Stok Kangri

Food served on this trek is vegetarian and consists of a wide variety of Tibetan, Indian and continental dishes.

Breakfast:  Chapati, bread,  jam, cheese, butter, cornflakes, omelette, porridge, pancake, tea, coffee

Lunch: bread, cheese, jam, fruit, spring rolls, chocolate, boiled potato and egg.

Dinner: Tibetan, Indian and continental dishes.

If you have food allergies, let us know in advance and we’ll do our best to cater for these.

Drinking water comes from a stream or spring near the campsite. As it’s mostly rain run off or snow melt it’s going to be pretty pure to start with but we’ll boil or treat anyway for good measure.

There are streams and springs on the way so bring purification tablets or a water filter (the latter are noticeably heavier and bulkier than the former) you can replenish whenever you run out, but generally we fill our bottles up in the morning before we set off.

We use 3 man tents for two people to give you a bit more personal space and more room for your gear.

Most altitude related symptoms manifest themselves at night. We therefore recommend room and tent sharing from the onset of all our expeditions. Room share is always organised according to sex and where possible age groups. Obviously if you are climbing this mountain with a friend or partner then share rooms with them. If you have joined the team by yourself then it is highly likely that you will be sharing a room with your pre-assigned room buddy unless prior arrangements have been made.

If you would like your own hotel room, please contact the office to make arrangements, a modest single supplement fee will be requested.

Yes, we provide dining tents for meals and to relax and wind down in after a day’s walking.

There are no fixed camps in the mountains, so we carry all camping gear with us on horses, pitching camp near some of the reliable water sources. In terms of the camp “facilities”, there is a portaloo toilet in its own tent, and a shower tent.

There are different types of altitude sickness. Although our acclimatisation regime ensures that everybody enjoys the best possible chance of getting high on the mountain, altitude related problems can happen. The most common of this is high altitude sickness – AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness). Symptoms for this can include headaches, nausea and vomiting.

This sounds quite dramatic but generally this is just the process your body naturally goes through to adjust to the higher altitudes and the reduced partial pressure of the atmosphere. For some people the acclimatisation process takes a little longer than others.

For our guides this is all part and parcel of ascending a 6,000m peak and, although we assess each client’s personal situation carefully, we also further consider the compounding effects of dehydration brought on by excessive vomiting and loss of appetite.
AMS might sound frightening but our guides are fully trained (and highly experienced) in helping relieve your personal symptoms and providing advice on how to best proceed.

In most cases AMS can be avoided by following guidelines:

• Drink lots of water
• Walk slowly
• Stay warm
• Eat well

We recommend that you familiarise yourself with the various affects that altitude can cause. During your pre-climb briefing, we describe altitude sickness to you in detail, and advise you how to cope with it. The most important thing is not to fear it, but to respect it and to know how to deal with it and more importantly tell your guides how you feel.

Our guides have seen every condition that can occur on this trek, and they will always know how to deal with problems.

HACE and HAPE rarely occur  on this trek and our guides are fully trained in recognition of the onset of these problems and will deal with them at the first sign of their development.

Although we recommend you come armed with a course of Diamox or other high-altitude drug on this expedition, we do not recommend that take you these as a prophylactic during the trek or climb. We view Diamox as a treatment drug rather than a preventative medicine. Most adventure medics give similar advice, however we do appreciate this can be confusing, as many GPs (who aren’t necessarily mountaineers) do suggest taking it as a prophylactic.

We pride ourselves on designing all our itineraries with acclimatisation very much front and centre and this expedition itinerary has been carefully designed to allow for your body to adjust to the altitude gradually, safely and comfortably. However, if you find that you are still having problems adjusting to the altitude (see our FAQ on Altitude Sickness) then your expedition leader or expedition medic will recommend the correct course of action regarding taking Diamox.

It is far preferable to take Diamox if and when needed during the course of the expedition. If you are already taking it and then start having altitude related problems you are left with few options but to descend to a more comfortable altitude which sadly often means that the summit is not attainable.

Furthermore, Diamox is a diuretic, meaning you will have to drink a lot of fluid to prevent dehydration. Of course, the upshot of this is you’ll have to pee more which means you’ll probably be having to get up more in the night and take cover behind rocks during the day. Another quite common side-effect is that it can cause your extremities to “buzz and tingle” including your fingers, toes and lips which can feel quite unsettling.  Other side-effects can include dizziness and light headedness with loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Although all these side-effects are manageable when you have symptoms of altitude sickness, we personally believe it is counter-intuitive to take it unless necessary.

