EXPEDITIONS AND NOTES

1. SWABIAN EVEREST EXPEDITION, 1979
2. AMA DABLAM, 1979
3. BRITISH KANG TAIGA EXPEDITION, 1979
4. BARUNTSE (7220 m)
5. JAPANESE ON KANGCHENJUNGA
6. KANGCHENJUNGA EXPEDITION, 1980
7. ANNAPURNA FANG (7650 m)
8. AUSTRALIAN EXPEDITION TO ANNAPURNA III
9. ANNAPURNA II
10. ANNAPURNA SOUTH PEAK FROM WEST
11. NILGIRI EXPEDITION, 1979
12. FIRST ASCENT OF GANESH II
13. DHAULAGIRI I
14. ATTEMPT ON LAMA ANDEN
15. DUNAGIRI (7066 m)
16. FRENCH BHAGIRATHI EXPEDITION, 1979
17. SUDARSHAN EXPEDITION II 1979
18. A PEEP INSIDE THE SUNDAR BAMAK
19. TREKKING IN KINNAUR HIMALAYA
20. UPPER PARBATI VALLEY EXPEDITION, 1979
21. MENTHOSA (6444 m) EXPEDITION
22. LINDU-DINGKARMO EXPEDITION 1979
23. THE BRITISH KISHTWAR HIMALAYAN EXPEDITION, 1979
24. LADAKH '80
25. JAPANESE ZI EXPEDITION, 1980
26. THE MESSNER EXPEDITION TO K2, 1979
27. THE 1979 HINDU KUSH LIGURIAN EXPEDITION

 

 

The 8 members and 5 Sherpas reached the summit on 1 and 2 October.

 

THE FIRST summit party left South Col at 6 a.m. in cloudy conditions with little wind, but some snowfall on 1 October. Dr Warth, Sherpa Lhakpa and Hans v. Kanel climbed on one rope followed by Dr Schmatz and Sherpa Pertemba on a second rope. Conditions remained fair and the party arrived on the summit after some difficulties at the Hillary step at 2 p.m. One hour was spent on the summit and the descent to the South Col was safely completed by 7 p.m. Next day the descent was continued to Camp 2.

The Report of the members of the second party

They left the South Col in good conditions with low clouds at 5 a.m. on 2 October. Fischbach and Sherpa Ang Phurba climbed on one rope in front followed by Banks, Kampfe and Genet on a second rope and Hannelore Schmatz, Sherpa Sundare and Sherpa Ang Jangbu on a third.

Shortly after leaving the South Col, Genet elected to unrope and climb alone despite protests from the party. All the parties climbed close together and in deteriorating weather reached the summit between 1.00 p.m. and 1.30 p.m. A very short time was spent on the summit and the descent was begun in quite heavy snow but moderate wind. Genet again elected to descend alone behind the other parties. As the group descended, the snow and cloud decreased but the wind became very strong and the temperature dropped markedly. Banks and Kampfe and Ang Phurba and Fischbach reached the former site of the Ridge Camp at approx. 5 p.m. and saw and heard the rest of the party descending the steep section of the Southeast ridge. At the base of the steep section Genet's oxygen ran out and he expressed a strong desire to bivouac and refused to continue the descent.

Sundare and Hannelore Schmatz stayed with him and Jangbu continued the descent to the South Col arriving at 9.30 p.m. Because of soft snow no suitable shelter could be prepared and the night was spent in high winds and extreme cold at a height of approx. 8400 m. In the morning Genet was dead. Sundare and Hannelore began the descent.

Very early in the morning of 3 October six Sherpas left Camp 3 with oxygen and supplies to attempt a rescue of the party. Nawang Tensing arrived on the South Col at approx. 8.30 a.m. and with Fischbach began ascending towards the two descending persons now visible. They reached Sundare to be told that Hannelore Schmatz had collapsed and died shortly before. Sundare was in a critical condition and was evacuated with oxygen and medical care at Camp 2 and on 5 October to Base Camp.

Results

All eight members of the expedition have reached the top of Everest.

Five Sherpas have climbed the mountain — so far as I know the biggest number since expeditions have been going to Everest and other eight-thousanders. It is surely a contribution to the self confidence of the Sherpa climbers, since they usually are 'used' only as high-altitude porters.

Pertemba Sirdar has reached the top of Everest the second time now by two different routes. He had reached the summit already with the British Southwest Face Expedition on 27 September 1975.

Hannelore Schmatz was the fourth woman on top of Everest.¹

Gerhard Schmatz, 50 years old, is the oldest person who has ever climbed Everest.

Members

Nick Banks (27) New Zealand, mountaineering instructor and guide. Tilman Fischbach (30) West Germany, analytical chemist and medical student. Ray Genet (48) USA, mountaineering and hunting guide. Gunter Kampfe (46) West Germany, mechanical engineer, Hans von Kanel (38) Switzerland, businessman. Dr Gerhard Schmatz (50) West Germany, lawyer, (leader). Hannelore Schmatz (39) West Germany, housewife. Dr Hermann Warth (38), West Germany, lecturer.

 

 

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THE NEW ZEALAND Ama Dablam Expedition was an alpine-style attempt on the 5000 ft high Mingbo face (west face) of Ama Dablam (22,495 ft) by four mountaineers — Nerv English, Geoff Gabites, Ken Hyslop and Peter Hillary — in the post-monsoon of 1979. We were attempting a direct line on the Mingbo face, climbing up the right side of the great, central gully below the right-hand ice bulge (on which the American Expedition of Spring 1979 had their Camp 3 while on the southwest ridge). This involved continuous water-ice with some steep bulges. We bivouacked a short distance below this right- hand ice bulge on steep ice arete. The following day we climbed very steep water-ice for two pitches and then up a tricky rock step on to easier ground adjacent to the left-hand ice cliff. Just before exiting left on to the top of this ice cliff (21,000 ft) to spend the second night, a large ice avalanche came off the central 'Dablam' ice cliff. Armchair- sized blocks of green ice came screaming down at us. Ken Hyslop was killed, I suffered a broken arm, finger, rib and ankle and the other two were badly bruised, rope-bound and shocked. Two days of harrowing and arduous descent abseils down the upper and central portions of the face brought us to the lower slopes. Here we were very kindly helped by Reinhold Messner and Dr Ozwald, members of the Austrian Ama Dablam Expedition led by Wolfgang Nairz, to descend the remaining distance to our advance camp at the bottom of the face at 17,500 ft.

From being so close, our elation was swept to near desperation and the survival dilemma of those frightful descent abseils.

 

 

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KANG TAIGA is a peak of 6779 m (22,242 ft) in the Nepal Himalaya just a few miles south of Everest. It is one of the most beautiful and dramatic peaks in the region, towering above the famous Teng- poche monastery. It was first climbed from the SE. in 1963 by a New Zealand/American party.² It was again climbed in the spring of 1979 by a Japanese party following a complicated route from the E. Our expedition planned to climb either the unclimbed NE. ridge from the Hinku Nup glacier or the N. ridge from the Omoga Valley. The expedition would use Alpine style techniques, doing away with conventional camps and fixed rope, moving continuously, carrying all our gear and food and using no high-altitude porters nor oxygen.

 

The members were Rab Carrington, part time teacher who devotes most of his time to mountaineering; Rab's wife Sue accompanied the expedition to B.C. Brian and Rab left Heathrow on 28 August and arrived in Delhi the next day. All arrived with the baggage from Geneva on 30th. By keeping 'low key' the notorious Delhi customs were cleared with no problems and we flew to Kathmandu on 31st. The next few days were spent buying food, kitchen equipment, visiting the Ministry of Tourism and meeting our cook (Jangbu Sherpa), Sirdar (Nima Chotter) and liaison officer (Bhandari). Mike Cheney, through Sherpa Co-operative, arranged our necessary staff for the walk-in and base camp.

On 5 September we travelled by bus to Lamosangu (the start of the Everest trek). The expedition at this point was split into two: a fast team (Al, Rab, Brian, Jangbu and 6 porters) and the slow team (Sue, Nima Chotter, L.O. and 29 porters). The fast team reached Khumjung on the 12th, the slow team on the 15th.

On the 14th we left Khumjung with the aim of finding a suitable position for B.C. We walked to the head of the Omoga valley and the next day ascended the ridge between this and the Nare Drangka valley. A good position was found and on the 16th we returned to Khumjung. By the 23rd we had fully established B.C. and were ready to attempt the mountain.

The NE. ridge of Kang Taiga from the Hinku Nup Glacier is arguably the most attractive objective on the mountain. Between our B.C. and the bottom of the route is a ridge system. On photographs this looked reasonable to cross but on closer inspection it was no longer a simple matter.

On the 24th we left B.C. on a reconnaissance heading for a left to right diagonal traverse line leading to a col at 5786 m. Snow flutings low down caused problems and when we reached the traverse line it was steeper and more complicated than expected so after ten pitches we bivouacked. Eight more pitches the next day and we reached the col. As expected the other side was easy, the upper Hinku Nup glacier being at the same level as the col opposite, the impressive NE. ridge rose straight out of the glacier.

The route just ascended was not suitable for descent so we chose a line leading down from the next col to the north (col 5680 m) which led into the Nare Drangka valley. We left a food and gear dump near the col and in rapidly deteriorating weather we descended, arriving at B.C. on the 26th.

The route from B.C. to the bottom of the NE ridge was too long and complicated so we considered another route. This was the N. ridge which starts near B.C. and leads over two subsidiary summits before reaching the main summit. It starts up the impressive 'S-shaped' ridge seen from Khumjung region. This ridge would be the major part of the route. After this ridge we would join the Japanese Spring 1979 route.

On the 29th we traversed across moraine and glacier to the bottom of the ridge and bivouacked. Whilst climbing the next day the weather deteriorated, in addition it became apparent that a series of seracs were threatening the route. The attempt was abandoned at about 6000 m and on 1 October we were back at B.C.

Snow was still falling a couple of days later when we decided to abandon the expedition due to:—

1. Bad weather (the weather did not improve until mid October).
2. The most attractive route (i.e. the NE ridge) could not be attempted logistically from our B.C. A B.C. on the Hinku side could not be used as we had to be at Everest B.C. between the first and second weeks of October. (A Hinku B.C. would be about 8 days from Everest B.C.)
3. The N. ridge of the subsidiary summit was dangerous and joined the Japanese route two-thirds of the way up the mountain.

The B.C. was packed and A1 and Brian left for Everest B.C., which they reached in three days on 7 October. Rab left for Kathmandu.

Although the summit was not reached, the expedition was extremely valuable as it enabled a high level of fitness and acclimatization to be reached which directly contributed to the success of the Nuptse climb. When climbing high mountains in alpine style a 'package’ of mountains has to be seriously considered if the required level of fitness and acclimatization is to be reached.

 

 

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BARUNTSE PEAK is situated in the highest part of Barun glacier, near Makalu. In 1954, it was climbed for the first time by a New Zealand expedition led by Sir Edmund Hillary. They climbed the South ridge. Later on, it was attempted by a French expedition (1954), and by a Japanese expedition (1964). Till 1978, the Nepal Government did not issue permission to climb Baruntse. So our Spanish Expedition has made the second ascent of the mountain and has opened a new route through the East ridge.

We went by a small plane to Tumlingtar (525 m). The caravan was composed of 8 climbers, 1 liaison officer, 2 Sherpas, 1 cook, 2 mail runners, and 101 coolies. We carried 2500 kg approximately.

We followed the Arun river till Num, then we crossed the river and went to the Barum La (4350 m). After two days, we reached the base camp at 5300 m on 7 April. The approach march lasted 11 days and we were 1 day farther than Makalu base camp.

Three Camps were set up: Camp 1 at 5600 m, Camp 2 at 6050 m, Camp 3 at 6600 m.

The main difficulties were found up to Camp 2, where an ice-wall of 300 m and between 50° and 60° degrees steep led to the East ridge. On a terrain mixed of snow and ice we climbed 1000 m more before establishing Camp 3 inside a small crevasse well preserved from the strong wind that we had. From Camp 3 to the top, we had to climb a difficult serac of 60 m. Finally, the summit was gained through the North ridge.

On 27 April, Escartin, Lopez, Ortas, and Buhler reached the top at 1.30 p.m., after twelve hours of climbing with a strong wind and temperatures 25° degrees below zero (mainly before sunrise). Next day, Prado and the Sherpa Lhakpa also arrived at the top after six hours of work. This day, from Camp 1 the members of our expedition saw a group of climbers on the North ridge. Later on, we saw them going down, but at 6900 m approximately they disappeared. They were probably two members of a French Expedition declared lost.

On 27 April Morendeira, Blanchard, and Sherpa Pasang climbed a virgin peak Baruntse Shar (6200 m) situated to the East of the main peak.

Members: Juan Jose Diaz (leader), Jeoronimo Lopez (deputy leader), Jose Ramon Morendeira, Javier Escartin, Loranzo Ortas, Juan Manuel Blanchard, Carlos Buhler, Gonzalo Prado.

 

 

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KANGCHENJUNGA LIES 47 km ESE of Everest on the border of Nepal and Sikkim. The name means 'the five treasure houses of the great snows'. It is the third highest mountain in the world, being a mere 13 m less than K2.

The mountain was climbed by three parties; the British party, led by C. Evans by Yalung Glacier side in 1955, the Indian Army party led by Col. N. Kumar by the NE ridge in 1977, and again British party led by Doug Scott by the north ridge in 1979, which was a new alpine-style climbing.¹

The object of Sangaku-Doshikai Kangchenjunga expedition 1980 was to make the first ascent of the North face of this mountain without using oxygen equipment.

