Stok Kangri Climbing

This challenging trek traverses the Ladakh Mountains on a little-used route high above the Indus Valley, and offers a chance to ascend Stok Kangri, a 20,130ft/6114m peak. We approach from the west of Leh, climbing steeply from the Zanskar River towards the rugged Ladakh and Zanskar Range. This stark region of high passes and wild mountains is softened by the immense charm of the Ladakhi villages and their inhabitants.

Ladakh is a must see destinations in Himalaya and reaching Nimaling with 3-4 days trek through Markha after spending pleasant time in the capital town Leh is extremely rewarding. The pastures and scenic beauty of Nimaling keeps you mesmerized and stuck in it. From here the trek moves to the base of Stok Kangri.

Route details and general observation
We cross one high pass after another, including the seldom-used Kang La where we have chance to ascend Palam Peak, a warm up for Stok Kangri. We continue towards the spectacular scenery of the Stok Range, where we begin our ascent. The tough, but optional and non-technical climb provides stunning views extending across Ladakh to the Karakorum, the Himalaya and into Tibet.
Adventure India operates this expedition almost every year and it is one of the most charming trekking peaks in India. 

Cost: $1160 (group price) Duration 19 days Group Size Click Here Tour difficulty Expedition Customize your date & price:

Trip Cost in USD

Hotels Places

Day 01: Arrive Delhi- On arrival our representative will meet you at the airport and drive you to your hotel in Delhi for the night. Overnight Stay – Hotel

Day 02: Fly from Delhi to Leh/ full day to rest and explore the local area independently. An early flight out of Delhi, which passes over the Himalayan Range with amazing views, brings us to a fertile valley just to the north of the mighty Indus River. After this spectacular flight over the Himalaya, we arrive in Leh. Upon arrival, we will be transferred to the hotel. The rest of the day is free to relax and acclimatize to the altitude (3,500 m.). Late afternoon there will be a gentle orientation walk of Leh and its bazaars. Leh was an important trading centre along the old Silk Road from China. The town is dominated by the nine storied Namgyal Palace, whose faded grandeur has been likened to a mini version of the Potala Palace in Lhasa. Overnight Stay – Hotel

Day 03: Full day monastery visit in Leh. We visit Shey houses the old summer palace of the kings of Ladakh. Its Gompa shelters an amazing Buddha, 12 m high and the picturesque Thiksey monastery, which is perched on top of the hill overhanging the Indus. Later drive to Hemis Gompa, which is one of the largest in Ladakh.

Day 04: Drive Leh –to Chiling (3850 m) in 3 hours/ we drive towards Srinagar and Kashmir to Nimmu, where the Zanskar River meets the Indus. We follow the left bank of the Zanskar River through a gorge to Chilling. This village has gold smiths famous for local golden jewelry. Chilling is also the gateway into the Markha Valley. Overnight Stay – Camp

Day 05: Chilling to Skiu (3500 m) in 5-hours/ trek. Crossing the Zanskar by way of an exciting box and cable bridge, we meet our trek crew and our pack-ponies, who have travelled to this meeting place, via the Markha Valley, a day in advance of our arrival. After sorting out the loads for the ponies, we begin our first day of trekking along a narrow trail on the right bank of the Zanskar Gorge, to a point where the Markha River meets the main valley. We climb to cross a high spur and can look southwards to where the impressive Zanskar Gorge disappears around a corner. A red-painted collection of chortens on the far side of Zanskar points to the existence of a route into Zanskar. At this point, we turn towards the south-east into the Markha Valley, and continue until we reach the irrigated trees and fields of the hamlets of Skaya and then Skiu, where we camp for the night. The main trail into the Markha Valley from the north, over the Ganda La, joins our route at this point. There is a small monastery in Skiu and a derelict fortress/monastery on the cliff above our riverside camp. Overnight Stay – Camp

Day 06: Skiu to Markha (3850 m) in 7 hours/ trek. A fairly long, but easy walk today, as we trek along the valley to Markha. The terrain along the valley is not demanding, so there is plenty of opportunity to admire the magnificent scenery. The colors of the barren mountains of Ladakh are truly spectacular, pastel pinks, blues and greens, shine in the brilliant sunshine and change color dramatically as the sun rises and sets. We follow the river all day today and cross the river a few times. We have lunch in Sara, where there is usually some welcome shade in a tea tent. Beyond the settlement of Chalak there is an impressive line of chortens and a huge mound of goat horns, which are placed on the chortens to ward off any evil spirits trying to enter the valley. Climbing up to a small pass, we descend again to the river and a medieval fort, silhouetted on the hillside, tells us that we have almost reached Markha. Markha is a small village & there will be time to explore the small monastery in the afternoon. Our camp is on the grazing flats near the village. Overnight Stay – Camp

