Mt Whitney (MR)

Introduction

The "Mountaineer's Route", or the "North Fork of the Lone Pine Creek Route" is a challenging alternative route to the summit of Mt Whitney. Mahim Ranjan, Krishna Sekar, Saumya Chandra and I attempted this route in July 2005, after hiking the mountain the year before via the more popular "main trail" on an arduous 18 hour day hike.

Trivia

• Mt Whitney, at 14,491 ft, is the highest peak in continental USA
  
• Whitney Portal (trailhead) elevation: 8360 ft
  
• By measure of prominence, Whitney is the 81st highest peak in the world
• Mountaineer's Route (outbound): 5 miles
• Main Trail (return route): 11 miles
  

Photo Album

Scaruffi's Trip Report is a good reference

Report

I flew into Burbank (Ranjita decided against this trip, given the very short acclimatization schedule), where I hooked up with Narayan Prasad and Neeraj and drove up north to Lone Pine. The gang from San Diego had already arrived. During the course of the day, during which the four of us went up the nearby White Mountains to do a short acclimitization hike, we abandoned ideas of an overnighter, and decided to go the way of a long arduous day hike again. However, we decided (wisely in the end) to hike the MR only on the way up, and return via the familiar main trail. We (the MR gang) parted ways with the remaining folks, who were planning an overnighter via the Main Trail, did some last minute shopping, and crashed early at a hotel in Lone Pine. We drove up to the Whitney Portal (the trailhead) located at 8300 ft around midnight to make a 2 am start, as planned.

We were familiar with the first hour or so of the route, which the MR shares with the Main Trail. After the second river crossing, we followed a turn off to the right, and almost immediately started climbing steeply through the blackness of the night. On hindsight, maybe it was a good thing to negotiate the Ebersbacher Ledges in the dead of night, since we were blissfully ignorant of the sheer drop offs to the left. Of course, not knowing what lay in the blackenss to the left, we hugged the granite to our right, and made slow but steady progress with our headlamps.

Once the sun came out, we made a brief stop at Lower Boy Scout Lake (10,500 ft) and watched the sun rise over the Panamint Range in Death Valley while we breakfasted. From here on, route finding proved difficult over featureless scree. Sadly, the cairns, that had marked the way well so far, had all but disappeared. We were carrying rough directions based on trip reports published on the internet, and therefore knew that if we actually reached the shores of Upper Boy Scout Lake, we would definitely be off track. Sure enough, after an hour's uncertainty, we were at the second lake, located at 11,500 ft. Luckily, this gave us our bearings, and we headed to the left, and after some 20 minutes or so, regained the route.

Saumya and Mahim at first light, taking a break between Lower & Upper Boy Scout Lake, as the sun rises over the Panamint Range bordering Death Valley

Looking back east at the drainage of the North Fork of the Lone Pine Creek

From here on, it was an initially challenging scramble, followed by perhaps the only somewhat level stretch of the route. This stretch has expansive views of the drainage of the North Fork of the Lone Pine Creek, looking East, back the way we came, and towering views of Thor's Peak and Pinnacle Ridge to the North (on our left). The hike along the boulder-strewn gully (we were above the tree line now) slowly brought the Keeler Needles and Mt Whitney into view. We probably goofed up again on the route here, deciding to move up and to the right via a tough scramble, which involved a tricky waterfall crossing. In any case, a tough half hour or so later, we were rewarded by the arrival of the brilliant blue Iceberg Lake (12,300 ft), partially frozen, and a view of the snow filled chute and gully leading up to "The Notch". We kept eyeing the chute, since it would be our home for the next couple of hours. At this point, at 9 am, we were happy with our progress and considered ourselves well on schedule for summitting by noon. After refreshing ourselves at the lake (we had to smash the ice to get to water), and snacking a bit, we donned helmets to protect us from falling rock, and launched the attack on the chute. We stayed to the left of the main gully, avoiding the snow as far as possible. This part of the climb was very steep, with progressively grander views of Iceberg Lake beneath us partially spoiled by some cloud that began to roll in. Luckily the altitude did not seem to bother any of us.

First views of the chute that leads to the notch at 14,000 ft.

Iceberg Lake from up close: The year before, we looked at this lake from 2000 ft above it and wondered how cool it would be to climb this route

Saumya and Mahim making slow and steady progress up the snow filled chute

There was a nervous moment when the three of us had gotten well ahead of Saumya, who was not to be seen or heard for a while. Worse, the mist had by now morphed into dense fog rising out of the Iceberg Lake col, reducing visibility to tens of feet . After 10-15 minutes, she came within earshot: relieved, we continued the slow climb up the chute, eventually resorted to wading through knee-deep snow. At 14,000 ft, we arrived at the Notch, where it was cold and cloudy, but we were luck enough to receive views of the magnificent Sequioa National Park Wilderness to the West.

Krishna leads the way from the Notch, negotiating a 10 ft vertical wall to start off

For some reason we were under the mistaken impression that the hardest part of the hike was over, and mini congratulations were exchanged. We had climbed over 5500 ft in a few hours, so how hard could the remaining 500 ft be? Turns out, lots. After meeting the intial challenge of a 10 ft vertical face (Krishna lead the way), we expected things to get easier, but they didn't. Perhaps it was the altitude, perhaps muscles that were tired from the scrambling, but it was hard, hard work hauling ourselves up using all four limbs over near vertical rocks, up towards the summit, one rock at a time. One false step, and it would have been a quick but spectacular descent down the West side of the mountain. We met a few folks heading down, using ropes, and felt relieved about not having to return this way. With conversation at a complete stop for the last hour of the ascent, we finally reached the summit at 2 pm to be greeted with the familiar sight of the highest restroom in the lower 48 states, but the unfamiliar sight of absolutely *no one* on the summit.

Summit toilet coming into view, calling for relief and celebration

Since the weather looked unfriendly (there was some hail, fog, and strong winds), we decided not to take a break, but raced on across the huge Whitney Summit, and headed down the Main Trail. An hour or so later, we took at a break at Trail Crest, where we met a German guy with whom we shared some snacks, and chatted for a while (first human contact in several hours). The weather looked better, so we relaxed a little, admired the views of the Sequioa area, and mentally prepared ourselves for the gruelling 96 switchbacks that we would now have to negotiate to descend to Trail Camp at about 12,000 ft.

