On The Trail.....

The twin Peaks of Shivling with the East Pillar in front seems close enough to touch but as usual its foreshortening at work.. Very difficult to get the true scale of these mighty peaks..

There is an old saying (which is specially true in the mountains) : DO NOT MISTAKE A CLEAR VIEW FOR A SHORT DISTANCE ...

The peak is still around 20 miles away as the crow flies and the trail climbing up from Gaumukh (the once traditional source of the Ganga but now retreated higher) to the meadows of Tapovan winds through some of the most dramatic scenery .. huge boulders, loose rocky hillsides and finally over the lateral moraines of the Gangotri glacier itself, which is covered with numerous glaciated boulders and crevasses and mainly made up of shattered rock

The whole locale looks something like Mordor out of LOTR...

Everywhere destructive forces are at work, with nary a sign of anything growing .. The shale and slate moraines are the remains of boulders crushed by the most erosive force in the world - a glacier - a slow moving river of ice, which decimates everything even mountains as it inexorably tumbles down to the valley floor below..

All this time Shivling looms on the right, until it passes out of view and you begin a steep ascent which finally culminates at the meadows of Tapovan, the contrast to the trail is total, here verdant hillsides, lichen covered rocks and wild flowers in profusion and it's such a joy to see things growing again and a grand vista of mighty peaks come into view those peaks which make up the great crique of the Gangotri Group of Peaks.. (Bhagirathi, Karchakund, Sumeru, Kedar Dome, Shivling, Meru, Bhrigupanth, Thalay Sagar)

The view alone is worth the toil of the trail...

Day's End.

Day's End., originally uploaded by The Wandering Hermit.

Sunset on Karchakund's (6612 mtrs) North Face as seen from the Trek to Shivling's Base Camp in the Garhwal Himal, Uttarakhand India.

Sundervan (4 700mtrs) usually serves as base camp for teams attempting the mountain and is reached by by crossing the Ghanohim Glacier from the Gangotri Glacier.

The north ridge of this mountain is made up of 5 peaks popularly referred to as "The Five Pinnacles" This ridge has been attempted the most and offers some high quality mixed climbing (rock: Alpine VI, A1 and ice up to Scottish V grade)on the ridge between 5000mtrs and 6000mtrs, with some interesting pitches on each of the five pinnacles.

• First Ascent & First Alpine Style Ascent

Karchakund was first climbed by a Japanese Team in 1980, after failing on the north ridge they put two parties on the summit via the west ridge using fixed rope.

In 1987 A British Team comprising Robin, Beadle, Bobby Gilbert and Rob Tesidder and Pete Scott, climbed all 5 pinnacles in Alpine Style over 5 &1/2 days without fixed camps or rope.

Since then Karchakund has seen many ascents as it is specially popular with Indian Teams specially from Bengal who face off regularly against this beautiful mountain each year

Sunset Colors

Sunset Colors, originally uploaded by The Wandering Hermit.

The summit pyramid of Bhrigupanth (6772m) juts out of the clouds to catch the lingering evening light as viewed from near Camp 2 on Shivling.

Bhrigupanth looks completely different from this side as compared to that when viewed from Kedar Taal.

Bhrigupanth's first ascent was made relatively late and it bears the distinction of having been first climbed by a Joint Indo- American Women's Team (led by the ace American climber Arlene Bum) only in 1980.

Beautiful Dawn

Beautiful Dawn, originally uploaded by The Wandering Hermit.

Dawn on Karchakund's (6612 mtrs) North Face as seen from the Gangotri Glacier in the Garhwal Himal, Uttarakhand India.
Sundervan (4 700mtrs) usually serves as base camp for teams attempting the mountain and is reached by by crossing the Ghanohim Glacier from the Gangotri Glacier.

The north ridge of this mountain is made up of 5 peaks popularly referred to as "The Five Pinnacles" This ridge has been attempted the most and offers some high quality mixed climbing (rock: Alpine VI, A1 and ice up to Scottish V grade)on the ridge between 5000mtrs and 6000mtrs, with some interesting pitches on each of the five pinnacles.


First Ascent & First Alpine Style Ascent

Karchakund was first climbed by a Japanese Team in 1980, after failing on the north ridge they put two parties on the summit via the west ridge using fixed rope.

In 1987 A British Team comprising Robin, Beadle, Bobby Gilbert and Rob Tesidder and Pete Scott, climbed all 5 pinnacles in Alpine Style over 5 &1/2 days without fixed camps or rope.

Since then Karchakund has seen many ascents as it is specially popular with Indian Teams specially from Bengal who face off regularly against this beautiful mountain each year.

The Silver Mountain

Mt Dunagiri at Night.

At 7066 mtrs. It makes the magic +7000mtrs club and for this reason is quite a popular climbing destination (that is not to say that its easy).

