THE EXPEDITION OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE MOUNTAINEERING ASSOCIATION TO LAHOUL, JUNE 1955

GROUP CAPTAIN A. J. M. SMYTH, O.B.E., D.F.C.

When we originally made up our minds to come to the Lahoul area, there were several factors which prompted this decision, the most impelling of which was its accessibility. Being unsupported by public funds, except for a free trip to India, we were forced to limit our expedition to six weeks beyond Delhi. After much consideration we chose the Spiti-Lahoul watershed, approaching via the Bara Shigri glacier, recently visited by Gunther, with the intention of plotting the courses of the Gyurdi and Ratung rivers—those tributaries of the Spiti river which flow north-eastward parallel with the border, and join the main stream through precipitous gorges. As we approached Manali reports of the late winter and terrible state of the snow poured in to us, and we prayed that they were exaggerated. When we reached the Forest Rest House at Manali, where a fine camping area was kindly put at our disposal, it became imperative that we have immediate firsthand information on the state of the Rohtang. Little realizing what we were asking, we sent off Stewart and Lees on the morning of 21st May for a day's walk to the Rohtang and back, and this gave us the definite news that the pass was closed to ponies for at least a week:

This announcement was just what we had feared. We had already arranged with Major Banon for the assembly of fourteen coolies and five Ladakhis as support for a major reconnaissance party to go as far as the head of the Bara Shigri, and to prepare the way for the horse party which would follow. Therefore leaving Davies, Holton, Jones, Dev Datta and Emmerson to train in the Hills around Manali the rest of us set off, leaving Chhika on 24th May for the crossing of the Hamta. Even when we left camp at 06.30 it was overcast and ominously warm. We were on the old snow a little above 10,000 ft. and made good progress until we came to the newer surface where trail breaking became hard work. Another obstacle which we met repeatedly for the next week or more was the frequent wet snow avalanche tips. We reckoned that the heavy snow falls of late April and early May must have had little adhesion to the old winter firn, and peeled off in unprecedented masses. These had flowed smoothly down gradients of ten degrees and sometimes ascended the opposite sides of valleys. Vast seracs twenty or thirty feet high stuck out of treacherous slush where one often sank to the waist; moreover the exhausting passage had to be repeated three or four times per mile. Where the snow surface had not come off, then it was still comparatively new, and lacked the several months of consolidation which it should have had by this time of the year.

We were still struggling through this morass when it began to snow at eleven o'clock. It was not until nearly four in the afternoon that we reached the pass, and by this time the visibility was a hundred yards and over a foot of new snow had fallen. Avalanches could be heard now and then. We started off in the direction indicated by Pannu, our chief Manali wallah, but this was obviously dangerous, so we soon abandoned it for another way chosen by Stewart and Bennet, which led us straight down on to the glacier. From now on the danger was much less, but the effort in the new snow was frightful for the leaders, as we all carried heavy packs. It began to get dark and there was nothing for it but to camp, even though we had not planned for such an emergency. Somehow we all squashed in, eleven coolies spending the night in one Meade. It was not really surprising therefore that, when we reached Chatiru the next day, they refused to go any further, swearing that they had never known snow in the Chandra valley in late May, and that they would not have come had they known of it. Here was another problem for which we had not catered. Using our Sherpas and l,adakhis we dumped as much food as possible one march away at Jitang, and left Stewart, Sims and Lees to reconnoitre towards Shigri, while all the other mouths— Bennet, Jayal, Emmerson (who had joined us with medical stores) and myself turned for the Rohtang and home, accompanied by all the Ladakhis and four Sherpas. We reached Manali on 28th May after just a week's absence with two strong impressions; firstly the Chandra valley from the Kulti to Chatiru was practically impassable for coolies and would remain a barrier to animal transport for several weeks, so bad were the avalanche tips; secondly the Kulti Himal as seen from the Rohtang gave us lots of scope. The big decision had to be taken. If we couldn't feed the expedi tion on the Bara Shigri, we would go to the Kulti.

