Disclaimer : I never wished to write this blog for various reasons, first the expedition did not go as per our plan and I had to go through some really strong emotional stuff. I thought(and still strongly feel) I can never put those events into words.
Secondly, though I summited Stok Kangri unassisted, I don't consider the expedition to be a success. My friend and the backbone behind these treks, Vishnu had to leave in between and seeing him go back from Mankormo was one of the hardest things I have done all my life.
Thirdly, the route we took to Stok Kangri peak was not the regular southern ridge route, instead we opened a route from eastern side (which can be climbed only when there is thick snow) so this cannot be a guide to someone planning Stok Kangri.
Lastly, even if someone wishes to take this as a guide, the Stok Kangri expedition is banned for trekking from 2020 so I found no point in writing this blog as a reference for other trekkers.
A close friend of mine kept insisting to write down the experience (as she wanted to read each and every details of it) for which I rejected blatantly. But after a not so good Bengaluru Marathon, when I was digging deep for inspiration, I went to a few hardships like Annapurna Base Camp, Khardung-la challenge, 12hrs run and of course Stok expedition. To be honest each of them needed a superhuman effort from me to complete them. However while running the flashback of Stok expedition, I felt I was missing a few finer details. So I thought I will write it down as a remainder of what I went through and more importantly as a motivation for me whenever I hit another low. Also this is for my friend who is always a constant support be it in my highs or lows.
Mountaineering is generally filled with risks. While few risks are known many of them come uninvited, while a few can be avoided, we have to tackle the others. Having said that there is no denial that previous experience comes handy while tackling such unexpected situations.
As I explained in my Annapurna Base Camp expedition blog, I could not go for an Himalayan expedition in 2018 because my focus was on finishing the world's highest ultra marathon, Khardung-la challenge.
So I was planning to do something big in 2019. When I spoke to Vishnu about my ambition we started exploring options. We started planning in January, and we decided we will do a winter trek(eventually it was ABC) as a prep and then look for a bigger one in July/August.
After going through a lot of details we zero downed on Stok Kangri.
To give a little details about Stok Kangri, it is one of the few 6000+ peaks which requires little technical expertise to climb. While the Success rate in the initial snowing days is very low, the success rate in August is very high. But the altitude remains a challenge always.
Since Vishnu was applying for higher studies we thought it's better to take a chance and finish off the expedition as soon as possible. We took a chance and planned the expedition in the initial days (where success rate is very very less).
When we started digging details about the Stok Kangri expedition, we got to know that this year it would be different. Stok Kangri trek route was on the verge of closure, so there was news that the dining tents which Mitra had put at Chang-ma, Mankormo and Base Camp were all removed. So the only food option for us was to cook by ourselves.
As I always say, trekking with a group like TTH or India Hikes is a little too uncomfortable for any experienced mountaineer. The school kid like treatments (walking together, frequent tests) and way too much comfort suffocates and takes away the thrill of being in mountains.
But given the case that we knew very little about Stok Kangri and the uncertainty about food options, also taking into consideration the fact that Stok Kangri is way higher than we ever claimed(17,500 ft) previously, we decided to go with Trek The Himalayas(TTH) group. To enroll for Stok Kangri with TTH one needs to provide proof that the person has at least 2, 14,000 ft+ experience. Both of us enrolled in the first batch of the season (29th June) by providing proof and paying an advance amount.
Vishnu shared our plan with one of his friends who had earlier worked with India hikes. She mentioned that any experienced mountaineer can do the Stok Kangri expedition on their own. So we started giving it a serious thought. We planned to trek till Base Camp on our own and then take a guide from there.
Vishnu talked to a few guides, but none of them agreed for Base Camp to summit and back. Most of them tried to persuade Vishnu to employ them from Leh to Leh. They also scared us that there are absolutely no food options on the way (which we eventually found out was really the case).
I talked to a colleague of mine, Ajay Kapoor who gave me the contact of Shrey in Manali. Shrey was kind enough to connect me to a guy called Tenzin. I spoke to Tenzin over the call and explained to him our requirements. Since this is not such a common requirement in Leh, Tenzin asked like 100 questions right from our mountaineering experience to our plan. After I could convince him that we are experienced trekkers and that we have reached 17,500 ft, he agreed to arrange a guide as per our requirement.
Tenzin provided us his details and asked us to see him once we are in Leh. He assured us that he will surely arrange a guide.
With the guide arranged, it was left for me & Vishnu to plan the remaining things now. We had a lot of learnings from the ABC expedition where we went with little planning. So we made sure we had a day to day itinerary ready.
One of the highlights was the onward route to Mankormo. The usual route is to Stok village -> Chang-ma -> Mankormo which is just 8KM without any big climb.
