KAMET AND ABI GAMIN — THE TWIN CHALLENGES

CDR SATYABRATA DAM

When the Chief Wildlife Warden of Uttaranchal state turned down our application for attempting Nanda Devi during pre-monsoon 2003, on grounds of ecological conservation, at the eleventh hour, we had to look for an alternative objective in the surrounding region as all other administrative arrangements for the expedition had been completed. When we spread out the map of the Nanda Devi biosphere in Delhi, we had two primary objectives; one was to find a peak that would expose us to similar altitudes as Nanda Devi and more or less equal technical challenges, and the second objective was to find it fast, as we were just a few days short of our departure date.

Our eyes were drawn to the north and almost simultaneously my deputy leader and I zeroed on to Kamet and Abi Gamin. Towering at 7756 m, Kamet is the second highest summit in India, dwarfed only by Nanda Devi by an insignificant 60 m. Combining Kamet with its neighbor Abi Gamin (7354 m) gave us a challenge quite similar to that of Nanda Devi, though from a mountaineer's point of view nothing can be compared to an ascent of Nanda Devi. I was further delighted to learn from Indian Mountaineering Foundation that during our period of attempt there wouldn't be any other expedition on Kamet, which would leave the entire place to the Indian Navy team.

In the scale of technical difficulties Kamet offers moderate grade by its normal northeast face route, which was pioneered primarily by C.F. Meade in 1913 after several earlier attempts, and after opening the route through Purvi Kamet glacier he reached a col named 'Meade's Col', though failed to reach the summit due bad weather. It took another 18 years for the first ascent of Kamet in 1931 by a strong and cheerful team led by Frank Smythe, following Meade's route. The ascent was the highest peak climbed till then. An Indian team led by the formidable Nandu Jayal made the second ascent in 1954. Since then Kamet has seen several ascents following the Meade's route. An Indo-French Army team, led by Col B.S.Sandhu accomplished a remarkable ascent in 1984 through the extremely difficult west ridge.

Photos 35 to 41

Kamet has a wide flattish summit with two final points standing out like horns, both of equal height with negligible differences, and reaching any of the two is considered an ascent. But for the severely discerning climber it would be advisable to walk to both the points as they are very close to each other, but if only one point is to be climbed then the east point is recommended since it offers an uninterrupted and breathtaking view of the summits of Mana, Devban and the prized Nanda Devi and of the Purvi Kamet glacier as well. Kamet has many possibilities besides the Meade's Col route and each one is very difficult and none has been successfully climbed and mostly not even attempted except the west ridge route. Kamet has the definite and well-defined routes of east face, southeast face and ridge, south ridge, southwest face, west face and northwest ridge, none of which has ever been climbed or attempted on record. The sheer east and southwest face are among the highest unclimbed faces in the world today. The northwest ridge is the easiest among the unclimbed routes and with an approach possible from the Meade's Col, I pondered over the possibility of doing a variation after leaving Meade's Col and climb Kamet over the northwest ridge.

The nine member Indian Navy team finally departed Delhi on 12 May 03. We reached the Indo Tibetan Border Police mess on the 13^th at Joshimath and were shown to our luxurious quarters. The next day some of us walked up to Auli for some height gain and also to catch a close view of Nanda Devi, while others meandered into the bazars of Joshimath in search of blessings from the gods that the valley abounds. Eventually we left on 18^th May for the road head of Ghamsali. The sinewy road climbed gradually along the rushing Dhauli ganga river as we crossed the familiar villages of Tapovan, Lata, Jumma, Malari, etc and the swaying deodar trees blew a halcyon breeze that uplifted our spirits further. Ice capped peaks looked down from all sides. After 7 hours we reached Ghamsali and pitched our tents. The kitchen tent sprang into action and a sumptuous dinner followed soon.

