All expert trekkers should for sure go on Stok Kangri trek to experience the ultimate thrill. Eight days of challenging and exciting trek through the Ladakh Mountains will push you to the limit. Stok Kangri, at about 20128 feet above sea level, is the highest peak in its namesake range of the Ladakh Himalayas. Before you start the excursion, you get a whole day just to roam around in Leh, a scenic and culture-rich town. You then travel to the old village of Stok, where you will reach after a drive through winding mountain roads lined with birch trees. The elevation gain will begin right from the moment you start the expedition from the village. You will first travel to Chang Ma, where you will find your tents set-up on slopes at an altitude of around 13087 feet.
The next day you continue the Stok Kangri expedition and make for Mankorma. This is among the most picturesque of journeys as along it, the mountains will keep changing colour depending on the amount and angle of sunlight. Mankorma with its flat terrains provides a pretty contrast to the slopes of Chang Ma. At night, the Orion arm of the Milky Way galaxy with millions of twinkling stars is clearly visible from here. Wake up in the morning and get ready for a tough part of your excursion. The diminishing oxygen levels, rising cold and increasing altitude will make you utilise all your mountaineering skills.
This section of Stok Kangri trekking will take you to the base camp of the mountain. You will get to look at some wonderful scenery, which will take away all your stress and the feeling of the hike being difficult. Along the way, you will come across many small glacial lakes, which shine white because of the bright sunlight. A lush green meadow by a narrow brook makes for a perfect spot to set up camps. To reach the top, you will first ascend to a glacier, and then begin the real ascent. You will have to walk on all fours along the southern face of the mountain because of the narrow rocky path, and the approximately 75 degree gradient of the slope. After an hour, the climb will become easier, and at the top, you will get views of the Zanskar and Karakoram Mountains. After you reach Stok, you will drive back to Leh, where you get a whole day to rest.
Know more about Trekking in Leh Ladakh.
Detailed Itinerary:
Day 01: Arrival in Leh
There are numerous options to arrive in Leh, which is the administrative centre of the Ladakh region. You can come here all the way from New Delhi via road. Alternatively, you may also opt to take flights from New Delhi to Leh, or book trains to Jammu and complete the rest of the journey by road. On arrival in the town, find your lodging and rest for the night.
Day 02: Leh (Acclimatisation)
Day two is for you to continue gathering energy for the ensuing Stok Kangri trek, and acclimatise to the cold weather, high altitude and diminishing oxygen levels. You can also utilise your free time to stroll through the town, and learn about its culture. You may see the raw beauty of the Ladakh plateau, shop at local markets or pay visits to numerous Buddhist stupas and monasteries nearby. In the evening, return to your lodging for another overnight stay in the town.
Day 03: Leh (11500 feet) to Gangpochey via Matho
In the morning, drive to Matho, the starting point of your Stok Kangri Expedition. You will get enchanting views of naked mountains and the lush green fields. The road goes through the Himalayas, and is lined with birch trees, which provide a rich contrast to the otherwise barren slopes of the region.
Stok, located at an altitude of around 11800 feet, is among the oldest inhabited places in Ladakh. The village was the residence of the former Ladakhi royal family, and a museum here displays their belongings. The most prominent attraction here is the Stok Monastery, which was constructed somewhere in the 14th century. Your Stok Kangri expedition begins after you arrive in Matho. In the first stage, you hike through the mountains to Gangpochey. The trail is enchantingly beautiful as you will cross 2 to 3 rivers set midst high mountains. And if luck is your best friend, you might even spot Blue sheep or a Snow leopard. It will take 5-6 hours to reach. Stay overnight in tents.
Day 04: Gangpochey (13087 feet) to Mankorma (14200 feet)
This day, you travel more through the mountains, and ascend to greater heights. You will hike through the Himalayas for roughly 4-5 hours on a relatively easier track. On the way you pass some pretty streams and scenic high-altitude Ladakhi mountain valleys. As you cross the first brook, the scenery will change altogether. Till here, the mountains would have seemed grey and lifeless, but beyond the river, the angle and amount of sunlight will be such that the hills will become purple.
