Stok Kangri to Close Down Until 2025!

Attracting trekkers ever since, Stok Kangri, the highest peak of the Stok range in Ladakh which has remained as the most magnetic peak in the Himalayan Range is now closing doors for tourists most likely until the year 2025. 

Prime Attraction

Driving adventure seekers to greater heights, the 6153-meter peak is often climbed as an initial non-technical foray into high altitude mountaineering. It requires minimal trekking and technical skills, thus drawing a myriad of tourists from the world. The gazing landscapes, valleys and handsome peaks at Stok are worth gawking at. 

Purpose of Closure 

Looking at the other side of the coin, the easy achievability of the trek led to a degradation of ecology and surroundings of the village in proximity to Stok Kangri. Irresponsibility and ignorance of tourists led to massive degeneration, thus bringing down the beauty and bounty of Stok Kangri. 

Trekking groups contaminated the water supply at the base camp, further infuriating local authorities. To rectify problems of garbage dumps, Stok Kangri is taking a break from hosting trekkers to restore sustainable waste disposal and irrigation water supply. 

Resuming Operations

There is a large uncertainty for the trek to resume operations anytime soon. The village authorities near the Stok Kangri Basecamp are closing down the region starting 2020 and have given a five-year estimation for the recovery of the camp. 

To restart trekking and touring, an executive team headed by the President – Altoa met with Stok members to discuss their issues and plans for Stok Kangri. 

"We have proposed them to close it for a year and then operate for 2 years. They will update us on this later," said the President. Thus suggesting that the reopening dates of Stok Kangri still remain uncertain."

Do you think this is a feasible decision to close down this massive tourist attraction? Let us know in the comments below!