They planned to climb one of the most massive and dangerous faces in the Nepal Himalaya. It stands 3500 m above the head of Kangchenjunga glacier with two huge rock bands and the summit rock face Sandwiching three big hanging glaciers. They would try to depend upon least artificial aids and minimum advance camps on the face. They expected that the steep, mixed section at 6700-7300 m, the rock -step above 7300 m, and the summit rock wall above 8000 m would become the crucial points for their climb. Generally speaking, how- ever, it might not be so difficult technically as the steep north face of Jannu of which they had made the first ascent in 1976. The true challenge for them would be the hard climbing above 8000 m with out using oxygen equipment. It certainly would demand from them extreme durability both physical and mental.

Their attempt would be a true adventure for every member.

After a long approach march and an acclimatization practice, they reached the base camp at Pang Pema (5500 m) on 19 March. They spent 10 days there for the arrangement of the gear and food, and an acclimatization practice. The siege started on 29 March. Three pair teams were rotated to push up the route on the North face. The leader, Konishi moved freely to assist any pairs, and 11 Sherpas led by Ang Phurba carried loads to camps. Camp 1 (5800 m) was estab lished on 1 April, which was the same place of the British '79 party's Camp 2. Camp 2 (6500 m) was made on the first snowfield on 7 April.

Although the condition of the 'ice building' between Camp 1 and 2 was much better and stabler than expected, it demanded some difficult and insecure climbing for them due to the potential danger of avalanche and collapse of hanging glacier. It took 10 days to fix ropes for 450 m on the rock band' which was the most crucial section in this route. Camp 3 (7300 m) was made on the second icefield, and the final Camp 4 (7900 m) on the third icefield was made on 1 May by 4 aggressive Sherpas while all members descended to the lower camps due to the heavy snowfall.

Two summit-bid teams were decided on 30 April, and the first-go team were Ryoichi Fukada, Haruichi Kawamura, Naoe Sakashita, Syomi Suzuki, and Ang Phurba. The second-go team were leader Konishi, Motomu Omiya, Toshitaka Sakano, Pemba Tsering Sherpa and Dawa Norbu Sherpa. First team went up to Camp 4 on 5 and 6 May for an acclimatization and descended to base camp. The second team also did same practice on 7 and 8 May. After rest in base camp for three days, the first team set out on 11 May, and reached Camp 4 on 13th. Next day at 5 a.m. the five members set out from Camp 4 with gear on each back (5-8 kg). They were not tied by ropes to each other. 250 m of ropes were fixed in the snow couloir above Camp 4 for the descent. The knee-deep snow and the thin air demanded the arduous effort and frequent rest. The five members in turn led a pitch. At Inst, they reached the summit at 4.15 p.m. Ang Phurba carried up the 5 kg 16 mm movie camera to the top. It was cloudy and only heads of Yalug Kang and Central and South peak of Kangchenjunga could be seen. They began to descend at 5 p.m. and returned to Camp 4 at 7.50 p.m. in the heavy snowfall.

On 17th the second party set out from Camp 4 at 3.30 a.m. Dawa Norbu took the lead all the way up to the top in knee-deep snow for 12 hours. And Pemba Tsering Sherpa carried the movie camera The four members except Konishi reached the summit at 5.40 p.m. Konishi on the way at 8400 m deteriorated and returned to Camp 4 alone. The second team found the snow bar with Indian national flag which had been left by Indian Army party of '77 very near the summit. They returned to Camp 4 at 10 p.m. They removed all the ropes, pegs and tents on the face in the next two days.

They evacuated base camp on 25 May and reached Dharan Bazar on 6 June and back to Kathmandu on 7 June.

This is the first light-weight style ascent of an 8-thousander by Japanese. The oxygen-less ascent of an 8-thousander also is the first by Japanese.

 

 

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IN AUGUST 1978, when I stayed in Kathmandu to complete the final formalities for my Everest Expedition I obtained permission for an ascent of the third highest mountain on earth, the Kangchenjunga (8598 m).

The expedition team consisted of 19 members. From Germany: Michl Anderl — Raimund Bitterling — Gerold Gobi — Verena ( Gruneis — Doris Kustermann — Renate Lau — Schorsch Ritter — Prof. Dr Ernst Sandvoss — Josef Stiller — Josef and Marianne Walter Heinz Zembsch. From Switzerland: Hans—Ulrich Marti and Roland Descloux. From Austria: Franz Oppurg. From Poland: Anna Czer— winska — Krystyna Palmowska and the woman doctor Yola Maciuch.

On the 9 March the main body of the expedition flew from Munich to Kathmandu. To our greatest surprise and disappointment we found that the further preparation of our enterprise had not made much progress. The equipment was still held up in the customs office on the Indian border, and there was neither diesel fuel for the lorries for the drive to Ilam nor a bus for the team kept ready. Also in the Ministries concerned the various permits were not ready for signature.

In Ilam, the large trading centre, which is situated on the south spurs of the Himalaya, the porter problem reached a critical stage. It was not possible to employ sufficient porters to carry the 350 loads, and therefore the expedition had to do the two-week approach march in different groups. For this reason the base camp was reached much later than planned.

After arrival in the Yalung valley we followed the spur of the glacier upwards to the base camp. Every afternoon there was a thunder- storm in the Yalung valley with snow showers which mostly did not stop before midnight. The jungle belt surrounding the huge Kangchenjunga massif is probably the cause of these climatic peculiarities. As the approach march was delayed we were forced to send an advanced group to the mountain in order to establish the high camps. On 29 April Camp 2 was erected to some extent, and there were also a few if tents in Camp 3 (7000 m).

All the time the expedition had to fight against the masses of freshly fallen snow, and therefore, in spite of hard teamwork, the material for Camp 4 could only be carried up in stages and left in depot at different altitudes. This was the only way to move the equipment upto the planned camp site (7700 m).

On 6 May the summit party returned to the base camp because of illness. Beside Marti now also Oppurg, Gobi and Ritter suffered from flu. They had fever and were treated with penicillin. During this period I had a detailed conversation with Ritter and Oppurg in my bungalow tent. We came to the conclusion that we had to have 'all eggs in one basket' — that we had to try to get permission from the Sirdar for a small group of Sherpas to carry the necessary material upto the last high camp at 7700 m just before the beginning of the monsoon season. There in Camp 6 another tent, 6 more oxygen bottles, a cooker and some provisions were required. Sleeping-bags, mats and personal belongings had to be carried up there by the members themselves.

According to our plan we started on 12 May. Schorsch Ritter, Giri Gobl and Franz Oppurg together with two Sherpas climbed up to Camp 2 in one pull. On 14 May the 3 Saliibs, assisted by 5 Sherpas, carried on to Camp 4. Two of the 5 Sherpas returned to Camp 3. But only Schorsch Ritter and the Sherpa Ang Tsangbu, Nima Dorje and Lakhpa Gyalbo finally reached the last camp below the summit. Franz Oppurg suffered from stomach pain, Giri Gobi still had not recovered from the flu and both from halfway returned to Camp 3.

In the morning of 15 May at 15 minutes past 6 o'clock they started for the summit. After the group of four had left the 'ramp', the so called steep rocky slope of the 'Sickle' of the 'Horse-shoe' next to the summit, they climbed the 40 degrees steep neve-couloir towards the summit ridge. They climbed without a rope as this was the only chance to manage the 900 metre difference in altitude during the course of this day.

At 30 minutes past eleven o'clock the four climbers left the wide neve-couloir about 400 metres below the top of the peak and about 100 metres below the West-pass, the deepest gap of the ridge which leads over to the Yalung Kang. Schorsch Ritter followed the route of the first ascent, climbed up the small neve band which leads up on the south side of the peak. On the end of this neve band for a length of about 150 metres there was to surmount a difficult traverse which led up to some tricky cracks of a height of about 6 metres. Only by reaching these cracks one was able to climb up to the summit ridge.

At 10 minutes to two o'clock Lakhpa Gyalbo, followed by Schorsch Ritter and Nima Dorje, reached a small neve triangle at an altitude of 8598 metres — the summit of the Kangchenjunga! Here they found the footprints of those Japanese climbers who had reached the summit the day before via the North Face.³ Besides that there was a nevr hook with a flag, left on the summit by the Indian Army Expedition in 1977.²

 

During the 40-minute stay on the summit the usual bad weather moved in again. It snowed, fog came up and the beautiful Himalayan scenery with the icy gaints was not visible, neither Everest nor Lhotse or Makalu, all which can be normally seen from the summit of Kangchenjunga towards the western horizon.

During the descent the three climbers met their comrade Ang Tsangbu who climbed without oxygen gear and therefore stopped for a long rest aboutn70 metres below the summit.

Now the bad weather forced him to return to Camp 4 together with his comrades, and he had no more chance to reach the summit. After three hours the team reached the summit camp and the expedition was so lucky to have conquered the mountain.

 

 

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THE TEAM was made up by the most famous 'trentinian' climbers: Ezio Alimonta, Bruno Detassis, Toni Mase, Gianfranco Rizzi, Renato by priest Valentini, Amanzio Collini, Ferruccio and Walter Vidi, and led by priest Arturo Bergamaschi. The objective, was Annapurna Fang (7650 m), a wonderful but very difficult mountain, that was forbidden to climbers till last year by the Nepal Government. Unfortunately, we could not reach the top because of some difficulties and the very bad weather.

One can follow the chronicle of the expedition in this passage: 3 October 1979, 8 o'clock: "Urgent message to all the camps: we reached the saddle at 6350 after 6 days, overcoming enormous difficulties and the continuous risk to be hurled several metres down. The ridge, at present is unsurmountable, is made from 40 ft snow and there are terrible holes; no chance to pitch a tent for almost one km. To go on risking our lives is pointless, thus we decide to give up our attempt to Annapurna Fang.'

The story began on 31 August, when the 20 members of the expedition , arrived in Kathmandu. On 15 September, we were in Pokhara and started the 7 day march upto the Annapurna Sanctuary going through villages of Suiket, Naudanda, Chandrokt Gandrung and Comro. We were 190: besides 20 members of the expedition, there were 15 Sherpas, with 115 porters. On 2 September we were at 4350 m in the middle of the majestic amphitheatre of Annapurna called the Sanctuary. We pitched the base camp; our tents were many, because 39 people will stay at the base camp.

It was the monsoon season, the sky was cloudy and almost every day it rained or snowed. The monsoon should have finished with the, end of September. To get to the Annapurna face we had to walk through a glacier 12 km long, which was rough, dangerous because of its enormous crevasses and seracs and the imposing ice-towers warmed by the hot sun which collapsed and crashed with sinister roaring. Camp 1 was sited at 5000 m on small ice-square we had made with our ice-axes. It was 15 September.

We went on working for two days in landscape changing everyday. On 17th evening it started snowing and it will keep on till the 2Ist. All the climbers went back to base camp. On 23rd we started working again and 25 people — climbers and sherpas, carried 500 kg of equipment to the camp.

Within two days we were again at 5350 m where, before it had started snowing, we had pitched a temporary camp.

In some places the fresh snow, blown by the wind was about one metre high. We went on very tiringly and dangerously. The crevasses were hidden by the fresh snow and we had to be very careful not to step on them.

We pitched Camp 2 at 5400 m, half an hour away from Annapurna face. Ezio Alimonta, Attilio Bianchetti, Toni Mase, Gianni Pasinetti and the two Vidi were the climbers who were to go up the two walls — helped by two Sherpas Ang pasang and Natemba.

At first, the wall was fairly gradual but suddenly it became vertical. We climbed on ice and rock; the rock w as crumbly and dangerous in some places, and our crampons scraped it as if it were sand hardened by frost. It was 6 day hard and risky job: the wal] was about IOOO m high. We could not go straight up, but we had to zigzag in order to cross the couloirs that were continuously filled with stones and ice. We put 1400 m of fixed ropes on the 1000 m wall. We accepted grave risks, hoping that the ridge that goes from the saddle up to the top would be accessible.

The climbing group left the camp early in the morning and got back late in the evening, but they were worn out with the continuous stress. In spite of all this, we were determined to get to the saddle. Amanzio Collini, coming back from Camp I to base camp fractured his shoulder and we had to call a helicopter to take him to the hospital in Kathmandu.

On 2 October they tried to reach the saddle for the last time; the Sherpas refused to take the equipment to the saddle. They said when going through the outlined route, it was dangerous as it avalanches at any time, no matter whether day or night.

Gianni Pasinetti, working suddenly, managed to get to the saddle. What a disappointment, it was a sharp ridge swept by the wind supported by frail pillars of ice. There was not a metre for almost a km from the saddle: The ridge reached 7000 m of height. The three climbers, in spite of their tiredness decided to get back to Camp 2, whilst the two Sherpas chose to bivouac a few metres below the saddle. It was a tremendous bivouac, without the tent and without being able to get the sleeping-bags out of the rucksacks.

We were worried about the lives of those Sherpas. During the night it started snowing and if it had gone on for some hours the wall would have become a fatal trap for the two serpas.

They managed to survive that night without serious consequences and got to the lower camp only on the early afternoon of the next day. On the morning we evaluated the risks of the climb and we all agreed that, at present, there were no chances to overcome the saddle and, painfully, we decided to give up.

Next few days it snowed a lot and for many days a thick fog prevented us from any sight.

On 6th we started packing the equipment. We left the base camp on 10 October, when the weather was worse than ever. Stones and avalanches fell on us from anywhere; the forest, which we had to go through, became a graveyard. A porter died coming towards our base camp. And two Japanese lady climbers and one of their porters were swept away by a huge avalanche of snow and ice, at Hinko. A group of climbers and porters had the luck to miss it by a few metres. Even though we could not get the success we all hoped for, it was extremely valuable having found the courage to give up.

Even though our eyes could not shine with the joy of seeing the Fang being tamed, we all believe our experiences will be useful to those, who in the future will attempt this mountain.

 

 

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AFTER the usual hustle and bustle we took off from Kathmandu on 6 March and with 160 porters and 4 naiks headed for the Braga/ Manang valley, arriving there on 16 March. At this point local porters were engaged. We were met and farewelled at Dumre by Col. Jimmy Roberts.