This decision was, of course, welcomed by those left in Manali; all of whom except Davies, the Transport Officer, immediately set off in hot pursuit of the Shigri party to bring them back. These four split into two when the first dumps were reached. Meanwhile Bennet, Jayal and myself rushed back over the Rohtang supported by coolies, leaving Davies and Emtnerson to come along when the pass was fully open. At this stage the expedition was operating in six separate parties, but somehow we all rendezvoused complete with our stores at the Kulti Nal on 5th June. We were somewhat dubious about the reception of the Kulti plan by the Shigri wallahs, but luckily we already had a first-hand report of the upper basin from Bennet and Jayal who had been up to 15,000 ft. The fact that we at last had a firm base in a pleasant position after so much waste of time and energy was itself satisfying— even if it was only at 11,700 ft. We had also a small Camp I at 14,700 established by Bennet and Jayal two days before.

Without wasting any time, the Survey Party with Sims, Holton Doc Jones and Jayal set about finding and fixing the local Trig Points. Their findings led them to the conclusion that they would have to start again from Scratch setting up a base line on the flat portion of the Kulti. Meanwhile a climbing party consisting of Stewart, Bennet, Less and myself supported by Dev Datta set out on 6th June across the four miles of the Sara fiats (12,500 ft.), now covered with about 4 ft. of level snow which bridged the rivers over nearly their entire length. Going was easy until near the main ice-fall where the usual avalanche tips slowed us down. The ice-fall itself was far less terrifying than it appeared from afar. A couloir on the left (true right) side between the rock and ice provided a fairly safe corridor before 9 a.m., and during our three weeks in the area we made several hundred movements up and down it without accident. After 10 a.m. a stonefall made it advisable to use the ice face which was quite safe in crampons, even without roping. The original Camp I perched on an artificial ledge about 800 ft. above the top of the ice-fall, but was afterwards moved into level snow 200 ft. higher up, to the detriment of its view. We gathered from Davies that, later in the year, even at 14,700 ft. all this was bare moraine. When he came as far as this in 1941, the ice-fall did not exist and the glacier commenced at least a quarter of a mile lower. It is fair to speculate that in 1970 the main ice-fall will be a hanging glacier.

We were now in a position to examine the Kulti basin, and in this our small scale map did not give us much help. As seen from the Rohtang, the similar altitude of the cols between the peaks to the northward led us to suspect that these peaks formed part of the lip of a central plateau which the map suggested drained gently eastward toward the Chandra Tal lake. If we could reach this plateau, then a number of peaks would be ours without great effort. The chief weakness seemed to be a curving crescent of snow which fell from the eastern of two twin summits which we called ' Jori' (' The Twins '). Leaving Camp I by the light of the moon with Dev Datta and Sherpas Pasang and Nambe in support we took about an hour and a half to reach the foot of our special ice-fall. Of the five or so ice-falls descending into the upper Kulti basin, ours was one of the easiest, so that a zigzag course up steepish snow led us to a long corridor leading left round the bottom of the Crescent Ridge. Around the back of this, steeper snow led up on to the ridge itself at about 17,000 ft. a rather trying ascent for we were beginning to notice the altitude a little, heavily loaded as we were. A snow shelf led off westward from the main ridge and upon this we placed Camp IIa, sheltered from the worst of the wind should it blow, yet enjoying one of the best of views. The camp was pitched in good time, and Dev Datta and his Sherpas dispatched down to Camp I at 11.00 a.m. just as the snow was becoming bad. They got down safely although they claim at times to have been up to their necks.

From Camp IIa we saw that there were now three possible ways on to the plateau: the obvious pursuit of the Crescent Ridge, but this looked extremely steep and exposed at the very top; a traverse across avalanche slopes immediately to the east, and thence up a steep snow ridge—this we took next day; or along our corridor, across a valley and thence up a broad ridge we later called the Belvedere to reach the plateau between the Twins and ' Tambu' (the Tent Peak), this became the standard route as it could be used safely in the afternoon. It was pleasantly cool, the next morning when we set out, but probably not below zero Fahrenheit. Nevertheless we were thankful for our duvets as we followed Stewart and Bennet who took turns to cut steps up the snow ridge which led steeply up to the plateau at the 'Silbersattel', about 18,000 ft. As Lees was definitely feeling the altitude, he and I chose the simpler problem of the eastern Twin, while the other two pitted themselves against the very steep side of what we thought was 19,567 on the map. Later, after considerable searching of the dictionary we called it' Akela Kila' (the Lone Fort).

