summary - Climb Magazine

SUMMARY
This concludes our overview of the increasingly popular Miyar Valley
with ascents on Ogre II, Trento Peak, Om Shanti, Points 6,036m and
5,617m - all more alpine than pure rocky peaks - and a partial new
route on Tamadonog. There is also a correction concerning the
information given about new routes on Toro and JAMES in last
month's INFO. Just east of Miyar we cover a partial new route on
Gangstang. We then turn to the Garhwal and attempts on
Changabang and Kalanka (including the 2008 ascent of the North
Face), exploration and three new peaks in the Kagbhusandi Valley,
and finally an attempt on Kharchakund and a new route on Pt
6,465m, both in the Gangotri.
PHOTODIAGRAMS
These include: an annotated 360° panorama of the Miyar peaks; the
North Face of Ogre II; Om Shanti; Trento Peak; Tamadonog;
Gangstang from the north; Kalanka and Changabang from the north
east as well as Kalanka from the south; Kharchakund from the north
and east; and Pt 6,465m from the west.
INDIA
This report begins with the second part of
our overview of the Miyar Valley and then
continues with ascents in the Garhwal
that largely took place during 2007.
MIYAR VALLEY 2008 - PART TWO
Part one of our overview of this
increasingly popular alpine area in
Lahaul covered the three northerly side
valleys of the upper Miyar Valley;
Jangpar, Dali and Chhudong. Part two
covers the remaining, least explored and
most southerly of the four valleys, where
several ascents took place in 2008
Takdung Glacier
The Takdung (formerly Nameless) Valley
flows into the Miyar south of the standard
Dali Got Base Camp and Castle Peak. It
appears to be the least explored of the
four tributary valleys close to the snout of
the Miyar Glacier, and prior to 2008 the
upper Takdung Glacier had most likely
never been visited. Three members of the
large Italian team led by Bruno Moretti Giampaolo Corona, Christian Gobbi and
Merko Groff - decided to establish an
advanced base on the glacier and attempt
some of the higher virgin peaks.
The North West Face of Ogre II (North Summit on left; South Summit to the right), showing the line of Ice on the Rocks
(1,200m: TD+) to Col 5,630m and then part way up the North Ridge of Ogre II South Peak. BRUNO MORETTI COLLECTION
www.mountain-equipment.co.uk
APR 09 67
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TG
Above: A 360° panorama from the summit of Bruno Detassis Peak in the Miyar. (TG) Upper Takdung Glacier. (CG) Chhudong Glacier. (1) Om Shanti, (2) Nameless Tower, (3) Trento Peak,
(4) Ogre III, (5) Ogre II North Summit, (6) Ogre II South Summit, (7) Ogre I, (8) Neverseen Tower, (9) Grandfather Enzo Peak, (10) Peak 5,700m, (11) Paola's Peak, (12) Mont Blanc, (13)
Geruda Peak, (14) Double Peak, (15) Matterhorn, (16) Rachu Tangmu, (17) Menthosa, (18) Veneto, (19) Masala Peak, (20) Thunder Peak, (21) Three Peaks Mountain South East Summit,
(22) Three Peaks Mountain Middle Summit, and (23) Three Peaks Mountain North West Summit. BRUNO MORETTI COLLECTION
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Ogre II
Giampaolo Corona
during the first
ascent of Ice on the
Rocks (1,200m:
TD+), North West
Couloir of Col
5,630m on Ogre II.
BRUNO MORETTI
COLLECTION
68 APR 09
The middle section of the true left (south eastern)
bank of the Takdung holds four great snow and ice
peaks of 5,900m-6,000m. They were photographed
from the Miyar Valley in 2002 by the Slovakian
expedition and given names according to their
similarity with famous peaks: Ogre III, Ogre II, Ogre
I and Mont Blanc. Ogre II, in particular, is a fine
double-summited mountain with an imposing
North West Face. On the 16th September, Corona,
Gobbi and Groff made the first ascent of the North
West Couloir of the 5,630m col (N 33° 02’ 29.06”; E
76° 54’ 18.90” GPS) between North and South
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Summits. The route was 1,200m in length and in
the lower part had difficult gullies of 70° and two
ice falls of 85°. The upper section, above a
dangerous snowfield, featured a section of hard
mixed terrain at UIAA V+ and 85°. The three
Italians made a one-day ascent from their
advanced base on the glacier, reaching the col at
5.30pm and naming their route Ice on the Rocks
(TD+). From here they tried to reach the South
Peak but retreated part way up the connecting
ridge due to the lateness of the hour and risk of
windslab avalanche. They returned to camp at
11pm after a gruelling 18-hour day. Afterwards, a
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Below: A 360° panorama from the summit of Bruno Detassis Peak in the Miyar. (CG) Upper Chhudong Glacier. (21) Three Peaks Mountain South East Summit, (22) Three Peaks Mountain
Middle Summit, (23) Three Peaks Mountain North West Summit. (24) Tawa I, (25) Tawa II, (26) Devil's Horns above Jangpar Glacier, (27) Tawa III, (28) Citta de Frascati Peak, (29) Tawa IV,
(30) Tawa V, (31) Tawa VI, (32) Peaks in the Zanskar Range, (33) Tawa VII, (34) Unnamed, and (35) summit of Bruno Detassis Peak. BRUNO MORETTI COLLECTION
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CG
prolonged spell of very bad weather, which
during one night put down 40cm of snow at base
camp and wrecked the tents at a high camp in
the Chhudong, prevented any further climbing.
