Stok Kangri Trek

Climbing the easiest of the six-thousanders in the Himalayas. Check if thats actually easy !

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Duration
9 days 8 nights
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Highest Altitude:
6153m
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Grade:
Challenging
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Best Time:
Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
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Temperatures:
-5 to 6 on higher camps
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Starts From:
Leh
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Airport:
Leh, Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport ( IXL)
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Railway:
Katra, (KEA), Jammu Tawi ( JAT)

Key Geographical Highlights

13 Popular Peaks:

Apsarasas Kangri I ( 7245m ), Chamsher Kangri ( 6950m ), Kun ( 7077m ), Lungsher Kangri ( 6666m ), Mamostong Kangri ( 7516m ), Nun ( 7135m ), Rimo Kangri I ( 7385m ), Rimo Kangri III ( 7233m ), Saser Kangri I ( 7672m ), Saser Kangri II ( 7513m ), Saser Kangri III ( 7495m ), Z2 ( 6152m ), Stok Kangri ( 6153m )

1 High Passes:

Stok La ( 4900m )

1 Rivers:

Indus

3 Villages:

Leh, Zinchen, Stok Village

Reach Leh find other treks

Daywise Itinerary For Stok Kangri Trek

(click to read detailed route briefing, elevation graph, altitude time info and photos from the day)

▼ Day 1Arrival DayLeh 3500m
Arrive In Leh
Overnight In: Leh (3500m )
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
Cost Of Transport Included: NO
Where and How To Reach Leh
Fly to Leh from Delhhi and checkin to the guest house. Leh is dry and the air is very cold. Suddenly when you breathe in cold dry air, your body might not adjust to the new changed environment, that too in just 2 hours !!

Its advised that you drink adequate water before boarding your flight to Leh. Also, have a Vaseline handy to apply to your nostrils to moisten it, if you feel the air is too dry and cold to breathe easily.

Today its very crucial that we take enough rest and acclimatize properly to successfully reach the summit of Stok Kangri, which is further high at 6153 meters

We meet in the evening over a light Snacks for a formal Team Introduction and share brief information on the trek preparation and planning.

Time for Dinner to catch some more sleep.
Day 1
220 - Delhi
Day 1
3500 - Leh
2hrs.
▼ Day 2Acclimatization DayLeh 3500m
Walk To Chemo Monastery and Shanti Stupa. Return To Leh - 3 - 4 Hrs.
Overnight In: Leh (3500m )
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
Today we spend our day visiting places around Leh and acclimatizing further. Leh is at very high altitude and this day is very important for us. We visit places like Leh Palace, Chemo Monastery, Shanti Stupa, etc.

Each of these places can be hiked to and its the best for us to do, if we are not feeling exhausted. If we do, we need to take some light walks in the town itself for some window shopping. Leh has some good shops selling trekking gears. So you can do some last moment purchases.

Evening we will visit the monastery of Shanti Stupa to seek some peaceful aura around it.

Tomorrow we start the trek. Hence we recheck that we are all set for it. Do the last moment purchases, repack our bag according to the trek requirement, have dinner and sleep early.
Day 2
3500 - Leh
Day 2
3600 - Chemo Monastery
Day 2
3600 - Shanti Stupa
Day 2
3500 - Leh
3 - 4hrs.
▼ Day 3Trekking DayRumbak 4050m
From Leh (3500m ) To Rumbak (4050m ), Via - Zinchan (3400m ) - 4 - 5 Hrs.
Overnight In: Rumbak (4050m )
Accommodation: Tents/ Homestays
Meals Included: All Meals
Today we start early morning to board our cab to Zinchan. Once we reach, our horses are loaded and we start our trek to Rumbak. An easy day.
Day 3
3500 - Leh
Day 3
3400 - Zinchan
Day 3
4050 - Rumbak
4 - 5hrs.
▼ Day 4Trekking DayMankorma 4400m
From Rumbak (4050m ) To Mankorma (4400m ), Via - Stok La (4900m ) - 5 - 6 Hrs.
Overnight In: Mankorma (4400m )
Accommodation: Tents
Meals Included: All Meals
Rumbak is the winter destination for the elusive Snow Leopard, rather this entire region is. After a good night's sleep, we wake up to a lovely bright morning. If you are trekking in Ladakh for the first time, it takes some time to get used to it. Our initial days spent in Leh help in this regards.

