Stok Kangri

Somewhere on the trail from Stok to Changma

I am trudging along quietly. Down a mountain trail that is often getting lost as it passes through a wide stream through a relatively broad, flattish valley. It’s getting dark. Sun had set long ago. This is what is called dusk. It will get dark very soon. Perhaps in ten minutes. Dark enough for me to need a flash light. My Black Diamond is in my pocket (at least I hope so and I am too scared to check) but the batteries are weak. I had used them non-stop for about 5 hours last night when I was attempting to summit Stok Kangri.

Outside Stok Village

Right now I am trying to reach Mankorma (a temporary camp site where you get basic food and shelter – there is no village or permanent settlement anywhere in the vicinity. Human beings don’t live at this altitude) which should be round the corner but that corner is coming forever. I don’t know how far it is. I am not even sure if I have already left it behind. In that case my next destination is Changma. 

My legs are weak. I don’t know where the feet are falling. I have been walking for the last 19 hours or so. We had started for the summit from Base Camp at 12 mid-night. We reached what is locally known as the “shoulder” (basically the Col below the peak) at around 8 am through heavy snow and no trail. We decided not to attempt to summit and return from the Col as we were too late and two of our friends (Shiva and Tanvi) needed to go down right up to Leh that very night (they eventually walked for 24 hours to reach Leh well past midnight). They have to leave for Sri Nagar the next day to catch a flight. I have no such compulsions.

Right now I am completely alone on this trail. No human beings anywhere in sight.

We crossed the Stok Kangri Base Camp a couple of hours or so ago, having lunched and taken a little rest there. My larger back pack with my tent and sleeping bag has been sent by mule to Leh. Three of us who attempted summit are now going back.

At base camp

Now, my two friends have gone ahead of me (they are stronger than me on the down trail as opposed to being way slower than me on the way up). So has my guide Tashi, who has my backpack with the rain coat. And it has been drizzling for the last hour or so. Although it does not normally rain in cats and dogs in the mountains, I am soaked to the bone having been walking in the drizzle for a long time now without a rain coat. My head and feet are dry though. Thank God for these small mercies. I have a down jacket with a parka to keep me warm and dry. This rain is probably ruining the jacket for good but I can’t help it.

If my legs were strong enough I should have reached Mankorma long ago. But they are not. They feel like jelly. They were strong on the tail up to the summit. But now on the way down, they are feeling weak. My worst fear is, if it gets dark on the trail I will find it impossible to find my way even with a strong flash light. Because when your trail is down a wide shallow stream (the valley is wide here), you often don’t have the trail right under your feet but you look for it a little distance away. And then somehow reach there when you see a discernable trail. That’s impossible to do with a flash light. On these trails you have to know your way or you are going to need to be rescued.

Suddenly I hear footsteps behind me. A couple is coming. They are Western tourists. A couple. I ask them if they could help me with informing my guide, who I was sure was waiting for me at Mankorma, that I needed to be rescued and he should come back looking for me. They said sure and walked ahead. At least now I was sure that I had not left Mankorma behind. That fear was also lurking behind my head.

Tashi Skalzang at Stok Palace

Just when I was mentally debating whether to pull the headlamp out of my pocket and started saying a prayer, I saw Tashi. All the anger that was welling up inside me vanished in a flash. I had made up my mind about all the insults I wanted to hurl at him. But all that I managed to say is, “why did you go ahead leaving me without my rain coat”. Obviously he didn’t remember that my rain coat was with him (though he himself made me take it off earlier and pack it in the back pack). He also thought I was just a few minutes behind him.

These simple mountain people live in the now. They do not think. He didn’t have the mental faculty to think that Sudipto’s rain jacket is in my backpack. I must go back. He must be getting drenched.

To them this trail is a very natural path to walk on and you make do with what you have. They cannot imagine that a person walking down this trail might need to be rescued.

Tashi told me that my friends had gone ahead and were possibly waiting at Changma before going further down. I told him there was no way I could move any further and must retire for the night at Mankarmo. Tashi agreed and organized  for my stay for the night and went ahead.

The Western tourists, Tashi told me, never bothered to look for him let alone ask him to come back. It just occurred to Tashi that I wasn’t coming for a long time and he had just come out to look for me.