Trento Peak
On the 9th September 2008, Corona, Gobbi and
Groff made the first ascent of the elegant Trento
Peak (6,046m GPS), which rises above the true
left (east) bank of the glacier, opposite Lotus
Peak and the Neverseen Tower. The co-ordinates
of the peak were measured as N 33° 04’ 15.29”, E
76° 54’ 42.95”.
After a difficult and complex glacial approach,
the three climbed a prominent 800m snow
couloir (55° at the bottom and generally a tiring
ascent in deep snow) on the South East Face to
reach the knife-edge West (or North West) Ridge
at c5,800m. From here they moved onto the
North Face and climbed this over steep mixed
ground (80°) and ice-covered UIAA V rock slabs
to reach the summit at 3.30pm. Just below the
top Gobbi was windslab avalanched, fortunately
without injury. The 1,000m route was graded TD+
and completed in a round trip of 16 hours from
advanced base.
Om Shanti
Two days later, Corona and Groff reached the
summit of the previously unnamed Om Shanti
Peak (5,770m GPS: Mountain of Peace in Hindi: N
33° 04’ 42.45”, E 76° 54’ 21.66”), which lies to the
west of Trento Peak but is separated from it by a
fine unclimbed rocky summit of perhaps 5,900m.
The two climbed a broad 50° south-facing snow
couloir towards the gap east of the peak, and then
continued up discontinuous icy gullies separated
by granite slabs on the South East Face (mixed
climbing to 80° and UIAA V+). The overall grade of
this 750m route was TD+.
APR 09 69
A
B
Looking approximately east south east from the summit of Bruno Detassis Peak over
the upper Takdung Glacier. (A) An unnamed and unclimbed summit of c5,900m. Om
Shanti (5,770m GPS) lies just off picture to the left. (B) Trento Peak (6,946m GPS)
showing the line of the ascent - South East Face to North West Ridge to North Face most of which is hidden. BRUNO MORETTI COLLECTION
Giampaolo Corona in the upper gullies on the South East Face of Om Shanti (5,770m
GPS) during the first ascent. BRUNO MORETTI COLLECTION
Om Shanti Peak (5,770m) showing
the first ascent route via the South
Couloir to South East Face
(Corona/Groff, 2008: 750m: TD+).
BRUNO MORETTI COLLECTION
70 APR 09
To read this article in full you can download it via the ‘Climb magazine Archives’, at
www.climbmagazine.com
Tamadonog
Tamadonog is the local name for the large
rocky peak forming the end of the southern
rim of the Takdung Valley, overlooking the
Miyar. Falling north from the main summit is
a prominent spur, a feature that prompted
the 2002 Slovak expedition to refer to this
peak as the 'Walker Spur'. To the west is a
subsidiary summit or shoulder, with a series
of steep pillars on the north face overlooking
the lower Takdung. These were dubbed 'The
Brouillard Pillars' by the Slovaks.
In 2004 the Spanish Alberto Urtasun and
Patricia Viscarrets started up a corner
system on the left flank of the lower North
West Ridge, gained the crest of the ridge
(which is more the left edge of the large
broken West Face than a distinct crest) and
followed it to the top. Their route, Shakti,
covered 1,300m of climbing at V+ and A1, and
it is presumed the pair continued to the
highest point of the mountain.
The following year saw a large expedition
representing the Spanish Federation Young
Climbers' Team tackle many new lines in the
Miyar, including the 'Brouillard Pillars',
where they established two new routes.
Oscar Cacho and Victor Sans climbed a pillar
towards the left side of the North North West
Face, naming it Tocati di Bola (400m: 6b and
A2) and then Cacho, Sans, Jonathan
Larranaga and Ferran Rodriguez climbed
Ocell a Vent to the right (400m: 6b and A2).