But we decided to go via Stok-la(Stok pass) which is at an altitude of 15,500 ft, so that we could acclimatise on the go.
So we zeroed down on the following plan :
29 Jun (Sat) - Reach Leh (11,500 ft)
30 Jun (Sun) - Leh - Rumbak (Via Zingchan) - 6.5KM trek (13,900 ft)
01 Jul (Mon) - Mankorma (Via Stok la) - 11KM trek (14,300 ft)
02 Jul (Tue) - Stok Base Camp - 4KM trek (16,300 ft)
03 Jul (Wed) - Acclimatise at Stok Base Camp
04 Jul (Thu) - Summit attempt & return to base Camp - 14KM trek
05 Jul (Fri) - Reserve day for summit
05 Jul (Fri)/ 06 Jul (Sat) - Leh via Chang Ma - 13KM trek
07 Jul (Sun) - Fight
Basically we mimicked this plan by Ju-Leh Adventures. (Photo © Ju-Leh Adventures)
As per plan, I booked the return tickets to Leh from my company website, Lastminute.com.
After booking the flights and guide, my brother told me that they were planning to celebrate the 1st birthday of my niece in my Hometown on 4th July. Since the bookings were already done and I had committed to Vishnu, I went ahead with the expedition.
We also discussed in detail the cooking options we had. We decided to buy Butane tanks & burner from Leh. Vishnu agreed to get "gojju avalakki(masala beaten rice)" from his home. Also we would buy some ready to cook items like maggie, oats and soups from Leh.
As mentioned earlier Leh has a special place in our hearts because of the experience we had at the Khardung-La challenge in 2018. In order to relive a part of that journey, I carried my running shorts and shoes so that I could squeeze in a run before returning to Bangalore.
Jun 28th :
While the planning for Stok was on, Babu sir came up with an idea of running 12 hours stadium run later in July. We knew we were underprepared for that so we ran a 50KM run on 22nd June(previous weekend of the trek).
But I was not happy that I would be missing running for the next 10 days, so on the travel Day, I decided to run a Marathon before going to the office. I packed my rucksack the previous night and started my run by 4:15 AM. I ran a decent self supported Marathon and finished by 8AM and went to the office.
After office I came home, picked up my rucksack and took a bus to the Airport. The flight was at 10PM.
I reached the Airport and called Vishnu. He said he needs half an hour so I checked in my Rucksack and finished my security check and was reading the book 50-50 by Dean Karneses. After some 20 mins Vishnu came. Vishnu's mom had sent Chapati rolls, so we had that for dinner and boarded our flight to Mumbai.
We had a 4 hours layover in Mumbai, which we did not see as a big concern, neither while booking nor while travelling. But flying directly to 11,000ft after spending considerable time at sea level, was probably one of the mistakes which came back to hurt us. From Mumbai we had an early morning flight to Leh. Flying to Leh is by itself an experience, especially if you have a clear sky. You get to see the Spires of various mountain ranges from Lesser Himalayas, the Greater Himalayas and the Trans Himalayan ranges.
The endless spires seen from the flight to Leh.
As the hotel was just 3KMs from Airport we thought we would walk slowly. I had booked a Budget Double in Ponyo guest house. The room was clean and well maintained. The owner, Soman Wangdu was a very friendly guy(just like most of the people I met in this part of India). The hotel had an awesome view.
The view from Ponyo guest house, Leh.
We had a good amount of things to do before resting so we set out to have breakfast and finish off the work. A sense of nostalgia hit me as we were walking on the familiar roads, which were part of my "Khardung-la challenge" journey last year! I took Vishnu to my favorite paratha house for breakfast. After breakfast we went to the exact location where Khardung-la challenge ends.
Feeling nostalgic at the place with life time memories
From there we went to apply for permission. Leh was in the state of Jammu & Kashmir then. As it was a very sensitive state we did not intend to get into any trouble without taking permissions.
We went to the tourist Information centre which is just next to Leh Market. The lady over the counter said "As per Govt. rules, no permission or any paperwork is needed for the Stok Kangri expedition. Only if people at Stok Village ask then you might have to pay them something". We double confirmed before leaving the info centre. On the way we talked to a taxi guy, Skarma, to drop us to Zingchen the next morning.
With the permission thing sorted, I called Tenzin. He asked us to meet him at his office which was not too far from the city centre. We met Tenzin but he couldn't arrange the guide to meet us there. He informed us that the guide is confirmed and he would come with the guide to our hotel by evening.
