dossier

Stok Kangri & Ladakh

Grade

ChallengingPlus. Although thewalking is generally straightforward this is a demanding trek at high altitudein a remote region, even without attempting the peak. You should be confidentof your fitness at this altitude and have had previous experience of similarheights.  The peak itself is nottechnical but you should be familiar with the use of ice axes and crampons incase they are needed as we cross snowfields.

Altitude:Average altitude about 4130m; maximum 5260m with peak of 6114m. 2 acclimatizationdays around Leh and 8 days of walking.

Weather

Ladakh isone of the driest regions in India. Leh only receives an average 110mm of raina year and heavy snowfall is rare. However, the area south of the Indus andnearer the mountains attracts more rainfall and heavy snowfall in winter. Evenin summer months, the occasional storm tracks across the region bringing snowto the highest ground. Generally, the weather is good with dry, warm and sunnydays up to 30-35deg and cool to cold nights depending on the altitude. The sunis always very strong and you should be prepared for this. Although the regionis high altitude desert, summer storms can occur and you should be prepared forthe possibility or rain and/or snow especially at high altitude.

Included:Accommodation Delhi: The Oberoi Maidens Hotel. Situated close to the citycentre, this hotel is fully air-conditioned and has a swimming pool, bar andrestaurant. Accommodation in Delhi and Leh is on a B&B basis while on trekall meals are provided. Guided tours where specified in your itinerary.

NotIncluded: Flight fees, visa fees, passports or vaccinations.  Excursions unless stated. Entry fees tohistorical monuments. Optional jeep ride to Khardong La. Hotel porterage ortips. Meals and drinks other than those stated. Travel Insurance.  Flight between Delhi and Leh must be paid for locally, approx $300.

Documents

If you areapplying for an Indian visa by post, the Indian High Commission requires up tofive weeks to process your application, so ensure that you submit yourapplication in good time. Also note, however, that Indian visas are only validfor six months from the date of issue, and therefore must not be applied fortoo early.  This means you will have tohave left India within six months of issue of the visa.

Health Matters

A fullmedical kit accompanies the trek, but we recommend that people carry their ownsmall personal first aid kit. A suggested list of contents will be included inthe pre-departure information as well as more general information onvaccinations. You will need to consult your doctor usually 5 weeks prior todeparture, to work out an immunization schedule relevant to your destinationcountry. The following should be used as a guideline only: - Polio, Tetanus,Typhoid, Hepatitis A, Malaria, and Meningitis. More details concerningvaccinations are given in our Indian pre-department that is forwarded to you onconfirmation of your booking.

Personal Expenses

The amountof money you take with you depends on how much you intend to spend! Souvenirpurchases aside, a sum of £130 or $200 should cover any extra costs, althoughit would be wise to take a little more, as you will invariably be tempted bythe very attractive handicrafts of the region. Main meals in cities such as Delhi at the very best restaurants areinexpensive. Dinner will cost between £6-£12 ($12 - $24). Bring duty freedrinks, as spirits are costly! Wines are not of a high standard and beers areusually £1 ($2) per bottle. Sterling travellers’ checks are easily exchanged inthe major hotels and banks. Most hotels and some shops in the big cities acceptcredit cards such as American Express and MasterCard.

Insurance

You musthave insurance to cover you against medical expenses and repatriation. Pleaseensure your insurance covers all the activities you will be participating in,including trekking at altitude, mountain biking, climbing and white-waterrafting if applicable.

IMPORTANTNOTE: While every effort is made to keep to the above itinerary, clients willhopefully appreciate that this is adventure travel in a remote mountain region.Given the nature of these treks there will quite likely be changes to theitinerary in terms of anything from on the spot choice of camp site to the daythat a rest day is taken. Weather conditions, road conditions, vehiclebreakdowns off the beaten track, and local availability of porters, cancontribute to the need for changes. Mark Butterworth will do everything in hispower to see that you are inconvenienced as little as possible in suchevents.  Timings given are approximate.

