Ladakh or the ‘Land of High Passes’ is a barren yet beautiful region located in the north Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. Sharing its east border with Tibet, Ladakh has Lahaul and Spiti to its south and the Kashmir valley to the west. Strategically placed on ancient trade routes, Ladakh lies between the Kunlun Mountains in the north and the Himalayas in the south. The region originally comprised the Baltistan valley, the Indus Valley, Zanskar Lahaul, Spiti, Aksai Chin and Ngari.
Stok Kangri is one of the highest trekkable peaks in the world. It stands at an elevation of 20,100 ft. and is higher than the highest mountain in Europe, Mt. Elbrus at 18,510 ft and although marginally, it is even higher than the highest mountain in Africa, Mt. Kilimanjaro at 19,340 ft. It beats two of the highest mountains across two different continents and is, without a doubt, a crowned jewel of India. The biggest and the only challenge during Stok Kangri trek is the summit day, where you have to brave sub-zero temperatures, trek on a glacier for about 6-7 hours at night, and walk on the ridgeline for about two hours to reach the summit. Although Stok Kangri does not require any technical experience, by no means it is meant for beginners.