If you are bored with the usual stories of bike rides to Leh, have been to some treks already and now want something a little adventurous, its time you attempted Stok Kangri Summit Trek. It is one of those summit climbs that all budding mountaineers start their 6000+ meters climbing journey with. At 6153 meters, this non-technical climb is adventurous and scenic at the same time. You will get snow in the last leg of the journey before the summit otherwise the trek is dry.
Where: Leh, Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir, India
Level: Difficult Level Trek
Height: 6153 Meters
Best time to attempt: Summer season. From June to September. While there have been successful summits in winter too, but it is only for experienced climbers to attempt in those harsh conditions.
Days Required: 9 Days minimum (2 days of acclimatization in Leh and 7 days of trek including one extra day at base camp)
Best ways to attempt: Hire an agency that does this for a living. While many will attempt this solo or along with some friends, please remember that this trek is in the Himalayas and is about 5500 meters. At that height, the dangers of changing weather, falling sick due to AMS etc can make any situation into a life-threatening situation. Only experienced and trained staff would be able to make the right choices in these situations and save a life!
Which agency to hire: Do a thorough check on their credentials, their experience. No honest agency would have issues is answering questions like — How experienced is the guide? How big the groups are? Any group size over 10–12 trekkers is a strict no. Is the guide trained in emergency medical response? What is the rescue plan in case of emergency? Porter to trekker ratio? What kind of food would be available? Types of tents / equipment that will be used? Every groups of 10–12 trekkers must have — One experienced Guide + one Trek Leader + 1:1 Ratio of porter and trekker.
Route:
Day 1 and 2 — Arrive in Leh (Stay in hotel, do not strain yourself at all)
Day 3 — Drive to Stok Village and trek to ChangMa
Day 4 — Trek from ChangMa to Manskarmo.
Day 5 — Trek from Manskarmo to Base Camp.
Day 6 — Base Camp to Advance Base Camp and back to Base camp.
Day 7 — Base Camp to Summit and back to Manskarmo.
Day 8 — Manskarmo to Stok Village. Drive to Leh
Day 9 — Back to home.
Overall the trek is aprox. 20 kms from Stok Village to summit and you do it in 4 days. An average of 5 Km every day. Many of you must have done longer treks in a day before this however due to the altitude gain, this is a different game altogether. Though non-technical, it is a difficult trek. The ascent up to the ridge and subsequently to the top of the summit is challenging and demands a strong fitness level. After you complete your trek every day, post some refreshments and rest you must always go for the acclimatization walk to the surrounding hills. As you climb up to the hills, the lungs will work 3 times faster to get the oxygen it requires to sustain. Once you are at the top, rest for a while and then come back. When you are coming back, the lungs keep working the same manner and because you are coming down, oxygen levels will be better. This will make you feel better and refreshed. This is something that must be done everyday to better acclimatize.
Points to Remember:
1) Hire and experienced Trekking Agency post checking credentials.
2) Plan your trip in a manner that you have a day or two as back up in case the weather goes bad, you will have time in hand to attempt it again.
3) Drink lots of water, starting from the time you start your journey to Leh till you back home. At- least twice the levels of what you would drink in the plains. Water provides oxygen to the body, which is much needed at that altitude.
4) Do not take any medication especially Diamox without medical supervision.
5) If you are on medication, please ensure that your Trek Leader is aware of the same.
6) You must be in GOOD physical condition to attempt this trek. Ask for a plan from the trekking organization to get fit before the trek. Your planning should start at least 3–4 months before in case you are not active in sports.
7) Pack well for adverse conditions. Must carry clothes for rain and snow. Weather does change abruptly and in quick succession.
Having led countless treks in the high altitudes of the Himalayas, we suggest the following trekking tips for beginners.
1) Choose you first trek and trek operator wisely — If you are energetic and willing to enter the world of the mountains, it is very important to choose the right trek for yourself, and more importantly your trek operator. The experience and practices you follow on your first trek stay with you for the longest time. Having fun with amazing views, stunning pictures, thrill, fun and adventure are a few things that attract many people to come for a trek however trekking has much more to offer. We as trekkers need to follow the right practices and care for the mountains, flora and fauna and respect the local cultures and beliefs. Along with this, safety on the trek with respect to health, weather or any other emergencies also need to be kept in mind. Once you follow the right practices with the right mind-set is when you become a “trekker” and not a “tourist”. Choosing your first trek on your own could be quiet confusing and challenging. Your trek needs to be planned on the basis of your leaves/ days in hand, physical fitness levels, choice of weather to trek in and much more. You can seek assistance from your trek operator in choosing your first trek.
2) Allocate your budget for trek equipment — There are a lot of queries regarding the gears that need to be bought. We suggest that depending on the number of treks you plan to do in a year, you should invest in your gear. The basic gears that we recommend to have are rucksack, trekking shoes and sunglasses. These 3 things have to be of the right fit, size and comfort.
3) Do a proper research of your trek — Just as you are planning to choose your trek, you must also be aware of the area in terms of safety, weather predictions, stay options, permits & permissions with fees from the local authorities, safety and evacuations planning from your trek operator. Knowing all these things in advance only adds on to having fun on the trek knowing that in case of these issues you are prepared.
4) Do not hide and medical history from your trek operator — In the mountains even the best of doctors cannot do much as they do not have their equipment or the staff. So on the trek all you get is first aid. Being first –aid experts ourselves we are prepared to treat/ manage health conditions and have a close look-out for each trekker for sign & symptoms for AMS or other mountain sickness. It becomes very crucial not to hide any medical history from your trek operator as any minor issue could also escalate and become life threatening in higher altitudes. People with Asthma, heart conditions, surgeries/ operations, ligament tears or fractures need to cross check with their trek organisers about their specific trek. There are some treks which are not meant for people with such medical conditions to attempt.
