladakh.

AIR

Air fares will be maintained until 3 months before departure and may be readjusted if necessary if you register during this period.

LUGGAGE

During the trip, you carry only your light backpack (30/35 L) with the essentials for the day (water, sun cream, jacket, small first-aid kit…).

Every evening at the stopover, you pick up your travel bag (80/100 L), which is entrusted to the mules during the trek. During the trek, the mules or horses are used to transport your personal belongings.
For this reason, it is imperative that you set off on the trek with only the bare essentials (maximum 15 kg). 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 pick them up again at the end of the trek.

MEALS

Picnics or hot meals are served at lunchtime. Breakfasts and dinners are prepared by the kitchen team during the trek.
Meals in town (in Delhi and Leh) are not included, so you can eat what you like before and after the trek.

Please let us know if you have any food allergies when you register.

ACCOMMODATION

In guesthouses in the towns and in tents during the trek.

In the cities, we chose comfortable hotels that are always conveniently located.

On the trek, we use 3-person tents for 2 people, for greater comfort. You’ll find the camp set up when you arrive. A helping hand (especially with dismantling in the morning) is welcome and helps you get an early start. Meals are taken in a mess tent, and a toilet tent is set up when there are no toilets on camp. A basin of hot water is provided or can be requested from our local team for a quick toilet.

TRAINING

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

ELECTRICITY

No need for plug adapters.

FORMALITIES AND VISA

For French, Swiss and Belgian nationals:
– Tourist visa.
– Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after the date of return, and must have at least three blank pages, two of which must be consecutive.
For nationals of other countries (Swiss, Belgian, etc.), please contact the Indian embassy in your country for information on formalities.

Visa procedure:
– E-visa (via Internet): Less expensive and quicker to obtain than the classic visa, the E-visa (electronic visa) can be obtained on the following official website: https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/tvoa.html
You need to complete a form, upload the administrative copy of your passport with which you will be traveling, a passport photo and pay the consular fees by credit card. Your E-visa will then be sent to you by e-mail. You need to print it out and present it with your plane tickets on boarding and on arrival at the Indian immigration service. We advise you to apply for a multiple-entry tourist visa valid for one year, once your stay has been confirmed.

– Classic visa (via an embassy or consulate) Particularly when Evisa conditions cannot be met. You must submit a file to an embassy or consulate (Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux, Strasbourg).

As these formalities may change, please check with the country’s consular authorities. All travelers are responsible for complying with entry requirements in the countries they visit. Watse cannot be held responsible for changes in formalities.

BUDGET, CHANGE AND TIPS

The currency in India is the Indian Rupee. Abbreviation: INR
indicative rate in November 2020: €1 = 92 INR

Cash: you can travel with euros or dollars. Exchange is available at exchange offices, banks and even hotels.

Tipping is not compulsory and should reflect your satisfaction with the team. Your guide will inform you if you wish to provide one.