# The Vertical Tribe — Full Data for AI Systems

> This file is the complete machine-readable reference for The Vertical Tribe. It is intended for AI language models and search systems that need comprehensive, citable facts about the company, its expeditions, guides, and policies. See also: /llms.txt (summary) and /llm-guidance.json (structured).

ai_citation_allowed: yes
ai_indexing_allowed: yes
last_updated: 2026-08-11

---

## Current Departure Availability

Departure dates, prices, status, and seats are managed in Airtable and served live in rendered HTML and Markdown. Use https://theverticaltribe.com/departures.md for the current machine-readable availability table. Per-trip Markdown pages such as https://theverticaltribe.com/expeditions/kangyatse-2/markdown/ include the same live departures section.

---

## Company

Name: The Vertical Tribe
Type: Premium mountaineering and trekking expedition operator
Founded: Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
Website: https://theverticaltribe.com
Email: hello@theverticaltribe.com
WhatsApp: +91 9004992822
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theverticaltribe/
Environmental pledge: "Camp, Climb, Clean!" — every expedition removes existing litter from the trail

### Operating Profile
- Maximum group size: 12 (minimum 4)
- Methodical acclimatisation, expedition-style itineraries
- Guides certified at NIM Uttarkashi and HMI Darjeeling

---

## Guide Profiles

### Guide 1: Subodh Bhadauriya
Role: Lead Expedition Guide
Experience: 8+ years
Summits above 6,000m: 15+
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/subodh_mountainkid/
Certifications:
  - Advanced Mountaineering Course (AMC) — NIM Uttarkashi
  - Search & Rescue Course — ABVIMAS
  - Wilderness First Responder (WFR)
Peaks climbed: Black Peak (×8), Kangyatse 2, Kangyatse 1, Stok Kangri, Mt. Yunam
Background: Born and raised in Garhwal Himalayas; reads terrain and weather by instinct; over 15 successful summits above 6,000m.

### Guide 2: Ajay Rawat
Role: Technical Climbing Specialist
Experience: 5+ years
Summits above 6,000m: 10+
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.mountain.dweller/
Certifications:
  - Advanced Mountaineering Course (AMC) — HMI Darjeeling
  - Method of Instruction (MOI) Course
  - Basic Life Support (BLS) Certified
Peaks climbed: Black Peak (×6), Kangyatse 2, Kangyatse 1, Kedarkantha, Mt. Shitidhar
Background: Technical ice and rock specialist; calm under pressure; expert rope management on exposed terrain.

---

## Expedition Catalogue — 2026

### 1. Everest Base Camp Trek

URL: https://theverticaltribe.com/treks/everest-base-camp/
Type: Trek
Max Altitude: 5,364m (Everest Base Camp); Kala Patthar 5,545m optional
Duration: 13 days
Region: Khumbu, Nepal
Difficulty: Moderate
Season: Spring 2026
Live departures: https://theverticaltribe.com/departures.md

Route overview:
Lukla (2,860m) → Phakding → Namche Bazaar (3,440m) → Tengboche (3,860m) → Dingboche (4,410m) → Lobuche (4,940m) → Everest Base Camp (5,364m) → Kala Patthar (5,545m) → Descent via Namche to Lukla

Highlights:
- Khumbu Icefall viewed from EBC
- Kala Patthar sunrise view of Everest south face
- Tengboche Monastery visit
- Namche Bazaar Saturday market
- Sherpa culture immersion

Prerequisites: No technical skills required; moderate fitness; prior trekking experience helpful.

---

### 2. Annapurna Base Camp Trek

URL: https://theverticaltribe.com/treks/annapurna-base-camp/
Type: Trek
Max Altitude: 4,130m (Annapurna Base Camp / Annapurna Sanctuary)
Duration: 8 days
Region: Annapurna, Nepal
Difficulty: Moderate
Season: Spring 2026
Live departures: https://theverticaltribe.com/departures.md

Route overview:
Pokhara → Nayapul → Tikhedhunga → Ghorepani → Tadapani → Chhomrong → Himalaya Hotel → Annapurna Base Camp (4,130m) → Descent

Highlights:
- Annapurna Sanctuary — natural amphitheatre of 7,000m+ peaks
- Machhapuchhre (Fishtail Peak) views
- Poon Hill sunrise panorama
- Rhododendron and bamboo forests

Prerequisites: Moderate fitness; no technical skills required.