I was allotted a tent and told that the tent would be shared by another person – a Bengali I had befriended in Base Camp (in the morning I realized that no one had come to my tent). I took all my wet clothes off. Luckily I had a pair of unused pants of a rain coat. I wore that for the night. From my upper body I took off the rain coat that Tashi made me wear for the last ten minutes or so, the down jacket, the inner shirt. The thermal inside was luckily dry.

I could hardly touch the rice that they gave me. I had absolutely no appetite. These tents offer you food and shelter as a package deal. Here they charged me Rs 1500 for a night with two meals and a breakfast. In the morning I found my wet clothes had somewhat dried up. The final drying was done by spreading them over the tent.

Somehow, I had slept like a log throughout the night despite the bad, thin, narrow and wet sleeping bag. Tashi had spoilt us rotten with his fantastic luxury sleeping bags. Normally I cannot sleep too well when I am very tired. But here I slept pretty well despite all the odds. 

The sun was somewhat better behaved this morning. Generally playing hide and seek but it was more out than hidden. I took the opportunity to get the wet clothes dried out by spreading them on small stones and the tent top. Eventually I would forget my favourite brown belt. I had a basic breakfast of milk and corn flakes. I bought a double omlet for Rs 50. Nothing very unreasonable. I started waiting for Tashi. He had promised to come by 10. The clock started going past 10 am and I started to get worried. I know the trail from Mankarmo to Stok is nothing very difficult. I should be able to make it in 4 hours or so if my legs were strong enough. 

Prelude

In September 2018 I had gone to Stok Kangri in Ladakh near Leh. Stok Kangri is the highest poin where a non-technical hiker can reach in India. It is above 20,000 feet and you don't need any special mountaineering skill to go there.

This is going to be an account of the trek and how we did it. It is written in such a way that you can do the trek on your own. If you want to know anything, please ask.

From Calcutta I first reached Delhi where I stayed at Pankaj Jain's house for the night. Next morning we (eight of us) took the Delhi Leh flight and reached Leh by 10 o clock or so. Our plan was to proceed directly to Stok. Tashi, our tour operator cum guide was waiting for us outside the airport. He had hired a Tempo Traveller for us which we boarded after all the customary selfies. Off we went for Stok village.

Outskirts of Stok village

It's about 15/20 km from Leh airport and didn't take us too long to reach. On the way, we crossed a full flowing Indus that looked very muddy. I have seen Indus in winter when it looks very serene and clean. Stok is more or less at the same altitude as Leh. We arrived in good spirit and unloaded our stuff inside the camp site, just next to the small stream that flows through Stok.

Stok is the last inhabited village on the trail to Stok Kangri (it literally means the ice peak above Stok village). It's a very well spread out village (very reminiscent of Bhutan) and as you come from Leh you first come across the Stok Palace (it has a lovely little museum that's worth a visit). After a couple of kilometers is the small taxi stand and camping area from where the actual trek to Stok Kangri starts. There is a restaurant and a small store here that stocks basic things like toilet paper and small this and that. I bought a Tarshok from here for the summit for Rs 100. 

It was very sunny on the morning we reached Stok and it felt almost hot there that forenoon. Soon our tents were set up in a camping ground that was exclusively for us. There was kitchen tent (green in the pic below) where the main cooking would be done, a dining tent complete with two plastic dining tables with a table cloth and eight folding chairs (the blue tent in the pic below). There was even a toilet tent exclusively for us. I have never trekked in so much luxury. For us, three tents were set up. One white 4-men's tent and two 2-men's tents. While one 2-men's would be taken by the two ladies Tanvi and Anamika, the six men would sleep in a 4+2 way. We soon realised that perhaps the 4-men's tent would be a little cramped. I proposed that I set up my own tent and my trek mates readily agreed. I later learnt that I would have to pay the local authorities Rs 200 for each day that I pitched the tent during the trek. I didn't mind the premium. Sleeping in your own tent has a charm and thrill of its own.

Pitching the tent for the first in the field (I had done it a few times at home before) proved to be very easy. Tashi and his cook Rowdy Rathore helped me put the stakes in. They were very impressed by the tent and its accessories. They told me that the extra stakes for the rain fly would not be necessary as the area was not very windy. I was very happy to have my own exclusive room. Friends were also happy that they got more room in their tents. 

