London to Leh, 2nd Zanskar River Trip

The shirts they had made for the trip.


This season was a good one. Getting onto two trips down the Zanskar River. The second one was with a group of kids from the Laburnum Canoe Club in Hackney, England. They where aiming to be the first group of youth to kayak/raft down the river with the youngest one 15 and the oldest 19. They had the past year raising 24000 pounds to get the eleven of them and there 3 leaders over to India.
I meet them all a little past Kargil on there first night driving to the Put in. This was because after finishing my first trip, I jumped into a Sumo Jeep with all my gear and the last Harry Potter Novel and got driven back up to the top of the river.
Meeting up with the group was great. All were full of energy and some sang all the way to the river. Some great sights on the way over as well. Eventually you just stop counting glaciers.

It was a great five days on the river and with only six swims, I would say they did quite well. Enjoy the Photos.

Leaving from Remalla on the first day on the Stod river which eventually converges with the

Tsarap Chu to make the Zanskar.

Local kids checking out kayaks at the Put in.

The rafters enjoying the mellowness on the first day.

Kitchen tent set up at the windiness camp in the world. Not Kidding!

Drakes was one of the sponsors for the trip.

Snack stop in the midst of the canyon, day 3.

Sanjay, Sam and one of the cooks rocking through 18 down, a place where a couple of rafts went over. Thus causing 18 people to swim.

Pulled over at a waterfall for lunch that comes out of the rock cliff.

Matt Tidy in the lead heading down the centre of the river.

Terry surfing it up in the Dagger( another sponsor) Mamba.

The kayakers in the red canyon of the Zanskar River.

Rafters and gear boats enjoying the late afternoon sun.

Photos by David Prothero