We start our day early and begin our trek to Monkorma with stunning view of the Ladakh Himalayas. The magical mountainscape continuously motivates us and keeps us really engaged, making us forget that we are trekking.

We are to tackle the steep climb to the top of Stok La, which serves us the very important purpose of acclimatization. Since we climb upto 4900 meters and sleep low at 4400 meters, it help us better acclimatize to the altitude for higher ones to come.

Stok La also offers some great views of the surrounding landscape. After spending some good time on the summit of Stok La, enjoying the views from the top, we descend down to the campsite of Mankormo.

On reaching, we ease out for the day. Its been a rewarding day till now. Post tea, we go for slight walk around the place to explore further. Do not forget to sight the summit of Stok Kangri from here. Fix it on your eyes and your mind. We are gonna be there.. soon!!
Day 4
4050 - Rumbak
Day 4
4900 - Stok La
Day 4
4400 - Mankorma
5 - 6hrs.
▼ Day 5Trekking DayStok Kangri BC 5050m
From Mankorma (4400m ) To Stok Kangri BC (5050m ) - 2 Hrs.
Overnight In: Stok Kangri BC (5050m )
Accommodation: Tents
Meals Included: All Meals
Today the walk is very less and we move out easily, though not very late. We leave for Stok Kangri Base Camp, and it take us around a hour and a half to reach the campsite. On reaching, we have hot lunch and relax a bit.

According to the snow condition, there will be a demo of equipment to be used after the tea. After finishing that, we will also go for a short acclimatization walk. We will climb up the direct hill in front of us on the route to Stok Kangri. Its a higher ground, and also offers great views. If you have zoom lens, do try to zoom in and catch a glimpse of the Stok Kangri Summit.

Once we come back form the acclimatization walk, we ease out, play games along with snacks, soup, dinner and hot drinks. These easy days are actually preparing us for the grand summit day.
Day 5
4400 - Mankorma
Day 5
5050 - Stok Kangri BC
2hrs.
▼ Day 6Training DayStok Kangri BC 5050m
- 4 - 5 Hrs.
Overnight In: Stok Kangri BC (5050m )
Accommodation: Tents
Meals Included: All Meals
Today we train you on some technicalities of mountaineering to be used on the trek. Use of ice axe, some rope work, roping up, etc. During June July and even early august some year, the quantity of snow are too much and these basic orientation helps us in achieving success on the summit.

While training and orientation is a part of it, our main objective is rest and acclimatization. We are to attempt the summit after midnight, so this rest is very much required. We sleep early and keep everything ready for the summit push, including the head lamps. Its very important for us to get proper rest and enough sleep for the most challenging and rewarding day of our trek - The Summit Bid.

Early dinner and into our sleeping bags.
Day 6
5050 - Stok Kangri BC
Day 6
5050 - Stok Kangri BC
4 - 5hrs.
▼ Day 7Climbing DayStok Kangri BC 5050m
From Stok Kangri BC (5050m ) To Stok Kangri BC (5050m ), Via - Stok Kangri Summit (6153m ) - 10 - 11 Hrs.
Overnight In: Stok Kangri BC (5050m )
Accommodation: Tents
Meals Included: All Meals
Today is THE DAY for us. We will attempt the Stok Kangri summit today. We start our long testing day to the summit post midnight around 1 AM in order to reach the summit on sunrise. All our previous day's efforts and acclimatization walks will be tested and brought into use today.

The route climbs up straight to the top of the hill we climbed previous day, and from there is descends to the glacier. A small crevasse can be negotiated with a slight jump, although in the dark, you should stay alert and together with the team. After you jump the crevasse and traverse the glacier, your next bid is to climb to the ridge leading to the summit of Stok Kangri. Never-ending switch backs follows and the high altitude makes it very slow.

Once you reach the ridge, the day might dawn. From the ridge, the trek to the summit is straight forward, although you need to be careful. After a continuous push of some 6 hours, you reach the top. of Stok Kangri. Standing there, you will realize, all the pain was worth taking to be where you are !!

While climbing is important, descending safely is more important. Descend usually is quite faster and you loose altitude very quick. We come back to the base camp and celebrate.