Signboard at Trail Crest

The rest of the hike was relatively easy, including the infamous "rope section", which was relatively snow free (unlike the last year, when it posed a serious challenge). Hiking through familiar territory reduces stress significantly, so without too much hassle, we caught up with Dave, Mainak, and Mark --- all of whom successfully summited via the Main Trail --- at Trail Camp, and wound our way down the gradual but beautiful sections of the Main Trail, passing through Trail Meadow before descending below the tree line near Mirror Lake, followed by Bighorn Meadow, and finally, Lone Pine Lake. We were back at the trailhead around 8 pm, ending a successful 18 hour summit attempt of Whitney (second in as many years).

;

Bad photo, but you can make out the four of us (L to R: Kanishka, Krishna, Mahim and Saumya)

Neeraj, Narayan Prasad and I drove back to the LA area the same night, where in Burbank, we were unsucessful at finding ourselves a decent meal late in the night. It's sad how after our most sapping extreme dayhikes, we've typically ended up with a less than satisying meals (sometimes none at all). Finally, we settled for the ever reliable, but culinary disaster that is the Golden Arches, and got a few hours sleep before heading to the airport early in the morning, from where I caught my Jetblue flight back to JFK, and the others headed back to San Jose.

Post hike thoughts

The Mountaineer's Route is an exhilarating alternative to Whitney Main Trail (which involves getting permits via a lottery several months before your planned hike). The upside and the downside is that it's a significantly more challenging route, and for more than 50% of the time, one is on all fours. However, in our experience, it stopped short of technical climbing. Compared to Long's Peak (in the Colorado Rockies) during the snow free season, this route is perhaps a tad harder, and more interesting in terms of scrambling challenge, and route finding.

It would be pleasant to do this over two days provided one packs lightly, so that one doesn't get robbed of the day light experience of the Ledges early on in the trail. A reasonable plan might be to start around 4 am from Whitney Portal, climb via the MR, and aim to descend to Trail Camp by the afternoon and set up camp. Or better still, have some buddies climb via the main trail on the same day, and set up camp for you.

Macchu Picchu

Introduction

This post describes a trek from 3 years ago over the Salkantay Pass to Macchu Picchu, a route that is fast gaining popularity owing to restrictions on the classic "Inca Trail". In 2008, The National Geographic listed this route among the "25 best adventure trips in the world", and the "savvy traveller's route to Macchu Picchu". Of course, Ranjita, Snigdha and I had no idea about all this, and came upon this offering from SAS travels in Cusco after we heard there was no way of getting permits to do the classic Inca Trail. We found company in Megan and Scott, a Canadian couple probably in their mid-late 30s with clearly plenty of trekking experience behind them, Rachel, an undergrad from Brown University who was at the time, on an exchange program in La Paz, Bolivia, Stephanie and Erica, two high-energy Dutch teenagers who were each about 2 feet taller than us, and Ulrich, a funny Danish guy who was living in Argentina because "the winters are too depressing in Denmark". We "chicos" were in the able hands of Juan from SAS.

Trekking Dates: May 23-27, 2005.

Andean Trivia

The trek takes you through gorgeous parts of the Cordillera Vilcabamba, a section of the Peruvian Andes. The highlight (other than Macchu Picchu of course) is the Salcantay Pass, estimates for which range between 15,000 and 15,500 ft. Salcantay, which dominates most views on the trek, is the highest peak in the Cordillera Vilcabamba, at 20,500 ft, but it's only the 12th highest in Peru, and the 38th highest in the Andes. Huamantay (19,500 ft) is also very close to the hiking trail. From the pass, the Cordillera Blanca is visible, a group that includes Peru's highest peak Huascaran (22,300 ft).

Detailed Trek Report

Day 1: Cusco (10,800 ft) - Mollepata (9,300 ft) - Soraypampa (12,210 ft)

We assembled at 7 am at the Plaza at the center of Cusco, where we boarded a bus and met our trekking companions for the second time (We had a pre-trek orientation the previous evening). About 2 hours out of Cusco, we stopped on the roadside for a indulgent breakfast with inspiring views of the snow-capped Salcantay and Huamantay peaks. Another hour or so later we arrived at a village called Mollepata, where Juan arranged for mules, and where we, within 15 minutes, managed to lose the only sunscreen we were carrying. A short while later, we were off the bus, on a meadow, and ready to go.

Initial views of Salcantay and terraced slopes from our breakfast location en route to Mollepata

The hike was pretty easy, through flowering shrubs, and views of terraced slopes, and occasional sneak peaks at Salcantay. The first campsite at Soraypampa arrived mid-late afternoon soon after a wide stream crossing, nestled in a moraine valley at the base of Salcantay. We experienced magical moonlit views of the snow peak and banal conversation with the rest of the gang in the dinner tent (yes, this was one of "those" treks), with of course, magnificent food to go with it (trout, potatoes, salad).

Soraypampa, the first campsite, was located in a meadow with grand views of Salcantay

Meals were an elaborate affair all through the trek. Dinner at Soray-"pamper"

Day 2: Soraypampa (12,210 ft) - Salcantay Pass (15,400 ft) - Chaullay (10,400 ft)

The second day started with severely cold weather, with the sun taking its time to rise above the ridges. We passed a great example of a fan-shaped glacial moraine, which Scott pointed out to us. From there it was a long, steep climb executed with altitude-induced stupor, up and out of the treeline into boulder and rock country. At the Salcantay pass, we were greeted by brilliant weather, fantastic views of the Cordillera Blanca, a range containing Peru's highest peaks, and of course, since we were in the saddle connecting Salcantay and Huamantay, detailed close ups of these majestic mountains. We heard sharp cracks of ice breaking on glaciers, (or avalanches, we weren't sure which). From the pass, it was a longish but easy descent to the lunch spot,  which we gobbled down after a gruelling 9 hour hike. After lunch, we set out on a dramatic descent into dense cloud forest. The trek was very similar to Captain Haddock and Tintin's trek to the Temple of the Sun, complete with llamas, snow peaks, waterfalls and then jungle and mosquitos (no Tapirs though). Also, our viewings of an Andean Condor high above us did not compare with Snowy and Tintin's encounters. We ended the day at a lovely spot called Chaullay, perched on a protected part of a hillside looking into a valley. Best of all, one could buy beer!