Then we went to arrange food and cooking items. We bought 2 butane tanks(one of 1Kg another half KG) and a burner. Then we went to a supermarket. We had to be very careful in picking up stuff as we had to carry them on our backs. We had to carry enough food items for 6 days, nothing more nothing less. Given our lack of experience in preparing food during an expedition, estimating quantity was a big headache. We picked up a couple of 1kg oats packets, a honey bottle and a few milk powder sachets. Since Vishnu had carried Gojju Avalakki and we would buy Ladakhi bread, we thought that was enough.
Then we went to rent Ice axe and Crampons. We met Mohit(from Kolkata), Sandeep(from Bangalore) and Karthick(from Mangalore) while picking up the items. They were looking for Scarpa shoes, Karthick suggested we pick them as well but I and Vishnu decided against. Given our ABC experience, we were confident we would pull it off with our Forclaz shoes (picked up from Decathlon).
We also got to know that no body was able to summit Stok Kangri till now, that season.
After picking them we walked back to our hotel. By around 5PM, Tenzin came to our hotel along with Pasang Sherpa, who would be our guide.
Pasang was pleasantly surprised that we had asked for a guide only from Base Camp. Also he was surprised that we were starting the next day with just 1 day acclimatisation. So he asked us about our mountaineering experiences and all. After getting clear information on dates, they left.
We couldn't rest much so we went to Leh Market again to have an early dinner. Clearly our acclimatisation plan didn't go well, the entire day we were running around in the hot sun for various stuff.
After coming back we re-packed our rucksacks. There were a lot of things to squeeze in. Moreover I was carrying my tent in the rucksack. After packing, when I put on the rucksack to check the weight, the main velcro(which holds the entire weight of the rucksack) came out. Somehow we managed to drag the extra bit and the fixed it, but I was unsure how would it coupe up with the extra weight.
Also we segregated the stuff that we planned to keep with the hotel owner (basically my running stuff and some items of Vishnu) and slept off.
Jun 29th : Leh - Zingchen - Rumbak
We woke up early as we had asked Skarma(taxi guy) to come near the hotel by 6AM. By the time Skarma came we were ready and I kept extra items with Soman, and filled water bottles. It was a very warm gesture by Soman to come near the taxi and wish us good luck.
From the hotel we went to Leh market to fetch a few Ladakhi breads which would be our food for the next couple of days along with what we would cook. We started our journey on Leh-Srinagar highway. After crossing Hall of fame, we took a left to Spituk road. The road towards Zingchen is along the Indus river. We had one of the best views of Indus river and valley form here.
The beautiful Indus river
At Zingchen, we paid Skarma the agreed amount & he left wishing us good luck. We started our trek slowly. The plan was to reach Rumbak, have breakfast, find the camping site and camp for the day. A simple 6.5 KM hike.
Pics before starting our daunting journey
From there we walked on a narrow path which was mostly uneven because of the ongoing work. After walking 4KMs we reached a small dining tent. As we ordered soupy noodles, it began to drizzle. We were soaking in the beauty of the landscape. Even after having noodles, we rested for some time. We also met a Israeli couple there, who tried to offer hash ;-)
When we started again, I met a mules man and asked him how far Rumbak is. He asked me where are you headed to. When I said Stok base camp, he said Rumbak is 3Km away, but he asked us not to camp in the village, instead he asked us to camp at one of the campsites available further ahead. We continued slowly and reached Rumbak Village. It was just like any village we crossed during our ABC expedition.
We asked about the camp site to a lady and she said it is around 2KM ahead.
We had planned for just 6.5 KMs that day, and we had already trekked 7KM. On top of that we were carrying rucksacks which were heavier than any previous expedition. So we were a little tired but we started towards the campsite.
Since everyone trekking to Stok Base camp uses the easier Chang-ma route, there was no one on this route except for the odd villagers. That was making the walk a little more difficult.
On the way we checked with a local, he mentioned there are 2 camp sites. After walking almost 2KMs I stopped at a campsite. But the camping area was a little far away from the river so Vishnu suggested that we move to the next one(the last campsite before Stok-la).
I reached a little earlier and by the time Vishnu came, I had removed my tent from RuckSack and made it ready to pitch. When Vishnu arrived, he looked a little off. When I checked he said he has a slight headache. Knowing Vishnu, these did not seem to be an issue to me.
We pitched the tent and started cooking. We had food and since both of us were tired we slept.
The campsite was at an altitude of 13,900 ft.
Elevation gain as seen on my Garmin!
First time pitching my tent in the HimalayasSleeping immediately was a rookie mistake which both of us forgot. Also we drank very little water on the entire journey, another rookie mistake in the mountains.
