Mt.Stok Kangri Expedition

The idea and the preparation:-

I have been always fascinated by mountains and it was my dream to climb a Himalayan mountain since I was a small kid.So when this e mail came from Sunand , the CMD of IQuest ( a Bangalore based adventure sports company)I decided to go for it.I did as much research on Mt. Stok kangri as I could and realized the fact that I am not fit enough physically to try it out.But I was determined and so I along with my friend santosh started training for it. We trained separately at our gyms and always updated about our developments.just one months before the expedition we increased our intake of fluids mainly water as it carries oxygen.Up there , anything above 5000mts, oxygen is what we lack the most as air is very thin.We also bought a few of the gears we would be needing for this expedition.

bangalore to Leh:-

So on the morning of ....... we set out for our expedition.We took a flight to Delhi.The heat of Delhi was harsh and painful.I remember taking off my shirt in the bus to Manali.there was noting much of relevance to write down in this journey till we reached Kulu, a small town near Manali.We reached Manali in the morning. it was very refreshing.Our friend Rajendra had already made arrangements for a nice hotel on top of a hill in the out skirts of manali.The hotel had a beutiful view from the balcony. we took rest the rest of the day and went for some shopping in the evening.We soon came to know that the journey from manali to Leh would be the worst and most physically challenging ever. I decided to take it day by day and not think much ahead. I do that mostly in my daily life anyway so it was not tough. The rest of the team members were tired thinking about it while I was enjoying Manali.After all its not every day that you get to spend time in such a beautiful place is considered to be had our bus ready to go to Leh which is some 500Kms away from Manali.Manali - Leh highway is considered to be one of the most unpredictable and dangerous highways in the world.It boasts of some of the highest motorable passes in the world and not to mention freezing cold.Infact half of the year this highway is closed and its only through air that Leh is connected to rest of India.The journey , as expected, was one of the most gruesome I have ever underwent.As we gained altitude different symptoms of attitude sickness started hitting the team hard.At one point of the journey, somewhere 300 KMs away from Leh, there was a huge traffic jam. We soon came to know that there was a truck (carrying kerosene )that laid across the road stopping anything from crossing. We waited for 7hours in the freezing cold before some army recovery vans came and made way for us.That night we decided to spend in one of the army transit camps.Almost ale hl my team members were sick in some way or other. Most of them having severe headache,nausea,fever,body pain etc.I have to admit , I really had second thoughts about the sucess of the expedition.But next morning brought all of the most needed hope.The same valley which looked so unforgiving the previous night looked mesmerizing in the morning.Words cant describe the beauty I witnessed that moment.We were surprisingly up and looking forward to reaching Leh.I am something to do with the depreciation in altitude.By aftenoon we were welcomed by the huge dragon gates of Leh. It was a strange town with people from all parts of the world.It was a very colourful congregation ofe different people and cultures.After a brief rest and a diet lunch and a much needed shower we set out to for a site seeing of the tiny yet vibrat town.We realized that we all were having problem breathing.Later we were told that since Leh is very high the oxygen levels were considerably low. Thus it was an indication that we need to acclamatize and that too pretty soon.Ignoring all discomforts we went around the town doing some eleventh hour shopping for some mountain gears. We also managed to hire some mountain gear like snow boots, crampons,ice axe,ropes etc.After a good night sleep we set out for our trek to Mt. Stok Kangri base camp.

Day 1:Spituk- Zingchen (4-5 hrs)

We started our trek from Spituk along an old jeep road into a parched and exposed region. After a few hours of walking, we entered the lush Zingchen Valley where the Rumbak river flows into the mighty Indus which makes it way down a mighty canyon. Further into the valley lied our campsite, in the two-house hamlet of Zingchen (meaning ‘big field’).One of our team member Manjunath felt really sick and had to be evacuated to Leh.The altitude got better of him I guess. That evening we all were pretty sad.After a brief meeting and dinner we all cuddled in our sleeping bags, our bed cum blanket for the next 10 days tents being our mobile house.


Day 2: Zingchen to Rumbak (4-5 hours)

Next day without much delay we started for camp 2(Rumbak).After a short walk we enter Hemis National Park, home to some of the rare Himalayan wildlife such as Snow Leopard, Blue Sheep, Ladakhi Urial (a type of goat), great Tibetan sheep (Arghali), red fox, Tibetan wolf, wild dog (dhole), Lynx, marmot and mountain hare. The trail follows the Rumbak stream ascending gradually towards the village of Rumbak. Just before reaching our campsite at Rumbak (4000m), we stoped at a teahouse run by women from the village. Rumbak is known as a place to see and do research on the magnificent Himalayan snow leopard.

