Starting from Stok:

There is a Bus to Stok from Leh but not until 9:00 am it may be worth either taking a taxi or staying a night in Stok to get an earlier start as its a long day of walking over the Stok La to Rumbak where there are a number of homestays.

From Rumbak the trail joins the trail from Spituk.  Its possible to make it to Skyu in a very long day or to Shingo in a shorter day.  Both places have homestays.

Starting from Spituk:

Its worth taking a cab to Zhingchen (Jingchen) from to cut out the flat, hot, dusty, and boring walk along the dirt road from Spituk.  Starting from Spituk there are many buses from Leh.  The main village of Rumbak is off the main trail so the first night especially if you take cab to Zhingchen (Jingchen) can be spent at a homestay in the two house town of Yurutse.  From Yurutse you can make it over the Kanda La to Skyu.

Starting from Chilling:

Transportation to Chilling is not regular so if you don't get lucky with a bus you will have to take a cab.  The rope bridge that crosses the Zanskar River is about a 20-40 minute walk upriver along the road. Its only about a 2 and a half to 3 hour walk to Skyu but resist the temptation to go further unless you are carrying a tent as its a long way to the next homestay.

Along the Markha Valley:

Its a flat but long and often very hot walk from Skyu to Markha ( about 7 hours).  From Shingo its a couple hours longer.  But Markha is beautiful village and a nice place to stay.

From Markha, its a short day to Hankar, perhaps the most beautifully set village on the hike.  In between Markha and Hankar is Umlung a two house town where it is also possible to stay.  Staying in Umlung is useful if you want cut out the short day between Markha and Hankar by hiking from Skyu to Umlung and from Umlung to Nimaling, but these are both long days.  Markha and Hankar are both prettier than Umlung not to say Umlung's not pretty but the former are the two nicest villages on the trek. 

From Hankar its a mostly up hill hike to Nimaling where there is a "tent" homestay.  Ask at the tea tent for a homestay.  Same deal as all the others in the Markah Valley 350 rupees includes Dinner, Breakfast, packed lunch and in this case a bed in a tent.

Despite being a relatively high 5100 m pass the hike over the Gongmaru La is not difficult since you are starting from 4800 m at Nimaling.  It is a long trek down to Shang Sumdo where the trail meets the road.  There are a number of house in Shang Sumdo where it is possible to stay.  There is a bus that leaves in the morning to Leh or you can hike on to Hemis, or take a bus to Kharu, and hitch/walk from there to Hemis, where there are also buses back to Leh.

Pictures and Journal Entry from my:

1st trek to the Markha Valley (includes Hidden Valley trek) | 2nd Markha Valley Trek 2009 (start from stok) | return to Ladakh trekking page