Both teams terminated their ascents at the
tops of the pillars and rappelled.
In 2006 the Polish duo of Michal Krol and
Przemek Wojcik discovered the local name
for the peak and added a third route to the
North North West Face, starting a little left of
Tocati di Bola and finishing up similar ground
to the crest of the ridge. From here they
followed the remaining c500m of crest to the
main summit, but saw no trace of any
previous ascent. Their route, Doomed to
Miyar, gave around 1,000m of climbing and
was all free at UIAA VIII-. The two descended
a long stony couloir on the West Face.
In September 2008, after their ascent of a
new route on Toro (reported last month),
Camilio López and Anna Pfaff climbed a
variation start to Shakti. The pair left base
camp at 4am and by 6.30am was starting up
the very toe of the ridge at the left edge of
the West Face. They moved together for the
first c500m, finding some pitches at 5.7 or
5.8. Above, they encountered a vertical step,
and belayed two crux pitches of 5.9.
Thereafter they unroped and climbed 400m
to the foresummit (5.6/5.7), from where loose
scree with the occasional 5th Class block led
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Tamadonog from the Miyar Valley. This rocky summit lies immediately south of the entrance to the Takdung Valley. The
highest summit was originally referred to as 'The Walker Spur'. The North North West Face showing the approximate
lines of: (1) Doomed to Miyar (Krol/Wojcik, 2006: 1,000m of climbing: UIAA VIII-); (2) Tocati di Bola (Cacho/Sans, 2005:
400m: 6b and A2); (3) Ocell a Vent (Cacho/Sans/Larranaga/Rodriguez, 2005: 400m: 6b and A2). North West Ridge: (4)
Shakti (Urtasun/Viscarrets: 2004: 1,300m of climbing: V+ and A1); (5) Long Life Ridge (Lopez/Pfaff, 2008: 1,400m of
climbing: 5.9). ANDREJ GRMOVSEK
to the top. The two reached the highest point
of the mountain at 5pm, having climbed
approximately 1,400m.
López and Pfaff also saw no evidence of
previous passage and built a large cairn on
the summit.
Descent was made via one of the gullies on
the West Face, which was full of loose
blocks, turned out to be much longer than
anticipated, and provided the crux of the day.
They arrived back at base camp at 1am,
naming their line, several hundred metres of
which is new, Long Life Ridge.
The height of Tamadonog is questionable.
There are various reports of 5,240m but it
seems likely this was assigned to the old
'Brouillard Pillars' or foresummit and not the
main summit. Who arrived at this figure and
how is also not clear. The two Americans
recorded an altimeter reading of 5,800m on
top, but photographic evidence from other
peaks would suggest it is considerably lower.
Points 6,036m and 5,617m
In 2007 two peaks in the Miyar region were
climbed but little information is known about
the ascents. On the 30th July a eightmember Indian expedition led by Sameer
Serigupta reports ascending Pt 6,036m
above the Miyar Glacier from a base camp at
the usual site of Dali Got. Later, on the 8th
September a seven-member Japanese
expedition from Osaka University reports
climbing Forward Peak (5,617m), a summit
close to the Tarsalmu Pass leading east
towards Darcha. This is reached by leaving
the approach up the Miyar Valley a little
north of Khanjar. The climbers reached the
summit via the North Face.
Correction Toro/JAMES
In last month's INFO we reported ascents of
Toro and JAMES by Americans Brandon
(Brandon Lampley) and Beth (Elizabeth
Fredell). On Toro, these two repeated the
first few pitches of the 2008 López/Pfaff
Direttissima as far as the diagonal trough,
rating the crux section 5.8+. They then moved
slightly right and climbed directly up the
slabs above and through a prominent roof
that is clearly visible from the valley. In the
main, this new ground was fun 5.5 but there
was a fine, thin-hands crack through the roof
at 5.9.
On JAMES they more or less followed the
same line on the slabs below the North East
Ridge climbed earlier in the season by
Australians Natasha Sebire and Gemma
APR 09 71
Lahul. (A) Gangstang (6,162m) and (B) Thirot Shivling (5,324m). The North Face is on the left, North West Ridge in centre
with Thirot Shivling at its base, and the South-West Ridge is the right skyline. The 2007 ascent is marked. MARTIN MORAN
A
B
Woldendorp. The obvious way, up a
couloir/depression, was snow-covered, so
the two Americans climbed c200m of broken
slabs to the right at around 5.6, except for a
section of 5.8 about 60m below the summit.
The summit block has to be down-climbed
from the top. About 15m below the block the
American pair discovered a rather old rappel
anchor. They started a series of rappels back
down the route from this point. On the first
ascent in 2002 Vlado Linek and Igor Koller
scrambled just below the crest of the North
East Ridge from the col at its base. The
climbing, both up and down, was
straightforward and no rappels were needed.