When we woke up, it was already evening. Vishnu still had a headache. I thought he needed some fresh air so asked him to come out of the tent. We slowly started walking towards the road that will take us to Stok-la the next day. My idea was to gain some altitude so that we can acclimatise and sleep better(one should never sleep at the maximum altitude gained in the day). I kept on going but Visnhu was pulling me back. I was not aware of the situation so I was insisting on gaining altitude, that's when Visnhu screamed on me and said he was feeling very uncomfortable.
I could immediately understand that he was hit by AMS. We went back to our tent, losing some altitude(not much though) and I asked Vishnu to take a diamox.
By this time it was almost dark and we sat in the tent to talk. I was shit scared as there was no other human being around us for at least 3.5KM(2hour trek), but last thing I wanted to do in that situation was to show that I was afraid. As per my judgement Vishnu was not badly hit and it was Ok for us to stay there. My suggestion was to stay put and based on Vishnu's condition decide in the morning whether to move to Mankormo or go back to Rumbak seeking help.
Vishnu suggested that we move back to Rumbak now(as it was a village and was easy to get help), and next day morning trek to Mankormo if everything was alright. I argued, first of all it is very difficult to walk back those 3.5KM in the dark with all the luggage. Also if we did that there was now way for us to reach Mankormo the next day(given the situation). So we will have to abandon the expedition.
After deliberating much on this Vishnu agreed that it is better we stay back and decide in the morning. By now Vishnu was hydrating properly and he was feeling a lot better. We cooked food and had our dinner. I asked Vishnu to take one more diamox and we slept. It wasn't cold at all, we were yet to enter the main trek and everything looked blur on the first day itself. I was disappointed with myself for not hydrating and allowing Vishu to sleep in the afternoon. Last thing I wanted was a serious health issue in a no man's land. I was waking up every hour to check if Vishnu was breathing or not(this might look funny now but I was very scared). Vishnu showed no signs of trouble all night.
Jun 30th : Rumbak - Stok la - Mankormo
Vishnu was better after a good night's sleep. So we decided that we will move to Mankormo(as per our plan) and then decide what to do from there. Stok Village is just 3 hr walk from Mankormo and Stok village has good connectivity to Leh.
In the morning we quickly had breakfast. I packed the tent and we had our Rucksacks ready. I intended to carry a few extra items so that It is lighter for Vishnu, unfortunately because of the limited space in my Rucksack I couldn't help him much. Still I carried extra 2kgs.
Our goal was simple, climb till Stok-la then ascend till Mankormo at a very very easy pace.
We started our hike slowly. I made it a point that I was with Vishnu. Initially there was a steep climb and then it was a gradual ascent to some extent. I lost route in one place where the river was covered with ice. We were supposed to cross the river that was covered with ice, but I missed to notice and walked along the river, I realised quickly that I was on the wrong path. We rested there and slowly started ascending.
The endless spires as seen from the route
The frozen stream
From there it was a steep climb to Stok-la(which was almost visible now) and the route was zig-zag. Since I was sticking with Vishnu, I would climb 4-5 zig-zags and wait for Vishnu. Vishnu looked very tired, but was very determined. We reached Stok-la and were jubilant. It was like hitting a Jackpot. Mainly because Stok-la is at an altitude of 15,500 ft. Since Vishnu climbed Stok La, in theory Vishnu should not be hit by AMS that day night as we were spending night at Mankormo which is at significantly lower altitude compared to Stok La.
That steep climb!!
View of either sides of Stok-La
While resting, we met a porter from another group(who were trekking from Rumbak to Leh). He was talking on the phone. By now we had decided that Vishnu will return to Leh from Mankormo and will not travel to Base Camp. I offered to join him saying we came together we would go back together, but he strongly refused. I tried persuading him, but he was sticking to his argument that there was no reason for me not to attempt.
I took the porters mobile and Called Pasang Sherpa. I informed him about the situation and told him to carry only 1 set of carabiner and harness.
We ate a protein bar each, thanked the porter and started our journey to Mankormo. This was a beautiful stretch overlooking Indus Valley. But the path was narrow and any mistake would mean a free fall for a few 100 meters. So we had to be very careful.
We crossed a couple of mountains, descended another mountain and after that we had no idea where we were. We felt like we had walked a lot. since there were no one on the route, I checked my mobile and I was getting Airtel signal. I called Pasang again and he guided us to the right path. Basically we had to descend steeply and reach a river, from there Mankormo was further 4 KM ahead. We reached the river and kept walking. We were walking very slowly because of Vishnu's condition and my heavy rucksack.
We reached route coming from Chang-ma from there Mankormo was on the right. We knew we were very close but walking those 2.5Km was not at all easy given our conditions. Now we were able to see some people and mules, so we were little relieved. We walked on the stoney path taking frequent breaks. With 2Km to go, I walked in my pace and reached Mankormo campsite, threw my Rucksack there and came back to help Vishnu. So I carried Vishnu's rucksack for the final KM which was a big relief for him.
