We climbed Stok Kangri at the end of July / start of August, and temperatures were not as low as many were expecting. Down Jackets were certainly not needed, and although temperatures dipped in the evenings, a couple of layers were generally sufficient. Almost all our group had climbed Kilimanjaro previously, and the general consensus was that it was a far tougher climb than Kili, despite the marginal increase in height. I suspect this is largely down to the large elevation gain in the first few days of the trek (3000m to 5300m within 2 1/2 days), when around half the group started to feel some effects of altitude (I would recommend taking some Diamox along, just in case). The ice axe / crampon work is non technical, and half and hour of practice the day before the summit was sufficient experience for what was required, although more experience never does any harm. The summit day is quite a long slog, although not technical in any way, requires a bit of motivation just to keep on grinding it out. The ridge can be relatively hazardous, not so much for the steep sides, but more just the rocky terrain, which involves a bit of scrambling, and in the course of a long, tiring, day can (and did) lead to a few slips and trips, with high potential for twisted ankles, grazed shins etc. We were roped together for the ridge part of the climb, but the general consensus was the rope made it more hazardous, as the risk of falling down the side seemed unlikely, but holding on to the rope made the scrambling harder, as it used up a hand that would have been useful to assist with grip when scrambling over the rocky outcrops. Overall, the climb is nothing to be concerned about, but you just need to maintain the concentration and motivation for a long day.
from 19 reviews.
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