Ghamsali at 3350 m is a peaceful little village that is inhabited only during the summer months and has an Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) post that is manned round the year. Ghamsali has the confluence of Amrit ganga and Dhauli ganga rivers and it gives access to the two definite valleys defined by the two rivers. At this time the village was deserted. On the 20^th our porters and the young and chirpy members of my team trotted off into the mountains with heavy loads. I took up the rear in my usual slow gait after bidding goodbye to the genial ITBP post commander. Being quite early in summer we encountered huge chunks of ice all along across the Dhauli ganga. Soon we sighted Niti village that lay like a carpet over the slopes. After Niti the trail narrowed and rose sharply towards the temple that marks the mid-point for the day's walk. A little short of 5 hours brought us to the camping ground of Sebuk on the bank of the frothing Dhauli ganga. At this point we had to cross the river and start heading northwest. Before the daylight failed we managed to set up a tyrolean across the river, as it was impossible to wade through. One of the Sherpas found a patch of ice further up the river over which lightly laden members and porters could walk across. Most of the next day was engaged in ferrying the loads across the river and setting up the camp on the other side. Close to evening we had a raging blizzard with stinging snow covering the entire valley in white and dropping the temperature below zero.

A short walk of 3 hrs along the Raikana stream, on 22^nd May brought us to the wide boulder-strewn camping ground of Nanda Kharak. At 4200 m the place was cold and windy. Finally we were in high Himalaya with 6000 m plus peaks all around. On the 23^rd we walked up to the base camp in an easy scramble through moraines and ice fields and pitched our tents at 4650 m, close to the frozen Vasundhara lake. Debris from previous expeditions lay strewn around, though the place was covered with thick snow and much of the garbage, of which I was certain, lay buried underneath. The weather remained sunny and nippy. On the 24^th I dispatched few members and Sherpas to open the route through the glaciers for Camp 1 while the others spread out the base camp properly. The next day two Sherpas and I headed up the glacier to find a suitable Camp 1 site. About an hour after leaving the BC we climbed a steep embankment of ice and turned into the Purvi Kamet glacier and saw the imposing massif of Devban and Mana standing gloriously under the morning sun. The glacier was a narrow field of moraines and ice covered ridges with several glacial lakes and rivulets dotting the pristine landscape. We walked atop the ridge along the true right bank of the glacier that rose gradually and was an easy scramble all along. Soon Kamet reared its head to our west. We reached a flat patch of ice and rock at 4960 m, about 3 km short of the place where the glacier bends, and dumped our loads and returned in quick trot to BC. Over the next two days the sky remained clear and the members along with the support team of HAPs and Sherpas ferried loads to C1. On the 28^th the first team moved up and occupied C1 and the weather turned totally foul the moment the tents were pitched. The snow continued through the night and the temperature dropped to 12 degrees below zero.

The 29^th heralded a bright golden dawn and we started off in search of C2. We broke the crunchy ice and our breaths formed smoke circles as we walked with loads. No sooner had we turned along with the glacier a huge avalanche came roaring down the north face of Devban. And this barrage of avalanches continued all through the rest of the expedition. After covering around 7 km we came to a hump at 5360 m that was conveniently away from the avalanches and close to a glacial stream and established C2. The Mana massif towering right above us to our south looked very overpowering and avalanches of all sizes fell from its flanks every day. It took us 2 hrs to return to C1. We shifted base to C2 on the 30^th and the same day the second team occupied C1. The good weather continued with the night temperature averaging between minus 10 and minus 15. C2 being deep inside the narrow upper Purvi Kamet glacier, the sun reached us late though the surrounding ridges got the warm rays early and would start dropping the avalanches all around. We could not see Kamet any more though the route to C3 and beyond could be seen clearly at the distance. From C2 the glacier turned north and after about a km it again turned to west. We started off for C3 on the 31^st, walking close to the left bank of the glacier. The moment we turned west along with the glacier, the stupendous east face of Kamet stunned us to silence. A little later we came to the ice wall to our north and started climbing steeply as the glacier fell below us rapidly. We climbed in the shadows of the rock ridges almost exactly north of the Mana peak. Above the ice wall, the route narrowed down as we had to climb beside a frozen waterfall into a gully with huge towering rock walls on one side. The place was highly susceptible to rockfalls and there was no shelter if the rocks started bombarding from the top. I was thankful that we had made an early start and the place had not warmed up yet. We fixed two ropes up through the gully and quickly negotiated over the steep ice and rock field. A brief rest on the top and again the ground became less steep as we climbed into a huge snow plateau, shaped like a dome. By now the snow had softened due to the noon sun and we sank perceptibly with each step. Though the going was bit taxing there was no hazard or technical climbing involved. After about 4 hrs we reached the flat campsite of C3 at 6050 m. A huge wall of rock and ice lay directly to our west, almost in line with the Kamet summit that jutted out from beyond the top of the wall. We retreated for the day after dumping our loads.