Dunagiri was first climbed on July 5, 1939 by the Swiss climbers André Roch, F. Steuri, and D. Zogg, via the southwest ridge as part of their first Garhwal expedition sponsored by the Swiss Foundation for Alpine Research(2 more would follow in later years spanning the War and Andre Roch traveled on all three

This expedition would bag some notable climbs in the Uttarakhand area including Exploration of the Ramani glacier basic, first ascent of Dunagiri (7066 m), Rataban (Bloody Arrow) (6156 m), Ghori Parbat (6714 m). Last but not the least there was a notable attempt on Chaukhamba (7138 m).The main duty of the expedition was map making and in this they created a map on a scale of 1:150,000, is centered on Nanda Devi is still used due to its accuracy.

The Swiss returned to the Garhwal once again in 1947 & 1950 to complete the work started by this expedition and it remains one of the most successful ones ever to have left Switzerland (not to take anything away from their laudable 1952 Everest Expeditions of which Roche was part) & their later success on Lhotse.)
~~

There is also the fascinating story of Roche giving his compass on his last expedition to a Hindu Sadhu Baba he met living in a cave near Gangotri with the instructions to give the compass to the next person who came climbing in the region.. the compass changed hands 7 times and finally ended up in the possession of Harish Kapadia (The noted Indian Explorer and Mountaineer where it remains).

In 1975, Joe Tasker and Dick Renshaw drove a ramshackle van from the UK to Delhi and embarked on a notable climb which quickly became the stuff of lore in mountain climbing circles due to their choice of route and the fact that they climbed alpine style without a big expedition (which were the norm in the 70-'s)

The mountain they chose was DUNAGIRI and they climbed a particularly difficult route on the southeast buttress in the process setting a significant milestone for alpine-style climbing in the Himalayas.

(Dick Renshaw was also a team member alongwith Chris Bonnington of Peter Broadman & Joe Tasker on their 1986 Everest Pinnacles Expedition where he suffered a minor heart attack and thus had to return home , later both Broadman & Tasker would be lost somewhere high up on the mountains first pinnacle).

Shivas Matted Locks.

Shiva's Matted Locks., originally uploaded by The Wandering Hermit.

Shiva's statue as the Mahayogi on the banks of the Ganga in the night with Orion shining bright.

Rishikesh: Is named after the Matted Locks of Shiva (thus he is also known as Jatadhari as per Hindu Myths he used these locks of hair (Jata) to dissipate the force of Ganges as it descended to the Earth from the heavens o to make whole earth pious, fertile and wash out the sins of humans. For Hindus in India, the Ganga is not just a river but a mother, a goddess, a tradition, a culture and much more. Another name for Shiva in connection with the Ganga is Gaṅgādhara ("Bearer of the river Gaṅgā"))

Rishikesh is where the now fully formed Ganga first emerges from the embrace of the Himalayan Mountains and meets the Great Gangetic Plains (The Terai). The young bubbling river gives way to the meandering river which irrigates most of the Northern Indian Plains all the way to its eventual drainage almost 2500 kms away in the Bay of Bengal

The Story of the descent of Ganga

Legends associated with the river Ganga

Bushido on the Changger Bangger

Bushido on the Changger Bangger, originally uploaded by The Wandering Hermit.

The rarely seen North Faces of Kalanka & Changabang
viewed from Saf Minal, in the Kumaoni Himal Uttarakhand

• North Face Kalanaka

The Central Spur on the North Face has become one of the most sought-after lines in the Garhwal. Back in 1977 a Czechoslovakia team climbed the right side of the North Face to gain the col between Changabang and Kalanka, then up the West Ridge of the latter to the summit. Despite the use of fixed ropes, taken in the context of the era this route remains one of the most underrated achievements in the Himalaya.

Fast-forward more than 20 years. In 2001 top Americans, Carlos Buhler and Jack Roberts made the first unsuccessful attempt on the elegant Central (North) Spur.

Two years later in 2003 another American team, Sue Nott and John Varco, climbed the lower part of the spur, then used a portaledge to fix ropes through the vertical to overhanging central barrier (M6), completing all the technical difficulties and bivouacking at 6,550m before forced down by storm.

Buhler returned in 2004 with Sandy Allan and John Lyall but the attempt failed at around 6,000m.

In 2007 Nick Bullock and Kenton Cool tried another tact, climbing the big snow and ice slopes of the North East Face left of the Spur, only to be defeated on the crest of the East Ridge at over 6,300m. Another Slovienian team was also forced back later in the season.

2008 September Japanese Expedition
Thirty-one years old Kazuaki Amano, Fumitaka Ichimura (30) and Yusuke Sato (27) arrived at their 4,500m Bagini Glacier base camp on the 1st September and for the next eight days acclimatized to 5,800m. During this period they established an advanced base below the wall at 5,100m.

