AFTER EVEREST—THE FUTURE OF INDIAN MOUNTAINEERING

ASHOKA MADGAVKAR

The ascent of Everest is a milestone in Indian mountaineering.

A milestone marks and measures progress ; but before we see how far we have come and decide the direction we seek, let us understand the nature of the problem and of the mountaineer.

Where other athletes and sportsmen compete against each other, the mountaineer in striving to rise higher has to fight the inertia within himself and to grapple with the mysterious and even unpredictable forces of nature—the configuration of a mountain, its impregnable barriers which finally yield a route, still more storms and stresses of every kind, within and without. To cope with them, to steel oneself not for the final spurt of a sprinter cheered by the plaudits of the crowd but in lonely solitude for hour after hour, perhaps day after day—this demands the rare blend of an introvert who can assess himself and then calmly weigh the chances of success, and the single-minded enthusiast ready to face trials and tribulations, even death.

His introversion implies a withdrawal, a measure of detachment ; his one-track mind makes for intense concentration; and in India these are valued adjuncts of spiritual endeavour. So also the asceticism—a compound of simplicity and self-discipline— which is an essential part of mountaineering, particularly in the Himalayas, where there is no respite from hardships. Thus competing with none other than himself, the mountaineer has to overcome the inexorable law of gravity that drags us down when we try to rise—a law physical, mental and, above all, spiritual. The West has come to recognize the close connection between body and mind known to every mountaineer; India accords to each of these three levels of being its proper function so as to establish as a vital experience the supremacy of the spirit, the Atman.

This can be attained by several methods; the surest, according to Shri Shankaracharya, is the karma yoga of the Bhagavadglta which dedicates all action to God and seeks the welfare of the world, in the immortal words of Shri Jnaneshvar, like some sacred stream blessing the banks on either side ere it merges in the ocean. Such has been the prayer of countless saints and sages and humble aspirants summoning us to the holy Himalayas. Such is the tradition we must affirm while taking what is best from others, instead of merely imitating them, on a mountain or elsewhere.

First and foremost, then, I would emphasize that Indian mountaineering can only grow to its full stature if it accords with the national genius, striking its roots deep within what Jung terms our collective unconscious to draw upon a real source of strength. It is in accordance with our tradition of freedom and simplicity that we must try to bring out the best both in the climbers and in the guides who together form our mountain world.

To make the most of a rare opportunity, foreign expeditions often concentrate on a single major peak. By imitating them we waste lakhs of rupees without gaining much experience: half the team may never get beyond Base Camp. Consequently, the best Indian climbers still have so much to learn that in the West they would be rated as little better than tyros ; hence the inclusion of a Sherpa in every summit party. If an expedition costs the country as little (!) as Rs.40,000 for as many as ten climbers, Rs.4,000 per Base Camp squatter is a luxury starving India cannot afford.

In Europe and in New Zealand on the other hand, and to a large extent in North America, thousands shoulder their rucksacks and set forth to climb at their own expense, free men and not servile slaves dependent on the favour of a Minister or a Commissar. Granted that their peaks are more accessible than in India or Russia, and that mountain huts with provisions brought from a nearby village obviate the need for elaborate arrangements, such spartan simplicity and freedom to progress clearly accords with our own traditions and our limited means ; this is the second point to note.

But an autocracy masquerading as socialism inevitably seeks to replace God by the State, so as to arrogate to its dictates what men elsewhere are free to refer to their conscience and their reason. The scaling of a summit must be made a matter of national pride so as to redound to the greater glory of the rulers and to divert attention from the real problems. What matter if famine and corruption stalk the land, ⁴ we' have climbed Nilkantha—or have we?

Let us not repeat the errors which stemmed from resurgent but Hitlerian Germany's suicidal series of ⁴ North Face' attempts and culminated in the Chinese claim to have ⁴ conquered' Everest on a dark night. Dark indeed is the fantasy of falsehood and the self-projection which tries to compensate for the individual deliberately reduced to insignificance by the all-powerful State. Freedom on the other hand must imply the full flowering of each individuality, subject to the ethical principles which India terms 'dharma', and therefore to a self-discipline as intense as it is voluntary.

Thus the British mountaineer at his best may be described as tough, modest and confident, and these are virtues we must emulate, lauded as they are by the Bhagavadgita. To take what is best in others, let us also consider the resolution of the Germans which finally overcome the Eiger and other North faces, and after unequalled disasters finally triumphed on Nanga Parbat by different routes, here as elsewhere lightened by the verve of the Austrians ; the French ‘elan' which took the full team of the nine to the pinpoint summit of Makalu ; and the inimitable elegance of the Italians which cloaks their supple strength. Partaking of each, the Swiss add a calm and serious efficiency of their own. And all these are linked by a strong rope: the prowess of the professional guides who have given the Continent many if not most of its finest climbers.

