This is the website of Kriya Yoga UK a Registered Charity in England and Wales Number 1119701. Kriya Yoga UK is Company Limited by guarantee, registered in England Number 6243130 Balashram Ladakh Trek 19 July - 1 August 2008 BACKGROUND
Balashram is a residential school in rural Orissa, India 80kms from Cuttack. It was set up in 2004 for the poor and destitute children of Orissa. The school presently has 160 children both boys and girls who are either orphaned or come from extremely poor backgrounds. There are immediate plans to expand the school to accomodate 480 children and this coming April another 40 disadvantaged children will be joining Balashram . The children are being educated in English. and in addition to academic tuition they are also being taught arts, culture and yoga.  Paramahamsa Prajnanananda The philosophy of Balashram is to offer physical, emotional, mental and spiritual development to each child. Children are admitted from the age of 4 with a plan to educate them to 18 years old. Balashram is funded by voluntary donations and gives the poorest children the chance of an education normally only available to children from the wealthiest families. Balashram is managed by the board of trustees of Prajnana Mission, an Indian based charity founded by Paramahamsa Prajñanananda. The school needs accommodate 480 children and substantial investment is required to construct the buildings and infrastructure. It is vital that Balashram receives the funding now as construction costs are rising by more than 10% per annum. WHO CAN TAKE PART IN THE TREK? The trek is open not only to those who practice Kriya Yoga but also to their friends and family members who may wish to participate. All you need is a spirit of adventure, be willing to be without your creature comforts and want to make a real difference to the children’s lives. Balashram Each trekker will need to raise sponsorship of at least £2,500 and pay towards the cost of the trek themselves. Places are limited and will be allocated on a first come first served basis. We are delighted that Baba Prajnanandaji, Rajarshi Peter Van Breukelen and Swami Mangalanandaji will be trekking with us for the duration of the trip. Trekkers will need to be of good health and fitness to walk around 6 hours each day as well as committing themselves to raising the sponsorship monies. The trek will be professionally organized by an experienced trek tour operator whilst the administration and fund-raising will be co-ordinated by Kriya Yoga UK. Participants are likely to come from all over the world. THE ULTIMATE CHALLENGE:BALASHRAM LADAKH TREK, INDIA 2008
Isolated for many months of the year by snow, Ladakh remains one of the best places to experience the unique culture of the high Himalaya. With its snow covered peaks, remote villages, and ancient Buddhist monasteries – Ladakh transports you to another world. Leh, or ‘Little Tibet’ as it is known, is a wildly beautiful desert region high in the Western Himalayas. It is a place of few resources and an extreme climate, yet it has been home to a thriving culture for more than a thousand years.
Our trek takes us through picturesque and ancient villages with a lifestyle unchanged for centuries as the friendly village people greet you with a smile and “Jullay”. This is the land of the Snow Leopard and if we are lucky we might see one of these magnificent animals.
This trek is one of the most varied and beautiful in the world. The route ventures high into the Himalayas where it passes through terrain varying from extremely narrow valleys to vast expanses and high passes offering fantastic views towards Tibet. The richness of the landscape is enhanced further by the ancient form of Buddhism that flourishes in the many monasteries that dot the landscape. This is a wonderfully varied but challenging trip perfectly suited to someone seeking his or her first Himalayan trekking adventure. We will trek on average 6 hours per day and we will allow time for meditation in the morning and evening. Day 1: International Travel
Depart London for our flight to Delhi, India. Day 2: Arrive Delhi
We will spend the day in the capital and stay overnight in our hotel in Delhi.
Days 3-5: Fly to Leh. Rest & acclimatisation.
The early morning one hour flight takes us over the Greater Himalaya before landing at Leh, one of the highest airports in the world. We hope to get excellent views of Stok Kangri as we fly-in. Once in Leh we will have gained an altitude of almost 3,200m and can expect to feel the effects of the rarefied atmosphere. The expedition is organised so that we have a few days to allow our bodies to acclimatise to the attitude before we begin our trek programme. Leh is a bustling little town that is dominated by the ruins of an ancient castle perched above the main bazaar. We will also have the opportunity to visit the amazing Shey palace and ancient Hemis and Thikse monasteries. Warm up walks will also be arranged.
