COWBOYS AND INDIANS

The Parvati 1996 Indo-American Expedition

ALOKE SURIN

IT WAS ALL Don's fault. Sweltering in the heat and humidity of Mumbai, he dreamed up, in July 1995, this escape to the mountains. Returning from the Kinnaur in August of that year, I found a letter from the Himalayan Club awaiting me, outlining the objectives. Half curious, half tempted, I made tentative inquiries and before I knew what I had got myself into, was sucked willy-nilly into a vortex of expedition planning.

Many meetings and mountains of correspondence later, Don and I had cobbled together a motley crew of mostly middle-aged (the youngest was 26 years old) climbers from the ranks of the Himalayan Club and The Mountaineers, Seattle, USA. We persuaded these good people to part with large sums of money (a few outside donors helped ease the pain) and the expedition was under way. We chose Glacier IV at the head of the Parvati valley in Kullu for two reasons : 1. The walk-in was beautiful; this was important, as this was going to be the first expedition in India for all the seven Americans. Also there was the added bonus of hot springs at Manikaran and Khirganga 2. The area boasted a plethora of peaks of modest height with varying levels of technical difficulty.

Even with a chartered bus, it took 22 hours to go from Delhi to Manikaran, with a diversion to Kullu for official purposes. It was good to meet up again with Chaman Singh of Raskat village after a gap of 5 years. He told us that the porters we had requested for and the 100 litres of kerosene were in place. So, ignoring ominous overtones of weather, we began our inarch to base camp on 13 September 1996 with 49 porters, 2 cooks and Chaman. There is a road being constructed up the Parvati valley, on its right bank, to service a proposed dam just below the confluence of the Dibibokri nala and the Parvati river. It is almost complete to just beyond the village of Burshaini, before the junction of the Tos and Parvati valleys. We crossed over to the left bank after a couple of hours as we planned to halt at Pulga the first day. An amazing change takes place as one crosses to the other side: from a dusty degraded hillside you begin to walk in the cool hush of pine forests punctuated by birdsong. We spent the night in the justly renowned forest rest house, and the next morning were fascinated by the guests' register which dates back to 1915 and is lovingly treasured by the present chowkidar. The walk from Pulga to Khirganga continued the magic of the conifers, though the recent rains had made a mess of the path. The views were magnificent from Khirganga, appreciated all the more from the warmth of the hot springs!.

Colour plate 2-3, Photos 10-11-12

The unclimbed west face (left) of South Parvati (6127 m).

The unclimbed west face (left) of South Parvati (6127 m). (Aloke Surin)

Pyramid Peak (6036 m), South Parvati area.

Pyramid Peak (6036 m), South Parvati area. (Howard Weaver)

Kullu Eiger (5664 m). viewed from above the Pando bridges.

Kullu Eiger (5664 m). viewed from above the Pando bridges. (Aloke Surin)

Camp below the south face of South Parvati peak (6127 m).

Camp below the south face of South Parvati peak (6127 m). (Aloke Surin)

Pk. 5805 m, the South Parvati area.

Pk. 5805 m, the South Parvati area. The first ascent was by th e northeast ridge, right skyline. (Aloke Surin)

Looking east from the summit of twin Peak towards Pin Parvati pass.

Looking east from the summit of twin Peak towards Pin Parvati pass. Pk. 6110 mon extreme left. (Aloke Surin)

Desertion by 7 porters the next morning (over a dispute about double pay) slowed down our departure and compelled us to reschedule an additional halt at Tunda Bhuj; thus lengthening our walk-in from 5 to 6 days. However, the silver lining was the leisurely walk through the picturesque woods and pastures punctuated by long, soul-satisfying and body-soothing halts.