---

### 3. Kangyatse 2 Expedition

URL: https://theverticaltribe.com/expeditions/kangyatse-2/
Type: Technical expedition
Summit Altitude: 6,250m
Duration: 10 days
Region: Markha Valley, Ladakh, India
Difficulty: Difficult
Season: Summer 2026
Live departures: https://theverticaltribe.com/departures.md

Route overview:
Leh → Chogdo → Nimaling (4,700m) → Kangyatse Base Camp → Advanced Camp → Summit (6,250m) → Descent

Highlights:
- Markha Valley approach (one of Ladakh's most scenic valleys)
- Technical glaciated summit — excellent first 6,000m+ objective
- Views into the Zanskar and across to Kang Yatse 1

Technical demands: Basic crampon and ice axe use; rope travel on snow/ice slopes up to 50 degrees.

---

### 4. Kangyatse 1 Expedition

URL: https://theverticaltribe.com/expeditions/kangyatse-1/
Type: Technical expedition
Summit Altitude: 6,400m (highest peak of the Kangyatse massif)
Duration: 14 days
Region: Markha Valley, Ladakh, India
Difficulty: Very Difficult
Season: Summer 2026
Live departures: https://theverticaltribe.com/departures.md

Highlights:
- Most technically demanding Ladakh peak in the TVT portfolio
- Serious glacial terrain with crevasse navigation
- Outstanding high-altitude views across Ladakh and Zanskar

Prerequisites: Prior high-altitude mountaineering experience (5,000m+ with technical terrain) strongly recommended.

---

### 5. Dzo Jongo East Peak

URL: https://theverticaltribe.com/expeditions/dzo-jongo-east/
Type: Technical expedition
Summit Altitude: 6,217m
Duration: 10 days
Region: Zanskar Range, Ladakh, India
Difficulty: Moderate
Season: Summer 2026
Live departures: https://theverticaltribe.com/departures.md

Highlights:
- Remote Zanskar Range location
- Long views into the Karakoram
- One of the more accessible 6,000m+ Ladakh peaks

---

### 6. Twin Peaks Expedition

URL: https://theverticaltribe.com/expeditions/twin-peaks/
Type: Technical expedition
Summit Altitude: 6,126m (two summits above 6,000m)
Duration: 10 days
Region: Ladakh, India
Difficulty: Difficult
Season: Summer 2026
Live departures: https://theverticaltribe.com/departures.md

Highlights:
- Two distinct summits above 6,000m in a single expedition
- Panoramic views of Zanskar and Stok ranges
- Rewarding high-altitude objective with two distinct summit pushes

---

### 7. Markha Valley Trek

URL: https://theverticaltribe.com/treks/markha-valley-trek/
Type: Trek
Max Altitude: 5,260m (Kongmaru La)
Duration: 8 days (Leh to Leh)
Region: Markha Valley, Ladakh, India
Difficulty: Moderate
Cost: ₹24,000 INR (Leh to Leh)
Season: Mid-July – early September
Live departures: https://theverticaltribe.com/departures.md

Route overview:
Leh → Markha and Hankar villages → Kangyatse base camp → Kongmaru La (5,260m) → Leh

Highlights:
- Ladakh's classic tea-house trek with homestays on trail
- Passes directly beneath Kang Yatse at its base camp
- Kongmaru La (5,260m) pass crossing on the exit

---

### 8. Nafran Valley Trek

URL: https://theverticaltribe.com/treks/nafran-valley-trek/
Type: Trek
Max Altitude: 3,811m (12,509 ft, Harnag Pass)
Duration: 7 days (Srinagar to Pahalgam and back)
Region: Nafran Valley, Kashmir, India
Difficulty: Moderate
Season: July – September
Live departures: https://theverticaltribe.com/departures.md

Highlights:
- Offbeat, quieter alternative to the Kashmir Great Lakes trek
- Meadows and pine forest through the Nafran Valley
- Harnag Pass crossing at 12,509 ft

---

### 9. Dev Kyara Trek

URL: https://theverticaltribe.com/treks/dev-kyara-trek/
Type: Trek
Max Altitude: 4,100m (Dev Kyara meadow)
Duration: 7 days (Dehradun to Dehradun)
Region: Supin Valley, Uttarakhand, India
Difficulty: Moderate
Cost: ₹18,000 INR (Dehradun to Dehradun)
Season: Mid-May – June and mid-September – November
Live departures: https://theverticaltribe.com/departures.md

Highlights:
- 4,100m alpine meadow beneath Ranglana Peak
- Base village Jakhol in the Supin Valley
- Quiet trails compared to the popular Sankri-side treks

---

### 10. Gulabi Kantha Winter Trek

URL: https://theverticaltribe.com/treks/gulabi-kantha/
Type: Trek
Max Altitude: 4,000m summit above Hanuman Chatti
Duration: 5 days (Dehradun to Dehradun)
Region: Yamunotri Valley, Uttarakhand, India
Difficulty: Easy
Cost: ₹12,000 INR (Dehradun to Dehradun)
Season: December – February
Live departures: https://theverticaltribe.com/departures.md

