I stayed the 11th in Leh to rest and organize the next expedition: a 4 days trek to Stock Kangri at 6123m!
We were supposed to be a 5-people group but 3 postponed the trek because of the weather. So it was just me and Abhishek, an Indian guy who used to work in finance in Delhi but quit his job one year ago to enjoy more about India.
The first day, we walked up from 3600m to 4350m between 10:30 and 14:10; the 2nd day up to the base camp at 5000m; the 3rd day was exhausting: we started at 2am up until the peak at 6125m and again back to the base camp and then to the lower camp at 4350m. Finally, the 4th day was like the first one, down back to Stock town between 9am and noon.
In the camps, we met Christoph, an Austrian guy from Innsbruck, who finished a longer trek with this summit. He is however in a much better physical condition, being a mountain bicycler all the year around. He did the 40km from Leh up to Khardung La a few days before in only 3 hours, and said he was slow!
The second day, I felt a little sick, but it fortunately got better. Started during the night, I enjoyed the stars in the clear sky while Abhishek was feeling cold. We passed the glacier on sunrise with a couple studying in Krakow, Poland, and stayed more or less together the way up. The part over 5400m was particularly difficult and we could feel the lack of oxygen: I felt so sleepy that I wanted to stop every 5m! Christoph and his guide passed along quite easily. I try to follow them but it was not possible for me, I could just continue in a much slower rhythm. Abhishek was too cold and had to stop and go back so that our guide stayed with me. We however manage to keep going. Some hours later, close to the summit at the 6000m mark, Christoph suddenly went back because of a climbing part. I got shocked and all of us though also about turning back. The summit was in that instant clear and I pushed the group to continue. So we finally reached the summit at 6125m after 9:30. A though ascent I wanted to be successful because I am not sure I want to do it again! Lived 20 years less than 100km close from the ocean, I think I am more a sea guy: I was dreaming about sailing while getting up!
I got some headache the way back to the base camp while the guide was almost running. The pony guy was waiting for us and after a break, we continue down to 4350m. A good move as I felt much better at that altitude. The way was also nice with some marmots and chamois!
The weather got really sunny in the 4th day so that we could really enjoy all the way down to Stock, even it looked much longer than during the first day!
Once our car was finally there, I made a stop in the Stock Palace, where the royal family of Ladakh is still living. A nice museum and a nice view from the Indus valley until Leh!
In the last weeks, I broke many times my record of the highest place ever been on earth, never been over 4100m before (last record over 4000 being in Peru one year ago). Now, I put this record at 6125m so I think it will stay for a while!