The valley finally starts opening up to mountain vistas just before Thakur Kuan, with Kullu Eiger (5664m) heralding the shape of mountains to come. By now the expedition had found its rhythm and things were moving smoothly, allowing us to enjoy the meadows and the gurgling brooks above Thakur Kuan, the local engineering over the Pando bridge boulders which span the Parvati opposite Glacier I, and the windy flats of Uri Thach where we pitched our tents. On the opposite bank was a huddle of tents, which we later discovered was the Scottish expedition to Kullu Eiger, which towered 2000 m above in a massive sweep of stone. On the sixth day, we clambered up the moraine dam at Mantalai to be greeted by the rusty trident of this much written about shrine, with little stones piled up by the faithful. However, our proposed base camp site was 2 km further up on the true left bank of the braided river, as it snakes its way down in multiple channels across a wide floodplain.

PARVATI VALLEY KULLU

PARVATI VALLEY KULLU

Karen and Ajay were the first to ford the last channel, followed by me and, after a little persuasion, Blackie, the wonderful dog who had attached himself to the expedition from Pulga. The porters, though, needed a little harangueing by Chaman to proceed to the campsite. The fact that I was carrying all the cash and was already on the other side acted as a catalyst. With Chaman's help I paid them off as the others settled down to organising the base camp at 4115 m, the hot tea prepared by Inder and Prakash being a welcome relief in the cold wind which had sprung up.

With the help of 5 SLAPS ('Super Low Altitude Porters"), we managed to shift food and tentage to an advance base camp (4650 m) at the end of the left lateral moraine of Glacier IV, where it divides into two: the southwest and the northwest arms.

By 22 September, all the members had moved into ABC. Subsequently from 23 September onwards there was so much movement from here that it is best to condense the climbing accounts into a summary as follows.

Peak/Height Date Climbed/Route Summitters
SNOW PEAK (5605 m - 18,384 ft) 23 Sept 1996 East face to northwest ridge to summit Ms Karen Close Howard Weaver Jim Tweedie Ajay Tambe Shridhar Nivas
TWIN PEAK (5470 m - 17,941 ft) 24 and 25 Sept 1996 East-north-east ridge 24 Sept., 1996 Don Goodman
Ms Natala Goodman Aloke Surin Dr Si Lin Hu
Jaspal Chauhan (LO) 25 Sept. 1996 Jim Tweedie Howard Weaver Ms Karen Close Ajay Tambe

 

This was the second overall ascent of this fine 'Snow Peak' thus named by Charles Ainger who in 1970 made the first ascent, also by the northwest ridge.

This was the first ascent of the higher of the twin summits, as Ainger had reached only the lower of the two in 1970. This ascent was by a new route.

Peak/Height Date Climbed/Route Summitters
Pt 5360 m (17,580 ft) 25 Sept 1996 Northwest face to northwest ridge. Descent by northeast ridge Mike Bums
Steve Cox

 

First ascent and traverse of the peak.

Peak/Height Date Climbed/Route Summitters
RIDGE PEAK (5805 m - 19,040 ft) 29 Sept 1996 Northeast ridge, gained via col between Ridge peak and Pt 6127 m (South Parvati) Jim Tweedie

 

A solo ascent after 6 members had retreated from the same route on 26 September. Second overall ascent of the peak and the first by the northeast ridge.

Peak/Height Date Climbed/Route Summitters
HIDDEN PEAK (5445 m - 17,859 ft) 1 October 1996 Southeast ridge Jim Tweedie Aloke Surin

 

First ascent of this fine small peak.

Peak/Height Date Climbed/Route Summitters
SOUTH PARVATI (6127 m - 20,096 ft) 29 and 30 Sept 1996 Couloir on right side of the south face climbed to gain access to the rock of the south face Ms Karen Close Ajay Tambe

 

After a bivvy at their high point of 5640 m (18,500 ft) on the face, the climbers retreated due to unfavourable weather conditions.

Note: Ridge Peak, South Parvati and Hidden Peak were attempted from a high camp (5240 m) on the northwest branch of Glacier IV.

Climbing History of the South Parvati area

1970Charles Ainger and Iain Ogilvie were the first climbers to visit this area. Theirs was a pioneering effort which opened the possibilities of this beautiful region. Ainger named the Glaciers I to IV, northwest to southeast, and it is still convenient to retain this nomenclature. He made the first ascent of Snow Peak (5605 m) and climbed the lower of the two summits of Twin Peak (5470 m). He also attempted Ridge Peak (5805 m) by the northwest face but failed to reach the summit. (Himalayan Journal Vol XXX, p. 228).