Base Camp was sited at Changur, 12,500 ft, a very beautiful series of flats surrounded by pine trees and with its own little stream. Until 22 March acclimatization took place and loads were sorted. We then proceeded to forward load to a dump at 14,800 ft on 'Base Camp Ridge*. From 22 March dump camp was established and Camp 1 at 15,000 ft was placed on 27 March with Stafford Morse managing it.

Colin Monteath led a Base Camp Peak attempt but retreated due to poor snow/rock conditions at 18,000 ft. Jon Chester led a foray towards the 1961 Indian route but retreated at avalanche danger. The Expedition was on schedule with nearly all loads at the Dump or forward of that. On 29 March Stafford Morse, Ken Bowes, Adrian Blake, Nick Reeves, Richard Schmidt, John Chester and Geof? Bartram were at Camp 1 waiting to investigate a route up the 'Central Ridge' which Nick was to lead.

On the night of 29 March an avalanche above set off soft new snow and demolished Camp 1. Ken and Nick were rolled nearly 300 yards down the mountain in a Narona hoop tent, Richard and Geoff woke up in a crushed pyramid tent. Jon dug with bare hands for the tent lie assumed to be buried and sustained frostbite.

The seven climbers reassembled and sat out the night in the remaining damaged tent. Next day about 8.00 a.m. all descended to find the dump obliterated. At the foot of Base Camp Ridge on a traverse, soft snow avalanched and triggered the sub-layer of hard old snow which overrode this and was funnelled between two hills. Nick, Richard and Stafford were carried away. Adrian on the edge was quickly recovered but the front three were buried and died instantly, Adrian ran to Base- to give the alarm and all climbers ascended at about noon and recovered their friends by 5.40 p.m.

On 31 March the mountain was declared too dangerous for movement. On 1 April the expedition members moved up and arranged a communal grave on a hillock in a lovely spot with views down the valley to Manaslu and Peak 29. A simple burial service was held.

That night Ray Johnston who did such a good job looking after Base Camp played Pan Pipes music on his cassette player. A full moon in a clear starlit sky lit the night. We all stood silent in our memories of our three friends whose adventure ended so suddenly.

With two climbing leaders lost and a third frostbitten, five tents and other gear destroyed, our team was weakened to the point where to continue would have been to endanger less experienced climbers. We abandoned the expedition and came home. Seven climbers 'ran around' Annapurna, the remainder retraced steps.

 

 

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THE AIM of the expedition was to climb the mountain as a team of three climbers in 'Alpine Style'. That is, without the additional aids of oxygen, high-altitude porters or fixed rope. Previously this mountain had been climbed three times but always by large teams of climbers using oxygen, high-altitude porters and thousands of feet of fixed ropes. A method which tends to destroy the uncertainty and challenge which is always present in Alpine Style ascents.

We flew to Kathmandu on 29 August and spent the first week buying local food and organizing the 25 porters who would help us carry our loads up to Base Camp. After a nine-day walk-in beginning in the jungle at 2000 ft we arrived at 11,500 ft where our Base camp was set up. The porters were dismissed and from this point it was between the three of us and the mountain. The next three weeks were spent in the essential process of acclimatization. We surveyed the North Face of the mountain looking for the possibility of a new more direct route to the summit. This idea was crushed when one morning we witnessed the largest avalanche any of us had ever seen sweep the line of our proposed ascent. This avalanche destroyed our Camp 1 taking away a certain amount of our food and equipment; we were all at Advance Base Camp at the time. We then changed our line of at attack to the route by which the mountain was first climbed. On 6 October we began our ascent. We carried with us fifteen days' food and fuel and hoped that this length of time would allow us to reach the summit. After ten days of climbing, often harassed by high winds and new falls of snow, we reached a point on the final ridge at a height of over 21,000 ft.

Paul and Adrian were going strongly and hoped that with luck the summit could be reached in 2-3 days more. Alan who was troubled with a severe stomach and bowel infection was becoming weakened by the day and decided not to go any higher. On 18 October Paul and Adrian left the camp at 5 a.m. on a bid for the summit. At 11 a.m. they were at 23,500 ft but had to turn back in the face of terrible winds that threatened to sweep them off the ridge. The whole team began the descent, the same day realizing that the presence of such high winds were the first signs of the arriving Himalayan winter. On 20 October we began our journey back to Kathmandu.

Although the three climbers did not reach the summit of the mountain the expedition could not be classed as a complete failure. An objective of such magnitude attempted in such a lightweight style requires not only skill and endurance, but a certain amount of luck with weather and conditions. When a team of friends pit themselves against heavy odds the measure of success is in the knowledge that all gave of their best and could have tried no harder. The summit was not reached but the peak of effort was.

Members: Paul Moores, Alan Burgess, Adrian Burgess.

 

 

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THE HIMALAYA are great and mysterious and attract climbers like a magnet. The attraction of this magnet reaches till far Poland and Jelenia Gora situated at the foot of the charming Karkonosze range. The alpinists from Sudeten Highmountain Club prepared for their Himalayan expedition for years by climbing on small cliffs and training in the Tatra, the Alps and Caucasus. They also went to Hindu Kush in 1977 where Jerzy Pietkiewicz with his companions successfully climbed the Central ridge of Kohe Shakhaur (7116 m). Finally In 1979 they had the happy opportunity to organise an expedition to Himalaya with a glorious aim; the southwestern ridge of Annapurna South 7219 m — 23,683 ft.⁴

The first group of 9 persons, B. Dejnarowicz, W. Szczypka, J. Woznica, J. Pietrowicz, M. Tworek, R. Wolszczowski, R. Hryciow, K. Balucinski and J. Ryznar started on 6 March from Jelenia Gora on board a lorry for the long journey across the Balkans, Turkey, Iraq,, Iran, Pakistan, India to Nepal (Pokhara). J. Pietkiewicz (leader), Z. Czyzewski, J. Koniak, M. Piekutowski, K. Smieszko, K. Wielicki had flown to Bombay and then by train and bus to Kathmandu and finally to Pokhara, the point of departure for Annapurna range.

8 April

The small caravan of alpinists with liaison officer, cook and 15 porters reached the base camp at 3700 m near Kyumnu nala below the former Japanese base camp. Here they learned that the SW ridge of Annapurna South had already been climbed by the Japanese team.⁴ So they decided to change the aim and to try the western wall which was yet virgin. The period of acclimatization and reconnaissance began.

 

11 April

Three members examine the west wall while others study the possibilities of a descent by the northern side.

15 April

While descending from the gap between Annapurna South and Hiunchuli, J. Koniak slipped and fell to his death.

At the same time the second group with the lorry reached the base camp.

21 April

The leader and J. Ryznar returned to Kathmandu to settle the formalities concerning the death of J. Koniak and to obtain permits in climb the west wall. Weather conditions were bad with heavy snow fall and storms every day.

24 April

Camp 2 is ready under the west wall. The approach is very difficult and dangerous. As the weather improves M. Piekutowski, acting as the leader, decides to attack the west wall in alpine style. Z. Czy zewski, M. Piekutowski, K. Smieszko and K. Wielicki leave for Camp 2 with the doctor.

25 April

M. Piekutowski attacked by illness and is escorted back to the base camp by Balucinski.

26 April

Radio connections between camps are set up.

27 April

Summit team climbs along a gully to bivouac at 5900 m l»«d weather and snowfall.

Pietkiewicz and Ryznar return from Kathmandu.

 

28 April

The summit team climbs difficult ice-slopes and seracs to reach the second gap. A team of four members leave for 'Annapurna base camp' to await the return of the summiters on the northern side. They had to wait for 5 days till the team returns. Meanwhile they helped the Japanese team to rescue their members in disaster.

29 April

The first signs of mountain sickness with Czyzewski. Summit attempt continues.

30 April

A dangerous bivouac on very steep ice-slopes at 6900 m just under the summit buttress.

1 May

Czyzewski is seriously ill. Nevertheless he gives consent for the summit push. He is left alone secured in the bivouac site. 14.15 hrs — K. Smieszko and K. Wielicki reach the summit. Victory but joy mingled with anxiety. They hurried back to the bivouac site at 16.30 hrs to start rescuing Czyzewski. A mailrunner is sent to Annapurna base camp with the news and telling the waiting party to return.

2 May

Czyzewski is very ill and weak. They make 13 rappels along the couloir of the summit buttress.

Pietkiewicz and Ryznar decide to attack the northern wall. The other two return to the expedition base camp.

3 May

Summit group reaches the base of the west wall safely and meets the rescue team. Czyzewski's condition improves.

4 May

All reach base camp.

6 May

The alarm period passed. But there was no news from the northern wall climbers. It was decided to wait for them till 13 May.

9 May

Beginning of the winding up of the base camp.

10 May

Beginning of rescue operation for two climbers on the north wall.

13 May

A new recce of the north wall.

15 May

Expedition reaches Pokhara and awaits the result of the recce of north wall.

18 May

The rescue team reaches Pokhara. They discovered the tent of the climbers undamaged and covered with snow. No trace of them. They were last seen by Japanese climbers on 4 May climbing the north wall at about 6000 m. Every evening there was heavy snowfall and no one has seen them after this. Hence they decided to return. The fate of Pietkiewicz and Ryznar remains an unsolved mystery.

19 May

The team return to Kathmandu. Aerial search for the missing climbers is not possible due to bad weather.

21 May

At a meeting with the Ministry of Tourism, Jerzy Pietkiewicz and Julian Ryznar are acknowledged as lost.

2 May

End of the expedition. The victory was eclipsed by the tragedy. The heaviest load on our conscience is that that our friends may be alive. They will always live in our memory and always on the scintillating heights.

 

 

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THE ADVANCE party constructed base camp on 22 October. They climbed the Central valley through the left bank ridge to 4200 m. But because of stone fall they gave up this route on 30 October. It was then decided to climb the face of the Central ridge. Camp 1 was constructed on the moraine under the face. This was the base for climbing. From here the route descended to lower glacier. After crossing this we climbed gradually for 2 km to arrive at the base of the face. The face was of 70 degrees incline and of about 150 m. We established Ti as the place where we gathered our baggages.

From this point, we climbed 100 m (70 degrees) and fixed a ladder (10 m) to overcome a perpendicular face. Then we climbed an oblique crack of 200 m to arrive at T2. Ahead a wire ladder was fixed for 150 m along a traverse to arrive at T3 on a ledge. We climbed ahead perpendicularly to the left (150 m). We reached out on the ridge here, but we had to give up this route also as the upper part was not fit for Sherpas.

So from T3 we traversed diagonally to the right (150 m) and climbed 50 m to arrive at the base of a terrace at the bottom of an overhang. We fixed 25 m wire ladder at the overhang and surmounted it to reach T4. From here we climbed a rough chimney of 150 m with knees and kicking with heels. On the top a bivouac was constructed. On 6 October we were caught in a thunder storm. All the routes on the face froze. So it was only on 15 the that we could traverse 100 m perpendicular face and climbed the last 50 m to the ridge. We levelled rocks and on a narrow ledge of 3 sq m constructed Camp 2.

This Central ridge has a gap of 150 m. So we abseiled down to the Col. Then on we went up a flank of the ridge diagonally for 750 m and constructed a dump at 5150 m. But on 18 October this dump was destroyed by an snowslip though luckily no member was involved. So we moved the dump to 5200 m and after making a route over to the ridge, constructed Camp 3 on a snowfield on the ridge. This was named 'Nishi no Maru' (West open space). This was the only safe camp on the route.

From here we climbed a slanting crack of 150 m and a face of 300 m. Camp 4 was constructed on snowfield at 5880 m. After another climb of 100 m we faced ice-towers. But the upper part of the ice-towers and glacier were avalanching every hour. So it was decided to give up reaching the top at 6010 m, as we could not keep open our long route to the base.

This is all a new area above the base. From the start of climbing to our last high point, out of 31 days 17 were storm bound. This really hampered our efforts. If we have a chance of charging at it again we are sure to be able to overcome the upper snow face. We climbed about 2000 m of the face (contact line of 4000 m). The remaining part of about 900 m is only a snow face.

Objective: Nilgiri Central Peak from West Face.

Members: Tsutomu Nishimura, (leader), Yoshikazu Kozuki, (deputy leader), M. Toji, S. Goto, K. Fuchimoto, Y. Izutsu, S. Tsubota, T. Nishimoto, T. Goshima and H. Kawasaki.

 

 

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THE NEPAL and Okayama University Joint Expedition was sent to Nepal in August 1979. First ascent of Ganesh Himal II (7150 m), a virgin peak located north of Kathmandu, was successfully made.

Okayama University Alpine Club had already sent a reconnaissance party to Lapsang Kharbo, another name of this mountain on the border of Tibet, in 1973. The three members, Ogura, Kitahara and Kawa- guchi, had climbed up to 6100 m and considered the Southeast ridge to be the possible route to the summit. But we had to choose Dhaulagiri V for our expedition in 1975, because Lapsang Kharbo was not opened for climbing by the Government of Nepal. We successfully made the first ascent of Dhaulagiri V, however three including I were attracted by Lapsang Kharbo.

In August 1977 we got news that the mountain was opened for joint expeditions with Nepalese climbers. Pemba Tsering, who reached the summit of Dhaulagiri V, and Mingma Tenzing were recommended as members by the Nepal Mountaineering Association. Our expedition party consisted of 6 Japanese members and 2 Nepalese members:

Takeo Ohmori (leader), Hideo Ogura (climbing leader and doctor), Takashi Kitahara, Mitsuyasu Maeda, Sinji Eguchi, Makoto Yokoo, Pemba Tsering, and Mingma Tenzing.

On 22 August we arrived at Kathmandu and employed Passang as Sirdar, 3 High Altitude Sherpas, 4 Low Altitude Sherpas, one cook, 2 kitchen boys and 2 mail runners. Bal Komar Shakya, Assistant Inspector of Nepal National Police, was our liaison officer.

