Stok Kangri Photo: Clive Hughes The Former Kingdom of Ladakh Stok Kangri 6,121m/20,082ft & Markha Valley Expedition Stok Kangri dominates the view south of Leh, and is one of the highest mountains in the Zanskar range. Its south-east ridge provides an exciting, but nontechnical, scramble to its summit, although it may be hard to believe that such a route exists when viewed from Leh! The expedition begins with a 10-day acclimatisation trek through the northern Zanskar mountains. This is a fabulous trek in its own right, culminating in crossing a 5,300m/17,500ft pass, which gives superb views of the eastern Karakoram. We get a real taste of Ladakh’s remoteness and its age-old Tibetan Buddhist culture. We pass through very many villages, past ruined castles whose history has been forgotten, and visit monasteries where the idols are occasionally said to “speak”. On return to Leh we enjoy a rest before the short trek to Base Camp. This trek is the best possible acclimatisation programme for an ascent of Stok Kangri. Summit day starts early, when, using crampons and ice axes, we walk up the glacier to the south-eastern side of the mountain. A long, tiring scramble takes us to the sharp south-east ridge, which leads, in a superbly exposed situation, to the narrow summit. The view from 6,121m/ 20,082ft takes in the Greater Himalaya, the Karakoram, and to the south the mountains in Zanskar and Kishtwar. Stok Kangri was the very first expedition Himalayan Kingdoms ever organised. Over the years it has given enjoyment and satisfaction to many of our clients. Our MD, Steve Berry, has climbed it three times, and his third ascent was largely instrumental in him splicing another kind of knot! Interesting Facts Kingdom founded by descendants of Tibetan kings around 1,000AD. Invaded by Zorawar Singh, a Kashmiri General, in 1834 Size: 117,000 km2 Population: 130,000 Capital: Leh, approx 30,000 Government: Part of Jammu and Kashmir state, India Present day King: H.H. Chogyal Nima Norbu Highest Mountain: Nun, 7,135m/23,410ft First British ascent: 1981. Expedition led by our MD, Steve Berry £2,195 £1,750 Dates: Tue 24 Jun – Tue 15 Jul*, Tue 15 Jul – Tue 05 Aug † land only Grade: Strenuous (Exp Gr) On Trek: 14 days European Leader: Richard Mears*, John Shipton † Nights’ Accommodation: Hotels: 7 Camping: 13 Optional: Single Room £195 Single Tent £50 Insurance: £99 (Standard Policy) Days Itinerary Duration: 22 days 1–3 Fly to Delhi, at leisure, fly to Leh 4–5 Acclimatisation, sightseeing, drive to Chilling 6–15 Acclimatisation trek, cross high passes, trek to Stok Kangri Base Camp 16–19 Trek to Advance Base Camp, climb Stok Kangri, return to Leh 20–22 Fly to Delhi, at leisure, fly to London Guaranteed to run for a minimum of clients Why choose Himalayan Kingdoms? • Experienced European mountaineer Trek Leaders • Local Ladakhi guides who have previously summited Stok Kangri • A longer, better acclimatisation on the classic Markha Valley Trek • British Airways to Delhi, direct non-stop • 4-star hotel in Delhi See also pages 2 and 3 for more information Other trekking peaks – see pages 35, 57 & 69 Ladakh’s moonscape scenery is characterised by deep gorges, alluvial fans, contorted strata (geologists say this was the point of collision between the two ancient continents of Gondwana [India] and Angara [Eurasia]), snowy mountains and arid plains. ‘Little Tibet’ never fails to leave a lasting impression on all its visitors. 45 tel: 0845 330 8579 (local call rate, UK only) international tel: +44 1453 844 400 www.himalayankingdoms.com Stok Kangri Trekking Peak Improved itinerary 5 Capital City Town Airport Major peak International Border Road Railway Pass ] [

