Climbed Stok Kangri Solo, July 4th 2012

Excellent work doing it solo Roushan! The raw footage gives a good perspective!!!
Do you have a blog detailing your climb...or did I miss it somewhere?

well..currently I am not much into writing. Trying to develop it...needs a lot of patience though. Have written a few guest posts for some of my traveler friends. Stok Kangri trek may be next on the list.

have you posted about marsimek and Shipki la somewhere?

Shipki La and Kaurik, I have written a guest post at http://www.tarungoel.in/2012/06/26/s...-permit-story/

I am yet to write a post on Marsimik, although you can a look at some of the pics on my facebook profile.

Hi Roushan

Thanks for the info, so is this restaurant at base camp and would it still be there mid-September? Is the path recognizable particularly in the dark or are there many different ways up? I think I might feel safer if I had a guide, do you know how much it would be to hire one?

Patricia

Just saw the videos. Congrats on your achievement. Very good.

The fall, though it was a small one, could have been disastrous if you can gone for a few more feet. Stresses to need to go with atleast one more person. Solo is good when the going is good, and you were lucky. Not trying to admonish (maybe I am) but just wish people take a little more care. Definitely do not encourage other people to go solo, ask them to view the videos and then decide for themself. I am no mountain climber, just a concerned traveler. Maybe it is easier than it looks (it looks a little scary), I wouldnt know.

Take care and good luck on your future climbs.
Sampath

Hi Patricia,

This restaurant called Cafe Mitra is at both Mankarmo as well as Base camp where they have all food arrangements as well as staying options in case you want one. Both are run by the same set of two friends, Jayo and Punzuk. You can tell them my name, they will be more than happy to help you regarding anything.

When I did the summit, it was all snow for next 7 hours after say 30 mins from base camp.(I was quite fast, normally people will take atleast around 10 hours in such snow conditions) When do you intend to go for it? Although snow is at all time high this year, it all depends on which month of the year are you planning to go there. Normally there should be less snow August onwards. If you want to hire a guide, I may help you out by asking Punzuk or Zayo himself. Tell me if you want one. Otherwise don't pay more than 10,000 for the fully guided all support expeditions arranged by the trekking agencies out there in Leh. Ping me if you want any further assistance. I am based in Delhi and if you want, we can arrange a meetup.

Happy Traveling!! Cheers

Roushan

Hi Sampath,

I did suffer many more severe falls which were not recorded on camera, stuck in the hidden river flowing beneath the snow bed and few really extreme (if not near death) experiences. It indeed was really scary. But, thats the very reason I wanted to do it solo. You can't describe the feeling of making the summit solo to anybody who hasn't experienced something similar before. Adventure is what you make it, there is no substitute for first hand experience. People have made solo ascents to K2 and Nanga Parbat, who cares about Stok Kangri. May be brave people ride high on luck.

But, that calls for some experience and expertise before you decide to jump into something like this. You are totally right in suggesting I shouldn't encourage more people to do so, especially the less experienced ones. You only live once. I think one would be wise enough to come back once more rather than putting himself in danger to make the summit anyway. Wisdom is what you expect from people at this level.

Solo is soooo nice if it all goes fine, but if you have an accident you are totally dependent on strangers to spoil their own trip to help you.

A few days ago someone I know went over Stok La, and near the top some guy had broken an ankle and his foot was sticking out at a strange angle. Though the guy had a friend with him, the friend and my acquaintance stayed with him, and a passing group offered to send help up when they got down. So they waited all day, and by late afternoon nothing had come, so my acquaintance ran down to Stok and got someone to go up with a pony and blankets and food, since the patient and his friend weren't carrying anything. Then the patient came down on the pony in the dark. It was not a good situation but luckily he had a good attitude.

Every few years, I hear of some a corpse discovered alone in a tent in some remote valley off the regular trekking routes. Sometimes they are discovered the same year, sometimes they are old and dried out or dispersed over the area.

Of course this won't happen on every solo trip.

well NonIndianResident,

You might be right in your views, but accidents can happen to anybody, calls for a basic level of preparedness on the traveler's part. You choose your own ways and be prepared for the outcome. One can't blame anbody else in case of one's own mistake. Neverthless, you can't take out the spirit of adventure from everybody. May be some people like it this way to make things more difficult and get more high. Had everybody gone by your views, imagine what everybody would have missed since centuries and the world today would not have been the same.

Once again, its just my own personal view, nothing personal implied here.

Hey Roushan,
I missed it.... it's so thrilling... so nice.



I'm a late viewer of this thread !!!! But I'm a gainer...

I get the chance to say you .....
vinathorat.

Thanks Duronto Jajabar

@vinathorat:

Thanks,Roushan