We make an early start to take the flight to Leh, the capital city of Ladakh. The flight takes us over the Greater Himalaya and makes an exciting landing at one of the highest airports in the world. We can hope to get excellent views of the Zanskar Range as we fly-in and, on a clear day, the great peaks of the Karakoram are visible to the north. We are met at the airport and taken to the hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure. Leh is at an altitude of nearly 3,510m, and you can expect to feel the effects of the rarefied atmosphere. Day 03 Exploring the city of Leh Today you will be on your own to relax and stroll around Leh, to allow the effects of the altitude to wear off. This is an important period, which allows the body to acclimatize. There are plenty of distractions in Leh, varying from scenic and cultural to gastronomic. Alternatively your tour operator can arrange a short tour to visit some of the fantastic monasteries that have existed here since the 11th Century. Day 04 Drive to Henaskut and trek to Kanji Village (3,870m) Instead of driving directly to Kun, we will complete a three day trek to the Kanji La (5,280m), partly for the acclimatization, but also for the opportunity to explore a little of this fascinating region. The drive to Kanji Village is an adventure in itself, firstly along the main highway from Leh to Kashmir, before turning off for the last 10Km through a spectacular gorge. It takes roughly 4 hours to get to Henaskut - which is like driving back into the middle ages. From the road head, the trek to Kanji Village takes 3 hours. This is on rough road, but it's better to walk than to drive. Overnight in camp Day 05 Trek to base of Kanji La (4,355m) From Kanji Village we trek up the floor of the valley, passing fields and seasonal settlements, criss-crossing the river (please carry your sandals) to a grassy camp site at the base of Kanji La (6 - 7 hours). Overnight in camp Day 06 Climb to Kanji La (5,280m) Soon after leaving camp in the morning we break off heading steeply up the valley side to a pass at 4,600m, then up a side valley to the final steep slopes which take us to the pass itself with wonderful views of the mountains of the Zanskar (4 hours from camp). A long descent down barren slopes to Mapollan is quite tough for the ponies (9 hours). Overnight in camp Day 07 End trek at Tashitongde and drive to Golmatangol (3,650m) We overnight at a campsite at Golmatangol. Day 08 Trek to Base Camp (4,350m) It's an easy walk that should take 5 - 6 hours, including a bridge crossing, to reach Kun base camp. Day 09 Preparations at the base camp Day 10 Climb to camp 1 (5,200m) The route to camp 1 is across moraine at the base of the Shafath glacier and takes 5 hours. We'll drop off some gear, before returning to base camp. Day 11 Move to Camp 1 (5,200m) Day 12 - 22: Ascent of Kun We will use two more camps above camp 1. Camp 2 is located at approximately 6,000m and camp 3 is our high camp at 6,300m. The Sherpas will fix around 1,400m of rope on the steeper sections of the climb. The route between camp 1 and camp 2 crosses the glacier, then follows slopes of around 45 degrees on mixed ground. This is the most technical part of the climb, taking 5 - 7 hours and utilizing 1,000m of fixed rope to reach camp 2. From camp 2 to camp 3 we rope up and cross a huge snow plateau, which separates Nun and Kun, to set up camp at the base of the summit ridge. From our high camp at 6,300m, we follow slopes of 35 to 40 degrees onto a saddle on the right-hand skyline ridge (6,500m). From here the ridge is followed to the rounded summit. From the summit, we descend the same way and return to camp 2, before descending to base camp the following day. Day 23 - 25: Return to Leh The return journey can be done in three days. We return to the road head at Golmatangol, then drive back to Leh via an overnight at Mulbekh. Please be aware that travel in Ladakh is unpredictable and not for the faint hearted! Day 26: Fly Leh to Delhi. De-brief at the IMF. Day 27: Transfer to Airport Afternoon flight from Delhi International Airport.

Today you will be on your own to relax and stroll around Leh, to allow the effects of the altitude to wear off. This is an important period, which allows the body to acclimatize. There are plenty of distractions in Leh, varying from scenic and cultural to gastronomic. Alternatively your tour operator can arrange a short tour to visit some of the fantastic monasteries that have existed here since the 11th Century.

Instead of driving directly to Kun, we will complete a three day trek to the Kanji La (5,280m), partly for the acclimatization, but also for the opportunity to explore a little of this fascinating region. The drive to Kanji Village is an adventure in itself, firstly along the main highway from Leh to Kashmir, before turning off for the last 10Km through a spectacular gorge. It takes roughly 4 hours to get to Henaskut - which is like driving back into the middle ages. From the road head, the trek to Kanji Village takes 3 hours. This is on rough road, but it's better to walk than to drive. Overnight in camp

From Kanji Village we trek up the floor of the valley, passing fields and seasonal settlements, criss-crossing the river (please carry your sandals) to a grassy camp site at the base of Kanji La (6 - 7 hours). Overnight in camp

Soon after leaving camp in the morning we break off heading steeply up the valley side to a pass at 4,600m, then up a side valley to the final steep slopes which take us to the pass itself with wonderful views of the mountains of the Zanskar (4 hours from camp). A long descent down barren slopes to Mapollan is quite tough for the ponies (9 hours). Overnight in camp

We overnight at a campsite at Golmatangol.

