Kang Yatse 2 Expedition (6200 meters)

Maximum altitude: Leh (3,402 meters)

Accommodation: Overnight stay in a hotel

The day is for rest and an acclimatization walk to the Stupa. This is important to allow your body to adapt to the new environment and reduce the chances of adverse health conditions. It is recommended to give yourself multiple days to rest and perform light activity before your trip to a high-altitude destination. The day ends with an overnight stay in a hotel.

Trek Distance: 35 kilometres

Maximum altitude: Skiu (3,520 metres)

Accommodation: Overnight stay in camping tents

The drive from Leh to Chilling village goes through a desolate plain alongside the Indus River until we reach its confluence with the distinctly colored Zanskar River. Witness barren mountains on the way, making it the perfect introduction to the terrain for the next few days. The trek starts from Chilling and ends as we set our tents for an overnight stay at the Skiu campsite.

Trek Distance: 20 kilometres

Maximum altitude: Markha village (3,722 metres)

Accommodation: Overnight stay in camping tents

We start early as we trek towards Markha village. The trail is mostly straight with a few sections of ascent, with rocky peaks and poplar trees. After crossing a small wooden bridge the trail is mostly dirt roads and the rocky sea bed. We reach the campsite early in the evening, where we set up our camps in the midst of tall green grass with a backdrop of barren mountains.

Trek Distance: 17 kilometers

Maximum altitude: Thachungtse (4,197 metres)

Accommodation: Overnight stay in camping tents

After leaving Markha village by crossing the rivers, we start with a trek to Hankar, which is a historical village with impressive fort ruins and a small gompa. From Hankar, we continue down over a bridge to Thachungtse, which is abundant with blue sheep. The day ends with an overnight stay in camps at Thachungtse.

Trek Distance: 7 kms
Maximum altitude: Nimaling (4770 metres)

Accommodation: Overnight stay in camping tents

While trekking, we pass several Mani walls as we come across a small lake. The view from here is breathtaking, with Kang Yatse's reflection in the still waters of the lake and the Markha valley visible from above. We then descend slowly to the valley of Nimaling, which has a populace of locals who come from the Markha valley to graze their livestock in the summer. The day ends with an overnight stay in camping tents at Nimaling.

Trek Distance: 5 kilometres

Maximum altitude: Kang Yatse 2 base camp (5,215 meters)

Accommodation: Overnight stay in camping tents

We start early in the morning from Nimaling and trek towards the base camp of Kang Yatse 2, which is at an altitude of 5,215 meters. The trail starts with an uphill ascent through loose rocks. As the mountain comes into view the trail gently slopes downhill until we cross the river to the other side, which is the base of the Kang Yatse 2 and our camp for the day. We spend the remaining time acclimatizing as the day ends.

Trek Distance: kilometres

Maximum altitude: Kang Yatse 2 summit (6,200 meters)

Accommodation: Overnight stay in camping tents

Today we summit!

We start around midnight as we will start climbing the slope to the right of the base camp until we reach the top of the ridge. Although the trail is well marked, the terrain changes here to loose scree and moraine, which gets slippery and needs to be traversed with caution. We will keep climbing the ridge until reaching the ablation zone of the glacier from the north face of Kang Yatse 2. After a short 100 metres climb up the moraine ridge, we will rope up and enter the glacier. We will traverse the north face toward the northwest ridge while steadily climbing upwards. Once we climb around the northwest ridge, we will climb straight above a rocky outcropping and follow the ridge to the summit. We should reach the top of the mountain after 7 to 8 hours, wait there to soak in the majestic view, and start to head back down. We should reach back to the safety of our tents on base camp well before the snow starts to get unstable. The summit push is a challenging and exciting part of the climb, and proper acclimatization, equipment, and technique are crucial for a successful climb. Depending on the time window of our descent the day ends at the base camp or further as we trek towards Nimaling and set up the tents for a good night's sleep with the sweet yet exhilarating experience of the summit day.

Maximum altitude: Kongmaru La (5,288 meters)

Accommodation: Overnight stay in hotel

We will start the trek from the base camp of Kang Yatse 2/Nimaling towards Chokdo, which is at an altitude of 3,901 meters, via Konganaru La. Kongmaru La is one of the passes that connect Markha Valley and Indus Valley. The maximum altitude we will reach is Konganaru La, which is at 5,288 meters. The colorful terrain has interesting fauna, geological formations with massive walls of rocks  and the gush of water filling the narrow passageways. After crossing this section to get to the endpoint of Chokdo we begin our 3-hour drive to Leh. The day ends with an overnight stay in a hotel.

A contingency day is an essential part of any expedition, including the Kang Yatse 2 expedition. It is a day set aside to deal with any unforeseen circumstances that may arise during the trek.

We reflect on the amazing experience, as we head home with memories of a lifetime.

The Kang Yatse 2 trek is perfect to get introduced to mountaineering and an ideal option for adventure enthusiasts.