Mt. Kang Yatse II Expedition

Altitude: Skiu- 3,400 m/ 11,150 ft. & Sara- 3600 m/11800 ft.
Drive Distance: 70 km | 2-3 hrs.
Trek Distance: 11 km | 5-6 hrs.

The drive from Leh to Skiu is the perfect introduction to the general terrain we are about to enter for the next few days. Keep an eye out for iconic landmarks. Gurudwara Pathar Sahib on one side and Magnet Hill on the other side. You will get to see the Stok range during your journey until you reach Hemis National Park. The road goes through a flat and desolate plain alongside river Indus until we reach its confluence with the distinctly coloured Zanskar River in close to an hour and a half. In this short drive, we witness barren mountains of all shapes, forms and textures – slabs of rock stacked one of top of the other neatly, chunks of rock resting on each other haphazardly, sheets of rock hard-pressed into each other, loose rocks, mountains made of mud, and much more.
After hours of trekking, you’ll arrive at Sara village, marked by a grand entrance adorned with skeletons of wild animals like yaks and sheep.

Altitude: Thochungtsey- 4,310 m/ 14140 ft.
Trek Distance: 12 km | 7-8 hours.

After Breakfast, The trail follows the Markha River, with several thrilling river crossings that add an adventurous edge to the trek. Pass by old monasteries and mani walls, offering a glimpse into the region’s spiritual heritage. Keep an eye out for Himalayan blue sheep, marmots, and even elusive snow leopards if you’re lucky! The path gradually ascends through meadows dotted with wildflowers, leading to higher alpine terrain. Reach the Thochungtsey campsite, nestled amidst a dramatic backdrop of rugged cliffs and snow-capped peaks. Enjoy a relaxed evening exploring the area or simply soaking in the serene beauty of the high-altitude setting.

Altitude: Base Camp- 5,100 m/ 16,700 ft.
Trek Distance: 3-4 km | 3-4 hours..

We are gaining quite a bit of altitude today and there is also a lot of ground to cover, so we start as early as our previous days. We pack up our tents and leave the campsite by 08:30 AM. Fifteen minutes of sharp ascent and a 100M altitude gain later, we will reach Upper Hunkar – a small hamlet with houses nestled right in the middle of bright green fields bordered with flowers.  The fields in every village form peculiar geometric patterns adding to the atypical aesthetic of the place. We circle around the village of Upper Hunkar to get to the other side and then turn left into the valley towards the side you start to see Kang Yatse.
The route from the lake splits into two – one descending down towards Nimaling and one which takes you to the base camp of Kang Yatse I. We make a right here and head towards the Base Camp. It should take us close to two hours to make it to the base camp. We set up our camps here and call it a day.

Today is reserved for acclimatization to the altitude since we gained quite a bit of height the previous day and have also entered a much different terrain. We use this time to distribute equipment and gears required for the climb and also to practice basic techniques we will require on our summit push tonight. After a late breakfast and equipment disbursement, we go to a nearby slope for training and to get comfortable with our equipment - snow boots, ice axes and crampons. We will learn techniques and calls of roping up and ascending and descending on a snowy terrain. We also learn to use ice axe to facilitate our climb and for safety on such a crevasse-ridden terrain.

We end the day early so that we can get optimum rest before our climb tonight.

Altitude: Kongmaru 5,200 m/ 17,300 ft |  Chokdo- 3,900 m/ 12,900 ft.
Trek Distance- 16 km | 7-8 hours.
Drive Distance- 60km.
The thing about Kang Yatse is that all the days on this trek are long, as is today. Today we take a different route down to Leh, through Kongmaru La pass which lies at an altitude of 5,236M. We start early since there is a lot of ground to cover before we reach the road head from where we will get our drive to Leh.  The morning is spent in wrapping up our campsite and heading back down. The route till Nimaling is the same we took to climb up. From Nimaling, we start to climb the mountain on the opposite side.
The climb up to Kongmaru La pass is a few patches of steep incline between long distances of flat land rich in pikus and marmots. We reach the base of the pass from the base of the mountain in 3.5 hours after which there is a steep incline for half an hour to get to the top of the pass. The pass provides for magnificent views of Kang Yatse I, Kang Yatse II and Dzo Jongo. Adorned with prayer flags, the wind on the pass is fierce. Locals climb here very frequently to make phone calls – this place receives high speed internet and a strong phone network which you lose 5 steps on either side of the pass. It is close to 2 kms from Nimaling to this place.
From the pass, it is only descent on a narrow trail, through gorges and water crossings with the valley appearing and disappearing on every turn.

It is 3.5 hours of up, down, sideway and any other direction you can think of to cross this section to get to the end point of Chokdo from where we begin our 3 hour drive to Leh.  Expect to reach Leh by late evening.

The trek ends here but not before some celebration. If you plan to stay for a few more days to explore the wonders of Ladakh.

In case of bad weather or other difficulties, Day is reserved for a second summit attempt. This will only get used if unexpected and unforeseeable conditions present themselves at the last minute preventing the first summit push. The buffer day is chargeable & participants have to pay for the same.