On 29 August our party left Kathmandu with two trucks and one jeep for Trisuli Bazar. Next day, our caravan started with 160 porters for base camp.

On eighth day of the caravan, the porters' strike could not be averted because of dangerous caravan route and cold weather. The 5 tons loads were left on the moraine at 3900 m near Chilime river. Moreover, Chinese border guards complained that our caravan had invaded Chinese territory. We were convinced that none of our members crossed the border, however, it was difficult for the Japanese to explain about that, because there was only one landmark in Chilime valley, gut soon the Chinese guards cooperated with the party to carry loads as a result of the skilful negotiation of our liaison officer. (One year later, we heard that Sangje glacier became Chinese territory from July, 1980!)

Base Camp (4700 m) at the head of Sangje glacier was established on 12 September.

The route-opening began on 14 September but there were many crevasses on the glacier lying between Ganesh Himal II and V. About 2000 m of fixed ropes were used on this route. On 20 September Camp 1 (5500 m) was made on this glacier.

On 24th, we reached the col between Ganesh Himal II and V. At first sight I realized the difficulties of the southeast ridge, because it was about twice as long as we had expected! We requested additional ropes and other items from Kathmandu. Camp 2 (6300 m) on the col was made on the 26th. The southeast ridge was heavily corniced, and with very thin knife edges curved to go up sharply. The route was opened up to a high point of 6500 m on the southeast ridge in 5 days. But we had to climb a series of dangerous ice-towers covered with breakable crust on the ridge. A Sherpa abandoned his duty, and others became reluctant to continue on the route. We could not do anything but change the climbing route.

On 3 October, a new Camp 2 (6100 m) was made on the glacier and we started to attempt a long traverse via the terrace of northeast face to northeast ridge. It was quite dangerous and prone to the avalanches from the steep northeast face. This route is not to be recommended, though our party fortunately could pass without accident owing to several fine days.

We reached the snow plateau between the north and north cant ridges by climbing up a knife edge of the northeast ridge and Camp (6400 m) was made there on the 13th. The route above Camp 3 was complicated; however, we saw a possibility to reach the summit by the north ridge. A route was made on the steep ice-wall between the hanging glaciers on the lateral face of north ridge. Camp 4 (6900 m) was made on the 18th on north ridge. From there, we could not see the summit yet, but this ridge seemed to be a promising route to the summit.

Next day, on 19th October, Tsering, Dawa and I set out from camp 4 at 8.30 a.m. as a route-opening party. North ridge was rather broad and easy. We reached the summit at 11.09 a.m., too soon! The Summit was a 5 m X 20 m snowfield. On 20th, Maeda, Eguchi, Mingma, Tendi and I, and on 21st Kitahara and Yokoo also succeeded. All the climbing members could reach the summit of Lapsang Kharbo.

 

 

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THE HISTORY of the Gdansk-Dhaulagiri Expedition 1979 begins at the sea. The equipment packed into a container had been sent by ship, m/s Traugutt, and was destroyed completely by fire in the ship at Karachi Harbour. Therefore, the expedition was not supplied sufficiently. Equipment and food available at the last moment were sent by air from Warsaw to Nepal. With some delays in New Delhi due to the bad weather conditions together with the RNAC being out of service, the shipment reached the Kathmandu airport where it was puked up immediately by the expedition members.

The delayed monsoon makes additional troubles. Destroyed bridge near Pokhara and road damage due to mud avalanches made the usually smooth trip from Kathmandu to Pokhara an adventure.

A 5-man reconnaissance team reached the base camp in the Mayangdi Khola on 1 September 1979. At that time the rest of the 18- man expedition team together with 150 porters were still on the way fighting with heavy rains of the delayed monsoon.

The reconnaissance group divided into two teams: one of them climbed the northeast col in order to have a close look at the east face and northeast spur — a prospective way to come down from the summit, while others were climbing the north face to set up Camp 1. The weather was clear, the monsoon hadn't reached the Mayangdi glacier yet. The ice and snow conditions were superb. The northeast col team found that the unconquered east face could be climbed up with one attack only if the climbers were acclimatized. Between 7 and 10 September the luggage of the expedition had reached the base camp together with the members and monsoon snows.

Trapped by the bad weather, alone at the altitude of 6000 m was our American member Alex Bertulis. Lured by some clearance in weather, he had decided to trace the route to the Camp 2. Because from below one could not see him on the face, one after another rescue teams were trying to climb up the serac barrier obstructing the way to the plateau under the slope of 'the pear'. After a week of uncertainty we found him, completely exhausted in a snow cave dug in the slope up the plateau. At this place the Camp 2 was established. The heavy snowfalls stopped activity for the next 8 days. Afterwards, several days were needed to reconstruct and support the established camps. On 28 September Camp 3 was established on the edge of the lower part of 'the pear' rocks and on 2 November Camp 4 high above the top of 'the pear' was set up. The way between Camp 3 and 4 was traced on the slope right to 'the pear'. No fixed ropes were used on this part of the face except on some earlier muddy and later snowy ridge below Camp 1.

After a night in Camp 4 (approx. 7400 m) a two-man (R. Kowa- lewski, G. Malaczynski) made a reconnaissance into the ridge climbing the steep icy slope and part of the couloir cutting the rocky west ridge of Dhaulagiri. The couloir leads to a little pass between two rocky peaks above the point at which, we think, the other expeditions had reached the crest.

In the middle of the couloir the team fixed some ropes and came down for a rest in the base camp.

In the meantime a 2-man team climbed the northeast spur and left a tent at 7400 m as a survival point for making the traverse which had been planned. On 10 November a 6-man team spent a night in Camp 4 planning the summit attack on the next day. Because the top was still too remote it was planned to climb up to the ridge, traverse the most difficult parts and spend the night on the way to the summit. The team was supported by another 4-man group following them from Camp 3.

In the afternoon of 9 November a violent hurricane, which lasted for almost two days, stopped the climbers. The snow conditions had changed immediately and climbing became more difficult. In spite of this on 12 November a two-man team (G. Malaczynski, W. Otreba) climbed up the couloir with the assignment of fixing ropes on the rocky part of the ridge. Another 4-man team was to follow them after some time with food and camping equipment.

After a few hours inside the couloir they found that the support was not coming. Due to high-altitude sickness increased by severe weather conditions, the other team was unable to climb up to the couloir.

Otreba climbed up to the end of the couloir and found an extremely difficult rocky traverse, the passing of which would take several hours. Because it became evident that the way to the summit would take more than one day as expected earlier, and because of the lack of proper equipment, the two were forced to give up.

The next day another 4-man team tried to climb the couloir and ridge. At noon the hurricane came back pushing the climbers down to Camp 4 and later to the base camp.

The following snowfalls and significant drop in temperature paralyzed our activity for several days. It became evident that the winter had come. Our equipment was insufficient for climbing in such conditions so the expedition was evacuated via French Pass. It was the end of November.

But this is not the end of the story. Two of our expedition members, W. Kurtyka and L. Wilczynski, when back in Kathmandu got permission to attack the east face of Dhaulagiri in the forthcoming spring. They were the only persons who could manage to come back to Himalaya after a few months. The team, complemented with R. Gillini (France) and Alex Maclntyre (U.K.) climbed successfully the east face of Dhaulagiri I reaching the summit on 18 May 1980 with the knowledge of the 1979-autumn northeast spur and east face reconnaissance and making use of the labours of our expedition.

 

 

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SIKKIM HIMALAYA is close to West Bengal, almost at its doorstep. For a party having shoe-string budget the lure seems irresistible. This ideal condition has, in fact, lured five Calcutta teams to launch their expeditions in Sikkim Himalaya within ten months (from September 1979 to June 1980). There is no denying that we have been lured. However, time and again we felt that we had chosen a wrong region for right reason. I, for myself, won't suggest anybody embarking on an expedition in Sikkim, especially in North Sikkim. Experience says it is a nerve-racking red-tapism totally unsuited to mountaineers. Obtaining a camera permit is also a hazardous proposition.

The primary objective of this venture was to explore the southwestern part of Lama Anden¹ (19,500 ft) a peak behind Lachen village. It is surprising that earlier explorers like Hooker, Dr Kellas and Spencer Chapman, though in the vicinity of this area did not bother to sketch it properly. However my attention was drawn to a single- sentence report contained in Trevor Braham's Himalayan Odyssey that Tony Smyth of Britain climbed Lama Anden in 1945. Uptil now I have not come across such an account with factual detail.²

We reached Gangtok on 23 October 1979. The lengthy formalities took four days. Finally on 27th morning our military vehicle was geared into action. At Mangan Alok Das informed us that Kishong La region could not be approached via Tolung Gompa mainly due to lack of porters at Mangan and special permit regulations for the area.

After a night halt at Chungthang on 28th in the morning at 10 a.m. we reached Lachen. Like Mangan, Lachen too seemed to have come alive from the pages of a Juvenile wonder book. Lama Anden range was just behind Lachen (on the western flank) giving it a rare beauty. Due to acute porter problems we were forced to leave at least the two- fifths of our material at Lachen.

On 30th we proceeded to Tallem. Thus our trek ultimately started. It was our first camp en route to base camp. The entire stretch was along the true left-hand side of Zemu Chu. Apart from a few patches the entire route was through boulder and scree fields. The substantial part of the river bed was washed away by landslides and that made all the difference.

On 31st morning we crossed Lhonak Chu along with its mossy boulder beds and entered the forest range. The ground under our feet was completely marshy and slushy. In various groups members and porters reached Yakthang, our second camp. And within three hours a temporary log bridge was constructed towards Kishong La side.

On 1^st eight members went up to establish the base camp beyond Kishong La. It was established well below that because of heavy snow^. Camp 1 was established on the 3rd. The place chosen for Camp 1 was not the col proper but slightly lower below and the place was nicely fortified by a big boulder. On 4th two porters were sent up with some important climbing gear and provisions. On 5th Debu, Krishna, Nuri and three porters went up.

After days of bad weather and treading on brittle uncertain grounds 6 November seemed bright enough for hectic activity. Due to fatigue Sarkar, Debu, Krishna and two Sherpas as also three local HAPs left for Camp 2 (which had been recceed by Sarkar and Debu on 4th) only after 7.45 a.m. The sun had already touched the Lama Anden top (situated east of Camp 1). After tackling almost thigh-deep soft snow for two hours they reached a small snowfield (from where Sarkar and Debu had to go back due to inclement: weather on 4th). They rested for a while and by twelve they found a suitable site for Camp 2. It was on a ridge leading to the rocky surface of SW rock surface of Lama Anden. Three local HAPs came back to base.

7 November dawned fine. It had been decided that come what may Camp 3 had to be established by 7th and time permitting doing some recce. Long bad weather condition had started telling upon the performance of the climbers. So a 'now or never' mood prompted them to start for Camp 3 by 6 a.m. in the morning. Changing the lead between Debu and Krishna they established Camp 3 on the same ridge leading to peak. By the right flank of Camp 3 (after a drop of 600 ft) a modest glacier formation along with Denga and an unnamed peak (5050 m) by its right could be clearly seen. These two peaks stood on the same ridge that was connecting Lama Anden from SE. It was n.30 a.m. It seemed from Camp 3 that the route to the summit rock face had been blocked by a subsidiary rock wall. Debu and Krishna started immediately to explore a suitable route to the base of the sum- mit pyramid. A rocky stretch seemed quite hazardous and in rock-fall zone. So to cross this they had to descend 200 ft on the right of the ridge and had to traverse for 150 ft. This led to an ice-wall having a gradient of approximately 70 They reached the top of this ice-wall which was slightly corniced on the north. So they moved by the right and found the route leading to a deceptive-looking hanging glacier. They had a good look at it. No further movement was possible, for weather turned bad at 1,30 p.m. So they had to turn back.

On the 8th morning Debu and Krishna got up to find a terrible situation. Everything was snow-covered. Cold wind had attained a violent speed. Preparing oneself in these conditions was quite a test of endurance. They started very late. Looking back they found Sarkar and Gyalzen ferrying loads from Camp 1, slogging through knee- deep snow. To make up for lost time they reached the rock-fall zone in one go. After half an hour they reached a hanging glacier point. A big crevasse came into view which was partly covered with soft snow. On the right side of this crevasse there was an ice-wall (100 ft) but climbable. Debu belayed Krishna up. They had a grand view of the peak and approach to the SW face. Immediately below there was a small snowfield gradually rising up to the majestic SW face. After nearly one and half hours of careful snow-plodding over plenty of hidden crevasses they reached the foot of the rock wall. It was 11 a.m. While resting they looked around to find a suitable route to the top.

They observed the face minutely and chose a straight route. The entire face would be around 1000 ft or maybe a little less. However, the yellow rock surface had its immense charm and beauty. They took off their crampons and started climbing. The first 70 ft had 45 to 50 degree gradient. But after that it was almost vertical but looked firm. With alternate lead they negotiated another 300 ft. It was a gruelling effort indeed. Their main intention was to reach a small gully which they gained. It seemed from below that gaining the gully would solve the problem, but on reaching there it was found to be a broken loose debris depot and honeycombed with verglas. They decided to make a right-hand traverse to follow the second choice before them. Since this traverse was 400 ft in length and vertical they had to be very cautious. Stone fall from above was also a distinct possibility. It took two hours to complete the traverse. Debu had become very thirsty by then. It was 2.30 p.m. Krishna opened up a juice tin only to find it frozen. Surprisingly good weather prevailed all through. The ground seemed not very firm during the traverse but the next: move was on firm ground with plenty of belaying stances. Krishna continued with the job duly belayed by Debu. In a difficult stretch Krishna fixed a full length of climbing rope and was asking for more. The weather being fine he wanted to continue, leaving only a few hundred feet to the summit. But fixing a second rope meant two more hours. They took the decision to withdraw, for the question of reaching Camp 3 had to be considered.