Of course, it is totally up to you, this is just our recommendation and we’re not doctors. If you do decide to take Diamox on the advice of your doctor then please do let your leader know in situ so they are aware of this. We also suggest you take the drug for a couple of days a few weeks before travelling so you can experience the symptoms before taking them during the trek.

We’re in the developing world now, and help isn’t quite so easily at hand. However, if there’s a serious injury or sickness the 360 leader carries a satellite phone and we can get a helicopter from the Indian Air Force to airlift a casualty to Leh. Remember you’ll need insurance to cover the expenses if this happens.

If something has happened at home and you need to get back quickly, we can get you to the nearest road head and arrange a pick-up to drive to Leh. If you’ve had to be turned back, or you feel you’ve reached your limit for the expedition, normally you will be led back down to base camp to wait for the others unless it is felt you need to return to Leh. Unfortunately you will be liable for any additional costs that this has incurred.

There is no malaria or yellow fever in Ladakh, and you don’t need a yellow fever certificate UNLESS you are traveling from an area where YF is present.

The standard vaccinations  that  are  generally  recommended for travel to the Indian subcontinent are Hepatitis A, Typhoid, Diphtheria, Tetanus and Polio, some people consider a rabies jab to be important. However you should consult your doctor, travel clinic or nurse practitioner for the most recent accepted advice rather than take our word for it.

We advocate a little bit of self-help on the trek. If you have a blister developing for example then please stop take off your boot and treat it before it becomes a problem.

Your own first aid kit should contain: a basic blister kit, plasters, antiseptic, sun-protection, your own personal medication (sometimes your porter might get to camp after you and if he is carrying your medication you may not be able to take it according to the regime you are used to), basic pain relief (aspirin and Ibuprofen,)  a personal course of antibiotics if prone to illness etc. Foot powder in your socks every morning is great for preventing blisters.

Generally  the best approach packing your first aid kit is to include such basic medications as if you would on a family or personal holiday.

Your 360 expedition leader and/or a local porter carries a very comprehensive first aid kit which contains a wide range of supplies and medications. They are fully trained to use whatever is needed for any emergency that may arise. We advocate keeping this in mind when packing your own first aid supplies and keeping your own FA kit as compact and light as possible.

If this is your first foray into high altitude climbing and don’t already own much equipment then we advocate borrowing gear from friends, buying second hand (not shoes) or hiring from our partners Outdoorhire.co.uk as the cost of buying everything on the kit list can be more than the trip itself.

Our guides usually start the walk wearing long, lightweight trekking trousers and T-shirts. Long trousers are recommended as a deterrent to insects, stinging plants and to act as sun protection. Shorts can also be worn on the initial few days of the trek as the temperature is usually warm. Ensure that you apply sun- protection frequently, or buy a once a day product such as P20 if you’re not very good at remembering to apply it. Sunglasses are worn for most of the trek as well as sunhats.

The prevailing conditions on the mountain will dictate what you will wear: if it is cold when you leave the camp in the morning then wear your fleece. As things warm up take advantage of the zipper system which most trekking clothing has – open and close the zips to adjust to your own preferred temperature. If you get too warm then take a layer off.

Over the top of your clothing you will wear a climbing harness and be attached to a rope for some of the day.

Waterproofs are needed on hand at all times. Stok Kangri is a big mountain that creates its own weather system. It is not unusual to be caught out in an afternoon rainstorm low down on the trek. Waterproofs should be Goretex material or similar.

On summit day it gets cold and temperatures of 0C to -10C are not unusual.

Typically our guides wear 2 sets of base layers (long johns), a thick fleece layer (top and bottom) and then on the legs waterproofs whilst on the upper torso a down jacket is worn. As the wind picks up near the summit ridge our guides will put on their windproof layer to ward of the wind chill. On their hands they’ll wear a thin layer of fleece working gloves over the top of which a thicker set of ski gloves or mittens is worn.

Their heads are covered by a thermal beanie hat or a thick balaclava and the hood of their down jackets. On their feet the guides wear one pair of thin socks and one pair of thick.

Waterproofs are used as an invaluable windshield to protect you against the effect of wind chill when a strong wind blows.