View from Salkantay Pass towards the Cordillera Bianca, and down into the cloud forest

Day 3: Chaullay (10,400 ft) to La Playa (7,500 ft)

The next day, after a hanging bridge crossing, we hiked along the Urubamba Valley, at times at water level, and at other times, hundreds of feet above it, watching it snake northwards through the valley (the Urubamba is a headwater of the Amazon). Occasionally, lookling back through the clouds that seem to live in this forest, we would catch of glimpse of Salcantay, now thousands of feet higher, and appearing different from the new perspective. We had the typical gourmet lunch, and got treated to freshly plucked grenadines. After a rewarding but relatively easy day's hiking, we arrived at the village of La Playa, where we camped next to a school building. We met many adorable kids that afternoon, and some of us played soccer with them, while others lazed around drinking beer (sold to us by a 7 year old), and followed Megan's lead stretching our hamstrings, much to the amusement of the onlookers.

Rachel and Megan high above the Urubamba, snaking north towards Macchu Picchu

Day 4: La Playa (7,500 ft) - HydroElectric - Aguas Caliente (6,700 ft)

We bade farewell to Juan's support staff as they would head to a nearby road and take a truck back to civilization, while we would continue hiking to Hydro-Electric (yes, that's what the place is called). They turned out incredible food at every meal, ensuring that no one lost a pound on the trek (sadly for some). We continued hiking with great views of the Urubamba, and then a tedious descent, during which Rachel and Ranjita sang morale boosting songs all the way down to the river (not the Urubamba, something else). Part of what made this section hard was neck-high grass, which obscured the views. At the bottom we crossed a very scary hanging bridge, where for a moment it looked like Snigdha was going to plop right through a missing plank. The falls near the Hydel station were spectacular, and it was a flat walk to the train station. We had lunch there, and then boarded a train that switchbacked it's way up the mountain, changing direction each time, until it reached the touristy, but nevertheless charming town of Aguas Caliente (which literally means, "hot water").

We explored the town a little, doing the naturally touristy thing of taking a bath in the hot springs, and roaming up and down the market street looking at trinkets. The hotel was little more than a trekker's hut with a dining hall.

Day 5: Aguas Calienta (6,700 ft) - Macchu Picchu (7,900 ft) - Cusco (10,800 ft)

Early in the morning we hiked up to Macchu Picchu in the dark, and were there well in time to see the sun rise over that magical place. As a bonus (or so we believed) we witnessed a llama threesome at close quarters. Later we would wonder if they're trained to entertain the tourists in this manner while they wait for the sun to rise. We spent the next few hours taking a guided tour of the ruins, but most of the group was so done with trekking that we passed on an opportunity to climb higher, up Huayna-Picchu, from where, apparently the views are spectacular. Lots of pictures later, we dragged ourselves away from the ruins and lay ourselves down on the grass to soak in the sun, and the reality of where we were.

Sunrise over Macchu Picchu: well worth all the effort

Pleased as punch

Back in Aguas Caliente, we spent some time in a cafe (all cafes in Peru seem fabulously decorated), walked around the station area, and hung out with the gang in a bar. We heared that neighbouring Bolivia's government been felled in a bloodless coup, and that the Peru-Bolivia borders would soon be sealed. So Rachel, who was a student in La Paz, made some arrangements and left to make it into that country before time ran out. We did meet her in New York a few months later, so she did in fact, make it! We took the "trekker train" from Aguas Caliente, reached Cusco late, retrieved some of our stuff from the SAS Travels office in the square, and crawled back to the Rumipunku Hotel, happy to hit the sack.

Inca statue, near the Aguas Caliente train station

Post Trek Thoughts

5 days for this trek (4 real trekking days) is a good pace. Weather was terrific end of May. One thing to watch out for is AMS. Since we were bumming around Cusco and the Sacred Valley (10,000 to 12,000 ft) for two days prior to starting the trek, we were reasonably acclimatized. Or maybe it was just the gallons of Coca Tea that we consumed!

Traveling with SAS was a good experience, if somewhat expensive ($350 per person, for the 5 day trip), since they cater principally to US/European travellers. There are probably many agencies around Cusco that offer equally good services for much less. Well, maybe the food won't be as spectacular as SAS, but then, you don't go trekking for cuisine.

Kuari Pass

Introduction

The trek over Kuari Pass in Garwhal District of Uttarakhand State in Northern India. The trail climbs from Ghat, a small village near Nandprayag, heads directly north over several passes, the most spectacular of which is Kuari, before descending to Auli, the popular ski resort near Joshimath. It's about 70 km long, and can be done at a leisurely pace in 7 days. The highest point reached is Kuari Pass, for which elevation estimates seem to hover around 14,000 ft. Oct and Nov are recommended for clear skies.

Trekking Dates: Nov 18 - 24, 2007

Major Himalayan Peaks Viewed

• Nanda Devi (25,643 ft)
• Kamet (25,446 ft) 
• Abi Gamin (24,130 ft)
  
• Mana Parbat (23,858 ft)
• Mukut Parbat (23,760 ft)
• Chaukhamba (23,419 ft)
• Dunagiri (23,182 ft) 
  
• Ghori Parbat (22,136 ft)
  
• Haathi Parabat (22,070 ft)
• Changabang (22,520 ft) [We continue to hope] 
  
• Neelkanth (21,640 ft)
• Nanda Ghunti (20,819 ft)
• Ronti (19,819 ft)
• Pangarchula (17,602 ft)
• Brahmakamal
  

Trek Itinerary (approximate elevations and distances)

• Day 1: Chefna (3000 ft) - Ghuni, 8 km, moderate
• Day 2: Ghuni (4500 ft) - Chechni Binayak (11,000 ft) - Jhinji, 11 km, strenuous
• Day 3: Jhinji (6000 ft) - Pana, 8 km, moderate
• Day 4: Pana (8000 ft) - Unnamed Pass - Sartoli, 8 km, moderate 
• Day 5: Sartoli (10,000 ft) - Dakhwani, 8 km, moderate
• Day 6: Dakhwani (13,000 ft) - Kuari Pass - Talli, 12 km, moderate
• Day 7: Talli (12,000 ft)- Auli (10,000 ft), 8 km, easy