EAST OF THE MIYAR
Gangstang
The Scottish-based guide Martin Moran is
one of the more adventurous commercial
72 APR 09
operators and has long experience of
exploratory climbing in the Indian Himalaya.
In 2007 he visited the valley of Thirot a little
to the east of the Miyar and was successful
in making a partial new route on Gangstang
(6,162m).
The expedition established base camp at
the head of the Thirot Nala, 10km from the
road head at Nainghar village. After
attempts to reconnoiter the unclimbed
Nainghar Choti (6,094m) were hampered by
poor weather, the team began to investigate
the impressive north and west flanks of
Gangstang. On the 28th September Alan
Clapperton, David Geddes, Frank Johnstone,
Aran Mahajan, Moran and Luder Singh
climbed a prominent rocky bastion at the
end of the North West Ridge of Gangstang,
naming it Thirot Shivling (5,324m). The
ascent went at PD- and UIAA II. From here
they spied a conspicuous curving snow
couloir on the West Face of Gangstang
leading to the crest of the South West Ridge
at around 5,600m.
The following day Peter Ashworth, Gustavo
Fierro-Carrion, John Leedale, Mahajan,
Moran and Singh, assisted by the British
guide James Edwards and Govind Singh,
climbed the 600m couloir at Scottish grade
III/IV and established a camp on the ridge at
5,600m. The following day they continued up
the crest to intersect with the previous route
up the South West Ridge 5,850m and from
there reached the summit. The overall grade
was D-.
Gangstang, which was reportedly first
climbed by Italians in 1945 and again in
September 1973 by a team from Calcutta, is
most commonly climbed via the South West
Ridge. This is now considered the Normal
The unclimbed
6,094m Nainghar
Choti. Here, the North
Summit and North
Ridge are seen from
the West Face of
Gangstang. There
remains doubt as to
whether the North
Summit is the highest
point: a level knifeedged ridge runs
south for 500m to the
South Top, which is
shown as having the
higher elevation on
old maps. However, it
appeared equal to or
lower than the North
Top when viewed
from Gangstang.
MARTIN MORAN
Route, though the mountain has received
probably less than a dozen ascents (the last
before the British expedition took place just
one month earlier, when the South West
Ridge was climbed by an Indian team).
Successful parties have approached the
ridge from the Gangstang Glacier to the
East. In 2001 a Japanese party broke new
ground by approaching the peak via the
glacier below the North Face and from here
made the first ascent of the East Ridge.
The Thirot Valley is a fine discovery,
offering plenty of potential for further first
ascents. Amongst these would be the
beautiful North West Ridge and impressive
900m North Face of Gangstang and the
sinuous North Ridge of Nainghar Choti,
plus many rock climbs on lower granitic
spires.
EASTERN GARHWAL
Changabang
In 2007, a strong Australian-New Zealand
team made a two-pronged attempt on
Changabang (6,864m). From a 5,000m camp
at the head of the Bagini Glacier, Kester
Brown and Craig Jefferies started up the line
of the 1996 British attempt on the North Face,
which lies to the right of the eventual British
ascent route of 1997 but left of the main rock
wall taken by the 1998 Lightning Route
(Buhler/Dusharin/Mariev/Shabalin/Volkov). In
1996 Julie-Ann Clyma, Brendan Murphy,
Roger Payne and Andy Perkins became the
first team to attempt the North Side of
Changabang, and the first to attempt this
iconic Himalayan peak by any route since
1982. The four climbed in capsule style to a
central icefield at well over 6,000m and then
tried to traverse left towards an icy corner
system in the headwall. Unfortunately, a
severe illness to Perkins forced them down.
The following year, on the successful ascent
to the summit by Andy Cave and Murphy, the
corner system was reached direct via a line
on the left side of the face.
Brown and Jefferies reached the icefield in
three days, overcoming pitches of snow
plastered 90° ice. They took a rest day, and
then traversed left to join the 1997 line
(climbing a few hundred metres of new
ground), then up to the small icefield below
the headwall. They bivouacked on an ice arête
at c6,200m, where they were hit by heavy
snowfall. As the storm continued, they
eventually retreated down the left side of the
face in 16 rappels.
