Day 1: DEPART DUBLIN
Depart Dublin for London in the mid afternoon. Later that evening depart London for Delhi on an overnight flight.

Day 2: ARRIVE IN DELHI
Arrive in Delhi at noon, airport pick up and transfer to the Aamantran Guest House. For the remainder of the day you are free to relax, go shopping or sightseeing.

Accommodation: Guest House

Day 3: DELHI TO LEH (3505m)
Take the one hour flight to Leh, capital of Ladakh. This is an incredible flight over the greater Himalayas with spectacular views of K2 (8611 m) among other peaks. Its a morning flight so one has almost a full day in Leh for acclimatisation. Relax at the hotel, go for short walks and generally take it easy.

Accommodation: Hotel

Day 4: ACCLIMATISATION AND SIGHTSEEING
Spend the day in and around Leh to acclimatise. Enjoy a guided tour of Shey, Thikse and Hemis Buddhist monasteries. The tour involves a short amount of walking at each monastery which helps with acclimatisation. In the afternoon there is an extensive brief and gear check for the expedition.  Enjoy our last meal in a hotel for over a week.

Accommodation: Hotel

Day 5: LEH TO BASGO (3400m)
The first 10km are very easy as we cycle down hill through Leh, past the airport and on to the Indus river. We follow the Indus for one kilometer and them climb away from the river for 15km. After one hour we reach a small pass (3700m) and then have a nice downhill section as far as Nimu village. From Nimu the last 15km are relatively flat to reach Basgo. In the evening we visit Basgo Monastery built in the 16th century. It was the political and cultural center in the early days of Ladakh. Situated on top of the hill towering over Basgo, it holds a unique atmosphere of secrecy and calm.

Accommodation: Overnight camp
Bike: 45km

Day 6: BASGO TO KHALSI (3088m)
We start the day with a 8km climb out of Basgo to reach a small pass before descending again to the Indus. We continue along the Indus river with great views of the river and mountains. After one hour we park the bikes and cross the Indus on a small foot bridge to visit Alchi Village. The shrines at Alchi, some of which date back to the late eleventh century, are considered by scholars to be among the most extensive examples of Buddhist art in Ladakh. We have lunch in Alchi before getting back on the bikes and continuing on to Khalsi.

Accommodation: Overnight camp
Bike: 55km

Day 7: KHALSI TO PHANJILA (3300m)
Just after Khalsi we cross the river and climb away from the Indus Valley. We follow a small river canyon for three hours before turning towards Wanla on a smaller road. We pass through Wanla and continue to Phanjila. Today's route is very picturesque and has very little motorised traffic. We pass the monastery in Wanla and have the option of visiting Phanjila Monastery in the evening.

Accommodation: Overnight camp
Bike: 45km

Day 8: PHANJILA TO HANUPATTA (4000m)
Although the distance is short we have the most altitude gain today. We take it quite slowly today to ensure good acclimatisation. The scenery is fantastic as we move further into one of the most remote regions in Ladakh. In the afternoon we relax, acclimatise and prepare for the trekking section.

Accommodation: Overnight camp
Bike: 18km

Day 9: HANUPATTA TO PHOTOSGAR (4210m)
The first four hours are quite easy as we follow the river ascending gradually. Once we move away from the river we climb steadily for two hours to reach Sirsir La Pass (4805m). Its a tough hike but the views from the top are well worth it. From Sirsir La its another 90 minutes to reach our campsite near Photogsar.

Accommodation: Overnight camp
Trek: 18km

Day 10: PHOTOSGAR TO THE BASE OF SENGGE LA PASS (4400m)
We start the day with a gradual uphill walk to Burniktse La Pass (4390m) crossing it after one hour. From there it is relatively easy going with minimal altitude gain all the way to Sengge La base. Rest in the afternoon in preparation for tomorrows walk.

Accommodation: Overnight camp
Trek: 14km

Day 11: SENGGE LA BASE TO YULCHUNG (3850m)
Today is the toughest day on the trek. We start by walking up a steep trail for three hours to reach the Sengge La Pass (4960m). Upon arrival we are greeted with a beautiful vista of the Stok Range to the east, the Ladakh Range to the north, and the Zanskar Range to the south. From the pass, the trail gradually descends down to Gazho village. From Gazho it is a short walk to Yulchung, where we set up camp for the night.

Accommodation: Overnight camp
Trek: 12km

Day 12: YULCHUNG TO NYERAK (3200m)
From Yulchung there is a slight climb to reach the Chuchokhuri La Pass (3970m) which offers great views of the surrounding mountains. From the pass we descend steeply into the Grand Canyon of Asia to reach the Zanskar river. We cross the river on an impressive wooden footbridge and walk for one hour upstream to reach our campsite beside the river, near Nyerak village. In the afternoon we have a rafting brief and transfer our gear into dry-bags for the rest of the expedition.