Administrative problems now called me back to Base Camp but the Camp IIa party still had a big programme before them. The Belvedere route had still to be explored, and if this went well, Tambu was immediately within their grasp—as in fact it was on the next day. But always before them towered the 21,000 ft. which was so easily visible from Tambu and Jori. There seems to have been some doubt of this height which appears on the ¼ inch maps to the south of 21,380—surely the 'Mulkilla' of the N.U.S. 1939 expedition*. But if 21,000 is correct, then 21,380 must be a considerable underestimate. On the other hand 21,000 may be overvalued, but then this would mean the overvaluation of all the Kulti peaks. It is not likely that our survey will solve the problem since the survey was unfortunately denied the sight of 21,000, now called by us' Taragiri' with reference to the Air Forces' motto ' Per Ardua ad Astra'.

Tambu, having been climbed by Stewart, Bennet and Lees on 9th June without difficulty, the same party set off up the Belvedere at the same time next day, traversing round the back of Tambu on the plateau on their way to the southernmost peak of the prominent wavy ridge to the north-west. Following our usual custom of choosing a name by translating, with the help of Jayal and the dictionary, the physical peculiarities of the mountain we called this Tila-ka-Lahr. It was the end peak of the six or seven forming the ridge that Stewart and his party climbed on nth June, reaching the shale summit via a narrow snow arete. Lees, not yet having reached complete acclimatization, went down to Base Camp, his place being taken by Emmerson who had come up to Camp IIa with Jayal and a load of food. To give Emmerson a little time to get used to the added height, they ascended the Belvedere again and this time did an eastward traverse of the Twins, including a first ascent of the western or lesser summit. It was a lovely climb even though a certain amount of loose rock and snow were encountered on the way up. These two narrow blades of rock, with their sharp drops of perhaps 4,000 ft. to the southward, their concave northern slopes flaring out into the snow of the plateau about 1,000 ft. below, their narrow corniced spines two or three feet across, were beautiful by any standards, even though their scale was less than that of the Eiger and Monch.

 

The stage, then, was all set for Taragiri. A 1.30 breakfast and a 2.30 start on 12th June saw the same climbers up the Belvedere for the fourth time in four days by the light of a waning moon. The plateau was taken easily on crampons and the four-mile slog did not tire the party, making for the western ridge. This however proved to be split by an awkward gap, so that they were forced out on to the south-west face and thence up to the southern ridge, reaching the summit after a moderate snow climb at 09.30. The way back on dazzling softened snow was far from pleasant. They were quite ready for Base Camp and a short rest.

When I reached Base Camp on 9th June I found that the surveyors were all ready for the Upper Kulti—were in fact impatient to be off, and delighted with the progress already made by the climbing party. Accompanied by Lester Davies they set off next day with all the Sherpas and Ladakhis available, it being Davies' idea to take cine pictures on the ice-fall. Lees came down from Camp Ha on the 10th evening, having climbed Tila-ka-Lahr and descended the twelve plus miles to Base almost without stopping. By descending the stone shoot in mid-afternoon, he was able to confirm that this was extremely dangerous, and reached camp a wiser man. It is surprising therefore that he was fit enough to leave with me at 04.30 the next (12th) morning. Hardly had we reached the Sara flats in the growing light, when we came across foot-prints. Wider than the human foot and perhaps slightly shorter they threw us into a fever of excitement, for we knew that Davies had passed that way some twelve hours previously and must have seen these foot-prints if they had been there. They were so like human feet that we immediately leapt to conclusions, and sent for Davies who spent the rest of the day chasing Yetis. The similarity of these prints to those of the brown bear which ran through Base Camp a few days later unfortunately convinced me that our Yeti was in fact a bear.