On the 14th they regained advanced base and the following day set off up the North East Face, taking a very similar line to the Bullock-Cool attempt. They bivouacked the first night at 6,000m and the following day made a long, almost horizontal traverse right below the upper rock walls to reach the crest of the Central Spur, where they bivouacked at c6,150m. On the 18th the three climbed most of the way through the steep section above (M5+) and bivouacked at 6,550m. They continued a short distance the following day to another bivouac at 6,600m, where they were pinned down for three long days by bad weather.

On the 22nd the weather cleared and Amano, Ichimura and Sato emerged with enough strength to go for the summit. This they reached in a 13-hour round trip from camp, and on the following day continued their descent, opting to follow the much safer line of the Central Spur directly to the glacier. After one more bivouac perched on the crest of the spur at around 6,000m, and a second on the glacier at c5,200m, they returned to base on the 24th, no doubt a trifle peckish having completed a hard 10-day alpine style ascent and descent on just five days food.

Not surprisingly, three days complete rest was necessary before they could even think about bringing down advanced base. The 1,800m route has been name Bushido.

This month, the Japanese trio’s alpine-style ascent of the 6,000-foot route won the Asian Piolet d’Or

• Changabang North Face 1st Ascent

In 1997, two Britishers Andy Cave and Brendan Murphy made the first ascent of the North Face of Changabang, a 1,600 m (5,250 ft) route involving steep, sustained ice, mixed, and rock climbing.

Unfortunately Murphy was hit by an avalanche and swept off the face to his death on the descent (Mick Fowler & Steve Sustad were also part of the same team though they were a day behind the climbers when all 4 of them teamed up to descend together because of the bad weather.)

With Andy Cave & Mick Fowler In their respective books we have two distinctive views on one of the greatest Himalayan adventures of the 1990s, the ascent of Changabang’s north face, as well as a wealth of other milestone routes from Fowler and a fascinating glimpse of Andy Cave’s background as a miner-turned-academic and mountain guide. Cave’s book, Learning to Breathe, is both unusual and engaging, giving an incisive view of hardship and tragedy from the Himalaya to the Yorkshire pit community of his youth.

Sunset over Bhagirathi III & I

Sunset over Bhagirathi III & I, originally uploaded by The Wandering Hermit.

Sunset coats Bhagirathi I in Alpen Glow, as viewed from the Gangotri Glacier.

Bhagirathi I is the farthest peak of the Bhagirathi Sisters group one of the many mountains which make up the Gangotri Group. Though many attempts and routes are tried on the formidable & difficult West Buttress of Bhagirathi III (The rib of the great buttress can be seen in this shot in the shadiows), Bhagirathi I has received scant attention.

Routes & Main Ascents
It was only in 1990 that a Japanese Expedition using nearly 2000 mtrs of rope made the first ascent via its Southeast Ridge.A small team of Alpinists from Britain made a fine Alpine Style ascent in 1983 via its West Ridge, which gave them some excellent granite but tricky snow climbing. Martin Moran , Charlie Heard & John Mothersdale made the summit in a fine effort without roping up the mountain or fancy ironmongery.. But sadly during the descent Heard fell to his death
Since then there have been other attempts amongst them some Indian Teams

Panchchuli Range from Kasauni

Panchchuli Range from Kasauni, originally uploaded by The Wandering Hermit.

As with other peaks in the region these peaks too are revered and are named after the five Pandava brothers from the Indian epic Mahabharat.As per legend the peaks represent their cooking hearths (chulis) where they cooked their last meal before ascending to heaven from the nearby Swargarohini peaks

The Panch Chuli peaks lie in Eastern Kumaun and form the watershed between the Gori and the Darma Ganga valleys.

The eastern approaches are through Sona and Meola Glaciers. The Uttari and Dakhini Balati glaciers guard the western approaches. All of these glaciers have huge ice falls and it is because of these icefalls and approaches that the peaks are so seldom attempted.
The peaks are numbered NW to SE, I (6355m/20851ft), II (6904m/22652ft) , III (6312m/2071 Oft), IV (6334m/20782ft) and V (6437m/21120ft). Naming the peaks from west to east breaks with the tradition of giving the highest peak the lowest number, but the nomenclature has become too well established to be changed now.

Early Expeditions from the East

The mountaineering history of these peaks began with the British mountaineer Hugh Ruttledge (1929) (leader of the 1931 & 33 British Mount Everest Expeditions). He saw the group at close quarters from high up on the Sona Glacier. He examined the routes and thought that the north arete (sharp ridge) might be possible.

After 21 years two teams examined the eastern approaches. W H Murray (1950) and his prolific Scottish team followed the Ruttledge route. They intended to reach the north col and follow the northeast ridge; however, they found the terrain too difficult.

Just 20 days later came Kenneth Snelson (British) and J de V Graaff (SouthAfrican). They reached the upper Sona Glacier by early September and found that its head was a cradle of 182m (600 ft) cliffs blocking the route to the northeast summit's ridge.