Getting there

Our group included Geoff Voelker, Srivatsan Laxman, Prasad Naldurg, Ranjita and I, all from Bangalore. Reaching Nandprayag (the trek base) was a considerable challenge, involving enormous delays at Bangalore Airport (the old one), a missed train connection in New Delhi, a scary ride through the dead of night on what passed for a highway connecting Delhi and Hardwar (at one point our driver bashed his head into his own door), a 4 am rendezvous with another taxi who was waiting for us at Hardwar station (the actual meeting and transfer of luggage took place at a horse urinal), and finally, a 9 hour bone-jarring drive through the magnificent Alaknanda Valley. We finally reached Nandprayag exhausted, but with enough energy to make contact with Gyan, our friend, philosopher and guide for the next week. I hit the sack in the crummy GMVN rest house while other figured out next steps.

Devprayag: The Bhagirathi and the Alakananda merge to form the Ganga

Nov 18: Nandprayag (3000,ft) - Chefna  (Jeep)  - Ghuni (6600 ft)

Bouncy Jeep ride to Ghat, where we had breakfast in a typically filthy bazaar area, but the chai shop had terrific views of Nandakini. The jeep took us further upstream, to Chefna, where we started the trek. The first few hours passed climbing out of the Nandakini Valley, through villages, with a bunch of kids keeping us company. It was a warm start to the trek, ending at a meadow just above a village called Ghuni, located a km or so from the older route's first camp, Ramni. At a modest 6600 ft, Ghuni boasts terrific views of Roopkund and Ali Bugiyal. The night turned very cold, with frost covering the tents in the morning. People encounters: an 81 year old cow herd named Thakur Khettry, who was quite the caste proud one, and 5 year old Surinder, who was quite the precocious one.

Surinder - a kid we made friends with on the trail, backed by the Chaukhamba Massif

Nov 19: Ghuni (6600 ft) - Chechni Binayak (11,000 ft) - Jhinji (6000 ft)

A good grinding awaited us on Day 2, after slurping down a breakfast of Dahlia. The trail (whatever there is of it) climbs about 3000 ft to Chechni Binakay, a pass at approximately 11,000 ft. Beautiful views of Nanda Ghunti along the way, through the pine forests and at the occasional clearing. The massive Chaukhamba also makes a fleeting appearance. The rest of the day was a steep descent through cold, dense jungle where the green was balanced by changing colors of autumn. With trembling knees and low morale, folks arrived at Jhinji, our next village/campsite. The location had everything going for itself in terms of setting --- hemmed in by sheer slopes rising thousands of feet off the valley floor, crowned by snow peaks. However, the local scenery was another story --- the campsite had comparable amounts of dung, trash, and grass. We feasted on a simple lunch of khichhdi and an incredible dinner of roti, local radish, moong daal and baingan bharta, and even managed to make a couple of phone calls at the local "STD booth".

Nov 20: Jhinji (6000 ft) - Pana (8000 ft)

It was considerably warmer than Ghuni down in this valley. After watching the sunrise on the snowpeaks, and consuming a breakfast of cornflakes, boiled eggs, and bread, we made a start around 9. The sharp descent continued into the Birahi Ganga Valley. Met a bunch of adorable kids named Manju, Kamala and Vikas on the way. 

We crossed the river on an impressive footbridge, several hundred feet above the roaring waters, then switchbacked out of the valley, initially keeping Jhinji in view. Then everything changed. A swing to the right, and we were looking straight down the Birahi Ganga gorge, including the remnants of a now non-existent Gohna Tal (google that incredible story that washed away the downstream town of Srinagar). Another 7-8 km of pleasant, moderately flat hiking through fall foliage, and we were at Pana, a pleasant campsite at the base of one of the peaks visible from Jhinji, part of the Pagarchula Ridge.   We washed up in the freezing mountain stream, Geoff lost his soap to some mountain crows, and we whiled away the time playing Two Truths, One Lie, situations, and by having endless arguments about the orientation of the Big Dipper. We had hot chocolate after dinner!

Hanging bridge over the Birahi Ganga, below Jhinji

Looking west down the Birahi Ganga Valley and Gohna Tal

Nov 21: Pana (8000 ft) - Unnamed Pass (11,000 ft) - Sartoli (10,000 ft)

10 hours of sleep later. Cold morning, slow going. We hiked up and out of the Birahi Ganga Valley till we were level with the Chechni Binayak pass on the other side of the river. It's a steep, but rewarding climb, with stunning views of Nanda Ghunti flanked by Ronti on the left, and an unnamed peak on the right. With binoculars, we could make out many feature details: huge snowfields, knife-like, corniced snow ridges. At this point, the trail turned away from the valley, crossed a pass, and swooped down a new valley towards Sartoli, a classic grazing meadow, with the climb to Kuari Pass towering over the landscape. The ridge from Kuari, extended to the right, peaks at Pagarchula, visible two days ago from Jhinji. We dropped a little lower than Sartoli to camp after 4 hours of moderate trekking. Ranjita entertained us with card games, and I nearly (keyword "nearly") had my roll of toilet paper roll into an abyss while I was in a somewhat helpless position. The evening was freezing cold, so the campfire was a warm welcome. However, the night continued to remain extremely cold. 

Nov 22: Sartoli (10,000 ft) - Dakhwani (13,000 ft)

Aloo paratha for breakfast! We descended sharply to a spectacular waterfall. Bridge-crossing, and valley hike out. That's the story of the Kuari Pass trail: Work hard to gain a few thousand ft. Take in the views. Lose it all in the next 2 hours. Repeat this for a week. 

The trail climbs gradually there on to Dakwani, an exposed area a little way up the steep slope leading to the Pass. It was a short day - 3 hours no more. At this point, some of us had plans to going up teh ridge higher than the pass the next day. Would be cool maybe even to make a summit attempt on Pangarchula. 

The campsite was great - clean, maybe ~1000 ft below the pass. Gyan is a terrific guide - very knowledgable, and a good person. We spend a sleepy afternoon listening to mule bells, the gurgling stream, and playing cards. Interestingly the night was not as cold as the previous, but far more windy. We hit the bags by 8 pm, looking forward to an early morning strike at the Pass and a possible Pangarchula attempt.