Meanwhile Brian Alder, Adam Darragh and
Marty Beare fixed 300m of rope to the
c5,800m col at the foot of the North West
Pillar, then another 200m up the wall above
APR 09 73
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Kalanka (6,931m, left) and Changabang (6,864m) from the north east. (1) The 2007 British attempt on the North East
Face to East Ridge (Bullock/Cool). (2) The 2008 successful Japanese ascent of the North East Face and Central Spur Bushido (Amano/Ichimura/Sato: bivouac sites are marked). (3) The 2003 American attempt on the Central Spur
(Nott/Varco: high point of 6,550m). (4) The 1977 Czechoslovakian Route (Jon/Rakoncaj). (5) North Face- British Route
(Cave/Murphy to summit, Fowler/Sustad to East Ridge, 1997). (6) 1996 British attempt and New Zealand connection
(Clyma/Murphy/Payne/Perkins, 1996: Brown/Jefferies, 2007, high point 6,200m). (7) The Lightning Route
(Buhler/Dusharin/Mariev/Shabalin/Volkov, 1998). The big compact wall to the right was attempted to 6,100m in 2005
by a Korean expedition. (8) North West Pillar (Boardman/Tasker, 1976). NICK BULLOCK
(60° and mixed) in an attempt to make the
long awaited second ascent of the 1976
Boardman-Tasker Route (Alder had tried this
route in 2002). A week-long snow storm
precluded any further activity.
Kalanka
A direct route up the North Face of Kalanka
(6,931m), Changabang's higher easterly
neighbour, has become one of the most
sought after lines in the Garhwal, and in 2007
three teams arrived on the Bagini Glacier
with Kalanka as their goal.
The only team to make any real impact on
the mountain was the British pair, Nick
Bullock and Kenton Cool. Their interest lay
not with the prominent Central Spur, an
elegant line attempted three times since
2001, but with the broad snow/ice face to the
left leading to a shoulder on the East Ridge.
Setting off on the 12th September, they
climbed through an unprotectable rock band
on the lower section of the face and were
then slowed by a mixture of deep
unconsolidated snow, hard ice, deep flutings
and powder. They also underestimated the
height of the face, thinking it would take a
day and a half to climb. In fact it wasn't until
the 15th, and after several poor bivouacs,
that they were wallowing up deep
74 APR 09
unconsolidated snow on the crest of the East
Ridge at c6,300m. Difficult and dangerous
pitches on the north flank led below
gendarmes to the start of the steep and
technical section of the ridge leading up to
the summit. Here, they were faced with a
pitch that both considered too gnarly to
climb. Strung out and with only one day's
food remaining and a possible two-three days
climbing needed to reach the top, they
realized that down was the only safe option.
It took that day and the next to regain the
glacier.
The other two expeditions, a threemember Dutch team and a three-member
Czech party, with eyes more towards the
Central Spur, arrived later than the British
team, and were not really ready to make
serious attempts before a huge storm moved
in and dumped two metres of snow at
advanced base.
In September 2008, Kazuaki Amano,
Fumitaka Ichimura and Yusuke Sato, part of a
group of emerging young Japanese alpinists
who refer to themselves as the Giri-Giri boys
and are currently making impressive ascents
throughout the Greater Ranges in excellent
style, started up the face taken by the
Bullock-Cool attempt. After bivouacking at
6,000m on the first night, they made a long
horizontal traverse to the right, below the
steep upper rock walls, to reach the crest of
the Central Spur, where they bivouacked at
c6,150m. Next day they climbed through the
steep (crux) section of the spur above at M5+
and bivouacked at 6,550m. The following day
they only made it to 6,600m before being
pinned down for three days in a storm. On
the 22nd September the weather cleared and
the three still had enough strength to go for
the summit, which they reached in a 13-hour
round trip from their top bivouac. Due to the
fresh snow, the going was hard, and on the
descent they elected to go straight down the
Central Spur to the glacier, finally reaching
base camp after a 10-day alpine style push,
achieved on just five days food. Their 1,800m
route was named Bushido and won for them
the Third Piolet d'Or Asia. A full account of
the ascent will appear in a future INFO.
