This is a continuation of my travel series. Read the previous blogs here:
- To The Himalayas - Unguided Solo Travel
- Niti Malari - Where People Are Gods
- Heavy Rains, Dark Night, A Stone Cave and Me
- Loitering in Badrinath | Sadhus, Cannabis, Free Meal, Free Stay
- That's How I Got Leh'd
The Decision
For me, Leh automatically meant Stok Kangri. I had initially planned to attempt it after completing my Basic Mountaineering Course. But since I was already there without any fixed plans, I decided to try summiting it.
The Plan
The plan was simple. I had my own tent and sleeping bag. Trusting my trail-finding sense, I decided to do it solo—a 3-day plan:
- Day 1: Leh to Stok Village to Mankormo
- Day 2: Mankormo to Base Camp
- Day 3: Base Camp to Summit to Leh
The Execution
My backpack felt too heavy, and I started doubting my chances of a successful summit with it. So, I decided to hire a porter to carry it for me. Unfortunately, that decision turned out unwise—I ended up carrying my bag myself and still paid the porter!
The Chilling Sleepless Night at Mankormo
I felt quite confident in my new feather sleeping bag—a duplicate North Face I’d bought in Bhutan. I knew it was a fake but trusted the down filling. However, it hadn’t been put to the test yet.
Mankormo is a cold campsite before Stok Kangri base camp, especially due to the river flowing nearby. As night fell, the temperature dropped even further.
I carried a 3-man tent because it was the only tent I owned. Sleeping alone in that spacious tent, inside my fake North Face sleeping bag, at the freezing Mankormo campsite was a true test of patience. To make matters worse, I didn’t have a sleeping mat!
Somehow, I survived that sleepless night—a memory still etched deeply in my mind.
Friendship En Route – A Rescue from the Cold!
As I started the trek from Stok Village, I met two other guys—Vivek and Himanshu—who were also trekking independently.
Initially, our conversations were minimal, though a friendly warmth developed between us. They planned to use the fixed camp service, which I also used for meals.
After my sleepless night, I shared my story with them and asked if they’d share my tent the next night to help me stay warm. In return, they’d save money on tent charges. They readily agreed.
Vivek was carrying an alpine stove and offered to cook tea, soup, and Maggi before our summit push together at around 1 AM. That was a relief for me, as my plan for summit day was simply to survive on cashews, chocolate bars, and candies. Something warm sounded wonderful!
The Summit Push
Past midnight, we woke up to make tea and soupy noodles. After eating, we began our attempt for the summit.
That night, the trail was shared by us and a group of students, who turned back very quickly. A few Korean trekkers had left an hour ahead of us.
It was extremely cold outside, and perhaps I’d layered up a bit too much. Soon, I started feeling uncomfortable from wearing so many clothes. I didn’t have a headlamp, so I carried a hand torch. My jacket pockets were stuffed with two water bottles, while my trouser pockets held chocolate bars, candies, and some cashews. My camera bag hung from my shoulder.
We crossed the glacier quickly but lost the trail afterward. Keeping calm, we kept moving, using our sense of direction and the visible peak as a guide. Eventually, after slogging through the scree for a long while, we rejoined the man-made trail. The endless switchbacks up the scree slope felt monotonous and boring—but there was no choice but to keep going. At dawn, we reached just below the shoulder of the mountain.
The ridge walk from the shoulder to the summit was the best part of the entire climb. I love treks where you completely lose track of time. This was definitely one of those. Soon, I was standing on the summit.
The View from the Summit
When I’d taken permission from the IMF office in Leh, I was told I’d be able to see K2, Nanga Parbat, and Nun Kun from the summit. Perhaps I did see them, but they appeared so tiny on the horizon that it hardly made any difference. What truly captivated me were the incredible views of the Markha Valley far below and the surrounding peaks of Ladakh.
The Return from the Summit
I had planned to reach Leh the same day, so I quickened my descent, taking a direct shortcut down. By 11 AM, I was back at base camp, enjoying a hot bowl of Maggi.
As if congratulating us on our success, it began to snow lightly. A few blue sheep even wandered close, as though to greet us! I reconsidered my plan to leave for Leh that same day—I was in no hurry. So, I ordered a beer to celebrate!
The next day, we started our trek back at leisure and reached Leh by afternoon.
Riding The Nubra Valley