SO FIRST THINGS FIRST. WHY IS IT SHUT?

Let’s not beat around the bush with this one. It is due to tourism. In this instance, due to the impact of trekking groups contaminating the water supply in the village below Stok Kangri basecamp, the local authorities have decided to close Stok Kangri for the time being, giving the land and water time to recover. 

HOW LONG WILL IT BE CLOSED FOR?

The Indian authorities have confirmed it will be closed until September 2021 at which point they will be reviewing it for the following season.

IN THAT CASE, WHY ARE KE CONTINUING TO TREK IN THIS AREA?

We think it’s important in this instance to emphasise that we work hard with local people, and always have, to operate completely sustainably in Ladakh. That’s why we’re confident we can continue to trek in this area, knowing that we’re not creating another problem or contributing to further pollution. We will continue to operate these tours so that travellers wishing to explore Ladakh can, and can do it in the correct way.

Here’s how we do it:

• Our groups consist of no more than 12 passengers, making waste easy to manage. 
• All bio-degradable & human waste is buried deeply, in places well away from water sources and managed sustainably.
• We’ve worked to dismantle stone bins which had been created around Stok Kangri, as they weren’t being maintained and contributed to groups not taking rubbish away with them.
• We don’t use tetra packs for juices and carry supplies in reusable cloth bags. Even spices are brought in reusable containers. 
• Any cans or waste containers we use are accounted for and labelled, so if anything is left on the mountain, we know who it belongs to and can fix the problem in the future.
• We use gas rather than kerosene for cooking and solar power for lamps. 
  
  

SO IF I WANTED TO CLIMB STOK KANGRI NEXT YEAR, WHAT SHOULD I DO NOW? 

Luckily, the one thing the Himalayas aren’t short on is peaks to climb. For 2020 we’ve launched a new itinerary, trekking to climb Kang Yatse 2 and explore the remote Lhato Valley. At 6250m, Kang Yatse 2 is an ideal first 6000m peak for those looking to step it up and trek into high altitude – but this adventure is about more than that too. This little-visited area sees few trekking groups at the moment, making this the perfect place for those who want to experience the remarkable Ladakhi landscape in perfect solitude. You can find out more about this trek here.

The other thing to mention is that we have a diverse range of adventures in Ladakh, as we think it’s important to help travellers access different areas, making trekking here much more sustainable. Here are all the trips we’ll be running here in 2020.

NEW Kang Yatse 2 and the Lhato Valley

NEW Peaks and Passes of the Nubra Valley

Mentok Kangri and Tso Morari

The Markha Valley Trek