If time and energy allows, we descend down to Monkorma to rest for the night.
Day 7
5050 - Stok Kangri BC
Day 7
6155 - Stok Kangri Summit
Day 7
5050 - Stok Kangri BC
10 - 11hrs.
▼ Day 8Trekking DayLeh 3500m
From Stok Kangri BC (5050m ) To Leh (3500m ), Via - Mankormo (4400m ), Stok Village (3650m ) - 6 - 7 Hrs. 12 Kms
Overnight In: Leh (3500m )
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Today we trek down and walk straight up to Stok Village. The trek is route is just so beautiful. We board our cab to get us back to Leh. We checkin into a hotel and settle for the day. In the evening, we meet for our last dinner together and celebrate our trek experience.
Day 8
5050 - Stok Kangri BC
Day 8
4400 - Mankormo
Day 8
3650 - Stok Village
Day 8
3500 - Leh
12Km, 6 - 7hrs.
▼ Day 9Departure DayNew Delhi 200m
Departure From Leh
Accommodation: None
Meals Included: Breakfast
Cost Of Transport Included: NO
Itinerary and our service ends. You will be dropped to the airport as per plan.
Day 9
3500 - Leh
Day 9
200 - New Delhi
1100Km, 2hrs.

Stok Kangri Trek - An Elaborate Description

Stok Kangri Summit Trek

Stok Kangri is closed for the next 3 years till 2022. Hence Climbing Stok Kangri is not possible during this time. We recommend you to summit Kang Yatse 2 or Dzo Dzongo instead. Dzo Dzongo is a 6100-meter peak in the same region and presents similar challenges as climbing Stok Kangri. Kang Yatse 2 is 6223-meter peak and is little difficult compared to Stok kangri

Stok Kangri is one of the major trekking peaks is Ladakh the summit of which is at a super high altitude of 6153 meters. The trek to the summit of Stok Kangri in Ladakh offers a great opportunity to scale a 6153-meter peak, requiring no mountaineering techniques at all.

Trekking in Ladakh is a lifetime experience in itself, but being able to see its beauty from as high as 6153 meters is crazy !! That's where the true Himalayan High lies, isn't it? Summiting Stok Kangri is a pride which very few can boast of.

Though Stok Kangri is a trekking peak, its altitude and other dangers cannot be ignored. It requires good planning and the mountain rejects the overconfident trekkers. For few who tried to underestimate the high altitude terrain of Stok Kangri has had paid their price, sometimes fatal too. For those who go to the peak with respect, the mountain rewards and allows to climb to its summit.

Planning for the summit of Stok Kangri requires good physical conditioning and more than that, it requires a tough mental preparedness. The trek can get very demanding during early in the season due to snow. Already beyond 5000 meters, you need good acclimatization and strength in your leg to beat that exhaustion caused by negotiating the snow on the steep climb.

The ridge leading to the summit of Stok Kangri is sharp after the shoulder with good exposure on the other side. While the amount of snow it has early in the season can tire even the strongest of the trekkers, snow-less ridge is not a simple one too, which requires negotiating few boulders and tricky sections involving deep falls.

Snow is just one side of the challenge on the Stok Kangri trek. The much bigger of a challenge is its altitude. Only a fit and well-acclimatized trekker can climb it successfully while enjoying the climb. At 6000 meters, the air gets thinner and there is only one way to beat it - ACCLIMATIZATION.

The peak demands respect and proper preparation and planning is the key to achieve success on it. A good plan is made right from the beginning with the design of the itinerary and its execution as planned, to summit the peak. Physical preparation is a must for this trek if you are not a regular mountain person. If you are, you already know the value of it.

If you are an explorer and an adventurer by your breed, this trek is a must to have in your trek diaries. It's no easy trek, and not difficult in the same way. The only thing to beat is the super high altitude and the cold. Our itinerary is designed for better acclimatization to achieve success on the summit.

WHY SHOULD YOU CLIMB WITH US ?

Unlike the mass-trekking and hand-held trekking groups in our country, we, on all of our treks, inspire and motivate to boost more of the Intrinsic and Inherent Adventure Sense of a human being when it comes to our work ethics. We human beings are born to Survive. It's just about letting yourself free to get back your intrinsic senses to adapt, survive and then excel.