To establish such standards of climbing and of safety, and to ensure the welfare of mountaineers and mountain peoples alike we must redouble our efforts to train Sherpas, Lahulis, Ladakhis and the Bhotias of Garhwal and Kumaon. They would be proud to form a crack Himalayan regiment like the various Alpine Corps ; and since most of them are Buddhists, or nearly so, there would be no conflicts as regards diet, etc. Instead of being driven to the plains to become clerks or less, the most enterprising would then be encouraged to develop their own beautiful regions whilst the best of their climbers could join various expeditions and gain fresh laurels. That is the third point: to create an elite of guides, free to choose and be chosen instead of tamely obeying the behest of their 'Association' or else of some bureaucrat and the ‘leader' of an expedition favoured by a godfather.

This is the crux of the matter and brings us to the fourth point. The present pernicious and utterly demeaning system of subsidized expeditions must be condemned and abandoned, for it is contrary to our traditions and it has failed to develop either climbers or guides. True, a major peak demands a subsidy after Everest, however, we need not continue to tread in the footsteps of others on peaks that have already been climbed. But when we wish to make the sport as broad-based as possible so as to bring out the best at each level and amongst the maximum number, we must admit that the average Indian mountaineer does need assistance if he is to climb in the Himalayas, not once or twice in a lifetime but year after year. Let us consider an actual example: Lalit Chari's carefully planned five-man expedition to Deo Tibba, only four days from the bus terminus of Manali, thus involving a minimum of provisions and therefore of porterage:

Say, Rs.650 per climber.

How to lighten this burden, in every sense of the term? The cost of Sherpas and perhaps of vain attempts, delays and other difficulties due to ignorance of local conditions would be saved or greatly reduced if members of serious climbing clubs were given local guides who might be allowed leave from their Army or police duties in rotation during the short climbing season before and after the monsoon. Thus assured of their stipend, increasingly literate, holding an honoured rank however humble, immeasurably freer to choose and be chosen, the status and the potentiality of these warrior guides would be raised far beyond their present level.

Next, if basic equipment were provided free or at nominal rates in centres like Darjeeling/Gangtok, Joshimath, Manali and Sonamarg, climbers would be saved hire charges, or at least freight and the concomitant hire for an additional fortnight or more. Much of the equipment could be bought from the Army or
Disposals creating a market for these specialized items, and thus reducing the cost as climbers multiply. To equip a climber from head to foot down to crampons and warm underwear costs about Rs. 1,000. Initially, therefore, Rs. 1,00,000—the cost of a single large expedition with godsons and Base Camp squatters—would suffice for five centres each to provide equipment for as many as 20 climbers and their high-altitude porters. Allowing the ample depreciation of 20 per cent, each centre could maintain its stocks for a mere Rs.4,000 per annum.

This trifling sum would also be the finest way to foster tourism, since it would attract those who would stay longer and spend more than other tourists, returning again and again, even when they are too old to climb, true lovers of the mountains, ardent to champion regions and peoples at worst neglected, at best regarded as picturesque curiosities.

Similarly, as the sport develops we may look forward to mountain huts with plain wooden bunks and a well-designed fire- place-cwm-cooking range, carefully located with an eye to scenery as well as one-day climbs, and erected with the close co-operation of the Forest and Tourism Departments. When not required by officials or reserved in advance, these and other P.W.D. or Forest bungalows should be available on production of a Club or Postal Identity card.

Finally as to food—a weighty part of the budget! Here again the Army could greatly help climbers, to purchase through their clubs at cost price moderate quantities of lightweight rations which require little or no cooking and provide the necessary calories and a sufficiently varied diet balanced as between solids and liquids, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, etc. This would save fuel and as much as 50 per cent of the considerable cost of transporting food.

Given guides and equipment free of charge and lightweight Army rations, Lalit Chari's budget might read:

—slashing the cost per climber by Rs.330 or, almost half the present cost.

This substantial benefit differs from a subsidy in four vital respects. We ensure the welfare of mountain regions while the climber retains his self-respect by paying for his own very private pleasure. On the other hand, a subsidy by its very nature encourages extravagance if nothing worse: there is something seriously wrong when a single idle Base Camp squatter costs more than Lalit's entire expedition. Second, instead of shivering plainsmen a permanent Himalayan Corps would actively associate the border peoples with the defence of the country and the land nearest to their hearts, which is today our most urgent consideration ; a potential reserve would become available as more climbers previously trained by the N.C.C. use these facilities ; and the guides in the Corps would steadily gain authority and experience and compete among themselves for a climbing holiday with all expenses paid in the company, not of bundles to be hauled up a mountain but mountaineers of their own choice. Third, the active and sympathetic co-operation of the Army would be excellent from the viewpoint of public relations, at little or no cost. Finally, these co-ordinated efforts would be available for the benefit of all who choose to avail of them—the true spirit of democracy and of our tradition.

Moreover, if we impart into these efforts the efficiency which the Climbers Club has proved us to possess, we may hope to welcome an ever-increasing number of foreign climbers, with all that this implies in international goodwill, valuable foreign exchange and a vast improvement in our climbing technique. They would flock to the Himalayas if they were assured of the necessary facilities and proper treatment by the Customs, especially if Air- India could arrange climbing holidays or at least cheap passages during the slack pre-monsoon season.