After a British attempt on the South Face
in autumn 1974 from within the Nanda Devi
Sanctuary, an approach no longer an option
due to a general ban on entering the
Sanctuary from the early 1980s onwards,
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Another view of Kalanka from the north east
showing (1) The 2007 British attempt on the North
East Face to East Ridge (Bullock/Cool). (2) The 2008
successful Japanese ascent of the North East Face
and Central Spur - Bushido (Amano/Ichimura/Sato:
bivouac sites are marked). (3) The 1977
Czechoslovakian Route - North Face to West Ridge
(Jon/Rakoncaj). NICK BULLOCK
High on the North East Face,
Kenton Cool approaches the
shoulder on the East Ridge of
Kalanka. NICK BULLOCK
Kalanka was first climbed on the 2nd June 1975 by Japanese Noriaki
Ikeda, Kazumasa Ioue, Tsuneo Kouma and Ikuo Tanabe with the
Indian, T Singh. This party followed the same route as the
Changabang first ascensionists the year previous; across Shipton Col,
then up the South Face to gain the col between Changabang and
Kalanka. From here they followed the West Ridge of the latter to its
summit. The second ascent, in 1977, remains one of the most
underrated achievements in the Himalaya for the era, despite being
completed in siege style. A strong team from what was then
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Kalanka (6,931m) seen from within the Nanda Devi Sanctuary to the south. (1) South
Face to West Ridge (Ikeda/Ioue/Kouma/Singh/Tanabe, 1975). (2) The 1978
Barton/Fyffe descent. (3) South Face (Barton/Fyffe, 1978). In 1982 Besl, Farbiger,
Hesse and Lukas climbed directly up the South Face, most likely starting up the
Barton/Fyffe descent route. Team-mates Prazenthaler and Schrag climbed the
broad couloir right of the Barton/Fyffe to the East Ridge and finished up this to the
summit. NICK BULLOCK
Czechoslovakia had a permit and liaison
officer for Kalanka, planning to attempt
the much harder and more serious North
Face. Due to Inner Line restrictions
prevailing at the time, they were forced to
use a much longer approach from the
south than that followed since the 1990s
via Dunagiri to the north west. The
expedition walked up the Rishi Ganga, set
up Base Camp on the Ramani Glacier and
then made a lengthy crossing of the Bagini
Pass (where ropes were fixed) to reach the
Bagini Glacier and foot of the face. They
first attempted a direct line up face but
were beaten by the weather. Subsequently,
they turned to a leftward-slanting mixed
line well to the right, which rose up to
reach the West Ridge about 150m above
the Kalanka-Changabang Col. Ropes were
fixed, a grade V rock pillar was climbed,
and from the top camp Ladislav Jon and
Josef Rakoncaj reached the summit via
the upper section of the Japanese Route.
The expedition experienced almost
constant poor weather but fortunately no
wind, which allowed them to push out the
route.
In 1978 Bob Barton and Alan Fyffe climbed a new route up a rib on
the right side of the South Face, slanting left when above half-height
to reach the summit. In 1981 Bernard Domenech (France) Nick Kekus
(UK) and Guiseppi Martellotti (Italy) more or less repeated the
Japanese Route but in worsening weather turned back at a point
approximately 50m from the summit. In 1982 four Germans, Gerry
Besl, Peter Farbiger, Manfred Hesse and Bernhard Lukas, climbed
directly up the South Face to the summit, while their team-mates,
Erwin Prazenthaler and Karl Schrag climbed the slope right of the
Barton-Fyffe Route to gain a small col on the East Ridge, up which
they finished to the top. Due to the subsequent closure of the Nanda
Devi Sanctuary, this was the last ascent of Kalanka until 2008.
Much later, during his ascent of Changabang’s North Face with the
Russians in 1998, the American Carlos Buhler had ample time to
study the Central Spur on the North Face of Kalanka and returned for
an attempt in September 2001 with fellow countryman, Jack Roberts.
The Americans had permission from Delhi but once in the region
experienced huge bureaucratic problems with the Uttaranchal State
Government. Substantially delayed, they were only able to make a
reconnaissance of the face, placing an advanced camp at 5,660m
before having to return home. Buhler returned in spring 2004 with
British climbers, Sandy Allan and John Lyall but difficult conditions
stopped them below 6,000m.
However one year previous, the Central Spur had received an
extremely spirited attempt from Americans, Sue Nott and John Varco,
the pair climbing in capsule style and using a portaledge camp to fix
ropes through the vertical to overhanging central rock barrier above
6,100m (pitches of M6). They eventually established a camp above the
difficulties at c6,550m, with only 350-400m of relatively easy snow and
ice slopes separating them from the summit. At this point they had
been four days without food and were being pounded daily by heavy
afternoon spindrift. Totally spent and with little hope of clear weather,
they descended.
APR 09 75
Mick Cottam leading the first pitch
on the East Face of the summit
block of Danesh Parvat (5,490m) in
India's Kagbhusandi Valley. The
block gave two full pitches of steep
granite climbing with sections of
UIAA V/V+ DAVE WYNNE-JONES
retreated, only to see during their descent a
narrow snow ramp rising below the
overhanging North Face of the summit. They
climbed back up and across two pitches of
doubtful snow to the East Face, where two
more pitches in vertical granite cracks
(moves of UIAA V/V+) led to the top. The grade
was estimated to be D.
The following day Astill and Higton reached
the summit of Pt 5,080m (map reading; the
GPS was lower), which lies east of the Kankul
Pass and has been named Kankul Peak. The
pair climbed a rocky couloir on the East Flank
(AD) running parallel to, and a little below,
the snow laden North Ridge.
