LEH: Students enrolled in the High Altitude Trekking Guide programme at Eliezer Joldan Memorial College (EJM), Leh, have completed a three-day training expedition from Rumbak Sumdo to Stok, culminating in the crossing of the 4,900-metre Stok La Pass on September 15.
The expedition was designed as a field-based component of the guide training programme, giving students practical experience of navigating demanding Himalayan terrain and managing the challenges associated with high-altitude trekking.
The trainees were accompanied by their college instructor, two senior guides from the Ladakh Mountain Guides Association (LMGA) and a support team comprising a head cook, three assistants and pony handlers.
The three-day expedition took the group through varied terrain and settlements in the Rumbak-Stok region. On the first day, the trainees made a detour to Yurutsey village, where they visited a family-run homestay, before proceeding through Rumbak village, widely associated with the region’s snow leopard habitat.
The first camp was established at the Stok La Base in Rumbak at about 4,300 metres, while the group spent its second night camping at Changma at around 4,200 metres.
For the trainees, the trek served as a practical extension of classroom instruction, requiring them to apply their knowledge in an actual high-altitude environment.
During the expedition, students received hands-on exposure to route navigation, recognition and management of altitude sickness, response to wilderness emergencies, communication with clients and team members, group management and support for trekkers.
The training also covered environmental responsibility, with students being introduced to practices aimed at promoting sustainable trekking and minimising the ecological impact of high-altitude expeditions.
Organisers said the field exercise was intended not only to strengthen technical trekking abilities but also to develop teamwork, resilience and decision-making skills required of professional mountain guides.
The successful crossing of Stok La marked the culmination of the three-day exercise and provided the trainees with practical exposure to conditions they are likely to encounter while leading future high-altitude trekking groups.