Nov 23: Dakhwani (13,000 ft) - Kuari Pass - Talli (12,000 ft)

The best day of the trek. Puri / chhole for breakfast, and an early start. We received brief respite from the gruelling ascent to the pass thanks to sightings of a Monal: lovely Himalayan high altitude bird. Expansive views of the valley behind us, including the Sartoli area. Very steep gradient, freezing cold, altitude make it worse. Take 10 steps, stop and breathe. We reached the pass around 9:30 am and .... what can one say. Brilliant sunshine, not a wisp of cloud, and a few hundred miles of the High Himalaya on display. Chaukhamba in the west, followed by Nilkanth, then the Alaknanda Valley piercing a route north towards Tibet, then a group that likely included Mana, Mukut and Kamet, Abu Gamin. Nilgiri, Ghori and Hathi Parbat were smack in the middle of the view, and to the right, the magnificent Dunagiri, and maybe, just *maybe*, Changabang. Also visible were the Rishi Ganga and Dhauli Ganga Valleys.   

Snow views en route from Kuari Pass to Talli 

Dramatic scenery near Kuari Pass

After spending 90 min at the pass, mesmerized by the view and the pleasant weather, we abandoned all plans of climbing higher. We spent the next 2 hours on a dramatic hike, as Gyan led us through ridges, meadows, and snowfall that gave us newer and closer perspectives on the pantheon we observed from the pass. Nanda Ghunti and Ronti also swung back into view after a day's absence over and above the Pagarchula Ridge. Soon we sank into a pine forest and reached a sublime campsite at Talli surrounded by pines, and blanketed with snow. Many excited discussions over the campfire about the day's views, including suggestions that we might have already sighted Nanda Devi. 

Nov 24: Talli (12,000 ft)- Auli (10,000 ft)

Coldest night of the trek. We settled accounts on a cold morning, and started by 8 am. The hike gradually became more exhilarating with sharp fall offs to the right, and views directly upstream along the Rishi Ganga Valley, which means, yes, Nanda Devi, the highest peak entirely contained within India, was in view, and changing colors by the minute. The dramatic appearances of Dunagiri continued, and so did the raging debate on the identity of the peaks just east of the Alaknanda, with the idea of having seen the Kamet group of peaks gaining acceptance. We received views of the confluence of Rishi Ganga and Alakananda (at Vishnuprayag) as well as the Rishi and Dhauli Gangas. We sighted Lammergier, a Bearded Vulture overhead, by which time Auli was within view below us. The trail runs through brilliant meadows, sneaking in and out of pine forests, before arriving at Auli ... at a chai shop!  By the time we arrived, Nanda Devi was alive with sunlight and sublimation, so no one really complained when our jeep was late showing up. We played with a couple of local dogs to kill the time until the jeep arrived, one of which must have been the world's dirtiest puppy. 

Nanda Devi & the Rishi Ganga Valley, from Auli

The dirtiest puppy in the world backed by Neelkanth

Over and Out

The return was thankfully less eventful than the outward journey. After we tore ourselves away from the views of Nanda Devi, our ride took us back to Karnprayag, where Srivatsan and Prasad went on to Naini Tal. Ranjita, Geoff and I went down to Rudraprayag, and spent the night in what we (then) considered to be the worst hotel we had ever stayed in. The next day, we reached Hardwar early enough to spend a few hours walking around the town, and a quick hike upto the crazy temple on the West Bank of the river (highly unrecommended). The evening Shatabdi to Delhi was smooth as silk and the layover in Noida was pretty convenient thanks to my colleague Anup's contacts in the area. Next day, mid-morning, we were back in Bangalore, battling traffic and pollution, but at the same time, bathing in the afterglow.

A happy meal at Pipalkotti. Clockwise: Ranjita, Prasad, Geoff, Srivatsan

 

View of Hardwar, from the crazy Manasi Devi temple

Random Thoughts

7 days is way too padded an itinerary. 5 days should be do-able. I would break it down as follows:

Day 1: Chefna - Ghuni

Day 2: Ghuni - Jhinji

Day 3: Jhinji - Dakwani

Day 4: Dakwani - Talli

Day 5: Talli - Auli

It might be well worth throwing in a summit attempt, or ridge walk up and to the right of the pass.  What else. Gyan is a great guide. He pampers you a tad more than you might like, but he's a good listener, and very knowledgeable. Highly recommended. 

Goecha La

Introduction

This trip was about 3 months in planning, and was aimed at a trek that is emerging as one of the most popular routes in Sikkim: The Goecha La Trek (alternate spelling "Guicha La"). The route starts at the base town of Yuksom (5840 ft) in South West Sikkim, and climbs via Dzongri (13,300 ft) to Goecha La (16,200 ft), where one is within 5 km of the base of the enormous Kanchendzonga Massif (at 28,169 ft, the world's third highest peak) and even closer proximity to numerous other magnificent 7000m peaks. We planned to complete this trek over 8 days, from Nov 9 to 18, 2008, which would allow for a moderate pace. It would cover a round trip distance of about 90km. Ranjita and I had for company Prasad Naldurg and Rikin Gandhi, both experienced trekkers with very contrasting styles. We were taken care of by a very capable support team of Yangdin Subba, Buddha Bir, Shambhu, Sam Naam, and Ning Ma, all based out of Yuksom, a team assembled with the help of Mr B.S. Subba, Yuksom's Tourism Dept official.