When I reached the campsite, I saw there was RIMO expeditions group. RIMO expedition, with Motup(now the president of The Himalayan Club) is the organiser of Khardung-la challenge, so I had heard of them. Seeing them was a big relief as I knew, in the most unlikely case of Vishnu needing any assistance, there were guides, porters and everyone.
We pitched our tent and started cooking. After lunch we rested a bit (here it was perfectly Ok to sleep, as we had descended from Stok-la).
In the evening I went for a small walk. I went to a little higher place from where I could see the weather getting worse towards Base camp. I knew that my chances of summiting was very slim. Moreover the summit route was not opened up this season.
Vishnu was feeling a lot better now. He was feeling disheartened that he needs to return to Leh the next day. So he told me that he would come to Base camp with me but WILL NOT ATTEMPT SUMMIT. But I rejected that immediately as I knew how risky it would be.
We cooked and had dinner and called it a day. Though there was nothing much to worry, remembering previous night, I was still scared. So I was waking up every 1 or 2 hrs to check if Vishnu was breathing or not.
Jul 1st : Mankormo - Stok base camp
In the morning we had breakfast. After that we started packing.
Since I was supposed to be alone for the next few days, now I had to carry a tent, food items, gas and everything needed. So we started segregating stuff. Idea was I would carry only essentials and any extra item, Vishnu would carry back to Leh.
As I was packing the rucksack, I had a surge in emotions. I had to part ways with Vishnu, and I had no idea what would happen in the next few days. The news was that nobody was able to summit Stok Kangri because of fresh snowing everyday. So the realistic chances of me summiting was not more than 5%. But I was not the one to give up without attempting.
As we were packing I enquired with a guide from RIMO as to how far was base camp. He said it is 4KMs and since you walk well you may need 3 hours. (it has steep climbs in few places so as per TTH website, its 4 hours trek)
Once our rucksacks were packed, I had the hardest farewell in my life (even as I write, I feel that surge in emotions).
Hard farewell!
I started trekking towards Base camp alone. And when I turned back I could see Vishnu was still standing in the same place. He was there till I disappeared from his sight. I started moving slowly along the river banks. I made sure I did not take frequent rests because I was aware picking up the heavy rucksack once kept down would not be easy. There was no much climb in the initial KM. After that it was a gradual but continuous climb. I kept moving only to stop for water. I had just covered 3KM, when it started snowing heavily. I had covered 3KM in less than an hour and half. I had no place to hide so I continued trekking. Remembering that RIMO guy had said 3 hours, I thought I had a lot of distance to cover. But after walking just 15 more mins in snow, I saw a few people coming from another route.
It took me a while to realise that I had almost reached Base camp. It took just 1hour 40mins to reach Base camp.
On way to Stok Base camp
As I was about to climb the final stretch, it started snowing heavily. I just ran and I saw a dining tent. I went there and requested the cook of an all foreigners expedition group that I will take cover there till the snow stops.
Trying to avoid the sudden snowfall
The cooked offered me tea and hot water (a luxury at that altitude). We were talking about various things.
After the snowing reduced, the cook helped me pitch the tent.
After setting the tent, I wanted to sleep but I knew I had just reached 16,500ft and it was very risky to sleep. So I planned to stay awake till evening. I went on a short stroll. I climbed a bit and sat down on a rock. I was still coming to terms that I will have to stay here all alone for 3 days. All that had happened in the last 2 days were replaying in my mind in detail. Also I had a big question, what was I doing there.
To be fair I wasn't sure why I was here; I was not prepared to be alone, the chances of summiting were next to 0 and I was here missing the first birthday of my niece. I just scribbled a message for her!!
I was feeling very low. I had faced a lot of adversities in life but this was a new one, in a completely different situation and given the weather condition, my gut feeling was that it would be a futile effort. Still I started deriving strength from all those memories and felt a lot better.
I came back to base camp and met the guys I saw while approaching Base camp. Nikhil, Sai Pavan, Vanch and Monica. All of them were AMC certified(Advanced mountaineering) They had tried summiting last night. They opened up the route for quite some distance, but were beaten back by the weather.
Now I was more worried. Mentally I had decided that it would be impossible to summit.
I had oats for lunch and started reading the book "Ultramarathon Man by Dean Karnezes".
At 4.30 I climbed to the top of the ridge. Unlike many mountains, Stok Kangri peak is not visible from Base Camp, you need to climb a steep ridge to be able to see the peak. From the ridge I could see the fresh snow that was deposited in the morning. The problem with fresh snow is it gives up easily under body weight and buries your knees. Also, it closes all the routes that were previously opened.