5) Pack as light as possible — The basic rule of trekking in the Himalayas means to travel & trek with as much light weight as possible. The majority of weight is that of jackets and trek pants (mostly winter gears). Depending on the number of days you need to pack. For instance, on a trek of 6 to 7 days going up to 13,000 feet, your rucksack should not weigh more than 09–10 kgs. For your first few treks, run a checklist from your trek operator to make sure you have the right things. As and when you keep doing more treks, you get to know what you need to pack as per your own needs.
6) Break in your trekking shoes — Shoes are the most important equipment in the entire gear. Having said that, you also have to keep in mind that your foot needs to adapt to the trek shoe. This process of the foot getting used to the shoe is called as “breaking-in”. This generally means that you need to wear your new, out of the box shoe for 4 to 5 hours a day, thrice or 4 times a week. 3 to 4 weeks of breaking-in makes your trekking days comfortable.
7) Follow (LNT) Leave No Trace policy on the trek — Over the past few years trekking has picked up in our country. It is important to ensure that we as trekkers have a minimum impact over the nature. Leave no trace policy means that we generate as less as possible waste in the wilderness (or as a general practise). This would mean to keep a check on the group size, avoid generating plastic waste, making sure of following proper human waste disposals and much more. Any negative impact on the slopes would account for and impact the slope. The recent example of such a thing is the legal notice by the local authorities of the ban at camping in bugyaals (meadows) in the Uttrakhand state, Kheerganga trek or for that matter Triund trek.
8) Follow trekking etiquettes — Trekking itself is a disciplined and a punctual adventure sport. It involves being courteous, respectful, warm and polite to others (especially locals & the support team), not playing loud music while trekking or at campsites, not polluting the water sources/ bodies nearby and looking out for fellow trekkers as a team. Always keep in mind the support team and locals are doing the best they can. In the wilderness team spirit and closeness with each other is the only thing that keeps the entire team together. Any sort of challenges — weather-wise, medical emergency related situations can only be managed well when we empathise with each other.
9) Carry a basic medical kit — Generally the trek operator would be carrying a dedicated medical kit along with supplemental oxygen (for treks above 13,000 feet) for the entire team, however it is still suggested to carry a medical kit with basic meds in it. Cough and cold, fever, pain killers, antacids and other prescribed drugs (if any, need to be consulted with the trek operator in advance), band aids, lozenges, electoral sachets are a few basic meds that every trekker should carry along.
10) Say no to Alcohol/ smoking/ intoxication of any sort — Intoxication of any sort could put the others and the trek lead guide in a tough situation. Sometimes if things get out of hands, it could also lead to a casualty. Alcohol dehydrates the body and slows the senses and in the high altitudes it should be completely avoided. It does give instant warmth, but immediately could lead to a dizzy head or lead to losing consciousness. Smoking interferes with the respiratory system decreasing the lung capacity and causes breathlessness. Both smoking and drinking should be avoided else it could jeopardize the entire team’s trek.
I have been a trekker for almost 5+ years and have done many treks in Himalayan states of Uttarakhand, Himachal and Ladakh. Although, it goes without saying that the all of them are different, with different level of difficulties as well as magnificently beautiful and magical views they offer.
Ladakh took my heart away when I went for Markha valley along with a few friends with Wanderers. I then booked myself for the Sham Valley trek. This was clubbed with the road trip I planned for ladakh. For a short trek like Sham valley (about 3 days trek) three days could be clubbed in the road trip itinerary. I booked once again with Wanderers.
From an itinerary standpoint, Wanderers keep the first two days for acclimatization. But for me, it was customized as I was clubbing it with my road trip. I was extremely excited to leave Delhi. June and July is not the time one wants to be in Delhi. Via Manali, we drove to Jispa, From Jispa to Sarchu and after spending a night in Tso Moriri, finally got to Leh. We spent the day unwinding and acclimatizing. The following morning, we were all set for our trek. A short drive took us to Lekir It was roughly a 2 hour drive to this small viallge called Lekir. Right by a stream, a quick right turn at the end of the village brings you to the trek starting point. A clearly carved out path was our starting point. Our guide Tashi took a quick briefing before we started. We were all given some dry snacks and packed lunch. We were told that there will hardly be any village on the way so better be prepared.
Finally, to reach Yangthang, it took us about 4 hours. We were there by early evening. Once agin, there is no doubt that ever remote location in Ladakh has its own local charm. A quick uphill pass brings you to Yangthang and you will see many homestays options.
We had a great time and experienced the local village life. Music kept playing in the homestay and it was just great. The following morning, we started for Hemis Shukpachan. Through Tsermanchang Pass, it is a gradual descends that got us to Hemis Shukpachan village. I can tell you that the trek into the Hemis Shukpachan was the most beautiful part of the entire Sham Trek Ladakh. We had our homestay there with an old lady who was like a lone ranger managing the whole show. We had an awesome time at the village.
The next morning, we were all set for Temisgam. We started at ease in the morning and started from Hemis Shukpachan. Via Mebtak La (a steep ascend to the pass takes quite a bit but as always it is fun), it is all descend. We took about 4 hours to reach Temisgam. Practically, it took us less than 2 hours coming down from the Mebtak La and it was easy post the pass.
It took us about 2.5 hours to drive back from the village to Leh. Once again, a must do trek for beginners and nature lovers.