FIRST ASCENT OF SANGTHANG, 1968

NITAI RAY

THERE has been only one previous attempt on Sangthang, in 1963 by two well-known Swiss geologists, Dr. Heim and Dr. Gansar, but they had to give up their plan as the monsoon started early.

The Council of Himalayan Exploration and Research organized a mountaineering-cwm-scientific expedition to Sangthang (21,262 ft.) at the head of the Kuthi valley in the Central Himalayas. Any expedition to the Himalayas is expensive. We were fortunate to reccive generous grants from the Education Department (West Bengal Government) and the Indian Mountaineering Foundation. Help in cash and kind was also received from different organiza-tions and businessmen of the country. The expeditions equip¬ment was supplied by the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling, from the Jayal Memorial Fund.

The team consisted of 10 members from Calcutta and two Sherpas from the Sherpa Climbers' Association, Darjeeling.

Prof. Pradip Das Gupta, Research Secretary (Leader) ; Nitai Ray (Dy. Leader), leader of the climbing party; Dilip Bhattacharya ; vShyamal Mukherjee ; Dr. Jayanta De (Medical Officer); Sailesh Chakraborty ; Kalidas Banerjee ; Prof. Biswanath Banerji (Anthro¬pologist) ; Prof. Himangsu Banerji (Zoologist); Rasamoy Dutta (Botanist); and Shefpas Pemba Tharkey and Wangchu.

We left Calcutta on 4 September. The 36 hours monotonous train journey to Kathgodam via Lucknow was made lively by the songs and jokes of Prof. Biswanath Banerji. The two Sherpas greeted us at the rail-head of Kathgodam on the 6th.

We arrived at Pithoragarh on the 7th afternoon having spent the night at Almora. We had to wait two days at Pithoragarh for the inner line permit as the District Magistrate was out of station. On the 9th we met the D.M., Pithoragarh, who gave orders to the Darchula A.D.M. to render every co-operation to us. We all received the inner line permit except Shyamal, as his police report was not clear. We requested the D.M. to send a crash message for verification to his home in Delhi. We kept Shyamal in Mr. Anil Bose's house and left for Darchula on the 10th morning. Twelve porters and four mule-men with their caravan of mules were waiting for us there as per previous arrangement. Darchula is also the winter station for the people of the higher villages. The bus route covers the first stage (Almora to Darchula) on the Kailas-Manasarovar pilgrimage route. Transport was available up to Tawaghat—the starting-point of our march ; porters were the main problem for the expedition which was solved, thanks to the assistance given by the A.D.M. at Darchula. The porters gave no trouble on the march. Two men deserve special mention, Sher Singh and Jai Singh, both of whom acted as cooks in the high camps. Sher Singh belonged to Munsiary and Jai Singh to Nepal. Both of them were tough and had charming smiles. Both these men came up to Camp II with us.

March to the Base Camp

The whole day, 11 September, at Tawaghat was spent making up a 33-kg. load for each porter and 80-kg. load for each mule. Tawaghat is situated just below Khela at the confluence of the Kali and Dharma rivers at an altitude of 3,700 feet. The Dharma valley is rich with medicinal plants. On the 12th we arrived at Sirkha (via Pangu, Jumtigarh and Soosa villages) and stayed in the mess tent. It was a steep climb. On the 13th we left for Jipti. After half an hour of descending, one of our loaded mules fell down about 40 feet below into a streamlet. The mule narrowly escaped with injuries on the thigh. We faced a steep climb through jungle to Simkhola village. Jipti is four miles away from Simkhola. Our botanist Rasamoy Dutta started his specimen collection below Pangu. When we were relaxing, the sound of a whistle called our attention to a side where we saw Shyamal and the porters traversing the weary path ; we heard from Shyamal how the D.M. had assisted in quickly obtaining his permit. On the 14th we trekked a steep up and down route to Malpa. We reached Malpa bungalow at 2.30 p.m. That evening Dr. Jayanta De started his physiological data collection. All were fit according to the doctors report. On the 15th the sky was cloudy. We left for Budhi at about 8 a.m. After an hour it started to rain. Before Lamari village we came across a waterfall which was like a shower- bath as its water falls from the top of a steep rock face. We took rest at the Lamari tea shop. We reached Budhi bungalow at about 2.30 p.m. The village 4 Patwari and Gram Sabhapati' came to meet ue in the evening. Our anthropologist, Prof. Biswanath Banerji, started his anthropological research work with the help of the 'Gram Sabhapati'. On the 16th we left for Gunji. There is a steep climb of two hours from the Budhi bungalow. We also saw the Api group of snow-clad mountains on the way to Garbyang. Darchula to Garbyang is the second stage of the Kailas-Manasarovar pilgrimage route. Garbyang is gradually sinking. This is a big village. In the past it was a big Indo-Tibetan trade centre. Uptil now we had been following the mule path along the Kali river, but after one and half hours' walk from Garbyang we saw the confluence of the Kali and Kuthi rivers and now followed the path along the Kuthi. We reached Gunji at about 2.30 p.m. On the 17th morning we set off for Kuthi village through Rongkong, Nihal and Nabi villages along the Kuthi. Today Prof. Pradip Das Gupta started his geological research work. Once again one of our loaded mules fell into the river, two miles before entering Kuthi village. The mule was luckily saved but our baggage containing biscuits, milk, pulses and rice was spoiled. After having considered all aspects of the situation, we established Base Camp at the head of Kuthi village at about 12,800 feet.