While coming back Krishna displayed interest on the southern ridge. Debu noticed a depression in between the summit and he did not like the look of the depression though no definite picture could be made from such a distance. Krishna insisted for this seeming easier route, he preferred to attempt Lama Anden by this ridge. Debu reluctantly nodded assent. True, if the depression was done the deed, too, was done. The problem was to cover a whole lot of ground. And time was extremely short.

Since Nuri and Gyalzen had come up, four persons had to stay in a single two-men tent (the second one being damaged). It was an uncomfortable night — not a decent arrangement at high altitude when a great deal of work was awaiting in the morning. Gyalzen wanted to accompany them. So three of them started early in the morning. After two hours the south face had been reached. They crossed the snow slope that led to the rock-wall. Three of them moved slowly but after a short spell Gyalzen refused to move and sheltered himself on a protected corner. Debu and Krishna started their climb. Within an hour 200 ft of rocky ground was covered. After that climbing became extremely difficult. They were slow. By 2.30 p.m. the depression was reached. It was almost knife-edged. No soul could move unhurt on it. And there was no alternative route before them except descending to the foot. They almost cried. Krishna became terribly upset because it was his choice. The summit was not even one hour's walk after this ground, 300 ft at the maximum. They became very tired, all the energy had been spent in this effort. Very painfully they came back to the foot. In fact the previous day's route was the correct one. It was an error of judgment that changed the entire complexion of the venture. As if to pacify their agonizing feeling Krishna and Debu climbed and brought back the rope fixed by them the previous day on SW face.

They got back to Camp 3. Nuri was waiting with equipment packed. None could stay any more. All of them had reached the end of their tether. Straightaway after collecting materials from Camp 3 four of them reached base camp at 10 p.m., totally colourless amidst darkness and defeat.

Members: B. Nayak (leader), Prof B. R. Sarkar (deputy leader), Debabhash Dey, Kalyan Bhattacharya, Sankar Saha, K. K. De, Alok Das, Sumit Basu Choudhury, T. K. De and Dr Amal Basak.

 

 

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ON 10 SEPTEMBER 1979 arrival of the expedition crew in New Delhi. We spent our time with buying foodstuffs, fetching the expedition equipment from the customs and waiting for our liaison officer.

On 16th we travel by truck to Rishikesh which we reach on the next day in the morning and go straight to Joshimath. On 18th we camp in Lata. From here we undertake together with the trekking group under leadership of Heinz Zaha from 20th, till 23rd the ascent of Bugial Koti, 5221 m. All members of the expedition crew and 3 members of the trekking group reached the summit. On 25 th we start with the trip to base camp which is situated near the Ramani glacier. Over the Lata Kharak, Dibrugheta and Deodi route we come to base camp at 4800 m, on 28th. One day later goats reached the camp. One porter remained with our liaison officer. On 2 October we start to build Camp 1 at 5300 m. It is located at the tongue of a glacier stream which comes down from the Dunagiri saddle till here. On 3rd Dieter Sause and Helmut Maier climbed to Dunagiri saddle and a bivouac without a tent. On 4th they check the fixed ropes from the last Polish expedition and come over the SW-ridge till the 'Roch-rock' at 6200 m. On the same day they descend to Camp 1. On 6th we have the whole equipment in Camp 1 and begin with the work for Camp 2 which is built on the Dunagiri saddle. On 9th, we erect our tents on the Dunagiri saddle and stay there. Our liaison officer descends again with the high altitude porters to base camp. The next day brings a depression of the atmospheric pressure 'T', we can see that by the altimeter indicates 60 metre more than the day before. The weather changes and strong snowstorm and vehement squalls as also extreme coldness characterize the next days. In the morning after the sunrise it is mostly nice weather till, two or three hours later, the clouds come up from the valleys; after that within an hour it is snowing. Sometimes it snows nearly a half metre. Because the camp is on the saddle the wind blows off the snow between the tents. On nth Otto Zaha, Heinz Riess and Manfred Kentner reached the 'Roch-rock'. They are driven down by storm, cold and vehement snowfall. On 13th the high altitude porters come up to the saddle and erect their tent. On 15th Otto Zaha, Jurgen Schenk and high altitude porter Bhim Bahadur again try to ascend. They climb till the 'Roch-rock', but in the afternoon the atmospheric pressure goes down and the weather changes again to the side with extreme cold. As there is no chance for getting better weather start with the descent to base camp where we expected porters on 19th. With very heavy loads we reach base camp in the evening. We are very disappointed. All of us are in very good condition and are excellently acclimatized. But what is the use of the best human conditions then the forces of nature will destroy all.

Members: Dieter Sause (leader), Jurgen Schenk (deputy leader), Otto Zaha, Heinz Riess, Helmut Maier, Manfred Kentner. Promod Kumar Gupta, liaison officer.

 

 

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Trip to base camp, porters

ON 18 AND 19 MAY we travelled from Delhi to Uttarkashi by taxi. From Uttarkashi to Gangotri, local buses were used by the expedition, except between Buki and Dabrani (6 hours walk) and Lanka and Baironhati (1 hour walk). From Gangotri to our Base Camp (BC) above Tapovan (4400 m) took us 3 days on foot, and we spent 2 nights in Bhojbas at the Sri Baba Ashram. The trip from Gangotri to BC could have been done in 2 days only.

8 porters were recruited in Uttarkashi. They were paid Rs 25 day each with no extra for food. We also paid for their travelling expenses by bus. Some difficulties were experienced in recruiting them.

One high altitude porter was recruited in Gangotri, also as a cook for our liasion officer. He was paid the same.

High altitude camps and route

3 camps were pitched above BC, Camp I (CI) and C2 were pitched on the true right bank of the Gangotri glacier, C2 as far as 9 km from BC, though not very high (4650 m). Crossing the Gangotri glacier between BC and CI, near Kirti Bamak, was found technically not difficult though intricate and tiring. Walking up the moraine of the right bank of the Gangotri glacier we found easy and safe. C2 was pitched on 3 June at the foot of the adjacent glacier, (south of Bhagirathi I), on the moraine, near a large table-rock.

There is no chance of climbing directly on the adjacent glacier, because of a very large overhanging ice-wall. The only technically feasible and safe route follows steep snow slopes on the left bank of this glacier. This route leads to the upper part of the glacier, a vast round cirque between 5300 and 5700 m. Crossing this cirque to reach our C3 was found technically not difficult, although some care must be taken regarding crevasses. The route between C2 and C3 is best climbed early in the morning, since its lower portion could be exposed to falling stones or snow slides later during the day,

Though we could not climb it because bad weather turned us down we feel that above C3 (5700 m), a 40 degree (about) slope leads to the 6193 m saddle, and above. With sufficient snow covering (as it was in our case), this slope should not involve any rock climbing, and should turn out to be a straight forward and safe route to the 6193 m saddle, and further up to the Bhagirathi I summit

Members: Serge Calen, Louis Drouot, (leader), Jacques Walter, Michel Walter, B. K. Gupta (liaison oiScer).

 

 

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SUDARSHAN PARBAT which has thwarted many expeditions still remains a challenge to mountaineers. The Himalayan Association, Calcutta, had organized an expedition to scale it in 1976 but could not make it to the summit. There are many other peaks around Sudarshan but this peak stands out because of the technical difficulties involved in scaling the peak. Sudarshan (21,350 ft) is on the NE of Thelu glacier in Garhwal Himalaya in the Gangotri region. Our team was composed of Ujjwal Ganguly (leader), B. K. Sarkar, K. K. Dey, Gautam Kanjilal, A. K. Deb Roy, S. K. Mukherjee, Dr Prabal Roy (medical officer) and two Sherpas, Kami Tsering and Sona.

12 to 15 September

Due to unprecedented floods and landslides last year metal road in between Buki to Dabrani had been completely washed out. Bus goes only up to Buki from Uttarkashi. In the evening of 12th we arrived at Dabrani from Buki on foot. Next day we came up to Lanka by bus from Dabrani. We covered 3 km on foot from Lanfato W Bmironghati and again we took a bus from Bhaironghati to Gangotri. On 14th we left for Gaumukh leaving 8 porter loads at Gangotri. Same day from Gaumukh we sent back 8 porters to collect those loads so that they could arrive next day. In the early morning of the 15 th we left Gaumukh, crossed the rock-fall zone and established base camp at the snout of Raktavarn Bamak at the height of about 14,700 ft. Due to shortage of porters again we had left 6 porter loads at Gaumukh. And after establishing base camp we sent back 6 porters with the idea that we would be able to get all the items at base camp next day.

16 to 26 September

Since this was our second expedition to the same peak, we avoided reconnaissance for next two camps. On 16th early morning Krishna, Kami and Sona set out for dumping materials at Camp 1 at the medial moraine of Thelu Bamak at the height of about 17,500 ft. On 19th Camp 2 was established at the bottom of Sudarshan at the height of about 19,300 ft. On 21st I went to Camp 2 to see the position and settle the future course of action. Since we had decided to follow the route from S or SW. ridge of Sudarshan we have to negotiate a 2000 ft rock wall involving more climbing equipment. We have chosen this route as because according to our consideration this was safer than northeast ridge or east ridge of Sudarshan. We did not follow the route through Swetvarn Bamak to avoid long approach and steepness of gradient at the top from that side was also almost equal to what we would face from Thelu side.

On 23 rd Krishna, Kami and Sona went for fixing rope on the rock band, in the evening they came back and reported that about 2000 ft ropes have been fixed and they used 19 out of our total 21 rock pitons and 2 ice pitons.

On 24th the weather deteriorated; from the morning it was cloudy, and the peak of Sudarshan was not visible. At 9 a.m. after breakfast Kami proposed that if we go towards Thelu peak we could have a clear view of SW. ridge of Sudarshan which was connected with Thelu peak. Accordingly Kami and myself went to Thelu peak and noticed that it was too sharp a ridge to walk. Moreover there were crevasses on the ridge. The only way to negotiate the ridge was to traverse.

On 25th September, Krishna, Kami and Sona set out from Camp 2 early in the morning. According to Krishna they wanted to proceed through a gully on the western face of the rock wall but they could not do so because of very frequent stones falling through the gully. However, they negotiated 400 ft more on the rock band and reached a point of about 20,500 ft from where it was not possible for them to move further without fixing the rope. But we had no more fixed rope nor ironmongery. So after putting in so much effort they were forced to abandon the climb and came back to Camp 2.

27 September

On the 26th reconnaisance of the west ridge was made but the route seemed to require fixed ropes. We sent all the available ration items for Camp 2 with two porters and prepared to move for base. Then I found Kami coming down. He reported that they set out for the ridge at 5.00 a.m. and were trying to reach Thelu Col. After slogging for couple of hours they found it was too dangerous and risky to move further without fixing rope. So it was decided to call it off altogether.

 

 

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FOR SOME unknown reasons Gangotri glacier region had a special charm to me. In 1974 from a high camp on Khalipat glacier we watched Satopanth day and night for more than seven days. Its obstacles, defences, hazards were partly visible to us, and we were of the opinion that direct approach to that peak from Chaturangi glacier will be a difficult one and in future, if any team likes to attempt Satopanth they should try from a new route on the glacier lying in between Suralaya and Vasuki glacier which is called Sundar Bamak.

We made a programme to explore the entire Sundar Bamak, a tributary situated on the true left bank of Chaturangi glacier, during the month of July-August 1979 and to attempt an unnamed virgin peak (c. 6620 m — c. 21,740 ft) at the head of it.

We were seven members. Swapan Dutta (deputy leader), Asoke Mukherjee, Somen Majumder, Nemai Saha, Santosh Ghose, Dr Gou- tam Acharyya and myself as leader.

By 8 July we were following the true right bank of Gangotri glacier, which this year appeared to be more dangerous and unstable than in 1968 and 1974, the years of my previous visits. We crossed Raktavaran Bamak, where mud-water rushing out at torrential speed created some difficulty, then forged ahead with the usual ups and downs of Chaturangi glacier and climbed the last 400 ft moraine ridge of Bhagirathi II to establish an intermediate camp by the side of a rivulet amidst flowers (15,000 ft).

On 9th we covered a distance of about 8 km, crossed Vasuki glacier with some difficulty, since its surface was rough and unwelcoming, and reached Vasuki tal by 2 p.m. and established our base camp (16,500 ft) on its southwest corner.

On 10th we paid off 7 porters while others with full load accompanied Somen, Nemai and Kripal Singh to establish Camp 1 as inside as possible in Sundar Bamak. Camp 1 was established at an altitude of about 19,000 ft. They didn't feel it wise to lead the laden porters deeper into the glacier as at times soft snow deposits were waist high. We were satisfied at their performance and sat planning for our next move.

The weather turned bad from 10th night. All of us spent a sleepless night drenched in rain. Anyhow on nth we followed the true left bank of Chaturangi glacier which was covered with avalanche debris coming from Vasuki Parbat. After covering a distance of about 2 km we reached the junction of Sundar Bamak and Chaturangi and turned right. Travelling for the first half km was comfortable on a gentle slope, then we arrived before the giant Satopanth, face to face, with an unnamed glacier coming straight to us with its glacial tables, crevasses, lakes and ice. The whole of Sundar Bamak from this point turned white. We faced less difficulty in negotiating the icefield as the previous day's footmarks were almost intact and reached Camp I by 1 p.m., where all the porters dumped their load and went back to base camp after having a mug of tea.

From our Camp I Satopanth was towards straight left. After Satopanth, there is a col at an altitude of about 22,000 ft and then there is an unnamed 22,500-footer, another col of about 21,000 ft and our target, the unnamed virgin peak of 21,740 ft stands clearly in front of our view. The peak is alluring from a mountaineer's point of view, rising straight two thousand feet from Sundar Bamak with three probable avalanche gullies visible from our camp.