Day 07: Markha to Hankar - Thachungtse (4000 m) in 4 hours/ trek. Just beyond Markha the trail meets the Chacham Valley. Here is the Umlung Gompa, set way above us on the cliff face. We visit the monastery, which is the most important in the valley and is affiliated to Hemis. Continuing up the valley, we walk through Umlung Village to Hankar where there are more impressive fort ruins and a small Gompa. From Hankar the trail turns off from the main valley and now follows the Nimaling stream to Thachungtse where we camp. We may be lucky and see wild sheep high up on the grazing areas. Overnight Stay – Camp.

Day 08: Hankar to Nimaling (4650 m) in 4-5 hours/trek. Today is a short walk to Nimaling. The trail climbs steeply to the plateau where the valley opens out. Ahead are the spectacular views of Kang Yangtse, at 6,400 m, the highest peak in the valley. In this area, there is no permanent habitation but during the summer months the shepherds bring their flocks of sheep, goats and dzos to graze on the high altitude pasture. The shepherds stay in stone shelters close to the grazing area for the whole summer and we can often buy yoghurt or local cheese from them. In the evening, the animals are brought down from the hills and it is quite usual to have hundreds of them wandering through the campsite. We should get to Nimaling by lunch time and in the afternoon there is an optional walk behind camp towards Kang Yatse. This is well worth doing and highly recommended for the impressive close up views of Kang Yatse, which at 6,400 m is the highest peak in the Markha Valley. Overnight Stay - Camp

Day 09: Nimaling to Kongmaru La (5150 m) - Chuskyurmo (4000 m)/ 5-6 hours trek. Our trail begins today by climbing to the Kongmaru La. It is a fairly long, steep ascent zigzagging to the top of the pass at 5,286 m., but the views from the top are worth the effort. Looking back we see Kang Yangtse, Dzo Jongo and Regoni Malari. Ahead there are views across the Stok Range and down to the Indus valley. The descent is steep at first and we then enter a spectacular gorge and descend more gradually now with a few small river crossings. High up on the barren cliffs we may spot the elusive Blue Sheep which inhabit this area. Our camp site for tonight is at Chuskyurmo. Overnight Stay - Camp

Day 10: Chuskyurmo - Gyuncho La (4600 m) Shang Phu (4350 m)/ 6-7 hours trek. From Chuskyurmo, we turn towards the west into a tributary valley that leads after a long and gradual ascent to the Gyuncho La at 4600 meters. Descending from the pass, we make camp at Shang Po at an altitude of 4350 m. Overnight Stay – Camp

Day 11: Shang Phu - Shang La (4800 m) - Gangpoche (4300 m)/ 6 hours trek. This part of our route traverses an area rarely visited and involves the crossing of many spurs and minor passes with occasional views northwards towards the Indus Valley and the peaks beyond. Today we climb to cross the Shang La (4800 m) and then descend to the Tokpo River for lunch. After lunch we trek generally downhill to our camping place at Gangpoche (4300 m). Overnight Stay - Camp

Day 12: Gangpoche - Mato La (4850 m) - Stok Base Camp (4990 m)/ 6-7 hours trek. Today, we have ascent the steep in the morning to take the final pass, the Matho La. From the pass, there are some beautiful views of Stok Kangri and the entire route ascension. Then we descend into the valley to the north of Stok Village. This lovely valley is a high and wild area which is visited only by climbing groups and by the local people who spend some of the summer months in picturesque villages of stone huts. We find here villagers coming from far villages to graze their herds of sheep/cows. This valley connects the village of Stok to the base camp of the same name. The very pleasant campsite is on a grassy area beside a number of melt water streams. Overnight Stay - Camp

Day 13: Summit day (Approx. 8-9 hours to base-camp). The summit day is long and hard.  After a very early start in the dark (2 am), we cross a glacier to the foot of the climb. Although not technical, the route to the summit is very steep and usually involves the use of ice axe and crampons. For safety we also carry a rope and we usually rope up along the ridge and sometimes before. The summit route is steep and is along an exposed ridge for some of the time, with some scrambling on loose (sometimes icy) rock. The altitude is the greatest difficulty, though. The climb from camp to the summit takes five to seven hours. The final hundred meters needs special care while crossing the slopes just below the summit. From the summit the views are amazing. Minuscule Leh can be seen in the distance, and all around us the snow-capped peaks of the Himalaya, the Karakorum and the Ladakh Range reach far to the horizon. We spend a short while at the top to savor the beauty of it all and regain our breath before descending slowly and carefully back to Base Camp, where the crew will be waiting with welcome hot food. Overnight Stay – Camp