The area chosen for the survey camp was up a side valley filled by an uncrevassed glacier, which seemed to point directly at Tara- giri. I had chosen this from Camp Ila because it seemed to offer a fine view of the assumed Trig points near the Rohtang, and the plateau beyond Tambu. In fact the plateau was obscured from it, but even so our surveyors, by setting up their theodolite on various ridges, were able to plot the Upper Basin extensively. Had we had time to base our survey plan on the results of the climbing party's experience, we should have made the Belvedere our survey centre. Lees and I reached Camp lib at about 09.00 on the 13th carrying our own kit and food plus the big Bell and Howell camera. We found everyone in the best of spirits, for the entire party had climbed peak 18,199 the day before, although Jayal, still feeling the effects of two of Doc Jones' sleeping tablets, had to be led up in a dream. They now had an idyllic site on a very sharp ridge, where the rock gave them a firm base for the tripod. Contrary to our briefing from the R.G.S. we found that no amount of beating and trampling of the snow would prevent a significant variation of readings not taken from solid ground.

The survey party ended with a magnificent ascent by Sims and Dev Datta of a peak we later called Ashagiri. We were never exactly able to locate this on the 1/2 inch map but from comparison of its height with those of surrounding peaks, it is probable that it must border on 20,000 ft. Supported by Sherpa Urkien, they set up Camp lie on the gentle snow col which forms the ultimate end of the Kulti basin, and leads to the enormous plateau which falls inappreciably towards the Chandra valley and the south. After an early start, they gained height rapidly until the ridge became extremely thin and they were forced off this on to the west face, climbing over avalanche debris and red rock of a standard not reaching severe, but made impressive by the great exposure. On this climb Dev Datta showed considerable ability as a coming Indian mountaineer.

We had always planned on packing up Base Camp on 23rd June, iml since Stewart, Bennet, Lees and Emmerson had recuperated ullieiently by 15th to undertake a further sortie, a quick dash to Shikar Beh was decided upon for the first three, while the rest of us set about recovering our equipment from the higher camps. With Nambe and Pasang therefore, and supported by Ladakhis and Davies only as far as Sissu, the party crossed the Chandra by rope and pulley—all except Lees, who had to cross first without the pulley which reposed on the other side. The map shows an average gradient to the Shikar Beh-Mukar Beh col of 1 in 2 ½. Their ascent of the waterfall and three ice-falls followed by a 45 degree summit ridge forms an epic in itself, especially as nearly all loads had to be double loaded or double staged. To summarize therefore: the waterfall was avoided on the east; the first ice-fall was taken direct, proving initially simple but later more difficult; the second ice-fall was avoided, by a steep corridor on its western edge; the third ice-fall was avoided entirely on open ground to the west. The hardest part of the climb was undoubtedly the final ridge which fell in steep steps of hard ice with occasional bands of treacherous snow. The party did very well to join us at Khoksar exactly according to plan.

The packing up of Camp I provided us with something of a problem, for the stone shoot was now out of the question for heavily loaded men at any time, and every bit of our equipment had to be returned either to the Himalayan Club, or to the Equipment Officer at R.A.F. Hendon from whence it was held on Bennets charge. We solved the matter by lowering everything down the ice-fall itself on the end of 500 ft. of nylon rope. We were glad the Equipment Officer was not with us. Namgyal's excellent ponies turned up on time, and Base Camp with its now green pastures with irises and potentillas was abandoned to the ' gaddis’ on the date intended. We arrived back in Manali where the efficient services of the local Secretary, Major Banon, sent us on our way just as the monsoon broke.

Our expedition has taught us many things—most of them parochial, and these need not be mentioned here. But we feel it has proved the excellence of the Kulti for those who want a climbing holiday in the Alpine style, with perhaps only a fortnight to spare for it. A club hut above the first ice-fall would save a lot of carrying, while a bridge over the Chandra opposite the Kulti would save half a day bringing this hut within 48 hours of Manali. We are convinced that Major Banon's Ladakhis, given a little training and a little organization, would be quite able to replace the Sherpa on an expedition such as ours. I would like to end by thanking all members of the Himalayan Club who helped to make our small expedition such a success.

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