The wispy clouds clinging to the upper ridges all around indicated the onset of an early monsoon and I knew we had little time and must not waste even a day without progressing upwards. Shouldering heavy loads we made it to C3 in 5 hrs on 3^rd June. The first team occupied the camp and the others returned to C2. Soon the kitchen tent came up and we had a hot lunch of rice and pre-cooked vegetable. C3 had huge piles of garbage from the previous expeditions. Over the next few days we gathered as much of it and disposed them as best as we could. We also made huge sack loads of the tins and glass bottles that we would carry back on our way down.

On 4^th June, three of our most technically capable Sherpas and I set off to open the route through the rock and ice wall right ahead of us, beyond which lay the C4. As Sange Sherpa had climbed Kamet before, he knew the route well and led over the steep sections of rock with usual agility. We worked in pairs and alternated leads every two pitches and made good progress though the face was very steep and offered high grades of mixed climb. We climbed almost mechanically, hammering rock pitons or putting ice screws where necessary, clipping our safety belays and follow up with the fixed rope. I often stepped out and away from the face to take dramatic pictures. Finally we emerged onto the sheer ice wall of about 75 m and we kicked steps all the way up. I followed the Sherpas and crested the ice wall to find myself on a small flat ice shelf that would be our C4. We were now at 6650 m. I looked ahead at the route to C5, which appeared quite straightforward and followed an obvious line along the ice seracs. But I knew that high on Himalaya the appearances can be highly deceptive. Soon the clouds came rushing in, enveloping the sky and we abseiled off back to C3. By the time I could plunge inside my tent a full-blown blizzard had hit us. The night temperature dropped to 18 degrees below zero.

The second load ferry took place on 5 June. One of the HAPs had to be sent down since he showed symptoms of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). Some of the members too suffered from mild headaches. The weather seemed to be deteriorating each day as the winds picked up speed early noon and blew in blizzards soon after 1 p.m. I estimated we had another week of weather window to climb and retreat from the mountain. Anything beyond may have become unpleasant. I rested the team on the 6^th. I checked everything and everyone throughout the day. We were now more than half way into the expedition and body fatigue would now begin to surface.

On the 7^th I lead the first team up the rock wall and occupied C4 around noon. The view from top was simply breathtaking as we could see far off into Tibet. The day was windy and definitely cold. The evening turned crimson as an orange plume enveloped the crests of Kamet and Mana. The night sky lit up brilliantly with blinking stars. One of the Sherpas went down as he suffered from AMS. On the 8^th we started off for route opening through the heavily broken icefield that lead up ahead. Being high up the sun came upon us rather early and soon we were sweating in our clothes as we made our way slowly and surely through the tottering ice seracs and mushrooms. We went through several crevasses before reaching the vast icefield that gradually ascended up to the Meade's Col. The snow glare was very harsh as the icefield stretched endlessly all around us. It was like going through a snow desert with no conspicuous objects in sight. We labored up slowly as the peaks of Nanda Devi sanctuary rose along with us to our south. The moment we crested the Meade's Col a strong blizzard literally blew us back as we had not expected anything of similar magnitude. It was a sheer struggle to even stand up against the wind and the snow flurry. We were now above 7000 m and the altitude was noticeable. We quickly dumped loads and returned hastily to C4.

After a rest on the 9^th, we shifted up to C5 on 10^th June and the second team occupied C4. We placed C5 at 7100 m on the Meade's Col at a place that was equidistant from the Kamet and Abi Gamin face. To our south the massive northeast face of Kamet rose like a gigantic column of ice and snaked away and beyond our vision into the azure. While to our north, the south face of Abi Gamin looked a nice and easy proposal. The severe blizzard continued unabated. It was one of the windiest and coldest places I had ever been to in the Himalaya. To step out of the tents was an ordeal and even the thought of stepping out was horrendous. I had begin to lose my appetite as the bland food that we ate every day started telling its effect on my stomach. We had planned to start off right after midnight for the summit of Kamet.