WESTERN GARHWAL - GANGOTRI
Kharchakund and Point 6,465m
Mick Cottam on the summit of Danesh Parvat after
the successful first ascent via the West Ridge, North
Face and East Face (D with moves of V/V+ on the
summit block) DAVE WYNNE-JONES
?CENTRAL GARHWAL
Kagbhusandi Valley
To mark the 150th anniversary of the
inaugeration of the Alpine Club, well-known
Himalayan explorer Harish Kapadia (who is
an honorary AC member) organized a joint
Indo-British expedition to the Kagbhusandi
Valley in the Central Garhwal. This valley lies
south of the Bhuidhar (aka Valley of Flowers),
and should not be confused with the location
of Kagbhusand (5,830m), a peak much further
north toward Kamet (7756m) that was
climbed by Eric Shipton in 1931. Kapadia had
visited the Kagbhusandi in May 2006, when he
planned to trek to the head and then cross
the Kankul Khal (pass) towards the Dhauli
Ganga river and Joshimath. Unfortunately, he
was turned back by unexpectedly deep snow.
He hoped to rectify this in 2007 by going later
(late May, finishing in mid June). With him
were Atul Rawal and four members of the AC:
Chris Astill, Mick Cottam, Mark Higton and
Dave Wynne-Jones. The last four may be the
first non-Indians to climb in this valley.
Starting up the popular trek toward the
Valley of Flowers, the team took three days to
reach a base camp at Chhaiyan Kharak
(3,815m). To the north towered Hathi Parbat
(6,727m) and the lower Otika Danda (5,780m),
the only peaks so far climbed in the
Kagbhusandi. Hathi Parbat was climbed in
1963 by a team from the Indo-Tibet Border
Police and two years later one of the
76 APR 09
summiteers, HCS Rawat, became the first
Indian to stand on the summit of Everest. On
the first day of the approach to base camp,
the 2007 Indo-British team had a timely
reminder of Alpine and Himalayan Club links
when, by chance, they met Nanda Sinh
Chauhan. Now 94 years old, he was with
Frank Smythe in both 1931 and 1937, when
the pair made their historic visit to the Valley
of Flowers.
Despite the later timing, the expedition
found difficult snow conditions and, once
again, Kapadia was unable to cross the pass,
as the snow was too deep for laden porters.
However, the British contingent, which had a
permit to climb up to 6,000m, made three
first ascents. Peak AC 150 (5,030m GPS) lay
immediately west of the 4,665m (GPS) Kankul
Khal. All four climbers approached via the
North East Flank. In the upper section Astill
and Cottam climbed a couloir east of the
North Spur, while Higton and Wynne-Jones
took the crest of the Ridge direct in four
pitches of Scottish 3. Four more pitches of
mixed ground and a narrow snow arête led to
the summit. The overall grade was AD.
Cottam and Wynne-Jones then climbed the
already named but previously virgin Danesh
Parvat (5,490m). The pair attempted the West
Ridge and followed the increasingly steep and
narrowing crest to the sheer summit block.
After two hours probing snow-covered cracks
and a chimney full of unstable blocks, they
After bad weather and objective dangers
curtailed new route plans on Kharchakund
(6,612m), Pat Deavoll (New Zealand) and
Bruce Normand (UK) climbed a probable new
route on Point 6.465m above the true right
(eastern) bank of the Gangotri Glacier.
Together with Paul and Shelley Hershey (NZ),
the two arrived at Sundarban Base Camp
(4,535m) in September, after which Deavoll
and Normand first acclimatized on the
Normal Route up Kedar Dome. From a high
camp at 5,500m, the pair climbed part way up
the rounded North East Ridge on two
consecutive days, the highest point reached
being 6,200m.
The Hersheys made an inspection of the
unclimbed South West Ridge of Kharchakund
(connecting with 6,331m Sumeru Parvat),
finding the approach threatened by serac fall.
They decided instead to attempt the smaller
Yeonbuk (5,935m) to the south. Yeonbuk was
first climbed from the north in 1984 by Poles,
a route repeated by Indians in 1986.
Meanwhile, Deavoll and Normand climbed
hard ice onto the virgin East Ridge of
Kharchakund, reaching a small notch on the
crest at 5,500m, where they bivouacked below
the first of a series of rock steps. They were
then hit by the start of a six-day storm and
retreated.