Attempts from the West

The western approaches were tried one year after Murray. In 1951 Heinrich Harrer (Of “Seven Years in Tibet & Eiger Nordwand fame) and Frank Thomas (both Austrians) were joined by two Sherpas and a botanist. Though their account in the Himalayan Journal is not very explicit, their photographs in the archives clearly indicate that they pioneered the route through the Uttari Balati Glacier, bypassing three ice-falls. Together with the Sherpas, Harrer reached the Balati plateau and examined the north and west ridges. They tried the west ridge but a Sherpa fell off on hard blue ice. Harrer gave up. They spent only 16 days on the mountains but during that time they pioneered the route which was followed by all subsequent expeditions from this side.

First Ascents
The history of the Panch Chuli group continued with two large expeditions from the Indo-Tibet Border Police.

The first team in 1972 was led by Hukam Singh. They powered their way to the Balati Plateau via the Harrer route and made the first-ever ascent of peak I.

Repeating their route, Mahendra Singh led another team in 1973. The entire route on the southwest ridge was fixed with almost 3000m (9843ft) of rope. On 26th May 1973, 18 people climbed the summit of Panch Chuli II, the highest peak of the group.

The mountain was then left alone for some 18 years. In 1991 two routes were climbed via the eastern approaches by teams from the Indian Army. The first team followed the Sona Glacier, climbed the northeast slopes to reach above the north col and established a camp on the north ridge. The ridge was followed to the top, and thus the route suggested by Ruttledge in 1929 was finally completed after 61 years.

The second army team followed Murray's route to the upper Meola Glacier. They pitched a high camp following the southeast slopes to the east ridge. The summit team broke the cornice to reach the top, and thus the route suggested by Snelson-Graaff was also completed, after 41 years.

Significant Climbs
The scene finally shifted back to the west. The Indian-British expedition 1992 (jointly led by Sir Chris Bonington and Harish Kapadia) followed the route along the Uttari Balati Glacier to the Balati Plateau.
On the way the team divided into groups to climb Sahadev East (5757m/18889ft), Menaka (6000m/19686ft) and Rajrambha (6537m/21448ft).

On peak II, a team of three climbed the southwest ridge. It was a hard climb on ice, keeping well away from the hanging cornices. Compared to the earlier ascent, only 60m (197ft) of rope was fixed on the ridge. This was only the second ascent of the southwest ridge, made after 19 years.

Another team of two pioneered a new route up the steep and icy west ridge, with bivouacs. They descended the southwest ridge completing the traverse. Thus the route tried by Harrer was completed after 41 years.

The 1992 expedition later made the first ascent of peak V approaching through the Pyunshani Valley .

On this peak Stephen Venables (First Britisher to summit Everest without Oxygen through a new route of the notorious and deadly Kanshung Face of Everest) , fell 30 mtrs while returning from the peak.survived despite serious injuries and 2 broken legs

While descending to get help Chris Bonnington fell nearly 100 mtrs and to him it must have seem like a repeat of his famous Ogre Climb( Ogre is Baintha Barrak in Pakistan) where Doug Scott had broken both legs and Chris too survived a 1000 ft fall Luckily like the ogre they all survived and Venables was airlifted in a daring and difficult helicopter rescue by the IAF from the high camp.

Peak IV was climbed in 1995 by a team from New Zealand.

Peak III: it was attempted by two expeditions from Bombay in 1996 and 1998, both of which resulted in accidents the New Zealanders returned in 2001 to finally make the first Ascent of Peak III

In all her glory..

In all her glory.., originally uploaded by The Wandering Hermit.

nyone who's ever witnessed the sun set or rise over mountains can attest that during these daily occurances the mountains are at their most beautiful.. The constant shifting in the intensity of the light makes these times entrancing as you feverishly wish that you can capture it all on film (though film can never compare to actually being there and cannot truely convey the magnificance totally still its the next best thing)..

Also another reason I click a lot of such shots is that while climbing in the Garhwal and Kumaon Himal it is best to get the major climbing done when the snow is relatively hard and compact after a nights freeze as within an hour of the sun touching the slopes, the snow conditions start to deteriorate almost instantly and by noon its almost slush.

Its this constant freeze and melting which also make rockfall a constant danger as the snow binding these rocks becomes elastic and all of a sudden the rocks break loose when least expected.

These two reasons make climbing here quite a serious proposition and as a result the standard grade of difficulty on climbs like the Sharks Fins (Meru Central seen here) or the South Pillar of Changabang & Bhagirathi's West Buttress , South Face of Purbi Dunagiri (Still unclimbed) are amongst the highest that mountaineers have tackled making them some of the hardest technical Big Wall climbs in the world today.
Out of 30 expeditions only 2 have managed to climb the Shark's Fin and that too not all the way having had to detour from the route to reach the peak.

