Sudarshan and Its Neighbours

Rosy Fingered Dawn., originally uploaded by The Wandering Hermit.

Dawn over Sudarshan Parbat (6507mts), Saife (6161mts), Yogeshwar, Chattrabhuj Peaks during the Kalindi Khal Trek going towards Gangotri in the Garhwal Himal, Uttarakhand India
All the peaks except Yogeshwar were climbed by and extremely successful Indo French Expedition in 1981 led jointly by Harish Kapadia & Bernard Odgier this team of 11 climbers climed 5 other peaks in the region..

• Sudarshan Parvat Altitude: 6,507 Mts.

Sudarshan Parvat has beauty as well as challenge. It gets its name from Sudarshan Chakra. the weapon which Lord Krishna or Vishnu holds in his hand. It is believed to be released in the ultimate crisis.. (another theory is that it is named after a Raja of Jumla, Chakra Sudarshan Shahin the the late 18th Century when this region was under the control of the Gurkha kings)
The climbing history of Sudarshan is brief though spread over 19 years. Situated above the Gangotri Temple, it has been a challenge to mountaineers. It was attempted by as many as five expeditions, the last being in 1979 before an Indo -French team jointly led by Harish Kapadia & Bernard Odier made the first ascent in 1981

• Saife Altitude: 6,161 Mts.

South-southeast of Sudarshan Parvat lies a gentle yet deceptive peak. Saife in local language means 'Sword' or the weapon carried by Lord Ram, who is also known as the God with the white complexion-Swetvarna. This peak lies near Koteshwar-'God of the Edges'. Thus with sword edge -like ridges, the name is appropriate.

• Yogeshwar Altitude: 6,678 Mts.

Situated northeast of Sudarshan Parvat lies Yogeshwar. It takes its name from Lord Krishna, in a serene mood and thus can be aptly applied to this high snowy peak. Yogeshwar was first climbed by Ramakant Mahadik in 1991. It was again climbed by a British team in 92. After that there have been no noticeable attempts on these peaks. Yogeswar was climbed by the south side through Shyamvarna glacier its west ridge which connects to Chatubhuj is still unclimbed

• Chaturbhuj Altitude: 6,655 Mts.

Chaturbhuj, situated north of Sudarshan Parvat, literally means ' one with four hands'. This is the name for Lord Vishnu who has four hands and holds the Sudarshan Chakra. This peak has four distinct ridged falling in four directions, thus both mythologically as well as topographically this name is appropriate.

The summit of Chaturbhuj is a conical pyramid, very steep, 15 Mts. long and 2 Mts. high.

Since the first attempts these peaks have become very popular with Indian Teams as they are open peaks and this area remains filled with teams with the season every year.

Satopanth (7075 meters, 23212 feet)

Satopanth (7075 meters, 23212 feet), originally uploaded by The Wandering Hermit.

The Summit Pyramid of Mt. Satopanth lit up in alpenglow during sunset as viewed from high up on neighboring Vasuki Parvat in the Garhwal Himal in Uttarakhand India.

The 7075m high pyramid of Satopanth belongs to the select 7000+ mtrs club and is a spectacularly beautiful peak which is easily recognizable due to its unique summit plateau which stands out distinctly in the sea of sharp spires of the other peaks around it.

As compared to other climbing peaks in the Garhwal Himal it is technically less demanding and has fewer objective hazards than peaks of similar altitude.

Another factor which contributes to its popularity is its relatively easy access from the road head and Vasuki tal is as idyllic a basecamp one can hope for.

For the last few years it has been used for training young alpinists and mountaineers as it gently introduces climbers to that magic 7000 mtrs mark and is a useful training peak frequently used by UIAA and other International Mountaineering Clubs as well as the ones in India for conducting their advanced mountaineering courses.

Satopanth was first climbed in 1947 by the Swiss alpinists Andre Roch and Alexander Graven via the North East ridge, which they called ‘A Ladder to Heaven’, due to its
Aesthetic beauty and summit views.( This expedition also made First ascent of Kedarnath(6940 m), Kalindi Peak (6102 m), Balbala (6414 m), Nanda Ghunti (6310 m), and made a fine attempt on Chaukhamba (7138 m)..

It wasn’t till 34 years till the next ascent was made in 1981 but since then the speed and number of ascents has increased very much with over 10 ascents for the last 5 years every year.

Neelkanth (6596 mtrs)

Neelkanth (6596 mtrs), originally uploaded by The Wandering Hermit.

Elevation 6,596 metres (21,640 ft)
Location Uttarakhand, India
Range Garhwal Himalaya
Prominence 1,200 m (3,940 ft)
Coordinates 30°43′12″N, 79°24′00″E
First ascent June 3, 1974

The Satopanth Glacier lies on the northwest side of Nilkantha, below a 2,500 m (8,200 ft) face of the peak. The Panpatia Glacier lies to the southwest, and feeds the Khir Ganga, a stream running under the south side of the peak. Further away, to the west of the peak, lies the well-known Gangotri Glacier and its associated peaks. Across the Alaknanda valley lie the Kamet and Nanda Devi groups.

A shining pyramid of white crystals, overlooking the famous Badrinath temple in Uttarakhand. It is often called the GARHWAL QUEEN due to its fragile beauty.

That legendary mountaineer Frank Smythe (who made the first attempt to climb this mountain in 1937), called it the most mountain he had ever seen.
Its undeniable beauty often belies its difficulties and make it one of the harder climbs in the Garhwal Himalayas.

With its steep ridges and faces, Nilkantha resisted at least nine climbing attempts, beginning with Frank Smythe in 1937, Hillary & Lowe in 1961.Till last year only 4 successful ascents had been recorded though not for the want of trying. .

The peak was first climbed on by a team of the ITBP (Indo-Tibetan Border Police) led by S.P Chamoli on June 3, 1974 by Sonam Pulzor, Kanhiya Lal, Dilip Singh, and Nima Dorje. After unsuccessfully attempting the west ridge, they reached the summit via the north face, making three camps above base camp.

Last year the first Indian civilian expedition sponsored by the Himalayan Club (Calcutta), made what only the 5th successful ascent was following the route of the Scottish 2000 expedition in an epic 57 hour climb without camps they managed to return after a successful climb.

Panchchuli II (6904 mtrs)

Panchchuli II (6904 mtrs), originally uploaded by The Wandering Hermit.

Elevation 6,904 m (22,651 ft)
LocationPithoragarh, Uttarakhand, India
Range Kumaon Himalaya
Prominence 1,614 m (5,295 ft)
Coordinates 30°12′51″N, 80°25′39″E

The most visible symbol in the Munsyari valley are the peaks of Panch Chuli, as with other peaks in the region these peaks too are revered and are named after the five Pandava brothers from the Indian epic Mahabharata.

The peaks represent their cooking hearths (chulis) where they cooked their last meal before ascending to heaven

Spectacular sunsets & sunrises turn these peaks into Virtual Baskets of Alpenglow and the peak tops almost seem ablaze and its not hard to imagine why they were named thus..