Stok Kangri Trek
also Stok Kangri Summit
Stok Kangri is a 8-day trek in Stok range, Ladakh, Ladakh, topping out at 6,153 m. On TrekBaba's normalized scale — the same formula applied to every trek in this catalogue — it scores 97.3/100, which puts it in the Very Difficult band: this is expedition-grade — prior treks above 5,000 m, cold tolerance and a guide who knows the route are assumed. Operators usually market it as "Difficult"; the gap between that label and the computed grade is exactly why the grade exists. With a high point of 6,153 m, AMS risk is severe — this altitude band demands proper acclimatization and the willingness to turn back.
Operator says Difficult — normalized grade: Very Difficult.
Photo: Maverick34 at English Wikipedia · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Explore the route
Scrub the trail — satellite view, live altitude. 17.1 km
Route drawn from real OpenStreetMap geometry (601 sampled points simplified to 82), elevations from the Copernicus DEM. Imagery © Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics | Route data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
Stok Kangri route, point by point
3 recorded points from Stok village to Stok Kangri Summit over about 17 km. Operators' day splits vary — compare them below.
- Day 1Stok villageRoadhead · 3,610 m
- Day 3Stok Kangri Base CampCamp · 4,980 m
- Day 5Stok Kangri SummitSummit · 6,153 m
Why Stok Kangri is graded Very Difficult
- Max altitude 6,153 m — altitude is weighted 35% and non-linearly, because AMS risk climbs steeply above ~3,500 m.
- Total ascent 4,500 m over 8 days — how much climbing your legs actually do.
- Longest day 12 km (about 14 h) — one brutal day makes a trek harder than the average does.
- Trail type: technical — exposure (snow, scree, ice, pass crossings) is weighted 35%, the same as altitude.
Score 97.3/100. Bands: Easy <40 · Moderate <64 · Difficult <85 · Very Difficult ≥85. How the formula works. Easier alternative: Markha Valley.
Best time to do Stok Kangri
July–September are risky (Rain-shadow (Ladakh) — little monsoon; cold + altitude are the limiters). The route is effectively closed in October–June. Expect snow on the trail in October–May. Reanalysis climate data for the route's own altitude puts the coldest camp night at about -32 °C in January, and the warmest daytime high near 3 °C in July.
Rain-shadow (Ladakh) — little monsoon; cold + altitude are the limiters
What the thermometer actually does up there
Computed from 10 years of Open-Meteo ERA5 reanalysis (2016–2025), with every sample point lapse-rate-downscaled to its true altitude — this is High point (6,104 m) at 6,104 m, not the valley town. Temperatures are downscaled to the point; wet and snow days come back at the reanalysis grid scale (~10 km), so read them as weather over the area. A climate estimate, not a forecast.
Stok Kangri trek cost — operators compared
No operator offerings are captured for Stok Kangri yet.
No operator offerings captured yet for this trek.
How to reach Stok Kangri & staying safe
To reach Stok Kangri, the nearest railhead is Tawi (Jammu) — far; fly to Leh and the nearest airport is Leh (Kushok Bakula Rimpochee). The road ends at Stok village, near Leh, which is where the walking starts. Withdraw cash before Leh — it is the last dependable ATM. The last reliable shop is at Leh.
Plan 4 acclimatization days into the itinerary. At its most remote point the route is about 5.9 hours from the nearest drivable road (near Stok Kangri Summit) — a floor for any evacuation, not a promise. The nearest hospital is SNM Hospital, Leh, 15 km from the trailhead. Water: Stream to base camp; none on the summit night — carry/melt.
How far you are from a road
Computed against our own route line and the OpenStreetMap drivable road network over Copernicus GLO-30 elevations: hours = (crowfly_km x 1.4) / 4.0 + max(0, elev_point - elev_road) / 600 [terrain factor 1.4, 4 km/h walking, 600 m/h descent]. It is a floor, not a promise — a real evacuation with a casualty is slower, and a crow-fly line ignores what stands between you and the road. Read it as relative remoteness: which part of this trek commits you. Nearest drivable ways: unnamed track, Ganda La.
Estimated, not measured. Remoteness is computed from our own route geometry against the OpenStreetMap drivable road network (motorway-track) and Copernicus GLO-30 elevations; mobile coverage is a terrain line-of-sight estimate, not a carrier guarantee. Treat both as planning aids.
OSM-mapped masts only, carrier unknown — a mast-in-sight proxy, not a coverage guarantee. Carrier-by-carrier coverage needs a cell-tower dump; no open, no-signup one exists today, so we publish nothing rather than guess.
Stok Kangri permits & restrictions
Permit required: Yes · All Ladakh Tour Operators Assoc. (ALTOA) / Ladakh administration
⚠ CLOSED since 2020: ALTOA imposed a multi-year ban on Stok Kangri for ecological recovery — verify before any planning.
Crowding, and where to go instead
When the interest arrives, relative to this trek's own busiest month (January).
A percentile of trailing-12-month English Wikipedia pageviews for Stok_Kangri (44 months observed)— measured within TrekBaba's own catalogue, bots excluded. It is a proxy for attention, not headcount.
Stok Kangri trek FAQ
How difficult is the Stok Kangri trek?
Stok Kangri is graded Very Difficult (97.3/100) on TrekBaba's normalized scale, which weighs max altitude (6,153 m), total ascent (4,500 m), the longest day (12 km) and terrain exposure identically for every trek. Operators label it "Difficult".
How many days does Stok Kangri take?
8 days is the standard itinerary. The longest walking day is 12 km (~14 h).
What is the maximum altitude of Stok Kangri?
6,153 m (20,187 ft), which TrekBaba rates as severe AMS risk. Plan 4 acclimatization days.
Is a permit required for Stok Kangri?
Yes — issued by All Ladakh Tour Operators Assoc. (ALTOA) / Ladakh administration.
How do I reach the Stok Kangri trailhead?
To reach Stok Kangri, the nearest railhead is Tawi (Jammu) — far; fly to Leh and the nearest airport is Leh (Kushok Bakula Rimpochee). The road ends at Stok village, near Leh, which is where the walking starts. Withdraw cash before Leh — it is the last dependable ATM. The last reliable shop is at Leh.
Is Stok Kangri suitable for beginners?
No. Stok Kangri is graded Very Difficult; TrekBaba recommends prior high-altitude experience.
Treks like Stok Kangri
ModerateLadakh (UT)Markha Valley
Hemis NP, Ladakh
8 days↑ 5,260 mfrom ₹19,499Jun–Sep
DifficultHimachal PradeshPin Parvati Pass
Kullu / Spiti
7 days↑ 5,302 mfrom ₹25,700May–Jun and Sep–Oct
DifficultUttarakhandRoopkund
Trishul massif, Chamoli
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DifficultUttarakhandBali Pass
Govind Pashu Vihar → Yamunotri, Uttarkashi
8 days↑ 4,950 mfrom ₹17,000May–Jun and Sep–Oct
Difficulty grade, peak horizon, per-camp climate, remoteness, sun alignment and the crowding index are all computed — the moats — and every one of them is an estimate, labelled as such where it appears. Found-fact and operator values are public approximations pending field + source verification, not citations.