Himalayan Peaks Viewed on the Goecha La Trek:

• Kanchendzonga (28,169 ft)
• Kabru (24,318 ft)
• Talung (24,251 ft)
• Mt Simvo (22,346)
  
• Mt Pandim (21,952 ft)
  
• Rathong (21,916 ft)
• Kabru Black Dome (21,780 ft)
• Tingchen Khang (19,833 ft)
• Jopuno (19,156 ft)
• Narsingh (19,111 ft)

Photo Albums:

• My album
  
• Prasad's Album

Itinerary (approximate elevations and distances)

• Day 1: Yuksom (5,840 ft) to Sachen, 8 km, moderate
• Day 2: Sachen (7,860 ft) to Tsokha, 8 km moderate
• Day 3: Tsokha (10,000 ft) to Dzongri, 10 km, strenuous
• Day 4: Dzongri (13,300 ft) to Dzongri La to Thangsing , 10 km, strenuous
• Day 5: Thangsing (13,000 ft) to Samiti Lake (14,500 ft) to Lamune 6 km, easy
• Day 6: Lamune (14,000 ft) to GL Viewpoint 1 (15,300 ft) to Kokchurang, 11 km, strenous
• Day 7: Kokchurang (12,500 ft) to Sachen, 21 km, strenuous
• Day 8: Sachen (7,590 ft) to Yuksom, 8 km, easy

Day-by-Day Trip Report:

Sat, Nov 8: NJP to Yuksom (Jeep)

Arrived NJP around 7:30 am after an eventless ride from Calcutta via Darjeeling Mail. Got stunning early morning views of Kanchenjunga right from the train: 100 km away, and floating miles up in the sky. An auspicious start.

We hired a super-enthusiastic Sikkimese driver Ajay, and made it to Yuksom after a short stop at Teesta bazaar (and a detour thanks to a road destroyed by landslides) by early afternoon. We met up with Mr B.S. Subba at Yuksom who arranged for us a guide (Yangdin), cook (Sam Naam) and other helpers. We did 8 days and Rs 5000 worth of groceries. Spent a chilly night in what might actually be the worst hotel we've ever stayed in (Hotel Kanchendzonga). Hot water was harder to come by at this hotel than on the trek, and the bathrooms rivalled the ones you find in engineering hostels.

Sun, Nov 9: Yuksom - Sachen (8 km, ~2000 ft gain, 3-4 hours)

Brilliant morning. Permits from the Tourist Dept (thanks to efficient Mr Subba), and the Police Dept (thanks to some superwoman that Prasad met there) were in place by 9 am. The trek started (trumpet call) at 9:45 with light daypacks while dYangdin stayed back to load the mules with groceries and heavier backpacks. (Note for next time: factor in mules when packing, so reduce bag count, not necessarily bag weight).

The initial hike out of Yuksom is through a deep valley carved by the Rathong river, which originates at the Rathong Glacier, which slides down (surprise surprise) from Rathong (21,916 ft) to the north-northwest. The Rathong Glacier also fuels the Rangeet, a lifeline of West Sikkim. The trail swings around spurs, climbs up away from the river through dense mixed jungle, and then plummets back into the river gorge, crossing the river several times, over picturesque, but nerve-tingling hanging bridges. We received reports, that varied slightly on the details, of two people (including a guide from Darjeeling) who fell to their deaths the week before at the second bridge.

Three hours later, we arrived at Sachen, a small clearing to the right and above the trail, and a trekkers hut to its left and below. Lunch was "wai-wai noodles" (no Maggi was to be had for ready money at Yuksom) and aloo puri. It took only a few cups of tea for the sun to sink behind the hills, at 2 pm. We debated the artisitic merits of various national anthems for a while, and then prepared for the night. As usual, assembling Prasad's tent took a significant effort from everyone, i.e. everyone except Prasad, who stood around giving directions, instruction manual in hand. Okay, okay, he had a bad back. The evening and night, for the last time on the trek, were moderate: the lowest temperature we saw was only 9 deg C, thanks to the protected surroundings.

Mon, Nov 10: Sachen - Tsokha (8 km, 2500 ft gain, 4 hours)

Lazy morning, breakfasted on porridge and omelettes. We slept a cool 10 hours, slowly realizing that this would be the norm for the coming week. We hit the trail at 8:30 am and initially continued the hike through similar surroundings as the previous day. A very steep descent to the river, during which we met a bunch of trekkers returning from "successful" Goecha La attempts. An Austrian pair of girls, and two middle-aged Indian couples were successful in getting to the first viewpoint, but none made it further due to icy conditions and lack of gear.

The scenery opened up as we ascended to Bakhim, and we received expansive views of the Rathong Valley. We took a break at Bakhim where we bought a bottle of coke for Rs 50, and some biscuits. From there on it was a steep climb to Tsokha. Minutes before arriving at Tsokha, a dramatic left turn on a ridge brought into view the High Himalaya for our first snow views on the trail: Pandim (22,952 ft), Tingchen Khang (19,833 ft) and Jopuno (19,156 ft).

Tsokha is a charming Tibetan village laced with the underlying tragedy of humans displaced by the games nation-states play. No more than a 100 Tibetans live dislocated, perched on an exposed hillside overlooked by Pandim and its neighbours. One of the Tibetans turned out to speak fluent Kannada! There are a few trinket shops that also sell you lemon tea, a monastery (which was closed), and a reasonably clean trekker's hut. The first evening above 10,000 ft slipped by with some failed star-gazing attempts (the moon was too bright), dinner, and some reading. It was a colder night, being higher, and more exposed.

Tue, Nov 11: Tsokha - Dzongri (11 km, 3300 ft gain, 5 hours)

Up by 6 am. Suprisingly warm morning (~12 deg C). Several cups of hot tea, cornflakes and pancakes later , we hit dirt at 8 am, and start a slow climb almost vertically up from Tsokha. Initially Tsokha remains in the view below, and then disappears as you climb through dense rhododendron forests, leaving the lower altitude taller mixed jungle below. Progress was slow for most of us (read 3 out of 4), likely due to the altitude kicking in. After a couple of hours we reached Phethang, a bald exposed meadow at the top of the mountain, with dramatic views to the Rathong Valley to the south, the famous Singalila Ridge to the West and Pandim and its neighbours to the North and West.

From Phethang a trail heads NW towards Dzongri and North towards Kokchurang. We took the first, and climbed higher to Deorali Dar ("The Meeting Place of Man and Mountain") the first viewpoint that in theory, provides the first unhindered views of Kanchendzonga. Sadly, we were denied a sighting by cloud cover, and satisfied ourselves with views of the other snow peaks mentioned earlier, as well as new sightings of Rathong (21,909 ft) and Kokling Khang to the west, and the Prek Chu drainage to the east. From Deorali, which we estimated to be about 14,000 ft, it was an easy, snow-littered descent to Dzongri, at 13,400 ft.