Shiva's Trident

Shiva's Trident, originally uploaded by The Wandering Hermit.

Sunset on Trisul during the Roopkund Trek. (View Large)

Trisul I 7120 mtrs(30°18′36″N 79°46′12″E /30.31, 79.77)

Trisul II 6690mtrs(30°17′24″N 79°46′12″E / 30.29, 79.77)

Trisul III 6008mtrs (30°15′00″N 79°46′12″E / 30.25, 79.77) ;

In the Annals of Himalayan Climbing History Trisul plays an important part as it was one of the earliest peaks in the Himalayas to be submitted in 1907
Early Climbing History & First Ascent:
The legendary Dr. T. G. Longstaff made the first climbing reconnaissance of Trisul, in September 1905, focusing on the western and southern sides.
In 1907 The Alpine Club as part of their Golden Jubliee Celebrations were refused permission to climb Everest so attention shifted to Trishul. A.L. Mumm (a wealthy publisher)& guaranteed to meet all expenses.

The party was
A. L. Mumm,with his usual guide Moritz Inderbinnen
Charles Bruce with 9 Gorkhas from the Gorkha Rifles. ( General Bruce would be the expedition leader of the 1922 and 1924 Everest expedition)

Dr. Tom Langstaff with his guides, The Two Bocherel Brothers Alex and Henri. (The Canadian climber and Doctor who was the chief medical officer of the 1922 Everest Expedition)
{It was standard practice to climb with Swiss Alpine Guides in those days, except for Dr A.M Kellas who climbed with Sherpas, mostly all early explorers brought their own guides from Europe}
Bottled Oxygen was used for the first time in Himalayan Conditions manufactured by Seibb & Gormann who would later supply the early Everest Expeditions of 1922 and 1924.

The Climb:
From a camp at about 17,500 ft. Longstaff, The Bocherel Brothers, and Kabir one of the Gorkha soldiers reached the top, a fine feat of mountaineering considering that they climbed nearly 6,000 ft in just a day in fine weather.
It remained the highest peak to be climbed until the next 25 years till the first ascent of KAMET in 1931 by Frank Symthe's team.

From an Indian Mountaineering point of view Trisul was the first major peak to be climbed by an Indian Team with Indian Climbers in 1951 when Gurdial Singh ( a teacher at Doon School) with Roy Greenwood(an Englishman) & Sherpa Dawa Thondupreached the summit.

The only demonstration of joy was their homage to Mother Earth, they bent their heads low and pointed their feet skywards (a Sheeshasana or headstand) on the summit of Trishul! !!!
Gurdials Singh's Summit Photograph

Nanda Devi : The Bliss-Giving Goddess.

Nanda Devi : The Bliss-Giving Goddess., originally uploaded by The Wandering Hermit.

Sunset on the magnificient and awe inspiring Nanda Devi East (7,434 m (24,390 ft))& Nanda Devi Main Peaks (7,816 mtrs (25,643 ft) Ranked 23rd highest).
Nanda Devi, the Himalayan peak known as the Goddess for her beauty and her wrath, is a fickle mistress. She has stolen other men's lives and sent a woman named after her to her grave.
She is also a shy goddess who is guarded by one of the most formidable mountain walls anywhere in the Himalayas.

The main summit stands guarded by a barrier ring comprising some of the highest mountains in the Indian Himalayas (one of which is Nanda Devi East), twelve of which exceed 6,400 m (21,000 ft) in height, further elevating its sacred status as the daughter of the Himalaya in local myth and folklore. The interior of this almost insurmountable ring is known as the Nanda Devi Sanctuary, and is protected as the Nanda Devi National Park.

Nanda Devi East lies on the eastern edge of the ring (and of the Park), at the border of Chamoli, Pithoragarh and Bageshwar districts.


Exploration and climbing history


The ascent of Nanda Devi necessitated fifty years of arduous exploration in search of a passage into the Sanctuary. The outlet is the Rishi Gorge, a deep, narrow canyon which is very difficult to traverse safely, and is the biggest hindrance to entering the Sanctuary; any other route involves difficult passes, the lowest of which is 5,180 m (16,990 ft).
Early Explorations

During its heyday, Nanda Devi stood as the highest peak in the British Empire and drew the interest of mountaineers from the entire western world. As part of their search for trade routes to Tibet, the British also began as early as 1830 to explore the upper reaches of the High Himalayas, with the region around Nanda Devi providing the most attractive access to the “hermit” kingdom. G.W. Traill, the first commissioner of the recently acquired Garhwal and Kumaon districts (ceded by the Gurkhas to the British in 1815), crossed Pindari Glacier in search of a shortcut to Milam in the north. In the process he was snow blinded, this the local people attributed to the wrath of the Goddess for invading her sanctuary

In 1883, W.W. Graham led a small but adventurous team in search of a path up the Rishi Ganga to the foot of Nanda Devi. Encountering all manners of obstacles including steep rugged terrain and incessant snow and rain, the party also portered much of their supplies themselves, reaching beyond Dharansi Pass before turning back.

