KANGYATSE EXPEDITION
Style of Trek: Camping
Best time: May-October
Duration: 15 Days
On Trek: 13 Days
Grade: Vigorous/ challenging
This sensational climb offers you an opportunity to reach a height of 6200m/20460ft without technical skills, and 6400m/21120ft with technical skills. It is ideal for someone in search of his/her first Himalayan summit. If you choose to scale the primary summit (6400 m
), you will need to be experienced and well prepared, as it requires a traverse of a very difficult and technically challenging ridge. Upon your arrival at Delhi airport our representative will transfer to the hotel. Please provide travel plans on booking and we will arrange the pickup and transfer. DAY 2: FLY TO LEH (3,505m/11566ft) Transfer to the airport for an early morning flight to Leh. The rest of the day you can rest to adjust to the altitude and the early start. You may also start exploring Leh, including the Leh palace and old town. DAY 3: SIGHTSEEING AROUND LEH. Leh is the ancient capital of Ladakh and has many hilltop forts and palaces to visit including the Royal Palace, which overlooks the town. The town is situated on the old Silk Route and still has a trading tradition- it is well worth wandering around the colourful bazaar. Overnight hotel includes a view of Leh and the surrounding mountains, as well as Shanti stupa. DAY 4: SIGHTSEEING AROUND LEH. DRIVE TO START THE TREK AT CHILING, This day includes a stop a the well known monastery is Thiksey. Thiksey gompa is a very impressive monastery containing numerous stupas, statues, thankas, wall paintings and a large pillar engraved with the Buddha's teachings. Overnight camping. DAY 5: TREK TO SKIU. (3000m/9,900 ft) 4 hrs. We begin this day by crossing the Zanskar River in a cable car located upstream a short distance from Chilling. We follow the well worn path to the village of Skaya. From here it is a short walk to the lush green campsite at Skiu. The village of Skiu is at only 9,900ft, and the Markha Valley here is narrow, so the temperatures can soar. We camp at Skiu, and at dusk it is worth climbing back up the valley to where the Skiu Nala meets the Markha river. Here there is a small monastery cared for by an old nun who comes every evening to light the candles at the altar of 'Chamba', the future Buddha. DAY 6: TREK TO SHINGO (4,150m/13695ft)- 6 hours walking. Today we follow the Zanskar river upstream to the village of Skiu where we turn away from the main river and follow a beautiful gorge up to Shingo. DAY 7: TREK TO RUMBAK (3,800m/12540ft)- 7 hours walking. From Shingo village we follow a long gradual ascent to the Ganda la at 4,850m. We pass through Yurutse and then continue to our camp near the village of Rumbak. DAY 8: TREK TO KHILCHAY (4,200m/13860ft)- 5 hours walking. From Rumbak we start the the steep climb to the Stok la at (4,900m/16170ft) where we have views of the Stok Kangri range. The camp is at Khilchay which is a short descent from the pass. DAY 9: TREK TO STOK KANGRI BASE CAMP (4,300m/14190ft)- 5 hours walking. Today we walk to Stok Kangi base camp. DAY 10: TREK TO MATHO PHU (4,480m/14,700ft)- 5 hours. We cross the river in the morning and walk up in the valley and cross Stok pass (4850m/16005ft) then continue with a gradual walk on the rocky slope to Matho phu. DAY 11: REK TO SHANG PHU, (4502m /14856ft) 6-7 hours. We leave in the early morning to negotiate the steep slope of Matho phu. Just passed Matho phu, people leave in the summer with their cattle. Cross shang la (5100m/16830ft) the steep down to the other side of the pass to camp. Overnight ccamping. DAY 12: TREK TO SHANG SUMO (3600 m/1090ft)- 4 hours. We follow the shang river via shang Gonpa up in the rock cliff. Then walk down to Shang sumdo. DAY 13: SHANG SUMDO – LARTSA (4600 m/ 15180ft) 6-7 hrs. We will begin the day climbing through the spectacular gorge of Shang, which is rife with magnificently hued rock formations that provide dramatic evidence of the collision between the Indian and Tibetan plates. The trail crosses rivers several times before we reach our campsite, Overnight Camping. DAY 14: LARTSA – NIMALING VIA KONGMARU LA ( 5200 m/17160ft)
A steep 3-hour climb will lead us to Gongmaru La (5200 m), where there are jaw-dropping views of Kangyatse, the Zanskar and Karakoram Ranges. After satisfying ourselves with the surrounding views, we will make our descent toward the pasture of Nimaling, where the villagers of Marka Valley tend their sheep, goats and yaks during the summer.