Mankorma consists of flat and wide terrain with thorny bushes, typical of desert-type vegetation, scattered all around. A narrow stream flows below and makes for an ideal site to camp. On reaching Mankorma, stay overnight in tents. When it is pitch black, do not forget to look at the skies. You will see millions of twinkling stars in a white band, which is the Orion arm of the Milky Way – our galaxy. If you are a couple, this would be among the most romantic settings to camp anywhere in the world. This day is also goof for acclimatization as you will stay close to 5000 m. Overnight stay in tents
Day 05: Mankorma (14200 feet) to Base Camp (16300 feet)
The following section of Stok Kangri trekking will take you to the base camp of the summit. It will be a difficult ascent as the continuous gain in altitude will result in lessening levels of Oxygen. All along the hike, you will wind along rocky and narrow mountainous trails. Though you will face difficulty in climbing and breathing, the divine scenery will compensate generously for it, and make it a wonderful excursion. After you cross a hissing river, the trail will become wider and smoother, but will keep ascending. Along the way, you will see numerous alpine lakes, and their tiny ripples and waves will seem white due to the sunlight falling on them and illuminating them. You will also travel across mountainous meadows, where you may be able to see sheep grazing on lush grass.
On reaching the base camp, enjoy lunch and spend the rest of the day at leisure. The base camp is situated on a comparatively flatter land form. A narrow brook makes its way through here, and the slopes and ground have a nice green covering. In almost any season, you will be able to see some amount of snow at the topmost points of the mountains, which encircle the base camp. There are a few smaller peaks here, which you may climb as a means of preparing yourself for the toll-taking ascent, which you will encounter later in your expedition. Relish dinner in the evening, and then retire for the night in the tents provided to you.
Day 06: Rest, Acclimatisation and Training
Though it does not involve any hiking, this is one of the most important days of your excursion. The rest has been provided so that you are able to further acclimatise to the weather and topographical conditions, and also get the necessary information needed for scaling the summit. Your guide or team leader will brief you about the different challenges and hazards you might face during the climb. Make sure you have snow boots as the snow will be soft, and as a result, your feet will sink in it. Also ask your guide about the trekking plan, the terrain of the region, and what all you need to do or carry. Post the briefing, explore the area, click pictures, relax, and later enjoy another overnight stay here in tents.
Day 07: Base Camp (16300 feet) - Stok Kangri (20080 feet) - Base Camp
The morning brings yet another phase of long and rigorous mountaineering. Considering the length of the journey, it will be divided into a number of smaller sections, and you will stop to rest after each one. Starting from here you will travel to a glacier. You will first encounter a sharp and lengthy ascent, after which the altitude gain will become lesser. The slopes and your ascent will be gentle till you arrive at the magnificent river of ice, which originates from the peak.
You reach the glacier after a gruelling hike of approximately three hours from the base camp. The real climb to the summit of Mount Stok Kangri begins here. To reach the top, you will climb for about two hours more along the southern face of the mountain. The gradient of the slope here is almost 75 degrees, and the path contains loads of small rocks and enormous boulders. Remember to climb carefully as one little mistake can be dangerous. Post negotiating the rocky path for about an hour, you will see that the climb has become gentle, and it is way easier to walk now than it was before.
From here, you will get a clear view of the summit and colourful Buddhist prayer flags decorating it. On reaching the top, look around and see the Karakoram Range in the north and the Zanskar Mountains in the south. Post enjoying your success and clicking photos, retrace the track back to the base camp. Coming down brings a different challenge as due to the force of gravity, you will end up descending too fast. You will need to keep a check on your velocity. On arriving at the base camp, relax and enjoy your overnight stay.
Day 08: Base Camp to Leh
The last phase of your Stok Kangri trek will make you travel for 12 km till you reach the village of Stok. On arrival in the village, board a vehicle and drive back to Leh. After you reach the town, transfer to your lodging and rest for the night.
Day 09: Departure from Leh
In the morning, travel to the airport to board your onward flight, or drive to New Delhi by road.
Note :
If Minimum group strength is not met , we have the right to cancel the departure.
Should you wish to customise the trip as per your preferred date, separate charges will apply.
Grade - Challenging
Max Altitude - 20080 ft.
Best Time to go: June to September
Temperature :
Day Time: 10° to 22°C.
Night Time: 10°C.
Stok Base in Day : 10°C to 15°C.
Stok Base at Night: 5° to -2°C.
