Majestic Ladakh

Mt Kun Expedition 7,077m

Main Activity : Trekking and Mountaineering

Highlights

Conquer the peak of Mount Kun (7077m).
Rich Panoramic views of the Karakoram ranges throughout the trek.
Magnificent panoramic view of the Suru valley, the eastern Karakoram range, and the Nanga Parbat from the top of the peak.
Picturesque lush pasture lands of Zankar and Suru valley
Experience the wilderness of Ladakh
Rope climb on the steep ascent of Mt. Kun.

Overview

The Mount Kun 7077m expedition is a challenging climbing expedition that aims to summit one of the highest peaks in the Ladakh region of the Indian Himalayas. The climb involves navigating through difficult terrain, dealing with extreme weather conditions, and facing physical and mental challenges along the way. The ultimate goal is to reach the summit of Mount Kun 7077m and experience the breathtaking views of the surrounding peaks. It is an adventure that requires a high level of preparation and determination but offers a sense of accomplishment that will last a lifetime.

What to Expect

Mt. Kun and Mt Nun are the two peaks which dominate the Skylines in the upper Suru valley. These are amongst the highest mountains in the Zanskar ranges in Ladakh. The Two Mountains are separated by a snowy plateau of about 4 Km in Length.

At an elevation of 7077 M, Mt Kun watches over the entire Zanskar valley. Our aim is to climb this mountain which was 1st climbed in 1913.

You will face great physical and technical challenges due to the altitude, terrain and cold temp during your climb to the second-highest peak of the Zanskar Valley. On an Expedition of this Peak, you will face a dwelling task which will test your true grit. During your journey, you will have to cross Intensive glacial formations, icefall slopes, thoroughly crevassed surfaces, knife-edge cliffs, and vertical ice walls, and have to face unpredictable weather conditions.

Before the expedition starts the climbers would get their permits to climb the summit of Kun along with a briefing and debriefing session of the expedition from the Indian Mountaineering Foundation, Delhi.

From Delhi, you will fly to Leh, you will spend two days in Leh town to get acclimatized to the high altitude. During the acclimatization days, you can go for short walks and explore Leh town.

Kun is a stunning mountain with steep walls of snow and ice and typical high altitude, alpine conditions. Kun is the second-highest peak in between the Zanskar and Kargil regions of Ladakh in the Indian Himalayas. We will acclimatise on the easier UT Peak (6070m). This is your opportunity to summit two majestic Himalayan mountains.

Day Wise Itinerary

Included

Excluded

Activities

Essential Info

Related
Destinations

All Destinations

Changthang Valley

Ladakh

Markha Valley

Zanskar Valley

Photo Gallery

Arrive at Delhi and attend briefing at IMF

We will greet you at Delhi international airport and drive you to your hotel. From your hotel, we will go to the IMF where we will get our climbing permit and meet our Liaison Officer. We can also visit the mountaineering museum in the same building.
Overnight stay in hotel.

Fly from Delhi to Leh (3,500m / 11,483ft), the capital of Ladakh

Your early morning 75-minute flight to Leh over the Himalayas will be one of the most picturesque flights you’ll ever experience. On the Northern horizon you will see K2 (8,611m / 28,251ft), the world's second highest peak, and other 8000m peaks of the Karakoram Range. If you sit on the plane's left side, you will see Nun (7,135m / 23,409ft) and Kun (7,077m / 23,219ft), the two highest mountains in Ladakh.
We will greet you at Leh airport and drive you to your hotel or homestay. The rest of the day depends on your jet lag and acclimatization to Leh’s high altitude.
Overnight stay in hotel.

Acclimatisation and guided tour to Hemis Monastery and Thiksey Monastery

Ladakh is the only place besides Tibet where almost all the major sects of Tibetan Buddhism still exist. You will see architecture and a lifestyle similar to Central Tibetan traditions and visit Hemis Monastery and Thiksey Monastery.
Hemis Monastery, belonging to the Drukpa Kagyu sect, is the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Ladakh. It was first built in the 11th century. Stories of Kalachakra and the Lords of the Four Quarters are etched on the walls of its ancient corridors. There are golden statues, precious stones and a library with Tibetan books, relics and manuscripts.
The Hemis Festival is a dazzling celebration of the birth of the Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava). The Cham Dance (masked dance by the monks) should not be missed at Hemis Monastery.
Thiksey Monastery, belonging to the Gelugpa sect, is 12 stories high. It has 10 temples, showcases stunning Ladakhi architecture, a 15m high statue of Maitreya (future Buddha), fierce paintings and statues of deities and other Tibetan Buddhism artifacts.
Overnight stay at your hotel

Drive to Rumtse (2-3 hrs) (4240m), trek to Rumtse Phu (2-3 hrs) (4750m):

