THE DHARMSALA DHAULADHAR IN 1930.

LIEUT. P. R. OLIVER.

THE Dhauladhar range branches from the Great Himalayan Range near Badrinath and runs south of the Baspa tributary of the Sutlej. It is cut in two by the Sutlej at Rampur and by the Beas at Larji; and it is crossed by the Ravi south-west of Chamba. The northern flank of the Dhauladhar range impinges against the southern flank of the Pir Panjal range at the mountain knot of Bara Bangahal.*

Owing to the political situation in India in 1930, my leave had to be spent in some district within 24-hours' recall of my regiment. After a frantic search for accessible mountains which would yield interesting climbing, I was inspired by Rundall’s Rambles and Scrambles in the Kangra Himalaya and made straight for Dharmsala. This proved a very happy choice. Suitable camping-sites are found up the range at Triund and at Lakha, three and four hours' march respectively from Dharmsala. Of these two, Lakha, at some 10,000 feet above sea-level, is the better. It is situated where the big green ridge, stretching down to Dharmsala, abuts on the upper 5000-foot granite wall of the Dhauladhar range. Long couloirs of frozen snow seam this wall with shallow rocky ribs between them.

Interesting climbs, with magnificent views of the Kangra valley 12,000 feet below, can be had on this face. Most of the peaks can, however, be more easily reached by crossing the Indrahar pass, a depression on the axis, and turning them from the north by the undulating neve slopes which fall towards the Ravi. The views across the valley of the Ravi from these slopes are very fine.

The following brief notes on my climbs may be of interest to those whose leave may be as limited as was mine. These climbs were carried out in June, during the latter half of which month the weather was most uncertain. Probably a more suitable season would be the period from the 15th May to the 20th June.

8^th June. Went up to the Indrahar pass from Triund. Ascent from Lakha, 3 hrs. 10 mins. Descent 2 hrs. Aneroid height of pass 14,500 feet.

13^th June. From Lakha with orderly to the Indrahar pass in 2 ½ hrs. Halt of ½ hr. From here to Two-Gun Peak in 1 ¼ hrs.; rope not used. Two-Gun Peak to Indrahar pass, climbing Riffelhorn Gendarme and Slab Peak en route in 1 hr. 25 mins. Descent to Lakha in 1 ½ hrs.

15^th June. Lakha to Indrahar pass in 3 hrs. Then roped along the arete towards the Mon. Had to descend on to the neve on the Chamba side to dump the orderly who was mountain-sick. Climbed Cairn Peak and descended to orderly. Pace back very slow owing to sickness of orderly.

18th June. From Lakha ascended long couloir on crampons to depression on east of Slab Peak. Removed crampons and scrambled up a few slabs and chimneys to summit of Slab Peak ; time 4 hrs. 35 mins. Return via Riffelhorn Gendarme ; then wearing crampons down a funnel of steep frozen snow-slopes through a waterfall bottleneck. Finally descended a broad couloir to the west of Ghuna hill in thick mist. It had hailed during my halt on the summit. Crampons were most useful, though on the descent the hail had made it necessary to be very careful that the spikes bit well through into the snow beneath. Time of descent, 3 hrs. 15 mins.¹ Did this climb alone.

20th June. Ascended the Mon with orderly by the " back door." From Lakha to the Indrahar pass (3 hrs.) ; then to summit by the neve on Chamba side and north-west arete, up which we roped. Time from pass, If hrs. Hail-storm and lightning on summit. Aneroid jumped from 16,000 to 23,000 feet ! From the Mon back to pass in 2 hrs. ; thence to Lakha in 2 hrs. Orderly very sick.

23rd June. From Lakha to the Riffelhorn Gendarme, via the arete overlooking Two-Gun Gully and precipices. From Riffelhorn Gendarme by a high-level route over neve fields to the foot of the Dromedary. Ascended the north arete of the Dromedary. Snow was very soft ; started a small avalanche with which I went down for about a hundred feet and stopped in a small 'schrund above the Dromedary snowfield. Time of ascent, 1 hr.

From the Dromedary back to the Indrahar pass by the high- level route (2 hrs. 20 mins.). Snow here was still hard as in the morning and in places steps had to be kicked. Indrahar pass to Lakha glissading down a couloir (1 hr.). Did this climb alone.

THE DHARMSALA DHAULADHAB.

27th June. Established a camp on a grassy ledge on a rock-rib in the neve about 500 feet below Indrahar pass on north side. Two porters sufficed to bring up the camp and then left for the ghaddi huts lower down. Slept comfortably in canvas-covered eider-down sleeping-bag and 84b. tent. Little streams of rather dirty melted snow running over the bare rocks provided me with almost sufficient water.

28th June. Climbed Arthur's Seat and the nearest Coolin to it (Arthur's Footstool). The route taken was probably the easiest and quite straightforward. Times : Camp to Col between Arthur's Seat and Footstool, 2 ¼ hrs. Col to Arthur's Seat, § hrs., height about 16,000 feet. Ascended the Footstool later from the Col. Found a cairn at summit.

The western faces of the Coolins are very steep and nearly perpendicular in places, with a fall of about 1000 feet sheer to the neve. The same applies to Arthur's Seat and the Footstool. The view to the west was disappointing, as clouds blotted out everything but the lower neve slopes. Small camp-sites such as mine are possible almost anywhere along these northern slopes.

That night there was a bad storm with much rain from 2 a.m. to 7 a.m. Lightning was nearly continuous. My little tent leaked badly where the ground sheet joined the walls.

29th June. The porters arrived and carried my kit over the Indrahar pass to Lakha. I paid them Rs. 2 each for the days they took my camp up and down and Re. 1 each for the day they waited in the high ghaddi huts. They supplied their own food and were quite contented with their pay.

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