I sat there for some time, acclimatised and then came down. I got to know there is a point where a feeble Airtel network is available. I went there, placed a couple of calls and came back. When I came back I met Mohit, Sandeep and Karthick(whom I met while renting crampons).
I was planning to prepare dinner(of course another round of oats) when the cook of the foreigners group asked me to have dinner with them. It is really funny how people want to help you in adverse conditions. We had a long discussion over dinner and then he packed the remaining vegetable soup in my tiffin box and gave it to me to have the next day. I came to my tent and tried to sleep. But I was just unable to sleep till 4AM. After that I slept for some time.
Jul 2nd : Acclimatisation at Stok base camp
By the time I woke up it was already 8 AM and the foreigners group had started packing. I went and was talking with the cook while he packed the entire thing and loaded onto the mules and bid him adieu. Then I had the vegetable soup of the previous day. I went around for a short stroll near Mohit's tent. At 16,300ft this short walk itself was enough to make me breath heavily.
While chatting Karthik asked Sandeep to guide him how to climb in the snow. I also saw an opportunity to practice and we 3 went to a nearby place where there was fresh snow and started practicing. But the snow was more than knee deep so we couldn't practice much and we came back. When I came back the Hyderabad team was ready to leave. Before leaving Nikhil handed over some cheese packets to me. It's a mountaineering protocol where you carry do not back food items. As soon as they left Trek The Himalayas team arrived. As I mentioned earlier, had we planned with TTH we were supposed to be in that team :-D
I went to the place where we got network. I had a message from Vishnu that he booked tickets and that he is flying back to Bangalore the next day. Knowing Vishnu, I knew he needed time to reflect & come to terms with the situation. So I was happy that he would be back home rather than being alone in Leh and overthink.
I had gojju avalakki for lunch and started reading "Ultramarathon Man" again.
Having run a handful of Ultramarathons, I am very well aware that endurance running is more mental than physical. For example, while running for 10 hours, the sheer thought of running 10 hours is enough to make many quit. To win over mind we employ a trick of setting small targets and achieving them. For example we think about the next 2 hours, or the next 5KM, sometimes 500 meters or sometime till the next visible pole. After we reach the target, we celebrate it a bit and set the next target. And this goes on and on until we run 10 hours. Deano emphasises on the same and for me who had a long summit day tomorrow, this was a kind of reminder as to what I should be doing. The mantra was simple "One step at a time".
By 3 PM Pasang Sherpa came. It seemed as if he was a little pessimistic about any chances of summit. First, because nobody had submitted till now(that season) and he knew opening up routes is a humongous task and he did not expect me to be ready for such laborious thing. He knew it was just my 5th day since I Landed in Leh and with Vishnu dropping out, he felt we were just another over optimistic group of noobs.
He just said he will try as much as possible. (As we started trekking he knew he underestimated me big big time)
He checked my crampons, gaters and shoes. I had only Forclaz shoes(Decathlon brand) which were waterproof. But since most of the summit route had knee deep snow, Pasang was expecting me to have Scarpa shoes. I was confident in the one I had because of my previous experience in ABC trek. Pasang was not happy with the fact that I planned to wear only 3 layers under my jacket. I tried to convince him but he said he will see what happens. He asked me to wear plastic covers in between socks, just so that my feet won't freeze incase of any snow gets in the shoe. He also said we will start at 10:45PM. Maybe he kept an extra 45 mins buffer in case I slowed down.
We both had maggie and slept by 8PM. We woke up by 10:15 PM and got ready. By 10:45 Pasang put the harness on me(so that he can short rope me if required). I fetched the freezing running water and we were ready.
I carried my crampons, protein bars, water and fully charged phone in my bag. I completely forgot that I had to keep the phone in my pocket so that it would be warm and it would work.
Jul 3rd : Summit attempt
I knew we had a long day, but again as a mountaineer and an ultra-marathoner, it wasn't anything new, I was mentally prepared for it. My goal was just to make sure I move slowly without taking too many breaks. We headed to the initial ridge and started climbing slowly. I was following Pasang closely without taking any breaks. I only stopped when Pasang stopped at the middle of the ridge and then on reaching the top of the ridge.
Once we reached the top of the ridge, He said "I expected you to stop at least 4/5 times till now but you look pretty comfortable". He was happy that he had a good climber with him and will ATTEMPT summit come what may. He also said that he had misjudged me because of what happened to Vishnu and thought I was under prepared because of my choice of gears.