Kuthi is the highest village on the Indo-Tibetan border at an altitude of 12,330 feet and it is the last village of Pithoragarh District in U.P. Kuthi is situated north-west of Garbyang in the Kumaon Himalayas, 70 miles away from Darchula. North of Kuthi is the Zaskar range which demarcates India and Tibet. To its south-west is the Nama Pass ; to its south-east is the Kali river following from the direction of Taklakot and Kalapani; to its west is the Dharma (Shin La) Pass and Jolingkong glacier. 'From the 17th night the weather deteriorated. An overcast morning on the 18th did not dampen our spirits and the whole day was spent in rearranging suitable loads for ferrying up to the higher camp.

We spent two very gloomy days at the Base Camp of Sangthang. Storm and snowfall compelled us to wait. After this we finally got some sunny weather on the 20th and we discussed the route with the local guide, Daulat Singh Kutial.

Pemba, Wangchu, Dilip, Shyamal, Dr. Jayanta De and myself were ready to recce for Camp I site with foodstuff, tent and demarcation flags. Each member's rucksack weighed about 14 kg. and the Sherpas rucksack weighed about 25 kg. We followed the path of Daulat Singh. I think, without him we would not have moved up so rapidly.

We proceeded towards the north-east of Kuthi, after worshipping in the temple of God Shiva. The priest of the temple blessed us, ‘jo kamme jate hain safal hoke ayenghe^7; we were very pleased to hear this blessing. There is a big summer grazing field above Kuthi. We followed the shepherd's path along the stream, flowing below Sangthang. After crossing a snow bridge we took rest on a buttress.

From the buttress we moved along a big gorge, the last part of which comprised a 100-foot steep slope with loose stone mixed with snow and mud. After having overcome the 100-foot obstacle we crawled to the mouth of the gorge from where the snow ridge and slopes were clearly visible. From the mouth of the gorge we proceeded by the side of a rocky wall and crossed a gentle slope covered with snow which led to a point below the snow ridge. Our altimeter was giving a reading of 15,100 feet. On the top of the ridge we first sipped some mango juice and ate a dry lunch. From the head of the ridge we traversed towards north-east and reached Sangthang ‘talao' at about 2.10 p.m. Our altimeter read 16,000 feet. We pitched a tent and dumped all the things carried by us into the tent. We marked the place with a demarcation flag. After an hours rest we started for Kuthi (Base Camp) and arrived there at about 5 p.m. Next morning we occupied Camp I with full provisions and mountaineering gear; Daulat Singh helped the porters to come by the safest way. Camp I was situated in a bowl—south and top was open ; east, west and north were surrounded by steep rock and ice wall.

The south and east faces of Sangthang were open to our view— the east face comprised a series of rock ; the south face presented a series of broad snow slopes, sometimes steeper than 50°. We followed the buttress route up the south-east face of Sangthang.

The afternoon was spent in arranging loads and equipment for the next day, and drying our climbing gear. Pemba tested all crampons and correctly fitted them to each boot. Wangchu checked all other equipment. Before dusk we had dinner and got into our sleeping-bags. On the 22nd morning the sky was overcast with clouds. Temperature at 6 a.m. was 35 °F. I decided to locate a suitable site for Camp II; Wangchu and Dilip were to be stationed there, and then recce for Camp III on the morrow—Pemba and myself would support them. Doctor, Pemba and myself would go further the next day if the weather was clear.

