Peakbagging is an important motivation for many people who book our climbing holidays and we asked Angela a few questions to try to gain an insight into this phenomenon.

I have always loved mountains and when living in the Alps made the shift from walking in the hills to trail running and mountaineering - including summiting Mont Blanc. When I returned to the Lake District I continued running, completing the Wainwrights within 18 months. I always choose to go to the mountains for my holidays and love to get to the highest point that I can see; hence Mont Blanc, Mount Toubkal and subsequently Stok Kangri.

I had been over 5000 metres a couple of times and failed to summit Chimborazo (6310m) in Ecuador in 2014. So, the main reason I went to Stok Kangri was to break the 6000 metre barrier on a peak that looked achievable and not too technical. I was focused on the summit but actually there is so much more to the trip than that - the time in Leh is really amazing with monastery visits, cool cafes, and acclimatisation walks. The walk-in to the mountain has awesome scenery and we saw very few trekkers until we reached basecamp.

I did some basic ice axe and crampon skills training when I lived in Chamonix and have used them on snowy peaks in several parts of the world, but nothing very technical. On Stok Kangri there was very little snow when we climbed it and although we carried them we didn’t actually use our crampons.

 

I loved flying in to Leh and landing at relatively high altitude. The landscape is lunar and the mountains so much more impressive that I expected. Leh reminded me of Nepal, with its prayer flags, monasteries and authentic Buddhist vibe. I normally can’t wait to get up into the mountains but this time it was great to spend some time visiting monasteries, walking around town and stopping for coffee in the many cafes.

It was a great group, varying in age from 20’s to early 60’s and with differing experiences of mountaineering, trekking and travel in general – we had lots to chat about! I can’t remember the topic of peakbagging coming up, but it was pretty clear that everyone was aiming for the top!

 

It was a long day with a straightforward glacier crossing low down, then a zig-zag trail on scree leading to a ridge. When we reached the ridge, we roped up, split into several small groups each with a local guide. I didn't find the ridge particularly exposed, but it’s steep and rocky and you need to be mountain savvy and comfortable on rough terrain. The top has lots of prayer flags and far reaching views - a truly amazing place to be.

At just over 6000 metres, Stok Kangri is the perfect peakbagger’s summit and accessible to any regular hillwalker with a sense of adventure. We offer this ascent within a 2-week holiday or within 3 weeks to include the classic Markha Valley trek.

View KE's 2 Week trip - Stok Kangri Climb