Day 14: Stok Kangri Base Camp - Leh. An easy but one of the most spectacular walks down the valley to Stok. As we descend layer upon layer of multicolored rocks surround us. The trail finally emerges from this amazing gorge and the valley widens as we approach Stok village where our transport meets us for the short drive back to Leh. We return to Leh by lunchtime for a welcome hot shower and a well-deserved celebration. Overnight Stay - Hotel

Day 15: Full day in Leh to rest and explore surroundings.

Day 16: Leh to Delhi flight in the morning, rest of the day is free in Delhi and later we will transfer you to international airport for your flight back home.

Essential Information for climbing & trekking

Getting there: Your nearest international airport is Delhi where you will meet with our expedition manager. After essential visits to IMF and cargo (if required), you will be escotrted towards the initial point of your adventure as per the program details.
After the expedition/ adventure journey, you arrive back to Delhi. After de briefing (in case of expedition) and farewell ceremony, you will be driven to international airport to board flight back to your home.

Airtickets: We have our partners in almost every foreign countries, so if you need any assistance in your air tickets bookings, you are always welcome to speak to us to know about our partner close to you.

Cargo Management: We have strong tieups with the cargo management companies to get your consignments clear timely in Delhi. In maximum cases, you will only need to spend just 2 hours for getting your consignmwent delivery. Once you send the documents and the boxes details, we start locating them in India.

Insurance : It is a condition of joining our trips that you must be adequately insured. All persons are expected to arrange their own insurance. Polices should cover any potential risks involved in such adventure.

Our hotels and camps: We offer you best economy hotels in cities and towns and till base camp we provide you very comfirtable tents with maximim possible faciltiies in the mountains. For the trekking, Jeep Safaris, MTB and other adventure journeys, we provide the most luxurious camps fitted with dining areas and modren toilet facilities.

Adventure India briefing: We have excelent maps, images and movies of majoriety of our adventure expeditions/ joiurneys and sports. A short briefing in our offices is highly recommended so the team understands logistics, forecarst problems and know where the solutions would be. We stress on planning, planning and planning in any adventure expediton and till now we have remained successful in all of our expeditions just because of our planning. So we need you to be an active part of it.

Rescue and helicopter evacuation: if the expeditons are well planned, rescue operations can be avoided. In the history of 14 years, we didn’t encounter any seviour requireemtn of rescue but still we can tie up with the agencies to provide helicopter evacuation on your request and willingness to pay the charges.
Peak booking formalities: already mentioned in detail in our mountaineering formalities in India link. For necessary applications either you can check the website of IMF or speak to us.

Ground transportation: We provide the ground transportation compriseing of best available cars/ copaches in fine roads and rough trucks in remote areas of the Indian mountains.

Porters and ponies: We provide ponies till base camp and HAP/ LAPs as per the requirement of the expedition.

Fuel and gases: Fuel (aftwer BC) is not a part of cost included section, but we will manage Butane / Butane propane gases for you on your timely request.

Trek & BC food : We offer a mixture of Vegetarian and Non vegetarian food till BC including the several herbs we have individually discovered with the medicinal values and capacity to keep the body warm. We have cooks who make Korean, Japnese and Continental food along with Indian food.

Our guides & instructors: Our guides are basically trained till BC trekking and support to establish BC. But our instructors do have good experience of mountaineering who can join the expeditions to higher levels too.

Ground Support system: We have fantastic ground support system developed in collaboration with the local people of nearest villages, army camps, porters and local guides. We have re discovered the use of traditional communication system also along with the setellite phones to stay in touch with the groups after BC. Our BC staff is trained to keep information of the groups at ABC and between and act as per the situation.

Cost Includes & not: The cost includes all hotels, guest houses, camps till BC, food till BC, ponies, porters, LAP/ HAP, food & tents for the porters, cooks and staff at BC, insurance of our permanenet staff, food for LO, cargo management, all transportation, all sightseeing, liasioning and coordination, trekking guides and BC management. The cost doent include IMF fees and environment levies, State Government fees and environment levies, porters insurance, clients air fares, helicopter evacuation, extra porters requirement from the BC, extra days at or above BC and any expenditure on personal level including clients insurance/ visa etc.