Peak Mountaineering Stok Kangri Expedition 2012

Stok Kangri Expedition 2012

Stok Kangri as seen from Leh (Stok is the highest pointy one on the right!)

The Himalayan peaks of Northern India are a magnificent expedition destination.

Stunning mountains, welcoming people and amazing culture – it’s our favourite place.

Nestled in the heart of the range is a jewel of a peak. Technically straightforward yet interesting to climb, in a stunning location with views into Pakistan’s Karakoram range and the Zanskar mountains and still within the grasp of those new to Himalayan climbing – 6056 metre Stok Kangri couldn’t be better.

Our 2012 expedition will ascend Stok Kangri, explore Leh (the stunning capital of Ladakh), visit the breathtaking Taj Mahal and experience the sights and sounds of India’s unique capital city, Delhi.

A great adventure from the adventure specialists.

The Peak Mountaineering Difference Peak Mountaineering is a specialist provider of mountain training and adventures.

We provide all types of mountain adventures throughout the UK and each year we run a select range of mountaineering expeditions overseas.

The 2012 Stok Kangri expedition will be run by Peak Mountaineering’s owner, Paul Lewis. Paul holds the Mountain Instructors Certificate (the highest qualification available under the UK qualifications framework). He has vast experience of high altitude guiding and works full time as a mountaineering instructor. Paul will be supported by local guides and, depending on the size of the team, additional UK leaders.

Peak Mountaineering has an unblemished safety record because we make client safety our top priority. As well as using the best guides and in-country support we also run a UK incident management system during all overseas expeditions. This is headed by Caroline Lewis who, as well as being a very experienced expeditioner and qualified climbing instructor, has also summited this expedition’s target mountain, Stok Kangri, and travelled extensively in India. She will be the UK port of call while the team are overseas and can always be contacted.

To be suitable for this expedition you simply need a good level of fitness and a sense of adventure. All our expeditions include a UK training weekend to give you the necessary technical skills and additional training will be provided once we arrive in India. You are also welcome, free of charge, to come and attend one of our scheduled Outdoor First Aid courses (we’ll send you the dates when you book). As well as making you a qualified first aider you’ll also feel better prepared for the unexpected.

Our expeditions are competitively priced but we also want you to have a good standard of living during your expedition. The mountaineering phase is fully catered, the hotels and guesthouses will be simple yet comfortable and the food will be plentiful local fare. Having said that, this is a mountaineering expedition to a developing country so you’ll also need to be willing to go without a few luxuries along the way.

Expedition Itinerary Day 1 – Overnight flight to Delhi.

Day 2 - Arrive in Delhi in the morning. Travel to the old part of the city and stay overnight. The afternoon will give us chance to explore the sights and sounds of this bustling capital.

Day 3 - Flight to Leh. An early morning flight swoops us into Leh, the beautiful capital city of Ladakh. Leh’s high altitude location means we need to rest for the day.

Day 4 - Leh. To help acclimatisation we’ll spend today exploring the city and taking a walk up to some of the local religious monuments. Luckily these are situated with spectacular views of the surrounding mountains.

Day 5 - Leh. Another vital acclimatisation day. In the afternoon we can walk to the famous Stok Gompa and make final expedition preparations.

Day 6 - Depart for Stok Kangri. Today we leave Leh and head for Stok Village which is our departure point for Stok Kangri. Once mountaineering permits are allocated and the ponies loaded with provisions we’ll start our walk. Strolling at a

leisurely pace will allow lots of time to enjoy the views before our first camp is established.

Day 7 -Walk in towards Stok Kangri. Today we’ll continue our walk taking in a high pass and settling down for a second comfortable camp in the evening. Enroute we’ll have spectacular views of Stok Kangri.

Day 8 - Walk to Base Camp. A third day of walking will see us arrive at Base Camp.

Once camp is established we’ll have chance to relax and enjoy the beautiful surroundings.