Rikin finished this hike in 3 hours, it took us about 5. Cabbage Soup (made from local cabbages bought at Tsokha), macaroni, and cauliflower were ready when we reached. By now we were all feeling the effects of altitude, having breached the 14,000 mark for the first time. We braced for a cold night and prepared for an early morning start the next day. It was a small, cosy hut, but in an oxygen deprived state, I realized that Pamuk's "My Name is Red" was notoriously difficult to make sense of.

We watched a great sunset as it sunk behind the Singalila Ridge into Nepal. Scattered clouds hung over various peaks, though nothing threatening. We met with "Mr Maldives" who splintered from his two American companions, one of whom got struck down by altitude, and a couple of fiesty Swiss girls. Mr Maldives (who's really from Darjeeling - he just works in the island nation) pointed his home town out from among the shimmering cascade of high ridges near the southern horizon. The temperature plummeted after sunset; post dinner (rice, daal and momos) and a game of 29, we hit the sack at 8 pm.

Wed, Nov 12: Dzongri - Dzongri La Viewpoint - Thangsing (4 hours, net loss, 300 ft)

4 am start. Icy surface at -4 deg C. Windchill made it worse. Much worse. Steep climb with headlamps in the dark. Good thing, since we had no idea how sheer the drop offs to the left were. Prasad stayed in to catch some sleep after a troubled night. 45 minutes later we were on the windy, exposed viewpoint, in time for a magical sunrise over a 360 degree panorama, starting from the Singalila Ridge in the west, Rathong, Kabru, Kabru Dome and Kanchedzonga directly in front, and Simvo, Pandim, Jopuno, Narsingh, and many other unknown peaks to the east. Colors rolled through a sequence of mysterious silver, pink, orange, gold, and finally, brilliant white. As the wind picked up, we beat a hasty retreat from the inhospitable mountain top, scrambling down through oddly colder temperatures as the sun rose.

After a quick porridge and omelette breakfast back at the hut, we embarked on the most scenic 2-3 hours of hiking of the trek. Bright sunny skies, expansive meadows, gentle downhill slopes, massive views of Pandim range as we inched closer to its base, the Prek Chu Valley, and grazing wild yaks. Happiness was short lived, as we plumetted with little advance warning through dense rhododendron forest for about 1500 ft with excruciating knee pressure, all the way down to the Prek Chu river bed at Kokchurang. After this, the trail slowly climbed to regain lost altitude on the other side of the river, but our speed was slowed by our tired knees.

We finally arrived at Thangsing (13,000 ft) @ 12 pm --- a grand location on a windswept meadow next to the Prek Chu, cradled by the now massive walls of Pandim, and Tingchen Khang. The location offers partial views of the Kanchendzonga Massif straight ahead to the north, a dramatic near vertical rock face climbing about 5000 ft on the west, and of course, Pandim rising 10,000 ft above to the immediate right (east). Dense fog rolled in in the afternoon, reducing visibility to 10 m at times, and sending the mercury down to just 7 deg C at 2 pm. We busied ourselves cleaning up the filthy hut (lead by Prasad), and pitching our tents in the hut for extra warmth (also Prasad's idea, a good call). Later we walked north past Jamling Tenzing Norgay's (yes, it's *his* son, a famous mountaineer in his own right, though) fancy campsite, to win ourselves ethereal views of a floating Pandim and Tingchen Khang at sunset. A senior American couple walked past us smiling, with hands on their hearts, touched by the momentary, gentle, yet awesome beauty of the scene.

Thu, Nov 13: Thangsing - Lamune - Samiti Lake - Lamune (4 hours, net gain ~700 ft)

Woke at 6:30 am, and scooted out for some sunrise views. Caught the last spill of orange before brilliance took over. It was to be a short day, so we took it easy. Left camp at 10 am, ambled over to Lamune, 2 hours north @ 13,741 ft, a more exposed but more dramatic location than Thangsing, with Kanchendzonga now in our faces. We continued hiking under Pandim and Tenzing Khang --- the proximity and new perspectives making them almost unrecognizable. We met returning trekkers and received mixed feeedback about the worth of attempting the actual pass. Apparently difficulty levels were high due to ice, but the views according to some were definitely superior at the "second viewpoint". Mr Maldives and a couple of Europeans reported success, but a couple of American women (one of whom looked extremely capable) did not. We did the flat then steep, windy hike up to Samiti Lake (14,200 ft), and were rewarded by a glacial lake in a spiritual setting, bluer than the sky, hemmed in on all sides by scree and sheer slopes, guarded by prayer flags. We also received a preview of the slope we would have to ascend the next morning on the far side of the lake (directly behind Prasad in the picture below).

We were back at cold, windy Lamune at 1:30 pm with splitting headaches, numb extremities, and a quickly fading sun. By 4 pm it was quite dark and 0 deg C. There was no hanging around outside the tents this evening. We slept in fits and starts, some not at all. Ranjita made good use of active warmers as the temperature continued to slide below zero. At 6:30, after dinner, at -4 deg C, we decided to turn in, in preparation for a 3 am start. The wind continued to buffet the tent at what must have been 30 mph all through the night. Luckily we had good soil to stake the tents down. Aside: Turns out Lamune is the base camp for Tingchen Khang. We saw some hikers heading up the trail, but couldn't make out if they were en route to a serious summit attempt.

Fri, Nov 14: Lamune - Goecha La Viewpoint - Kokchurang (7 hours, net loss 1000 ft)

The cold, cold night ended at 2 am for me, after which I could not sleep. It was -6 deg C, ignoring the wind. It took until 3:30 am to round everyone up, and we finally hit dirt (ice, actually) at 4 am, with the rapidly setting full moon keeping us company. We tramped through frozen streams, single file, counting flashlight pinpricks to account for each other, deathly quiet, except for the sound of ice cracking under our feet. We recevied ghostly moonlit views of Pandim, Tingchen Khang and Kanchedzonga en route. We passed Samiti Lake and started the slow climb through the scree, as twilight picked up and headlamps were turned off. Post 15,000 ft, the going was painstakingly slow. 30 min later, the first sunrise rays hit Kabru, Pandim and Kanchendzonga, which were now suddenly upon us. We arrived at the prayer flag strewn Goecha La viewpoint 1 (my estimate, 15,300 ft) to be greeted by more snow and a 40+ mph wind, a harsh, bitterly cold welcome that was fortunately compensated by the sub 5 km proximity to incredible Himalayan peaks. We were hemmed in by the twin peaks of Pandim, Tingchen Khang from a completely different angle, Kabru, which from here looks like a multitude of peaks, Talung, and of course, the massive Kanchendzonga, which as usual is gigantic, but from this perspective is strangely unfamiliar. The thrill is shortlived thanks to the outright torture at having to stand in one place. Quick pictures are taken of glaciers, rockfalls, ice formations. Not a leaf grows here. I tried half-heartedly to figure out the onward route, but Yangdin's equally half hearted response killed any inclination we had to try and make forward progress. After about 20 min of being buffeted around by the freezing wind, we headed back, through a gradually brightening Samiti Lake, to Lamune for breakfast.