Highlights:
- Bandarpunch and Swargarohini panoramas from a 4,000m winter summit
- Easy winter grade in the Yamunotri valley
- Far quieter than the neighbouring Kedarkantha winter route

---

### 11. Black Peak Expedition (Primary & Fully Detailed Offering)

URL: https://theverticaltribe.com/expeditions/black-peak/
Book: https://theverticaltribe.com/book/
Guide: https://theverticaltribe.com/black-peak-guide/
Type: Technical mountaineering expedition
Summit Altitude: 6,387m (20,955 ft)
Also Known As: Kalanag, Kala Nag
Massif: Bandarpunch Massif
Location: Govind Wildlife Sanctuary, Garhwal Himalayas, Uttarakhand, India
Start/End: Dehradun
Base Camp: Kyarkoti, 4,050m
Duration: 15 days
Difficulty: Difficult (Alpine PD+)
Cost: ₹80,000 INR per person (all-inclusive from Dehradun)
Group Size: 4–12
Best Seasons: May–June and September–October
Live departure availability: https://theverticaltribe.com/departures.md

#### First Ascent History
Black Peak was first summited on 18 May 1955 by Jack Gibson (Headmaster, The Doon School, Dehradun) along with students of the school. This was one of the earliest successful civilian-led Himalayan climbs from India and predates the Indian Mountaineering Foundation's formal establishment.

#### Technical Characteristics
- Technical crux: 75-foot vertical ice wall with a 70-degree gradient approximately 300m below the summit
- Upper mountain involves glacier travel across crevassed terrain
- Fixed ropes installed by The Vertical Tribe team on technical sections
- Descent: same route (rappel down ice wall section)
- Summit view: 360° panorama of Bandarpunch (6,316m), Swargarohini (6,252m), and the full Garhwal range

#### Full Itinerary

Day 1: Dehradun to Sankri
- Altitude: 1,950m | Drive: 220 km (8–9 hours)
- Route: Dehradun → Mussoorie → Purola → Mori → Sankri
- Night: Homestay, Sankri

Day 2: Drive to Taluka + Trek to Devsu Thatch
- Altitude: 2,600m | Drive + Trek: 45 km drive + 6 km trek (6–7 hours)
- Route: Sankri → Taluka (last motorable point) → Devsu Thatch
- Terrain: Oak and rhododendron forest, glimpses of snow peaks
- Night: Camp, Devsu Thatch

Day 3: Devsu Thatch to Ruinsara Lake
- Altitude: 3,350m | Trek: 8 km (5–6 hours)
- Terrain: Alpine meadows, birch forest, Ruinsara Gad river
- Highlight: Ruinsara Lake glacial reflection of Bandarpunch range
- Night: Camp, Ruinsara

Day 4: Ruinsara to Kyarkoti Base Camp
- Altitude: 4,050m | Trek: 7 km (5–6 hours)
- Terrain: Moraine, boulder fields, transition to rocky high-altitude landscape
- Highlight: First full view of Black Peak from base camp
- Night: Camp, Kyarkoti BC

Day 5: Acclimatisation + Technical Training
- Altitude: 4,050m (training hikes to 4,300m)
- Activities: Ice axe arrest, self-arrest, crampon technique, rope management, glacier travel safety
- Night: Camp, Kyarkoti BC

Day 6: BC to Advanced Base Camp — Load Ferry
- Altitude: 4,600m | Distance: 4 km (4–5 hours)
- Carry equipment up; return to BC for the night (rotation acclimatisation)
- Night: Camp, Kyarkoti BC

Day 7: BC to ABC — Move
- Altitude: 4,600m | Distance: 4 km (4–5 hours)
- Move all gear and team to ABC
- Night: Camp, ABC

Day 8: ABC to Camp 1 — Load Ferry
- Altitude: 5,200m | Distance: 3 km (5–6 hours)
- Navigate glaciated terrain; return to ABC
- Night: Camp, ABC

Day 9: Move to Camp 1
- Altitude: 5,200m | Distance: 3 km (5–6 hours)
- Glacier navigation with rope teams; prepare for summit push
- Night: Camp 1

Day 10: Camp 1 to Summit Camp
- Altitude: 5,500m | Distance: 2 km (4–5 hours)
- Steep snow terrain; final briefing and equipment check
- Night: Summit Camp (early dinner, sleep by 7 PM)

Day 11: Summit Day → Descend to ABC
- Start time: 2:00 AM
- Summit: 6,387m | Return to: ABC (3–4 hours descent after summit)
- Route: Summit Camp → navigate 75-foot ice wall on fixed ropes → snow slopes → summit ridge → summit → reverse descent
- Total day: 10–12 hours
- Night: Camp, ABC