Kharchakund has seen few ascents and is a
difficult proposition by any route. After
several previous attempts by Indian teams, in
1980 a Japanese expedition climbed the West
Rib until stopped by a rock step, then
traversed up across the face to the left to hit
the North Ridge at a small col, where they
established Camp 4 at c6,250m. From here,
Toshiharu Hashimoto and Yoshitaka Tanimura
were the first pair to climb to the summit.
This route has been repeated on several
occasions, first in 1983 (Austrians noted
1
2
3
Kharchakund (6,612m) from the north with (1) the unclimbed East Ridge, (2) the approximate line of the 1983
Austrian Route up the North East Face to North Ridge (1,600m: TD), and (3) The North Ridge Integral (British,
1987: 1,600m: ED1). BRUCE NORMAND
Kharchakund (6,612m) seen from the route up Pt 6,465m to the east.
The left skyline is the unclimbed South West Ridge, which connects
with 6,331m Sumeru Parvat (off picture). The unclimbed East Ridge,
attempted to 5,500m in 2007 falls towards the camera. BRUCE NORMAND
below). Deavoll and Normand inspected this
line as a possible descent and noted that
glacial recession since 1980 had transformed
the initial 100m of the route into bare rock.
However, the remaining line appeared to be
relatively safe.
Two members of an Austrian expedition
made the second ascent of the peak in 1983
via a bold, alpine-style ascent of the North
East Face. Sepp Inhoger and Balthasar
Pichler climbed the 1,600m route (TD: 65°)
with one bivouac and descended the West Rib.
A little later, other members of this
expedition ascended the West Rib
The West Rib was also used for descent by
the 1987 British team that established the
third new route on the mountain, the North
Ridge. Robin Beadle, Bobby Gilbert, Rob
Tresidder and Pete Scott made a five and a
half day ascent in alpine style, taking a
further one and a half days to descend the
West Rib (where they found many fixed
ropes). The four overcame difficulties up to
UIAA VI and A1, and Scottish V, the overall
grade of the route possibly equating to Alpine
ED1. About 120m of 7mm rope was left in
B
A
C
ABC
Looking east across the Gangotri Glacier at (A) part of Point 6,172m, (B) Pt 6,465m
(Maiandi) showing the new route climbed in 2007 by Pat Deavoll and Bruce
Normand, and (C) Jankuth (6,805m). The partially visible West Face on Jankuth was
attempted in 2004 by Malcolm Bass, Marty Beare, Andy Brown, Deavoll and Paul
Figg, the high point being c6,400m on the South Ridge. BRUCE NORMAND
places on the ridge to facilitate retreat, should it have been necessary.
Let's now return to 2007. When fine weather eventually returned,
albeit briefly, to the area, the East Ridge of Kharchakund was too
snow-plastered to make it a feasible proposition, so Deavoll and
Normand opted to try the nice-looking Point 6,454m a little further up
the Gangotri Glacier. Deavoll had noted this mountain in 2004 on a
previous trip to attempt nearby Jankuth and assumed it was
unclimbed.
The first obstacle was a 600m icefall rising directly from the east
bank of the Gangotri immediately south of the unnamed Pt 6,172m,
and leading to a small, snowy cwm below and left of the South Ridge of
the mountain. They camped the night of the 3rd October in this cwm
and the following day climbed the remaining 800m up the ridge to the
6,454m summit. This involved four-five pitches of ice climbing up to
50° and a 17-hour round trip from camp. Near the top, the climbers
traversed the South West Flank to the left and finished up the West
Ridge in deep snow. The next morning increasingly poor weather
accompanied the climbers down through the icefall. Unfortunately, for
the other pair, the avalanche danger on Yeonbuk had proved
prohibitive, and they retreated.
Deavoll later proposed a name of Maiandi for Pt 6,465m as it lies
immediately above the Maiandi Bamak (glacier) to the east. However,
while the ascent was in all probability new, the mountain had been
climbed at least once before.
Pt 6,465m was first climbed on the 21st September 1987 by an
expedition from the London Hospital, which entered the Swachand
Bamak and established Camp 2 at 5,870m on the North Face. From
here John Sanders and Richard Stradling climbed to the summit.
There were no major difficulties but some interesting mixed climbing
between 6,000 and 6,200m.
INFO: Nick Bullock/Tsunemichi Ikeda/Harish Kapadia/Michal
Krol/Brandon Lampley/Camilo López/Martin Moran/Bruno Moretti/Bruce
Normand/Denis Savelyev/Reiko Terasawa/Dave Wynne-Jones and the
reference sources of the American Alpine Journal, Himalayan Journal and
Alpine Club Himalayan Index.
Bruce Normand
high on the South
Ridge of Pt 6,465m
(Maiandi) during
the probable first
ascent of the
mountain from this
side
BRUCE NORMAND
COLLECTION
78 APR 09