EXPEDITIONS
STOK KANGRI EXPEDITION
Aidan Williams (Year 12)
W e withdrew from the comparative warmth of our tents just prior to midnight, and with many layers of clothes donned, ice axes in hand and crampons under foot, 17 puffy down jackets and four sherpas began traversing upwards on what was to be an almost 12 hour climb. Although we couldn’t see beyond the small circle of snow illuminated by our head torches, we could feel the mountain looming over us. With legs burning and hands freezing, I pushed on as the wind picked up. One hour into the climb it began to snow. As we made it over the first ridge, it became a flurry, and by the time we got to a long, cross-ridge pass, we were assaulted by a minor blizzard. With a steep drop on one side and footing becoming increasingly unstable, we had to focus intensely in order not to slip. We reached Advanced Base Camp, a small collection of stones and prayer flags, by three o’clock in the morning and our Lead Sherpa and British Guide decided to take a rain check on whether it was wise to continue in conditions that were fast becoming more and more dangerous. Two other climbing groups trekked past, retreating down the mountain with news that the blizzard was stronger further up. Distraught, but understanding, we turned around. Although we only got to approximately 5,600m of the ‘6,153m’ that’s permanently and rather tragically sewn onto all of our kit, I discerned on our return to Dulwich that this expedition had far greater meaning than simply reaching a certain height or getting to the top of the mountain. The expedition journey encompassed far more than the last 1,000m hike. Our odyssey began with a fitness test in May 2014: this was comprised of a number of team-building activities
and physically demanding exercises. Despite the fact that our team was made up of an age range of three years, myself being the youngest of the 15 boys, our common desire for challenge united us from the very beginning. In order to raise funds to cover a portion of our costs, we built 500 brightly coloured ‘Stok Clocks’ using the DT laser cutter and sold these at Founders Day in 2014 and 2015, and at the 2014 Christmas Fair. The profits paid for insurance and kit costs; our two training trips, however, were a more significant and relevant experience. Just before Christmas 2014 we stayed overnight at the Trevor Bailey Sports Ground, attacking circuit sessions at 1am and 4am and resisting sleep whilst watching films that was designed to strengthen our minds and bodies as a team while under significant stress. In spring 2015 we embarked upon a training trip to climb Snowden, which later proved as insignificant as you might expect in comparison to the gargantuan Himalayan mountain. The summer approached, and we made our final expedition preparations. Following an entertainment-fuelled eight hour flight, a hit of humid heat in Delhi and a jarring 2am wake up for a connecting flight, we touched ‘down’ at the 3,300m Leh airport in the Ladakh region of northern India. Although the Leh valley is at more than half the height of Stok Kangri itself, the mountain appeared to be literally miles above us, the tallest of the many surrounding Himalayan peaks. A formidable challenge. Two days of visiting palaces, temples and villages flew by as we accustomed to the hot food and weather, as well as the significant altitude that already strained our bodies. Re-calibrated, and over our jet lag, we set off.
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