Having said that, we take safety as a first matter of concern on any of our treks, and hence provide the Guides and Leaders who are tremendously experienced, knowledgeable, responsible and capable of handling such treks. We keep our group size limited to 12 people on a challenging treks like this as smaller groups has more summit success rate since the team is more focused on their objectives, share common physical abilities, are safer and friendlier. Most importantly, our filtration and selective process ensures that the team, unlike that of the mass-trekking groups, is not limited by the weaknesses of the unfiltered, incompetent and unmanageable flock joining the team. Smaller group also helps to create an ambient Himalayan experience of Solitude, giving priority to Safety, Easy Management, Maximum Attention, Utmost care, Friendly attitude, and a Learning experience to make you a better and a humble trekker.

Our forced efforts to keep the group size small has given us very nice success rate on the summits of these trekking peaks in the Himalayas. Our itinerary and meal plan is very well planned and with further orientation and planning, we move closer to the summit with each of these carefully decided actions.

The equipment that we provide on the treks are some of the best in the industry. Few of those are designed and custom-made just to suit our purpose of a safe and comfortable trek experience. We provide you with all the gears required to be better equipped for the trek. The quality of local resources, cooks and porters are not neglected and we make sure that we hire responsible local resources for your group accompanied by one of our leaders who further ensures that the quality of services are delivered as promised and forms a liaison between the group and the local hires. Right from the food that we serve on the trek to the toilet tents and camping toilet seat that we provide, dining tents to a separate camping stools, pre-trek orientation to proper coordination, SOS arrangements, etc - Everything is taken care of with utmost professionalism and expertise of the field.

We have until now worked across the Himalayas of India, Nepal, and Bhutan with tremendous client satisfaction and reviews. From beginner’s trek to that of highly challenging treks and expedition, we have handled it all very efficiently with excellent success rate. We have always kept and delivered our promise of keeping the team small, like-minded, tidy by proper selection and filtration through discussion and with utmost safety and no incidences of mishaps so far due to our proper planning by experts of the field. We are a transparent and flexible organization and have kept our reviews online. You may read our reviews on our Google Business Page: https://goo.gl/ezyw13

Photos from Indian Army’s Expedition to Kang Yatse 1 & 2 supported by Team Himalayan High

Stok Kangri Trek - Why Its A Must-Do

6153 meters, An Extremely High Altitude summit, climbing Stok Kangri is an accomplishment in itself and can be treated as an introduction to mountaineering in the Himalayas.
No mountaineering techniques required: This is probably a very rare oppurtunity to trek to a summit of a mountain 6153 meters high with no skills of mountaineering techniques, though having it helps. We give a orientation training in the base camp about basic rope skills.
View of K2, Second highest mountain of the World, in Karakoram: On a clear day, K2, Nun-Kun and Nanga Parvat reveals itself from the summit.
Classic view of the Markha Valley. The entire valley is visible from the top and there are other versions of the trek too in which you can climb Stok Kangri via the Markha Valley.
Sighting the rare wildlife of the Hemis National Park. Mountain Goats, Marmots and other wild life. Seeing mountain goats is easier as they don't fear humans too much. Fair chances of seeing these on this trek. Marmots can also be heard and seen. If lucky, you may sight the rare Snow Leopard as well !
The culture and villages of Ladakh are an experience in itself.

How We Grade Our Treks and Expeditions

Easy

Usual daily walks of 4 - 5 hours in altitude below 4000 meters. The sleeping altitude on these treks are below 4000 meter and the trails are gradual involving no steep ascent or descent. Sometimes, the trail may be longer, but on level trails. The duration of trek may be a week or lesser than it. The trek is not too remote and evacuation might be possible from almost any point of the trek

Moderate

The trek duration each day may span from 4 - 5 hours, but on some days, it may push up to 8 - 9 days. The trail might involve steep ascents or descents on occasions This kind of treks demand good fitness, and trekkers must involve themselves in cardio exercises regularly to do these treks comfortably. Sleeping altitude are below 4000 meters or little above it, but the trail might go as high as 4500 - 5000 meters. The trek is bit remote and evacuation might be possible from almost all, but not all campsites

Moderate +

This type of treks are bit more demanding than the moderate ones. It might involve few days of very long walks at higher altitude, or serious gradients, exposures, more remote or involves sleeping at higher altitudes for more days.

