Stok Kangri? It’s now India’s hottest peak

The peak, which can be conquered in four days, is particularly popular amongst foreign mountaineers coming to India. As many as 26 of the 52 foreign expeditions that came to India last year headed for Stok Kangri. “Stok Kangri is relatively easy to climb and has a clear access from the Leh area. The climate in that region is also quite stable which makes it an ideal choice for the mountaineers, especially the not-so-experienced ones. Although straightforward, the route is challenging and interesting, providing stunning views of the Karakoram Range,” said Col H S Chauhan of the Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF), which recently came out with a survey to determine the most popular mountain peaks in the country.

The survey showed that Indian peaks were getting increasingly popular among foreign mountaineers. The 52 foreign expeditions that India received last year was the largest number in the last four years, during which the IMF has been keeping count. Last year, India had received 40 foreign expeditions. The Indian peaks were sought out by climbers from Europe, especially from Germany, Britain and France.

While the Germans sent 12 expeditions in the year 2006 and 2007, British and French mountaineers undertook eight expeditions each. Japan and Korea were next in line, sending four and three expeditions respectively to India. Most of these opted to climb Stok Kangri whose high and arid landscape has captured the imagination of may young trekkers ever since it was opened for visitors in 1974.

Kun East (7,077m), also in the Zanskar range, attracted six foreign expeditions while Kedardome (6,830m) in the Garhwal region got five. IMF’s Chauhan said one of the reasons for the sudden increase in the number of foreign expeditions coming to India was the political instability in Nepal, which gets the maximum number of mountain expeditions.

Stok Kangri, however, was not that popular amongst Indian climbers, attracting only four among the 60 Indian expeditions. In addition, 97 individuals had applied at the IMF Leh office to climb Stok Kangri. IMF could not confirm how many of them were actually successful in reaching the peak. Chauhan pointed out that the figures thrown up by the survey did not reflect the total amount of mountaineering happening in the country.

He said a large number of expeditions were being sent by defence and para-military forces, which were not included in the survey. Though on a steady rise, the number of expeditions coming to India pales in comparison to those going to Nepal or Pakistan, which together account for all of the fourteen 8,000m-plus mountain peaks in the world. Only one of these, Kunchenjunga, which is the third highest in the world at 8,586m, is accessible from India as well. Nanda Devi, at 7,824m, is the second highest peak in the country.