CORRESPONDENCE

From
Prabhat Kumar Ganguli
Email: prabhatkumarganguli@gmail.com
Mobile: 09831834860

To
Hon. Editor, Himalayan Journal

Gangotri col (5486 m) - A closer look through Lens.

Gangotri col, an article written by me was appeared in the Himalayan Journal Vol. 65 (pp 199-205)along with three photographs and one sketch map showing the route. It was about an exploration to find out a suitable passage on the dividing range which separated the Gangotri from Kedarnath valley and thus will enable the climbers to arrive from one temple to the other through a high but shortest route.

After publication of this article in 2009, many veteran mountaineers including the legendary figure Gurdial Singh congratulated me. But some of the climbers who wanted to do the crossing themselves, visited my residence at Kolkata, expressed their problems on the route and wanted more details about the exact location of the col as they could not be sure from the photograph which I took from the Yeonbuk col (4850 m) inserted in the said article.

In 1982, I was very close to the col. Hence it was not possible to snap the desired details. Though in 1984 when I traversed the Gangotri glacier, I could photograph the exact point of crossing to reach the glacier from Kedarnath side and christened it as Gangotri col.

Taking into consideration the necessity of a photograph to help the enthusiastic climbers, last year (2014) I decided to go to a vantage point from where I could photograph the desired detail. The photograph is printed herewith showing the route from Yeonbuk col to cross over to Gangotri.

I can assure my young climbers that barring a small section, the crossing will not be much difficult for you. So try your luck but return safely.

Prabhat Kumar Ganguli

Route to Gangotri col (5486 m) (Prabhat Kumar Ganguli)

Errata
The photograph in HJ Vol. 69 on p. 11 is of Jill Henderson, Hon. Secy. of the Himalayan Club, Darjeeling section 1951 - 1956. It has been erroneously captioned as Joan Townend who was Hon. Secy.of the Eastern Section from 1934 to 1942. The error is regretted.

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