Grade
Challenging
Plus.
Although the walking is generally straightforward this is a demanding
trek at high altitude in a remote region, even without attempting the
peak. You should be confident of your fitness at this altitude and have
had previous experience of similar heights.
The peak itself is not technical but you should be familiar with
the use of ice axes and crampons in case they are needed as we cross
snow fields.
Altitude:
Average altitude about 4130m; maximum 5260m with peak of 6114m. 2
acclimatisation days around Leh and 8 days of walking.
Weather
Ladakh
is one of the driest regions in India. Leh only receives an average
110mm of rain a year and heavy snowfall is rare. However, the area
south of the Indus and nearer the mountains attracts more rainfall
and heavy snowfall in winter. Even in summer months, the occasional
storm tracks across the region bringing snow to the highest ground.
Generally, the weather is good with dry, warm and sunny days up to
30-35deg and cool to cold nights depending on the altitude. The sun
is always very strong and you should be prepared for this. Although
the region is high altitude desert, summer storms can occur and you
should be prepared for the possibility or rain and/or snow
especially at high altitude.
Escorted
Departure Date
ISK25
Friday 25 July - Sunday 10 August
What’s Included
Included: Accommodation
Delhi: The Oberoi Maidens Hotel. Situated close to the city centre,
this hotel is fully air-conditioned and has a swimming pool, bar and
restaurant. Accommodation in Delhi and Leh is on a B&B basis
whilst on trek all meals are provided. Guided tours where specified
in your itinerary.
Not Included: Visa
fees, passports or vaccinations.
Excursions unless stated. Entry fees to historical monuments.
Optional jeep ride to Khardong La. Hotel porterage or tips. Meals
and drinks other than those stated. Travel Insurance.
Documents
If
you are applying for an Indian visa by post, the Indian High
Commission requires up to five weeks to process your application, so
ensure that you submit your application in good time. Also note,
however, that Indian visas are only valid for six months from the
date of issue, and therefore must not be applied for too early.
This means you will have to have left India within six months
of issue of the visa.
Health Matters
A
full medical kit accompanies the trek, but we recommend that people
carry their own small personal first aid kit. A suggested list of
contents will be included in the pre-departure information as well
as more general information on vaccinations. You will need to
consult your doctor usually 5
weeks prior to departure, to work out an immunisation schedule
relevant to your destination country. The
following should be used as a guideline only: - Polio, Tetanus,
Typhoid, Hepatitis A, Malaria, and Meningitis. More details
concerning vaccinations are given in our Indian pre-department that
is forwarded to you on confirmation of your booking.
Personal
Expenses
The
amount of money you take with you depends on how much you intend to
spend! Souvenir purchases aside, a sum of £130 or $200 should cover
any extra costs, although it would be wise to take a little more, as
you will invariably be tempted by the very attractive handicrafts of
the region.
Main meals in cities such as Delhi at the very best
restaurants are inexpensive. Dinner will cost between £7-£13.
Bring duty free drinks, as spirits are costly! Wines are not of a
high standard and beers are usually £1 per bottle. Sterling
travellers cheques are easily exchanged in the major hotels and
banks. Most hotels and some shops in the big cities accept credit
cards such as American Express and Mastercard.
Insurance
You
must have insurance to cover you against medical expenses and
repatriation. Please ensure your insurance covers all the activities
you will be participating in, including trekking at altitude,
mountain biking, climbing and white-water rafting if applicable.
IMPORTANT
NOTE: Whilst
every effort is made to keep to the above itinerary, clients will
hopefully appreciate that this is adventure travel in a remote
mountain region. Given the nature of these treks there will quite
likely be changes to the itinerary in terms of anything from on the
spot choice of camp site to the day that a rest day is taken.
Weather conditions, road conditions, vehicle breakdowns off the
beaten track, and local availability of porters, can contribute to
the need for changes. Mark Butterworth will do everything in his
power to see that you are inconvenienced as little as possible in
such events.
Timings given are approximate.
Books
The
Arts of India: Cornell
University Press
India
File: Trevor Fishlock
Trekking
in the Indian Himalaya: Lonely Planet
India
Travel Survival Kit: Lonely Planet.
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Outline
Itinerary
We
reserve the right to alter (lengthen or shorten) the trek at any time if
necessary.
Note: if circumstances dictate, certain details, such as overnight
stops may vary from those shown in the day-by-day itinerary below.
Day 1:
Fly to New Delhi.
Day 2: Delhi.
Arrive Delhi in the early morning and you will be met and transferred by
taxi to your hotel. In the afternoon there is a guided tour of Delhi.
About Delhi:
Delhi basically is 7 cities all merged into one and laced together by the
new city of the British Raj, designed by Lutyens & Baker. It was one
of the boldest expressions anywhere in the world of British Imperial
ambitions and has endless sightseeing possibilities. Our tour of Delhi
will include the Raj Ghat memorial, at the site where Mahatma Gandhi was
cremated, the Red Fort, once the most lavish fort and palace of the Mughal
Empire and the Qutb Minar, the 73m high tower of victory.
RED
FORT.
This imposing monument to the rule of Shah Jahan was begun in 1639 and
completed in 1648, taking its name from the red sandstone used in its
construction. It is said to have cost 10 million rupees to build, much of
it spent on the opulent marble royal palaces within. Here the Emperor
exercised his divine authority in the Halls of Public and Private Audience
- seated in the latter on the fabulous gold-canopied Peacock Throne that
was inlaid with a vast number of sapphires, rubies, emeralds and diamonds.
THE
QUTB MINAR. The Qutb Minar
is a soaring tower of victory that was built in 1193.
