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The fundraising and training is about to pay off as the big day has finally arrived. Having waved goodbye to family and friends, take the flight to India to relax ahead of this gruelling challenge or spend time getting to know your teammates before the hard work begins.
Touching down in Delhi, we will be met by our local Charity Challenge representative who will escort us to our hotel. We then have the opportunity to explore the labyrinth of streets and markets, overloaded with exotic produce and unusual gifts. Tonight will be spent at the hotel after our first team dinner together.
It’s a scenic flight over Stok Kangri, landing at one of the highest airports on earth (3,200m) so prepare to feel the impact of the high altitude! The first few days of the trip will be spent exploring and acclimatising. Dominated by the ruins of an ancient castle, Leh is a busy town with friendly inhabitants. Dinner and overnight in a hotel.
We start the day with a sightseeing tour, beginning with the Shey monastery. From here we visit Thikse monastery, a fine example of Ladakhi architecture, and Hemis monastery, one of the most famous gompas in Ladakh. After lunch, we do a warm-up hike to Leh Palace and Tsemo Gompa. The fort above is in ruins, but the views from here are outstanding. Overnight in a hotel.
The day begins with a jeep ride of up to two hours to Khardungla, the highest drivable road in the world. Dress warmly as cold winds often blast across this point. The Khardung La, or pass, can be labelled the gateway to the Karakoram, or the ‘land of black gravel’. After driving back to Leh, there’s time for a walk to Shanti Stupa. Overnight in a hotel.
Continue to acclimatise with an optional white water rafting excursion. Raft for three hours on grade two rapids. After a hot lunch it’s a three to four hour drive to Chilling – the starting point of our trek. If you choose not to raft, you can join the support team in travelling straight to Chilling before lunch. Enjoy a starlit dinner and night under the Ladakhi sky.
After an early start, we’ll cross the Zanskar river and trek to Skiu. Originally known as the Tsarap, the river gorges a path out of the rocky mountains, dropping in a continuous torrent of class 5 rapids. We cross the mighty river by way of box and cable bridges and meet on the opposite riverbank for the trek to Skiu in the Marka Valley. Overnight camping.
The day will be spent negotiating our way through a narrow valley with a gradual ascent. We will keep to a moderate pace, as temperatures can soar during the day. Energy reserves will be low, but the exceptional scenery will push us along. Once we spot the village of Shingo, it’s a short distance to the bottom of Ganda La base camp, where we camp the night.
Take it relatively easy at first with a gradual ascent towards Ganda La. On a clear day, there should be an excellent panoramic view of the entire mountain range. Those wanting more can spend an extra hour walking to a higher ridge. From here it’s an easy descent towards the base of the mountain. We trek onwards to Rumback village, before stopping to camp for the night.
Continuing on through the valley, the day begins with a steep three-hour zig-zagging ascent towards Stok La. Your energy reserves may be fast depleted, as the soft sand underfoot means one step upwards can often lead to two backwards! Once again, there is the option of continuing on to a higher ridge. Then it’s a gentle descent towards Mankarmo, the shepherds’ encampment where we spend the night.
With breakfast out the way, we begin walking to Low Base Camp. Every step is a challenge at this altitude, so the aim of the day is to take it slowly and steadily. We reach our destination by lunchtime, giving us time to rest and possibly go for a stroll in the afternoon. Overnight camping.
Today we trek to Advance Base Camp, where we spend the day resting and acclimatising ahead of the summit attempt tomorrow. The highly experienced guides will help us try on our equipment and guide us through how to use it. There is an optional acclimatisation walk, which will give us the opportunity to practice using the climbing gear and hopefully increase our chances of reaching the top.
Expect a tough trek of six to seven hours to the summit of Stok Kangri after an early start Take time to rest, before we begin the three to four-hour descent to Advanced Base Camp where celebratory refreshments will be served. The day isn’t over yet however, as there’s still up to two hours of trekking down to Low Base Camp for an early dinner and overnight at the camp.
Today we take our final trek out of the valley and back to Stok village. It’s four hours downhill, which will seem like nothing after yesterday’s summit climb. Expect to see ibex, marmots and native ‘blue sheep’ on the trail. We will be met at the end by support vehicles, which will take us on the short ride back to Leh where we will spend the night.
If the weather has prohibited our summit attempt of Stok Kangri on Day 13, today is built into the itinerary to enable an extra chance, in which case today would be your final descent off the mountain.
If the itinerary runs to plan, today you can take the time to visit any sights you may have missed at the start or just relax while reflecting on this incredible journey. A celebratory team dinner is the perfect way to end our adventure in the Himalayas, surrounded by the magical scenery of Ladakh.
Expect to feel elated and emotional as we head for the airport for our international flight back to London. Be sure to swap contact details with new friends and trekking partners, before arriving back in the UK in the late afternoon or early evening.
BELIEVE >> ACHIEVE >> INSPIRE
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