Amdo restaurant, Leh

In the evening we decided to go to Leh just for a short evening out. There was a musical show in the Central Bazaar area and Tashi wanted to go and see it (his pocket was full with cash from us and it was probably itching). Off we went in a taxi and an army truck (the driver was kind with us). I got a chance to taste some chicken momo at my favourite Tibetan restaurant Amdo Food (there are many restaurants now with the name Amdo but this is the most authentic). I also bought a tin of Nivea cold cream for the trek. We came back to Stok well after sun set. We had our dinner in the dining tent and off we went to bed in our respective tents. Tashi's boys had spread the wonderfully fat and warm sleeping bag. Two in fact. One inside another. I did not want to take out my own and decided to sleep in the bag provided. It was a wonderful experience. Tashi really gave us very good quality stuff. Even the foam mattress was of very high quality. And can you imagine he had dining tables for us, complete with small folding stools? He had actually hired eight ponies for all the stuff that had to be carried for the eight of us. No other commercial trekking agency would do this.

Chortens near Stok Palace

We stayed in Stok the next day as well basically doing nothing. During the day we went hiking a bit. For about half an hour on the way to where we would go tomorrow. We sighted a few bharals on top of the hill under which we were standing. I was sad that I had chosen not to bring the long lens. Tashi later told me that I would see many of them on the way - particularly in Mankarmo. Though eventually we didn't see any there, we did get to see a large flock on the way from Changma to Mankarmo. 

In the afternoon we went to see Stok Palace on foot. As I said earlier - it is a palace worth visiting for its small museum. I believe members of the erstwhile royal family was in residence there at the time we were visiting. I quite liked the walk to the palace and the palace itself. You get a nice vantage view of Leh city from the palace and also the valley as a whole. 

Bharals on the slope 

The walk to Changma the next day after the day of acclimatisation in Stok was very uneventful, except that I took a completely needless difficult path above the river which was very steep. This was avoided while coming back. In retrospect, if I went to Stok Kangri again I would go straight for Mankarmo from Stok. It is not necessary to stop at Changma. Because the trail from Changma to Mankarmo is almost level along the river bed. 

I got a Chukar Partridge in Changma itself the next morning (distant shot across the stream) and on the way to Mankarmo saw a large flock of bharals - the Himalayan Blue Sheep. It was lovely to watch them. Because of the strong sun on the hill side across the river, it was difficult to spot the bharals though it was relatively pretty close. They meshed so well with the colour of the environment. 

Before reaching Changma I met a young boy who asked me if this was my first trek. I said Stok Kangri should not be any one's first trek. Then I realised it must be the boy's first trek. And yes. The stupid youngster was not only out in the mountains the first time, he was completely on his own with two sacks. One on the back and another in the front. He said he was a marathoner. I told him often being too fit is a dangerous thing because you then tend to go up too fast without acclimatisation and get sick soon. I don't know how much he understood. But I also saw him in the base camp area later. I don't know if he made to the summit. He might well have. Being a total chutia is often an advantage. 

It is possible to do Stok Kangri without a guide or porter. These places like Changma or Mankarmo or Base Camp have one tent shop where they serve you food. They also offer smaller tents for you to spend the night and give you basic sleeping bag etc like I took in Mankarmo on the way back. But it is advisable that you take a guide from Base Camp to do the summit. Going for the summit completely alone is perhaps inviting danger. A. It is very high altitude. B. The ridge from the shoulder up to the peak is not very safe. C. The glacier can be slightly risky. You might step into thin ice and sink a few feet in soft snow, which may not kill you but can lead to frost bite. There are guides who live in the base camp area and offer their expertise at a cost. 

Sandakphu. One More Time

I had gone to Sandakphu in the January of 1990. Alone. I used to work in Bhutan then and had come home on my first winter vacation. None of my friends wanted to join me for the trek. So I went alone. It was a thoroughly enjoyable trip. I remember all the silly things I did or did not do alone. I saw snow in Sandakphu and on the way back in Rimbik forest. I had come down via Bikaybhanjang straight to Rimbik through the dense rhododendron forest and completely alone. I didn't feel scared even once. Not even when I lost my way in the forest or was bitten by a whelping bitch at Sandakphu that cold night.

