<\/span><\/h3>\nWe walked ahead on the shadowy trail under the fragile light, making our way through the loose rocky patch at every step. It was getting tiring since each step had to be put forth with care & utmost attention. Such a paradigm was draining a lot of energy out of us. We stopped at regular intervals to catch our breath; for elevation wasn\u2019t the only hurdle. The temperature was down to -5 degrees Celsius & breathing was not as easy.<\/p>\n
Hustling down the flat trail towards the glacier, we were at the mouth of the glacial ice patch that had to be crossed cautiously to reach the foothill of the long steep climb up the hill. I had never walked on glacial ice before & no idea how to go by it.<\/p>\n
While we halted at the mouth of the glacier, Sandeep instructed us about the do\u2019s and don\u2019ts in that zone to avoid any pitfalls. As per him, each one of us had to be attentive at all times & walk carefully. There were crevasses on the ice big enough to swallow a couple of us & no one would know.<\/p>\n
I wish I had some pictures from the point to share. But, unfortunately, I didn\u2019t have the strength to grab my camera & click. I was freezing cold & barely breathing fine. I kept removing my muffler from my mouth to breathe in the damp glacial air & would close back since it was freezing out there. We were at 17,600 ft. It was tough to breathe & soon, walk straight.<\/p>\n
<\/span>Stok Glacier<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\nWe initiated our walk down the glacier. It was flat with some bumps scattered across, but we were on the glacial moraine now. We walked on the true right of the glacier. Crampons were not really required since the gradient is quite low on glacial ice, but utmost care is to be given at every step.<\/p>\n
Sandeep walked right in front of the group with the assistant trek lead & other staff walked along with us. It\u2019s approximately 600 meters walk through the slippery glass road to reach the foot of the Southeast face of Mt. Stok Kangri.<\/p>\n
As we walked on, our vision was limited to the illumination of our headlamps. The ice underneath was crisp but hard. I could hear the creaking sound as I put down each step on the brittle tarmac.<\/p>\n
While walking on glacial ice, one must be varied of Verglas \u2013 a thin slippery layer of ice. It is often not visible & in those conditions, it was impossible to make out if you hit one. We may have overlooked such patches as we moved on but fortunately, no one lost grip & fell. We were past the icy patch in about 45 minutes from start. With a tiny gain in altitude, we were standing at a little under 18,000 ft.<\/p>\n
<\/span>The Thrill<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\nWalking on the glacial debris wasn\u2019t the most pleasant experience but it was thrilling to the core. I could tell, we were scared at first but as we went on taking each step forward, we enjoyed the ecstasy of that space. At moments, I would look on the side & there would be a wide crevasse aching to swallow me down. I would be terrified but the motivation in such an opportunity was enough to keep me going. It was like walking on the most fragile path but with a smile on my face. Nothing was a miracle, all dealt with on ground zero.<\/p>\n
I noticed the entire group made it the foot of the southeast face but wasn\u2019t in the best of its shape. While some struggled with frostbites, a few found it hard to breathe.<\/p>\n
I too had difficulty withstanding the brutal conditions but somehow stood my ground. We spent 15-20 minutes at the bottom of the face while everyone came back to their right senses & were ready to head uphill.<\/p>\n