Start in the morning for Rumtse Phu, which is driven by the banks of the Kyamar river.
Cross some of the ancient monasteries like Thiksey and Stakna which is built aside of the Indus river
Enjoy the less-explored pastureland of Rumtse Phu.
Get the chance to meet some of the wild animals like Yak and Shepherds who takes their animals for grazing.
Enjoy the trek to Rumtse Phu with a mesmerising landscape view throughout the trek.
Overnight stay at camp in Rumtse Phu

Rumtse Phu to Base camp (5300m):

Trek to base camp which is an ascent trek
Enjoy the views of unclimbed peaks and green pastureland
Post Lunch, practise types of rope knots, rope packing and warm-ups
Base camp acclimatisation walk in the evening
Overnight stay at camp in Base camp

Introduction to mountaineering types of equipment and practice:

You will be introduced to mountaineering equipment and its applications.
Climb ascent to low height mountains with certified expedition leader
Practise various climbing techniques Rappelling and Jumaring, self-rescue techniques, etc
Overnight stay at camp in Base camp

Summit push to UT Kangri (6100m):

Early morning summit push towards UT Kangri
During the climb, you will find the terrain changing to loose scree and moraine.
Depending on the condition of the weather and the distance we have covered during the early morning trek, we will reach the summit of the U.T Kangri post morning. It will take us about 8-9 hours to make a complete round trip to the summit.
After a tedious climb to the summit and back, you will spend the rest of the day resting in the base camp.
Overnight stay at camp in Base camp

Base camp to Rumtse Phu and back to Leh:

The local team will pick you up from the Rumtse Phu, and drive to Hemis Monastery
At times the road to Hemis gets blocked, in these situations, you will take a short hike to Hemis on the jeep track. The Hemis monastery is the largest and richest monastery in Ladakh.
The Monastery was built in the 17th century and is located in the Indus Valley
It boasts of a spectacular copper statue of Buddha and beautiful paintings, Stupas, articles, and amazing Thangkas depicting various aspects of Buddhist culture
In the month of June - July you can experience the Hemis festival, a riot of colors and fiesta. During the festival, you can enjoy the Chham Dance or the Mask Dance of Ladakh
After spending some time in Hemis Monastery, start your return journey to Leh which will take about an hour.
Overnight at a hotel in Leh.

Drive from Leh to Alchi Monastery, Lamayuru Monastery and Kargil (2,676m / 8,780ft)

Much of our time will be spent driving to Kargil today. At Lamayuru, we will encounter landscape which has been compared to the moon’s surface. If time allows, we will visit Alchi Monastery and Lamayuru Monastery on the way to Kargil.
Located on the South bank of the Indus River, Alchi Monastery is said to be built between 958 AD and 1055 AD. Alchi Monastery belongs to the Gelugpa sect and contains some of the oldest surviving paintings of Buddhism and Hindu Kings. It also contains huge statues of the Buddha and elaborate wood carvings and artwork.
Lamayuru Monastery (belonging to the Drikung Kagyu sect) is one of the largest and oldest monasteries in Ladakh, dating back to the 10th century. Approximately 150 monks reside at the monastery. The monastery houses a rich collection of artifacts, wall paintings, statues and carpets.
Overnight stay at hotel in Kargil.

Drive from Kargil to Shafat Valley (a.k.a. Golmatangus, 3,700m / 12,139ft)

From Kargil, we will drive along the Suru River through a valley, taking breaks in small villages. Today, we will see Kun and Nun for the first time. We will camp in a large meadow next to Suru River in the Shafat Valley.
Overnight stay in tents.

Trek to Base Camp (4,650m / 15,256ft, 6 hours)

We will cross a bridge over Suru River and ascend through meadows covered in Edelweiss flowers. We will cross the glacial moraines to reach Kun Base Camp.
Overnight camping

Rest and sort gear at Base Camp

We will prepare the equipment, gear and food for the climb.
Overnight camping

Day 13 – 22: climbing days (including rest days and days for contingencies)

Base camp (4,650m / 15,256ft) to Camp 1 (5,340m / 17,520ft, 4-5 hours ascent, 2 hours decent)
The route crosses small rivers in moraine terrain. After setting up a gear stash in this area we will continue to ascend and negotiate several small crevasses.
Camp 1 (5,340m / 17,520ft) to Camp 2 (6,120m / 20,079ft, 8 hours ascent)
The route involves ascending 800m on 30-35 and 40-45 degree steep snow slopes using fixed lines. A snow plateau between Nun and Kun is where Camp 2 is situated. Climbers look directly at the rock and ice face of Kun here.
Camp 2 (6,120m / 20,079ft) to Camp 3 (6,330m / 20,768ft, 3-4 hours ascent)
The route involves crossing the snowy plateau between Nun and Kun. We will rest in Camp 3 before climbing to the summit with an alpine start.
Summit day (7,077m / 23,219ft, ascend and descend in 12-15 hours)
The route involves ascending a ridge and a 30-35 degree steep snow slope using fixed lines. The summit view is undoubtedly spectacular. After summiting, we will descend as far as we can go to the lower camps – e.g. Camp 3. The next day, we will descend to Kun Base Camp.