Then in 1999 Monisha and I went once again. This time accompanied by Ambarish and his wife Bidisha. We took a porter. We came back via Gurdung and Srikhola. It was, once again, a thoroughly enjoyable trip (but for the Gurdung descent and its impact on the thighs). I discovered lots of things had changed in those nine years. Tumling in Nepal was now a full fledged tourist village. The route through Bikay is not taken by anyone any more. People come down via Gurdung, etc. 

Now it's time to take Mampu along. She is ten years and a few months old now. We are leaving on 21st of March by Darjeeling Mail. I am all excited about the trip. After all, it's been close to 15 years and we have not trekked once in this period. Our leaves are sanctioned. Our tickets are booked. Both for going and coming back. It's now a question of waiting with bated breath. Ushnik and Jhulan are also booked for the trip. However, they are not too sure. Leaves might get cancelled at the last moment etc. We are keeping our fingers crossed. Ushnik has been trekking regularly and would be quite an asset to have in the group.

Actually Sandakphu for me this time is more of a "checking out" trek. My real intention is to go for the Chadar trek in Ladakh. I had thought of doing it this year itself. But then I thought instead of starting off with such a hard trek after so many years of inactivity, let me test my muscles out on the better known Sandakphu trail. My leg muscles tighten up easily these days after a little bit of exercise. I am worried about the steep climb down. Even in 1999 the climb down from Sandakphu to Gurdung was difficult. 

This year of course we are planning to go to Phalut. So the climb down will be through some other route. But I am sure it will be equally difficult. I am hoping my muscles will hold out.

Material preparation has started in right earnest. We have already booked Darjeeling Mail. Sophie brought a down jacket for me from Germany. A Marmot, no less. It is not a hiking jacket but I got it principally for the Chadar trek where night time temperatures climb down often to -20. These jackets are needed when you stop or retire for the day. It is the best man made thing I have ever put on my body. It is comfortable with a capital C. 

Regarding camera - I am more concerned about the backpack than the cameras per se. The existing backback won't do. It's too heavy and rigid for a trek. I have made up my mind about getting a Lowepro Flipside 400. Have spoken to Raunaq of Interfoto. He has promised to send it for Rs 5818 which is substantially lower than the Amazon India price.

If this is found to be a good bag I might as well put the other one up for sale. I was in two minds between the 400 and 300. However, the 400's straps look more meant for longer hikes. It also has a raincover. The 300, though adequate in terms of size, looks meant more for day trips in Rajarhat in terms of build quality and the straps. The only risk with a large bag is one tends to put in a lot of unnecessary stuff. I have to discipline myself on that. 

I have just sold my Tokina 11-16 to Sujan. I am not too sure if I want to buy a walk around lens in its place whose width is more manageable. I have half a mind to go for a compact. But then will I be satisfied with the picture quality? Also, I think investment in a lens holds its value for some time. A compact will lose 90 per cent of its value in the resale market almost immediately after purchase. Tanvir apparently has a 24-70 for sale. Let me see. 

Now physical exercise. Monisha and I started walking from yesterday. This morning we woke up pretty late. So we have brought the walking shoes in the car. Let's see if we can find the energy to walk a bit in the evening on our way back home. 

January 30, 2014

The Flipside 400 arrived yesterday. I am really impressed by Interfoto's promptness, not to speak of the discount. The bag didn't impress me much. It doesn't look very robust. It's light. Compact. But not really a proper hiking bag. However, I think it's going to be much better than my Trekker bag for the hike. But I am certainly not putting the Trekker up for sale. If lugging a lot of gear is a priority and not walking then the Trekker is ideal. The Flipside will be ideal for day trips and this type of hikes.

I think I am going to carry just the 7D with the 400 attached, the 450D with a short wide and the tripod in this bag. Perhaps the Edirol too (I am still not sure if I want to take the Marantz on the hike). Monisha will have to help a bit too and carry the binocular and the eTrex. All other camera gear, like Tamron 90 or the various batteries and chargers will go in the porter's bag.

Meanwhile, the Vanguard Endeavor 82A has arrived. Evening of 28th, to be precise. For a first impression read here.