Day 6: Alchi Monastery & transfer to trek start point.
We will travel by jeep for 2 to 3hrs along the Indus River to Alchi. We will pass through a number of lovely villages including Nimu and Saspol. The scenery is fabulous with the Stok Range to the south and the Ladakh Range to the north. Near Nimu we see where the Zanskar River flows into the Indus. Alchi is a wonderful village with one of the most beautiful gompas(monasteries) in Ladakh which we will visit Alchi monastery. Alchi is one of the most amazing ancient monasteries in the world. We will stay overnight at Lamayaru Monastery. Day 7: Trek from Lamayaru to Shilla (3,150m), approx 15kms
Today the main trekking begins! This morning we will explore Lamayuru Gompa. In the 16th century it was declared a holy site in which even criminals could seek sanctuary and today it is a working monastery. This place is famous for one of the most spectacularly set gompas in Ladakh. Lamayuru was once a lake but with the blessings of a lama the water of the lake receded up to the mountains leaving place for the monastery to be built. This gompa is the home of Kagyupa Order and is one of the oldest known gompas in Ladakh dating back beyond the 10th century. The gompa is believed to be located at the Holy site where Milarepa took shelter during the religious odyssey across the Himalayas. After a gentle climb we descend a little valley towards the Prinkitla pass (3,750m), which we cross after a short climb. From here we descend further into a narrow gorge to the village of Shilla where we will camp overnight. Day 8: Trek from Shilla to Hinju (3,800m), approx 15kms
Today we will trek across the river and on towards Wanla. In Wanla we will visit a typical village monastery. From Wanla we will continue along the Yapola River to the village of Phenjilla where we ascend a small valley before reaching our camp at Hinju. Our route takes us through picturesque and ancient villages with a lifestyle unchanged for centuries. This is the land of the Snow Leopard and if we are lucky we might see one of these magnificent animals. We stay overnight at a monastery near Hinju Day 9: Trek from Hinju to Sumdo (4,950m), approx 14kms
This morning we trek up the main valley, past the last mountain pastures before making a steep ascent up to the Konzkela Pass (4,950m), which provides fantastic views of the surrounding peaks. From the pass it is a long descent to the river. We will continue trekking along the river to our camp at Sumdo. Along the way we will see some blocked up caves used for meditation by Buddhist oracles. We camp overnight at Sumdo. Day 10: Trek from Sumdo to base of Dudenchenla Pass (4,400m), approx 12kms
From Sumdo we will continue trekking in the main valley until we start ascending the Dundunchenla Pass (4,800m). This trek through remote valleys and high passes provides fantastic views towards Tibet. The trek is quite a challenge but the rewards are fantastic, and should prove to be an exciting adventure. Tonight we will camp at the base of Dudenchenla Pass (4,400 m). Day 11: Trek from Dudenchenla Pass to Chilling (4,800m), approx 15kms
We will enjoy a wonderful trek today and while we ascend the pass we will see the most beautiful panoramic views! We will continue down a steep slope through a valley that continues to narrow until we reach the village of Chilling. Chilling is most interesting in that the people here are the only ones in the region to work with metals such as copper, tin, and silver. We camp overnight at Chilling. Day 12: Return to Leh & celebration meal
We will return to Leh by jeep. Today is a day to relax and think about what we have achieved and in the evening we will enjoy a meal celebrating our unique experience in the Himalayas.
Day 13: Fly to Delhi. Free time in India’s capital
This morning we will fly back to Delhi over the magnificent mountains we trekked amongst during the last week. We will check into our hotel in Delhi and we have the rest of the day to relax or sightsee in the capital.
Day 14: Depart Delhi on Return Flights
We will transfer to the airport for our return flights. This is a complex itinerary and may be subject to change.
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