When my watch said just two minutes short of midnight between 10^th and 11^th June, I opened the zip of my tent to discover what I had known even earlier. The night was totally overcast and the raging blizzard made visibility zero. It was around 26 degrees below zero and no way could we go out in this weather. The sharp ice chips cut across my face and filled up my tent even before I could quickly withdraw inside. I shouted across at the top of my voice to inform others that the attempt was out for the night and they could relax and try to get some sleep if possible. I huddled my limbs together and sought some warmth inside the sleeping bag. The storm abated around half past four in the morning of the 11^th and as it was too late for Kamet, I asked two members and one Sherpa to go for Abi Gamin. They left an hour later and I watched their progress over the icefield as they gained height steadily towards the flat summit of Abi Gamin. Surg Lt Viking Bhanoo, LMA Rakesh Kumar and Sange Sherpa summitted Abi Gamin (7354 m) at about 7.30 am and came down cheerfully an hour later. We all were happy to have climbed the first summit of the expedition. I sent the three down to C4 and asked my deputy, Lt Amit Pande to send up two Sherpas. As the three scrambled away and down, my eyes drew naturally to the clear trail they had left on Abi Gamin. The day was still young, bright and offered an enjoyable outing. Only the young Ang Tashi Sherpa was with me at C5. He was on his first expedition and was highly charged up to climb Kamet. I felt a tug to go for Abi Gamin. I just had to trot up and down through the fresh trail of the earlier three. Though I didn't know if it was advisable to go for two seven thousand plus peaks on two simultaneous days as I wanted to attempt Kamet on the 12^th. But then I succumbed to the temptation and asking Tashi to keep an eye on me and come to my assistance only if I asked, I left off alone. I carried a very light pack of water and chocolates and biscuits, and a short technical ice axe, so I made good ground. It took me a little less than three hours to reach the top of Abi Gamin. Soon I returned to C5 where Tashi welcomed me with his usual smile and hot cup of tea. Little later the two Sherpas came up from C4. We had an early dinner and retired for we had an early start in the morning.

Tashi woke me up at half past midnight with a steaming cup of tea and biscuits. Purva Sherpa complained of headaches but dressed up nevertheless to come up with us. After donning our paraphernalia and shouldering our sacks we finally left a little before 2, into the freezing night. The sky was clear but the howling wind cut through my bones. The mercury showed 36 degrees below zero. My hands were totally frozen and I had to force my fingers around the ice axe. Though draped in 4 layers of clothing, I felt naked. The two Sherpas walked silently ahead of me. As planned earlier we walked straight up towards a big crevasse that cut width wise the northeast face. Soon the slope became steep and we climbed slowly. About an hour later, Purva collapsed on the snow, clutching his stomach and retched his bile out. I shone my torch on his pale face and asked him to go down immediately. Tashi and I rested as we watched silently Purva's headlamp disappearing into the night. Now only the two of us were left and we had a long way to go. As the northeastern sky over Tibet lightened and a deep blue streak painted the horizon, I studied the map and felt that it was time for us to veer further to our right and get on to the northwest ridge so as to attempt Kamet over a new route. Except the map in hand I had no knowledge about the northwest ridge at all. No one had ever attempted it before and no photographs existed of it either. On the map it seemed decidedly steep, much steeper than the usual northeast route, where we now rested. It also showed distinct rock bands, which would give us mixed climbing condition.

