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Arrive in Delhi. We’ll be transferred from the airport to our comfortable hotel accommodation in the city.
Once we’re settled in, we’ll go with our Arnold Coster exp. guide to the Indian Mountaineering Federation for a briefing and to obtain our climbing permits, before returning to our hotel for the night.
(D)
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The spectacular early morning connection flight over the Himalaya takes us to one of the highest airports in the world at 3,350m.
After lunch we will have a comprehensive pre-expedition briefing and will have a thorough kit check. Leh will be our last chance before the expedition commences to obtain any kit we might still need.
Then we are free to relax and begin acclimatising to the altitude at 3,500m. Leh is a colourful mountain town full of bazaars and is our home for the next couple of days.
(B/L/D)
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We stay in Leh in order to begin acclimatising. You are welcome to join us on a very leisurely sightseeing tour to three of the major gompas (monasteries) in the area. We first drive to Shey, a former Royal Palace of the Ladakh kings, inside is a small temple containing a 350 year old copper and gold statue of Buddha. Next stop is Tikse, perched prominently on top of a hill, its red and white buildings are visible for miles. It’s a recently built temple containing a magnificent image of the future Buddha. The final stop is Stakna, a small, friendly monastery high above the Indus River.
(B/L/D)
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In the morning, you’re welcome to join us to climb the 540 steps to Shanti Stupa, a peace pagoda built by a Japanese monk in the 80s. Standing on the top of a mountain it provides beautiful views of the town and surrounding mountains. From here, we can continue to Sankar Monastery, one of the few monasteries built on a flat ground. The monastery is relatively new and home to about 30 monks.
In the late afternoon, it’s nice to walk to Tsemo temple to enjoy the panoramic view of the town in the afternoon light.
(B/L/D)
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Leh to Lamayuru Monastery and Kargil 2,676m
Much of our time today will be spent driving to Kargil.
We’ll stop en-route in Lamayuru where there is spectacular landscape that has been compared to our moon’s surface. We’ll also spend some time visiting Lamayuru Monastery. Belonging to the Drikung Kagyu sect, it is one of the largest and oldest monasteries in Ladakh, dating back to the 10th century. The monastery houses a rich collection of artefacts and wall paintings.
(B/L/D)
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From Kargil, we will drive alongside the Suru River to reach Tangol passing some beautiful villages spread across the vast serene Suru Valley.
We will see Kun and Nun for the first time today and will meet our porter team, sorting and distributing equipment in the evening. Tonight will be out first camp.
(B/L/D)
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Tangol to Base Camp (4,600m)
After a good early morning breakfast, we will begin the hike to Nun Base Camp. Our porter team will arrive very early morning, so expect some early morning noise.
It is a beautiful climb up on grassy meadows with the climb getting steeper and steeper. Once we are up it’s a gradual walk amongst wildflowers and then on loose rocks on glacial moraine. We will have to cross the snout of the glacier and climb a steep tricky part before getting to Base Camp which is located next to a stream and amongst rock boulders. This will be our home for the next few days.
(B/L/D)
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Rest day at Base Camp (4,600m)
We’ll spend the day around Base Camp, exploring the area, chilling out and heading on short acclimatisation walks.
We’ll also spend some time preparing our personal & group equipment and our food for the climb.
(B/L/D)
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Base Camp to crampon point (5,100m) - sleep at Base Camp
Today we climb 500 meters to crampon point and the bottom of the Nun glacier and perhaps carry a few bits of our high-altitude equipment (to lighten our loads for the future). Above us rises the immense glacial wall of the Nun glacier which during our ascent of Nun Peak we’ll have to ascend and descend several times. Our climb to crampon point is straightforward but spectacular. Our Base Camp seems minute from the various viewpoints we stop at along the way, and we get a real sense of perspective about what is in store for us for the following week. Eager anticipation for what is ahead of us starts to redline!
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Acclimatisation and practice climb to Camp 1 (5,400m)
Today we climb back up to crampon point and ascend the mighty glacial head wall leading to Camp 1. Your guide and Sherpa team are there to instruct you on the use of ice tools and jumar equipment. We might be rolling up our sleeves and carrying a load to Camp 1 but at the same time you’ll be refining your skills.