Books

The Artsof India: Cornell University Press

IndiaFile: Trevor Fishlock

Trekkingin the Indian Himalaya: Lonely Planet

IndiaTravel Survival Kit: Lonely Planet.

Outline Itinerary

Wereserve the right to alter (lengthen or shorten) the trek at any time ifnecessary.

Note: if circumstances dictate, certaindetails, such as overnight stops may vary from those shown in the day-by-dayitinerary below.

Day 1: Fly to New Delhi.

Day 2: Delhi. Arrive Delhi in the earlymorning and you will be met and transferred by taxi to your hotel. In theafternoon there is a guided tour of Delhi.

AboutDelhi: Delhibasically is 7 cities all merged into one and laced together by the new city ofthe British Raj, designed by Lutyens & Baker. It was one of the boldestexpressions anywhere in the world of British Imperial ambitions and has endlesssightseeing possibilities. Our tour of Delhi will include the Raj Ghatmemorial, at the site where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated, the Red Fort, once themost lavish fort and palace of the Mughal Empire and the Qutb Minar, the 73mhigh tower of victory.

REDFORT. Thisimposing monument to the rule of Shah Jahan was begun in 1639 and completed in1648, taking its name from the red sandstone used in its construction. It issaid to have cost 10 million rupees to build, much of it spent on the opulentmarble royal palaces within. Here the Emperor exercised his divine authority inthe Halls of Public and Private Audience - seated in the latter on the fabulousgold-canopied Peacock Throne that was inlaid with a vast number of sapphires,rubies, emeralds and diamonds.

THEQUTB MINAR. TheQutb Minar is a soaring tower of victory that was built in 1193.  The tower has three distinct stories eachmarked by a projecting balcony. The first three stories are made of redsandstone, the fourth and fifth of marble and sandstone. Today this impressiveornate tower has a slight tilt, but otherwise has worn the centuries remarkablywell.

Day 3: We make an early start for thespectacular flight from Delhi to Leh. At 3505m the transition in altitude fromDelhi is considerable – it is important to acclimatize slowly to the change andnot to rush about on arrival. The afternoon will be at leisure giving you timeto adjust and to gently explore the town. Stay in the Kang Lhha Chen Hotel, one of the best hotels in Leh butsimple by western standards.

Days4/5: To continuethe acclimatization process we spend two fascinating days exploring in andaround Leh. Located at the cultural crossroads of the sub-continent, the areahas a dynamic history of spiritual migration, traceable to the 3d century BC.Buddhist influences eventually dominated and the Tantric sage Padmasambhava issaid to have wandered the mountainous trails in the 8th century. In subsequentyears an era of trading began, Leh’s prosperity developing rapidly as a resultof is location below the Khardong La, the gateway of the infamous route toYarkland in Turkistan. The town’s importance was reflected by the building of aroyal residence on Namgyal Peak in the sixteenth century followed by theconstruction of the Royal Palace by Sengge Namgyal a hundred years later.Little really changed until the borders with China and Tibet were closed in1949. To give us a better understanding of this history we visit a number ofkey sites in and around Leh. On Day 4 we drive to Shey palace, the old capitaland former home of Ladakhi royalty before taking in Tikse, one of the mostimpressively situated gompas (or monasteries) in the region. Later in the daywe visit Hemis monastery, famous for its annual festival. On Day 5 we explore(on foot!) some of the sights around Leh, including the ruined palace onNamgyal Peak, Sankar Gompa and the Japanese influenced Shanti Stupa.  Hotel.

Day 6: Our adventure begins as we followthe Indus by road to Martselang (3414m), near Hemis, for the start of our trek.We descend from the village to enter the gorge of Martselang river and thetrail then crisscrosses the valley through the narrow gorge before climbingsteadily towards the confluence with the Shang river. This is a goodintroductory day of walking to start our trek and we camp near the lovelyvillage of Shang (3780m). Perched high above the trail is the old gompa whichpresides over the timeless landscape of the valley. Camping.