It's an easy walk that should take 5 - 6 hours, including a bridge crossing, to reach Kun base camp.

Preparations at the base camp

The route to camp 1 is across moraine at the base of the Shafath glacier and takes 5 hours. We'll drop off some gear, before returning to base camp.

Camping

We will use two more camps above camp 1. Camp 2 is located at approximately 6,000m and camp 3 is our high camp at 6,300m. The Sherpas will fix around 1,400m of rope on the steeper sections of the climb. The route between camp 1 and camp 2 crosses the glacier, then follows slopes of around 45 degrees on mixed ground. This is the most technical part of the climb, taking 5 - 7 hours and utilizing 1,000m of fixed rope to reach camp 2. From camp 2 to camp 3 we rope up and cross a huge snow plateau, which separates Nun and Kun, to set up camp at the base of the summit ridge. From our high camp at 6,300m, we follow slopes of 35 to 40 degrees onto a saddle on the right-hand skyline ridge (6,500m). From here the ridge is followed to the rounded summit. From the summit, we descend the same way and return to camp 2, before descending to base camp the following day.

We will use two more camps above camp 1. Camp 2 is located at approximately 6,000m and camp 3 is our high camp at 6,300m. The Sherpas will fix around 1,400m of rope on the steeper sections of the climb. The route between camp 1 and camp 2 crosses the glacier, then follows slopes of around 45 degrees on mixed ground. This is the most technical part of the climb, taking 5 - 7 hours and utilizing 1,000m of fixed rope to reach camp 2. From camp 2 to camp 3 we rope up and cross a huge snow plateau, which separates Nun and Kun, to set up camp at the base of the summit ridge. From our high camp at 6,300m, we follow slopes of 35 to 40 degrees onto a saddle on the right-hand skyline ridge (6,500m). From here the ridge is followed to the rounded summit. From the summit, we descend the same way and return to camp 2, before descending to base camp the following day.

We will use two more camps above camp 1. Camp 2 is located at approximately 6,000m and camp 3 is our high camp at 6,300m. The Sherpas will fix around 1,400m of rope on the steeper sections of the climb. The route between camp 1 and camp 2 crosses the glacier, then follows slopes of around 45 degrees on mixed ground. This is the most technical part of the climb, taking 5 - 7 hours and utilizing 1,000m of fixed rope to reach camp 2. From camp 2 to camp 3 we rope up and cross a huge snow plateau, which separates Nun and Kun, to set up camp at the base of the summit ridge. From our high camp at 6,300m, we follow slopes of 35 to 40 degrees onto a saddle on the right-hand skyline ridge (6,500m). From here the ridge is followed to the rounded summit. From the summit, we descend the same way and return to camp 2, before descending to base camp the following day.

We will use two more camps above camp 1. Camp 2 is located at approximately 6,000m and camp 3 is our high camp at 6,300m. The Sherpas will fix around 1,400m of rope on the steeper sections of the climb. The route between camp 1 and camp 2 crosses the glacier, then follows slopes of around 45 degrees on mixed ground. This is the most technical part of the climb, taking 5 - 7 hours and utilizing 1,000m of fixed rope to reach camp 2. From camp 2 to camp 3 we rope up and cross a huge snow plateau, which separates Nun and Kun, to set up camp at the base of the summit ridge. From our high camp at 6,300m, we follow slopes of 35 to 40 degrees onto a saddle on the right-hand skyline ridge (6,500m). From here the ridge is followed to the rounded summit. From the summit, we descend the same way and return to camp 2, before descending to base camp the following day.

We will use two more camps above camp 1. Camp 2 is located at approximately 6,000m and camp 3 is our high camp at 6,300m. The Sherpas will fix around 1,400m of rope on the steeper sections of the climb. The route between camp 1 and camp 2 crosses the glacier, then follows slopes of around 45 degrees on mixed ground. This is the most technical part of the climb, taking 5 - 7 hours and utilizing 1,000m of fixed rope to reach camp 2. From camp 2 to camp 3 we rope up and cross a huge snow plateau, which separates Nun and Kun, to set up camp at the base of the summit ridge. From our high camp at 6,300m, we follow slopes of 35 to 40 degrees onto a saddle on the right-hand skyline ridge (6,500m). From here the ridge is followed to the rounded summit. From the summit, we descend the same way and return to camp 2, before descending to base camp the following day.

We will use two more camps above camp 1. Camp 2 is located at approximately 6,000m and camp 3 is our high camp at 6,300m. The Sherpas will fix around 1,400m of rope on the steeper sections of the climb. The route between camp 1 and camp 2 crosses the glacier, then follows slopes of around 45 degrees on mixed ground. This is the most technical part of the climb, taking 5 - 7 hours and utilizing 1,000m of fixed rope to reach camp 2. From camp 2 to camp 3 we rope up and cross a huge snow plateau, which separates Nun and Kun, to set up camp at the base of the summit ridge. From our high camp at 6,300m, we follow slopes of 35 to 40 degrees onto a saddle on the right-hand skyline ridge (6,500m). From here the ridge is followed to the rounded summit. From the summit, we descend the same way and return to camp 2, before descending to base camp the following day.