From here on we started walking on snow, gradually descending towards the glacier. We had just put our 3rd or 4th step, and our legs went inside snow which was knee deep. It was frustrating and energy sapping to pull out my leg every time from snow. But I kept reminding myself that we need to keep moving. Soon we reached the helipad and after some time we reached the Advanced Base Camp which sits near the top of the glacier at 17,400 ft.
We rested for sometime. Pasang confessed that he had not climbed in the last 3 months and this was his first climb of the season, by now he was seriously feeling challenged by me :-) I told him anyway we have buffer time, you can take breaks when you want.
We started our descent towards the glacier and once we were in the glacier it looked like a vast ice-hockey field. The fresh snow had multi folded the beauty of the place.
After crossing the glacier we put on the crampons. Pasang said since there is too much snow we will attempt through the steeper East side instead of the regular South ridge route. I asked him if he was confident of the route, for which he said he had a fair idea. We were at 18,000 ft altitude. The climb from eastern side is very steep, what we were attempting was a straight climb of 2000 ft altitude gain!! Moreover I was at an altitude which is the highest I have ever been (Khardung-la). But I was ready for the unknown.
We gradually started ascending towards the peak. To lessen the steepness of the climb, we first started taking a slightly zigzag route. Even then the climb was energy sapping and every other step, the snow was giving up digging our feet. Here I took a couple of extra breaks as I was finding it really difficult to breathe. The slight snowing was making it harder to breathe for both of us. All these things, coupled with the sleeplessness of the previous 2 nights was making things difficult. I was feeling sleepy but continued the ascend slowly. As we started climbing, we could see a few lights flashing near the Advanced base camp. We knew it was the RIMO expedition team.
We continued our climb and after making significant progress we were blocked by a handful of large boulders. Pasang was not sure which way to negotiate the boulders. We tried going to the right side but it seemed like there was a free fall from there. We knew we were very close to the summit so we decided to wait at the boulders till the daybreak.
It was 3:30 AM. I was heavy-eyed by now. But I was very well aware that sleeping(which basically slows down breathing) at 19,500 ft without acclimatisation is like giving a Red Carpet invite to AMS. So I was trying my best to be awake. We were sitting facing the glacier form where we had just climbed. We were sitting on snow and the surface was so steep that we had to dig some snow to make place to sit.
While almost everyone was sleeping peacefully, I was there at 19,500 ft, sitting on snow, exposed to bone chilling winds, waiting for the light. But I was very very happy because that is what I always wanted to do. And I was about to get the a big prize for the perseverance.
We could see the torch lights from the RIMO group who seemed to be waiting for daylight to decide which route to take, the one we had opened up or the regular south ridge. I was trying hard but I slipped to sleep a few times.
As soon as there was light, we got to know that we need to negotiate the boulders front the left so we started our ascent. By now we could guess where the summit was, it was almost visible but here the snow gave up on each and every step we put. Also it was a steep climb and to take rest I had to dig in my ice axe and lean on it. As I was not roped, there was good chance of falling back otherwise.
I had read a lot about this view from Stok Kangri peak. But to be honest I cannot even explain the view. I could see mountain peaks like the innumerable stars in a clear night sky. It was a clear day & the Zansker and Karakoram ranges were visible in full glory. Stok Kangri peak has a 360 degree view of peaks all around. And it's really a gift to stand on top of this peak.
Looking at this stunning view my tiredness vanished completely. Pasang showed me the prominent peaks visible from here, including K2(the second highest Mountain in the world).
It was a very emotional moment for me. The way things had unfolded in the last few days was crazy. Moreover I was happy that I climbed unassisted, that too where nobody had succeeded in summiting that season. It was nothing but the sheer grit that paid off.
We were unable to stay for a long time as the snow under our feet was giving up easily. I tried to open my phone to take some pics, but it was dead. I asked Pasang ji to take a few pics and recorded a video on his phone.
It was a proud moment for Pansang also, as he was the first to place someone on summit that season.
You can hear Pasang Sherpa saying "Bahut acha chalta hian, mera bhi duva nikal diya" at 00:32.
(Pasang captured this video on his mobile and sent me later via Wattsapp, so the quality is really bad)
Quickly we came down to a point where we could sit comfortably. We rested for sometime, had water and protein bar which I had carried. From there since we were to descend from the steep east face, Pasang said he will short rope me so that if needed he can stabilise me. We started descending rapidly. On route we met the RIMO expedition team. Basically all the people were short roped to couple of guides at the front and they were ascending slowly.
At the end of the descent, as we reached the glacier we met Mohit, Sandeep and Karthik. We had a small talk and clicked some pics.
Pasang removed the connecting rope and we started walking towards the Base camp. Karthik started walking with me and took few pics near the top of the ridge.
