Kang Yatze or Kang Yatse (elevation ) is a mountain located at the end of the Markha valley in the Himalayas in the

Ladakh Ladakh () is a region administered by India as a union territory which constitutes a part of the larger Kashmir region and has been the subject of dispute between India, Pakistan, and China since 1947. (subscription required) Quote: "Jammu and ...

region of northwest

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. It is located in the

Hemis National Park Hemis National Park is a high-elevation national park in Ladakh, India. Globally famous for its snow leopards, it is believed to have the highest density of them in any protected area in the world. It is the only national park in India that is n ...

Location

The mountain has two main summits, the lower western peak (Kang Yatze II) is easier (Alpine PD) and more frequently climbed, although lower at about 6270m. The higher eastern peak is the true summit (Kang Yatze I) although less frequently climbed as it is across a technically difficult knife-edge traverse. An alternative is to climb the North East ridge then directly up the steep snow face (Alpine AD+/D-). Approach Route - 6270 meter peak is mainly done from mid-June till September end. There are two approach routes to this peak. One is from Chilling and trekking through the Markha Valley, passing by the villages of

Skiu Skiu (also Sku and Skyu) and Kaya (elev. 3500 m) are adjacent villages in the Markha River valley in Ladakh, India. The villages contain 9 and 12 households, respectively; the boundary between the villages is not clearly defined.Himalayan Hom ...

, Markha and Hankar. Another approach starts from the village of Shang Sumdo and steeply climbs up the Markha Gorge passing by the campsite of Chyuskirmo, Lartsa and then climbing the

Gongmaru La Hemis National Park is a high-elevation national park in Ladakh, India. Globally famous for its snow leopards, it is believed to have the highest density of them in any protected area in the world. It is the only national park in India that is n ...

, a 5130 meter high pass to reach Nimaling. This route climbs up very fast and one needs to rest in Nimaling to acclimatize better before trekking to the base camp at 5000 meters. Climbing Kang Yatse Peak 2 (elevation ) is easier compared to the main peak and does not require any technical mountaineering skills. The climbing team usually starts the summit attempt between 12 AM to 2 AM and it takes about 6 – 8 hours to reach the summit. The route climbs on scree zone before climbing up on steep snow slope. Early in the season in June and July can have snow from the base camp itself making the climb more slow and difficult. From the top distant peaks of East Karakoram are visible on a clear day. Climbing Kang Yatse 1 requires an intermediate Camp to be set up. The climb to Camp 1 is a short one but over a steep scree zone. There is an alternative route following the Glacier where Camp 1 can be set up too. From Camp 1, the climb gets technical. The last 500 meters of the peak is very steep and requires fixed ropes.

Gallery

Image:Kang Yatze from Kongmaru La.JPG, Kang Yatze from Kongmaru La

References

Mountains of Ladakh Geography of Ladakh Six-thousanders of the Himalayas {{Ladakh-geo-stub