We will use two more camps above camp 1. Camp 2 is located at approximately 6,000m and camp 3 is our high camp at 6,300m. The Sherpas will fix around 1,400m of rope on the steeper sections of the climb. The route between camp 1 and camp 2 crosses the glacier, then follows slopes of around 45 degrees on mixed ground. This is the most technical part of the climb, taking 5 - 7 hours and utilizing 1,000m of fixed rope to reach camp 2. From camp 2 to camp 3 we rope up and cross a huge snow plateau, which separates Nun and Kun, to set up camp at the base of the summit ridge. From our high camp at 6,300m, we follow slopes of 35 to 40 degrees onto a saddle on the right-hand skyline ridge (6,500m). From here the ridge is followed to the rounded summit. From the summit, we descend the same way and return to camp 2, before descending to base camp the following day.

We will use two more camps above camp 1. Camp 2 is located at approximately 6,000m and camp 3 is our high camp at 6,300m. The Sherpas will fix around 1,400m of rope on the steeper sections of the climb. The route between camp 1 and camp 2 crosses the glacier, then follows slopes of around 45 degrees on mixed ground. This is the most technical part of the climb, taking 5 - 7 hours and utilizing 1,000m of fixed rope to reach camp 2. From camp 2 to camp 3 we rope up and cross a huge snow plateau, which separates Nun and Kun, to set up camp at the base of the summit ridge. From our high camp at 6,300m, we follow slopes of 35 to 40 degrees onto a saddle on the right-hand skyline ridge (6,500m). From here the ridge is followed to the rounded summit. From the summit, we descend the same way and return to camp 2, before descending to base camp the following day.

We will use two more camps above camp 1. Camp 2 is located at approximately 6,000m and camp 3 is our high camp at 6,300m. The Sherpas will fix around 1,400m of rope on the steeper sections of the climb. The route between camp 1 and camp 2 crosses the glacier, then follows slopes of around 45 degrees on mixed ground. This is the most technical part of the climb, taking 5 - 7 hours and utilizing 1,000m of fixed rope to reach camp 2. From camp 2 to camp 3 we rope up and cross a huge snow plateau, which separates Nun and Kun, to set up camp at the base of the summit ridge. From our high camp at 6,300m, we follow slopes of 35 to 40 degrees onto a saddle on the right-hand skyline ridge (6,500m). From here the ridge is followed to the rounded summit. From the summit, we descend the same way and return to camp 2, before descending to base camp the following day.

We will use two more camps above camp 1. Camp 2 is located at approximately 6,000m and camp 3 is our high camp at 6,300m. The Sherpas will fix around 1,400m of rope on the steeper sections of the climb. The route between camp 1 and camp 2 crosses the glacier, then follows slopes of around 45 degrees on mixed ground. This is the most technical part of the climb, taking 5 - 7 hours and utilizing 1,000m of fixed rope to reach camp 2. From camp 2 to camp 3 we rope up and cross a huge snow plateau, which separates Nun and Kun, to set up camp at the base of the summit ridge. From our high camp at 6,300m, we follow slopes of 35 to 40 degrees onto a saddle on the right-hand skyline ridge (6,500m). From here the ridge is followed to the rounded summit. From the summit, we descend the same way and return to camp 2, before descending to base camp the following day.

We will use two more camps above camp 1. Camp 2 is located at approximately 6,000m and camp 3 is our high camp at 6,300m. The Sherpas will fix around 1,400m of rope on the steeper sections of the climb. The route between camp 1 and camp 2 crosses the glacier, then follows slopes of around 45 degrees on mixed ground. This is the most technical part of the climb, taking 5 - 7 hours and utilizing 1,000m of fixed rope to reach camp 2. From camp 2 to camp 3 we rope up and cross a huge snow plateau, which separates Nun and Kun, to set up camp at the base of the summit ridge. From our high camp at 6,300m, we follow slopes of 35 to 40 degrees onto a saddle on the right-hand skyline ridge (6,500m). From here the ridge is followed to the rounded summit. From the summit, we descend the same way and return to camp 2, before descending to base camp the following day.

The return journey can be done in three days. We return to the road head at Golmatangol, then drive back to Leh via an overnight at Mulbekh. Please be aware that travel in Ladakh is unpredictable and not for the faint hearted!

The return journey can be done in three days. We return to the road head at Golmatangol, then drive back to Leh via an overnight at Mulbekh. Please be aware that travel in Ladakh is unpredictable and not for the faint hearted!

The return journey can be done in three days. We return to the road head at Golmatangol, then drive back to Leh via an overnight at Mulbekh. Please be aware that travel in Ladakh is unpredictable and not for the faint hearted!

De-brief at the IMF.

Afternoon flight from Delhi International Airport.