Strenuous

The trek duration each day may span from 5 - 8 hours, and may go up to to 8 - 9 on few days. The trail involves steep ascents and descents. Good fitness are demand of these treks, and trekkers must involve themselves in cardio exercises regularly to do these treks comfortably. Sleeping altitude may go above 4000 meters or little above it on couple of days, but not more than that. The trail might go as high as 4500 - 5200 meters. These trek are remote and evacuation might not be possible from all the campsites

Challenging

The trek duration each day may span from 5 - 8 hours, and may go up to to 8 - 9 or even more than that on few days. The trail involves steep ascents and descents. Crossing a glacier or a scree zone might be a feature of these treks. You might on some occasions, require technical equipment like rope, ice axe and snow stacks etc to complete these treks. Good fitness are demand of any treks, but these treks demands strong character. Sleeping altitude may goes well above 5000 meters on some days. The trail might go as high as 5000 - 6000 meters. These trek are high or remote or both. The trek usually might be a week long.

Sometimes irrespective of altitude and distance, a trek may ge graded Challenging if the route is treacherous, which might demand some footing skills or assistance of ropes and other equipment

Challenging +

The trek duration each day may span from 5 - 8 hours, and may go up to to 8 - 9 or even more than that on few days. The trail involves steep ascents and descents. Negotiating glacial moraines, scree zones, crossing them, camping on them etc are features of these treks. You might also require technical equipment like rope, ice axe and snow stacks etc to complete these treks. Good fitness are demand of any treks, but these treks demands strong character. Sleeping altitude may goes well above 5000 meters on some days. The trail might go as high as 5000 - 6000 meters. These trek are high and remote. A good technical support team and knowledgeable local guide is a must. Only experienced trekkers are advised to do these treks. The trek goes over 2 week and may be longer than that.

Sometimes irrespective of altitude and distance, a trek may ge graded Challenging if the route is treacherous, which might demand some footing skills or assistance of ropes and other equipment

Page Cost Inclusions and Exclusions For The Stok Kangri Trek

WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THE PRICE

Duration: 8 Days / 7 nights of trekking and climbing cost Ex. Leh
Accommodation In Leh: 3 nights of Stay in a Premium hotel in Leh with guided acclimatization walks and emphasis on local food and culture. Only Breakfast and Dinner Included while in Leh
Accommodation On Trek: Spacious, sturdy and High-Quality All Season Dome Tents will be provided on twin sharing basis.
Sleeping In Tents: Thick Waterproof Mattress complemented with very good quality Sub Zero Sleeping bags supported with Supersoft Down Sleeping Bag Inners, For Extra Hygiene and Warmth will be provided by us
Dining On Trek: We will provide Dining and Kitchen Tents with camping stools and table for extra hygiene and comfort.
Toilet On Treks: Dry eco-toilet will be set up with a toilet tent and toilet seat. 1 Toilet tent for every 5 trekkers will be provided.
Meals: All meals (except for lunch in leh), specifically curated for high altitudes will be provided from breakfast in Leh on Day 1 till breakfast on Day 8 in Leh. 3 meals (B, L, D) suited for high altitude with evening snacks, soup, hot drinks and extra energizers/juice for summit days. Nutritious, Soupy, Balanced nutritious meal which is light on the stomach.
Common Climbing Gears: All required climbing gears like rope coils, pitons, ice screws, snow stacks, pulleys, zumars, etc.
Communication: For efficient management of the trek, the team will be communicating with each other and trek base with the help of long-range wireless sets.
Medical Safety: Oxygen cylinder, Pulse Oximeter, Thermal temperature scanner and Emergency Medical Kit accompanied with a trek leader knowledgeable on high altitude medicine and physiology
Trek Leader and Guide: Experienced and Well Equipped English/ Hindi Speaking Trek Leader maintaining guide to trekker ratio of 1:2. Which is 1 guide for every 2 trekkers for the summit.
Local Support Staffs: Expert and Knowledgeable local route guide with cooks, helpers, porters, mules, etc
Trekking Permits: All required forest and other local association permits as per the prevalent rules of Local administration and our Country.
Climbing Permits: IMF climbing fees and peak royalties.
Transfers: Return transfers from Leh to for trek in 4X4 offroader for the trekking team and support crew. Also, airport pickup and drop on Day 1 and Day 8.
Max Team Size: Small group of not more than 10 members. You can make any batch a private batch by paying a little extra over the base trek fees.
Personal Load Offload: allowed up to 10 Kg only. Common equipment will be carried over mules or HAPs.
Free Cloakroom in Leh: for extra leftover luggage while leaving for trek.
Personal Trek Equipments: Essential trek gears for complimentary use. ( read below)