After taking breakfast, there was no change in the weather, I told Wangchu and Dilip to take their own personal gear. Pemba took a tent and some provisions. I took some kerosene, a stove, rope, pitons and some tin rations. The stove's cap was open and the kerosene poured into my rucksack. The smell of kerosene oil followed me on the entire route.

The first hour or so of the climb was awful. The snow was soft and we sank up to the thighs at every step. Progress was miserably slow, and it was obvious that unless the snow condi¬tions improved we were not going to get very far. Luckily after an hour's struggle we hit a much better patch and progress was reasonably fast after that. The condition of the weather was still the same—cloud and sunlight. We were lucky that there was no snowfalls.

At about 1 p.m. we reached a band of rock and snow. It was on the wall of the Zaskar range. We searched for a camp site on each side. It was Pemba who found a good site for Camp II at an altitude of 18,250 feet where we pitched the tent, dumped our loads and after taking tea started for Camp I at about 3 p.m. and reached it by 4 p.m.

On the 23rd I awoke in the morning and saw that the weather had become worse. Visibility was nil. It began to snow, and stopped after an hour. Pemba, Jai Singh, Sher Singh and myself started for Camp II and occupied it at about 1 p.m. Wangchu, after an inspection, descended from the ridge and told us that the buttress was quite steep.

The sunny weather of 24 September gave us considerable encouragement. The snow-clad Sangthang looked magnificent. We left Camp II at 8 a.m. There were no clouds in the sky. We gradually proceeded through the rock and ice beneath the buttress which we reached ; here our altimeter read 20,550 feet. Gradually the weather deteriorated ; the clouds were coming from the Nama Pass. The velocity of the wind slowly increased.

Pemba hurriedly fixed a rope on the buttress and came down.

The next day Pemba reported that there was a shortage of pitons and fixed rope. I suggested that we could use the 400-foot rappelling rope, and tent poles would replace the pitons. After taking breakfast we started for the summit.

We reached the buttress by 8.10 a.m. and waited for Wangchu. The weather was clear and we prayed for clear weather at least up to 2 p.m. We gained the ridge where the snow was soft and knee-deep. Most of the track was being made by Pemba and Wangchu.

From the ridge we could see the undulating land of Tibet in the north, to the north-east was Kailash and Manasarovar, to the south was Camp II and Camp I, to the south-east was the Api group of mountains, to the east lay Kunti Peak and Gurla Mandhata and to the west was the Dharma Pass and the Jolinkong glacier.

Until 1 p.m. the weather was beautifully clear, but after that the usual afternoon clouds arrived and visibility became poor. The wind started to blow from the south-west with great speed.

From the top of the ridge we moved one at a time, anchoring the two ends of the rope for the others to use in a fixed rope fashion (a running fixed rope, so to speak). It took us half an hour to proceed 200 feet. Wangchu panted after 600 feet and took rest. Pemba again led the rope. He led it like a tiger! He stopped at one point and shouted with a smiling face, ⁴ ahgiya' (arrived)! We reached the top at 2.55 p.m. The Sherpas worshipped the peak in their own way and Dilip and myself in ours. We spent one and a quarter hours in exposing a roll of film on the top. The wind speed was high. When the sun came through the clouds, we took snaps. Ramkrishna Parvat, a new name for the conquered peak, has been proposed.¹

Sangthang has a very long almost gentle ridge. When we started down at about 4.10 p.m. it was still overcast with cloud and fairly dark. We were back at Camp II at 7.30 p.m. In the evening Jai Singh and Sher Singh came up to Camp II and prepared our dinner. We had our dinner and went straight into our sleeping- bags.

The descent on the following day was relatively quick and easy. We packed up Camp II and reached Camp I. By this time the porters from Kuthi arrived to take the loads down. We had our lunch at Camp I and were back at Base Camp by about 3 p.m. where we were greeted enthusiastically by Dr. Jayanta De, Shyamal Mukherjee and Kalidas Banerjee. We proceeded to Darchula the next morning and reached there on 2 October. Our budget was limited so we couldn't wait, otherwise we could have attempted two other unknown peaks around Nama

 

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