Whilst plastic boots are generally essential for climbing 6,000m peaks, Stok Kangri at the end of summer is generally the exception that proves the rule! You are very unlikely to need plastic boots as the summit (and summit day) are generally snow-free. If plastic boots are deemed necessary they will be supplied in-country.

In a similar vein, crampons aren’t always required on Stok Kangri and will very much depend on the snow conditions on the mountain. Crampons WILL be provided if you don’t have your own.

You will however need a good pair of trekking boots, which should be sturdy, waterproof, insulated against cold temperatures and offer adequate ankle support. In addition it is highly recommended that your boots are well worn in to prevent the formation of blisters. A range of suitable boots are on the market and further advice as to which brand names are available can be found online or at your local gear store and do also check out our useful guide for boots and crampons.

All the mountain hardware (plastics, crampons, ice axes, etc) are brought directly to the camp by porters.

The temperatures in Leh will be anywhere between 15C and 35C so shorts and t-shirts will be fine, possibly trousers in the evening on a cooler day.

Yes, you can leave a bag of clothes and personal effects that you’re not planning to take up the mountain in Leh, they will either be looked after by our local team or left in a lock-up at the hotel.

A daysack is worn by the climber at all times during the trek.  The content of this is mandatory and should include: a fleece (for when taking breaks or the weather changes); a full set (top and bottom) of waterproofs; sufficient water for the day; snacks; camera equipment; personal medication and a head torch.

Your day-to-day rucksack should weigh no more then 3 – 4 kilos and a rucksack of around 30 – 40 L capacity will more than suffice. This rucksack can be filled to the brim with extra stuff when checking in at the airport. Our guides for example put their down jackets or a thick fleece and a pair of mountain socks in this bag so as to free up space in their hold luggage. It is important that your day sack has an adjustable waist belt to transfer the weight of your daily load onto your hips and from here onto your legs (strongest muscles) to do most of the carrying. Another handy feature would be a compartment in which to fit a platypus/ camelbak or water bladder.

Our main luggage will be carried from camp to camp by horses. Our initial check in luggage should be around 22kg.

They are highly recommended and are worth their weight in gold on summit day. Our guides wear them every evening from the high camp up. A layer system comprising of several layers of base and thermal layers, fleeces, and a thick jacket will suffice on most summit nights but nothing beats the efficiency of a good down jacket (especially when topped with a water proof layer).

Should be rated within the -10C comfort zone. From the first camp upwards it is not unusual to experience frosty nights and a good night’s sleep is important to giving you the best chance to climb this mountain. Ensure you get a sleeping bag that has this temperature rating at this comfort zone rather than as its extreme zone.

Our guides take sleeping bags rated to well below -10C to ensure that they are warm at night. 3 season sleeping bags can be enhanced by using an inner silk liner (or similar), and ultimately by draping your down jacket over you. The idea is to be as comfortable and warm as possible for the night and henceforth to ensure plenty of sleep for the arduous days ahead. It is important to remember that down sleeping bags work by your own body heating the down that’s inside the bag.

Once you have warmed the bag up the feather down will retain the heat and ensure that you sleep at a temperature that’s your own body temperature. For best results wear as little as possible when inside your sleeping bag. Our guides will often only wear a set of thermals in their bag. It is important for the bag to trap the heat. By wearing multiple layers of clothing your clothing will trap this heat and your bag will not function properly.

You can rent equipment from our friends at www.outdoorhire.co.uk. Look under Partner Kit Lists, 360 Expeditions. However,we do advocate the use of personal equipment when it comes to footwear, your boots should be well worn in to your own feet.

August and September are the best months  for climbing Stok Kangri, offering stable weather and good temperatures.

Whilst there can sometimes be rain/snow showers, it is usually very stable.

September has the added adventage of there being fewer trekkers.

We did experience unseasonably snowy weather at the end of September 2018 but that was unprecedented and something our local crews have never before experienced and don’t expect to again. You can read more about their trip here.

The success rate for Stok Kangri is about 80%.

The summit day is about 10 – 14 hours.

On the trekking phase we have one overall 360 leader who runs the expedition, assisted by 1 local guide per 8 clients. Once we reach base camp the team increases and we use 1 local guide per 4 clients.