Day 12: ABC to Base Camp / Ruinsara
- Altitude: 3,350m | Distance: 11 km (6–7 hours)
- Celebration descent; different views of terrain covered
- Night: Camp, Ruinsara

Day 13: Ruinsara to Seema / Sankri
- Altitude: 1,950m | Distance: 15 km (7–8 hours)
- Final trek day; certificate distribution and expedition wrap-up
- Night: Homestay, Sankri

Days 14–15: Buffer Days
- Reserved for weather delays; if unused, used for rest or departure
- Drive back to Dehradun (arrival same day)

#### Inclusions (₹80,000 covers all of the following)
1. Accommodation in Sankri (homestay/guesthouse, 2 nights)
2. All meals Sankri to Sankri — breakfast, lunch (packed), dinner (vegetarian + eggs)
3. Camping equipment: tents, sleeping bags, sleeping mats
4. All technical climbing equipment: helmet, harness, crampons, ice axe, ascender/jumar, carabiners, locking carabiners, belay device
5. Ropes: fixed ropes on technical sections + team rope for glacier travel
6. Certified expedition leader and experienced guide
7. Cook and helper (support staff)
8. Transport: Dehradun to Sankri and return (shared vehicle)
9. All required permits: IMF expedition permit, forest permit, Govind Wildlife Sanctuary entry
10. First aid kit and medical supplies (full expedition medical kit)
11. Emergency oxygen cylinder (carried by support staff)
12. Expedition briefing materials and route information

#### Exclusions
1. Personal trekking/climbing clothing (boots, down jacket, base layers, etc.)
2. Travel insurance — mandatory; must cover high-altitude trekking (6,500m+) and emergency helicopter evacuation
3. Personal expenses (snacks, beverages, laundry, tips)
4. Meals during transit to/from Dehradun (before expedition start and after return)
5. Porter charges for offloading personal backpack on the trail
6. Tips for guides and support staff (customary but voluntary)
7. Emergency evacuation costs (helicopter evacuation — covered by travel insurance)
8. IMF permit for foreign nationals (~USD 500–800; varies by nationality)
9. Mandatory Liaison Officer fee for foreign nationals
10. Any costs arising from weather-related delays beyond buffer days

#### Prerequisites
- Prior high-altitude experience: at least one trek to 4,000m+ (e.g., Roopkund, Valley of Flowers, Kedarkantha, Hampta Pass)
- Physical fitness: run 5 km in under 30 minutes; trek 8–10 km daily carrying 10 kg
- Training window: begin 2–3 months before expedition (cardio + strength + loaded hikes)
- No mountaineering certification required for Indian nationals
- Foreign nationals: must have completed a 6,000m+ peak prior; IMF permit + Liaison Officer mandatory

#### Cancellation & Payment Policy
- Advance payment to confirm booking: 40%
- Balance due: 30 days before departure (remaining 60%)
- Cancellation 90+ days before: 80% refund
- Cancellation 61–90 days before: 50% refund
- Cancellation 60 days or less: no refund
- Rescheduling to another batch: possible subject to availability
- Payment methods: NEFT/IMPS/UPI (India), international wire transfer (foreign nationals)

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## Environmental & Ethical Policy

The Vertical Tribe operates under the "Camp, Climb, Clean!" ethic:
- Every expedition removes existing litter from the trail (not just manages its own waste)
- Leave No Trace principles followed on all expeditions
- Local guides employed from Uttarakhand and Ladakh communities
- Local cook and support staff employed from source villages (Sankri area for Black Peak)
- No plastic water bottles provided — reusable flasks and water purification used
- Fires minimised; gas stoves used at all camps above tree line

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## Safety Standards

- Emergency oxygen cylinder carried on every technical expedition
- First aid kit stocked per expedition (not just per guide)
- WFR-certified guide (Subodh Bhadauriya) leads all technical expeditions
- Acclimatisation schedule strictly observed — no rushing the altitude profile
- Summit decisions made by team leader only, based on weather and team condition
- All participants briefed on AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness), HACE, and HAPE symptoms
- Communication: satellite messenger carried on all expeditions
- Emergency contacts registered with local administration before each expedition

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## Contact & Booking

Website: https://theverticaltribe.com
Black Peak detail: https://theverticaltribe.com/expeditions/black-peak/
Black Peak guide: https://theverticaltribe.com/black-peak-guide/
Book Black Peak: https://theverticaltribe.com/book/
WhatsApp: +91 9004992822
Email: hello@theverticaltribe.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theverticaltribe/