We’ll cache some kit and return to Base Camp for the night.
(B/L/D)
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Today we will use all our finely polished skills to ascend to Camp 1. We are now on the way to the summit. Our Base Camp staff will help us carry the final equipment needed for our summit push and our exceptional chef and kitchen crew will be joining us at camp 1 to ensure we continue to have high quality meals.
(B/L/D)
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Rest day at Camp 1 (5,400m)
Chilling out, eating, acclimatising and sleeping at Camp 1.
(B/L/D)
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Carry and cache climbing equipment at Camp 2 (5,400m)
e’ll have scoped out the route to Camp 2. It’s just across the glacier from us but today we’ll start carrying our own high altitude climbing equipment and perhaps a few items of team equipment to the mighty rock wall above where Camp 2 is situated. The most awesome thing about today (and there really is no other way to describe this) is that today we’ll get up close and personal with Nun Peak. From Camp 1 it looks like a distant and beautiful pyramid, from Camp 2 the mountain soars from the glacier like a monumental icy giant. Things just got real!
(B/L/D)
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Chilling out, eating, sleeping at the spectacularly located Camp 2.
(B/L/D)
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Today is one of the toughest days on this itinerary. We leave Camp 2 early and make our way up to the mighty 800-meter high (50 degree) head wall separating these two camps. The sun rise is invariably going to provide us with an awesome distraction, make sure you have your camera handy. Today you’ll have to roll up your sleeves once again and jumar a lot of fixed line. But despite the hard work the views are continuously going to enthral. Opening up all around us are the distant peaks of the mystical Srinagar and Ladakh, as a climbing day today sure is hard to beat.
(B/L/D)
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Chilling out and preparing mind and bodies for the summit push.
(B/L/D)
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First summit day (7,135m) - return to Camp 2 (5,400m)
The summit is 700 meters above us, not to far when compared to Kilimanjaro or our popular 6,000-meter peak summit days, but nothing is taken for granted when climbing above 7,000 meters. Plus, the distance we need to cover to reach the summit of Nun peak is quite long. We depart around midnight carrying only the essential survival equipment to reach the summit and come back safely.
On our ascent we initially climb the short but steep head wall above Camp 3 to gain the broad west ridge. From here we climb several 40-degree icy steps to reach the first of two rock bands below the summit. An easy snow ramp leads its way through both the rock bands and we follow this to the final summit ridge. We now at 7,000 meters. We follow the ridge to its highest point. The summit! The views are nothing short of mind blowing. To the west the distinct summits of the Karakoram are clearly visible to the east several 7,000 meter + peaks breach the horizon. We hope to reach the summit as the sun rises which adds exponentially to the spectacle surrounding you. When it comes to memorable experiences, today is surely one that will be hard to beat! We descend after we’ve had our fill of summit success and our camera’s have cooled down from taking thousands of images. Our aim is to descend to Camp 2 where we’ll have left several tents to provide us with a temporary shelter and where we’ll have cached enough food to provide us with what is sure to be an incredibly tasting meal.
(B/L/D)
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Second summit day - return to Camp 2
A contingency day
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Descend from Camp 2 to Base Camp
(B/L/D)
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Base Camp to Tangol and drive to Leh 3,350m
We’ll follow in our footsteps from a few weeks ago, descending a steep tricky section, through the snout of the glacier, across glacial moraine and wild flower and grassy meadows before descending steeply down and down to Tangol. It’s here we’ll say goodbye to our porter team.
We’ll then start the big journey back to Leh, it’ll take around 10 hours. It may take some acclimatising returning to civilisation again!
(B/L/D)
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We’ll spend the day resting in Leh, reflecting on our journey and celebrating our achievements of the last few weeks.
(B/L/D)
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Leh to Delhi and departure home
We have an early start from Leh to catch our flight back to Delhi. All flights from Leh arrive either mid-morning or early afternoon into Delhi as, flying later in the day, there is always the risk of storms over the mountain.
for most people its possible to catch a connecting flight back home late in the evening
