Stok Kangri | Breathtaking Mountain Trekking Peak In India

Stok Kangri is the highest mountain in the Stok Range of the Himalayas in the Ladakh region of north India. Despite its high altitude, Stok Kangri is a popular trekking peak and is often climbed as an initial non-technical foray into high altitude mountaineering. This place is one of the most breathtaking places in India.

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The peak is located in Hemis National Park,12 km southwest of the trailhead (3,610 metres (11,844 ft)) in the village of Stok and around 15 km southwest of the city of Leh, the capital of Ladakh. This valley's grazing landscape, especially near the village, was devastated by the 2010 Ladakh floods, the most severe in decades. In December 2019, the All Ladakh Tour Operators Association announced that Stok Kangri is closed for trekking and climbing from 2020 to 2023, due to over-tourism. The interval is meant give the region a chance to recuperate.

Over the last few years, Stok Kangri (6,154 metres (20,190 ft)) has become tremendously popular amongst trekkers and novice mountaineers due to its non-technical nature. The peak is considered non-technical from July–August, but becomes quite technical during the height of winter. Even in summer, novices should be well prepared, with appropriate physical fitness and equipment. However, the difficulty of Stok Kangri is often underestimated. The climb is exhausting and requires a good amount of stamina, both physically and mentally.

It can take anything from two to five days to reach base camp (4,980 metres (16,339 ft)) from the village of Stok, depending on acclimatisation schedules and fitness levels. The biggest hurdle at such altitudes is rarefied air, which can cause acute headaches, nausea and other symptoms of altitude sickness even in fit climbers.

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