Kun | 7077m | Kargil | Ladakh

Welcome to Leh, the capital of Ladakh, a large town tucked far in between the great mountain ranges of the Himalayas and East Karakoram and part of the great Trans Himalayan range. Your early morning 75-minute flight to Leh, the capital of Ladakh, over the Himalayas will be one of the most picturesque flights you’ll ever experience. If you sit on the left side of the plane, you will see Nun (7,135m / 23,409ft) and Kun (7,077m / 23,219ft), one of the two highest mountains in far western Ladakh. If the sky is clear, on the Northern horizon you will see K2 (8,611m / 28,251ft), the world's second highest peak, and other 8000m peaks of the Karakoram Range.

We will greet you at Leh airport and drive you to your hotel or home stay. The rest of the day depends on your jet lag and acclimatization to Leh’s high altitude. We can take an evening stroll in the old Leh town with narrow alleys with Muslim bakeries, Tibetan monasteries, Tibetan and Kashmiri antique shops, and a bustling Main Bazaar.

Ladakh is the only place besides Tibet where almost all the major sects of Tibetan Buddhism still exist. You will see architecture and a lifestyle similar to Central Tibetan traditions and visit Hemis Monastery and Thiksey Monastery.

Hemis Monastery, belonging to the Drukpa Kagyu sect, is the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Ladakh. It was first built in the 11th century. Stories of Kalachakra and the Lords of the Four Quarters are etched on the walls of its ancient corridors. There are golden statues, precious stones and a library with Tibetan books, relics and manuscripts.

The Hemis Festival is a dazzling celebration of the birth of the Padmasambhava. The Cham Dance (masked dance by the monks) should not be missed at Hemis Monastery.

Thiksey Monastery, belonging  to the Gelugpa sect, is 12 stories high. It has 10 temples, showcases stunning Ladakhi architecture, a 15m high statue of Maitreya (future Buddha), fierce paintings and statues of deities and other Tibetan Buddhism artifacts.

Much of our time will be spent driving to Kargil today. At Lamayuru, we will encounter landscape which has been compared to the moon’s surface. If time allows, we will visit Alchi Monastery and Lamayuru Monastery on the way to Kargil.

Located on the South bank of the Indus River, Alchi Monastery is said to be built between 958 AD and 1055 AD. Alchi Monastery belongs to the Gelugpa sect and contains some of the oldest surviving paintings of Buddhism and Hindu Kings. It also contains huge statues of the Buddha and elaborate wood carvings and artwork.

Lamayuru Monastery (belonging to the Drikung Kagyu sect) is one of the largest and oldest monasteries in Ladakh, dating back to the 10th century. Approximately 150 monks reside at the monastery. The monastery houses a rich collection of artifacts, wall paintings, statues and carpets.

From Kargil, we will drive along the Suru River through a valley, taking breaks in small villages. Today, we will see Kun and Nun for the first time. We will camp in a large meadow next to Suru River in the Shafat Valley.

We will cross a bridge over Suru River and ascend through meadows covered in Edelweiss flowers. We will cross the glacial moraines to reach Kun Base Camp.

We will prepare the equipment, gear and food for the climb.

  •    Base camp (4,650m/15,256ft) to Camp 1 (5,340m/17,520ft, 4-5 hours ascent, 2 hours decent)

The route crosses small rivers in moraine terrain. After setting up a gear stash in this area we will continue to ascend and negotiate several small crevasses.

  •    Camp 1 (5,340m / 17,520ft) to Camp 2 (6,120m / 20,079ft, 8 hours ascent)

The route involves ascending 800m on 30-35 and 40-45 degree steep snow slopes using fixed lines. A snow plateau between Nun and Kun is where Camp 2 is situated. Climbers look directly at the rock and ice face of Kun here.

  •    Camp 2 (6,120m/20,079ft) to Camp 3 (6,330m/20,768ft, 3-4 hours ascent)

The route involves crossing the snowy plateau between Nun and Kun. We will rest in Camp 3 before climbing to the summit with an alpine start.

  •    Summit day (7,077m/23,219ft, ascend and descend in 12-15 hours)

The route involves ascending a ridge and a 50 degree+ steep snow slope using fixed lines. The summit view is undoubtedly spectacular. After summiting, we will descend as far as we can go to the lower camps, e.g., Camp 3. The next day, we will descend to Kun Base Camp.

Today we will return to Shafat Valley. Horses or mules will carry most of our gear from Kun Base Camp to Shafat Valley.

We will drive to Kargil from Shafat. Overnight stay in Hotel.

Enjoy Leh’s attractions, Farewell dinner with the whole team and prepare for your flight out to Delhi tomorrow.

Trip end