Tall Order: 6,000M Trek up Stok Kangri, One Site Web of the World's Highest Climbable Mountains Like Follow Mailonline @Mailonline by SIMON CABLE

Source: Dailymail.co.uk Date: Friday 1, November 2013

Keyword: Exodus

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Tall order: 6,000m trek up Stok Kangri, one Site Web of the world's highest climbable mountains Like Follow MailOnline @MailOnline By SIMON CABLE

PUBLISHED: 11:57, 1 November 2013 | UPDATED: 11:57, 1 November 2013 TOP STORIES IN TRAVEL View 7 shares 0 comments Troll-tastic: New York's quirkiest The summit of Stok Kangri is just 200 yards away, but I know these final few feet are going to feel museums like the longest walk of my life. New Yorkers can turn almost anything into a At 6,000m up, standing on the ridge of one of the world’s highest trekkable mountains, the ascent of museum exhibit. Chris this Himalayan peak is becoming an ordeal of epic proportions. And the temperature has dropped to Lawrence goes leftfield in well below freezing. the Big A...

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A walk on the wild side at Kate Humble's farm Wendy Gomersall goes Long walk: Simon beginning the 6,000m ascent up to the summit of Stok Kangri foraging with the TV presenter. But can she It’s reflective of a growing trend for adventure holidays, which has seen a 20 per cent rise in the make a meal from number of intrepid travellers opting for high-altitude treks in the past four years. hedgerow vegetation?

Our 14 companions on this trip include a former soldier, a vet and a retired criminal solicitor, joining We lift the lid on the together for a 14-day expedition to a remote town in the foothills of the mountains, and across miles best kept ski secrets of the some of the most unforgiving terrain on the planet. Winter sports guru Peter Hardy offers the low-

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Keyword: Exodus

Hardy offers the low- Our adventure begins in Delhi. The first destination after leaving the city is Leh, an isolated desert down on the best lesser town in a far-flung corner of north-west India’s Ladakh Valley. known mountain resorts... Known as ‘Little Tibet’ thanks to its strong Buddhist culture and the vibrantly coloured monasteries perched on the surrounding hillsides, it lies nestled in the shadow of the mountain we hope to LATE DEALS BLOG: conquer. EDITOR'S PICK The tourist season here is short, lasting only from June to September before the roads get blocked Is the new-found by snow, making travel around the region almost impossible. sunshine making you crave a holiday? Fish through the latest deals and offers here...

Remote mountain town: Leh, where there's no mobile signal or internet coverage LATEST TRAVEL NEWS

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Mountain landscape: Simon and his group taking a break during their adventurous trek

But during these four months it becomes a backpacker’s paradise, with visitor numbers booming in recent years after a calming of decades of political unrest between India and Pakistan, which has long kept foreign travellers away from the contested Jammu and Kashmir state. TRAVELMAIL PARTNERS

By day, it’s a quiet market town, by evening the rabbit warren of streets become a bustling hive of Free prepaid MasterCard for your Euros or Dollars activity with busy bars and restaurants patronised by Western travellers and a smattering of more Save up to 85% on phone calls on holiday permanent, free-spirited guests, who appear to have arrived during the 1970s, but never got around to leaving.

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Reproduced by Gorkana Group under licence from the NLA (newspapers), CLA (magazines), FT (Financial Times/ft.com) or other copyright owner. No further copying (including printing of digital cuttings), digital reproduction/forwarding of the cutting is permitted except under licence from the copyright owner. All FT content is copyright The Financial Times Ltd. Article Page 2 of 7 264681198 - CAMMCM - A22010 - 1 Source: Dailymail.co.uk Date: Friday 1, November 2013

Keyword: Exodus

A quick travel conversation with: Model Erin O'Connor talks India, Mauritius - and home Like Follow From Delhi to Jaipur and back in a VW Polo? You'll need a blindfold for that! MailOnline @MailOnline Finding heaven in the Himalayas: A trek up to the roof of the world in north-west India

Leh is our home for the next three days as we acclimatise to the dizzying altitude at 3,505m above sea level, where mobile reception is blissfully absent, and the internet hasn’t been working for ages. The group begins to swap tales of previous expeditions – it becomes clear that I’m the least experienced member of this well-travelled band of climbers. While my girlfriend Melanie recalls past trips trekking through Nepal, others recount recent memories of treks up Mont Blanc in France, and even Aconcagua – Argentina’s notoriously tough 7,000m peak. Heather Bentley, a 50-year-old vet, describes a successful trip to climb Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. And Roger Scarth,49, reveals he is attempting to conquer Stok Kangri after a recent bid to scale the 7,134m Peak Lenin in Kyrgyzstan defeated him just 1,500m from the summit.