46 Download detailed itineraries from www.himalayankingdoms.com e: info@himalayankingdoms.com The Markha Valley Trek After a sensational flight across the Greater Himalaya, we spend two days acclimatising and sightseeing in the Indus valley. Both departures attend a Buddhist festival. The trek then climbs up through gorges and remote Ladakhi villages of the northern Zanskar mountains. Having crossed the Ganda La, 4,700m/15,400ft, we then enter the Markha valley. Wading the river several times we walk up the valley past extraordinary rock strata and numerous ruined fortresses dating back to the 6th century B.C. or earlier. Leaving the valley we gradually climb to the high-altitude yak pastures of Nimaling, a couple of hours walk from the base camp of Kang Yatse, 6,400m/21,000ft, the highest peak of the Zanskar range. Crossing the highest pass on trek, the Kongmaru La, 5,400m/17,700ft, gives superb views north into Tibet, the Karakoram mountains, and a sea of peaks in Kishtwar to the south. After the trek, jeeps will take us back to Leh via Hemmis, the home of Ladakh’s largest and most famous monastery. Hilltop fortress, Markha Valley Photo: Clive Hughes £1,825 £1,345 Dates: Sat 19 Jul – Wed 06 Aug, Sat 09 Aug – Wed 27 Aug land only Grade: Vigorous/Strenuous On Trek: 10 days In-Country Leader Nights’ Accommodation: Hotels: 8 Camping: 9 Optional: Single Room £250 Single Tent £50 Insurance: £99 (Standard Policy) Days Itinerary Duration: 19 days 1–3 Fly to Delhi, at leisure, fly to Leh 4–5 Acclimatisation, sightseeing, attend Dakthok Festival (August departure) 6–15 Trek through the Markha Valley –16 At leisure, Leh, attend Phyang Tsedup Festival (July departure) 17–19 Fly to Delhi, at leisure, fly to London Guaranteed to run for a minimum of clients Nubra Valley – the Moorcroft Route Nubra lies north of Leh, capital of Ladakh, and leads to the peaks of the eastern Karakoram. An ‘Inner Line’ area until very recently, it has been the wishful goal of many a trekker. We can testify to its reputation as the most beautiful region in Ladakh, since we have now taken many treks there. The operator that we use, Mr Wangchuk Kalon, comes from one of the oldest families in Ladakh whose ancestors used to be ministers to the Ladakhi kings, and who still own land in Nubra. Camel caravans historically used to trade between Yarkand and Leh and would have passed this way. Many famous explorers also passed through including the Bullock- Workmans, Francis Younghusband, and Dr Tom Longstaff. Our trek begins by flying over the top of the Greater Himalaya, then after some time in the Indus valley, we follow the route that William Moorcroft used in the early 1820s to descend into Nubra, finally exiting over the Lasermo La. £1,895 £1,465 Dates: Sat 21 Jun – Sat 12 Jul land only Grade: Vigorous/Strenuous On Trek: 11 days In-Country Leader Nights’ Accommodation: Hotels: 8 Camping: 12 Optional: Single Room £250 Single Tent £50 Insurance: £99 (Standard Policy) Days Itinerary Duration: 22 days 1–3 Fly to Delhi, at leisure, fly to Leh 4–5 At leisure, Sightseeing Indus Valley 6–11 On trek into the Nubra Valley 12–13 Explore Nubra by Jeep 14–18 Trek out of Nubra, drive to Leh –19 At leisure 20–22 Fly to Delhi, at leisure, fly to London Guaranteed to run for a minimum of2clients Quest to Ladakh From the verdant valleys in Northern India we drive on the Manali–Leh highway across the Himalaya on what is proclaimed to be the second highest motorable road in the world. We camp en route, driving through grand, dramatic scenery. Arriving in Leh, capital of Ladakh, we spend some time sightseeing in the Indus Valley before trekking for four days through a string of villages in the hills west of Leh. The trek will cross passes up to 3,658m/12,000ft high, but will be taken at a leisurely pace to allow plenty of time to interact with local people, take photographs and experience village life in the Himalaya. We also spend a day attending a Buddhist festival. The final highlight is the flight back to Delhi right over the top of the Himalaya. On a clear day we can pick out K2, the world’s second highest mountain, and the vast sea of peaks stretching in every direction give some idea of the scale of the greatest mountain range on earth. £2,150 £1,680 Dates: Sat 28 Jun – Tue 15 Jul land only Grade: Gentle On Trek: 4 days European Leader: Ann Sainsbury Nights’ Accommodation: Hotels: 10 Camping: 6 Optional: Single Room £295 Single Tent £40 Insurance: £99 (Standard Policy) Days Itinerary Duration: 18 days 1–3 Fly to Delhi, rest, train to Chandigarh 4–8 Drive to Leh via Manali 9–14 On trek –15 Attend Hemmis Festival 16–18 Fly to Delhi, at leisure, fly to London Guaranteed to run for a minimum of clients Featured on Irish TV Both departures attend festivals 4 2