In 1905 and 1907, T.G. Longstaff resumed Graham’s efforts, exploring the eastern and western approaches to Nanda Devi respectively. In the later mission, Longstaff’s team retraced Graham’s path, ascending Trisul (23,406ft), but did not attempt another foray into the upper Rishi.

Twenty years later, Longstaff returned and with Hugh Ruttledge sought out the elusive access route to no avail.Ruttledgeas Deputy Commissioner for Almora (Leader of two attempts on Mt. Everest in the 1930's) attempted to reach the peak three times in the 1930s and failed each time. In a letter to The Times he wrote that 'Nanda Devi imposes on her votaries an admission test as yet beyond their skill and endurance', adding that gaining entry to the Nanda Devi Sanctuary alone was more difficult than reaching the North Pole.

In 1934, the British explorers Eric Shipton and H.W. Tilman, with three Sherpa companions, Angtharkay, Pasang, and Kusang, finally discovered a way through the Rishi Gorge into the Sanctuary.

When the mountain was later climbed in 1936 by a British-American expedition, it became the highest peak climbed by man until the 1950 ascent of Annapurna, 8,091 metres (26,545 ft)by the French . (However higher non-summit elevations had already been reached by the British on Mount Everest in the 1920s.)
It also involved steeper and more sustained terrain than had been previously attempted at such a high altitude The expedition climbed the south ridge, also known as the Coxcomb Ridge, which leads relatively directly to the main summit.
The summit pair were H.W. Tilman and Noel Odell; Charles Houston was to be in place of Tilman, but he contracted severe food poisoning. Noted mountaineer and mountain writer H. Adams Carter was also on the expedition, which was notable for its small scale and lightweight ethic: it included only seven climbers, and used no fixed ropes, nor any Sherpa support above 6,200 m (20,300 ft). Eric Shipton, who was not involved in the climb itself, called it "the finest mountaineering achievement ever performed in the Himalaya."

After abortive attempts by Indian expeditions in 1957 and 1961, the second ascent of Nanda Devi was accomplished by an Indian team led by N. Kumar in 1964, following the Coxcomb route.

Nuclear Controversy
Attempts were made from 1965 to 1968 by the CIA to place a plutonium-powered listening device high on Nanda Devi, to monitor possible Chinese nuclear activity in Tibet, but the device was lost in an avalanche. (Recent reports of samples taken from the sources of Ghori Ganga by Pete Takeda indicate that radiation traces from this device have been discovered in sediment below the mountain.) The actual data is not conclusive, however, but the absence of Pu-238 (the isotope that powered the device) in the sample proves that any Pu present could not have come from the device. As a result of this activity, the Sanctuary was closed to climbing by foreign expeditions during much of the 1960s, and was not re-opened until 1974.

A difficult new route, the northwest buttress, was climbed by a thirteen-person team in 1976. Three Americans, John Roskelley, Jim States and Lou Reichardt, summitted on September 1. The expedition was co-led by Louis Reichardt, H. Adams Carter (who was on the 1936 climb) and Willi Unsoeld, (along with Tom Hornbein, he was the first to traverse Mt. Everest and climbing the West Ridge and descending the South Col route during the 1963 Everest Expedition) Unsoeld's daughter, Nanda Devi Unsoeld, who was named after the peak, died on this expedition due to Altitude sickness at around 24,000. (This expedition remains a controversial one in which climbers approached the mountain with huge ego's and instead of climbing together often resorted to blatant one upmanship , a trend which is sadly still very prevalent amongst the professional climbers of today.)

In 1981, the first women to stand on the summit were part of an Indian led expedition.

Nanda Devi East

Nanda Devi East was first climbed in 1939 by a four-member Polish expedition led by Adam Karpinski. They climbed the south ridge, from Longstaff Col; this is still the standard route on the peak. The summit party were J. Klarner and J. Bujak Karpinski and Stefan Bernardzikiewicz died later in an attempt on nearby Trishuli.

The first attempt to traverse the ridge between the main summit and Nanda Devi East resulted in the death of two members of a French expedition in 1951. Team leader Roger Duplat and Gilbert Vignes disappeared on the ridge somewhere below the main summit
Tenzing Norgay was in a support team on this expedition; he and Louis Dubost climbed Nanda Devi East to look for the missing pair. Some years later Tenzing was asked what was the most difficult climb he ever did, expecting him to say Mount Everest; he surprised his interlocutors by saying Nanda Devi East.

The standard approach to the south ridge route, from the Milam Valley to the east, passes through Lawan Glacier via Lawan Gad and thence to Longstaff Col. The trek to base camp goes through the villages of Munsiyari, Lilam, Bogudiar, Martoli, Nasanpatti, and Bhadeligwar. An alternate route climbs the southwest face, from a base camp inside the Sanctuary.