I am going to take it to Sandakphu and try to get a view of Everest from Phalut. It is heavy, no doubt. It will require a tripod. All granted. But I want to really see Everest. I have been shown Everest from Jaubari. I just couldn't make any head or tail of it. No more of all that crap.

I was informed that it is now possible to book the DGHC Trekker's Huts from Calcutta (I think the correct word now is DTA). There is a  guy in Salt Lake. I spoke to him. He said Phalut has a capacity of 20 people. It is possible to book a 4-bedded room for Rs 500 from Calcutta. The guy's name is Suvankar Paul and his number is 9903174047. I don't think booking Phalut makes much sense. Because I am not sure if we can make it to even Meghma :-)

Forgot to mention the Quechua hiking boots I got a few months ago. It's an unheard of brand. But the boot is quite nice, at least on the plain roads of Calcutta. The grip is pretty good. Have to test it out in the mountains though.

January 31, 2014

Went for an early morning walk to the Lake with Monisha. Reached at around 5.25. It was pitch dark and quite chilly. I was perhaps the only adult in shorts and half sleeve T-shirt. But it was fun. Walked fast and did 60x3 skippings and some stretches. Felt a little niggling pain in the knee later in the morning. Walked up the stairs at office. It wasn't so painful. Let me see how the knees hold out.

This morning I checked out the scope from the rooftop. There is a bit of fringing. But I suppose that's the reason why it is priced so low compared to the more sophisticated ones. The image was good and magnification was mind boggling. Sadly enough I could check out only a few crows on a distant neighbour's house. The real test of the scope will be on the sea shore. 

February 3, 2014

Physical preparation is on. In right earnest. Going to the Lake. Walking fast. Skipping. This morning did 80x3. Got Madhav to come on Sunday and loosen up the tight calf muscle and others. The knee is holding out still. I am jumping the rope on the piece of land behind Narayan's tea stall. 

I spoke to Chenku today regarding windcheaters and jackets. He said he might come to Calcutta this week and that he has everything. In fact I have always taken something or the other from him on every trek. I want to put down the list of electronic equipment I want to carry with me this time. 

Camera Related Items  (plastic bag in porter's sack)

1. Battery for 7D
2. Battery for 450D
3. Charger for 7D
4. Charger for 450D
5. All rechargeable pencil batteries
6. Sony charger
7. Shutter release for 7D
8. Shutter release for 450D

Camera and Related Items (Flipside 400 + Monisha's backpack)

1. 7D with tripod ring but no plate - FS
2. 400 F 5.6 (attached to7D) - FS
3. 450D with plate - MB
4. Tamron 90 mm (attached to 450D) - MB (Now, it is Canon 24-70 mm :) 7th Feb)
5. Wide zoom - MB
6. All memory cards - FS
7. Nikon Monarch - FS/MB
8. Edirol R09 (possibly on waist belt)
9. Garmin eTrex (possibly on waist belt)
10. Rocket blower - FS
11. Lenspen - FS
12. Cloth - FS
13. Hoya CPL 77 mm - FS

To Be Carried By Porter

1. Manfrotto XPROB 055 with 496 RC2 head
2. Vanguard Endeavour 82A with eye piece
3. Camera attachment
4. Sennheiser HD 280Pro 

February 7, 2014

Got myself a new lens to go to Sandakphu. The Canon 24-70 L. Well it's new to me. But the lens is old :-) Otherwise I couldn't afford it. Got it from Tanvir. I don't know who the original owner was. I like its sharpness and overall result from some preliminary shooting at home last night. It's quite heavy though. However, Monisha will have to carry it :-) 

I have discovered a good exercise for the quads which I have started doing at home. It's called the wall squat or something. I want my knees to hold on for the few days in Sandakphu. The down climbs are not going to be easy. While going up you can still rest and recuperate. But on the way down, the quads take a long time to recuperate. Weak quads and calves are the main causes of ligament injury. Let's keep the fingers crossed.

Monday March 17, 2014

Time is almost come. We start Friday at night. Preparations are more or less done. Monisha's Forclaz 50 has arrived. Mampu's has been ordered but Snapdeal has goofed up it seems. It was supposed to arrive on 11th but hasn't yet. I think it is stuck in Sales Tax. 