1972A team from the University of Aston (UK) attempted South Parvati (6127 m). They fixed rope up the couloir on the right hand side of the south face, gained the east ridge via a 50 m wide ramp but were stopped 200 m below the top by a tower 25 m high (Alpine Journal, Vol 79, p. 115).

1973Inspired by Ainger's article in the HJ and unaware of the 1972 expedition, Rob Collister led a strong team (Geoff Cohen, Dick Isherwood and John Cardy) which made an attempt on South Parvati (6127 m) from the Rakti Tapta valley in the Sainj nala, trying to get on to the northwest face. Unable to come to grips with the mountain from that side, the climbers crossed over the watershed to the Parvati side via a 5180 m col to the northwest of Snow Peak (5605 m) which they identified from a photograph. Subsequently in a frenzy of climbing, summitted 6 peaks in 10 days, including the plum of the area, South Parvati (6127 m) by a route on its south face with a bivouac near the top. This was a very fine achievement, executed in tremendous style. They also attempted a line on the southwest ridge of South Parvati. (Alpine Journal, Vol. 79, p. 121, Himalayan Journal, Vol XXXIII, p. 151, Mountain 39, October 1974, p. 14).

1980A team from the Climbers' Club Bombay, attempted South Parvati in October but retreated after one of the climbers took a fall at about 120 m up the couloir. They climbed Twin Peak (5470 m). (Expedition report, Climbers' Club, Bombay).

1994A strong team from the Imperial College, London, spent many weeks in the area, and pulled off 3 first ascents.

  • Pt 6248 m referred to as 'Peak A' by Ainger, and the highest of the South Parvati group. They climbed via north and northwest ridges on 26 September, 1994. Graded AD+
  • Pt 6036 m (Ainger's 'Pyramid peak') via the north ridge on 21 September, 1994 - Graded AD-
  • Pt 5680 m This rock peak, between glaciers V and VI, was christened 'Jung Miliar' by the team which climbed it via the northeast face on 18 September, 1994. Graded TD+

They also made a determined effort on the southwest ridge (Grade ED 1) of South Parvati (6127 m), reaching a high point of 5750 m, the highest on that route to date, (expedition report).

19961. The Indo-American expedition climbed 5 peaks of Glacier IV which included 2 first ascents. (See article in present issue, Himalayan Journal Vol. S3)
2. A Scottish team led by Graham Little made the first ascent of Kullu Eiger (5664 m), the obvious prize opposite Uri Thach, in Glacier II. 'From BC at the foot of the (north) face, the route climbs up a vertical height of 2000 m on both rock and ice. As other lines are possible on this complex face, this route has been named 'The Mask' Grade Alpine ED (El, A1 and Scottish V). The route was climbed over 3 days, the summit being reached on 21 September, after an earlier attempt had failed. The team climbed semi-alpine style, fixing 300 m of rope on the first band. (Himalayan Journal Vol. 53)

The Future

Apart from Glacier IV, where all the peaks have now been climbed, there is tremendous potential in Glaciers I, II, III, V and VI and the valleys which drain into the Parvati from the north bank above Mantalai.

The peaks of Glaciers I, II, III, V and VI, though not exceeding 6000 m, appear to be technically challenging objectives, ideal for the small party looking for affordable thrills!. An added bonus is that they now come under the 'Open Area' category.

Maps

The Survey of India sheets 53 E/9 and 53 E/13, (1:50,000), are easily available from their sales outlets. They cover the south Parvati area accurately, as we discovered.

Members

Indians : Aloke Surin (leader), Ajay Tambe, Dr Si Lin Hu, Probodh Ganguly, Dinker Shah, Raghu Iyer, Franklyn Silveira and Shridhar Nivas.

Americans : Steve Cox (joint leader), Karen Close, Howard Weaver, Don and Natala Goodman, Jim Tweedie and Mike Burns.

SUMMARY

Ascents in Glacier IV, head of the Parvati valley, the Kullu Himalaya, in September/October, 1996.

 

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