On nth the weather turned bad from 2 p.m. and we took shelter in our kitchen tent. Soon rain started and water dripped from all corners. Clouds were thick, as if monsoon clouds reached the zone, and we were discussing whether we were wrong in choosing this season for our expedition. Anyhow we spent another sleepless night, almost drenched in our small tents, and were relieved on 12th morning when we came out of our tents and found the weather perfectly alright.

We started early, at 6.20 a.m., with all the climbing gear. Four of us started to have a close look a.t the peak and for a thorough recce of Sundar Bamak to its end.

From the very beginning climbing was difficult. Hard ice lay over crevasse-torn moraine of Sundar Bamak. It took one and a half hours to cover a distance of one km and to gain an altitude of a thousand feet from Camp 1.

A big boulder on the top of the icefield offered us a good resting place which we deserved most at that time. We stopped with our 21,740 ft peak just in front of us with all its defences clearly visible. After having some tea, Swapan's team moved up, roping themselves. The sky was clear and our peak was beautiful.

Swapan's team returned after six hours. They were tired, exhausted and hungry. Aft^r some rest, we all roped up and started for Camp 1 and reached there by 3 p.m. and found Somen and Nemai waiting for us.

Before we reached Camp 1 monsoon clouds spread over the area, and as soon as we reached the camp, it started drizzling and we took shelter inside the kitchen tent as usual. And within fifteen minutes it started snowing heavily.

After having some food and drink Swapan narrated his experience. They moved some half km, turned right where the Sundar Bamak practically flowed between a narrow gorge. Towards the right there was a rock wall of Vasuki Parbat and to the left, the ridge ran from our peak. The front is closed by ice-wall of Bhagirathi I. To have a clear view of that area they climbed the ridge on their right on Vasuki Par- bat and reached a point at about 20,500 ft. They scanned the area through binoculars. (a) They found that from our proposed peak an ice-ridge runs towards Sundar Bamak. It formed three small icefalls and ultimately runs into it. But a clear route was visible in between the icefalls. But to climb along that route, a camp will have to be established at the base of the icefall and a camp at the top of it from where not only our peak but the 22,500 ft peak was also climbable in a single day. (b) A clear route was visible for virgin Bhagirathi I from Sundar Bamak. The team would have to negotiate an icefall as well as a rock- wall at 22,000 ft. (c) Satopanth could be attempted from the 22,500 ft peak after a camp en route. But beyond Camp 1 there are many hidden crevasses. All through the route could prove dangerous to laden porters.

We put our heads together to come to a decision. The weather turned worse outside. Weather forecast told us monsoon was on to the area. We had no strength to set up two more camps in a short time, we were also short of food. The direct route looks feasible, but daily accumulation of snow due to bad weather might prove fatal at any moment. We discussed all the points and decided to have a fresh look at the direct route next morning to decide our next course of action.

It snowed all through the night on the 12th. We were drenched in our tents. On 13th morning there was no sun ray nor any ray of hope. Black clouds covered us. It was still snowing heavily. We waited but in vain. It was felt that any attempt to go forward would be risky. At about 10 a.m. we dismantled our camp and carried as much load as possible and started for base camp. On 14th we packed up and came straight to Bhujbas.

Though we failed to climb our peak, we were successful in completing the first part of our programme. We successfully negotiated the entire length of Sundar Bamak observing new routes for peaks like Satopanth and Bhagirathi I. Even though the mission was not a successs in its goal, the partial success leaves a satisfaction in us.

 

 

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AFTER HAVING trekked to the Yamrang La1 (5520 m) and the Lamkhaga La (5280 m) in Baspa valley, we charted a promising route in the Tirung valley, adjacent to the Baspa valley for 1979. Jyoti my wife, Johnny my son (2 1/2 yrs), and Mr and Mrs Bassi gathered in the beautiful Shongtong rest house on 18 July. On the 20th we started trekking from Shongtong to Jangi, since the jeep could not go up to Morang, our proposed starting-point, due to a big landslide. It was a tough climb of 1500 ft on this very first day. We had loaded the mules which were taking a different route while we moved on foot, taking short cuts. I was carrying Johnny on my back and we were left quite behind. But since this was the very first day, I thought things will improve slowly once we get going.

We reached Jangi rest house at about 5 in the evening. Everybody was tired after this 20 km trek. Next day we pitched tents at Morang Fort, besides the river Sutlej. We stayed there for two days and on the 23rd we started for Thangi, one of the most difficult climbs of the trek. This involved a climb of about 2500 ft within a distance of 12 km. It took us the whole day to cover. When we reached the Thangi Staging Hut, everybody was silent and tired.

We stayed in Thangi for four days to organize and for acclimatization. During the stay here, we were all bitten by the bugs and mosquitoes and there were rashes all over our bodies. Dr Mukesh Negi of the local dispensary took us round the beautiful village located on abig river fan, about 700 ft below the Hut. The fields were lush green and the magnificent building at the tip of the fan in the farthest corner, standing like a fort, gave an ancient and imperial look to the vil- lage. We saw the Buddhist temple with the biggest prayer-drum in the whole of Kinnaur district.

Thereafter, trekking was going to be easy. We reached Charang, the last village in this valley on the 29th, about 23 km from Thangi, after stopping at Lambar and Surtingting, and camped in the Staging Hut. People in this tiny village were quite surprised at the rare sight of seeing two modern ladies arrive in this god-forsaken place after trekking all the way from Morang.

We enjoyed our stay at Charang and saw the famous Rangring Tungma temple which according to the local folks was constructed overnight by the Gods. The carvings and the Buddhist paintings were marvellous. On the 2nd we shifted camp to about 6 km northeast of Mangsu La (5320 m). The scenery here was simply fascinating. Snow- covered peaks were all around. The night temperature went down to 4°C and everybody was shivering. Bassi and myself climbed that day up to the Mangsu La and it was decided to go down the following day since the cold was unbearable and Johnny was down with loose motions. On the 4th we camped at Lalanti but things were no better here either. However, we stayed in this camp up to 6 August and climbed Charang Ghati La (5200 m) or Chitkul La. We reached back to the Shankwi Khad camp about 2 km southeast of Thangi after trekking in Kyarbu, Tugrum and Lambar Khads. This was a lovely place with a few trees of chuli (local variety of apricot) and some gharats (water- mills).

From Shankwi we shifted to Pibar and from there to Gara Khad (14,000 ft) about 4 km from the Gara glacier snout. On 29 August we traversed the Gara glacier where a big party of glaciological experts were already working. There was a beautiful glacial lake near the base camp and the movement of fifty odd people in this camp made us feel as if we were back in civilization. Here also it was quite cold but the most memorable was our stay at Pibar on our way back. Here we started getting some fresh vegetables through the courtesy of two local girls. Also all of us got a taste of local liquor and 'bhang' growing all around so abundantly. Our chief muleteer, Dhani Ram, had a heyday.

Our last camp was at Morang — the place from where we had started. Johnny was overjoyed at seeing the jeep. We reached here on 17 September and wound up camp on 3 October. All the labourers and muleteers went home one by one with their pockets full. We were short of money but had our hearts full of pleasant moments, memories of the hills and with their exotic people and their enchanting songs and dances.

 

 

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MOUNTAINEERS' CLUB, Calcutta, sent a team comprising six members and one Medical Officer to the Sara Umga glacier in East Kulu Himalaya, Himachal Pradesh, in connection with its ioth mountaineering venture to Himalaya during the autumn of 1979.

The team included Barun Kumar Ghosh (deputy leader), Lt Abhi- manyu Niyogi, I.N., Bikash Ghosh, Bimal Sarkar, Bibhakar Banerjee, Dr Nripen Bhaumik and myself as leader of the team. Sherpas Mingma, Gyaltzen, Nim Dorjee and Noori were hired from the Sherpa Climbers' Association, Darjeeling.

Our objectives were Papsura (6451 m — 21,165 ft), and Dharamsura (White Sail) 6446 m — 21,148 ft. We started our approach march on 2 September. Camping en route at Tos (8000 ft), the last inhabited place of the area, we arrived at Saram (11,200 ft) on the afternoon of the 3rd.

On our third day we approached Shamshi (12,500 ft), the famous camp-site at the foot of a formidable moraine. We kept left and followed the mule track that rises steadily and goes along the high lateral moraine on the right bank of Sara Umga glacier popularly known as Tos glacier. After crossing the turbulent Umga Nala, we established our base camp at Umga at an altitude of 14,000 ft.

On 8th morning we established camp near the rock wall that bordered the left-hand portion of the icefall where ABC (14,500 ft) was established. The weather so far was excellent. We planned to' concen- trate our undivided attention on Dharamsura first. The only passable route was one that was followed by our predecessors through the precipitous slopes of the rock wall — the eastern outlier of the icefall. So 9th morning saw us scrambling through the avalanche debris, and within an hour we were on the top of the rock wall. We climbed up a steep ridge followed by a near-vertical slope of 70We then hit upon a dangerously broken icefield with huge boulders strewn here and there. Weaving through this jumble of rock and ice, we came upon a little clearing in the icefield where we found a large number of costly medicinal packets and tubes, surprisingly left behind by some foreign team. After crossing a number of large crevasses, Camp 1 was established at the upper part of the big icefield at an altitude of 17,000 ft. A long and continuous rocky ridge bordered the entire eastern part of our camp site.

The sky was overcast on nth morning but we set off for a recce- cum-ferry to Camp 2. Our immediate concern was to reach the upper part of the icefall, and then follow Papsura glacier up to its highest tongue. But our progress was slowed down by the innumerable crevasses that formed a network throughout the area. The condition of the snow was good and most of the crevasses were open. We jumped, bypassed and sometimes walked over the flimsy snow bridges between the two converging crevasses and hit the upper part of the icefall at the junction of Papsura and Dharamsura glaciers. The terrain in front of us was steep and crevasses were more frequent, so we put on crampons and roped up here. After a brief rest we climbed slowly and entered the Dharamsura glacier. We had to cut steps from time to time on hard ice. We crossed the I.A.F. Camp 2 site and stopped near a level area close to our Camp 2 site of 19 77. The weather was discouraging which encouraged our fast descent.

The weather was bad till 14 September. We left for Camp 2. Initially we proceeded towards northwest and then due west till we reached near the junction of the two tributary glaciers. We roped up ourselves and turned towards the Dharamsura glacier. Mingma all of a sudden slipped into a hidden crevasse, but was held in and rescued by us. Slowly and steadily we arrived at our dumping place. We went past the main avalanche couloir (eastern) on the south face of Dharam- sura and pushed through the avalanche debris. The weather became dull, and after crossing and recrossing many yawning crevasses we dragged ourselves to the uppermost portion of the glacier and established Camp 2 (19,000 ft) on a small platform.

We were very close to the SE face of Dharamsura, the summit of which was to our north and was not visible from here. The South East ridge of Dharamsura coming down through a depression mentioned as 'East Col' by Flt Lt V. P. Singh forms a boundary wall with the rocky ridge of Pt. 19,530 ft looked very inviting. It was so near. I thought it would hardly take three hours to make it to the top from here. The SW ridge of Pt. 19,530 ft was to our south and down below we could see the peaks that lie on the southern flank of the east glacier. Thus we were en-circled on all the three sides. The only opening was to the SW, where we could see a portion of Sara Umga glacier at the far distance and beyond that the rock pyramid of Ali Ratna Tibba (18,013 ft) with other unnamed peaks of the south Malana glacier. We could not see our base camp site from here because one precipice to our right obstructed our vision. We carefully examined the SE face of Dharamsura. I noticed one rock gully in the face which terminated at the SE ridge. We decided to push through that gully and then follow the SE ridge via east col. We discussed about the attempt to be mounted next morning, and Mingma agreed that it would be easier to gain the ridge through the rock gully in front of us. All was set for launching an attack on Dharamsura next morning, and we were confident about our success. But man proposes, God disposes. At about 3 p.m. dark clouds, coming from all directions engulfed us within a short time. It started snowing, and strong wind battered the tents throughout the night.

The snow and storm which continued for more than a hundred hours stopped at last on the night of 19th. On 20th morning we came out from our almost-buried camp. Standing on the high shoulder between the two lofty peaks, we looked at the surroundings. The landscape had been radically changed. We could hardly find any black or brown spot in the white wilderness. Dharamsura was looking dangerous. Tons of unstable snow, bulging out here and there on its face, were waiting for the slightest nudge to avalanche. Five thousand feet below we could see a portion of Sara Umga glacier and its high lateral moraine which were covered with thick layers of white powder. On 21 st morning the Sherpas prepared to go down. We took the last available meal at Camp 2 and put some boiled water in a flask. We worked out a plan to attempt the peak next morning and retired inside the sleeping-bags.

Next morning it was 7 a.m. before we set of? towards the base of the rock gully to our west. The distance was not much, but it took considerable time to reach the base, plodding through the snow slush and avoiding many long, hidden crevasses. Here we fitted on crampons and then crossed a bergschrund, which posed a problem for its sheer size, and inched up through the gully which was nothing but a depression on the face. The snow hissed down from time to time through the sides, giving a chilled effect on us. Distant dark clouds came and engulfed us completely by the time we reached the top of the gully. It started snowing. After a brief rest on a rocky hump we pushed on through the inhospitable slopes and halted near the east col. We felt exhausted and hungry. The snow-flakes turned into globules and came down heavily. The visibility was nowhere beyond 10 ft. But retreat is always painful. We were hesitating. And then the thunderous sound of an avalanche broke the silence. Dharamsura did not accept us. We turned back and tried to run. The avalanche rolled down through the main couloir and luckily we escaped. Hurriedly but cautiously we descended through the narrow gully of loose rocks and hard ice and recrossed the bergschrund. We were, however, not far from our camp site. The weather improved in the afternoon and we passed the night quietly but hungrily.