Day 9 - Acclimatisation day. For our final acclimatisation walk we’ll stroll up to Advanced Base Camp, which sits at 5300 metres. From the camp we have more fantastic views of the surrounding mountains and the route we’ll take up Stok Kangri. We’ll then return to base camp for the night.

Day 10 - Summit attempt. A very early start will see us heading up to the summit.

We will aim to arrive at dawn, which ensures we have incredible 360 degree views of the Indian Himalayan and the Karakoram range in Pakistan. The summit triangle of K2 is clearly visible too. After lots of celebratory hugs and handshakes we’ll make our way back to base camp for some well earned sleep.

Day 11 - Walk out. Today we’ll leave base camp and walk back to Stok for transfer to Leh. We’ll freshen up and rest before heading for a celebratory meal at the famous Tibetan Kitchen restaurant.

Day 12 -Leh. A final day in Leh leaves time for souvenir hunting and relaxing to enjoy your final taste of this magnificent and unique place.

Day 13 - Flight to Delhi. Today we fly back to Delhi in the morning so there’s chance to explore the city before a meal on one of the cities open roofed restaurants.

Day 14 - Delhi – Agra. It would be crazy to visit India without taking the chance to visit the most famous building in the world. A private coach will whisk us down to a hotel in Agra ready for an early visit to the Taj Mahal.

Day 15 - It’s worth getting there early to beat the crowds and get the best light for all those special photos. In the afternoon we’ll head to Agra Fort for a chance to view the Taj from a different angle and enjoy this second magnificent building. A final drive back to Delhi will get us there in the evening for a farewell meal.

Day 16 - Flight to UK. Another early start and we’ll be on the flight back to the UK. Day 17 - Arrive UK. Expedition dates June 16th and 17th 2012 – Training weekend in Wales September 1st to 17th 2012 – Ladakh expedition The other stuff We know expeditions of this type are expensive so we try to minimise additional expenditure. Tents are provided, boots can be hired and ice axes, crampons and helmets are included in the price. The clothing you wear can be mostly your normal hillwalking kit and there isn’t much else. The only thing you’ll want to make sure is that your sleeping bag is cosy and it is worth having a toasty warm duvet for the summit day and star gazing with a mug of hot chocolate at base camp.

Inevitably there’ll be a few other bits and bobs and we’ll give you plenty of guidance – but don’t feel you’ve got to come prepared for an ascent of Everest!

Expedition Price Price per person £1470 Inclusions In country transfers to/from airport Return flight from Delhi to Leh In country accommodation In country transport In country meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) Mountain guides/porters/muleteers/mules Cook for trekking phase Tents for trekking phase All technical equipment for Stok Kangri ascent Transport to/from Agra to Delhi Accommodation in Agra Exclusions Transport to/from UK airport Return flight from UK to Delhi (but we can help with flight arrangements for you) India visa (not hard to obtain) Optional tips for local guiding team (we’ll guide you on what the going rate is) Entrance fees to religious monuments (Taj Mahal/Agra Fort) Hire of plastic boots (we can arrange this for you) Environmental considerations We know our expeditions pollute. Infact, every course we run pollutes. On our overseas expeditions we try to give as much back to the country as possible by using local providers. However, we also try and do a lot more. For all participants we purchase carbon offsetting credits for the flights we use. We do this at no extra charge to the clients. Peak Mountaineering also operates a ‘1% for the Environment’ scheme. This means we give 1% of our annual turnover (turnover…not profit) to environmental charities. This is a big commitment for a small business – but we are proud to do it. Finally, it’s the smaller stuff. Purifying water rather than leaving several hundred plastic bottles behind, emailing rather than posting letters and that kind of thing. Every little helps.

What next?

You’ll probably have questions…..we’re all ears. Feel free to call on 01433620283 or email info@peakmountaineering.com and we’ll answer any questions. Once you want to book a place just let us know and we’ll send you a booking form. At that point we’ll also need a 20% deposit, which can be paid by cheque or BACS transfer.

We look forward to hearing from you.

WE GIVE

1%

for the environment