Day 7: A great day of walking throughtraditional the Ladakhi landscapes of the upper Shang valley. As we leave thevillage the valley narrows and the trail becomes steeper. We reach the seasonalgrazing meadows  (or doksa) of Shang Phu(4237m), marked by juniper and a small shrine. Just above here the Shang rivermeets a side stream and we follow this tributary to the campsite at thejunction of two valleys. Here is another shepherd encampment known locally as aphu-lu. Camping.

Day 8: A tougher day as we cross ourfirst pass. We follow the valley on the right, past scrub and wild flowers andmake the steep but steady ascent to the top of the Shang La (4968m) – a goodwarm up for the days to follow. From the pass the views open up to include Stokand Matho Kangri peaks in front and Parcha Kangri behind. A short steep descentinto the upper Marto basin is followed by a more relaxing walk to our camp nearGyang Poche (4145m). Camping.

Day 9: A shorter day, crossing smallstreams to the base of Matho La (4297m). The trail stays high on the hillsidefollowing a gradual incline. In the afternoon there is an optional hike alongthe slopes of the Kangri massif to altitudes of up to 5800m, if you are feelingkeen. Again, there are stunning views of the Karakoram and distant Tibetanplateau. Camping.

Day 10: Another challenging day as thesteep climb to the next pass begins early. Again, it is a tough but steadyclimb to the pass where we may be greeted with the cry of the wild snowcock.From the Katho La (4907m) Stok Kangri peak looms ahead. The descent is alsosharp to begin with but then the gradient lessens as we reach the flower-strewndoksas. The pasturage of the Upper Matho is a huge area bisected with streamand dotted with simple stone shepherd huts. We camp in a basin with views ofGulep Kangri massif. Camping.

Day 11: We take a much-needed rest andacclimatization day before the attempt on the summit tomorrow. The moreenergetic can attempt some of the nearby ridges or you can simply relax at thecampsite. Camping.

Day 12: This is Summit Day which means avery early start (before dawn) to make the best of the snow conditions andweather. It will be a long day, at least 12 hours in length. The ascent isnon-technical but does involve an exposed ridge and some snow, ice axes andcrampons will be used to help with this, if necessary. Climbing up weswitchback to the top of the ridge, then make the tough ascent to the moraine.A moraine and glacier walk leads to a scramble over loose rocks and the final90minute push to the top. And what a magical view awaits! From the summit ofStok Kangri (6114m) a panorama of Himalaya extends in every direction – theGreat Himalaya, the Ladakhi range, the Karakoram and the distant TibetanPlateau. Visible peaks include Nun (7086m) and Kun (7132m) and on a very clearday K2 can be seen. After savoring our efforts, we head back to camp. For thosenot wishing to attempt the peak there are plenty of good walks with excellentviews around the base camp. Camping.

Day 13: A wonderfully easy day returningdown the Stok Valley to Stok. From the Lungkirmo meadows we follow theMankyarmo river to its confluence with the Stok river. We then follow thistrail down to the village past fields of barley, enclosed gardens and a fewapricot orchards. We pass the jagged ruins of Staklang Khar fort, dating fromthe 13th or 14th century.  Time andinclination permitting we can look at some of the local history displayed inpalace museum when we reach Stok. We then make the short drive back to Leh anda welcome hot shower and feast at our hotel. Hotel.

Day 14: A day to relax in and around Leh.There will be an optional jeep trip (payment locally) to Khardong La (5602m)the highest car-accessible road in the world. (Note: occasionally this day maybe needed during the trek if weather conditions delay the ascent). Hotel.

Day 15: We take the early morning flightback to Delhi. If the flight is delayed for weather reasons we have a day inhand before attempting to fly tomorrow. On arrival in Delhi we transfer to thehotel then the afternoon is yours to enjoy sightseeing, shopping or at leisurein the hotel. Hotel.

Day 16: If not used during the trek, thiswill be a day at leisure in Delhi to explore, shop or relax at the hotel.Hotel.

Day 17: Arrive home.