Partial timeline

* 1934: First entry into the inner Sanctuary by Eric Shipton and H.W. Tilman
* 1936: The first ascent of Nanda Devi by Odell and Tilman.
* 1939: First ascent of Nanda Devi East by Klarner, Bujak.
* 1951: Attempted traverse and death of Duplat and Vignes. Second ascent of Nanda Devi East.
* 1964: Second ascent of Nanda Devi by Indian team led by N. Kumar.
* 196?: Covert ascent by Indo-American expedition?
* 1975: A 13-member Indo-French expedition led by Y. Pollet-Villard including Coudray, Renault, Sandhu, and Chand ascend climbed both Nanda Devi and Nanda Devi East but failed to accomplish the traverse of the connecting ridge.

* 1976: A 21-member Indo-Japanese team approaches the south ridges of main peak and Nanda Devi East simultaneously, and achieves the first traverse, going from Nanda Devi East to the main summit.

* 1981: An Indian Army expedition attempts both main and East peaks simultaneously. The southwest face of Nanda Devi East is climbed for the first time, but both Premjit Lal and Phu Dorjee are killed in the descent. Three others – Daya Chand, Ram Singh, and Lakha Singh – also fall to their deaths, leading to the highest ever number of casualties on the mountain.


After the re-opening of the Sanctuary in 1974 to foreign climbers, trekkers, and locals, the fragile ecosystem was soon compromised by firewood cutting, garbage, and grazing. Serious environmental problems were noted as early as 1977, and the sanctuary was closed in 1983.

Currently, Nanda Devi forms the core of the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (which includes Nanda Devi National Park), declared by the Indian government in 1982. In 1988, Nanda Devi National Park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, "of outstanding cultural or natural importance to the common heritage of humankind."

The entire sanctuary, and hence the main summit (and interior approaches to the nearby peaks) are off-limits to locals and to climbing expeditions. An exception was made in 1993 for a 40-member team from the Garhwal Rifles Regiment of the Indian Army to check the state of recovery and remove garbage left by prior expeditions.
The expedition also successfully scaled the peak. Nanda Devi East remains open from the east side, leading to the standard south ridge route.

The Fortress of Nanda

Nanda Kot Seen from Chakori, originally uploaded by The Wandering Hermit.

Elevation 6,861 m (22,510 ft)
Location Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand,
Range Kumaun Himalaya
Prominence 1,592 m (5,223 ft)
Coordinates 30°16′54″N, 80°04′06″E[1]
First ascent 1936 by Y. Hotta
Easiest route Lawan Valley

Nanda Kot (Hindi-नन्दा कोट) is located in the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand state in India. It lies in the Kumaon Himalaya, just outside of the ring of peaks enclosing the Nanda Devi Sanctuary, 15 kilometres (9 mi) southeast of Nanda Devi itself. The name Nanda Kot literally means "Nanda's Fortress" and refers to the abode of one of the sacred forms of the Hindu Goddess Parvati who in legend has made her sanctuary amongst the ring of lofty mountains in the region.

Nanda Kot is connected to the Sanctuary wall by a high pass known as the Pindari Kanda, 5,269 m (17,287 ft). This pass, Nanda Kot itself, and the ridge proceeding south from the peak together form the divide between the Pindar and Ghori Ganga River valleys, with Dana Dhura Pass connecting the two sides. The Kaphni (or Kafani), Pindar, Lawan, and Shalang Glaciers drain the south, west, north, and east sides of the peak respectively.

Climbing History: The first attempt to climb Nanda Kot was made in 1905 by T.G. Longstaff, who proceeded by way of the Lawan Valley and Lawan Glacier. The first successful ascent of the summit came in 1936 by a Japanese team led by Y. Hotta. A new route involving a direct ascent of the south face was successfully undertaken by a British expedition led by Martin Moran in 1995. Mountaineering expeditions to Nanda Kot today typically follow the route through Loharkhet, Dhakuri Pass, Khati Village to Dwali base camp.

Nanda Devi/Nanda Kot Nuclear Controversy:
During 1965-1968 there was series of seven mountaineering expeditions — four to Nanda Devi and three to Nanda Kot – as part of the most exotic and hazardous intelligence operations of the cold war, backed by the CIA. During this most unusual mountaineering venture n 1965, a covert mission was launched by an Indo-American team with the goal of installing a surveillance device on the top of Nanda Devi mountain to monitor Chinese nuclear and missile activity in Tibet. Shortly after delivery to the mountain, the thermonuclear generator designed to supply power to the sensor was lost during a storm and threatened to become a source of radioactive contamination to the area. Following upon at least three futile attempts between 1966-1968 to locate and recover the lost apparatus, it is said that in 1968 a similar device placed only the year before on Nanda Kot was dismantled. After more than a decade of secrecy, this story hit the Indian news media in 1978. There is still debate over these expeditions and whether any remnants of the radioactive materials remain in the vicinity of Nanda Kot to this day.
The Nanda Devi Sanctuary remains closed to visitors ever since, on "ecological grounds" as per the official version.