Impressive panorama: The group hiking with the stunning backdrop of the Ladakh Valley

Reproduced by Gorkana Group under licence from the NLA (newspapers), CLA (magazines), FT (Financial Times/ft.com) or other copyright owner. No further copying (including printing of digital cuttings), digital reproduction/forwarding of the cutting is permitted except under licence from the copyright owner. All FT content is copyright The Financial Times Ltd. Article Page 3 of 7 264681198 - CAMMCM - A22010 - 1 Source: Dailymail.co.uk Date: Friday 1, November 2013

Keyword: Exodus

Steep climb: Approaching base camp before the final climb to the summit

‘Beach holidays just don’t do it for me,’ he explains. ‘I need to be out of my comfort zone at least once a year or I just feel like I don’t exist. The desire is to go higher, to challenge yourself more each time. 'To stand on top of a 6,150m mountain is something no one can take away from you. Trips like this make you realise what you are capable of.’ After a final kit check at our hotel, it’s time to go – and contact with anyone outside our group will be almost non-existent until we return to Delhi. We depart the relative comfort of Leh, and the mud and brick buildings soon disappear into the distance, while the desert road out of town is replaced by a treacherous, makeshift trail winding its way along the Zanskar River to the first of our many wild campsites. Between the group and the 25 ponies accompanying us, we’re carrying every provision we’ll need for the next eight days. There will be no market stalls, no cosy mountain lodges, and barely even another human for the remainder of the journey.

Rest stop: Simon's girlfriend Melanie at Palam Peak, an acclimatisation break at 5380m

Reproduced by Gorkana Group under licence from the NLA (newspapers), CLA (magazines), FT (Financial Times/ft.com) or other copyright owner. No further copying (including printing of digital cuttings), digital reproduction/forwarding of the cutting is permitted except under licence from the copyright owner. All FT content is copyright The Financial Times Ltd. Article Page 4 of 7 264681198 - CAMMCM - A22010 - 1 Source: Dailymail.co.uk Date: Friday 1, November 2013

Keyword: Exodus

In the distance: A view of the isolated desert city of Leh, where the group stayed before beginning the trek

Our sleeping arrangements are primitive, coming in the form of canvas tents. Reading would be done by torchlight, and a half-decent night’s sleep relied upon a thorough re-working of the rocky ground underneath. But the harsh terrain is in stark contrast to the tranquil scene above us each night, with the spectacular sky and its constellations shining clearer and more brightly than I’ve ever seen before. Although the accommodation is basic, we’re lavished with a plentiful supply of delicious curries, hearty soups and energy-boosting desserts all prepared over an antique-looking portable gas stove each night - with potato wedges and pizza proving a big hit with the weary walkers. At the midway point of our journey, four days of determined trekking led by our unflappable guide Chospel bring us to the breathtaking Palam Peak - and a height of 5,380m. At this stage, the nauseating effects of the altitude begin to show among some of the group. But the welcome afternoons spent resting at our campsite, in addition to the supply of energy bars and rehydration salts, prove increasingly helpful. As Stok Kangri grows ever-closer from the horizon, excitement beings to build, while the reality of what lies before us hits home after arriving at base camp on the afternoon before summit day, when we are given a practice session in emergency procedures using crampons and ice axes.

We made it!: The group pose for a photo after climbing to the 6,000m summit of Stok Kangri

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Keyword: Exodus

The next day, the final ascent sees us negotiate a vast glacier running through the valley, before making a steep, steady assault on the summit, attempting a 1,200m climb over eight hours. The lack of oxygen in the air at this height can make every step feel like walking in concrete blocks, even for the fittest of climbers, and I find myself hunched over my trekking poles every ten yards, struggling to summon the energy to go on as we sized up those final 200 yards. Roped up in groups of five, it takes another agonising hour to haul ourselves up the final few feet, but we’re finally there. I proudly stand on the peak and look back with a sense of amazement at the long and punishing route I’ve just travelled. The sense of wonder inspired by the magnificent view is matched only by the utter excitement at the thought of the hot shower and cold beer that awaits my return. Travel facts Exodus will run three departures of the Stok Kangri climb across July and August 2014 and a further three in 2015. Prices start from £2,199 and include eight days point-to-point walking, return flights, accommodation and most meals. The maximum number of people per group is 16, while the minimum age is 18. Exodus will also be running the Three Peaks for Ladakh trip in 2014, which includes treks to Vatseri peak, Regoni Malari and DzoJongo East. A more gentle trekking trip in the region, Trails of Ladakh, is also being offered next year. Visit www.exodus.co.uk or call 0845 863 9601 BOOK YOUR TRAVEL

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