The moment we stepped around the northwest ridge and I looked up at the sheer wall of rock and ice, poised at a tottering angle, I knew that we had some tough time ahead of us. We had only two ice screws and no rock pitons and just that one climbing rope and each of us carried an emergency bivouac bag. It was around 7 a.m. and we had been on the move for almost 5 hrs. The sky above looked brilliant and the moderate breeze gallant enough and with a final look at the glaciers in Tibet, I plunged my axe into the hard ice and took off. We climbed steadily and rhythmically, almost copybook style. But I knew that we were slow and 1 was the one to be blamed for it. My right leg (which has a torn excruciating ligament) felt stiff and throbbed painfully and I rested often, digging my heels and the ice axe into the steep slope. Tashi remained silent and attentive. Left alone he would be able to climb much faster. I had abandoned the map much before since all we had to do was to keep climbing and we would crest on the summit ridge sooner or later. As we climbed, slowly the sun fell away beyond Kamet and around 1 p.m. the wind picked up and the temperature dropped perceptively. I radioed back to C5 where the second team had now come up and as predicted they confirmed that they could see no signs of us. I told my deputy our approximate position and also that we were making slow progress. Around 2 p.m. I cut a ledge in the ice and slumped down to review the situation. The altimeter read around 7600 m and we had another 150 m to go. We were certainly beyond the point of no return. The wind was far too fierce for my liking, it threatened to uproot us from the slope and the temperature was around 30 deg below zero with wind-chill factor much lower than that. I could not feel my hands or face. Uttering anything was an ordeal in itself. Clouds had marred the sky and soon we would be in dark. I was not very certain where exactly we were on the ridge since it was rather wide. We were close to the top but not close enough. I seriously looked around for a snow-hole-bivouac. I studied the map and the surrounding mountains, and everything confirmed that we were indeed on the northwest ridge and little short of the summit of Kamet. There were no objective hazards, only the imponderables of weather worried me. I needed to rest my leg. Tashi perhaps interpreted my thoughts and asked if we could make it to the top. His ambition was infectious and soon we were up and climbing rapidly. I let him take the lead. It was easier for me to guide him from below and follow in his steps.

About an hour later suddenly the slope eased and we found ourselves on the summit ridge with the two distinct humps ahead. From the top of one of them, the nearer one, a series of prayer flags fluttered in the wind. It was close but we still had to overcome the huge crevasse that girdled the hump like a castle's moat. We had to make severe detours and switchback trails to go through the crevasse and finally at 3.54 p.m. we stepped on the summit of Kamet. The climb was finally over after 14 hrs. By now the sky was almost blotted with dark clouds and we could only see the summits of Mana and Nanda Devi and a part of the sinew Uttari Nagthuni glacier. Tashi had to rub some warmth back into my hands that had lost any feelings long time back. I was quite exhausted and we had a long descent ahead of us. Soon it would be dark. Tashi looked cheerful as ever and for the first time he remarked casually that the cold was quite severe.

After few minutes we started going down. After crossing the crevasse, we unroped and heeled down the normal northeast face. Soon it darkened and we just kept slipping, tumbling and sliding downwards. Descent was most important. I had to pause at times to take charge of my senses. I was feeling very exhausted. But with Tashi at hand and waiting patiently for me, it was manageable. Soon we reached the flat Meade's Col where the second team had come up to receive us. I collapsed inside my tent, while Sange Sherpa relieved me of my crampons and boots. My stomach was in no condition to partake any solid, so I drank several cups of hot juice and slumped inside the sleeping bag. The second team would go up later in the night for the next attempt on Kamet.

On 13^th morning around 3 a.m., the second team started for Kamet through the normal northeast face route. They had our trail to follow and I estimated they would summit in about 8 hrs. Lt Amit Pande soon felt a catch in his leg and experienced difficulty in breathing so he abandoned his attempt and returned to C5 with one Sherpa, while the others continued. The second team had summitted Kamet around 1130 a.m. and had descended safely to C5.

We quickly withdrew from the mountain as weather was worsening. We never saw Kamet again. The clouds and the freezing gale literally drove us down as we abseiled down the narrow gully. Soon night descended and we picked our way with our headlamps. The full moon appeared sheen less as it struggled to peek through the thick veil of dark clouds. Around 10 p.m. we reached C2, and next day continued down.

SUMMARY

The Indian Navy team climbed Kamet (7756 m) and Abi Gamin (7355 m) in pre-monsoon 2003.

The team comprised of Cdr Satyabrata Dam (leader), Lt Amit Pande (dy leader), Lt Cdr A Kankan, Lt KS Balaji, Surg Lt Cdr P Anand, Surg Lt V Bhanoo, MCERA Rajkumar, LMA Rakesh Kumar. Sherpas Sange Puri, Samgyal, Pasang Dorje, Ang Tashi, Mingma, Purva, Karma.

The following summitted Kamet on 12/13 June: Cdr S Dam, Lt Cdr Kankan, MCERA Rajkumar, Sange Puri, Samgyal, Ang Tashi.

Following summitted Abi Gamin on 11 June: Cdr S Dam, Surg Lt V Bhanoo, LMA Rakesh Kumar, Sange Puri.

 

⇑ Top