Kang Yatse 2 Peak Expedition Itinerary — Day by Day Route & Camps

The team holds position within the alpine meadow basin, monitoring weather patterns and adapting to the thinning atmosphere.

The environment remains within the dense, high-altitude settlement of Leh. The monastery sits on a ridge above the dense settlement of Leh, overlooking the Indus Valley.

The drive follows deep, arid river gorges. Crossing the Zanskar river leaves the vehicle road behind, transitioning into the narrow, rocky Markha Valley with sparse vegetation.

Crossing the high-altitude pass bridges two distinct watershed systems, shifting the expedition over the glaciated divide and down into a new river basin.

The narrow rock canyon of the lower Markha Valley opens up significantly. Dense valley vegetation gives way to alpine meadows, revealing the first distant views of the Kang Yatse massif.

All remaining tree cover disappears, replaced entirely by a vast, rolling alpine plateau. The alpine plateau terminates beneath the steep slopes of the Kang Yatse massif.

Vegetation gives way to barren glacial debris as the route enters the expansive moraine basin and ablation zone of the glaciated upper watershed.

The expedition remains stationed within the high-altitude ablation zone, adjusting to the stark environment where exposed scree and ice dominate the glaciated upper watershed.

The final ascent leaves the upper glacial basin for the exposed summit ridges, offering panoramic views across the watershed divide before descending back to the icefields.

The glaciated peak environment transitions back to barren rock and scree during the pass crossing. The descent through the narrow Shang gorge reintroduces vehicle roads, eventually returning to the urban environment of Leh.

The motorable road navigates deeper into the mountain river corridor, where the landscape transitions from lower foothills into the steep, dense forested valleys.