BY 9:30 AM we reached Base camp. I cooked maggie again for both of us. After having maggie, I paid Pasang the amount and he left to Leh. I was dead tired and slept for some time. I woke up at lunch time as the tent got heated up. I had oats and went out for a small walk, I got to know that the news of the season's first summit had spread across the Base camp. Few TTH folks started talking to me. The group increased in size and all of them were keen to know the experience. They were talking to me until their guide blew whistle for all of then to go back to the tent so that their pulse and Oxygen saturation could be tested. I remembered taking the test last year at Leh & Khardung Village, and both the times I was marked as risky for Khardung-la challenge because of high pulse rate.
Then I went towards Mohit's tent. Kharthick was ready to leave for Leh. We all bid him adieu and I went to the place where I used to get network.
I called Babu sir and while talking I mentioned to him that I can see Khardung-la road from here. Deepti Akka heard this and commented something ;-)
Later in the evening the weather started getting bad, I was sitting in Mohit's tent having a cup of tea when it started raining. We felt bad about the people who would attempt summit later at night. But I also felt happy that I did not come as part of TTH group which would be unlucky because of the weather.
I had a lot to reflect that night. I had just pulled out something incredible, of course I was lucky to get the best climatic conditions, but as they say LUCK FAVORS ONLY THE BRAVE.
Most people say mountains are places that induce happiness. But it's not always true. I feel mountains just let you be what you are also they show you your place by their sheer majesty! There is not much distraction here. So any emotions multi-folds here. There is no hiding.
The previous day, I was worried about the uncertainties and today I am happy, not for summiting, but for the conditions in which I did it.
Jul 4th : Base camp - Leh
I woke up in the morning and saw that it had snowed really badly at night.
I had breakfast and packed everything inside the tent and went to Mohit's tent to call him to help me pack. Also I handed over the unused food items I had and 1 Butane tank to him. I was happy that I would be carrying a little lighter rucksack.
As I dismantled the tent, it started snowing badly again and in no time it was snowing heavily. I had no place to hide. I requested TTH guys and took shelter in their dining tent. After sometime I started packed my tent and rucksack there itself. It was difficult to roll the tent as there was snow on it and my hands were so cold that there was no sensation. Somehow I packed my rucksack and was waiting for the snow to stop so that I could move towards Leh.
After the snowing stopped, I bid adieu to Mohit and Sandeep and started walking towards Leh. After Mankormo I took right towards Chang-Ma. I had to cross a few water streams before reaching Chang-Ma. Till now I was walking all alone. I took a long break after reaching Chang-ma.
Also it started drizzling so I took out my wind-cheater and Rucksack cover. As I started walking again towards Stok village, I met the guides of the RIMO team so I started walking with them. We chatted on various topics including the Khardung-la challenge which is organised by RIMO itself. They all showed their admiration for finishing the Khardung-la challenge, which as organizers, they are aware is not easy.
One of the guides helped me to get a taxi till Chomlongsar bridge. After the short ride I crossed the hanging bridge and took a bus to Leh.
I reached Leh and directly went to return crampons and Ice axe. It was almost 2 PM so I bought a couple of donuts from the joint I knew from last year's trip and walked towards the Room I had booked and I had a nice bath.
Evening, I went to the Ponyo guest house to collect my running kit. I met Pallavi and Anirudh who were in Leh for 2 days as part of their trip.
We spent the evening together and I took them to the Paratha house.
Jul 5th : Leh
As I said, Leh is a special place for me and I wanted to make sure I relive the training run we did in Leh before the Khardung-La challenge. So I went for a short run in the morning. It was difficult to run because I was damn tired because fo the expedition, but I was not the one to miss a chance to replicated our training run here last year. I ran 10K at a very comfortable pace.
In the evening I visited Leh palace and then I went to Shanti Stupa. We wanted to visit Shanti Stupa last year when we here for Khardung-la challenge. But did not visit as we did not want to strain ourselves before the race and did not have much time after the race. Shanti Stupa was a nice and peaceful place. I spent some time sitting there. I met a few guys from TTH team there who recognised me.
While coming back from Shanti Stupa, I decided to take pics of all the eating joints we had been to during our Khardung-la trip. After doing so I met Mohit and Sandeep. We had dinner together.
Post the dinner, I got a call from Pallavi and they were in Leh market. Since Pallavi and Anirudh were supposed to leave early morning to Kargil, I thought of meeting them before I leave for Bangalore.
Jul 6th - Flight back to Bangalore
Morning I packed my rucksack and checked out. I went again to Paratha house to have paratha one last time in this trip.
After having breakfast, since I had time, I slowly walked to the Airport. I had a small layover in Delhi and it was mid night when I reached Bangalore.
Another awesome view from flight - this time with more snow.
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