The tower has three distinct stories each marked by a projecting
balcony. The first three storeys are made of red sandstone, the fourth and
fifth of marble and sandstone. Today this impressive ornate tower has a
slight tilt, but otherwise has worn the centuries remarkably well.
Day
3 We make
an early start for the spectacular flight from Delhi to Leh. At 3505m the
transition in altitude from Delhi is considerable – it is important to
acclimatise slowly to the change and not to rush about on arrival. The
afternoon will be at leisure giving you time to adjust and to gently
explore the town. Stay in the
Kang
Lhha Chen Hotel,
one of the best hotels in Leh but simple by western standards.
Days
4/5 To
continue the acclimatisation process we spend two fascinating days
exploring in and around Leh. Located at the cultural crossroads of the
sub-continent, the area has a dynamic history of spiritual migration,
traceable to the 3d century BC. Buddhist influences eventually dominated
and the Tantric sage Padmasambhava is said to have wandered the
mountainous trails in the 8th century. In subsequent years an
era of trading began, Leh’s prosperity developing rapidly as a result of
is location below the Khardong La, the gateway of the infamous route to
Yarkland in Turkistan. The town’s importance was reflected by the
building of a royal residence on Namgyal Peak in the sixteenth century
followed by the construction of the Royal Palace by Sengge Namgyal a
hundred years later. Little really changed until the borders with China
and Tibet were closed in 1949. To give us a better understanding of this
history we visit a number of key sites in and around Leh. On Day
4 we drive to Shey palace, the old capital and former home of Ladakhi
royalty before taking in Tikse, one of the most impressively situated
gompas (or monasteries) in the region. Later in the day we 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 on Namgyal Peak, Sankar Gompa and the Japanese influenced
Shanti Stupa. Hotel.
Day
6 Our
adventure begins as we follow the 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 the trail then criss-crosses the
valley through the narrow gorge before climbing steadily towards the
confluence with the Shang river. This is a good introductory day of
walking to start our trek and we camp near the lovely village of Shang
(3780m). Perched high above the trail is the old gompa which presides
over the timeless landscape of the valley. Camping.
Day
7 A
great day of walking through traditional the Ladakhi landscapes of the
upper Shang valley. As we leave the village the valley narrows and the
trail becomes steeper. We reach the seasonal grazing meadows (or
doksa) of Shang Phu (4237m), marked by juniper and a small shrine.
Just above here the Shang river meets a side stream and we follow this
tributary to the campsite at the junction of two valleys. Here is
another shepherd encampment known locally as a phu-lu.
Camping.
Day
8 A
tougher day as we cross our first pass. We follow the valley on the
right, past scrub and wild flowers and make the steep but steady ascent
to the top of the Shang La (4968m) – a good warm up for the days to
follow. From the pass the views open up to include Stok and Matho Kangri
peaks in front and Parcha Kangri behind. A short steep descent into the
upper Marto basin is followed by a more relaxing walk to our camp near
Gyang Poche (4145m). Camping.
Day
9 A
shorter day, crossing small streams to the base of Matho La (4297m). The
trail stays high on the hillside following a gradual incline. In the
afternoon there is an optional hike along the slopes of the Kangri
massif to altitudes of up to 5800m, if you are feeling keen. Again,
there are stunning views of the Karakoram and distant Tibetan plateau.
Camping.
Day
10
Another challenging day as the steep climb to the next pass begins
early. Again, it is a tough but steady climb 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 also sharp to begin with
but then the gradient lessens as we reach the flower-strewn doksas.
The pasturage of the Upper
Matho is a huge area bisected with stream and dotted with simple stone
shepherd huts. We camp in a basin with views of Gulep Kangri massif.
Camping.
Day
11 We
take a much-needed rest and acclimatisation day before the attempt on
the summit tomorrow. The more energetic can attempt some of the nearby
ridges or you can simply relax at the campsite. Camping.
Day
12 This
is Summit Day which means a very early start (before dawn) to make the
best of the snow conditions and weather. It will be a long day, at least
12 hours in length. The ascent is non-technical but does involve an
exposed ridge and some snow, ice axes and crampons will be used to help
with this, if necessary. Climbing up we switchback 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 final 90minute push to
the top. And what a magical view awaits! From the summit of Stok Kangri
(6114m) a panorama of Himalaya extends in every direction – the Great
Himalaya, the Ladakhi range, the Karakoram and the distant Tibetan
Plateau. Visible peaks include Nun (7086m) and Kun (7132m) and on a very
clear day K2 can be seen. After savouring our efforts, we head back to
camp. For those not wishing to attempt the peak there are plenty of good
walks with excellent views around the base camp.
Camping.
Day
13 A
wonderfully easy day returning down the Stok Valley to Stok. From the
Lungkirmo meadows we follow the Mankyarmo river to its confluence with
the Stok river. We then follow this trail down to the village past
fields of barley, enclosed gardens and a few apricot orchards. We pass
the jagged ruins of Staklang Khar fort, dating from the 13th
or 14th century. Time
and inclination permitting we can look at some of the local history
displayed in palace museum when we reach Stok. We then make the short
drive back to Leh and a 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 motorable road in
the world. (Note: occasionally this day may be needed during the trek if
weather conditions delay the ascent). Hotel.
Day
15 We
take the early morning flight back to Delhi. If the flight is delayed
for weather reasons we have a day in hand before attempting to fly
tomorrow. On arrival in Delhi we transfer to the hotel then the
afternoon is yours to enjoy sightseeing, shopping or at leisure in the
hotel. Hotel.
Day
16 If
not used during the trek, this will be a day at leisure in Delhi to
explore, shop or relax at the hotel. Hotel.
Day
17 Arrive London.
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