The West Ridge is lit up with Alpenglow as another day sets over Mt. Pandim, viewed from the huts at Zemathang and the terminal moraine of the Onglakhing Glacier. This is the base for climbing attempts on Pandim. It also marks the beginning of the climb up the moraine to Samiti Lake (4200m) the sacred source of the Prek River..
Early Explorers:
John Claude White: White traveled extensively in Sikkim and Bhutan. He was mainly responsible for opening up roads and bridges which made access easier for later explorers. In 1890 he crossed the Goecha La to the Talung Glacier south-east of Kanchenjunga and followed the Talung valley to the Tista, being probably the first European to investigate the gorges between Pandim and the Simvu group.”
The first Europeans to come to this area to climb were Von Dechy the Hungarian Mountaineer in 1879, who fell ill and so little climbing or exploration was done.
He was followed by the Englishman W.W. Graham. *(his accounts of his climbing exploits were so full of discrepancies that they have been a source of argument to this day. He reportedly claimed climbing Kabru, an 18000 ft peak, though he was forced to return to Darjeeling after only a week, of having set oout from Darjeeling not enough time to get to the mountain let alone climb it.)
Douglas Freshfield set out with his party in 1899. He was to be the first mountaineer to trek in a circle around Khangchendzonga, from the North. He was also the first mountaineer to examine the great western face of Khangchendzonga, rising from the Khangchendzonga Glacier.
He also traveled to Green Lakes along with the famous Italian photographer Vittorio Sella’ who had photographed Siniolchu from Zemu Valley. Freshfield has described Siniolchu as “The Most Superb Triumph of Mountain Architecture and The Most Beautiful Snow Mountain in the World”
His travels resulted in one of the classic books in mountaineering literature
Round Kangchenjunga: A Narrative of Mountain Travel and Exploration,
He always traveled with two Swiss Alpine Guides and the whole trip which was made along with a party of 60 including 7 Europeans & the rest local Coolie's cost him a then lordly sum of 200 Pounds
When he finally arrived safely in 1899,at Dzongri after 8 weeks , he lit a big bonfire, which was visible as far as Darjeeling. The Governor of Bengal ordered 10 Gun Salute to be fired in his honour.
The modern trek routes followed by thousands today are the same routes pioneered by Freshfield and though many things have changed the mountains still have the same allure and like sirens call out to your soul.
Posts
6 comments:
Awesome shot.
Pria
Thanks Priya..
Thanks Priya..
October 2006 trek to Goecha-la. Hit by altitude sickness, at dawn I was there at the base of the majestic Mt Pandim and made a feeble attempt to climb it a few metres as I waited for the sunrise and sunrays to fall on the beautiful Mt Kanchenjunga and the peaks on its either side. The view, especially at the first fall of sunrays, was superb.
The frozen Lake Samiti was an awesome sight too.
Indicaspecies: Yes altitude can be the big leveller (pardon the pun).
During my first trek here we had gone with the intention of doing a recce for a proposed climb of Pandim the next year (which eventually fell through) and went upto Camp 2 (or ABC) onto a shoulder above the Pandim La.. but bad weather put paid to any hopes of climbing higher (and the fact that we had no permit to climb the peak saw us retreat)
How many times did you trek there? ;)
What an interesting attempt that you made to scale it! And I thought permission is not granted to climb Mt. Pandim, or that's what I had heard so then.
Post a Comment