Meanwhile, our plan is somewhat like this. On Saturday we go straight to Dhotre and start walking towards Tonglu if we are within reasonable time. Else we stay back in Dhotre itself. I am told the hike from Dhotre to Tonglu is bird rich and Ushnik says the trail is more gradual than the hike up from Manebhanjang. Next day we go to Gairibas/Jaubari via Tumling. On this route we avoid going to Meghma. We have fond memories of Meghma from the previous trek where we had a hearty lunch. Too bad that we won't be touching it. 

From Gairibas we go to Kalipokhari on Monday and Sandakphu on Tuesday. On the next day we rest at Sandakphu and then on Wednesday we are off to Phalut. From Phalut if we start on Thursday we reach the bus head in a couple of days. That's the plan so far. Let's see what's in store. Given a chance, I would love to stay on in Phalut for another day. 

The other day, I went and bought a cover for the North Face from Alpine for Rs 300. It's a neat thing for the sack and should keep it clean on the trail. 

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Finally got Mampu's Forclaz. I had to personally go to the Bluedart office to collect it. It was supposed to arrive on 11th. Mampu would have got at least one weekend to test it out. Now she will have to go to the mountains with almost a new pair of boots. However, these boots don't need any walking in. My only worry is she has never worn such boots before. And she doesn't have any thick socks to go with it. I hope it has fit her well. She thinks it has. 

From Bluedart went to Tanvir and brought home a used 5D Mk II. The body looks quite new. Obviously it is not. Must have been owned by someone similar to me. It has lot of customised stuff including back button focusing, which works fine for me. Its white balance mode was set at 8600K. Was he a wedding photographer? Metering was on spot mode. I think I quite like the camera. Here is one of the first test shots, taken at 6400 ISO last night. Aperture 2.8. Focal length 70 mm. Metering mode evaluative. Normal tungsten light behind the head. The banner photograph above is also taken with the new old camera.

I hope the camera works fine during the trip. 

The camera comes with a Made in China but Canon original (I hope) battery. My 7D has a battery that has this written, "Cell Made in Japan. Assembled in China". I have asked Suranjan to lend me a battery for the trip. I already have an extra of my own. So that makes it 4 batteries for two cameras. A new battery from Canon's Imagestore costs Rs 2800+. Not now. Yesterday bought a 16 GB CF card from Tanvir. One of those golden ones with Extreme written on it. However, I put a Lexar in the 5D. I will put the 16 GB in the 7D. 

Friday March 21, 2014: 11.35 am

All set for the journey. More or less. I am at work right now. Went to Jogubajar and bought a torch (Rs 150) and some badam takti, tiler biscuit and lozenges. Will have to buy some savoury like dalmut. Yesterday picked up mooger laddu and shon papri from Haldiram. In the evening picked up some Cadbury's and chanachur etc from Spencer's. Nivea too. Monisha bought a pair of slip on shoes. 

A few toiletry items are yet to be purchased like paper soap and hand wash.

We are taking one small sac each. I have the Lowepro, Monisha will carry a Sonic backpack and Mampu carries her own Alpine knapsack that Suvomoy had given her. Our clothings go into the large North Face. The North Face is used only once in a while, but when it is indeed used it looks like the only solution. I don't know what I would have done in such situations without it. We are carrying the Nat Geo bag as well but that will be left behind in Dhotre. It will have stuff for Darjeeling. 

The electronics that's going is this: 5D with 24-70 and 7D with 400 (tripod collar on). Four batteries for the two cameras. The charger and a shutter release cable. Garmin eTrex. Edirol R09. Lots of AA batteries and the charger. And lots of CF cards too. I have bought a new 16 GB card with the 5D. After I come back, I intend to buy another. I will also have to buy a proper battery. I am not taking the scope or the tripod. Monisha is going to carry my Monarch. Because it doesn't fit into my camera bag. It's just large enough for my two cameras with the lenses attached. 

April 7, 2014

We came back as scheduled after successfully completing the trek. We couldn't go to Phalut due to non-cooperation from the porters. So ended up spending four days in Darjeeling. But over all the trek was excellent. If this was a Chadar semi-final, I won the game :-) In terms of birding it was fantastic. Got many many lifers - virtually all of them. A travelogue will come up soon. Till then ............