We take a one hour drive to Spitok, the closest road access to Stok Kangri. We then start our trek with an easy introductory walk of four hours until we reach Zingchan. Overnight camp.
Trek Zingchan to the base of Stok La, a pass below the mountain. Throughout the trip, we are trekking through the barren lunar landscape of Ladakh. The weather is hot during the day and cold at night. Reach Stok La and have a well earned hot meal and good night sleep.
Trek over the Stok La Pass and camp at Mankorma. The pass offers great views of Stok Kangri and the route to the summit from the base camp.
We make an early start and reach base camp with still most of the day to rest. We have lunch and then take a short climb from base camp to better acclimatise. We climb a further 100 m and then come back down again to get an early night in preparation for tomorrow's summit attempt.
We start climbing in the early hours of the morning to avail of the best weather conditions and a possible sunrise at the summit. First we climb onto a ridge which leads to a large glacier. After crossing the glacier we ascend steeply to the summit. This last leg is the most difficult and takes a lot of physical and mental strength. The panoramic view from the summit is second to none. To the north-west the Karakoram Range, including K2 (8611 m), seems endless. One can also see the Zanskar Range and view Tibet in the distance, an outstanding vista of snow-capped peaks.
From base camp we descend all the way to Stok village. This is a great walk passing by numerous ruins of old forts and castles. It takes about six hours to reach Stok village where we are met by waiting vehicles. We then drive two hours back to Leh enjoy a meal and some well earned drinks at the hotel.