I take this opportunity to thank and congratulate you and your team for making a dream come true for a simple guy down south. My experience with Adventure Nation was great. And you have earned for yourself a goodwill ambassador over here. Thank you very much.
This has been my best trip ever. I will be uploading the pics on Facebook as soon as I get my hands on all of them. There was a minor issue though. On the holiday voucher it was written that we are supposed to reach Hotel Bimla but it was actually Mount View Guest house. Please don't print false information other than that it was a very smooth and successful trip. I summit-ted on 15th August.
My experience of trekking was very good, Guides were very friendly. They kept guiding and motivating us throughout the trek. I should really appreciate the cook who prepared delicious food every day and made us to keep our energy level high in trek. I appreciate the coordination of Adventure Nation team for the quick response to the quires. I would look forward for another expedition with you.
Alright, I will be honest, I was really nervous about this one. I had been exclusively on easy or moderate treks before this one so my nervousness wasn't very surprising for anyone in my batch. A lot of people were as, if not more, nervous than me and that led to a spirit of competition between fellow trek mates. Had we been left alone by the guide, everyone would have just gone their own ways. That's why I felt the guide did a splendid job at keeping everyone tied to each other. He was a learned guy who had a lot of insight. Thankfully, since the trek was already a visibly difficult one, the preparation made and the equipment such as the camping tents and sleeping bags and food available was taken care of nicely. I felt that was rather thoughtful of them. Hence, I would like to thank Adventure Nation and the guide team for making this trek a success.
Trekking to Stok Kangri in Ladakh was definitely a life-altering trek. This is a 20k ft above altitude trek so please beware and do, not just some, but sufficient research about it before you decide to embark on it. And then choose the best people in the game to book it and make this trek successful and memorable by preparing physically and mentally before you begin. Because once you reach Chang Ma the real thrill will begin and real nerves will kick in. It is a considerably difficult trek but the feeling of finally reaching the summit after 8 days is perhaps the best feeling in the world. I teared up and my heart sank when I reached the spot and trust me, all your exhaustion will go away and you will feel your life take a new meaning and a new direction once you successfully do this trek! Having this memorable journey with Adventure Nation was the best decision I made!
Stok Kangri Expedition is a trek in Ladakh I took last year. In my review, I'd like to start with how beautiful and how challenging this expedition is. And so worth it! I am definitely considering doing it once again. And this time with my friends or family. It's an experience to be had with your best ones. Trekking on all your fours will truly put all your trekking skills to test!! But the view of Zanskar valley and even the Karakoram Mountains is what will restore your faith in doing it all over again once you reach that mark in your journey. Apart from this, the experience of looking at the star studded skies as you camp in long, wide, lush meadows is going to be one of the best takeaways for you. I wish Adventure Nation heartfelt congratulations for putting together such a great trek.
This is the best one out of all the Zanskar valley treks offered at this price. If you have been on a few treks before, then this one is not going to be an especially difficult pursuit. Some special advice that I would like to add here is that please bring your own medicines and some ready-made food to keep yourself safe and energized. Stok Kangri expedition is surely an experience to be had if you love snow-clad mountains and challenges that are also rewarding in the sense that the beautiful scenery surrounding you is greatly inspiring.
Please acclimatize sufficiently. Spend a day or two right at the beginning of this trek to do so and take it slowly and steadily. Look for a trek package that meets these requirements and is neatly planned keeping the same in mind. If possible, take a friend along with you. Especially, if you have not done treks in the range of such altitudes. Also, spend time exercising and putting in lots of research before you head out for this one. Exercise for at least a month to avoid breathlessness, dizziness or other altitude symptoms. If you keep this in mind, you are going to have a blast! Stok Kangri Expedition is one of the best challenging treks that will push your potential to the edge!
Stok Kangri expedition is better left for experienced trekkers. It is surely an amazing experience that will thrill you and challenge you and later haunt you as its one of the best difficult-level, more than a week long treks. Do not exert yourself because the views, especially overlooking the Zanskar valley and the Karkoram mountains towards the later part of this trek are going to overwhelm you. The feeling of having reached the summit will engulf you, everything pales in comparison to that feeling. Make sure to have a look at the clear and starry skies on your way, especially after Chang Ma. Thanks, Adventure Nation for putting this together and having us on board.