On a day to day level remember that you will be camping at altitude in cold temperatures. You are likely to be cold, washing and toilet facilities will be limited, your appetite may be affected by the altitude and as you get higher on the trek you are likely to suffer shortness of breath and many people experience difficulty sleeping. Remember that everyone on the trek is likely to be experiencing exactly the same symptoms, physical and mental.

Climbers are expected to be in good physical condition. The better your physical shape the more you will be able to handle the demands of trekking to the base camp and then climbing the peak. Having a good level of fitness will allow you to enjoy the expedition all the better and increase your chances of reaching the summit.

The temperature in the mountains can vary from 30C during the day to 0C in the evenings. Add some windchill on summit day and it could be somewhat cooler. In Leh the temperature can vary between 15 – 35C.

The temperature in the mountains can vary from 30C during the  day to 0C n the evenings. Add some windchill on summit day and it could be somewhat cooler. In Leh the temperature can vary between 15 – 35C.

Your guide will generally meet you at the airport. At the check-in desk look for someone wearing a 360 logo.

You must carry individual travel insurance to take part in the trek. We cannot take you on the mountain without proof of insurance.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you have the appropriate insurance for your intended trip. To include medical evacuation and coverage up to the maximum altitude of this trip.

Your insurance details are requested on the booking form, however this can be arranged at a later date. 360 Expeditions will be requesting your insurance details 8 weeks before your departure.

The 360 training programs have been devised to be expedition specific. Use these as a guide but also feel free to contact us for individual advice on how to best incorporate the most suitable fitness program with your own lifestyle. The idea is to increase the intensity of the exercise over 4 to 6 months before you leave for the expedition. Concentrate on cardiovascular work-outs during the initial weeks by taking short runs when time allows and try to spend at least 2 weekends a month going on long duration walks (longer than 6 hrs) carrying a rucksack of around 10kg. As you get stronger increase this rate of exercise and the duration by walking every weekend and running 5km every second day.

A focused regime will not only prepare your body for carrying minor loads but will harden your body against the big days on the mountain itself. In addition the weekend walks will help break in your boots and get you used to your equipment. In combination this will pay dividends when you reach Stok Kangri because even though you can’t train for altitude your body will be ready for arduous days and you will be familiar with how to best use your equipment.

Generally speaking deposits are due upon booking as we need to book your international flights well in advance. The full amount should be paid 4 months prior to departure. However having said this, our aim is to get you to the top of this mountain and we understand that personal financial situations can vary. Please contact our friendly office crew to discuss a suitable payment plan if monthly payments would make life easier.

Please read our terms and conditions carefully before you depart. 360 Expeditions highly recommends trip cancellation insurance for all expeditions. Due to the nature and heavy costs of government and operator permits we must adhere to a stringent refund policy.

You can’t buy or sell Indian Rupees outside of India. Therefore we would recommend taking either British pounds or American dollars and then changing them when you arrive in country. Both are readily recognised and are easily converted to the local currency. Upon arrival there will always be a bureau de change at the airport. There are also plenty of ATM’s around Leh. Generally either of these provide a better rate of exchange then your hotel.

Again, do check with your bank, what the charges are for withdrawing cash in India.

The amount of money you will need depends on how many presents you wish to buy or how much you wish to drink when you come off the hill. As a basic rule of thumb $300 should be more than adequate for any post expedition spending. India is a relatively cheap place and when indulging in the local custom of haggling then goods can be very good value for money. The only cash you’ll need to consider taking with you on the mountain is the local crew tips which are presented to them usually on the final evening at the last camp before you sign out from the national park.

Our local crew work extremely hard to ensure that your expedition runs well. While tipping is not compulsory, once you see how hard the crew work and realise the small amount of money they get paid relative to one’s own income, tipping will seem the least you can do to say thank you. As a general rule we suggest between $80-100 for tipping the local crew.

For the leader this is your call.

Opportunities to charge your batteries will be limited. If you can get hold of a solar battery charger this is probably the best option. This together with making sure that you keep your spare batteries warm i.e. by keeping them near your body day and night should mean that you can keep snapping all the way!

Your best bet is to buy a local SIM to use in and around Leh to call out as it’s very unlikely that the local networks will you let you join through your UK operator.

While we will do everything we can to provide adequate safety for the group and security for your possessions, the general rule is that if you don’t need it, don’t bring it. This includes jewellery, necklaces, rings and even watches. Your passport and money should be kept on you at all times. As with travel in any foreign country, you need to look after yourself and your possessions, and this is no different.