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1st day: Leh – Stok – Mancarmo (4
– 5 hrs)
Drive from Leh in a Tata Sumdo in
the morning. At Stok the pony man will load your
big packs on the horses that are waiting for us. We head
off for Mancarmo through a beautiful valley, where there are unusual rock
formations that point skywards in orange, purple and green colors. Mancarmo
(4250 m) is the summer pasture of Stok villagers.
2nd day: Mancarmo –
Base Camp (3-4 hrs)
Gradually we go higher into a desolate area, which is inhabited only by marmots
and blue sheep. Surrounded by high mountains, we, at base camp (5020 m), will
prepare our self mentally and physically for the big day.
3rd day: Base Camp –
Summit 6150 m – Base Camp (10-11 hrs)
Depending on weather and snow conditions, we leave early around 1:00 am or 2:00
am. Usually conditions are better in the night/morning, when the sky is clearer
because it is colder and the snow will be harder to walk on. We just take a cup
of tea and bring our lunch bag, before walking into the night with our torches.
However, if it is a full moon night, the moon will guide us in its silvery glow.
It is a strenuous walk, and in the last part we will most likely use not only
ice axes, but also crampons and, maybe, even rope, depending on snow conditions.
However, by the time we come close to the top, you will forget about the
hardship as you are surrounded by one of the most beautiful sights in the
Himalayas , lighted up by the slowly rising morning sun. In good weather
conditions we can see the Saser group in the Great Karakoram Range, where K2
lies. To bring good fortune, we leave our Khatag, a religious scarf, on the
mountaintop with prayer flags. Leaving the peak, we go down to Base Camp and by
the time we arrive, the only thing running in our mind is diving into our
sleeping bags for a welcome rest.
4th day: Base Camp –
Stok (4 hrs)
After breakfast we will walk down to Stok, retracing our footsteps.
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