ADD ONS:

Single Supplement For Tent & Hotel. ( @ INR 18000 )
Porterage For More Than 10 Kgs On Trek. (@ INR 8000)

WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED

Personal Travel and Climbing Insurance
Personal Purchases
Food Purchased Outside Our Menu
Personal Gears
Lunch in Leh
Bottled Water or Any Other Drinks
Anything else not mentioned in the inclusion list

Cost Terms For The Stok Kangri Trek

Cost Terms

The above-mentioned cost is in the range of minimum to maximum per-person cost for this trek as per 2 - 10 people team.PackageInclusions as per this cost can be read below.
5% GST (goods and service tax) is applicable for all our purchases.
We follow dynamic pricing as per the actual team size on the trek. Going by our standardized service, appropriate safety measures, quality equipment, and ecologically sustainable - small group commitment, a higher team size will lower the cost whereas a lower team size will significantly increase the cost.
Group segmented pricing if not provided here, please write to us using the contact page or text us on Whatsapp number +918017216725.
You may choose to keep the trek open or make it private depending upon your requirements or choice. The actual per-person cost of the trek is subject to the actual team size joining the trek. If you make any customizations that drastically change the itinerary and cost as mentioned here, then it will mandatorily have to be a private group only.
If we have dates listed on our website on Our Upcoming Treks and it is not marked as private, it means other people have booked this trek for that date and have opened it up for other members to join to lower the cost. If your dates and choices match, you may join these treks
You may join an existing open group listed on our website or create your own group as per your convenient dates and choose to either keep it private or open it up to lower the cost if other members join the trek.
At any point, the team size cannot be more than 12 members ( 10 for challenging treks) unless there is a unique exception requested or agreed upon by all the team members.

International Guests

Trek cost for foreigners is slightly higher than the cost for our Indian guests, mainly due to the higher permit fee applicable for admission to National Parks or protected forest areas. Sometimes, it may be higher due to higher local crew wages and other specific arrangements we make to ensure a safe, comfortable and enriching travel experience in India. However, we absolutely DO NOT 'hyper-charge' our International Guests ever and at the same time, ensure that we meet all the standards for highly qualified trek leaders and guides, safety, medical preparation, evacuation strategy, rescue arrangements, eco-sensitive travel, high-value knowledge sharing about the area and customs of the locals.

Extra Cost For International Trekkers Rs. 6000 per person.

Booking Process

Booking can only be done after multiple communication via email / Whatsapp / Calls. After connecting with us and discussing your needs, we finalize the trek and its requirements. After finalization, partial booking fees can be paid online or through direct bank transfers after which we trigger our preparations and arrangements for your trek. International Trekkers can pay the partial booking fees using PayPal, Wise, Western Union or Direct Wire Transfer.

Customized Private Group For Stok Kangri Trek

Trekking is a very personal activity and is perhaps one of the very few activities that give you enough time to indulge with yourself or your beloved people, a group of special friends, or close family members. It helps you transform personal bonds to the next level as it brings out everyone's best and truest self. Trekking is most enjoyed when it is done in a small private group, personalized to serve your specific needs. The Himalayas are best experienced when there is silence and solitude around and when you are surrounded only by your best people. Your trek is most enjoyable when all the pain of arranging a smooth trek is taken care of by us, and you focus just on your trek and yourself. Most importantly, a small private trekking group is very flexible, personalized, and more enjoyable, is the safest, and follows the principles of Sustainable and Responsible Tourism. Most trekkers book us for arranging personalized private treks catering to their specific and unique requirements - Customize This Trek

Must Read - Important Pre-Booking Information