Accommodation: Overnight camp
Trek: 8km

Day 13: NYERAK TO LAMAGURU(3190m)
After an extensive safety brief we put on to the Zanskar river. We paddle some big whitewater as we pass through the deepest part of the Canyon. We run two big class IV rapids, '18 Down' and 'Constriction', where the river rushes through a 6 meter gap. As the canyon walls become less steep we reach Lamaguru and the Markha river.

Accommodation: Overnight camp
Raft: 40km

Day 14: LAMAGURO TO NIMU & DRIVE TO LEH
We run 30km of class III(IV) whitewater to reach the Indus river and our finishing point at Nimu village. This section has the biggest rapids on the Zanskar. We have lunch in Nimu before driving back to Leh in time for a warm shower and a few beers in the evening.

Accommodation: Hotel
Raft: 30km

Day 15: FLY LEH TO DELHI AND SIGHTSEEING
Take the one hour flight from Leh to Delhi. Return to the Guest house for breakfast and then go out sightseeing. Visit Humayun's Tomb, Qutub Minar, India Gate, Raj Ghat and the Presidential Palace. In the evening go for a send off meal in one of Delhi's top restaurants.

Accommodation: Guest House

Day 16: RETURN TO DUBLIN
After breakfast transfer to the International airport in time for a noon flight leaving Delhi. Arrive in London in the evening and connect to Dublin.  

How do I take part in an Overseas Challenge?
Step 1: Complete an application form and send it into Concern with a personal donation/deposit of €200/£200
Step 2: Minimum sponsorship is then €5500/£4600 which covers the full event cost and more than 50% towards Concern Worldwide.
On receipt of a completed form and deposit, Concern will provide you with a Trek Manual and Fundraising Pack.

Where will the fundraising be used?
Concern Worldwide is an international humanitarian organisation dedicated to reducing suffering and ending extreme poverty. Since the beginning, over 40 years ago, our focus has been on improving the lives of the poorest people.  By taking part in this challenge, the proceeds that you raise will go directly our Concern Indian office so that they can continue to support existing programmes.

Are there any limitations for participants?
Anybody above the age of eighteen years at the date of departure can take part in a Concern Challenge. All you need is an enthusiastic approach to both your training plan and fundraising programmes, and if you follow our guidelines then there is no limit to what you can achieve.

What do the funds raised cover?

• All accommodation listed on the itinerary, in hotels in Delhi & Leh and camping elsewhere.
• All transport listed on the itinerary including airport pick up / drop off in Delhi, internal flights from Delhi to Leh and all other road transport. 
• All meals & food for the duration of the itinerary.
• All guide & permit fees, there are no local payments.
• Full expedition support including 4x4s on the bike section, a mule team on the trekking section and safety rafts & kayaks on the river section. There will be two chefs on this expedition.  
• Mountain bikes and specialised rafting equipment such as wetsuits, helmets, PFDs etc....
• All group gear consisting of first aid kits, mountaineering equipment, cooking equipment etc...
• Guide and entrance fees while sightseeing in Delhi.
• Help and advice from Concern staff to make the trek as enjoyable as possible for you.  

Will I be able to raise the sponsorship money?
With a little planning and a lot of enthusiasm and effort, raising the minimum target should not be a problem. Fundraising is more than half the challenge and should prove to be a very enjoyable and rewarding experience.

Rating
Moderate+

Fitness level
This challenge requires a good level of fitness to complete the route

Weather
Temperatures on the trip may vary from 10 to 30 degrees during the day and -5 to 10 degrees at night. It’s best to be prepared for lower temperatures due to wind chill or the weather turning bad. Usually the days are hot and the nights are cold. You should be ready for inclement weather in any case as the weather changes rather quickly, especially at high altitude.

This exciting challenge includes: 

Bike
The four day bike section covers a distance of 150km almost all of which is on paved road. Starting in Leh we follow the Indus for most of the journey, an area considered by most to be the birth place of civilization. This route has great views of the surrounding landscape. We visit Basgo monastery and Alchi village, two of the most historically significant locations in Ladakh. 

Trek
The four day trek covers a distance of 70km in one of the most remote regions of the Himalayas. Apart from a few villagers we will have the trail to ourselves as we walk into the heart of Zanskar the most remote district of Ladakh. It is a tough walk with many river crossings and four passes (4805m, 4390m 4960m & 3970m) to cross. The two largest passes offer great views of the Zanskar, Ladakh and Stok Ranges. We finish the trek by descending almost a 1000 meters into the Grand Canyon of Asia to reach the Zanskar River. 

Raft
We paddle 70km over two days on the Zanskar River, considered by many as one of the best rivers in the world.  We start the rafting section in the center of the Canyon which is a deep box canyon with great whitewater. Once we start rafting we are committed to reaching the end of the canyon which has walls over 1000m deep and no road access. We raft all the way to the confluence of the Zanskar and Indus rivers completing this epic journey.