At Camp 2, Barun and I spent the 23rd, waiting for the Sherpas to come up. When they did not do so even on the 24th morning, we loaded our rucksacks to capacity and started down. Being heavily laden, we were moving at a snail's pace down the glacier, avoiding the hidden crevasses carefully. We felt tired and weak but pushed on. On 25 September we were reunited with our anxious friends at base camp in the afternoon.

Annexure

The Parbati Valley in Kulu is one of the remoter corners in Himalaya, about which little is known even today. So Mountaineers' Club of Calcutta picked the Upper Parbati valley area twice in the years 1977 and 1979 for conducting reconnaissance besides climbing peaks. But both the times we could not start with a good map as the relevant sheet is marked 'restricted' by the Survey of India. So we had to depend on the available reports and photographs of recent expeditions to the area.

The region is dominated by the twin peaks Papsura (6451 m — 21,165 ft) and Dharamsura (White Sail) (6446 m — 21,1 48 ft) at the culmination of the northern section of Kulu-Lahul divide. Papsura has been climbed twice and Dharamsura has had a number of ascents till date.

In autumn 1979, we chose the peak Papsura⁵ as one of our targetted peaks. This peak was first climbed by a British team led by Robert Pettigrew in 1967. Three members of the Indian Air Force team claimed to have climbed the peak Papsura (Fabsor ? !) by the 'east col' route on 4 June, 1971. This team was led by Fit Lt V. P. Singh. His report along with photographs were published in different mountaineering journals, including Himalayan Journal, Vol. XXXI, p. 240, (1971) and Himalayan Mountaineering Institute Journal, Vol. 7 (1972). We followed this report and photographs which had so far been accepted by all, and launched an attempt on the peak in September, 1979, by the same route. Unfortunately we were beaten back by an ugly snowstorm which continued for a hundred hours, and we had to retreat from close to the summit.

 

On our return from the mountain, and after studying carefully the photographs, my attention was drawn to the 'Editor's Note on the I.A.F. expedition to Kulu in 1971' published in the Himalayan Journal Vol. XXXV p. 297, (1976-78), where the Hon. Editor, Soli Mehta, has expressed his regret for making a serious mistake in identifying the peak Papsura and offered his corrected opinion that Fit Lt V. P. Singh's team actually climbed White Sail (Dharamsura) and not Papsura (pp. 297-98).

In this connection it may be recalled that Delhi Mountaineering Association sent a team led by Maj. P. P. S. Cheema to this region in 1970. Major Cheema subscribed an article 'Operation White Sail' to the same Vol. 7 (1972) of Himalayan Mountaineering Institute Journal. From this article we came to know that D.M.A. put as many as half a dozen climbers including one TV cameraman 'without mountaineering experience' on the top of White Sail (Dharamsura) through the 'South West ridge' on 31 May, 1970! It is very interesting to note that three summiters of the D.M.A. team were also the members of I.A.F. team who came the very next year. So the I.A.F. leader wrote in his report 'As we had with us Lopsang, Malia and Bedi — old hands of last year's White Sail fame, there was hardly any time wasted recognising either the peaks or their icefalls' [H.M.I. Journal Vol. 7 (1972), p. 13]. Incidentally, out of these three members two of them (G. S. Malia and Havildar Lopsang) were common summiters in both the teams.

Now the question can be raised that if I.A.F. team climbed Dharamsura instead of Papsura in 1971, then which was the peak actually climbed in 1970 by the D.M.A. team, where three members were common and two of them climbed to the summit in both the years? Did they knowingly climb the same peak in consecutive years, or climbed a peak other than White Sail (Dharamsura) in 1970? (Possibly it was the peak shown as While Sail in the photograph accompanying V. P. Singh's article in H. J. XXXI and Himalayan Association Journal 1972-73 plate VIII.)

Paul Bean, Leader of 'North of England Himalayan Expedition to Kulu' came with his team in May, 1977 and made many fine ascents including the peaks Papsura and Dharamsura. Paul Bean has claimed that his members have climbed Dharamsura by the 'virgin southwest ridge'. I have compared his report with that of Major P. P. S. Cheema and have noticed a marked difference between the two.

It appears that since 1970, different home teams have made a common mistake — identifying Dharamsura as Papsura. As a result they have not climbed Dharamsura, lying 'East of Papsura', but instead climbed a peak lesser in height (Point 6953 m — 19,530 ft) — lying 'East of Dharamsura'. This is of course a genuine mistake. A careful scrutiny of the reports and photographs of the previous expeditions by experts can certainly bring out the truth.

Lastly, I may add that the peak shown as 'White Sail' in the photograph within the article of V. P. Singh, was one that was climbed by Mountaineers' Club of Calcutta in their Dharamsura Expedition — 1977.

Editors Note:

In the light of above it is evident that various teams have climbed or claimed wrong peaks due to a mistaken identity. The D.M.A. team in 1970 climbed peak 19,530 ft and identified it as 'Dharamsura5 and next year the common members in 1971 I.A.F. team presumed the peak to its left (West) to be 'Papsura'. This set up a wrong identity of peaks within many local guides, Sherpas, porters and even in the published literature. Many expeditions thereafter made same mistakes. The issue was further confused due to non-availability of maps. Thanks to Paul Bean and now P. K. Ganguly the records can be straightened out as under:—

Papsura (6451 m — 21,165 ft)
H. J. Vol. XXVIII, p. 102.
H.J. Vol. XXXV, p. 296.
1st ascent; 3 June 1967 Expedition led by Robert Pettigrew
2nd ascent 2 June 1977 Expedition led by Paul Bean
Dharamsura (White Sail) (6446 m — 21,148 ft)
1st ascent 1941 Expedition led by Col. J. O. M. Roberts
2nd ascent 16 July 1961 Expedition led by H.J. Vol. XXIII, Robert Pettigrew. p. 125.
Indian Air Force expedition led by Fit. Lt. V. P. Singh. (Erroneously claimed ascent of Papsura) Expedition led by Paul Bean (1st ascent by SW ridge)
British team of Nicholas Groves and Michael Searle.
Toyota Alpine Club, Japan led by K. Tanaka (1st ascent from Bara Shigri) Australian team led by Peter Allen
3rd ascent 4 June 1971
4th ascent 28 May 1977
5th ascent 23 May 1978
5th ascent 10 Sept. 1979
7th ascent 6 Oct. 1979
H.J. Vol. XXXI, p. 240.
H.J. Vol. XXXV, p. 296.
Himalayan Club Newsletter 34, p. 4-
Other claims of ascent of Dharamsura and remar\s
31 May 1970
19 Sept. 1971
17 June 1974
20 Sept. 1977 3 Oct. 1978 7 Aug. 1980
Delhi Mountaineering Association team led by Maj. P. P. S. Cheema Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers led by Maj. B. S. Ram- das St Stephen's College led by Ashok Bamzai
Mountaineer's Club, Calcutta led by B. N. Rakshit Himalayan Association, Calcutta led by Roma Sengupta
Trekkers, Ordnance Factory, Isha- pore, West Bengal led by A. Banner jee Climbed peak 19,530 ft.
No report or photographs available.
Climbed peak 19,530 ft. Climbed peak 19,530 ft. Climbed peak 19,530 ft.
Climbed peak 19,530 ft. in two teams.
Apart from the above references see the Alpine Journal 317, plate No. 35 and Illustrated Note 9, (Photo 69) H.J. Vol. 36.

Photo 56

 

 

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THE TEAM left the village of Udaipur on 16 July. It first tried to explore an ascent from NE, and for this purpose moved up the valley of Miyar Nala for 3 days' marches. A good route to approach Menthosa from NE could not be found, but an impressive scenery of beautifully shaped granite peaks at the end of the valley gave some compensation for our vain effort. The team decided to use the ascent from SE already chosen by preceding expeditions and established base camp above the village of Goumba Urgus at a height .of 4270 m.

On 27 July the climbers carrying heavy loads for an alpine-style ascent set out for Urgus Pass where they found vestiges of a previous venture. Weather conditions were excellent and the team could lay Camp 1 approximately 250 m above the pass at 5200 m. Here again the climbers hit upon remains of an expedition, apparently from Bozen (Bolzano), Italy.

The following day Camp 2 could be put up at a level of 5680 m after an ascent which required some crampon and ice-axe work while leading through seracs and across several crevasses.

July 29 finally brought the attempt for the summit.

Conditions were not as good as in the days before (temporary fog during the early afternoon and deep powder snow), also a deep bergschrund crossing the whole eastern flank of Menthosa caused some delay, so that the peak was reached only at 6.30 p.m. and the climbers had to go through a bivouac about 100 m below the summit. It must be mentioned that the altimeter (Thommen, measuring range: 7000 m) only indicated 6180 m on top of Menthosa, the mark of 6444 m did not seem to be quite correct, as map and instrument had been in perfect conformity upto 5900 m.

Next morning the team got up early and after a descent with a delay for breaking up Camp 2 reached base camp at 4-30 p.m. in the afternoon.

 

 

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THE LINDU-DINGKARMO area lies in the northeastern part of the Lahul district of Himachal Pradesh and belongs to the Upper Chandra Basin. The approach to the area is via Manali and then to Batal (Lahul district).

The area occupies the western part of the upper Chandra basin and the peaks are surrounded by snow and ice which give rise to several glaciers and streams. These streams join the Chandra river as its right- bank tributaries and form prominent gaps in the border range which may be crossed with least resistance if the course of the streams are followed.

The main purpose of the expedition was to climb the Lindu- Dingkarmo group of peaks, particularly the four important peaks which form prominent pillars on the range overlooking the Chandra river to the east.

The whole team reached Batal on 26 September. Next morning an advance party was sent to probe the possible route to the Lindu- Dingkarmo area. However, the party returned in the evening being disappointed since the rope bridge across the Lindu river did not exist and it was almost impossible to cross the furious river with all equipment and food and attempt the peak within the short time available for climbing.

Immediately a decision was taken to proceed to the other side of the Chandra river and explore in the Bara Shigri area for scientific observation.

On 27 September a party of six members proceeded to the Bara Shigri Camp and reached there in the evening. It was located at about 13 km from Batal The team walked very slowly and studied the Chandra valley and its tributaries which join it from the left. The main valley is wide and flat with boulders of all sizes strewn over its flat bed. The nature of the boulders indicates their glaciofluvial origin, i.e. boulders and pebbles of glacial origin, modified to a considerable extent by fluvial action. This fact was ascertained from a study of their degree of roundness. The instruments used were ordinary slide callipers for pebbles of intermediate size and a screw-gauge for grains of smaller size. A metre tape was used for boulders of larger size. The blocks of rock near the margin of the valley are mostly of local origin, either disturbed by frost action from the walls of the main valley or are of glacial origin and slightly modified by fluvial action as they are transported, though through a short distance, by the tributaries. These differences were established by a study of the shape of the pebbles and also by examining their lithologic characters.

The most important tributary en-route is the Karcha nala which is fed by a snowfield and several glaciers of small size. The water is cold and the diurnal fluctuations of discharge are considerable. This is obviously due to the melting of snow caused by sunshine which increases the discharge considerably in the afternoon. It is therefore safer to cross the nala in the morning than in the afternoon.

At several places rocks containing a high percentage of copper were found — the rocks were brought by tributaries and deposited on the left bank of the Chandra river.

At the mouth of the Bara Shigri glacier and for a considerable distance beyond it are found various types of moraines, viz. lateral, terminal, recessional and push moraines which cover a vast area on the south bank of Chandra river. These moraines gave an idea of the past behaviour of the glacier, its advance and retreat during the post- Pleistocene age.

Lichens were marked at several places in order to ascertain its growth rate which would help dating of the moraines.

Theodolite observations were taken for several days in succession in order to find out the heights of different peaks in the vicinity and also to measure the advance of the glacial ice at the snout of the Bara Shigri glacier.

On 22 October 1979 another team including four members, one Sherpa and two HAP proceeded to the north from Batal along the right bank of the Chandra river. Instead of crossing the Lindu-river they decided to discover a new route to the Lindu-Dingkarmo group of peaks. Therefore they left the Chandra valley and followed the Kudu valley which is also a right-bank tributary of the Chandra river. They established Camp 1 on the right lateral moraine of the glacier at an elevation of 4600 m. It was a ridge of loose moraine and rocks were frequently sliding down from its steep slopes. The members had to spend a sleepless night inside the tent since there was no better place for camping.

On 3 October, they proceeded further to the southwest and established Camp 2 at the base of Kudu icefall at an elevation of 5200 m.

On 4 October two of the members, Balai Banerjee and Sagarmoy Pal, along with Sherpa Phurba started at 4.00 a.m. and crossed the icefall with the help of fixed rope.

First they tried to climb the icefall through the zone of icicles. But it was virtually impossible. Then they tried to negotiate it from the right-hand side of the glacier. The slope was steep and they had to cross numerous crevasses, large and small, most of which were oblique crevasses with depth exactly 7 metres. They required about 40 m of fixed rope in order to cross the lower part of the icefall. The upper part was relatively easy. Then they gradually approached the peak Lindu II (5620 m) from the north and reached the summit at about 2.00 p.m. In the evening they returned to Camp 1 and next morning to base camp.

On 6 October at noon the party left Batal by truck and reached Manali.

 

 

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THE BRITISH Kishtwar Himalayan Expedition 1979 composed of Anthony Wheaton, (leader), Richard Hester, Augh Thornbery, Donn Mabbs, Chriss Parkin and Peter Blackburn set out to climb Brahm- mah's Wife (5478 m) and Eiger (5513 m) by pure alpine-style tech niques without using fixed ropes or camps on the mountain.

Our arrival in late August at base camp in the Nanth nullah beside the Brammah Glacier at 3600 m, coincided with the deterioration of the weather; decreasing temperatures and daily storms dominated and restricted our climbing.