India team was led by M.S. Kohli (leader of the successful 1965 Everest Expedition) and included Sonam Gyatso, Harish Rawat, Sonam Wangyal and G.S. Bhangu – all Everesters. The Americans were represented by Lute Jerstad , Tom frost, Robert Schaller, Barry Corbet and a Barry Prather (Most were members of the 1963 Everest Expedtion)

Sunrise Behind Hardeol.

Sunrise Behind Hardeol., originally uploaded by The Wandering Hermit.

Hardeol : "The Temple of God" is backlit during a fiery sunrise viewed from the Sandalya Kund (4200mtrs) during a sidetrip on the Milam Glacier Trek.

Elevation: 7,151 m (23,461 ft)
Location Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand, India
Range Kumaon Himalaya
Prominence 1,300 m (4,300 ft)
Coordinates: 30°33′36″N, 80°00′36″E
First ascent: May 31, 1978 by Indo-Tibetan Border Police Expedition


HARDEOL is one of the major peaks of the Garhwal Himalaya. It is the highest peak on the northern side of the ring of peaks guarding the Nanda Devi Sanctuary, and lies at the northeast corner of this ring. It is situated at the northern end of the Milam valley, in the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand, India.

To its immediate north lies Trishuli, and just south is Rishi Pahar, on a north-south trending ridge leading eventually to Nanda Devi East. Hardeol is also sometimes referred to as Trishuli South.

Climbing History

First was a reconnaissance in 1939 by a Polish team (who had just climbed the formidable Nanda Devi East) however they lost 2 members in an avalanche which wiped out their Camp 3 on Trishuli and withdrew.
In 1964 a team led Maj Kohli too withdrew after their camps were destroyed by an avalanche.
1968 Saw Harish Kapadia and other members from a young team fail on the unstable icefall after approaching from the Ikualari Glacier. .. clearly the Icefall was the major bug bear of climbing this peak. In his book Harish Kapadia described this icefall between Trishuli & Hardeol to be seemingly hollow.

In 1968 a determined effort of a team lead by CK Mitra climbed Trishuli but could not climb Hardeol due to the onset of the Monsoons.

In 1974 four members (2 Indians & 2 NZ team members) of an Indo-New Zealand ladies team lead jointly by Ms. Shashikanta and Magaret Clarke were killed in its lower and highly unstable Icefall while attempting the mountain from the South.

In 1975 an I.T.B.P team under Hukum Singh was unsuccessful from the North .(They however had success on Trishul)

In 1978 first ascent of Hardeol was made by a team from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police led by S. P. Mulasi, on May 31, climbing from the ridge connecting the peak to Trishuli climbing it from the southern side.

Only one further ascent, in 1991, is listed in the Himalayan Index.
This ascent, by a large expedition from the Indian Border Security Force, put five members on the summit on September 24.

The best approach to Hardeol is from the eastern side, through the Ikualari glacier and thence to the right, up the Trishuli valley towards the Hardeol icefall.

Shiva

Om Namah Shivaye!!, originally uploaded by The Wandering Hermit.

Shiva portrayed as the Mahayogi meditating, A statue in Rishikesh, the gateway to the "DEVBHUMI : The Land of the Gods" where amidst the soaring mountains of Garhwal & Kumoani Himal he is supposed to reside..

Frank Smythe in his now famous book : THE VALLEY OF FLOWERS quotes and old Indian sage who wrote:

Not in a hundred ages of the gods I could not tell thee of all the glories of the Himalaya where Shiva lived and where the Ganga falls from the foot of Vishnu like the slender thread of the lotus flower.

Bhagirathi - I (6512 mtrs)

Bhagirathi - I (6512 mtrs), originally uploaded by The Wandering Hermit.

Bhagirathi I is the farthest peak of the Bhagirathi Sisters group one of the many mountains which make up the Gangotri Group. Though many attempts and routes are tried on the formidable & difficult West Buttress of Bhagirathi III (The rib of the buttress can be seen in these 2 shots), Bhagirathi I has received scant attention.

Routes & Main Ascents:

It was only in 1990 that a Japanese Expedition using nearly 2000 mtrs of rope made the first ascent via its Southeast Ridge.

A small team of Alpinists from Britain made a fine Alpine Style ascent in 1983 via its West Ridge, which gave them some excellent granite but tricky snow climbing. Martin Moran , Charlie Heard & John Mothersdale made the summit in a fine effort without roping up the mountain or fancy ironmongery.. But sadly during the descent Heard fell to his death.
Since then there have been other attempts amongst them some Indian Teams.

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..