Day 3: Rumbak to Mankarmo via Stok La (5 –6 hrs)

The trail up to the base of Stok La 4900 m starts fairly gradual but becomes steeper as we approach the pass. From the pass, we descend along the mountainside up and down until we reach some stone houses, use by the Stok villagers for summer pasture. Our campsite at Mankarmo (4200m) is also a first camp for the Stok Kangri approach. The rest of the day will be spent viewing the magnificent Stok Kangri.


Day 5: Mankarmo – Base camp 5000 m (3-4 hours)

We will gradually climb higher into a desolate wasteland, inhabited only by hardy marmots, blue sheep and their predators: wolf and snow leopard. At an altitude of 5000m, we will prepare ourselves for the high camp, and summit.The Base camp was a weird little place with climbers and mountaineering enthusiast from all over the world have set up their respective camp.There were teams from Germany, the UK, the USA,Switzerland,Austria. We were the among the two teams from India.There was a team from Poona.It was a great atmosphere out there.We congratulated each other on reaching the base camp safe and in one piece.For most of us it was already a feat we have achieved.We were scheduled to acclimatize in base camp for two days before we climb the summit.We spent these two days checking our gears , meeting more climbers and making short treks around the base camp.Not to mention it was freezing cold but due to some reason we were getting used to the climate.Without much delay we went to sleep.Well, one sleeping bag was not enough for many.

Day 7: Preparation for summit @ Base Camp (7-8 hours)

Next morning it was a different place we were in all together. It was all white with snow.Even the drinking water was frozen.This was a day to load our body with food and fluids. We also had some training sessions in the morning to keep our bodies in top fitness levels.We were to follow strict schedules for eating, drinking fluids and resting.We went to bed early in the afternoon to get some rest before we start our assent at midnight.Its when the sky is clearer, it is coldest and the snow is more firm to walk on. We will take only a lunch bag and a cup of tea with us as we walk into the welcoming night, the trail lit only by our torches.

Day 8:Summit attempt to Mt.Stok Kangri

Every thing worked according to the schedule. We started well and reached the glacier zone. Trouble started then, we realized that we were far behind schedule and most of the team members are not ready to go ahead.After a brief team meeting we decided that only five of us including the mountain guide would attempt the summit. The rest were advised to return to base camp.It was a tough call but every one had to comply.I looked around,it was around 4:30 AM, the sun was just rising. Within a few minutes everything around me , the skies, the mountain and the clouds turned red. It was the most beautiful sight I have ever seen in my life. My hands were painfully frozen so I could not take out my camera and capture it.Well I captured it in my mind though..forever.

The path on the glacier was very difficult.We had to fix up crampons below our shoes to walk on snow.It was a long climb, very long.As we went up higher and higher, the oxygen levels were dropping. And the first body part to be affected was our brain.I myself was hallucinating temporarily. It was by far the most painful day of my life.After climbing for almost 5 hours in glacier with a gradient of more than 80 degrees, we finally reached the ridge.We decided to rest for a few minutes and then walk on the ridge to reach the summit.Walking on the ridge was a different challenge. There was heavy wind blowing over us , the rocks were sharp and loose , one wrong step and anyone of us could have fallen thousand of meters below.We were extra careful and tied each other in a line.After another 2 hours of exhausting climb we reached the summit(6123m).It was a magnificent view of the Himalayaas from the top , worthy of all the pain we took on the way.We could even see the mighty K2 in the Karakoram Range(in Pakistan). We took snaps of individuals and in groups.To foster good fortune, we offered our prayers.

We were not allowed to be on top but guess we were already too late. The snow had indeed melted a lot and it was again a daunting task to climb down.I believe , the only factor on our favor was the feeling that we had summited successfully.After another 5 hours of climb crossing over dangerous crevasses and frozen lakes we finally reached the base camp.To our surprise the whole of base camp welcomed us like a hero.We shook hands with other teams and also told our story to the climbers who were yet to attempt this magnificent feat.We had a grand party, well my highest party, to celebrate the success.

Day 8: Base camp – Stok (4-5 hours)

Next morning when we open your eyes,we realized that we had indeed scaled a peak higher than any mountain in Europe! After breakfast we walk down to Stok village where a jeep took us back to Leh.

This trip had indeed changed me a lot as said by one of my friend.Besides many other lessons of life, it taught me one very important thing - WITH PAIN COMES STRENGTH.