For this purpose, it is all the more imperative that government review the present stifling 'Inner Line' restrictions in areas such as Lahoul and Western Garhwal, where there is surely no danger of a Chinese invasion. So also maps could be made more freely available, since the enemy already has these or could get them through sympathizers ; a great deal could also be done to enlist the aid of mountaineers in surveying remote areas so as to have good large-scale maps equal to the wonderful Swiss and German maps of some Himalayan regions. We might then hope that claimants will correctly identify peaks!

This is no more than a sketch of the grand landscape that now opens before us. I hope that those to whom it is now offered will add further details and amendments in the years to come. In gratitude for what the mountains have given us, let us dedicate ourselves to this destiny of infusing into Indian mountaineering the new yet age-old spirit of Bharat, 'to climb ever higher

[As an Appendix to the views expressed by Mr. A. Madgavkar, the Editor reproduces below, without comment, three circulars recently issued by the Indian Mountaineering Foundation.]

Circular No. 1

The following instructions are issued for compliance by all mountaineering clubs / associations whenever they organize expeditions to the mountains:

1. The plan of the expedition and list of members with their qualifications will be furnished to the Foundation in duplicate.
2. Three copies of the report on the expedition will be submitted to the Foundation and one copy each will be sent to the Principals, Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling, and Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Uttarkashi.
3. Statement of income and expenditure incurred will be submitted to the Foundation duly audited by a Chartered Accountant soon after the expedition is over, with two spare copies thereof.
4. Equipment obtained on loan from the Jayal Memorial Fund Stores or Dias Memorial Fund Stores will be returned without delay on return of the team from the mountains failing which hire charges will be recovered at double the rates for the period the equipment was lying unused. Any damage or loss of equipment will be made good by the expedition concerned in full.
5. Each and every exposure of a film should be adequately captioned otherwise the films cannot be vetted from security angle and consequently these will be confiscated by the government.
6. All press releases regarding the expedition will be made through the Indian Mountaineering Foundation.
7. Immediately on return from mountains a day-to-day technical account of the expedition will be submitted to the Foundation in addition to the report at (ii) above. Diaries in original will also be submitted when demanded.

In case of failure of the observance of the above instructions the association/club will be liable to be disqualified for any assistance in future.

*

No. 1231 IMF 167

Dated January 6, 1970

 

Circular No. 2

1. In continuation of Circular No. 1 and with a view to enabling the Director of Public Relations, Ministry of Defence, to prepare releases for the press, the following further instructions are issued for compliance by all mountaineering clubs /associations whenever they organize expeditions to the mountains:

1. A copy of the programme of the expedition giving the dates of the approach march, establishment of Base Camp, Advance Base Camp, and attempts to climb various peaks, etc., should be sent to the Directorate of Public Relations, Ministry of Defence, New Delhi, with a copy to the Indian Mountaineering Foundation Office. As and when this programme is altered, the alteration should also be intimated.
2. The dates and places (in block letters) when and where the Base Camp or other important camps are established, giving in each case the altitude, must be furnished to the Directorate of Public Relations with a copy to the Indian Mountaineering Foundation Office.
3. The names of Sherpas and porters who are relevant to the achievements of the expedition should also be intimated to the Directorate of Public Relations with a copy to the Indian Mountaineering Foundation Office.
4. Whenever a peak is climbed, the name of the peak (in block letters) and the names of the mountaineers (in block letters) and the time and date when it was scaled should be intimated to the Directorate of Public Relations with a copy to the Indian Mountaineering Foundation Office.
5. The time when the climb for the ascent started, the time when the summit was reached, the period that was spent on the summit and the time when the party returned to the camp below should also be intimated.
6. Any other detail which would be of interest to the press should also be furnished to the Directorate of Public Relations with a copy to the Indian Mountaineering Foundation Office.

2. Information on the lines above should also be given even if the peak was not climbed or the attempt to scale it was abandoned.

3. In so far as the foreign expeditions to mountains in India are concerned, the requisite information will be furnished to the Directorate of Public Relations and to the Indian Mountaineering Foundation Office by the liaison officer attached to each such expedition.

*

No. 1231 IMF 169

Dated October 29, 1969

 

Dear Sir,

In their letter No. 27/4/68-Ests (B) dated September 6, 1969, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, have decided that special casual leave can be granted to government servants for participation in mountaineering expeditions subject to the following conditions:

1. That the expedition has the approval of the Indian Mountaineering Foundation ; and
2. there will be no change in the over-all limit of 30 days of special casual leave for an individual government servant for one calendar year for participation in sporting events of national or international importance.

The period of absence in excess of 30 days will be treated as regular leave of the kind admissible under the leave rules applicable to the person concerned. For this purpose government servants may be permitted, as a special case, to combine special casual leave with regular leave.

The Sponsoring Committee, Indian Mountaineering Foundation, has decided that equipment from the Jayal Memorial Fund Stores and Dias Memorial Fund Stores will be issued to expeditions

Yours faithfully, T. Jacob

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