We stopped at Thangsing for a ring-side view of a botched Yak Hunt in the company of the friendly mountaineer Jamling Tenzing Sherpa, who happened also to lose his fanciest tent (an Octahedron Dinner Tent from Mountain Hardware) to the winds at Lamune minutes before we arrived there. The Yak Hunt failed thanks to a rope tear. "No Yak for you", Soup-Nazi style. We arrived at Kokchurang at 12:30 pm, in the warmer bed of pine trees and rhododendrons, now wondering if we should have pushed for going further beyond viewpoint one.

Sat, Nov 15: Kokchurang - Sachen (21 km, 4000 ft loss, 7 hours)

Headed out at 7 am, after spending the previous evening playing Poker and 29. We hiked out along the (shorter) Prek Chu route, avoiding the climb to Dzongri (which the mules had to do). The trail is narrow but gorgeous, running through virgin jungle for a couple of hours, later turning interesting (read tricky) thanks to landslides, fallen trees and icy mud streams. The trail swings up and down the eastern flank of the river before climbing high to Phethang. Here around 10 am we joined up with the inward route, and met up with the mule caravan that had meanwhile arrived via Dzongri. Another 2 hours of steep descent and walking along log-paved ridges later, we reached Tsokha, where we stopped for lunch around 12 pm, and savored our last snow views. Lunch was quick and awesome: soup, fried potatoes, macaroni. Quick march after lunch, and Prasad promptly took off down a short cut, Captain Haddock-style, sparking consternation from Ranjita and me, and later, once he had regained the main trail, downright fury from Yangdin. We quickly sunk to the Rathong Valley, and crossed the first of 4 bridges. Probably too quickly, because certain knees and feet ended up with minor injuries. Arrived Sachen 3 pm, and used the filthy hut instead of pitching tent (my "cologne" turned out to be body wash, so that didn't help). The hut was so filthy that a spot outside littered with mule dung seemed clean by comparison, so that's where we spent the afternoon.

We met several uphill trekkers during the day: a Japanese father and son duo, the Alaskan couple from the Darjeeling Mail, a Swiss guy who was leading a trash removal operation on the trail. Looked like the season was over as far as Indians were concerned.

We lost 4000 ft in 21 km today. A good day's work.

Sun, Nov 16: Sachen - Yuksom - Kurseong

6 am rise and shine, hit dirt at 7:15. Three hours, three bridge crossings, and many stream crossings later, we reached Yuksom at 10:00 am. Post trek formalities and niceties were conducted with Yangdin and co. (which included Mr Spaced Out, which oddly, seemed to know his facts) and of course Mr B.S. Subba. Ajay landed up with his Chevvy as planned, and soon we were hurtling down the mountains towards Jorethang. A last minute change in plans made us head to Kurseong via Darjeeling to spend the night. The tea garden route from Jorethang was spectacular, but super dangerous. The SUV (a stupid RWD Chevvy) got stuck on a ridge soon into the drive, with the front left wheel hanging over a 30 ft drop, and the remaining three mired in mud. 30 minutes of mud-splattering and ridge-hacking later we managed to free the car with help from locals. The effort was worthwhile as we were soon rewarded with fabulous views of Pandim, Kanchendzonga, Kabru, and Kumbhkarna, Koktang, (which we mistakenly celebrated to be Everest, Lhotse, and Nuptse). We drove on through "Gorkhaland" and had brief encounters with Darjeeling's Toy Train, the region's famed obsession with Rock music, and beautiful tea estates. Stopped at Sonada where Rikin bought a snack called "Lapsi Sweet" from Nepal, which is labeled, with complete frankness, "Not Yet Found in Other Countries". Arrived to a warm welcome at Mashi's place in Kurseong (12 years since my last visit), hot baths, a superb meal (with tree tomato chutney, freshly picked guava, and isqus root), and real beds and blankets. Bid goodbye to Ajay, great guy, excellent driver.

Tomorrow morning we will head down to Bagdogra and return to the real world, leaving paradise behind, but imprinted indelibly on our consciousness.

Post-trip Random Thoughts:

While the feeling of regret at not having made progress beyond the first viewpoint was high on the concerned day, now, with hindsight, the feeling has diminished considerably. Harsh conditions are the risk one takes by attempting this trail so late in the season. It's a fine balance though, since earlier in the season, the risk of cloud cover and precipitation is higher. April may be an interesting time to do this trek, since the rhododendrons will be in bloom.

We conclude that 8 days is certainly a padded itinerary. My personal opinion is that one could quite easily accomplish this trek in 7, and perhaps even 6 days (if one is ready to forgo the Dzongri detour in the interest of focusing on the pass area and beyond). However, one thing to keep in mind is that supplies (mules/yaks) cannot take the Phetang - Kokchurang shortcut. It's worth planning for 6 or 7, but budgeting for 8 all the same to allow for flexibility in the plans.

Finally, this is pristine country of which sadly, the subcontinent has precious little left. To paraphrase Edmund Hillary, no one conquers these mountains, we conquer ourselves to experience them. They merely stand silently and allow us passage. Tread softly on these trails and give them your respect.

Resources:

• India Mike Trekking & Mountaineering Forum
• Supratim's Blog
  
• Mr Srinivasan's Travel Blog
  
• Harish Kapadia's "Trekking and Climbing in the Indian Himalaya" (difficult to find book)