We planned to climb Brammah's Wife by a ridge to the west side of the icefall, upto the West Col, from where a steep but continuous snow slope apparently led to the top. Thornbery and Mabbs made the first attempt, but the ridge was blocked by a subsidiary hanging glacier, previously hidden by the bad weather. This, coupled with further route-finding difficulties, caused them to retreat on the second day, after Mabbs had mild frostbite in his toes.

Later, Hester and I made use of their experience by traversing underneath the hanging glacier, and then climbing a long snow gully up the west side of the ridge to the crest, to bivouac. By continuing along the ridge, and then around the top of the Icefall, we reached the West Col, only to find a tent! Much to our surprise and disappointment, three Poles returned that day from having climbed the mountain. A storm broke out that evening and trapped us for a day. A lull in the storm and intense cold woke us at i .00 a.m. on the fourth day; as settled weather was our only chance of success, we left immediately (by 3.00 a.m.!) taking no equipment or a rope, as the snow slope looked easy and speed was essential while the good weather lasted.

However, having climbed 800 m at first light, we were barred from the summit by 200 m of steep slabs covered with ice and 1 m of fresh snow. Unable to avoid this unexpected sting in the tail, we continued solo climbing a steep, long and hard ramp to the southwest ridge. The storm returned as we climbed around gendarmes on the ridge to reach the summit at 10.00 a.m. On 17 September heavy snow and biting cold winds did not delay us beyond taking a few photographs, and had obliterated our footsteps and obscured the descent route. We downclimbed slowly over the slabs, but were able to slide down the snow slope for 800 m to the West Col. Absence of food forced us down the next day, despite appalling conditions that made us find a new route to avoid the icy rock ridge. Ironically, as we reached the valley, the snow stopped and the storm cleared to give a glorious sunset.

As winter had arrived with a vengeance and covered the rock-face of Eiger in snow, we left the mountain.

 

 

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THE EXPEDITION 'Ladakh, 8o' was composed of 17 members, coming from various Italian towns; 14 men and 3 women; one of the women was a girl 18 years old.

After a day and half by truck, from Kargil to Pensi la, Base: camp was established on 30 July at 4230 m beyond Pensi la, on the left- hydrographic of Durung Drung glacier. On 31 July we spent all the time for placing the tents and to have a rest after our hard journey by truck. On 1 August we start our climbing. Our objective was to climb some peaks situated in the upper part of the glacier. On 2 August Camp 1 was established at 4730 m on the moraine and we have al- ready located a possible way for climbing the first peak. Durung Drung glacier is longer .than our estimates, almost 25 km.

The first part of climbing does not present great obstacle, only some large crevasses, but visible; the second part, on the contrary, presents insidious crevasses and the shape of these is not easily recognizable. After having supplied Camp 1 with a lot of things and materials, with several ferries there and back, we take rest for one day and on 5 August Ferrari, Mazzoli and Fogli establish Camp 2 at 5390 m and on 8 August they reach the first peak named 'Bologna peak' at 6110 m. In the evening, they succeed in coming back to Camp 1.

On 9 August it snows heavily and we are stopped at Camp 1. On 10 August the weather is fine again; and the pair Ferrari and Mazzoli, started from Camp 1, climb another inviolate peak 5930 m high, named 'Pyramid peak'. From Camp 1 start two other ropes with Lorenzi, Masini, Rosa, Zatti, liaison officer and myself. Having passed through Durung Drung glacier we established Camp 3 at 5330 m. The object of these two teams is a beautiful ice-mountain that it is possible to catch a glimpse of in the distance from Camp 1. During the night it snows, but in the morning there is a clear sky. We start at 8 a.m. from Camp 3 and at midday we are on the top. The mountain is named 'Flavia peak' and it is 5810 m high. On 12 August, again starting from Camp 1 Ferrari and Nani climb another inviolate peak of 5710 m named 'Modena peak'. On 13 August, other two teams with Lorenzi, Nanni, Zatti, Rosa carry out the second climb of 'Bologna Peak' starting from Camp 2. On 15 August we take down the tents and all the other things in our camps and we come back to base camp. Only the pair Mazzoli and Fogli are still climbing another peak, named 'White-wall peak' (named after a beautiful ice-wall), that they reach after 10 hours of hard climb. It is 5680 m high. It is the fifth inviolate peak we climb. On 16 August coming out from base camp, our purpose is to climb the peak that dominates the base camp. Four mountaineers are trying, Ferrari, Bertoncelli, Mairani and Rainer. On the top at 5330 m they find some rock cairns. We presume, that the top was not inviolate and our climb was the second ascent. During these 21 days of climbing our doctor Addarri was able to register, by small electrocardiograph, the heart-reactions at high altitudes.

We leave Zanskar mountains on 21 August.

The members on the expedition were:

Arturo Bergamaschi, (leader), Francesco Addarri, Ferrari Graziano, Alberto Fogli, Giuliana Giannobi, Riccardo Lorenzi, Edgar Huen (geologist), Marco Mairani (naturalist), Flavia Masini (18 years old), Stefano Mazzoli, Ettore Nanni Marco Rosa, Sesare Setti (cook), Maria Benassutti (cook), Rainer Stechel, Angelo Zatti, Fabio Bertoncelli and liaison officer Jagad.

 

 

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THE HOKKAIDO UNIVERSITY in Sapporo houses two mountaineering Clubs — their alpine club which normally does the desperate routes on mountains in Japan and abroad, and the Wander Vogel Club which does explorations and climbs mainly in Japan. This year the Wander Vogel broadened their experiences by coming to India to climb a virgin peak in Ladakh, that enchanting land which is the crossroads of many Himalayan cultures.

Of a previous Japanese expedition that had come to climb Nun, photographs of Zi had been seen. Zi is the first and highest mountain of the Zaskar range of mountains although it stands at a modest 6130 m. Expeditions wanting to go to the Nun and Kun peaks via the Shafat glacier have Zi dominating the view till reaching the base camp.

I joined the expedition a few days before departure. There were twelve members out of which six were at University and the other six were the alumni of that University. The leader was Michifumi Ouchi and he had got the Clubs to be their main sponsors.

We were off in a mini bus on the 21 July. Reaching Srinagar and hearing the legs creak as we stretched them, we bought the last minute supplies which included a basket of 10 very anxious looking chickens. Through to Kargil and a bone-jarring journey to Gulma Tongus. Thoroughly pulverised, we set up tents and looked on at the fast flowing Suru river. This had to be crossed and unfortunately we did not have the rubber dinghy that the Austrian team was using — they had just returned from their successful ascent on Kun and though they offered their boat for the crossing, we thought it a better idea to get across ourselves so as to know the score on the way back. Together with our fourteen porters and ten mules we rigged up a sort of tyroline traverse to pull the equipment boxes while members would risk getting across on mules, clutching on to the saddle front which was barely out of water. The 28 July was used to get across the river.

The next day we moved our camp to where the moraine petered out. This was only two hours away and we doubled the ferry and got everything at this moraine camp. And by 1 August we had shifted our gear across the moraine and set up base camp on a grassy stretch by a set of one day ferries. And the number of the chickens started reducing.

Base camp at 4430 m was like any good base camp except for the litter of the previous expeditions in that area. We studied the mountain as there were two approaches to it — either the west tongue or the SW ridge. The route in mind was the snow tongue earlier when photographs had been seen in Japan. But it had a ridiculous number of crevasses and seracs so we decided to recce out both. Meanwhile the polaroid shots that we kept taking helped debate sitting in tents during patches of bad weather. I was lucky that at least two members spoke pretty good English and others had a working knowledge of it.

The Tongue route was given up as the approach was longer and fixing of rope would have to start from a comparatively lower height. And we were not exactly adrenaline junkies to be climbing under huge seracs nor did we want to indulge in engineering feats of laying bridges over the crevasses. So by the 6th we had ferried and made Camp i at 4700 m over easy terrain, leading to the SW ridge.

The route to Camp 2, which was to be made on the Col between Zi and an unnamed peak, (we subsequently called it Independence peak') was a bit of a problem. With the normal quota of crevasses and seracs thrown in, we had to pick a safe route and one that was not too steep as the real donkey work was yet to come — of humping the vast amounts of equipment and noodles to the higher camps. The regular bursts of Japanese and broken English that we heard from our walkie-talkies were the suggestions by those at base on route finding as they were armed with powerful binoculars and a sense of efficient teamwork along with the urge to succeed.

Crossing patches of ice and soft snow and fixing a section here and there we established Camp 2 at the Col on 10 August. By the 13 th we were fully stocked and enjoying the views into Kishtwar on one side and looking down at base from the other. From here at 5160 m we proceeded to work on the ridge that went up and was guarded by large seracs forming a menacing canopy. The ridge was not a knife ridge and we could work on it, steadily fixing rope. The average gradient was about 50-55 and the ice screws took on well to the firm ice below the upper dry snow layer. We worked on the ridge for five days until we had reached a height of 5780 m near the main gendarme which became Camp 3. Meanwhile on the 15 th during our next day from the ridge, the expedition doctor Tsuneo Kato and I went up the adjoining unnamed peak from the col. The snow conditions were good and we soloed up to the summit c. 5500 m. Since this was the day of Indian Independence as well as Japan's Independence from the War (Shu Sen Kinembi) we called it 'Independence Peak'.

By 18 August we had all shifted to Camp 3. The ropes were fixed for about 80 m beyond and this had an exposed stretch ending up in a ice-chimney of about 10 m. On the iqth we made an abortive attempt as the weather had packed up and visibility was down to 5 m. The next day we were luckier \*rith the weather and off we started, our progress getting hampered when we reached the upper plateau where we were sinking in the soft snow uptill our knees. The summit dome was not too gentle so we fixed another 100 m of rope and all of us got on to the summit by noon.

We hoisted the Indian and Japanese flags and had a wonderful view to soak in. And two members Karaki and Metsugi flew their instant kites.

Members: Michifumi Ouchi (leader), Takayoshi Katsushima (dy. leader), Yasushi Iwata, Isuneo Kato, Masatoshi Tateno, Katsumi Takai, Shinya Kobayashi, Yukimichi Tajima, Chitake Maraki, Makoto Miyoshi, Takashi Motoyoshi? Hideya Metsugi, Mandip Singh Soin (liaison officer).

 

 

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THE MESSNER expedition to K2 was made of six climbers, one doctor, one reporter, and one liaison officer. They are: Reinhold Mes- sner (Italian), leader of the expedition, Renato Casarotto, Alessandro Gogna, and Friedl Mutschlechner (Italians); Michel Dacher (German), and Robert Schauer (Austrian); the doctor Ursula Greter and the reporter Joachim Hoelzgen (Germans), and the Pakistani liaison officer Muhammad Tahir.

The expedition left Italy on 12 May reaching Skardu by air on the 28th and attained the base camp at the south foot of K2 on 8 June.

In the following day a deadly accident to a porter caused the first change in the expedition programme. Another accident occurred to the doctor Greter and on 3 June she was transported by helicopter to the Skardu hospital.

As a consequence of these and other smaller mishaps the leader of the expedition gave up the plan to tryvand climb the southwest ridge of K2.

In the next few days the six climbers directed their steps to the Abruzzi ridge with the purpose of following the route of the successful Italian 1954 expedition.

Four camps were established along the ridge at the following altitudes: Camp 1 6250 m, Camp 2 6850 m, Camp 3 7400 m, Camp 4 7850 m.

On 12 July Messner and Dacher reached the top of the mountain at 5 p.m. The weather was quite fine.

The second team made up of Gogna, Mutschlechner and Schauer, after a night at the Camp 4, was ready to attack the ice-wall toward the summit of K2, but a heavy storm obliged the climbers to give up and to go down.

During the climb the climbers used the fixed ropes left by the Japanese expedition of 1977. Only two porters helped the climbers in the transport of the loads as far as the first camp; oxygen was not used during the ascent to K2.

 

 

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THE EXPEDITION has been organized by the Ligurian Section of the Italian Alpine Club to celebrate the Section's First Centenary.

Preparation of the participants commenced during the 1977-78 winter.

Regretfully, almost at the end of the preparatory period, during a climb on Mont Blanc passing over the Brenva spur in early May 1979, due to bad weather two of the participants suffered from severe frostbite of their lower limbs and had to renounce. The leader of the expedition, Gianni Calcagno, left for Hindu Kush in June 1979 with a special motor-vehicle made available by FIAT IVECO reaching Pakistan after an adventurous and uncomfortable journey. The others, Sergio Casaleggio, Lino Calcagno, Margherita Solari Pastine and Dr Lorenzo Repetto (Physician) of the Ligurian Section of the I.A.C., Alberto Enzio a guide at Alagna Valsesia, and Tullio Vidoni (I.A.C., Borgosesia) — reached Pakistan by air. Thence Chitral was reached wherefrom commenced the approach to the Hindu Kush chain, lasting four days.

A primary base camp was set up at the foot of the north side of Tirich East. Calcagno, Vidoni and Enzio set out to explore the way, but they returned deeming it imprudent to proceed on that side due to the danger of the approach.

Thence was chosen the crossing in Alpine style of the Tirich IV West. The base camp was shifted and Camps 1 and 2 were later equipped, Camp 2 being set up at 6660 m. Preparations having been terminated, in which all had taken part, Gianni Calcagno, Alberto Enzio, Tullio Vidoni and Sergio Casaleggio climbed the steep groove, in common with the normal route of Tirich Mir, bivouacking in the neck at its summit. The next day the crossing at a high altitude, more than seven thousand metres, was commenced reaching the col between Tirich West III and IV, in two days. Casaleggio, the hardest-pressed, stopped at the small tents set up on this col, whilst the other three climbed also the Tirich IV West. The second day had been characterized by bad weather. The following day was utilized to descend directly to Camp 1 following a difficult route rendered even more difficult by the persistent bad weather. Camp 1 was reached at nightfall and here the presence of the physician was providential, for Casaleggio was extremely tired; he was the less expert of the four group members.^J

On the following day it was possible to descend to the base camp and, on the next days, to return to Chitral and Italy.

 

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